First, my thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by the recent tornadoes in the central US. Because of all the news about these tornadeos, the girls have had a lot of questions. I thought we would do an experiment to hopefully answer some of those questions. Thus, we did a tornado in a jar. To make your own tornado, you'll need: a jar water a small amount of dish soap (about a teaspoon) 1) Fill the jar to almost full and add the dish soap. 2) Put the top on then shake it up to get some suds on the top. 3) Let the water settle out just a bit for the best results. 4) After the water has settled, shake the jar again in a circular motion. When you stop shaking, you should see a tornado form! 5) Let the water settle out again before making your next tornado. You can explain to your kids that tornadoes happen when two different air masses (usually a warm and a cold one) bump into each other. One mass moves faster than the other so they form a … [Read more...]
National Night Out Party Ideas
National Night Out celebrates it's 30th anniversary on August 6th, 2013. Though my neighborhood doesn't celebrate National Night Out (we like to be different), we do have a block party every summer. Just like the official "Night Out", our block party is a time to get to know the new neighbors and connect with the established ones that we don't see on a regular basis. We are known to have the "the best block party in town" and frequently have people from neighborhoods close by crash our party to hear the bands play. Our block party really is big deal... In honor of this year's upcoming National Night Out 30th Anniversary, I thought I would share some ideas from my neighborhood block parties that have helped them to be successful every year... 1) Register your party on the National Night Out website. They've got a ton more ideas than we do to make your party a success! If your party is simply a block party and not related to National Night Out, make sure to call … [Read more...]
Our Top 12 Posts of 2012
Happy New Year!!We're starting off 2013 with a look back at 2012. We've gone through our stats and found our twelve most popular posts (according to page views) written over this past year. Some of these come as no surprise to us, others were a bit unexpected. We hope you enjoy this look down memory lane as much as we have! 12. 9 Awesome and Unique Halloween Treats11. Bunny Bunting Banner10. S'mores Croissants9. Pillow[ology] by Sleep Number8. 50 things (other than candy) to put in your child's Easter basket7. 15 Ideas for getting rid of the Mommy Grouchies6. Shaving Cream and Glue5. Hosting a Winter ONEderland Party4. Ridiculously Easy Fudge Pops3. Crappy Closet turned Crafty Closet2. Free Tooth Fairy Certificate PrintableOur number 1 post of 2012 was...1. 101 Ansers to "I'm Bored" … [Read more...]
Our Elf on the Shelf is boring and that’s ok!
Meet Tommy Teal, our Elf on the Shelf. He first visited our house last November 26th. Tommy isn't as crazy as some elves you see out there. He's actually quite boring. That's ok and I'll tell you why! Yes, I do admit that I get a bit jealous of some of the ideas people come up with for their Elf on the Shelf. I've seen some cute ones, some mischievous ones, and some just plain wrong ones. However, not everyone is that creative nor do they have time to make those little scenes. If you are anything like me, you have to set an alarm to even remember to move your elf each night! Plus, I thought the point of the Elf on the Shelf was to help your kids be good during the holiday season. Your elf is suppose to sit somewhere in your house all day and watch your childrens' behavior. Each night he goes back to the North Pole and reports to Santa how they have been. This is where I have an issue with some of the ideas I've seen and why I think our boring Tommy is just fine. 1) … [Read more...]
Halloween Costume Disappointment
For the past 6 years I have either bought my girls' Halloween costumes used from Craigslist or from the thrift store, or have made their costumes. I tend not to spend a lot of money on costumes that the girls will only wear for a few hours max. This year is no exception for Tottie. My sweet, little 4 year old wants to be a zombie. Where she got the idea from is beyond me, but that's what she wants to be. Sooo...I took a pair of her old pjs, ripped them up, and sewed some red fabric behind the tears. I then took them outside and stomped them in the mud. To finalize the costume I will spray some fake blood on the pjs, put Tottie's hair in crooked pigtails, cover her face in grey makeup, and put a gash tattoo on her cheek. She can't wait to see the final look and neither can I!!Nutty, however, is a different story this year. After being undecided on what she wants to be and searching through multiple used costumes for ideas, we ended up buying the above costume new this evening at … [Read more...]
If You Had Months to Live…
Last week my local news did a follow up story on the family of a woman named Amy Taylor. Her life was cut all too short at the age of 34 due to breast cancer. She left behind a husband and two small children.What's so different and special about Amy that she made the local news? It was her attitude and what she left behind for her children that made an impression on many. When Amy was told that her breast cancer was un-treatable, she chose not to dwell on dying, but to live and to continue "living" for her children even after her death. Please watch this video. I'm warning you though, you WILL need tissues! I will be 34 at the end of this month. I can not imagine leaving my children behind, not being there for all of their "firsts". This amazing woman found a way to be at her children's "firsts" despite not physically being there. What if you knew you had less than a year to live? What would you leave for your children? How would you spend those last months? For those … [Read more...]
