Dear Tooth Fairy...

We had a big event this week...we lost a couple important teeth...
So we decided it would be appropriate to draw a welcoming message to the tooth fairy.
After all, she has really long busy nights.

What better way for the kids to get involved, and get excited, then to make a giant runway for their favorite little fairy, to make sure she comes to the right house.

I mean, we wouldn't want her accidentally ending up in the neighbors house.

I thought it was really really cute how into the idea middle got.
He was really excited....
He even came up with the message all by himself.....
CAN YOU TELL??????????

It was just a way to make his losing both of his front two teeth, more of an event.

Just a fun activity for kids....well....and mommy too.

Happy Thursday!


Raelyn

A closet REDO!!!

My two youngest kids, have RIDICULOUSLY small closets!
This WAS middle's closet.....
He is 6 and, his clothes have been getting too big for the double clothes rod...soooooo....
I have been wanting to make over his closet for awhile....
{actually, his whole room will be redone this throughout the summer}
I mean, really....It appears to have the qualities of a closet that could be organized....
but seriously, LET'S NOT FOOL OURSELVES...

THIS
is what came out of it!
(and there is more to the left that is NOT in the picture)

So I started by removing everything....which took WAY longer then one would imagine!
Then I took out all of the rods and organizing shelves...

Then removed the upper shelf, as I felt it was set too low.
I patched...
Let dry...

Finally I sanded.
***********************************
So this summer, we are painting his room blue on the top half, and brown on the bottom half, with chair rail in the middle.
I thought, what a great place to test it out and see how we liked it...
I mean, who says a closet can't be pretty!
Here goes....

Lovin' the blue...

REALLLLLLLLLLY love the brown!!!

Added chair rail, mainly for fun....and patched.
***
Added a regular clothes bar, and the supports for the shelf.
***
Put in the shelf...about 51/2 inches then the original.

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE!
(I Still need to paint the actual DOOR...and frame.
It will be white.)
**For now, pay no attention. ;)**
*****************************************
Clothes in...

I put in an over-the-door shoe organizer...
which houses his shoes, sandals, slippers, hats, and gloves.

A 6 hole cubbie from Target, with 3 canvas boxes, hold some of his toys, that are not played with everyday.
There is room for his rain boots on the one side.

I got these 3 baskets from Michael's for 50% off on sale.
One has summer shorts and tank tops...
One has miscellaneous off-season sports materials...
One is just miscellaneous...with a backpack, and some things he needs to grown into.

I made the little labels for each of the baskets, because you can't see what is in them.

Plus, it adds some cuteness!

*************************
I cannot even begin to describe how wonderful it is to open the closet!

Middle knows exactly where things go, and he has actually been playing with all of it more often as well!

It is a little haven in his room. :)

I can't wait until I do the whole room like it....
after school is out...that is the project!

Thanks for looking!

Linking up to:

Raelyn

Soccer cupcakes...

It's the end of our indoor soccer season around here.
Middle had a great year!
He is really good!

I always make treats on the last game day. I LOVE to bake...and since we aren't allowed to bake anything for the schools anymore, I take advantage of it where I can :)
So on the final game day, we have pizza, hand out the pictures and trophies...and have something yummy! :)
*******
Anyway......
I thought they turned out REALLY cute, so I wanted to pass their design along.

It is just a basic white cupcake mix...
My frosting is a butter based frosting...and yes, I do mean butter. Stay away from margarine. Bad stuff.

*2 cups powdered sugar
*1/2 stick butter
*1 1/2 vanilla or almond flavoring
*2 TBS hot water
{then to make the chocolate...just add 2 TBS of unsweetened cocoa powder to a separated part of the frosting.}

Beat it all together.
When you think you are done...beat some more.
It will get nice and fluffy and airy, if it is done right.

I simply frosted with the white frosting.
Then I put the chocolate in a ziplock bag...cut the corner off, and decorated.

They took a little time, but the kids went crazy when they saw them!

Go ahead, DON'T BE ASHAMED, WIPE THE DROOL!
Raelyn
I HAVED LINKED UP WITH.....

Pirate Party Ideas

We had a pirate party for Middle's last birthday.

Just thought I would post a few ideas from it....

First we did a craft. ((I don't know why the picture isn't very good...))
I had collected paper towel, and toilet paper rolls for a long time before. I put a layer of paper mache over them with black construction paper as my material.
I bought all kinds of foam stickers, and glitter and "jewels".
I wrote their names inside and the kids went to town.
By the time they all left, they were dry and ready to take home!


I made this giant shark on a thin piece of scrap fiberboard. Much like what is put on the back of a bookshelf these days.
Hubby cut out the mouth for me after I free handed the shark.
Then I painted it!

It served two AWESOME purposes.
Originally it was to be a water balloon toss (which, by the way, was the HIT of the party)...
It also became a picture taking opportunity!
I took pictures of each child, which ended up being a part of their thank you cards.


We did a coin dig.
We buried 80 coins in the sandbox.
The kids were given paper cups, and a plastic spoon ONLY.
They were not allowed to use their hands.


X marks the spot...
I made this using foam board. I printed off the symbols from our friendly Internet.
Each child had an "X", which were from Michael's, and made of wood and felt.
I used puff paints to write all of the kids names on them.


Finally, was the pinata...that I already showed how to make.
Inside the pinata, the candy was already pre-measured and put into goodie bags, to account for different ages, and abilities.
It is hanging from our deck, and worked out SO perfectly!

I made a treasure chest cake, that I found on Family Fun's website, and I also found a version on Betty Crocker.

It is a chocolate cake, with chocolate icing.
Simply, baked in a loaf pan, letting the dome top happen naturally.
Cut open and filled with treasure-like goodies.
Then the cupcakes were meant to be "jewels".

The kids LOVED it!
As usual, the ice cream was served up in muffin liners, which is my favorite birthday party tip!!! As seen HERE.

It was a great party, and one of my favorite themes ever!

Could be changed up to meet most any age range!!!

Hope you found some ideas!

Raelyn

Making a Treasure box pinata #2

So...what started out as a great, cost effective, way to make a pinata for my sons birthday party...turned into HOURS upon HOURS of filthy, sticky, work...that was not only the labor of putting the thing together, but the mental, creative side that had to figure out how to put it together and make it look like the goal outcome...

I would say that when it was ALL done...I easily spent 20, spread out, hours on it. BUT, having said that...it turned out AWESOME and worked just like, if not better than, a store bought pinata.

So here, I removed the inner box...which I designed the whole thing around...this was hard, and I more-or-less had to rip and cut it out because the glue leaked through the cracks of the tin foil, but it didn't hurt the pinata...it is really strong.

Then I covered that open side with paper mache...and added 6 layers to it to make it as strong as all the other sides. Of course, letting each one dry before applying the next. You have to leave a hole in order to insert the candy. This will be covered later.


Here it is all dry...

I also made sure to remember where that hole was on the pinata...because in case it was too strong and the kids were unable to break it, I knew it would be a bit of a weak point...and a place we could easily help it break open.

So anyway, I filled it with the candy and duct taped STRONGLY the open hole.

**TIP**--I put the candy in goodie bags evenly distributed. One for each child. I didn't want anyone to be upset about not getting the same amount as anyone else. So when it broke open the bags flew out and everyone got to grab one. It worked out SOOOOOO well! These kids were all 5 and 6. The "hunt" of candy is good for older kids, I think, but the younger sets...they get too upset and frustrated, and not everyone moves at the same pace either. You could also put the actual goodie bags in the pinata, that would be kind of fun too.**

Then for the dome top...I just used posterboard, attached with duct tape.


Then I covered that with paper mache, but I only did 3 coats, as it doesn't hold any candy, and is only to finish the shape. Its structure doesn't need to be strong...plus I thought it would be funny, if the kids cracked it open and nothing came out... :)Hee Hee Hee

So, I contemplated painting it...I knew I could do that easily. I just knew there would be many bumps and imperfections that I couldn't cver.
I thought about using streamers like the pinatas at the store....but they don't make a gold or a brown streamer...
I thought about tissue paper, wrapped around the end of a pencil (totally old school) and then gluing it on (you know what I mean right??? but didn't know how I could make it look right...
so, anyway...this is what I came up with...

This is gold gift wrap tissue paper that I found at the Party Store. I cut it into strips, (thicker then I did the newspaper for macheing), and then frayed the ends.

At this time, I drilled holes to the sides in the lower, stronger part (where the candy has been added) and strung rope from one hole, through the middle, and out the other hole...in order to be hung securely from our deck...

At this point, I was kind of winging it. I didn't know how it was going to look. But, as I applied the tissue, the frayed ends, just automatically curled up...I couldn't believe it...

It took a while, but I did cover the whole thing...
I just put each row on with a little string of elmers glue.
It was messy...but easy!

And finally, it was time to put the details on...
I used streamers.
Oh...it was so good all done!!!
********
WAIT FOR IT
********
WAIT FOR IT
********
No really,
WAIT FOR IT!!!!!!
**********
*********
*******
******
*****
****
***
**
*

I was SO proud of how it came out!

I told Hubby that none of those kids better touch my pinata! :) But they did...and crushed it to shreds!

It was THE hit of the party for sure, and I was so happy with how it came out!
The MEMORIES made the time and mess and work SOOOOO worth it....
(This is Little having the first go at it.)
Would I do it again...???????
I already have next years planned out!

Raelyn

Making a Treasure box pinata #1....

Last year, Middle's birthday party theme was PIRATES.
He wanted a pinata...

I, decided it would be "just as easy" to make a pinata from scratch.

Ummmm yeah......

So, for the brave, and those NOT afraid to make a big mess, (a big mess that has to stay around, day after day...while it dries, and needs another layer, and then dries again...etc...)

...here is the first step for a treasure box pinata....

a box...this is the foundation of the structure, which will be removed later.
cover all but ONE of the short sides in tin foil.
(the idea of the foil is to be able to pull the box out easily later...)

The glue mixture.... A LOT of it by the way.

...in the end I am betting to have gone through 14 school size bottles.... (they were the best deal at the time, or I would have gotten the big jug.
-------------------------------------------
Here are the first few layers.....
One side is left OPEN...This will be covered eventually, but it will be for candy insertion.

In the end, it will be the weakest side, so it will need some extra coats.

-------------------------------------------------
They say for a 6 year old...it need to be pretty strong, so, it needs about 6-7 coats.

IT IS EASY!!!! but VERY time consuming as you have to let EVERY layer dry before moving on to the next.
It is MESSY....and did I mention TIME CONSUMING....

More to come tomorrow...

Raelyn