My photo wall!

This is my photo wall in my house!  It is made up of photos Sungazing photos has taken every 3 months of my kiddos' life!  That is why there is a gap the bottom right corner.  Glenn is only 9 months!  I will post how I did the words tomorrow!

photo wall

I am finally hanging the pictures I had professionally taken of the kiddos every 3 months for the first yr of life!  There needs to be some words added in so here are the ones I am going to put.....

Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure, a year in the life?

I am going to use the idea of letters on the wall from the blog, This Thrifty House: http://thisthriftyhouse.blogspot.com/2010/09/iron-on-wall-art.html

I'll post pictures when it is finished!!!!!  Hope to do it today but like most of you it depends on a 2 year old and a 9 month old and since it is Spring Break and hubby as well!  ;)

another use for the kitchen table!

I keep seeing ideas for place mats that kids can draw on floating around the Internet and I love the idea.  When I thought about adding it to the To Do list I kind of giggled because I knew I would not get it done.  So I started thinking......we have a glass top table......we have window markers.......we can draw on our table!  YAY!!!  Well I think I love drawing on the table more than Gianna does!  Our favorite thing to do is draw pictures together and work on 1 masterpiece! 

It can smear when the ink is still wet but once it dries it does not wipe off unless wet.  To clean just use a wipe or window cleaner.  Whatever you normally use.  Gianna is cleaning it off in this picture so we can start over!  Have fun everyone!

how to extend the life of pants that are too short!

http://mypoppet.blogspot.com/2012/03/how-to-make-cute-knickerbockers.html#more

Check out how this creative blogger made her daughter's pants into stylish "knickerbockers" 



Gianna has a few pants that will get this special treatment really soon!!!

make your own water colors!

http://happyhooligans.wordpress.com/2012/03/07/home-made-water-colour-paints/

This wonderful blog shares how to make your own watercolor paints!  HOW MUCH FUN!!  Plus, I have everything I need to make it!!!  Check it out!

■4 tbsp baking soda


■2 tbsp white vinegar

■1/2 tsp light corn syrup (I think this known as Kayro syrup in some parts. I didn’t have “light” so I used “golden” syrup)

■2 tbsp corn starch (known as corn flour in the UK)

■Food colouring (liquid or gels)

■container to keep your paints in – I used a mini muffin tin, but you could use an ice-cube tray, small plastic cups, plastic egg carton etc.

ART BOX

I have posted about the art box before but it was during last summer.  We have started using it a lot again so I thought I would post again!  The art box is a big cardboard box we received when Gianna got a sand table for the backyard.  I did not want to waste the box and we love doing messy art so the art box was born!  To paint, stickers, playdoh, crayons, whatever art can be done in the art box without interference for me.  she can get as messy as she wants as long as it stays in the box!  We both love it!

a movie kind of morning

So I am not feeling well at all so I was grateful when Gianna said she wanted to watch Beauty and the Beast!  YAY!!  So I thought I would make her something really quick to play with while watching.  I made felt "paper" dolls with some crude clothing and gave her markers.  She played and watched for the first part of the movie.  Not to shabby!  Now if the other one would take a nap I could rest... haha!  He is busy standing up and cruising around using the couch!  The little buddy just started crawling last week!  Changing too quickly!

Can you see his sister on the couch.  He would stand up and bug her!  HAHA!

The felt "paper" dolls and some of the clothing (if you want to call them that)  Imagination is needed!

diet coke brownies?!?! WHAT!?!?!

So I have seen this idea all over pinterest so I have been wanting to try it!  I will admit ever since I had my son I want sweets!  Before him it was always salty food now bring on desserts!  So for this recipe you need a box of brownie mix and 12oz diet coke!!  Bake at 350 for about 20 min (keep checking it I left mine a little gooey because hey no raw eggs so I could!)  The pin on pinterest said it was like a 140 cal. per serving!  YAY AND YUM!  Here is the link to the blog I got the idea from!  http://auntpegsrecipebox.blogspot.com/2011/02/diet-coke-brownies.html

We added powdered sugar!

"mmmm mama!"

Transportation kind of day!

This morning turned out to be a transportation morning!  FUN!!! 

A garage made out of a little box and cardboard roads!  Perfect for the smaller cars to drive on!

"This is fun mama!"

He really liked the big truck!  It honks and flashes its lights!

We had a flash with the transportation so we could see in the garage!  Why not!?!  ;)

Playing with the cars!

HAHA!  Her hair!

Driving to Papa's house!

A little art mixed in...I found this in the $1 section at Target and thought it would be fun to add to the Transportation play!

Math for preschoolers

http://www.teachpreschool.org/2012/02/everyday-math-in-preschool/

If you are trying to come up with some ideas on how to teach your preschooler or younger math here are some great ideas from Teach Preschool! 








Just some of the great ideas!  check out the wonderful blog!

Barbie or any toy organizer!

http://kimboscrafts.blogspot.com/2012/02/barbie-organizer.html?spref=fb

Look at this great idea from "a girl and a glue gun" 

SAHM or Unemployed

http://www.momto2poshlildivas.com/2012/02/i-am-stay-at-home-mom-i-am-not.html?spref=fb


This wonderful blogger wrote about the prospect of going back to work as a teacher.  There are blank years in her resume that she did not "work".  She worries how school districts will respond when she goes in to interview.  Anyone else feel this way or can relate?!

quiet time folder

I need something for Gianna to play with while we are out and about at resturants. 

This is a felt folder that I made! I got the idea from

http://theclayfamilyblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/travel-felt-mat-tutorial.html

It is held together with velcro!

When it is opened this is what it looks like! I am so happy with how it turned out!

All the pieces!  She got so excited about the School Buses!  I am going to make some other themes that I can swap into the felt folder!

Here is the pocket to put all the pieces in

The big folder that is holding everything! 

How I have the inside organized

An old cd case can be used as a dry erase board! FUN!

File folders that work on colors and counting!  The ideas and printables come from:

filefolderfun.com

I hope this works as well as I think it will!  ;)  Now time to go out to eat!  YAY!

cook or uncooked playdough that is the question!?

http://www.artfulparent.com/2012/02/no-cook-versus-cooked-homemade-playdough-recipe.html


This blogger weighs in on her thoughts of cook or uncooked playdough!  Personally, I have never made cooked playdough only because I think the fact that the kiddos can help make the uncooked.  Seeing and feeling it change from a bag of ingredients to dough is awesome!

bingo dauber fun!

gianna is decorating cards with bingo daubers!!  so much fun i did a few myself!!!!  if you have not used them before GET SOME!

i put her outside and let her work without me near by (our backyard is really small, i can see the whole thing from the sliding glass door!) I love to see her create and work when by herself!

Well not completely by herself!  She had some help from ROSE!

painting rock valentines

again pinterest!  we collected rocks and painted them with tempra paint the ofcourse we sprinkled with glitter!!  when dry i plan on painting on a little heart and the surprising our friends with a v-day heart rock in the garden!! 

sdewalk chalk paint

we made sidewalk chalk paint! again i have seen this idea all over pinterest! 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup cornstarch and a little food coloring!!!  easy as that and oh so much fun!!!

we thought painting the rocks would be fun! we were right!

trying to paint the bubbles!

the bushes needed a new color!

We made more paint in a spray bottle!

Working on shapes and colors!  First we started out jumping or stepping to a certain thing I said then we went to spraying it with paint!  Good times!!