Teacher Book

Here's a SUPER cute Pinterest success that my friend, Meg did with her daughter for her teacher's end of the year gift.

Thanks for sharing Meg!!

This is just a simple soft case photo album.  I've gotten them at Wal-Mart for a $1 before.

Carpet Playtime

I saw this idea on a friends Facebook post... and it really got my mind going.  She posted this picture...

How AWESOME is this?  She said that it only took her 10 mins.... a little masking tape... and her little man was LOVIN it for HOURS!!!

Fun with Froot Loops

So, this was a fun rainy day activity that I wanted to share with y'all.  I know if you're anything like me, then rainy days are the WORST with little ones.  

My daughter had been working on patterns in school. Which got me thinking....

FROOT LOOP NECKLACES/BRACELETS!  It would be a fun activity and a decent snack.  

Bunny Tails... Easter Treat

Ok... this is so stinkin cute!  A friend of mine posted this picture on Facebook and I immediately asked her if I could share it with all of you.... she agreed!!!  

I know this will shock you, but it was a PINTEREST find.  I went and checked out where she got it from and you can actually get the printable from their site (and LOTS of other cute printables- DEFINITELY worth a look).  Just visit eighteen25 to get what you need.

Resurrection Rolls

These are just precious!!  I've seen them on a NUMBER of pages... but this recipe was super descriptive, so I thought that I would share it with all of you!!  If your kids are old enough to understand this concept, I would STRONGLY recommend this 'fun with kids' activity.  I know that I will DEFINITELY do this with my kiddos when they're old enough!!

WE LOVE MO MO!!!

If we're being honest, I said I was back in well, like February... hmmm... Since I haven't posted since, I guess it's safe to say that life has been busy, to say the least.  Don't get me wrong, I know that life is busy for everyone... I just feel better if I explain to you why I haven't posted.

The GOOD news is, I've got stuff coming!!!  I have entered into a 'busy' season in my life.  I'm doing some SERIOUS spring cleaning/organizing and utilizing some some clever/crafty ideas thanks to the wonderful world of Pinterest.

We'll start off with a product review.

BabyZoo Alarm Clock for children, teach your child when to stay in bed!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Ok, so I'm NOT a mushy gushy Valentine's Day type of person.  BUT, the idea of making Valentine's Day things, well now, THAT is fun!

We started the day off with a YUMMY Pinterest inspired breakfast.  Click here to check it out.  I for SURE used canned cinnamon rolls.  I unrolled them half way and the curled the other side back to make a heart shape.

More "winter"... REALLY???

HAPPY GROUNDHOG DAY!!!


So according to the Washington Post...

"At 7:25 a.m. this morning, amidst mostly cloudy skies, and temperatures in the low 30s, Groundhog Phil saw his shadow in the little town of Punxsutawney, Pa. 

According to folklore, Phil’s sighting of his own shadow means there will be 6 more weeks of winter.”

Not sure about where all of you live but in coastal Georgia... IF we had winter it lasted a day or two and has for sure come and gone already.  Honestly, with temperatures in the 70s... it is nearly impossible to consider this to be winter.  Either way, that's what the little groundhog decided.  We shall see....


But StormFax.com says Phil has gotten it right just 39% of the time (also from the Washington Post)

If you're looking for fun activities to do with your little ones (no matter what age), to celebrate Groundhog Day, check out the Apples 4 Teachers web page here.  There are lessons on the history, coloring pages, and LOTS MORE!  ENJOY!!



Hope today is NOT like the movie Groundhog Day for you and yours... 

Handprint Christmas Tree

So, I pinned this SO LONG AGO (here)... I just HAD to try it out with my little ones when I was on my desperate crafting search.  I REALLY love the way that it turned out.  If I were going to do anything different though, I would have gotten a larger canvas.  I think that the one I got was like 16x20 (maybe?!).  Bigger would have been MUCH better, you can always add more rows.  Anyhow, luckily my munchkins still have small hands so it worked out GREAT.  Had I had the larger canvas though, we could have added a row of hands for each adult in the house too.  Lesson learned.

So, I went to the craft store here and the canvases were on sale.  Who doesn't love a sale?!  For a 2 canvas pack, I paid $6.95.  Add in a bottle of green paint (washable of course) for $2.99 and I was set.  If only I had remembered my 50% off any item coupon... it would have been even better.  Oh well.  Another lesson learned.

Well, I'm SO grateful that the canvases came in a 2 pack.  If you look at the second picture, you can see where I tried to put my hands on and then had my little one stamping away... I had NO PLAN!  I visualized it perfectly in my head.  But, when it came down to it, it turned out AWFUL!  So, on to canvas #2.  Lesson Learned.

  

Finished Melted Snowman Ornament

So, they are dry and hanging... check them out... HOW CUTE?!  Can you tell which one my 18mo old did vs the 3 1/2 yr old?  HA!  But, I totally love them BOTH.  I mean, when a snowman melts, it probably looks a little more like the fist one than the second, don't you think?? Click here for the 'how to' on this fun craft.

Melted Snowman Ornament

Ok... so I was having a bit of a dry spell when it came to crafts.  So yesterday I went on an overload...  and had a BLAST!!  I remembered a craft that I used to to with my students every Christmas when i taught first grade.  See, it was a tradition at the school that each class made a different type of ornament and we would all decorate a common tree in the hall.  It always ended up looking SO GREAT!!  Anyhow, my standard class ornament was the melted snowman.  I just always thought that they looked SO CUTE, so of course when my angels made theirs, well... they are just the GREATEST!!!  Sidenote... a friend of mine has also made these as ghosts for Halloween and made them necklaces instead of ornaments... so there are LOTS of fun ideas with this. :-)

So, it's simple... get some glue (glue-all works better than the school glue, not sure why... but it does) and squirt some out onto wax paper.  Remember shape doesn't matter, it's a MELTED snowman.

This is my 18 mo old having fun with the glue :-)

I pre-cut the shapes, (an orange triangle and a black hat), let the kids grab some small twigs from the backyard, and had some google eyes.  (you could TOTALLY let older kids cut the stuff themselves and/or add more, buttons, black circles for a charcoal mouth, yarn piece for a scarf... etc...)  

You just let the kids add the pieces wherever... REMEMBER the snowman is melted, placement doesn't matter.

Add in hooks for hanging.  I used ornament hooks but paper clips would work fine too.

So here are ours drying...

I add glitter because the glue dries pretty clear.  Just helps a little.  I'll add the finished pics later today.  I JUST flipped them so the back would dry.  LOVE this one :-)

(CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FINISHED PRODUCT... SO CUTE)

Things to do THIS weekend for FREE!!

THANKS to Saving My Family Money for sharing this AWESOME list of FUN FREE things to do this weekend!!

AC Moore – Saturday 10/22 from 1-4pm, Halloween Costume Event, Demos: Duck Tape costumes, make & mold candy making, Snazaroo face painting. Buy a Shirt and decorate free with Simply Blood. Sunday 10/23 from 1-3pm, Demo: Caramel Apples.

Babies R Us – Saturday 10/22 from Noon-3pm, Getting Comfy with Baby: From prenatal support to feeding and playtime, come learn how to make life ore comfortable for you and your little one. Sponsored by Boppy. Tuesday 10/25 at 6:30pm Gearing up for Baby Workshop: Get an introduction to all the gear you’ll need for baby. From car seats to travel systems and high chairs to play yards, plus home safety items. Sponsored by Safety 1st.

Bass Pro Shops – Friday 10/21 from 4-7pm Trick or treating, from 5-7pm free Halloween reflector necklace craft, from 6-7pm Costume parade with giveaways, from 5-8pm free 4×6 photo with The Great Pumpkin Charley Brown and free coloring sheet. Saturday 10/22 & Sunday 10/23 from 11am-5pm free 4×6 photo with The Great Pumpkin Charley Brown and free coloring sheet, from 1-4pm free Peanuts trick-or-treat bag craft, at 1:30pm, 2:30pm & 4:30pm enjoy free samples of Marshmallow Roast. See store for Apple Dessert sample info.

Disney Store – Friday 10/21 Session 1 – 4:30pm, Session 2 – 6:00pm and Saturday 10/22 Session 1 – 10:30 am, Session 2 – 12:00 pm: Disney Store Halloween Dress Rehearsal Party: celebrate the season early with a spook-tacular event filled with games, special viewing of Rapunzel’s coronation and a costume parade! Kids, ages 3 and up, who wear their favorite costume will receive a FREE gift!

Jo-Ann Fabric & Craft Stores - Saturday 10/22 Free Demos: from 11am-1pm Aleene’s Fabric Fusion and Zipper Art Flower with Coats & Clark. 1-3pm Cricut Cake Mini Machine. 3-5pm Crafting with 3M Adhesives.

Lakeshore Learning – Saturday 10/22 from 11am-3pm, Masquerade Mask: kids make and decorate a mask.

Lowes Build and Grow – Saturday 10/22 from 10am-Noon, FREE: Kids build a Halloween Monster Truck! Be sure to sign up for this event here.

Michaels – Saturday 10/22 from 10am-Noon, Halloween T-Shirt Event: Make a fun scary spider T-shirt with purchase of shirt. Plus, more Halloween events all week long!

Michaels Jewelry Events (Adults only) – Sunday 10/23 from 1-2pm, Trinkettes Event: Make-It Take-It with purchase of pendant (see Coupons here). From 2-2:30pm, Stretch Magic Bracelet Demo. From 2:30-3pm, Good to Be Queen Bracelet Demo. From 3-4pm, Make-It Take-It Memory Wire Bracelet Event.

Pottery Barn Kids – Tuesday 10/25 at 11am, Halloween Story Time: Kids can dress up and enjoy spooky stories, sticker giveaways and more.

Target – select a city to find free or reduced-price admission to arts and cultural events in your area, sponsored by Target.

Toys R Us - Saturday 10/22 from 11am-1pm, Sesame Street Event: Sing & Dance with the New Let’s Rock Elmo. From 2-4pm, Beyblade Tournament: It’s the Last Beyblade Battle Event of the Year.

Walmart Event Finder – enter your zip code to see what is going on in your area.

Pumpkin Lanterns

Thanks to HH reader, Heather for sharing this super fun and easy fall craft with us!!

Candy Corn Wreaths

Thanks to HH reader Cynthia, for sharing this adorable fall craft with us!  Can you BELIEVE it's fall?!  YAY!!!!

After seeing the cover of the Woman's Day magazine, Cynthia decided to create her very own wreath with her girls :-)

STICKERS EVERYWHERE!!!

So, awhile back my little girl had this obsession with just dumping out puzzles on the floor and mixing up all the pieces, like they were a 'stew' or something?!  I have NO idea...  I remember venting about it (as usual) on Facebook and a friend felt my pain.  She explained that her little angel is LOVING putting stickers EVERYWHERE!  So, when I saw this idea in Family Fun magazine (of course I can't find it now), I thought... I HAVE to share this with my HH friends :-)

**CUTE** Finger and Toe Painting

Thanks to my friend, Lindsey for sharing this ADORABLE idea with us!!  Lindsey's precious baby was such a champ and created the most beautiful baby art I've ever seen.... with a little assistance, of course.

Funny Face Food

So we've all seen the FUNNY FACE pancake at IHOP...

Well after eating breakfast there, I decided (like MANY moms have already done) to make lunch 'FUN' today. :-)

There are PLENTY of variations of this idea and you could get VERY creative (Check out this awesome example on Mess for Less)!!  The good thing is that you can sneak in healthy foods and kids will try them (hopefully) just because they LOOK fun!  So, my Plain Jane daughter had an introductory fun lunch today.  We'll definitely do this again and try some more daring things...

So I just put peanut butter on a slice of bread and used a cup as a cookie cutter and cut them out.  I used raisins for the eyes and that's cantaloupe for the mouth.  When she was done eating, she wanted more (and it had to be an entire face... so I was glad it was so basic).... and the awesome thing is she usually doesn't eat cantaloupe!!  YAY for fun tricks... hahahaha...

Painting Popcorn FUN!

Thanks to Living Locurto for inspiring this rainy day FUN!  We didn't have large marshmallows but man I WISH we would have!  And I can ASSURE you that we WILL be doing this again and we will be trying it with marshmallows.  

So here's the gist... you pour little cups of milk (we used regular milk... but you can use sweetened condensed milk too) and add food coloring.  You pop a bag of popcorn.  And... you paint it!

The cool part is... if the kids eat it... NO BIG DEAL!  

We didn't have paint brushes (this was TOTALLY a last minute craft because we were getting stir crazy with the AWFUL weather), so we dunked the popcorn.  Not as much fun to eat that way because it got mushy and whatnot... but I laid out a piece of wax paper and A decorated the paper with colorful popcorn and had a BLAST!  

Enjoy...

YAY!  Thanks HH readers for sharing pics of your adorable kiddos painting popcorn too!!  Glad you enjoyed it!!!

PINK Farm Party!!

Thanks to reader Cynthia for sharing this ADORABLE birthday party idea with us!!

Cynthia's girls LOVE animals!  So, it's only fitting that for this birthday party, they were at a FARM!  There was a local farm that hosts parties (which makes cleaning up a little easier... no one is destroying YOUR house)!!  The kids got to ride a pony and pet the animals!  VERY age appropriate and FUN!!!

Here's what she did....

Invitations- The invites were ordered from dimpleprints on etsy.com.  She got a package that was completely customized. There was another boy farm and Cynthia emailed dimpleprints requesting a pink farm. They were very helpful there and totally worked with Cynthia to incorporate her ideas.  Cynthia HIGHLY recommends Dimpleprints!  She tells us,

"I LOVE dimple prints and have done 3 parties from them so far." :)

Also, Cynthia printed the invites (and thank you's) off at Sam's club, because she ordered the 5x7 prints then got free white envelopes! 

Cake toppers-  They were another custom order from a place on etsy.com called Edible Details (they have their own website that you can order directly from now).  On that page you can see the pink farm animals on the home page. Cynthia also ordered the 3-D toppers from them as well. They can pretty much make anything you want! The cupcakes themselves were just ordered from Sam's Club!

Decorations- All of the decorations came as a coordinating package as well from dimple prints. They will send you the file and you print whatever you want out yourself. Cynthia says that she usually has the local printing place print them off because it is too much work and too much ink to do it on her home printer. So once printed you have to cut everything out.

Goody Bags- She just bought basic brown paper bag from craft store and used a graphic from the party package she ordered for the front. She filled the bag with farm themed goodies like a farm animal stamp, a custom made mini pad of paper, farm animal stickers, cow tail candy.

Thank Yous-  At their parties, they always ask that people bring an item to be donated to the Humane Society instead of gifts.  Here's a look at the thank you note (It came as part of the party package).  

WHAT A FUN PARTY!!  I just love how customized everything is!  Thanks SO much for sharing this with us Cynthia!!

**Please feel free to e-mail YOUR fun birthday party ideas to be featured on Handy Housemom to handyhousemom@gmail.com!**

Counting Bingo

In the $1 bins at Target the other day, my Addison (3) grabbed a box of Alphabet Bingo cards.  We have been playing them and LOVE it!  It's actually a game that I have enjoyed playing with her. 

Well, we are currently visiting family in FL... and mom FORGOT THE GAME!  So, I decided to try to make my own BINGO cards (NOT as difficult as I thought).  I made alphabet cards (4x4) and counting cards (3x3).  My favorite (and the most difficult right now) are the counting cards.  I didn't put the actual number (which she CAN recognize) rather, I put shapes and we have to COUNT them.  Yeah, it takes a while... but there is LOTS of FUN learning going on :-)

*Tips*  I made a table in Microsoft Word.  Then, I drew a shape, copied and pasted the number that I wanted, and grouped them together (select the shapes you want by holding shift and clicking the ones you want and right click and select group). 

Then, I would print the card and then move the shapes around to make another board!  So fun and SO EASY!!!!