Fun with Paint

I must be feeling a lot better because I am finally being a good Mom again and playing and crafting with my kids instead of laying on the couch watching tv ;)
I love Pinterest it makes life so much more fun. It makes meal planning a breeze now (I no longer dread Wednesday nights sitting in front of my meal planner with out a clue on what to make for dinners this week), party planning is a breeze and I have learned so many tricks and tips to make life easier, I have even been inpsired at just the right moment by quotes and thoughts. I just have one problem, I tend to get a bit "pin happy" and don't spend enough time actually doing/creating those pins!
I have pinned oddles of ideas for things to do with the kids on winter days so last night I looked through some of those ideas and refreshed my mind on things I want to do with them. Most of the ideas I have come across at university, while teaching school or many other sites but I love having a place to keep all my thoughts organized.
This morning we played with paint! We started out by putting paint in ziploc bags (I taped them shut with the strongest tape we own......just in case). The kids then used Q-tips to create pictures. (Ignore the fact they are still in PJ's)

JA thought it was tons of fun to drive his trucks over his bag to see the tracks and AL had to get in on it too.

After JA had enough fun he left the table and I used his bag to write letters on it and AL would copy on her bag. It was a great way to review letters, shapes and numbers together.

We then cut out a few paper hearts and used Q-tips to create polka dot pictures.

At AL's preschool on Tuesday they painted by driving little cars through the paint and she thought it would be a great idea to try that too, who am I to stand in the way of a great idea?!?!

I'm excited to try out some more of the fun ideas I have pinned!

Leaves

The sickness that took over our house this weekend (see previous post) left us all pretty exhausted and dragging (there is something about your child puking all over you in public that leaves little to be desired...haha).
The weather however was simply divine this weekend and today was still just as fabulous. Crisp air, warm sunshine and fall colors really come together to create something magical.
We may still be far from over the sickness but I couldn't resist heading out to enjoy fall before it passes us by. The kids and I set out with a basket to admire all of the amazing fall colors. They picked leaves in all shades off orange, red, yellow and green filling our basket as we walked.

Pics courtesy of AL

Once we returned home the kids sifted through their collection and picked out their favorite leaves. We then pressed them in wax paper (place leaves between two pieces of wax paper and use an iron on medium heat to set them in.....be sure to place a dish towel on either side of the wax paper so it doesn't stick to your iron or board!)

The kids loved it, especially when we hung their art in their bedroom windows! (I seriously have memories of doing this same thing as a kid; fun to do it with my own kids)

The kids are now both curled up on the couches under blankets but I sure am glad we were able to soak in the beauty of Fall and capture a few colors in between some wax paper.

Rainy Day Preschool Play Date

Although our preschool is officially over we are still doing play dates for the month of June with a little craft thrown in for extra fun. Today was my turn. Talk about the perfect rainy day to have a super fun play date! I figure I might as well share our craft in case anyone else is hurting for ideas for this rain filled week.
I tried to keep things fairly unstructured but I did have a few ideas planned.
First of all I had the girls work on some coffee filter butterflies. This is such an easy and fun craft for any age (heck, I had fun doing one too). The kids colored their filter paper (dollar store purchase) with washable markers and then sprayed them with a water bottle and then left them to dry. By the end of the play date we were able to scrunch them up to form wings and secure it with a pipe cleaner. I then gave them each a clothes pin with eyes on it for the body. They turned out super cute!


The kids played for a bit and then they helped me make chocolate chip cookies. They all pulled a chair up to the counter and helped me add all of the ingredients to the mixer. I gave them each a bowl of dough and we shaped the dough into balls (highly entertaining with a bunch of preschoolers trying to figure out the right size to make them) and placed them on baking sheets. The best part was eating them of course!

The kids had lots of time to play. Since our basement is under construction and that is usually where the majority of the toys are kept I brought a bunch into the living room.
This pic is for any of you who might be under the very false impression that my house is usually nice and tidy!

The kids had fun building forts out of the couch cushions and playing with princesses and castles. The dog tried on some great eye wear.


AL sang and drew at the easel all at the same time (serious talent!).


It was so nice to just have a relaxed play date that didn't take any time for me to plan! (Especially with all the rain)

Free Manicure? Yes Please!

A few weeks ago I was at my neighbors at home spa, getting my eyebrows threaded. Little AL came with me this time and was instantly drawn to the shelf full of every shade of nail polish imaginable. She eyed up each bottle until she found her favorite one.....red sparkle nail polish (who wouldn't want that color?!?).
My neighbor is so sweet and let me sit down and paint Al's nails and then she sent her home with her very own bottle of said red sparkly nail polish for free.

Fast forward to today when I was offered a free manicure from my budding esthetician I had to jump at the chance because let's face it, how often does one get such an offer!?!?

I think the results were well worth my time!

A little St. Patty's Day fun

Our darling children are tucked in their beds. I ran hills last night so tonight is my night off. Our television is in full March Madness force (Jimmer anyone?. The house is tidied and laundry done. I think that means I might have time to do a little blogging!

Over the past couple weeks we have had a little fun talking about and preparing for St.Patrick's Day. I did have a lot of plans that we never got to but with the kids so young I didn't feel too much pressure either way! We decorated Shamrocks at the start of the month to hang in the house. For preschool this week the kids had a little St.Patrick's Day party and AL had just the best time. She came home with gold coins from a treasure hunt, a picture of rainbows and this adorable little guy. (sorry the pic is turned.......it is straight on my computer so I am a bit confused)
We started off our morning right today with a "Magically Delicious" breakfast (a first for the kids). They couldn't believe their luck! AL kept asking for more "leprechauns to eat" all day long.

We of course wore green and even called Daddy at work to ask if he was wearing green or if he would need some pinches when he got home. Green jello was served after lunch and was a huge hit.
We made these cute little colorburst cupcakes. I attempted the frosting that went with them and then abandoned the idea after a disaster with the first step in the recipe. Our trusty chocolate frosting did the trick. AL loved helping me pipe the frosting and pour on the sprinkles. JA loved eating them.



We then made a traditional Irish Brown (whole wheat) Soda Bread to eat with our dinner. It was pretty darn tasty just super filling.

After the kids were bathed (nothing beats the smell of fresh soapy smelling babies) we played "hide the shamrocks". I love playing games with the kids at this age......too cute; they get so excited.
I must admit that I really don't know much about St.Patrick (I will be googling that when I am done this post) but I sure do love any excuse to add some magic to our ordinary days.
Happy St.Patrick's Day!

Sew much fun!

I had a few moments to be crafty this past week which always makes for lots of fun!
My little man has become pretty attached to his blankies this past month. They are both a pretty good size so he often gets tripped up as he drags them both around. While we were at my mom's house the other day he came across some scraps of the minkey fabric I had used to back one of the blankets with so I took them home and made him a new mini version of his blankie. He loves it and it is so much easier to carry around!

I honestly haven't sewn anything since he was born and once I dusted off the old machine I decided to tackle sewing the kids pj's for Christmas so stay tuned to see how disastrous that turns out to be! (It is already off to a good start, I bought the pattern in the wrong size so I am sure it is a sign of how it will go)

Later in the week I had a friend over and we make these adorable Halloween wreaths. I came across them here. They turned out so cute and thus far my kids have stayed clear of trying to steal any of the candy! I hung it on the pantry door because I wasn't too sure how it would handle the cold weather outside.

We had a fun play date on Friday and AL and her little buddy made these adorable little turkeys. They added a cute touch to our Thanksgiving table and AL was so proud of them.

It always feels good to be a bit crafty! I'm sure my husband would love it if I directed some of my crafty energy towards the garage full of furniture that I am in the midst of refinishing..........we will see what this week brings!

*Sorry my photos are all over the place.....I think I have it fixed for future posts*