Making Play Doh with my Popsicle

Play-Doh Take 1

 Aloe Vera gel and cornstarch mix and have fun. To dry add more aloe to gooey add more cornstarch. Just one tip the bowl I used to mix it with even washing it several times still smells like aloe. 

You might want to pick a bowl you don't need anymore. 

Christopher's review it was too messy and falls apart to easy but smells great. 

Take 2 

1 cup of salt

1 cup of flour

1/2 cup of water

Mix and have fun. 

 Christopher's review: The day after was better to work with when your cut on your hand heals.

Take 3

Same as above just with hot water. It was to hard to play with and smelled like the play-doh in the store but didn't last long.

It was a huge mess but I loved every minute of it. I love that I can find anything new to try and my boys are up for it. This was a blast a must do.
Have Fun with this craft we did. Look for some more crafts soon.

Paint your child Green

Things you do when your child says I want to be Hulk Momma. Okay, I'm racking my brain how do I paint him without turning him green. Well it was last Thursday if by chance it didn't come off he would just be green. We had the weekend coming up no school on Monday. We had a few days to get it off.  Oh Well it's a good story not like I haven't walked into Lowe's when Justin was little dressed absolutely crazy for crazy day at school when I helped his Teacher out. I still have a hard time making Justin wear things that match now.  His theory is if a color no matter how small it is in his shirt he will wear that color shorts. Christopher dresses up all the time no matter how hot it is. I had to buy and replace his old Iron Man costumes with the help of Daddy. He had to keep him outside playing with Justin just so I could get it in the house. It's insane what you have to do when you have kids. Now it's Batman wearing at Target. Christopher was so excited to be green. 

Mix flour, water,

green washable paint and green food color.

Have fun get green. 

Craft for Today

I love making crafts with my boys. Of course I seen this on Pinterest. 

 

I didn't have plain boxes I had post office boxes. We are forever sending stuff to my hubby. Now that he is home for good we no longer need our boxes. I would say about twenty dollars later after construction paper and glue. This is how ours turned out.  

We even added a fire to ours. Christopher's idea. I love it! It's too cute. Christopher loves looking at Pinterest. He wants to make crafts all day. It was easy to make as long as you don't have cat's taking your stuff. Have fun and build something. 

Steps:

1:Stack the boxes. If you use big boxes you will need five.  

2:Tape the boxes together

3:Add white paper on it. I used wrapping paper.

4:cut out  red construction paper 

5:then glue

Picnic Tuesdays

My popsicle came up with having a picnic in the kitchen on the floor. 

This is how I get the boys to eat leftovers.  It takes a few hours we sit there we eat we talk  even the cat gets involved. 

It has become Picnic Tuesday!  Another cute way to eat dinner with my kids. They have a blast. Next week we will try it outside if it's not raining.  

Challenging our ancestors!

When you have kid's everyday is an adventure. You never know what they will come up with.  Mind wanted to paint themselves with clay to tap into our  Cherokee Indian heritage. Of course I said okay why not. We will try and do just about any craft out there to keep parenting fresh. It's entertaining already however this is by far my favorite activities besides the shaving cream fight we had a year ago.

Having a blast painting themselves!  

He was dancing tapping into his  chi! Christopher is behind him trying to push him over.

Now his chi!

 

The video below is by far the laugh of the day.  My Popsicle is crazy funny!

http://youtu.be/K_SdjCK_jac?list=UUR1o6Tz7VxUcic1HiZtfNTA

Zumba Sticks

Step One 

Step 2 Fill 

 I decided I was going to do something different  for Christopher's craft so this is what we made. Zumba Sticks or nose makers. First we went to Lowe's to get some PVC pipes,caps and duct tape. We also used BB's and beans to fill it. We cut the PVC pipes just to fit your hands. The beans weren't heavy enough so we ended up using BB's.  They run about $8.00 dollars at Target. 

They are about a pound a piece. As you can tell we had lots of fun. There's really not much to do with it just make sure you have a pipe cutter to make it easier on you please don't use a knife and be safe. Meanwhile thank you for reading and have fun with your Zumba sticks. Getting fit can be fun too!

Step 3 Complete and shake

Make sure you tape the top as well. You don't want the BB's to fly out. I believe I spent under $20.00 for seven sticks.

Kids & Chores

How many of you out there have  set chores for your kids? I did at one point but it never worked out for my family. Instead when Justin was little I made a game out of mopping the floor. I got down on my hands and knees with a rag under each one along side was my little man making a mess. It took twice as long to clean the floor but it was fun! I would take a big towel lay him on his back made circles with him on the towel to dry it. He loved it! He would laugh hysterically again it was great bonding time with memories we still share. Now with my Popsicle we have continue to make games out of cleaning.

I have been an easy going parent when it comes to chores. I don't mind picking up after my kids. They are very helpful with everything from cleaning taking care of the cat, make their bed and cleaning their room. If they see me doing something they always ask if they can help. It doesn't seem like work because I don't make it seem that way. It's a game to see who can do it faster or to see who can complete it neatly. I don't use that word chores it just seems like the word stops you in your track before you even start. Since Easter we have been cleaning up confetti for a week now. I do this every year with our egg hunt. The kids love it.  It just leaves a huge mess behind.

Justin and I used to do it with real egg shells he just decided that it was too much work. If you wanted to try it out just take a dozen of  raw eggs. Take a tooth pick and make a hole on both ends of the eggs. Over a bowl blow into one side until the egg comes out the other end. I toss the raw egg or use it in an egg wash for my hair. Which will make your hair shiny.  Let the shells sit for a day or two to dry out fill with confetti. To close up the ends of the eggs with the holes just take a little bit of water and a piece of confetti it will stick to the egg. Have fun and go crack an egg filled with confetti over someones head. Then RUN!!!!

http://youtu.be/-6LgUv4r8hg

Here are my boys cleaning together after they completely destroyed the house. It's okay we had a lot of fun. I let them clean their way for however long it takes them. They are still learning how life goes and this is one way to let them have the opportunity to see what works and what doesn't. Of course once they are in bed I end up cleaning anyways. I love being a Mommy!

Handprints

This pin has been pinned as of today 208 times. I thought I would share what it is. 

Take your toddler's hand and draw an outline on some paper or felt. Cut it out and use it as a pattern to cut out handprints in different colored felt. Now, Put the handprints all over the floor,couch,table and ask your toddler to find the "green" handprint and give it a hi-five! This can be an activity for a group of toddlers as well!

My Popsicle loves this game. It keeps him laughing all day long. I will let you know beforehand if your toddler is anything like mind you will have to make many handprints. The color felt is about 29 cents at Michael's Craft Store.  He tends to rip the hands by trying to high five it in the air and that’s when my cat Mickey takes off with it.  It’s an all-around tug a war with them two my cat is in the wrong body. It’s been a year since I pinned the picture above I don’t know where I found it online but it works. He knows his colors like the back of his hand. I thought he was color blind for a few months he would get the colors absolutely wrong. Turns out he knew all along he was just being silly. Daddy says “He is full of  jokes already!” My Popsicle has so much energy it at times can be a little overwhelming.  This is a great before nap activity for him. Have fun mommy's or daddy's they are only little once. 

Life size

I'm always looking for things to keep my boys occupied

in our free time instead of sitting in front of the TV or on the computer as I type my little is at his desk drawing a picture for daddy. After Christmas we always have tons of wrapping paper left in order to keep Santa alive I have to find a way to get rid of the paper from the year before. That will leave less questions in the near Future. 

We took the left over gift wrapping paper to make life size portraits. I traced the boys then they did the rest. 

Here is Justin's although it looks like my Popsicle is drawing on it. This picture made me laugh because Justin is kneeling down as Popsicle is standing in front as I take the picture. It took them about a week to complete it. A self portrait of themselves takes time between school, homework, basketball and dance for Justin. Now that my Popsicle is more into sports we are always outside. I can't keep him in the house. I'm not complaining at all I like the fact we find better things to do with our time as individuals as well as a family. It keeps us on our toes not to get too lazy. 

Here is Christopher he moved that's why his shoulder looks bigger then it actually is in real life. He had a blast but kept complaining that there were lines in his pictures do to the tile floor. He was too funny. Just an ideal to think about to keep the kids busy. Have fun as always live life to the fullest it only comes once. 

Making a Jet pack

www.pinterest/aquariummomma 

I was looking up a  few crafts online to do with my toddler. When I came across a jet pack.

First thing first I took the little backpack  Christopher was mailed with his books I ordered him and cut it. Leaving the straps on. Make sure you leave the back of the backpack the way it came. Just cut off the front. You can buy these at any retail store.
Step 2:  I took two 2 liter pop bottles empty and washed out of course. I hot glued them to the backpack.
Step 3: I spray painted them gold. I just bought some from Walmart. Any will do whatever color you want. Let it dry and repaint  if you need to.
Step 4: After the bottles dried I put some cloth at the end of the bottles to make it look like fire.
Christopher had a blast acting like he was flying. He is now into The Little Einsteins on Disney. Which made this jet pack special. That show is absolutely adorable for a  little one to watch.

Making a Volcano

Making a Volcano you will need
* Vinegar 1 cup
* A flower vase smaller the better make sure it's tall.
* Baking soda 4 tablespoons
* Glitter(any color)
* Cookie sheet to set the vase on
* Measuring spoon and cup

First you will need to add the baking soda,the glitter to the vase. Make sure it is sitting on a cookie sheet it is very messy. Then very carefully add the vinegar 1 cup is good but you may want to add more to see it spill out of the top. I did this for science lab yesterday. My boys had a lot of fun as you can see from the pictures.

Animals Prints

I love making crafts with my children. It's a time to spend and share whatever it may be that day. My boys are a handful sometimes so that leaves me up to keep them busy. Today we made animals prints. It's really easy to do just find some Dino's which if you have boys you have plenty of them. Dip them in paint then let your kids go at it. All you need is a space you don't have to worry about paint getting every where. My boys like to throw it around you know on the walls at each other. I decide that we will make aprons for Art class. We use paint a lot in our household. It's always fun to just let them discover their hidden talent. Justin loves to draw and paint. I signed him up for an Art class at Micheal's Craft Store. He also has his artwork on line. Steve and I buy stuff all the time that has his artwork on it. You can do T-shirts, mouse pads,aprons,cards even a hand purse. It's really neat. We love to support Justin in anything he sets his mind to. We never tell him he can't do it. We always tell him to do his best. Which is a waste of our breathe since he always does his best.  He makes us so proud to be his parents. We make sure we enforce our support and love. I step back today to just watch them paint. It took my breath away on how much they have grown in this past year. Next month my Popsicle will be two years old. I will have this moment in life forever.

Summer Plans

What kind of plans did you set for the summer? This summer was like every other summer we set goals,bucket list,moved and tons of crafts. The only difference is that we wrote it down. Justin and I made a mommy and me book. We are going to try to top it next summer. My family and I are outside kind of people no matter what kind of weather it may be. I got this cute idea from a friend's blog. Thank you Beth.

There are a hand full of things we have not done yet. We will get there in no time.I love summer almost as much as I love Halloween. It comes in second maybe. I believe it's a great thing to set goals even better when you make a huge effort to complete them. Kids need to see that from adults especially their parents. My hubby and I are really good at that. Once we set our mind to something we never give up. It would take god him self to break us. We are raising the next hand of Needham's to take over the world. I wish my children the best in life. I will help them succeed in any way possible. That is my job as a parent. What did you do this summer? I would love to hear your thoughts.

 

Homade bouncing balls

What you will need:

Borax
corn starch
Elmer's Glue-All
warm water
food color (optional)
measuring spoons
2 bowls

I looked all over the place for Borax. I could not find this stuff anywhere until I seen what it was. I must have walked pasted this a million times before. It's laundry detergent. Who would have known? My hubby and I just laughed at the fact we were brain dead for a minute. I guess that is what happens to you when you become parents.

Bowl 1
I took 2 tablespoons of warm water added it to the bowl.1/2 teaspoons of Borax mix till dissolved.Add food coloring if you want about five drops or so.

Bowl 2

Add 1 tablespoon of glue but I used a full 4 ounces bottle for a bigger ball.
I then added 1/2 of the Borax mixture above.With one tablespoon of cornstarch. Don't mix let it set for 15 seconds. Then mix till you can't. Take it out of the bowl and make a ball with it as if you were playing with play dough. It will harden up fast. Your hands will be a mess. Don't worry it will only stain for a day maybe.

    It took us many times before it came out right. I still think we have to do this a few more times.Needless to say we had fun. It seems to be that food coloring stains hands and clothes. Who knew? The glue comes off easy with a little soap and water. The ball really does bounce. I was a little surprise since it took us six times before I could take a picture of what we did. Christopher being silly he tried to eat it. I would advise against it since it is glue. If you have little ones please keep an eye on them if you are doing this craft.
 

http://www.momto2poshlildivas.com/2012/01/science-fun-make-homemade-bouncing.html

 

Making Clay

Today Justin  made clay in Art Class.
You will Need:
*3/4 cup of white Elmer's glue
*1 cup cornstarch
*2 tablespoons of baby oil
*1 tablespoons of lemon juice
*non-stick pan
*wooden spoon

*Add cornstarch to glue in a non-stick pan pot. It will be a little hard to clean afterwards so let it soak for 5-10 minutes. Mix together and then add baby oil and lemon juice. Blend well on low heat until you get a mixture that resembles mashed potatoes.

mixing

 

 

almost there

* Remove from heat once it's all mix together.

Squirt some baby oil on your clay be careful when you touch it. It will be very hot.

Make whatever you want like a bowl.

Or a face from Shrek.

A plane even have fun let it set for 2-3 days to let it dry then paint.

 www.Pinterest.com/aquariummomma

 

craft day

What we started with.

Today I thought it would be fun to make a flag. The boys and I took some fabric that we bought from Micheal's craft store. We painted our hands and feet to imprint on the fabric. Once it drys I will sew then add a flag pole. I'm thinking about it becoming our family Olympics flag.



This part was the most fun while I was running away as the paint was being toss around the craft room. Thank god it is washable paint. I think my hubby would have killed me since he just painted it two months ago. His reaction would have been"Really Patty?" Those are his favorite words when he has to fix something we broke. He fixes it with a smile.

Our finished product.

 

Last days of 30 on 30

Day 25: Making snow balls in August.

This is really fun to do with the kids. Justin did this first in boy scouts.You take that white thing which I have no idea what it is called but you wrap your  yarn around it one way then other way cut and tie. Make sure you tie it in the middle so it doesn't come undone. You can play with them in the house without the worry of having to clean up the mess of snow. We also used them in the houses I clean for decor.

My boys and I are done with 30 days of play for 30 minutes. The last seven days have been a wonderful experience for us. I guess the one thing they can take away from this is that I will always be there for them. Steve and I take pride in being parents. We do whatever it takes to stay involved with our children no matter what.
Day 26: We played board games
Day 27: The PlayStation was never turned off thanks to black ops.
Day 28: We made moon sand again.
Day 29: Justin and I made an egg project for school.

 Both eggs were soaked in vinegar. One egg has red food coloring in it. We let them sit for five days.

 We tried to rinse them off but one broke. The project was the naked egg. It didn't turn out the way we thought. The shell was supposed to disappear and the egg bounce. Well it bounced once and broke. We will have to try this again to see what went wrong. It was still really neat to see the change of the egg.

Day 30: We spent the whole day at the beach right before the tropical storm came in. We can check that one off our bucket list of things to do before a Hurricane comes.

Just because the challenge has ended doesn't mean this is the last of having fun. We will make sure that everyday for at least 30 minutes as a family we will spend together doing something. Most of the time it's more. I too have those days when work is tough,school is out of control and being exhausted is always in everyday. I will for sure put my children's needs first.I hope you do to. Thanks for visiting hope to see you soon.
Check out our last 30 days go over to the labels and click on 30 on 30. You can find out how to dig for Dino's. How to make moon sand and many more cute idea's to do with kids. I hope you like. You can also get more idea's if you visit me on www.Pinterest.com/aquariumomma