Tis the season

Hey everyone! I thought I'd add my Christmas Advent Calendar Activities to the mix! I know there are tons of great ideas out there, and mine aren't anything special, but it's something different from last year. This took me F-O-R-E-V-E-R (ever seen Sandlot?) to make and organize this list. My husband has a tricky work schedule so I had to coordinate each activity with his work schedule for each day. WOW! The number next to each is what day # it is. If it says (E) that means that activity was written on a paper to go in an envelope. If it says (gift) then that activity was wrapped as a gift. I'll post a picture of the completed set of activities that I displayed on my mantel!

Ø Play Christmas Clue  (17) (this was Tyler's idea... just give the characters Christmas-y names!)

Ø Build a fort and have dinner in it (E) (7)

Ø Cut out paper snowflakes (gift of coffee filters) (6)

Ø Make popcorn and watch a Christmas movie (gift of 'Elf' and popcorn) (16)

Ø Hot cocoa and marshmallows (gift of cheap stuff!) (5)

Ø Make a Christmas craft (E)(10)

Ø  ‘Don’t eat frosty’ (gift of game and candy) (4)

Ø Make a card for someone and mail it (gift of scrapbook paper and stickers)(9)

Ø Gingerbread cookies (gift of premade cookies with icing/candy)(15)

Ø Drive around and look at lights (E)(20)

Ø Read Christmas books (gift of books we already had, just hadn't brought out this season yet!) (2)

Ø Make a music video of a Christmas song (E)(14)

Ø Play with Christmas play-dough (gift of red peppermint scented playdough) (3)

Ø Make teacher presents (E) (8)

Ø December 21^st: dinner by candlelight on the longest night of the year! (gift of candles)(21)

Ø Christmas music dance party (E)(12)

Ø Make reindeer food (gift of oatmeal, sequins, glitter and Christmas sprinkles)(23)

Ø Act out the Nativity (E) (24)

Ø Sing Christmas carols  (E) (13)

Ø Have a ‘snowball’ fight (gift... cereal box filled with crumpled up coffee filters)(11)

Ø Play Christmas charades and Pictionary! (gift... mason jar filled with words)(22)

Ø Christmas light thumbprint art (E)(18)

Ø Christmas bingo (gift of, well, bingo!) (19)

 Hope that gives you some fun ideas! Other ideas that we are doing, just not for our advent activies include:

-Make an elfyourself video

-http://www.portablenorthpole.com/home Make a personalized FREE video to your kids from Santa!

-http://pinterest.com/diyfreak/christmas/ Check out my Christmas pinterest board for lots of fun activities/art projects/food ideas!!!

 

Merry Christmas!!!!

 

 

BRAVE Giveaway

http://www.meetthedubiens.com/2012/11/disneypixars-brave-review-and-giveaway.html?showComment=1351992361337#c8789453429162184610

One of my favorite blogs (Meet the Dubiens) is giving away a copy of Brave! Check out the link for more info!!!

Halloween is almost here, and I can hardly wait!

I made a few changes to the Frankenstein pudding cups. Instead of drawing faces on the cup with sharpie, I used chocolate almond bark and piped the eyes and mouth inside the cup. It cooled quickly once I set it (on it's side) in the fridge. Then I put in the green tinted vanilla pudding. I topped it with chocoalte sauce. For the bolts, I used Hershey's kisses. I trimmed the points off with kitchen scissors and adhered them to the cup with some chocolate frosting. I was happy with them. Can't wait for the kids to see their snack after school!

Red, White and blue birthday bash!

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.398458980211954.89972.100001435668192&type=3&l=b80d5de18f

 

Go here to see all the awesome fun we had at the b-day party! I am way too lazy to add all the pictures again!

Happy 4th!

Pretty self explanitory. Just rice krispy treats dyed with food coloring. The 'stars' are sprinkles!

Happy Father's Day!

This is a cake I made my husband for father's day. I patterned it after this. http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1845264/1845271/birthday-cake-photos 
I used this recipe for the fondant.   http://www.wilton.com/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=7&threadid=137541
I used a yellow cake mix and used this recipe for frosting. http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/09/the-best-frosting-ever.html
I made this cream cheese filling. http://alysonklein.blogspot.com/2011/03/lilys-cake.html
Let me know if you have any questions!

Lunch stations!

My kids are picky eaters. But I feel bad sending Cameron to school with the SAME EXACT lunch every day. I came up with a way to give him more control of the situation. Sunday night I make 5 pb&j sandwiches (using 3 different kinds of jam to make things exciting... oooo, pb&j everyday.... boring!!!!) Then he can choose a treat. This week it's either fruit snacks or a condiment cup filled with some sixlets (leftover from Easter candy!). By the way, I am in LOVE with condiment cups. That having been said, I use them for the next station. Raisins/craisins/sunflower seeds. Next is either pretzels or chips (very small amount in each). Then onto the fruit! It will stay in the fridge but I have the banana setting out all the time to remind him to choose a fruit. Not that SAME banana, mind you. ;) I put the sandwiches in the freezer for him to take out every morning. He knows the drill. Grabs a Walmart sack (haha, we STILL don't have a lunch box for him! But ya know? They are HARD to find when it's not 'back to school' time!) chooses something from each station and gets his sandwich from the freezer. It has been working GREAT and then he has some wiggle room on what he wants to eat that day. Maybe one day I will have a nice camera and some ::cough:: talent, so my pictures won't be so sucky!

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200+ summer ideas!

I finally compiled all my ideas from years past, including some that we haven't done yet!  I will post another day how we choose which activities to do.  The ones that aren't so self-explanitory, I am happy to elaborate on if you leave a comment. I am WAY too tired and sick to post links to everything I'm talking about! But I don't wanna leave anyone hanging if they're wanting to try some of this fun stuff!

• ride bikes
• roller blade
• basketball
• play board games
• make a tent out of blankets
• squirt with hoses
• run through the sprinkler
• jump rope
• read books
• blow bubbles
• make homemade play dough
• play with play dough
• press flowers
• do crafts with pressed flowers
• write a letter to a relative, friend or pen pal
• clean bedroom
• vacuum living room
• clean bathroom
• make a craft
• draw
• color
• paint
• pull weeds
• watch a movie
• write stories
• use binoculars
• use magnifying glass
• use microscope
• bird watching
• write a play
• act out a play
• invent circus acts
• perform a circus
• play card games
• make art on the front walkway with sidewalk chalk
• play catch
• play baseball
• collect rocks
• collect leaves
• collect feathers
• play Frisbee
• make Frisbee’s out of old plastic lids, decorate with markers
• dust the house
• brush the pet
• write letters
• read a magazine
• play dress-up
• play Cowboys
• pick vegetables
• play outside with the pet
• build a fort in your rooms
• build a fort in the backyard
• do a jigsaw puzzle
• play on the Geosafari
• play on the computer
• listen to a story or book on tape
• do extra schoolwork to get ahead
• do brain teasers (ie: crosswords, word searches, hidden pictures, mazes, etc.)
• cook
• prepare lunch
• surprise a neighbor with a good deed
• play store
• prepare a “restaurant” lunch with menus
• hold a tea party
• have a Teddy bear picnic
• play with toy cars
• play dolls
• play house
• chase butterflies
• collect caterpillars and bugs
• plant a garden or a pot
• collect seeds
• hunt for four-leaf clovers
• learn magic tricks
• put on a magic show
• plant a container garden
• sprout seeds or beans
• make sock puppets
• put on a puppet show
• make Christmas presents
• make homemade wrapping paper
• make homemade gift cards
• make picture frames from twigs glued onto sturdy cardboard
• crochet or knit
• make doll clothes
• sew buttons in designs on old shirts
• run relay races
• make bookmarks
• take a quiet rest time
• take a shower or bath
• bathe a pet
• feed the birds or squirrels
• watch the clouds
• organize a dresser drawer
• clean under the bed
• empty dishwasher
• vacuum under the couch cushions and keep any change found
• write these ideas on pieces of paper and pick out one or two to do
• whittle
• whittle bars of soap
• practice musical instruments
• perform a family concert
• teach yourself to play musical instrument (recorder, harmonica, guitar)
• fold laundry
• sweep kitchen or bathroom floors
• sweep front walkway
• sweep or spray back patio
• sweep or spray driveway
• wash car
• vacuum car
• vacuum or dust window blinds
• clean bathroom mirrors
• clean sliding glass doors
• clean inside of car windows
• wash bicycles
• clean garage
• play in the sandbox
• build a sandcastle
• work with clay
• copy your favorite book illustration
• design your own game
• build with blocks or Legos
• create a design box (copper wire, string, odds-and-ends of things destined for the garbage, pom-poms, thread, yarn, etc.)
• plan a neighborhood or family Olympics
• have a marble tournament
• paint a picture with lemon juice on white paper and hang it in a sunny window and see what happens in a few days
• finger paint with pudding
• make dessert
• make dinner
• give your pet a party
• paint the sidewalk with water
• start a journal of summer fun
• start a nature diary
• have a read-a-thon with a friend or sibling
• have a neighborhood bike wash
• play flashlight tag
• play Kick the Can
• check out a science book and try some experiments
• make up a story
• arrange photo albums
• find bugs and start a collection
• do some stargazing
• decorate bikes or wagons and have a neighborhood parade
• catch butterflies and then let them go
• play hide-and-seek
• create a symphony with bottles and pans and rubber bands
• listen to the birds sing
• try to imitate bird calls
• read a story to a younger child
• find shapes in the clouds
• string dry noodles or O-shaped cereals into a necklace
• glue noodles into a design on paper
• play hopscotch
• play jacks
• make up a song
• make a teepee out of blankets
• write in your journal
• find an ant colony and spill some food and watch what happens
• play charades
• make up a story by drawing pictures
• draw a cartoon strip
• make a map of your bedroom, house or neighborhood
• call a friend
• cut pictures from old magazines and write a story
• make a collage using pictures cut from old magazines
• do a secret service for a neighbor
• plan a treasure hunt
• make a treasure map
• make up a “Bored List” of things to do
• plan a special activity for your family
• search your house for items made in other countries and then learn about those countries from the encyclopedia or online
• plan an imaginary trip to the moon
• plan an imaginary trip around the world, where would you want to go
• write a science-fiction story
• find a new pen pal
• make up a play using old clothes as costumes
• make up a game for practicing math facts
• have a Spelling Bee
• make up a game for practicing spelling
• surprise an elderly neighbor or relative by weeding his/her garden
• fingerpaint with shaving cream
• collect sticks and mud and build a bird’s nest
• write newspaper articles for a pretend newspaper
• put together a family newsletter
• write reviews of movies or plays or TV shows or concerts you see during the summer
• bake a cake
• bake a batch of cookies
• decorate a shoe box to hold your summer treasures
• make a hideout or clubhouse
• make paper airplanes
• have paper airplane races
• learn origami
• make an obstacle course in your backyard
• make friendship bracelets for your friends
• make a wind chime out of things headed for the garbage
• paint your face
• braid hair
• play tag
• make a sundial
• make food sculptures (from pretzels, gumdrops, string licorice, raisins, cream cheese, peanuts, peanut butter, etc.) and then eat it
• make a terrarium
• start a club
• take a nap outside on your lawn
• produce a talent show
• memorize a poem
• recite a memorized poem for your family
•   Leaf, comb, and coin rubbings
•    DIY puzzles

·         Sandart

·         Soap snakes

·         Cotton clay

·         Build with legos (with pictures)

·         Make pretend cook top

·         Make a weather station

·         Make a toy camera

·         Make a circus playset

·         Count money & draw a picture of what you want to save $ to buy

·         Chickie house

·         Printable bird play house

·         Goldfish box doll house

·         Elevator (with elevator music!)

·         Sponge tower

·         Ice eggs

·         Drawing to music

·         Cardboard canvas

·         Tissue box car wash

·         Straw beads

·         Pom-pom milkshakes

·         Puzzle rocks

·         Pegboard

·         M&m & straw game (with a picture or smiley face)

·         Write a story using a prompt

·         Home-made piñata

·         Scratch and sniff pictures

·         Ice cream in a bag

·         Jellyfish in a bottle

·         Tin foil river

·         Find on the globe- Moscow, Phoenix AZ, Cuba, Island of Newfoundland, Sudan, Cameroon, Tajikstan