Special Exposure Wednesday/Wordless Wednesday - April 28, 2009

I took this picture yesterday. I was having fun taking snapshot with my camera and didn't realize I had a black & white option. I thought this looked classic. Love it!

Muffin Tin Monday - April 27, 2009

Today's MTM theme is "Under The Sea"

Top Row: JellyBelly Blueberry Pudding, Fish Sticks & Ocean Spray Cran-Raspberry Juice
Bottom Row: Miracle Whip, Gold Fish Crackers & Shark Fruit Snacks.

I have to say, my boy's have never had fish sticks before, but they ate them!
Thank you MTM!!

Join the fun...click on link below

I Can Do That Games

I just stumbled on Supermom Central Blog and they're giving away one of they're readers any game of there choice from I Can Do That Games. I liked The Grinch, Sing Your Heart Out game. My sons love The Grinch book. I have to read it every day, plus they like to sing. I believe we all could have fun with this game!

Mother's Day Gift - Woven Basket

Tristan is still working on some Mother's Day gift for Grandma. Today we worked on clay woven basket. Before we made the basket we had to make the salt dough. The recipe for the salt dough is listed here.

Tristan wanted the woven basket to be purple, so we used food coloring to dye the dough purple.
What we used:

1 batch of salt dough
Rolling pin
Toothpicks
Table knife
Cookie sheet
Food Coloring (you could just paint it afterwords)

1. Tristan rolled out the salt dough about 1/4" thickness.

2. Cut out a 3" circle for the bottom of the basket, and place it on a cookie sheet.

3. Around the edge of the clay circle, he inserted toothpicks about 1/2" apart

4. Then we cut the remaining dough into strips, about 1/2" wide.


5. With some guidance, we weaved the strips in and out of the toothpicks


6. To create a rim and handle by making twisted clay ropes and attaching them to the top of the basket. We actually didn't attach the handle until later.








7. We then shaped the handle and just sat it on the cookie sheet.


8. Place the cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven and cooked it for about 15 minutes.
Then with some extra dough we had, I took the cookie sheet out (be careful, this part can be very hot), and attached the handle to the basket. Then placed it back in the over for another 30 minutes.

Salt Clay Recipe

Materials

2 Cups Flour
1/2 Cup Salt
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1/2 Cup - 3/4 Cup Water
Food Coloring
Bowl
Cookie Sheet

1. Mix together the flour, salt and oil in a bowl.

2. Add water and knead. Add more water as necessary to make the dough smooth and pliable.

3.Knead in the food coloring

4. To bake objects made from the dough, place them on a cookie sheet. Bake them at 350 degrees until the are golden bround and firm to a gentle touch.

Make A Gift Bag Using Envelopes

Today we're starting to get gifts ready for Mother's Day. Tristan made a gift bag for Grandma made from an ordinary envelope. If you want to be green or frugal check my blog about the same project here.

What you'll need...

Envelope, Any Size or Color (Makes 2 Bags)
Scissors
Glue or Tape
Hole Punch
Pipe Cleaners (Yarn or Ribbon For Handles)
Crayons or Markers

1. Seal the envelope and then cut it in half widthwise.







2. Decorate the bag with crayons or markers



3. Fold the uncut edges in about 3/4" (2cm), creasing them well.



4. With a hole punch, punch out 2 holes for handles on each side



5. Open one half, place your hand inside, and reverse the folds to the inside.





6. Tape or glue the corner triangular flaps to teh bottom of the bag.





7. Put the pipe cleaners through the holes to make handles.




All done!

Wordless Wednesday - April 22, 2009

For this weeks Wordless Wednesday which is hosted by 5 minute moms, I took a snapshot of Tristan bowling, he had to get down on his belly on the floor to watch the bowling ball go down the lane.

Muffin Tin Monday - April 20, 2009

Today's MTM goes AWOL!
(Take your tin to another location-park, bedroom, friend's house,etc.).
We didn't go AWOL, didn't really have a place to go to.
Top Row: Yogurt, Cottage Cheese, Orange Juice
Bottom Row: Hamburger, French Fries

Join the fun...click on link below

Clean Car Seats & Toddler Tote Giveaway

Well it's spring and I decided to take the car seats out of the car and thoroughly clean them. Found some McDonald french fries and miscellaneous toys. While I was cleaning them I realized one of them has past the "Do Not Use After" date. So I thought I could use this as a fun contest! What can you win? Well it's a Toddler Tote for when you are traveling or even at home.

Here is a list below how you can enter:

*By looking at the picture of the 3 car seats, can you tell me which one is "Expired". Leave a comment which one you think it is and your name will go in a drawing which will be used by random.org.

*Blog about this giveaway and leave a link in the comments.

*Put my button on your blog and leave a comment with a link to your blog stating you've added the button.

*Leave a comment that you are following my blog.

*Twitter about the giveaway, and leave link in a comment.

This is for US residents only excluding Hawaii and Alaska.
Giveaway ends April 20, 2009

Muffin Tin Monday - April 13, 2009

Today was a no theme day. So I put together this...
Top Row: Banana, Cheetos, Chocolate Milk
Bottom Row: Cottage Cheese, Hotdogs

Join the fun...click on link below

Handprint Lillies

I saw this on Family Fun. Tristan didn't really take to it. I did most of the work, but he was very excited when he realized it was a flower.

So what you need...

1 piece of white card stock
1 piece of green card stock
Pencil
Scissors
Hole punch
Green straw
Tape
Yellow pipe cleaner

First either your or your child trace his hand on the white card stock.
For each flower you do, make that many hands
We made two flowers so I traced his hand twice.

Then cute it/them out.


On the green card stock, fold it in half


Draw 2 leaves on one of the folded sides, leaving about a half an inch stem on the fold crease


Then cut the leaves out



Once you've cut the leaves out, with your hole punch, punch a hole in the center of the crease


Go back to your hand cut out and take a pencil and wrap the fingers around it to form a curl.
Do this for each finger.




Then take the pencil and wrap the wrist end around the back of the hand.
This just makes it easier to wrap the hand around the straw.
When you've wrapped the wrist end around the straw tape it to secure it on.




Then, take your leaves, and put the straw through the hole and secure it with tape.




Use the pencil to curl your leaves as well.

Then take your pipe cleaner and cut it in half.
Bend that half in half and place it in the top of the straw.




Then you're done.