Vacuum

N has really been into using scissors lately and is making a royal confetti mess at the art table. Every few days I haul out the vacuum and have him clean up. (click on picture to watch video)

I feel like there should be an overdub of Julie Andrews as Marry Poppins saying "In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun and SNAP the job's a game!"

It's The Great Pumpkin!

Happy Halloween everyone! Our family really went all out this year, and we had sooo much fun! There were a lot of really late nights and long hours poured into the papier-mâché heads, but didn't they turn out great? And isn't our little Woodstock the cutest?

Cinnamon Hearts

We went to my sister's house to make up a few of our (now) traditional special heart cinnamon ornaments. Everyone helped, and the house smelled so nice. Happy Valentines!

Crafty Crow Giveaways!

Head on over!

Sidewalk Chalk

It's one of those indispensable summertime activities that keeps kids of all ages engaged and outside.

Useless into Useful

I bought this Noah's Ark & Animal's puzzle toy for E before she was born.  She played with it very sparingly and mostly it just collected dust.  It's cute and all, but doesn't make sense.  You can shove any of the animals into any of the slots sideways so there's no skill sharpening at all.  N has used it a little more, he'll rip off the top, dump all the animals out, and then drop them into the boat's belly again with a very sweet sense of pride.

Then just today I was on an online mission to find baby friendly refrigerator magnets (ones that I could theoretically leave N alone with and not worry that his bowels were pinching closed while he slept because he swallowed a few on the sly).  And a light bulb went off!  I fired up glue gun, and adhered large super magnets to the back of all the wooden animals!  Yay!  And N loves 'em too!

Egg Day

Outside: windburned cheeks & muddy shoes
Inside: sulfur aromas & vinegar fingers

And yet we happily do it year after year...We were kindly invited over to the Jenkin's for an impromptu hunt this morning (as it completely slipped my mind to get the kids down to the city hunt...). Each girl recovered 40 eggs with treats and treasures! It was quite a haul! (Thank you Christi & Abby)

After lunch we mixed up the dye for the dozen eggs we hard-boiled this morning, and got to work.

:::

I Heart Cinnamon

E's been diligently working on her valentines all week, and whew, I'm spent. To be fair she did almost all the work, it's just mentally draining to be a cheerleader...but we're done now.

She cut all the hearts

We used a straw to poke holes, and then let them dry over night

The next evening we dipped them in red and gold glitter

The next day we let them sit in an oven that was preheated to 400 then turned off


While they cooled we found a free printable valentine & glued it onto a festive heart themed craft paper & cut ribbon.


TA-DA!

*The dough is super easy (1 cup+ ground cinnamon, 1 cup applesauce & 1/4 cup Elmer's Glue)

Happy Groundhog Day!

* as always Crafty Crow is chuck full of fun ideas for this silly holiday, here's a link for some at-home-fun with your tot, and make free e-cards @ MyPunchbowl.