Easter

Easter was sweet this year.

We felt so blessed to have all our munchkins, and see the delight on their faces.

This was the first year that some of our family had been on an official Easter Egg Hunt

The older kids still scramble for the gorgeous pops of color that were hidden so well in the bushes and trees.

Everyone filled their baskets up, reminding us of how blessed we are to even be able to afford such luxuries.

Our oldest was just back from her soccer game, aptly called the 'Blue Butterlies'.  They're so funny to watch as they play and chase the ball around, all grouped up like they just want to hang out rather than chase a ball all over a field.

Such a good sister.

And here the products of their creativity and mine and grandpa's as we all sat down to dye eggs.  Complete with lessons on how to turn an egg brown, we had caterpillar and insect stickers.  Crayons (even if they are a simple technique) made their showiing, and our kids loved watching the eggs turn brilliant aqua and fuschia.

We always have our traditional hunts and egg dying on Saturday, and then reserve Sunday for the more holy part of the holiday.  (I have such a hard time with the Easter Bunny when I want to focus on the resurrection, but these young years aren't many)  We had a special talk at dinner about the resurrection, and we shared how thankful we are that because of the Savior, the bands of death are broken, and we can live together for ever.

This video sums it up pretty well for us:

May the message of the season linger with us a little longer.

15 ingenious DIY teacher gifts that will blow their socks off

I have told myself that I will find a way to thank my kids' teachers for one thing or another probably 6 times now.  For things that were really important to me (like working with our boy on listening and obeying class rules better, and helping our daughter to establish confidence in academics).  We have really great teachers.  That translates to 'I wish I could buy you some lavish gift, but you're probably going to get the best gift 10 dollars can pay for'.

These brilliant DIY gifts will probably knock their socks off!

Darling note cards from Mommy by Day Crafter by Night

Genius 'App' card with chocolates.  Free printable and tut at I heart Naptime

This lady makes the dollar store look like Tai Pan.  By Passionate Penny Pincher

This treat is not only beautiful but exciting when you realize that it's an ice cream sundae kit!  When I made mine, I simply went to my local grocery store and asked if I could buy a couple of their pastry boxes.  They p0let me, and it turned out so cute.  Visit A Pretty Cool Life for more.

Darling and low cost terra cotta apple stuffed with treats from 733 blog

Dr. Seuss mason jar made by The Country Chic Cottage

This gift is so creative and it upcycles!  She uses a drink cartridge from Sonic and tin cans for those pansies.  SO Brilliant!!  From Nest of Posies

Darling way to give a gift card, and would be a great memory keeper of your kiddos for an excellent teacher.   I also really liked that she had her kids write down their favorite things about class on the inside of these. From Come Together Kids

Beautiful free printable tags at Sweet Metel Moments

Also from her:

Darling gum gift with free printables also at Sweet Metel Moments

This is so brilliant, and I love that it goes with these adorable friend gifts for the end of the year:

Brilliance by Lisa Storms

I love the spray painted pups at the top!  By Smashed Peas and Carrots

Darling and as she says, perfect for last minute teacher gifts.  From Skip To My Lou

These chic beauties are also useful!  By Balancing Home

I love the simple design.  It would be very easy to give these even if you weren't sure of the teacher's taste.  By Shanty 2 Chic

Enjoy, and may your teachers be amazed by your goodness!

Brilliant with boxen

If you appreciate Brian Regan, you know what boxen are.  Essentially my boys dominated with the boxen today, much to the chagrin of my husband (who will be seeing this for the first time here.  Hehe love you honey).

We have a steep hill in our back yard that is almost impossible to grow grass on.  Not only because it doesn't hold water for long enough to get into the roots, but also because our kids think it's their personal playground.  Why a hill?  Not easy to stay on there.  Not easy to do anything but awkwardly gallop down it.  And yet they continue to try to roll down the hill, tearing up the meager grass in the process.

So it was no surprise when my boys came up with this:

That's right.  One boy in the box, one boy pushing.  Forcing the box down the hill.  There was no sliding here.

And there's the best way to push!  With your head.  Don't worry it's probably a genetic thing.  From his Dad of course.

I being the brilliant parent that I am, and also slightly careless with our lawn (trying to justify my idea because 'this is better for the lawn than pushing a boy in a box along as it uproots each tiny tuft of grass) I came up with this:

'

Yep, you see that right.  My sweet daughter going head over heels as she slides down the unfolded box on a tiny scrap of plastic bag (hey, she was having craisins in that bag!  We're upcyclying)

Now we have speed, which turns out isn't so good for the slightly sicker bottom patch of the hill.

Yep.

This was our last upgrade to the whole sliding-speed continuum.  We tied the bags onto their bottoms and now not only is it the coolest thing to do with a cardboard box, but it's funny too.  Ooh I love that my kids think anything involving the word 'bottom' is funny!

Again, Love, sorry about the lawn.  It was still better for the grass than what they were doing.  Even if there are a few soil divets out of the base of the hill now.  It was probably worth the happiness of your brood, right?

Ice bubbles in all their delight!

Meet the coolest bubbles ever made: Ice bubbles.  You simply go outside on a freezing day (sorry warm zones) and blow bubbles!  The temperature freezes them almost instantly, and you can blow bubbles for your toddlers (or giddy self) to hold!  This was so fun!!

step 1: wait for it to be below 32 degrees Fahrenheit  (I suppose you could slip into a commercial freezer and do this trick).  We did this mid December.

Step 2: blow a few bubbles

Step 3: wait 4.5 seconds for them to freeze

Now watch them pop/crack:

Try to get your cold baby interested.

Get as giddy as a school girl with your toddlers when they realize they just smashed a bubble, and part of it landed on their jacket:

Happiness factor: +1

The most brilliant Crayon art!!

Recently I discovered the joy that is Pintrest.com, and found these beauties among the unending inspiration:

These were originally designed by this lovely Etsy Artist, whose talent is amazing!

She inspired me to create these beauties:

It's fabulously easy, and if you'd like to give it a try, here's a quick tut:

Begin by counting out 33 crayons of the colors of your choice and hot gluing them to an 11x 13 canvas.  I chose to use this one because I like the look of stretched canvas, though you can use a canvas flat panel and it would be even cheaper.  This is a 2pack for 7.79 (on sale, but they always have a good coupon):

You'll need 33 Crayons.  If you use similar colors (4-5 of them) you'll use about 4 boxen (shout out to you Bryan Regan fans) of crayons.  If you are trying to go more monochromatic, with only 3 colors, you might buy more like 6 or 7 boxen.

Now is a good time to go turn on your oven to 235 degrees. 

Lay out your crayons in some order. Just a note: I think they look better when there is some kind of repeating pattern, and the crayola label facing outward. It may be even better to put the name of the color facing up.  Your call.

Then Squirt out a stripe (or zig zag) of hot glue enough to cover about 3 crayons at a time, until you've laid them out and they look like this:

Of course you burnt your finger on the hot glue.  Sorry.  You're in good company.

Next:

take out your oven shelves (except the lowest one)

Now, cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.  I allowed a little of the foil to hang over the edge and bent it upward a little.  Next, turn your canvas upside down, and prop it up at a steep angle with two mason jars (heat resistant jars).  This means placing the mason jars just off center of the pan, and lining them up with the wood of the canvas frame.  No propping the canvas up with the jar in the middle of the frame.  That pushes on the canvas and would make your melted crayon run all around. 

If the frame isn't quite steep enough (ie you put your jars at one edge of the pan, and your canvas is butting up against the other edge, you may have drippage of the wax from the flat end of the crayons, that will drip onto your oven floor!  Not good!  Keep the crayon end of your canvas well within the length of the pan!

Now stick the whole contraption in the oven, at 235 degrees, and within 5 minutes you'll have colorful waxy lines dripping slowly down the fabric.  

You decide when you take it out.  It won't run much after you take it out of the oven.  I opened my front door, grabbed my hotpads and ran that tray out and put it in the shade.  It cooled it right down, and stopped the melting.  Let it cool at least 5 minutes before attempting to touch it.

Now for the embellishment:

I cut flowers out of paper, with my Silhouette machine (which I adore), but you can certainly cut them out by hand and layer them atop each other.  Stick them into your canvas with a brad (or several types seen here) and your done!

For the balloons canvas, I cut out several balloon shapes, edged them with ink, and then stuck them to the canvas with a bit of mounting tape (like this) or simply use glue dots.

Then I cut a thin grosgrain ribbon in half, and tied little knots in it which I stuck to the base of each balloon with a glue dot.  I liked grouping them, but they also looked great staggered atop the wax.

Now your canvases should look like these guys: (or better).

Enjoy making these with your kiddos!!

Aprons for Sweet Toddlers

My latest project for a talent show...Aprons for my sweet girl and boy.   I love his GQ face (he has no idea he's even doing it) I'm thinking a tut would be a good idea here.  Let me know if you'd like to know how I made these.

She's testing out the 'twirliness' of her apron.  It twirls. She's 3 and our resident expert on twirling. If she says so, it's so.  I couldn't resist posting this next one: A) he's got a spoon in one of his pockets, and B) his nose is awesome! So funny: