Move: Back Porch Camping

Yesterday was a cool, rainy, fall day here in Pittsburgh. Rather than be stuck inside (and have the day drag on and on and on...) I decided to surprise Landon with an extra special afternoon. I kept him distracted while I set everything up, gave him a bag of "gear" to put on, and then asked him to come meet me on the back porch. 

THIS is the kind of "Special Time" reaction that I live for! He was so excited to see a mock campsite right outside our backdoor!

We "roasted" marshmallows...

over our toasty little fire....

Made "River Rock" Picture Frames (dried beans and tacky glue)...

which turned out great...

Listened to crickets chirping in the middle of the day...

And snuggled in a very tiny pop-up tent to read some "camping" stories together.

Rain, rain, go away...or stay. 

Manage: Taming the Family Calendar and a GIVEAWAY

 Winner is Comment #7 (www.random.org): KELLI

Congratulations!

By: Bev

It wasn’t that long ago we had a houseful of kids, and a full calendar to match. Three kids, busy with all sorts of activities, was a challenge to keep track of.

I bought a large, refrigerator-style calendar, skipping the type that had a nice picture and instead going for one with large blocks. It was our only calendar, and I was the only one allowed to write on it.

Each family member was assigned a color. Dad was green (he brought home the paycheck), I was red (the heart of the home), daughter #1 was pink, daughter #2 was purple, and our son was blue. I bought highlighters in those colors, and put them in a magnet-style basket that was attached to the fridge, next to the calendar. Any activity – a sports practice, cheerleading practice, football game, orthodontist appointment, sleepover, birthday party, was written down on the calendar in non-smearing ink. Then I ran a streak that matched the family member whose appointment it was over it. 

A white marker board might work well if you can post it high enough that little fingers won't smear / erase it.  I could easily see, even from across the kitchen, if anyone needed to be anywhere at a specific time.

Simple, inexpensive – who doesn’t love that? - and it worked for over twenty years. 

It might tame your calendar too.

Wanna win a free set of Sharpie Highlighters to start taming your own calendar? Enter by leaving a comment below. Winner announced Saturday morning. 

Munch: Purple Cow

A tasty (and easy!) treat to cool off the last, lingering, hot days of summer.

                 1/2 Cup:    Thawed Grape Juice Concentrate (or Grape Soda)

                  2 Cups:     Vanilla Ice Cream

                  1 Cup:       Milk 

                  2 Cups:      Ice

My little boy loves these...as much for the fun name as for the yummy taste! Blend ingredients together and enjoy! 

Make: "Box" Car Train

No craft supplies on hand? No problem! For some spontaneous fun, help your little one make a box car train. Ours was free, and only took a few minutes to assemble. 

Materials:

boxes

toilet paper roll

pen

scissors or exacto knife

string

hole punch

1. Find several boxes of similar size. 

2. Pick two boxes to be the engine (make sure one fits inside the other). Trace and cut out a hole for a smokestack (toilet paper roll).  

3. Add the smokestack, and push one box inside the other. 

4. Cut off the "windshield" (so that a conductor can fit in there), and then fold and tape the flap to the front of the engine. 

5. Use a hole punch and string to tie the boxes to each other. 

6. Decorate (we used crayons and markers) and fill with fun! 

Choo Choo! 

Munch: Party for Pooch!

Well, the infamous Smokey (click here to find out why...) turned one on Thursday. So...

Landon and I made him a little cake. We used this recipe. It's puppy (and people) friendly. 

We invited over a few sweet neighbor kids, sang "Happy Birthday, Dear Smokey," and (pretended) to blow out the rawhide that we used in place of a candle.

We, of course, gave the Birthday Boy the first piece. He loved it! 

And, though eating it LIKE Smokey certainly wasn't a requirement of the partygoers, little Makaylee just couldn't help herself! :)

Manage: A Leash for Lovey

It's bedtime. 

Do you know where your child's lovey is?

Anyone who has suffered from Missing Lovey Syndrome will wholeheartedly testify that it is a very serious condition. At it's onset, it generally causes great distress, much panic, and quite a bit of crying (this can be contagious...beware, Mom). These symptoms are usually followed by hours of searching, sleepless nights, and therefore, very often, unsightly dark under-eye circles. Never fear though! There is a "vaccine" to prevent this awful ailment....a Lovey Leash!! The one pictured above was actually intended for child/mom use (I believe from Babies-R-Us); we just trimmed it to make it suitable for lovey/lover purposes. 

Motivate: Fun Dad September '10

We here at www.funmoms.org thought that it would be, well...fun to recognize one SUPER fun dad each month. Our September winner of this (soon-to-be, we're sure of it...) prestigious award, and a

  $10 Sears gift card is....

DAVE CHRIST from Pennsylvania!!

Dave blew up a whopping 480 balloons for his daughter, Maddy's fourth birthday. They filled the hallway and living room, so that when little Maddy left her bedroom on that oh so special morning she was greeted with a sea of color and fun!

Got a Fun Dad in your family? 
Please send your story and pictures to emailfunmom@yahoo.com.

Make: Fall Flyers

My absolute favorite place to decorate in my house is above my kitchen sink. There's something about adding a punch of personality where it's least expected that appeals to me, and it's a great place to show off some of my little guy's artwork. Here's how I decorate it for FALL:

1. Draw Fall shapes (such as leaves, apples, or pumpkins) on four pieces of construction paper. Don't worry..."abstract" will work for this project! Make sure to leave a couple extra inches at the top of each one for hanging purposes. 

2. Outline each shape with a thin line of glue. 

3. Allow your kids to "hide the glue line" with multi-colored dried beans and/or corn kernels. If you have several kids, perhaps each one can do a flyer. Remember to join in the fun yourself though too, and create right along with your kids! Have each artist sign and date their work.

4. Once dry, hang the Fall Flyers up by folding the top few inches over a strung line. You may want to tape the folded flap to the back of the artwork to secure it. 

This keepsake will be a great conversation piece with guests, a reminder of warm memories, an endearing decoration for years to come, and a great show-and-tell opportunity for proud little ones! 

Motivate: Lunches PACKED with Love

Ten Ways to Send a Little Lunchtime Love:

1. Include a short love note or written pep talk. 

2. Pack a present...Wrap up a fun set of pencils or erasers. Don't forget squiggly ribbon!

3. Substitute traditional (jelly) for terrific (Fluff, Nutella, or honey).

4. Include a homemade ticket for an after school activity the two of you can do together (such as a trip to the local bowling alley). 

5. Toss in an extra dollar for ice cream.  

6. Cut sandwiches into fun shapes (hearts, dinosaurs, stars, happy faces, etc). 

7. Pack an extra special sweet treat.

8. Pack an extra special sweet treat for all of your kid's lunchtime friends. 

9. Tuck a funny comic strip inside the napkin.

10. Tape the note, "Look to your right," inside your kiddo's empty lunchbox. Then, be standing across the cafeteria with a McDonald's bag in your hands. 

11. You're turn! Please share!

Make: Thank You Notes

Thank you notes. Three little words that can make even the most grateful groan. I seem to remember deeply dreading the 200 or so that loomed over me while on my honeymoon. Even more telling, I recall explaining to my mom very matter-of-factly that, "Emily Post says you don't have to send one if you thank the person face-to-face," right before my largest baby shower. Yikes! I ended up writing a thank you card to each person anyway...just in case someone hadn't read that particular page of Post's renowned book on proper etiquette. 

Last year, after Landon's third birthday, I decided to change the game plan, at least temporarily, for my kiddo. Instead of writing, why not make? (This revelation was very convenient, considering the fact that my preschooler couldn't write, and the duty would have fallen on a certain somebody else.) In seriousness though, while I'm teaching him how to show appreciation, it seemed logical for him to actually have a grateful heart, while thanking others for the gifts they had given him. It made sense to me. So, we packed a bucket full of some of his most interesting arts and crafts supplies, grabbed a large picnic blanket, and found a shady spot in our yard to begin creating.  I explained to him that he was going to get to make a beautiful picture to thank each of the sweet people who had given him his fun, new toys that he already loved so much. He was actually excited to get started! While he created we talked about specific people that had attended the party...what they had given them...what part of the "thank you note" they would like the best...why the ants seemed to really like his scented markers... Well, we tried to stay on topic. :)

During naptime that afternoon I took a picture of Landon's creation, and uploaded it to http://www.snapfish.com/. I choose the "postcard" option, typed a sweet, general thank you message in Landon's "voice," added our return address, and clicked purchase. Four days later, I added address labels and a stamp to each one. They were affordable, relatively handmade, personal, but practical, extremely original, very well received, and (add drumroll here)...FUN to make!  

Landon turned four on Saturday. 

Guess what we're doing for Special Time tomorrow? 

Hope it's good weather...we've got a date with a picnic blanket and scented markers! :)