One of the reasons this blog was started was to encourage me and my previous co-author to spend more quality time with our kids. I admit, work and social media have gotten away from me lately and quality time with my girls has been in short supply. This summer, I'm determined to unplug a bit more and spend face-to-face time with Kiki (aka Nutty) and TJ (aka Tottie). I came up with a summer bucket list for kids that should be fairly easy for the girls and me to complete this summer. Our summer vacation is about 3 months long so I came up with 60 things for us to do. That equals 5 things a week. Totally accomplishable as we can double up on some of them. When my girls say, "I'm bored" I can point them to the summer bucket list and have them pick something to do off the list. I think the two hardest things for us to complete will be geocaching and going to a baseball game but the girls haven't done either of them before so I decided to add those as new things to try. They've … [Read more...]
Don’t Miss Camp Macy’s June 14th!
I am a member of the Everywhere Society and Everywhere has provided me with compensation for this post. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.Did you know that Macy's is more than just a department store? This Sunday, June 14th, Macy's turns into a place to camp!! No, it's not an overnight camp, but it will be a great day camp! As part of their American Icons campaign, Macy’s is hosting Camp Macy’s with all sorts of family fun and summer activities. Kids can enjoy a camp experience indoors with storytelling, BINGO, crafts that show off your American spirit, refreshments, giveaways, and more! Sounds fun huh? Want to give back while you're at camp? Take photos during your camping experience at Camp Macy's and use the hashtag #AmericanSelfie. Macy's will donate $1 for each #AmericanSelfie up to $250k, to support America’s veterans with Got Your 6. You'll also be entered into a contest run by Macy's - some winners will be selected for an awesome moment in Macy's … [Read more...]
Raising Monarchs Part 2
If you've been following Toys In The Dryer on social media, you know that the girls and I have been raising a monarch butterfly this summer. It has been a ton of fun and a definite learning experience! I ended my last post, Raising Monarchs Part 1 at day 5, the day after our caterpillar hatched from its egg. Only 15 days later, we had a full-grown caterpillar that was ready to make a chrysalis! Though today is day 28, and our little monarch currently resides in it's chrysalis, I will end this post at day 20 because the next phase deserves a post of it's own. For those of you watching, waiting, and asking, yes, I WILL do a slide show of all the slides combined to show our caterpillar's growth but I thought I'd wait until the very end to show the entire transformation. In the mean time, I'll hit the highlights... Monarch caterpillars molt 4 times before molting one last time into their chrysalis. The stages between these molts are called instars and monarchs have 5 … [Read more...]
Mini Golf And More at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
It's been YEARS since I have been to the Walker Art Center and the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. Nutty learned about the famous Spoonbridge and Cherry in school but has never seen it in real life until now. A few weeks ago I was contacted by the Walker Art Center to help promote their mini golf courses in the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden as well as their FREE family events during the rest of the summer. My family was given complimentary tickets to try the golf courses for ourselves. Hubby is working like crazy lately so the girls and I had a day out together. It was a TON of fun! Included in the mini golf tickets you buy is admission to the Walker Art Center. While we waited for our tee-time we explored the Garden and the Art Center. We all thought some people's idea of art was quite interesting! After an hour-long wait (even during the middle of the week!) it was time to play golf. But wait...that photo doesn't look like golf! That's because this isn't you average … [Read more...]
Make Your Own Seed Paper
My mom is cardmaker/stamper. She has supplies galore in my sister's old bedroom which she has turned into her "office". My girls love to dig in her materials when they visit her house. Often times they make cards of their own for friends and family. This past week when the girls and I went to my parents' house, my mom decided to do something different. She helped them make seed paper. If you aren't familiar with seed paper, it is just what it sounds like. Paper with seeds it in. You plant the paper, it dissolves in the dirt, and the seeds grow into plants. The process of making the paper can be a bit messy but the Nutty and Tottie thought it was a ton of fun and can't wait to do it again as soon as I buy my own supplies. To make seed paper with your kids, you'll need a few paper making supplies. You don't have to have anything super special. My mom put together her own "kit" with things she had laying around. A frame the size you want your paper to be (a cheap picture frame … [Read more...]
Family Camping On A Boat
Two years ago our family bought a 25 foot boat with a full cuddy including a bed, small kitchen area, and small bathroom. After having a 19 foot fish-and-ski for a few years we decided to upgrade to something a little more family friendly. What we didn't realize when we purchased the bigger boat is how many wonderful family memories we would make on it. We bought the boat late in the summer of the first year so we spent most of that summer just learning the ropes of it and cruising around the lake and up and down the river. Last summer was our first time camping with it. We spent two nights beached on an island in the St. Croix river. The whole family loved it. This year hubby and I planned our schedules so we could take a four day camping trip on the river. As Mother Nature would have it, it's been raining galore in our area and the river is flooded out. All the lakes in the area are flooded also. The girls were disappointed that we would not be taking our trip. So...I … [Read more...]
