And by “for kids”, we mean “to give to kids”. Sure you could get by with just a small box of chocolate (I do not foresee this being a problem with the boy), but where’s the fun in that? I know it’s more of a “couple’s holiday”, but for us single people we got to share the love somewhere. Gifts for kids don’t have to be expensive. As mentioned you could go with a small box of candy or some other small item. My daughter’s handmade soap is an excellent option, especially since she’s been going nuts with her heart mold. (See her Etsy shop here for gift ideas) What have you given your kids in the past? What do you have planned for this year? Let’s share some ideas! Read More →
I pitched an idea for my daughter’s upcoming birthday to something Halloween themed, and was excited to find she too was on board with it. I’ve always called her my Halloween baby, obviously since her birthday is in October. She’s just like me and absolutely loves this time of year! I may not be any good at making cakes, but I sure do like trying. After giving it some thought, we both decided on a pumpkin shaped cake. Basically what we’re planning to do is making 2 bunt cakes and putting them together. It’s going to be a pretty big cake but hopefully will turn out alright. I even thought about making the cake an actual pumpkin cake, but decided against it. I’ve have enough problems in previous years working with cake, and I have no idea how “solid” a pumpkin cake would be. While this one wont...
At the risk of being just like the stores who pull out the holiday stuff 2 months before it’s even here, I do believe it’s time to at least start thinking about Halloween costumes. Especially if you plan to make them yourself! This year my son wants to be a ninja. Not too hard at all, and I doubt we’ll have any trouble putting that together. I refuse to pay up to $20 for a costume as simple as that, so yes we WILL be doing it ourselves. Plus I’m sure the boy and I can make a sword together, which will be fun. The girl is still undecided. She threw out “Hannah Montana”, although I think I’ve got her talked out of it. Sure it’s her favorite, but did you see how many little Mileys there were running the streets last year? Maybe it’s not my place to dictate what she goes as, but the “WOW...
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...
A few weeks ago I mentioned that I was going to make heart shaped brownies for my daughter’s kindergarten Valentine’s Day party. Well I’m proud to say I succeeded without any mishaps. This may be a first! What I did was take a box of brownie mix and make it according to directions (it says to make them cake like to add another egg, which I did). I cooked them at the same temp and time, with one minor change. Instead of the recommended 9×13, I used a 11×14 glass pan. I was a little worried they would get over cooked, especially using the cake-like directions, but as it turned out they were just fine at the top temp. Once out of the oven, I immediately used a heart-shaped cookie cutter and got 12 average size brownies out of it (with some scraps, of course, which we’ll be munching on for the next few days)....
Now I know, it may be one of the oldest resolutions out there (and the easiest one to fail on), but that’s what I made this year. Mostly because I’ve already been at it for over two months now with huge success. My goal? Another 15 pounds, making me less than I have been in nearly ten years. It started somewhere in October. I weight a whopping 170 pounds, and I just felt fat. Who’s really comfortable being overweight? Not me, that’s for sure. Especially when my own mother is a good 50 pounds under me. Yes, she’s a toothpick, and I remind her of it daily. I no longer go clothes shopping with her, and if she tries, I tell her perhaps my kids have clothes she can wear. Back to my own weight issues……. Being a tad on the short side, I really should be around 130 lbs or less. That was my BC weight (you...
Here’s a fun craft for kids that I stumbled on today: Paper Start Wreath Not only does it look easy, but it’s pretty too! I check this site often for fun crafts, but especially for sewing projects. There’s just so much to do with not nearly enough time. Have fun! Read More →
It’s that time of year again! Time to pull out the fabric, hunt for deals on sewing supplies, and make a list of who’s getting what. As much as I dread this time of year, I do enjoy making all kinds of different projects. For the last few years I’ve been sewing pillows for my kids. It started with just picking up fabric of their favorite characters, but now it’s taken on a life of its own. Last year I took quilt blocks and made pillows out of them, which they thought was pretty cool (for my daughter I had found a block that looked like a cat, which she thought was special). This year I thought maybe they were getting tired of the pillows, and thought maybe I should do something else. Imagine my surprise when my daughter says to me one day “Am I getting another pillow for Christmas? I want another one!”....
After changing his mind several times, my son finally decided he’s going to be Garfield for Halloween. We had already decided to make our costumes this year, but this one we really had no choice on. Sure we could probably find one if we looked hard enough, but why bother? It shouldn’t be that hard to make (although I said that about the airplane cake, and it really wasn’t). Luckily, so far, it’s been pretty smooth. I went on a hunt earlier this week for a large orange t-shirt or sweatshirt, and did a little happy dance in the middle of Target when I found one on the discount rack for $2.50. HURRAY! The plan with the shirt is to strap a pillow under him and put the shirt over top. I just have to figure out what we are going to do for stripes, but it will either be fabric paint/markers or black fabric. Next I went...
