Construction Birthday Party!

August hit me hard this year. I think it was the first time I've felt so busy as a mom. My husband said I was finally to the Soccer Mom stage of my life. Well I've finally slowed down a bit and would like to share the boy's combined birthday party we had a couple weeks ago.

I took a picture of the construction going on behind our house and used it as the back ground for the invite.

As guest arrived they had to follow a few construction signs to get to the back. I made these with orange poster boards and black paper I cut out with my silhouette SD.

As they went through the gate they received a hard hat and apron. In the apron was a demolition ball (jaw breaker) and measuring tape (bubble tape). The kids then played in the sandbox as we waited for the rest of the kids.

First activity of the party was hammering nails into wood. They seemed to really like this and didn't want to stop to go on to the next game.

The next game was pin the wrench on the pipe. I came up with this one from an idea I saw online. They did pin the nail on the hammer, but I was already doing a hammer game and wanted to use a different tool.

Next we did some building and demolition. you could use cereal boxes for this as well. I hadn't saved any so I was really excited to find these brick boxes at Wal-mart for only $10. The best part is my kids still love playing with them even weeks after the party.

The next event and the biggest hit with the kids was painting. We replaced our air conditioner this summer and still had the box. I'm sure you could get one from a store or I have seen cardboard houses that are meant to be painted or colored. Not sure where to buy those though. I bought some cheap paint trays, foam brushes and rollers, and poster paint.

After the painting we got everyone washed up and got ready for cake and ice cream. They kids watched the construction going on behind our house as they waited.

We had chocolate cake(dirt), ice cream (cookies and cream to look dirty) cones (orange cones).

Here is the cake. sorry the coloring is so bad.

We then opened presents.

I'm showing this gift for Brig, because it was the one I made. I just used a small mans black shirt, which I trimmed a bit and hemmed. Bought the rubber boots on clearance. I put yellow duct tape around the edges. I'm sure the tape will come of, but it is easy to fix.

Lastly we did a pinata. I looked everywhere near me for a construction themed pinata and could not find one, so I made one.

As they left they got a party bag with candy corn, reeses pieces, stickers and a small truck or tractor.

Waz up Wednesday? - Lego Floor Bags!

Waz up Wednesday's is when I talk about a project I've been working on recently. It may still be a project I'm currently working on or one I have recently finished.

My boys got Legos and Duplo blocks for Christmas this year.

What a pain in the butt to clean up!

not to mention all the times the vacuum go over them.

Dear Santa,
It was so great seeing my boy's faces when they opened the Legos you brought them, but now my vacuum is unhappy. So for Christmas this year I'm asking for a new vacuum! 
Thanks, A Mom 
P.S. after all it's your fault!

My boys hate cleaning them up also.

I'm sure you have seen these around and I even saw some for sale for about $64 (Eeek!)

I've also seen some cute ideas of putting each lego color in it's own bin.

Maybe my kids are not normal, but all I thought of when I saw that was..."Those bins will just be dumped out and mixed together in a matter of seconds."

Talk about a bigger pain when it comes to cleaning up!

I like the floor bag idea, yes some of the legos do manage to wonder off the bag, but over all they are SOOO much easier to clean up!

No more using a dust pan to scoop them up over here (yes, it's true, bigger surface area then my hands meant faster clean up! don't judge!)

I used 6 (3 of each color) yards of fabric. some cotton rope and eyelets.

The rectangle one I don't like as much. it does give a larger area to play, but not as easy to pull together.

The round one is AWESOME!

(I apologize now for not taking photos of the process, I hope words will be enough)

So I took the three yards of fabric and folded it in half and cut down the fold.

Then sewed them back together side by side. (I hope this makes sense)

Cut it into a perfect square. ( I am planning on using the extra fabric to make other bags or pillow cases for their rooms)

then take some butcher paper, string, and a pencil. Divide the squares length in half and cut the string to that length.

Tie the string to the pencil. holding one end of the string, draw with the pencil, at full length, a quarter circle on the paper. cut along the pencil line.

Fold the fabric square in quarters and pinned the paper to it (make sure the rounded edge is away from the folder parts of the fabric). Then cut along the rounded part of the circle.

Unfold the fabric and you have a circle my friends!

Do the same for the fabric you want to use for the inside.

On the outside fabric, find a spot along the edge (about an inch or 2 in) to put your eyelets (make sure they are big enough for your rope to go through.) Put two about and inch or two apart from each other.

Okay now you can sew the two parts together, make sure you leave several inches to flip it right side out again and then sew that part together.

Now you will want to sew another line about 3-4 inches in from the side, all the way around. making sure that the eyelets are in between the edge and the new line.

weave the rope through the eyelets and around the edge of the bag, making sure there is enough to allow the bag to lay flat. tie a knot and you are done!

Thanks for stopping by!

science kit

This was so fun!

I made this kit for my nephew for Christmas.

first I gathered science experiments from Science Bob. and printed out the ones I felt were age appropriate (he's four).  

 

I then gathered some of the supplies that were commonly mentioned in what was needed for the experiments (like balloons, food coloring.)

I found kid safety glasses on Amazon (came in a pack of six)

I made the lab coat out of a mans button up white shirt. I choose to buy one, but I'm sure an old one would be a cheap, great idea. I cut off the bottom a bit and hemmed it and used the fabric I cut off to make the pockets. 

I put it all together in a bin I bought at Walmart and it was done!

Superhero birthday

My two boys birthdays are 3 days a part. last year my youngest turned one and we tried doing two parties. This year we got smart and threw one big party for the both of them. Super hero themed.

Invites: 

the letter states:We here at the CRIME FIGHTING SUPER HERO LEAGUE have noticed you and your special skills. Skills that are necessary and vital to crime fighters. Do you think you have what it takes to be a Super Hero? Super Dean and his side kick Super Brig seem to think so. They have invited you to our SUPER SECRET SUPER HERO TRAINING FACILITY at (address). Training begins at 17:30 hours (5:30) on the tenth day of September 2011. Please come in your Super Hero uniform (if you don't have one, one will be provided for you) and be prepared to work hard. Becoming a super hero is not for everyone, but it could be for you. We hope you decide to become a part of the CRIME FIGHTING SUPER HERO LEAGUE.

Regards, Justice Forall

As guest arrive we had felt masks and plastic table clothes (cape) available.

We had a jar of Peanut M&M's for everyone to guess how many where in there.

We also had a photo booth area. There were props; dumbbell, wham, pow, bam signs, and the backdrop had a speech bubble that said happy birthday super(so-n-so).

 

We then had dinner and served Superhero sandwiches, sidekick sides, Hulk juice (green kool-aid and lemon-lime soda), and iceman water.

After dinner we had a trivia sheet for the adults, to test their superhero knowledge. And the kids went out to train to be a superhero. 

 

First: they must cross a lava pit (water and red kool-aid in a pool)

second: they must find the kryptonite from the bat cave. ( blankets over chairs to make a dark cave. We then put glow-sticks in there.)

third: they had to learn how to dispose of hazardous material. (using tongs they moved green painted rocks (kryptonite) to a cooler labeled hazardous material.

Fourth: vaporize a villain (we put villain faces on Helium filled balloons and gave the kids cans of silly string (spiderman webbing) to take down the villains. You could also use a person dressed like a villain.)

some ideas I did not get around to doing were: jumping over buildings (made of boxes, blocks, or legos) learn to fly. (Jump off stool into pile of pillows), getting yourself out of a sticky/stringy situation. (have yarn strung into a web. Have each child take an end and follow it to the other side. We were going to have the silly string on the other side.)

After training we went inside for cake and Ice cream. Most years I've had my sister make the cakes, sense she is a pro, but she move across the country this past year so I took what I learned from her and went for it myself, this year. In case you cannot tell what it is we have a city scape on the bottom with the bat-symbol in the sky. Then the top is a web for spider-man with a superman cape draped off the side. The two figures on top are hulk and ironman.

While everyone ate cake and ice-cream we read off the winner of the candy jar and the answers to the trivia questions. We then opened presesnts.

Curly boys hair cut

I have never taken a hair cutting class in my life. I did how ever watch my mother cut my four brother's hair growing up and I also know how much it cost to get a hair cut professionally. My two toads have very different hair. One has brown, straight hair and the other has blonde curly hair. So they get different hair cuts.cutting curly hair is not easy. I've also been afraid that if I cut off his curls i will never see them again.

Here is what you need:
Spray bottle of water
sharp scissors (hair scissors are best)
comb
sheet (only if your not doing this on a hard surface where you can sweep up)
tall chair or stool
mirror or/and TV

choose a time of Day your child is most happy. putting them in front of the TV watching a favorite program or for some older children a mirror to see what you are doing might be enough. you can either strip them down or put a towel around them to help keep the hair off the clothes. (tip for you: don't wear socks)

Time to get started!

1. spray down the hair and comb through it.

2. take the comb and comb down the back to find desired length. remember curly hair bounces back so you will want to cut it longer then you may think. Cut at desired length.

3. using that first cut as a guide cut the rest of the hair the same length. pull hair at a vertical angle from the head with some hair from the original/ previous cut and cut to the length of the shorter hair.

continue this with the rest of the head. You may want to trim around the ears and side burns to give it a more clean look.

YOUR DONE!

Boys short hair cut

I have never taken a hair cutting class in my life. I did how ever watch my mother cut my four brother's hair growing up and I also know how much it cost to get a hair cut professionally. My two toads have very different hair. One has brown, straight hair and the other has blonde curly hair. So they get different hair cuts. This first one is very simple.

What you need:
hair clippers
the largest claw (1"-1.5" your choice)
1/4" claw
a sheet (only if your not doing this on a hard surface where you can sweep up)
tall chair or stool
mirror or/and TV

choose a time of Day your child is most happy. putting them in front of the TV watching a favorite program or for some older children a mirror to see what you are doing might be enough. you can either strip them down or put a towel around them to help keep the hair off the clothes. (tip for you: don't wear socks)

Time to get started.

1. take the large claw on the clippers, turn it on and start cutting the hair. this is fool proof. Best to go the opposite direction the hair is lying on the head. front to back on the top of the head. bottom to top on the sides.

cut until the hair is all the same length. (you don't need to cut the sides at this point if you don't want too) 

2. put the 1/4" claw on the clippers and start on the sides. start from the bottom and go up. do this in a rocking motion, pulling the clippers toward you at the top. you will have to eyeball the line around the head where you want the longer top hair line to start.

3. cleaning the edges. take the claws off the clippers. trim the side burns where you want them. I normally line it up where the top of the ear meets the head. trim around the ear. you will have to move the ear to do this. also the child will need to hold very still or you might nick them. this is harder then you might think because they are afraid of the clippers near the ear. repeat on the other side.

I don't use the ear pieces that come with the clippers because it always turned out looking worse!

3.5. trim the back by cutting with clipper to the length desired. run the clippers up and down the neck to get rid of any other hair that may be growing there. It gives it a nice clean look.

YOUR DONE!

Dust Bunnies

I can't remember where I got this idea. I believe a friend said something on facebook about making dust bunnies out of socks too make dusting more fun for kids.

This is what I pictured...

 

Here is how you make it.

 Take an old white sock and turn it inside out.

Cut down the middle. Make it as long as you would like the ears to be. I wouldn't go more then half way.

sew the ears. you could hand sew if you do not have a machine.

flip it right side out.

For the next step you will need thread, needle, and some cotton. (cotton balls would work too).

Shove that cotton into the heal of the sock and make a tight ball.

Use the thread and needle and weave it through the sock around the ball.

Pull tight and tie it off.

Check the inside, if you still have a little hole then sew it shut, so you don't lose any stuffing.

Now you are done!

A new meaning to Dust Bunnies!