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Ski Ya Later

January 23, 2013

I haven’t had a family ski weekend since college.

The wait is over.

How cool is my mom skiing with her grandsons?

Not only do I have a skier (Ryan), but I have a skiing joke Ryan thought up on the chairlift:

How does a skier say goodbye? Ski Ya Later.

Apres ski with the rest of the family was nearly as fun.

A mix of cousins – my kids + my sister in law’s kids + my sister’s kids – had a blast together, all marvelously hosted by my in-laws.

There was yoga.

And lots of puzzles and games and Hide-and-Seek. The grandparents and outdoors provided the bulk of the entertainment but in the downtime, we had fun with some downloads from a smart and adorable website, Mr. Printables. I printed this set of ABC flashcards and the 3 to 6 year olds ran around the house finding objects and people starting with each letter, then handing the cards over to the “writing” cousins for labeling.

I guess we should have expected this when we got to “T is for…”

We also liked this 6 page “doodle on the moon” activity (can print twice as big on 12 pages too).

The frozen lake surrounding the house felt a bit like the moon to me (except there was plenty of gravity and I have the bruises to prove it).

Lots of happy campers. Me included. As my older sister watched me play the Disney HedBanz game with our kids, she said I looked completely returned to (or did she say stuck in?) my childhood. No matter. Not such a bad place to be.

For outtakes from the weekend, check LTM’s facebook page here. And if you haven’t already, be sure to click the LIKE button. Thanks!!

Good Old Plastic Fun

January 11, 2013

We do not have the stomach bug.

Yet.

So far we are just grossed out. Ryan’s locker mate threw up on their teacher today. The girl who sits next to him, the boy who sits across from him and the boy he’s been playing with at recess all week went home ill. Four others were already out sick.

With knowledge of the real horrors of what can happen in a kindergarten classroom, we can certainly handle stomach bug/flu season.

That doesn’t mean we didn’t all take showers after school today and fumigate Ryan’s locker items. Suddenly, our natural bath and home products did not seem so lovely and useful. So free of sulfates, petrochemicals, parabens and soap. Soap-free??? How did I get to a place where I have to scrub off airborne stomach bug particles with a houseful of soap-free products? I wanted bubbles, lots of chemicals and sulfate-loaded, bacteria busting paraben bubbles.

Chemicals and plastic are bad for us. I’m sure of it. But sometimes they are so very fantastic.

Remember Shrinky Dinks? My husband was trying to explain the shrinkable plastic craft to our kids a few weeks ago. I spotted a tutorial on a website called Curbly on how to make your own shrink-dinks using #6 plastic, typically the stuff of (non-Whole Foods) salad bars and take out. It was easy and perfectly demonstrated the totally fantastic features of plastic.

I love a project that requires no shopping and instant results – just need the right plastic, some permanent markers and scissors.

We started by cutting flat sections of our cleaned out plastic containers.

Then we worked on some drawings. Ryan opted for tracing; Noah for one of his “designs.”

We set the finished drawings on aluminum foil and put them directly in the oven (no baking tray needed) at 350° on the lowest rack.

Within a minute, the plastic curled up.

After another minute or two, our art flattened out and sure enough, shrunk up to about a third of the original size and thickened up to the thickness of a plastic game piece. The colors changed a bit (perfect – we wanted a purple hippo).

Keep an eye on your creations – cooking time should be just two or three minutes. Be sure to have tongs and pot holders handy. If you are worried about the chemical fumes (I didn’t note any, but my husband thought he did), you could use a toaster oven plugged in outdoors for ventilation.

Good plastic fun for the whole family.

Let There Be Junk

January 8, 2013

It was a weekend of working my way through our kitchen, toy room and dining room.

I’ve got plenty of clutter to tackle this fresh new year.

And so do my kids.

Exhibit A: Ryan’s junk drawer in our kitchen.

It looks like one of those I Spy pages.

Can you find mardi gras beads and ten deli ticket numbers?

A chapstick, a toothbrush and two fishing bobbers?

After watching me tackle two messy corners of our kitchen, Ryan was pumped and ready to organize his problem area.

I armed him with a few tools: a garbage can, a box to re-route things that belong elsewhere (play dough to the toy room, toothbrush to the bathroom drawer) and most crucial of all: our peacemaker, a long hanging jewelry organizer. Ours are bright and decorative; if Marshall’s wasn’t around the corner, I might have ordered the white ones from The Container Store.

Each of my boys have one in their closets, and they are free to fill it to the brim with loot bag trinkets, little toys and figures.

This is Ryan’s treasure keeper, post-junk drawer clean out.

jewelry organizer

Often the entire contents will be on the floor after a friend visits, which I know means Ryan has explained every shark tooth, gymnastics medal, duct tape creation and most importantly, his Avengers Superhero membership card (which is a really rare item belonging to only lucky children who happened to have been at the Disney store for Avengers training class). Its an easy clean up though, and one Ryan really doesn’t mind.

I call it the peacemaker, because it lets the kids keep all that, well, junk they collect, and have some control over it. Being a kid is hard sometimes: you have no money to buy the things you covet, your parents more or less dress you (by buying your clothes), tell you what to eat, limit wonderful things like candy and television and video games. Its challenging but respectful to allow them to be in charge of the plastic bits they pick up from birthday parties and fairs. They may look meaningless, but Ryan associates each with a sweet little memory.

For sure, I don’t need to weigh in on something that takes up this much room in the closet.

hanging

At some point, the treasure keepers will fill up and the kids will have to make hard choices. Until then, I say let them enjoy every charity rubber bracelet, bubble wand necklace and fake piece of money that comes their way. Even one particular clutter-free friend, who typically tosses her kids’ junk before it even gets in her house, found this idea so irresistible, that she included a treasure keeper in her kids’ Christmas stockings this year.

Ryan shooed me away from his junk drawer clean-up a few times, wanting to be the sole decision maker on what stays and goes. He did throw a few broken toys away and even donated some trinkets to his brother, who worked beside him, continually asking for “a few more things” to fill his keeper.

I was pretty impressed with my three year old’s organization.

Little figures went together. Bracelets, nearby, but separate from a ring and some necklaces.

noah's guys

A few coins in this pocket. And some personalized “Noah” things together, way at that bottom.

noah's organizing method

Ryan is terribly proud of his cleaned-up drawer. I am terribly proud that I taught my six year old the very essential skill of cleaning out a junk drawer. By the way, that is not a real finger in the velvet lined box. That clever piece of plastic actually is a bubble wand from his best buddy’s Halloween party.

The Hardware Store/Office Supply Store Gift

December 21, 2012

With commercial and advertising pressures abound, I’ve resisted posting a gift guide this year. You know your child best and I’m sure you have done a wonderful job shopping for gifts that will excite, engage, teach and entertain. Now – as one of my friends said she did last night – go put half those new things away for sharing throughout the year.

I themed our Hanukah gifts for our kids…Lego-Lovers, The Weather(!), Play It!, Make It!, etc…

When the Build It! delivery for my older son did not arrive in time, I made a quick post-work run through Marshalls for the traditionally somewhat unpopular “Sleep In It” pajama night.

Despite the fact that I single-handedly executed the other seven nights of perfect giving for our kids, my husband could help but tease again and again, ”Marshalls?” as each of us opened our new pajamas (yes, I bought my own gift – sometimes, this has to happen).

Marshall’s is my go-to. It’s in my backyard, just a mile away and in my sleepy suburban town is one of few places open until 9:30 pm. Ditto my local Staples. And my local hardware store.

This Build it! gift was in the works in my mind for a while for my three-year old, but it is something you (and your well-intentioned but totally uninvolved in the shopping department significant other or older child looking to make a present for a younger sibling) can put together in a jiffy at your local hardware, art supply or office supply store.

Inspired by a set I saw at my son’s school, I picked up some white and black furniture tacks (thumb tacks will work but seemed a bit sharper) and nails, a small hammer and some craft wood. Some assorted plastic bins made it easy to separate the tacks, nails and supplies.

I added a cork bulletin board square and my builder was ready to go. We used a tiny micro craft drill to put holes in the wood before Noah got to work and found some fun shapes, letters (with pre-drilled holes) and pictures at Michael’s and a woodcraft shop. You could just as easily cut shapes and pictures out of foam, card stock or cereal boxes.

Great for fine motor and satisfying work for a budding carpenter.

There were lots of stories to tell – this is bunny’s birthday party where they had tea, donuts with frosting, veggies and played a little baseball.

There were also some interesting literacy activities I could not have imagined.

These plastic bins keep everything he needs neat and tidy.

Snowman = Smile

December 19, 2012

I imagine we all need a few extra occasions to smile this week.

Does this cut it?

Snowman DIY

I’m finding snowmen pretty irresistible this season and we’ve barely had enough snow to patch one together.

I know you are busy. There’s likely a lot of wrapping, cooking and possibly shopping still to do. I promise I made this t-shirt in minutes on the way to a Halloween party when my Noah-turned-Frosty-the-Snowman decided he didn’t want to wear the big bellied costume I created. It’s now part of his regular clothing rotation and always elicits lots of smiles (starting with Noah’s) and compliments (which inevitably makes me smile).

The How-To…

Find an old white t-shirt – old or new, short sleeve or long.
Cut some round eyes and smile circles out of black felt, a black t-shirt or a black sock. Cut some triangle noses out of orange felt or fabric (even a kitchen sponge might work). Be creative if you don’t have felt or fabric on hand – markers or paint will work well…ideally you will use something permanent and machine washable.
Let the kids arrange their snowman on a t-shirt and use a glue gun or fabric glue to adhere. I just glued the short edge of the nose down so the rest could flap around a bit.
Watch the smiles add up – starting with the wearer and spreading from there.

Check out my Winter Cute Pinterest board for more snowman adorableness… like an upside down snowman, snowman doughnuts and a Build-A-Snowman game.

And if you are making this shirt, you’ll need these lyrics.

Front Door Decor

December 6, 2012

As we gear up for upcoming holidays, here’s a tip I just learned the value of yesterday:

If you haven’t put away your Thanksgiving books/crafts/placemats, do it now. Do not wait and eventually toss them in with winter holiday decorations. You will never remember to look for “Curious George’s Thanksgiving” next November. And no one will want to read it in December.

So the turkey doll that gobbles isn’t so cute now that we’ve recently eaten its likeness in real life, but this was a lovely find in the Hanukah bin:

Perfectly kid-made and perfectly preserved. The kids painted these pine cones last year and we strung them together for some not-a-wreath front door decor.

Fun colors, a nod to the holidays and season – and it makes our visitors smile and our own homecomings brighter.

Now, about the door hardware. With all the exterior updates we’ve done, and all towards platinum gray, the brass is certainly on the way out. I haven’t found a new door knocker that fits the holes in the door, so just as soon as the holiday bins go back in the attic, out will come the brushed metallic spray paint.

Holiday Cards Gone By

November 30, 2012

We survived. Black Friday. Cyber Monday. Charity Tuesday. I believe tomorrow, December 1st, is officially Holiday Card Hysteria Day.

Much as I would like us all to go digital with our holiday greetings, I do so enjoy sending holiday cards and wallpapering our house with the ones we receive. Speaking of receiving holiday cards, I must interrupt this post with a bit of brilliance, courtesy of Pinterest and Under the Sycamore:

It has taken me years to master getting a good photograph in my hands by Thanksgiving. Now its time to find the card or design my own. More than ever, there are so many lovely paper and design options (read: way too many freakin’ options for an indecisive paper/font/design lover). I find myself swooning over holiday card samples in places not too well known for their pretty paper (Walgreens and Staples). Rounded corners, patterned backs, personalized messages – its intoxicating and exhausting.

The boys and I had fun looking at a shoebox full of holiday cards gone by. They matched baby faces to big kids and newlyweds turned into parents. I filled in the blanks on playmates and relatives they didn’t recognize.

While I’m working on this year’s card, you can check out our last five…

Have a great holiday card source – please share it!

Thanksgiving Creations Without Ruffling A Feather

November 21, 2012

Why is it the more I have to do, the more often I fall asleep with my three-year old at his bedtime?

I’m thankful no one’s holiday experience this week will be lessened by the state of my laundry and mudroom.

We celebrated an early Thanksgiving last night with my husband’s family. A delicious dinner — sweet with four happy little cousins, birthday cake for our 92 year old grandmother. We managed a few minutes for my boys to witness their grandparent’s philanthropy at a local hospital.

My contribution was limited to fruits and vegetables (plus the necessary marshmallows). This is as complicated as it got – I did score little x marks in the pear for the chocolate chip eyes and carved legs out of a cheese stick.

In my part vegetarian household (note: the tofurkey was not a hit), the turkey as a symbol of Thanksgiving elicits a lot of questions. I was glad Ryan’s kindergarten dealt with the turkey reality head on. Say what you will about the overuse of worksheets in American classrooms…this one is adorable and allows for out of the box (or off the page) creativity.

Students in grade schools across the country are given an illustration of a turkey and asked to add a disguise so that the turkey can avoid its Thanksgiving fate. Our kindergarteners’ disguises slowed my walks down the hallway these last few weeks. I loved the nods to their worlds of Halloween costumes, election day, football and snowfall.

You can download a printable turkey sheet here to occupy your family and/or house guests while you are making last minute preparations.

As I count our many blessings, we were able to update an old standby DIY to make sweet teacher and hostess thank you gifts for the season using this pumpkin granola recipe and $2.95 feather cabinet knobs from Anthropologie.

Happ(ier) Days of October

November 5, 2012

You might have noticed I have a penchant for big backyard birthday parties (see here and here) so I tried not to be insulted by by my six year old requesting a party at the bounce house place this year. I decided to welcome a just show-up and jump party instead of the usual three-ring circuses I invent each year.

Well, it wasn’t quite that easy. I picked a date and time carefully, one that accommodated seven cousins, two sets of grandparents, a great-grandma and other family. One day before that very scheduled party, Ryan came down with strep. Between Ryan’s actual birthday feeling like ancient history, Halloween and limited spots at Bounce U., I grabbed the next available date – go figure, one that NONE of the seven cousins could attend.

We managed to squeeze in the make-up party hours before Hurricane Sandy hit the Northeast.

I was grateful for the timing then. Now, after a week of hearing and seeing images of the devastation and shortages throughout New York and New Jersey, these birthday photographs are my happy thoughts amid gathering warm clothes and canned goods to donate and feeling uselessly far away from those who need help. Thank you to those who have volunteered selflessly and for those who have communicated how great the need is to those of is in our bright, warm homes.

I bounced and took pictures (even in the black light “cosmic bounce”) and crossed my fingers that none of our guests would get hurt while their parents stocked up on batteries and groceries nearby. Ten minutes before the bouncing time ended, the party staffers asked me if I wanted to set up the party room.

Did I? Me? Nooooo!!! I wanted to climb this thing with the birthday boy.

Thanks to my mom for setting up the “party room” while I enjoyed the party (I did insist on bringing my own desserts and goody bag):

The push-up pops made by a family friend/baker magically stayed delicious for a week in the freezer when the party was postponed because Ryan had strep.

A surprise-hit…some finger mustache tattoos I picked up in the Target dollar bins (you can get a similar set here). Most of the kids skipped their fingers and wanted the ‘stache tattoos applied right to their faces.

Wishing much relief and perhaps even some joyful, carefree moments ahead for those affected by the storm.

Halloween Lessons – Learned & Relearned

November 2, 2012

In an ordinary season, these lessons wouldn’t come in handy again until next year — but since so many affected by the storm have had to postpone Halloween (as we did last year), maybe its just in time for some…

#1: For the younger set, costumes should be easy, lightweight and feel like normal clothes.

I’m pretty sure I would have loved those prairie days because hand stitching (cannot figure out my new/old sewing machine) Noah’s Frosty the Snowman costume out of a $7.00 white fleece blanket made me crazy proud.

My kids are now requesting my “pants dance” because I ran around the house last week dancing and singing “I made pants. I made pants.”

I have no business writing a sewing tutorial — basically I made a pattern from a pair of PJ pants that fit Noah well, following these brilliant instructions from Simply Modern Mom (ok, prairie mom meets internet), but cheated a little by using the blanket’s pretty edging as the pants bottom. As for the snowman belly, I improv sewed some fleece to a white H&M kids tank top and added some stuffing in between and three big buttons.

So Noah was essentially wearing a fleece blanket as a costume. Who could complain?

Well, the hat was pretty annoying.

By the time actual Halloween arrived, he said he would only wear the pants (I made pants!! I made pants!!), not the belly or the hat. Thanks to pinterest, I could handle it and quickly hot glued some felt to make a new Frosty shirt – this time, hold the stuffing.

#2: Too much Halloween is simply too much Halloween.

Our Moms & More club hosts an unbelievable Halloween stroll through our town each year, with a parade and trick and treating on Main Street and beyond on the Saturday before the big day.

The kids love spotting their friends and so many cool and adorable costumes. We love enjoying our adorable town, the nice shopkeepers and going out for lunch and margaritas with our friends (something we should do every Saturday but just don’t).

At this stage, the stroll is Halloween for our family. After that, its pretty much just pumpkin carving and tooth decay.

Four days later – on Halloween itself – Ryan actually asked “Do I have to wear a costume?” for his kindergarten parade (he did and had a blast). Then, we had a Halloween-themed birthday party after school, followed by actual trick-or-treating.

All individually wonderful and totally enjoyed, but complete overkill. Halloween should come but once a year. Once! My kids happily trick or treated around our block, but were home and sorting candy by 6:40 p.m. After showers and watching “It’s a Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” in our bed, the kids requested and gobbled up carrots, snap peas, peppers and dip before bed. Veggies at bedtime? Too much Halloween.

#3: Target’s Dollar Bin rocks.

This you must already know, but very fun stuff this year — stamps, doormats, Halloweeen Bingo and Go Batty (Go Fish with mummies and vampires) cards and some signs that struck just the right note for Halloween fun (no blood, guts, bones or other ghastliness for me).

#4: This book should be sold with every pumpkin purchase in America.

We read this book all year in our house, but this year was the first time we counted our seeds along with the book. Lots of counting (by twos, fives and tens) and so many good lessons for kids (sometimes a small pumpkin has tons of seeds). You can buy it here for $5.99. or download the e-book and check out some cool pumpkin facts here:

Apparently, each ridge on the outside of a pumpkin is a line of seeds on the inside. Ryan says there are 20 seed on each. Our pumpkin had 27 ridges, 531 seeds. Pretty good math.

Haven’t had enough Halloween yet? Check out our fall play dough and Spa-lloween and Love U Madly’s Baked Pumpkin Donut Holes.

Check out Love Them Madly’s visit to The Connecticut Historical Museum & Library today on Out and About Mom.