Being a mom is a full time job, there’s no doubt about it. We all need a break sometimes. Just a few quick minutes for a game of solitary, or some other easy game to play on a whim. That’s why we’ve added a brand new page on Idea Queen designed to give parents the short break we all need. On our new “Games for Mom” page, you’ll find several different online games to play right in your browser – no downloading or sign up required! You might even find a few games to play along with the kids. So what are you waiting for? Go play! (Just remember to bookmark the page and come back often ). Read More →
If you are looking for a few last minute Easter crafts over the weekend, be sure to see our full page of Easter Crafts at Idea Queen. I know I’m guilty of not pulling out the egg decorating kits just yet, but it’s something we plan to do over the weekend. On the page linked above you’ll find some additional craft ideas, including a different way to color eggs, plus some traditional crafts for Easter. Have a great weekend! Read More →
April Fool’s Day is my favorite holiday next to Halloween, mostly because I get to torment my kids freely without any backlash. I’ve had several fun pranks on this day, but I’m always looking for more. Here’s a few successful pranks of the past: - Tape down the sink sprayer If you have a sprayer on your sink that only turns on when you turn on the water, then put a piece of clear tape around the handle. Last year I asked my son to water the plants for me after school, and he fell for it! The look on his face was classic, and one I’ll never forget. - I’m moving This one was played on a friend one year, who knew I’d never leave the area. Play this one on family members near by to freak them out a bit. This works especially well on family members. -SOLD! While this is more business related, you can still...
Last week my kids were on spring break, and they got a bit of a raw deal. The weather wasn’t so great, and it rained most of the week. On Saturday we even saw a rain/snow mix! Seeing the weather forecast ahead of time, I knew it was going to be up to me to entertain them at least part of the time. So we decided at least one day would be spent at our local YMCA where there’s a good sized indoor pool. We don’t have a membership since the closest Y is a good 25 minutes away from us, and just isn’t worth it for how little we get over there. However, we were able to get in for just $12 for all of us, and spend as much time as we wanted there that day. The kids had a blast and so did I! This is the perfect time of year to seek out local indoor pools, since it’s still just a bit too early for the regular summer pools....
There’s nothing harder than coming up with a craft for an 8 year old boy who would rather spend his time in front of the computer or video games instead of being with his family. Although while hanging out in a local craft store one day, the foam sheets caught my attention like they always do, and I finally figured it out. This particular boy loves to read, and has a large library of books he cycles though. Because of this (and his tornado of a room), we have to keep him well stocked on bookmarks. A foam sheet not only makes a “cool looking bookmark”, but is cheep too. If folded correctly, you can make six bookmarks from one 8×11 sheet (standard paper size, that is). Two bookmarks “sideways” and four long ways. They won’t all be the same size, but it’s a bookmark, so it doesn’t matter....
If you’ve been coming here for awhile, you know I’m a big fan of the download games at Big Fish. Usually it’s me that gets addicted to the various game, but once in awhile a game comes along that’s great for kids. That’s exactly what Farm Frenzy, Pizza Party is. Now chances are the younger kids aren’t going to be able to play this one quite as well as the older ones. There’s a lot of different things to remember and do, thus the reason I was the one playing it most of the time. However, because of the animal and pizza appeal, the kids might be sticking to this one for some cheap entertainment. If you don’t already have a membership to BigFish, I do suggest getting one to play this game. For a few bucks a month you get a game credit to use with any game on the site, which is added to daily....
For those that do own a Wii and are interested in active family games, the page we’ve been working on (Family Games for Wii) for the last few weeks has been updated in a major way. When we first announced the new page, there were only 3 reviews up. After renting, buying, and begging for some reviews, we’ve added a whole lot more! Keep in mind the ranting system we have is a little different. Instead of just one overall rating of the game, we break it down into seven different sections. For it to rate high with us, it’s got to be a fun FAMILY game that gets both adults and kids up and moving. I can’t be too easy or too hard, must get us active, get everyone involved in the game play, and of course, be FUN! We know Wii games aren’t cheap, so we hope these reviews will give you a better idea if some games you’ve...
Since I love to come up with creative ideas in the kitchen, I knew I was going to have to come up with something spectacular for Valentine’s day. I’m in charge of the snacks for my daughter’s kindergarten class this year, so this gives me a chance to finally use some of those cool cookie cutters I’ve had forever. We always use decorated sugar cookies in Halloween style for her birthday in October, so the cookies are out. While shopping yesterday with a cake mix coupon, the idea hit me. Heart shaped brownies with pink icing. It might not be the most creative, but I’m thinking it will get us some “brownie points”. Ha! The mix I got looks like a moist cake, so I’ve got my fingers crossed this isn’t going to turn into a big mess. It also says to bake it in a 13×9, but I’m thinking...
Instead of boring you all that are on newsletter updates with a bunch of Wii-related posts on a regular basis for those that don’t care, I decided to start a brand new section on Idea Queen for all the game reviews. This new section is under the Crafts & Activities area of the site and titled “Family Games for Wii“. I’ve set up a unique scoring based on several areas which I feel a family game full of activities should have. Since the purpose of a Wii is to get kids up and moving, this is also part of our scoring which may make even some really good games a little “off” to other reviews. You’ll also find links to Amazon above every review in case you’d like to purchase the game or read what others have to say, since we’ve found some of the best deals can be found on that site (just...
Let’s face it – the fastest, easiest, and cheapest way to decorate a kids room is with posters. Not just any posters though, but rather ones features their own personal interests. For Christmas I had found a book of Hanna Montana posters that included probably 10 or more sheet-of-paper-sized posters. Since I have a Hanna Montana fan, this made an excellent gift. It also dressed up her room a lot, and she loved it. Full size posters are also great, and both my kids have those on their walls as well. We got them pretty cheap, spending no more than $5 on each of them. But what else can you use for fun kids room decor? Well, how about some personalized art? Just about every place that sells crafts also sells poster boards for a little bit of nothing. You know, the giant sheets of paper the same size as a full size poster, usually...
