Secrets of a Super Mommy

Happy Ground Hog Day!!

2011-02-02T04:07:00.032-07:00

I am hoping for an early spring!

(and since we are finally moving to Southern California in a few weeks I am counting on getting it.)

Here are some fun ideas to make the day special for your family!

1. Decorate! If you need to get some Ground Hog Day supplies, check out http://www.groundhogstuff.com/ for next year.(thanks, Jen)

Jen puts her ground hog on her cake platter and wraps brown fabric around him so he is coming out of the dirt.

2. Read your books and watch the movie!

3. Have a Ground Hog Breakfast. Jen always has donuts and uses her ground hog cookie cutter on the toast so it looks like the Ground Hog is coming out to look for his shadow.

4. Eat on the GROUND! My kids think this is so much fun! We either have green (for an early spring) or white (for more winter) dishes and decorations for dinner. Last year was white...I think most years are. I should just start cutting out the snowflakes now.

5. Make a Ground Hog treat.

We made these cute cookies last year. And these cupcakes 2 years ago.

6. Don't forget to watch Punxsutawney Phil with the kiddos! I am going to guess that if you miss it bright and early in the morning (7:25am EST), you can catch it later on youtube! Check out groundhog.org to send a free e-card and get more fun details!

Have a Fun Day and Make a Memory, Super Mommies!

Valentine's Day is coming soon!

2011-02-01T04:20:00.002-07:00

Happy February 1st, Super Mommies!

I hope you Super Mommy's are counting down with me. If you arent doing the LOVE scriptures tree or the Silly Socks Valentine Advent, here is another adorable countdown to try. My SIL, Jen, made this for me last year.

Box of Chocolates Valentines Day Countdown

1.First, find a candy box with the amount of chocolate spaces in it that you want. Then, eat the chocolates! Yum!

2.Tint the glass cubes with Alcohol Ink. She used the color "latte."

3. Punch out brown cardstock and modge podge to glass cube, (with the brown facing in) so that you can see the brown through the glass cube.

4. Print out list of countdown ideas and punch out, same size as brown, and modge podge on the bottom of cube so that you can read the idea when you turn over the cube (there is a good list at the link on the bottom of this post).

5. Decorate cubes with scribbles 3D paint to look like the tops of Valentine chocolates.

6. Put fake chocolates in candy box flip one over each day until Valentine's Day

Jen says "I found the original idea for this here: http://www.somewhatsimple.com/2010/01/countdown-to-valentines-day.html I just tweaked it a little bit."

Have a Happy Valentines Day with your families, Everyone!

Super Mommy Secret~Books to Explain OUR Traditions!

2011-01-19T04:23:00.001-07:00

My family has been celebrating Ground Hog Day and Chinese New Year for many years now, however, teaching the meaning and origin of the holidays and celebrations we enjoy can be a struggle. It can also be quite boring for little ones.

This year I was excited to find some cute books in our scholastic book order (they are on Amazon, as well)!

And, For only $3-4 each, I got the following:

(My hope is that they will help my children understand more about these fun holidays and even give fun facts, while keeping the "mom is giving us a lecture" boredom out of it!)

Ten Grouchy Groundhogs

Groundhog Weather School

Bringing in the New Year

My First Chinese New Year

Now I can save myself from trying to explain these holidays myself! ([sigh of relief], I just like planning the HOLIDAY decorations and fun, not teaching the Jeopardy knowledge!)

And I can store these little paper back books in with our holiday decor, so I dont lose them, and we can reuse them every year.

Let me know if you have a favorite book for a Holiday! I love to add them to our collection.

Super Mommy Secret~ Plan NOW, Ground Hog Day, Chinese New Year, Valentine's Day...oh my!

2011-01-17T22:07:00.000-07:00

There are lots of fun Celebrations to be had in the next month!

Now is the time to be planning your family fun.

For Ground Hog Day, Feb 2nd, check out some fun ideas, HERE scroll to day #2.

For Chinese New Year, Feb 3-18, check out what I have done in years past, HERE.

For Valentine's Day (one of my VERY favorites!), Feb 14th, check out some fun ideas, HERE.
(I posted these last year when I started this blog but I didnt email the link to friends for the first time until February 25th.)

I hope you can get Crafting and Planning NOW, so you can enjoy the holiday with the family (and not be stressed out just trying to make it meaningful and fun for everyone else)!

Super Mommy Secret~Trekaroo

2011-01-11T04:37:00.001-07:00

Trekaroo.com

is a website for Super Mommies, like us, to find and review fun family places to visit! I love the name. It made me want to check it out. Head over and check out whats in your area, too.

Right now they have a welcome rewards program going on to help build up their community.

When you sign up and leave 10 reviews within 2 weeks you get a $10 gift card; 25 reviews, a $25 gift card to Amazon, Starbucks, or REI.

Bruneau Sand Dunes 2010

It was fun to look back at the places that we have gone in this area. I know this photo is gross but it made me laugh when I came across it while looking for a picture to post from the Bruneau Sand Dunes. He took a tumble down the hill. I found sand in his ears (and nose) for months!

It wasn't hard for me to come up with 25 places we have visited in our area. I just left 25 reviews, you should too! Even if you don't want to review, bookmark the page and check out some new places to visit this year!

(thanks for the tip, freebies2deals.com)

The Quote

2011-01-10T04:20:00.009-07:00

For the Super Mommies who are interested, here is the quote from

"Words That Build Up", in my previous post.

(I know, it isn't the one I digiscrapped because I can't post that one.

I used a free kit in the Seasonal Sampler, from shabbyprincess.com and I am not sure that I am allowed to share. But head over and grab one for yourself, if you would like. It is free. All of her kits are AMAZING, free or not!!)

Words that Build Up!

2011-01-08T22:08:00.012-07:00

If there is anyone who is having a problem remembering to

use nice words in your family, this might be a fun idea for you!

One of our Family New Years Resolutions is to use

more "Words that Build Up!"

A Story
Here is a story from the Friend Magazine, called Words That Build Up, that we read as a family on Monday night. It helped the kiddos understand that words are powerful, and we have to be mindful of what we say to each other.

A Quiz
The next page on that link, or right here, is a fun quiz called Choose the RIGHT words. The real life scenarios can be tweaked a little to match your family. This was really funny for my kids. They enjoyed answering and also listening to each other answer (it was entertaining for me too!).

An Activity
After the quiz came the best part of the night. We did this SuPeR object lesson from my sister in law, Jodi. You will need to give each kid a tube of toothpaste (medium to large sized) and a clear cup.

I told them we were going to play a game and on the count of 3 they had to squeeze all of their toothpaste into their cup.

When they were all done squeezing, I then told them that whomever could get their toothpaste back into the tube was the winner! Of course that can't happen (but my 10 year old wanted to try).

The object is that we need to use nice words, because once we say mean words, we cant get them back. No matter what we do, they cant get back into our mouths and be unsaid. We were sure to talk about making mistakes and saying sorry when we say mean things, as well.

A Quote
"I am asking that we look a little deeper for the good, that we still our voices of insult and sarcasm, that we more generously compliment virtue and effort." Gordon B Hinckley

This quote is taken from the inset in the story. I loved it so much I digiscrapped it into a 5x7 page and put it in the frame for the family to see all year!

Sometimes, when we try to teach our kids something, they really, really get it. This was one of those lessons in our home! They were talking to me about it all week. I even overheard them telling friends about it after school several days later. I hope it works for some of you, too!

Happy 2011, Super Mommies!

2011-01-04T01:23:00.000-07:00

It has been such a crazy fall that I just gave up posting for a while but I wanted to share some of our favorite New Years Traditions for any Super Mommies out there looking for some fun things to do with the kiddos in January! Dont fret that New Years Day is passed, these can be fun all month!

10 Super New Years Activities and Traditions!

1. New Year Pancakes! I found this idea in family fun a few years ago and we love it! We didnt get ours made on Saturday because we were traveling. Since my hubby wont be around to protest, I think we will have them for dinner tomorrow! (Last year we didnt have pancakes but we still made our 2010...)

2. Make Resolutions as a family and as individuals. I decorated a can a few years ago , similar to the boredom busters can, and we put our slips in there until next year when we can pull them out and see how we did. I also put a list out on display so we remember what we are working on!

3. Make a Fortune Tree with your Christmas tree. This is a fun idea I found online, and by far, one of our favorites!

I take a trip to the dollar store and find some funny things to fit into a small bag that will hang on the tree. I make up a little New Year fortune to go with the items in the bag. Let everyone choose a bag and then read their fortunes. I got things like bubble gum, umbrellas, hawaiian punch mix, etc. Then I wrote up a fortune like: "In the coming year you will be bubbling over with great ideas and wisdom, you will find that there might be some storms you will have to wade through but over all you will be able to punch through and come out shining!" I make each one different depending on what I can find at the store. Most of us have probably taken down our trees by now but its not too late to do some 2011 mysterious fortune bags!

4. Have everyone make a scrapbook page with their top memories from last year. This is a fun time to reflect back on all of the things that happened over the year. We go month by month and help our kids remember all the things that we did. Then we let them use photos ( I am terrible at having these printed out) or drawings, ticket stubs, art, mementos, etc to make an individual page. They are saved in a New Years binder book so you can reflect on them every year. Ours are usually just simple drawings but they are still so fun to look back at! And you will probably be surprised at the things your kids remember as the "Big Ones" of the year.

5. Cookie and Confetti your neighbors. When I was a teenager, we would shred newspaper by hand and throw handfuls of it into our neighbors homes as soon as they opened the door. Now I am a little bit nicer. We keep the confetti outside and bring some treats with it!

6. Fondue and Finger Food! This is a tradition from my sister in law, Jen. We love it too! Watch garage sales for the plug in fondue pots. This is a yummy, cheap, and easy tradition!

7. Midnight Snacks. I found this tag idea over at tipjunkie.com last year and I thought it was so cute! I just put some cookies an licorice into the bag and the kids got to eat them while we watched the ball drop in New York (10pm our time!) We used these with our kids but it would be fun at a grown up party too. Dont forget the Bubbly Cider to toast with too!

8. Also inspired by Family Fun, ask your kiddos some funny questions on video and ask them the same ones every year...here is our list but you can change them as they fit to your family.

~ I am lucky because....

~ If I had three wishes, they would be....
~ I'm a little afraid of....
~ I hope next year I get to…
~ I love it when Dad…
~ I love it when Mom…
~ It is so fun when we get to go…
~ I am a big helper when I…
~ I am really good at…
~ I hope…comes to visit us because…
~What is your favorite game, color, food, etc...

9. Have a "Special Meal" associated with New Years. Ours isn't at home, it is going out to a buffet. We joke that it our last chance to stuff ourselves with all we want before our big "diet" begins. Be sure to incorporate black eyed peas in whatever meal plans you make, as each one eaten is said to represent fortune for the coming year!

10. Go Somewhere NEW! Last year we went to the NEW In and Out burger, in Draper, UT, with Grandma and Grandpa. It was new to the area and new to us!

I hope these ideas inspire you to make some memories this month!!

I love thinking that someday my kids will say: "Oh I love (fill in the holiday) we always had so much fun! We always (fill in the tradition)!"

Dont forget about the 15 day celebration of Chinese New Year Starting on February 3 in 2011...start shopping for your red underwear now!!

Super Mommy Secret~Chinese Moon Festival

2010-09-21T04:39:00.001-06:00

Dont Miss the Harvst Moon, Wednesday September 22 this year!

This is a fun tradition that we started several years ago in our family.

It is very quick and easy to celebrate too, which always a bonus for us busy Super Moms!

1. I start by making some super easy "mooncakes. " (If you want to add some extra Chinese Tradition, serve a "Red" dinner for good luck...apples, strawberries, lobster, red potatoes...)

There are a million recipes for REAL moon cakes online but I just use 2 regular cookies (super mommy secret: use store bought cookies, or frozen cookie dough!) and then sandwich them together filling the middle with icecream. This mooncake is made with 2 Keebler grasshopper cookies and some Oreo icecream.

2. Then I make a paper cup "lantern" and put a regular birthday type candle inside for each person. To make it stand up just drop a dot of the wax onto the bottom of the cup and hold the candle there for a few moments. Then I make a "lake" by filling a 9x13 pan with water and setting the lanterns afloat! When the time is right each person can blow out a candle and make a wish to the moon.

3. Then, we lay a blanket outside under the full or rising Harvest Moon. We sit there while we read the childrens book, Goodnight Moon, blow out our candles, and enjoy our moon cakes!

(Here is our photo from 2 years ago)

The Festival in China is similar to our Thanksgiving time; a time to celebrate family and the abundance of the harvest. When my parents-in-law were living in China, they were given so many moon pies in beautiful boxes that they couldnt even eat them all!

Happy Chinese Moon Festival to YOU!

Celebrating~The Return to School

2010-08-20T04:14:00.002-06:00

My sister in law, Jen, did this for her son's Spelling Bee....

but I was thinking it would be a great idea for our Meet and Greet school night next week!

It could also work for the Night before the first day of school, the First Day of school, an Aced Spelling Test, or whatever fun School Themed Celebration that comes up!

Alphabet Soup

Alphabet Breadsticks

Alphabet Jello

Alphabet Cookies

And Dont forget to make a Place Mat Note so the table looks festive too!

I bet some of you Super Mommies out there are like me and you are thinking

"Where did she get those cookie cutters?!"

I found several sets at Amazon.com , my favorite was the "Wilton 50 piece ABC and 123 Cookie Cutter Set." They werent teeny-tiny and they got good reviews.
I found the set in the Wilton cake area at our local Jo-Ann Fabrics for 9.99 and used a 40% coupon, then I didnt have to pay shipping either.
They are nice and big and they will work perfectly for all of these fun foods.

Celebrating~Swimming Lessons and Summer!

2010-08-18T23:57:00.001-06:00

My sister in law, Jen, made this cute treat to celebrate the End of Swimming Lessons!

(I thought it would be cute to make to celebrate the End of Summer too.)

She made a 9x13 of Blue Jello, then put cool whip on the sides, the diving board is a laffy taffy, the beach ball is a gum ball, the ladder wrungs are gummy lifesavers, the floaty-ring is a gummy worm, and the divider is a candy bracelet. Isnt she clever! I am glad my kids were at her house that night to celebrate with them!

Pioneer Day Wrap Up!

2010-08-17T23:52:00.009-06:00

Finally....I am back!

I know I promised more Pioneer Day stuff so Here are some of the things that we did to Celebrate this Pioneer Day! I just didnt get a chance to post them earlier but I thought I would post the ideas for future Pioneer reference, Cowboy Days, Rodeo Ideas or just Fun.

We are definitely scaling back our party-ing due to the need to sell our house...and keep it clean!

Ahhh....Super Mommy activities sure are messy!

1. Pioneer Flapjacks. My son made these Flap Jacks at school when they were learning about Cowboys last year, so I tucked the little recipe away with our Pioneer Day supplies. They are so easy and yummy! And the kids can feel like Pioneers or Cowboys as they make their "starter" the night before. I typed the recipe up for you super mommies below. These would be fun on Cowboy or Rodeo days too!

Pioneer Flapjacks

In a large non metallic bowl, mix 2 C warm water with 1 T yeast. Let sit for a few minutes until dissolved. Add 2 C flour and stir. Cover. Let sit overnight in a warm place. (The kitchen counter will be fine.) The starter will raise and fall. In the morning you can make your Sour Dough Pancakes or as we call them Pioneer Flap Jacks.

Pioneer Flapjacks (Sour Dough Pancakes)

1 C Sour Dough Starter

2 T Cooking Oil

1 Egg

2 T Sugar

¾ C Flour

1 t Baking Soda

¼ t Salt

Add the oil to the starter. Mix. Beat the egg and mix it into the starter. Add the sugar and flour. Stir. Mix the soda and salt together in a small amount of milk. Quickly stir into the starter. Let it sit for a few minutes, then cook and enjoy.

(They were a big hit at our house! And we ate them outside like real Pioneers.)

2. Gunny Sack and Three Legged races. These games are so old fashioned but I really dont think my kids have ever even heard of them. My little guy is in one of our old pillowcases since I didnt find time to get some real bags from an animal feed store but I will get some one of these days...they are just so old fashioned looking that I can't resist adding them to the Pioneer Day box!

3. Pioneer Stories. This site has 3 interesteing stories about Pioneer Children if you are looking for some to read. And then you can make some Covered Wagons like these to eat . I used lifesavers, skewer sticks, large marshmallows, and graham crackers. Just slip your skewer sticks into the lifesavers, add a 1/4 of a graham cracker, and set the marshamallows on. So Easy! And we had this little toy ox that we added too!

4. Whittling...we let the kids do some whittling this year. (the older guy got real pocket knife but little guys can use plastic butter knives and a bar of soap.) I thought it would be fun to do by the fire (if you have a backyard fire pit). We have a little chiminea in the back and the kiddos have been begging to have a fire in it. I would recommend doing the whittling before it gets dark though!

5. Make Floats in Mason Jars!

Red, White, and Blueberry Float...I let the kiddos make a fun and patriotic treat I saw on our house hunting trip to California last week (it is a variation from the one I saw at Dennys). It isnt really Pioneer-ish but I figured we could put it in a Mason Jar and that will make it look old fashioned! Pioneers and Patriotic go together perfectly!

Rootbeer Floats. Here is a fun recipe for easy homemade rootbeer (using seltzer water) and they were served in a jar! If you are really feeling like a Super Mommy, you could even make your own icecream! We know the Pioneers had to do that! My sister in law, Jen, has balls similar to these that they like to make homemade icecream with. Or we have made it in a bag with this fun and easy recipe...just be careful not to get salt water into your icecream when you open it! That totally ruins it!

I hope everyone had a great Pioneer Day!!

5 of our Favorite Pioneer Day Traditions

2010-07-14T00:28:00.000-06:00

1. Cook in a Dutch Oven: Believe it or not the Pioneers did bring their Dutch Ovens across the plains! You could do a main dish, side dish and/or a dessert in the Dutch Oven! We grilled chicken on the BBQ and made peach cobbler in our Dutch Oven. Here is my SUPER EASY recipe from my camp cooking class in college (I know).

Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler:

INGREDIENTS:

1 quart peaches (I use my home canned ones)

1 yellow cake mix

1 can Sprite

Pour in all ingredients in the order listed and do not stir. Then cook with 10-14 coals on both top and bottom until golden brown on top. Top with icecream or whipped cream.

*note: if you want the cobbler to be firmly set up (like a cake), you may want to drain 1/2 of the liquid from your quart of peaches. We like ours more juicy (like a warm pie) so we dont drain any juice.

2. Have a Taffy Pull: Last year, we did our Pioneer Day Taffy Pull out on the back patio using the gas burner on our BBQ grill. The weather was perfect and it saved my house from the mess! I found this recipe online and it is the recipe we used.

Salt Water Taffy

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup light corn syrup

2/3 cup water

3/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vegetable glycerine (sold at most party or natural food stores)

2 tbsp. butter

4 drops each of red and blue food coloring

2 tsp. lemon juice

In a large saucepan, stir together the sugar, corn syrup, water, salt and glycerine with a wooden spoon. Cook over medium heat, stirring now and then until a candy thermometer reads 255 degrees. Stir in the butter. Divide the mixture into three equal portions. Mix red food coloring into one batch, blue into another and leave one plain. Pour each batch onto a greased flat pan and fold over the edges with a spatula to keep them from hardening.

When the candy is cool enough to handle, brush with lemon juice. Then, with well-buttered hands, each child can stretch one of the batches into a long rope until elastic (about five minutes). Finally, twist together the ropes, cut into pieces and wrap individually in waxed paper.

3. Have a Corn on the Cob Eating Contest: Anyone who dared, could enter this contest, at last years Pioneer Day Party! The rules were the contestant had to eat all of the corn from the cob, swallow and show an empty mouth, then run to the back fence and toss the cob over and run back to the finish line. It was pretty fun...and funny to watch!

4. Dress up! And Decorate a Wagon: We dug out our old bonnets, hats, and anything else we could use as Pioneer clothing. Then we made our stroller into a covered wagon. Just cover the open canopy using a white sheet and safety pins. Then attach brown strip of cardboard to the bottom with some brown or clear packing tape...it looked pretty good! (I wish I had a better photo but this is the best I had! The oldest cousins got elected to be the oxen...)

5. Play Pioneer Night Games: Last year the kids (I had my 3 and 5 cousins sleeping over) were outside until dark and they all started playing hide and seek, sardines, and capture the flag. I am not sure Pioneers played those exact games, but I remember thinking that I could certainly imagine the Pioneer kids playing in the warm dusky evenings before bed. I realized that my kids do not get a chance to play those simple games very often. I practically had to drag them all inside and it was after 11pm!

Those are some of the things that we did last year...5 more fun ideas that we are trying this year will be posted next week....

Super Mommy Secret~Surviving!

2010-07-13T04:29:00.017-06:00

This isnt really a secret to my friends and neighbors, but we are moving from the Boise area to Southern California soon!

So right now I am a surviving mommy and not really a Super Mommy. I will soon have to keep this house ready to show at any time. I am anti-mess and I dont want to have any decorations or clutter out either...all of this goes against what I usually post on this blog so I probably wont be posting as often...but my unused ideas are cluttering my brain so beware once we are settled in!

I have had a lot of people writing me emails asking questions about my favorite Super Mommy supplies, what are things that I keep on hand, how I got to the point I am at in being a "Super Mommy" [let me reinforce that, to me, that just means that I like to do fun things with my kids, not that I am professing to be a perfect mom in any way : ) ]
...I promise I will answer all of the notes and questions one of these days! I have a file of questions that I will answer as soon as we get settled into a new home.

Thanks for being Super Mommies or Surviving Mommies with me, whatever you happen to be at this time in your mommy-ing life. Feel free to leave me comments with your blog links and/or your Super Mommy Secrets for me to check out since I wont be busy blogging much myself!

By the way, I dont think I have ever told anyone why the blog is called Secrets of a Super Mommy. If you ever wondered where it came from [I would never want anyone to think that it came from me thinking that I am any more "Super" than any other mom, because I certainly know that I am not : ) ] ...it is from the childrens book "Grover's Mommy" (You can see it here) We have a copy that I got from a garage sale when my oldest son was around age 1. If you ever happen upon it, read it to your kids. Then they will know you are a Super Mommy too.

~Angela

10 Fun Ideas for Your Pioneer Day Celebrating

2010-07-09T00:49:00.000-06:00

COMING SOON! (I am on vacation until Monday...)

Super Mommy Secret~Camping Crafts!

2010-07-05T22:05:00.002-06:00

My sister-in-Law Jen always remembers to bring fun crafts when we go camping! This is the idea she brought this year. Pet Rocks! She just brought tacky glue and Sharpies and the kids got to decorate their very own pet rock.

More Fun with Stars and Stripes!

2010-07-01T04:00:00.007-06:00

Stars and Stripes Paper Crafts

These are some paper crafts my kiddos and I made last year. I think we got our ideas from MarthaStewart.com...they are simple enough for kids to really help. We had lots of fun making them and they made our patio so festive!

The Paper Lantern: this is just like the Halloween ones that we all made in elementary school!

The Stars: Just cut three stars out of three different papers, stack and staple in the middle, then fold the top and bottom ones so they show the one beneath.

The Firework: Just cut a 8x2 paper stip into fringe. Then roll and tape onto a skewer stick. These were fun to set al around in different colors and heights on the food table! (place in the decorative cans or poke into salads, watermelon, etc)

Here is a super fun party favor. We made one for each family to say thanks for coming! We used red paper and blue duct tape. The toothpick top we got from Michaels.

Super Mommy Secret~Strawberries!

2010-06-29T04:05:00.019-06:00

This post is from Jen! These are her Super Mommy Secrets! Thanks for sharing these ideas, Jen. They are the perfect activity for a summer day! I love them..and I cant wait to make the candle holders to line our front walkway! ~Ang

Last Monday was the first day of summer, June 21st.

Summer means strawberries. At our house we love strawberries. Our favorite way to eat them is with this super easy dip. My kids know how to make it and can do it all by themselves.

Fruit Dip

One jar of marshmallow creme

One container strawberry cream cheese

Mix both ingredients well in a bowl and serve with strawberries, or almost any kind of fruit. Store leftovers (if there are any) in fridge. Yummy!!!!

Then, you can make these cute crafts with your kids...

(Reuse and Recycle!)

Candle Holder

(I saw an idea similar to this at a store.)

Here is how to make it:

Wash out the marshmallow creme jar and wash off the label.

Then with some heavy gauge wire (I used 18 gauge) twist it around the mouth of the jar and then make a handle.

Here is the part my girls did, they strung on some beads on some jewelry wire and then we twisted it around the handle.

I filled the jar with white sand and a battery operated tea light. You could put rocks or any kind of filler in the jar. Then set or hang outside for those fun summer evenings outside.

Berry Fun

Here is how to make it:

I took the empty plastic container that the strawberries came in and washed it out.

Then I filled it with gummy raspberries. I made a label to go on the top and tied it with tulle.

I made a label that I am going to write on something like "Have a "berry" fun summer" and give it to a friend.

If I would have done this sooner my kids could have given it to their teachers on the last day of school.

~Jen

4th of July Explosion!

2010-06-24T04:00:00.003-06:00

Today I thought it would be fun to post some things that we do to Celebrate the 4th of July!

Last year we had a couple of July parties.

I covered these cans with themed paper and ribbon to hold silverware and treats (and just look cute).

I swirled this star wire around the glasses and used themed paper to write our names on them.

My friend made this cute cake. I put the licorice in the cans to resemble fireworks....

Each family carved a watermelon. This idea is from Family Fun and it was so fun!

Below are some of my favorite 4th of July Decorations!

This little music box plays the Star Spangled Banner!

It is a great time to teach it and sing it with the kiddos and talk about what it means!

This is my chipboard banner that I made. It says SPARKLE!

(for instructions see my Welcome Summer Banner!)

My mother-in-law made me this Star Stack.

Just cut three wooden stars, paint and stain, then tie with a ribbon!

Super Mommy Secret~Does the DATE really matter??

2010-06-22T04:00:00.001-06:00

Super Mommy Secret: One thing I have decided is that the exact DATE of a celebration does not really matter to me.

I mean WHEN you celebrate something or someone doesnt have to be the date that everyone else does it.
Sometimes too many things fall on the same day! I think it is funny to hear people say they missed celebrating something special but they will have to remember next year. I say move the celebration date to one that fits with your family calendar!
Sometimes you do just have to miss celebrating things...it is hard for me to admit! But dont be afraid to fit things in when they are convenient for your family rather than when the calendar says you have to do something...even if it is "late." (So far nobody in our family has complained, but the kiddos are too little to know any better!)

This year we have to move our Father's Day...Last week we were out of town for a family reunion so we had a long drive home on Father's Day. My husband and I both got to see our dads on "Father's Day", which was nice. However, we didnt get to celebrate him. So I decided I would help my kids celebrate their Daddy this coming Sunday instead. I didnt want to miss celebrating him until next year just because of our other family commitments!

So this Sunday we will:

Set out our Father's Day Decorations:
The Daddy tile (above)
A photo of him with each one of our kids as newborns
The Daddy Banner
Handmade gifts and cards from this year (and years past)

Give Him his gifts!
An envelope with a "gift of time" together with each child
1. Go Cart Racing gift card (the other kids arent big enough yet so this is just for them)
2. Icecream giftcard and Movie tickets (a Daddy/ Daughter Date)
3. Motorcycle Decals (This little guy is obsessed with "dotorcycles" so he has to give daddy a motorcycle gift! They can put the decals on and then go for a ride!)

Make some of his Favorite Foods:
Pizzeria Uno Pizza (made at home deep dish pizza) recipe
Apple Pie with icecream

And, most of all, Celebrate that we have a

"Super Daddy"

at our house! Because without him there would be no

Super Mommy!

Unfinished Projects~Cut off Jeans Shorts (and what to do with the leftover Legs!)

2010-06-17T16:05:00.001-06:00

Cut Off Jean Shorts and a Fun Way to Use Up the leftover Legs!

My friend, Celeste, and I got together to make our little girlies some cute summer cut-offs with the hole-y jeans. We just made them the way I did the denim aprons, with a cute piece of ruffled fabric folded over and then sewn to the hemmed edge.

Here is a little tip though...use clear thread so you dont have to switch it out for each pair!

I think they turned out oh-so cute! And I am so happy to check the first unfinished project off my list! But before I cleaned up the jeans scraps the throw away, I noticed how cute the legs under the holes were and I thought I would attemp to make a little skirt with those, instead of throwing them away.

These shorts have a black and white polka dot ribbon wrapped in a strip of tulle and then sewn onto inside of the hem. I always tuck little folds in as I sew instead of gathering it in a gathering stitch.

These shorts just have ribbon folded over and sewn to the bottoms. I happened to have some ribbon that matched the flowers that were already on them!

These shorts are my favorite! Celeste and I both made some like this for our girls.

The Jean Leg Skirt!

This is the Jean Leg Skirt! I cut the legs of the jeans off below the holes and then I cut the seams of the jeans about 1/2 inch outside of the topstitched side. That way the cute topstitching on the jeans still showed on the skirt after it was sewn together. I also tried to alternate the washes light and dark. The pink knit ribbing was purchased by the inch at Jo-Ann fabric. This skirt is perfect for her to pull on with a swimsuit and wear to the pool!

Super Mommy Secret~Summer Goals

2010-06-15T04:00:00.009-06:00

I am on Vacation this week so I am enjoying a break from the stay at home Super Mommy-ing and I am enjoying my in-laws who are Super Grandma and Grandpa-ing my kids and their cousins while we all hang out together.

The Super Mommy Secret that we are working on this week is our

Summer Rules and Goal Setting!

For the kids we are planning some similar goals to last year:

1. Doing Chores to earn money. One Fake Gold token is equal to a quarter.
2. Make Bank Deposits...and Daddy says he will match everything they put in their accounts (I think we got this idea from my friend Amber, thanks Amber! My kids think it is super cool!).
3. Reading (or being read to) for 20 minutes a day to earn our library's fun prizes.
4. Writing in a journal to practice those handwriting skills...my son's teacher recommended this last year.
5. Earning TV and Electronics time! (They do school workbook pages or extra reading).
6. One sweet treat per day! (I am terrible at this one! But when we say it out loud, and make it our goal, we help remind each other.)

By making these rules and goals, it helps me keep everyone on track with what is Really important.

And once we get our goals done for the day, we can get on with the other important stuff which, of course, is playing all summer!!!

My Goal this summer is to finish my over 30 unfinished projects that are cluttering up closets, garage space, and plastic totes! I will be posting on them throughout the summer!

Its not too late to set your family goals too!

Happy Summer!

Make your Summer Plans with a Welcome Summer Banner 2!

2010-06-10T04:00:00.002-06:00

I hope everyone out there in enjoying their summer break! I sure am . In case you missed this banner last week in my Super Mom blog hop with Kelli at Random Thoughts of a Super Mom.....you can check it out below!

I like for Summer at our house to be SUPER FUN, of course!

But I wanted to be sure that we were doing the important things as well (reading, making bank deposits in their savings accounts{and that means earning money by doing chores}, and working on goals (CubScouts, Piano, etc)! I made this banner last year to help be sure we were getting the things done that we needed to get done and mixing the right amount of FUN in with it!

First, I printed out little tags with all of the things we were planning to do this summer.

Here is my list:

Surprise!

Something Special! (this is great for those one time things)

Extra Fun (this was for when I added something on to one of our weekly activites)

School (they went to vacation bible school and a summer play school hosted by a local preschool)

Playdate (when a friend has us/them over)

Picnic at the Park

Storytime (lots of book stores host these)

Library

Meet Daddy (sometimes we meet for lunch)

Going to a Movie (we love Regals free movie program)

Going out to Dinner

Leaving on a Trip!

Playgroup (there are several that we occasionally attend)

Party

Roaring Springs (our local water park)

Bank (they get to make deposits and my husband matches it, this means they have to do their chores)

Having Friends Over

Working on Goals

Volleyballin’ (sometimes I meet up with friends to play)

Water Day (there are lots of fun pools, splash parks, and beaches on the lakes or rivers)

And here is how they look once I cut them, punched a hole in the top, and put a piece of jute rope through the hole (this makes it easy to pull them out of the envelope).

Next, make a pocket for them.

Fold a piece of cardstock and staple the sides. Make a label for the front and distress it with an ink pad, then punch a hole and tie on an 18 inch piece of jute rope or ribbon (tie it onto the wide ribbon when you get to that point).

Then, to make your envelopes:

My SIL, Jen, and I shared a box of these from Office Max. I think there was 500 in the box. I printed the days of the week, distressed the edges with an ink pad, and glued them on. Then I punched a hole in the top and hung it from an 18 inch piece of jute rope or ribbon.

At this point you could be done by just hanging the days of the week onto a thicker ribbon!

Or you can make the whole Welcome Summer Banner to make it SUPER cute.

Heres How:

First, get some chipboard shapes (they come in a "book" of 5) and some chipboard letters (or use vinyl).

I got mine at Michaels, but I heard you can sometimes find them at Archivers in the $1 section.

Mod Podge decorative paper onto them, turn them over and cut the excess paper off with an exacto knife.

Then sand them to get the edges nice and smooth. Distress them with an ink pad if desired. Glue the chipboard letters on to make your words.

Punch holes in the tops and hang onto a wide ribbon.

Leave enough room on the ends of your wide ribbon to hang. String one or two ribbons through your chipboard and tie it to the larger ribbon.

My kids LOVE to take the tags out and see what is in store for the day and the week!
Your kiddos will enjoy a Summer of Fun with an easy to follow plan!

Super Mommy Secret~Last Day of School Shirt

2010-06-08T04:00:00.002-06:00

Today is our Last Day of School, Finally!

I feel like we are the last school in the country to get out this year!

Jen made these cute shirts, with iron on transfers, for her kids

(and she was nice enough to share the idea and make me a transfer too!, Thanks Jen!).

Super Mommy Secret: The Sharpies on a lanyard are such a great idea! This would be useful at Summer Camps and VBS as well. It is a great idea for Anytime you want the kids to be able to sign each other's shirts!
**I think they might bleed through though, so be prepared for spotted backs and bellies!!

Thanks, Jen!

Upcycled Sand Toys!

2010-06-06T06:00:00.012-06:00

Welcome to the last day of our 6 Days of Summer Fun with the SUPERMOMS!

I hope you have learned something this week and maybe found a project or two to do with your kiddos this summer.

My final project is:

Upcycled Sand Toys

Upcycling is taking something that would otherwise be considered trash and turning it into something useful.
There are four main reasons that I love this project:

1. It's basically free

2. It's good for the environment

3. If the kiddos lose or break it, no big deal!

4. Easy clean up and storage

Plus the kiddos will have a TON of fun with it:) ****

So here is how to make your very own upcycled sand toys!

****

*First*, collect containers that you think would make great sand toys. I collected yogurt cups {my boys eat the kiddie yogurt so our sand toys have characters on them at not extra cost}, plastic juice bottles, and various small bowls. Clean out all the containers well. You could even try spray painting or decorating the containers if you wanted to. Ours were cute enough on their own, so we didn't paint them.

****

*Next*, you will need a net produce bag. Mine is from a small bag of lemons, but you could use the bigger ones that oranges come in. Use a piece of duct tape and cover the label of the produce bag. Use that space to write your child's name or to decorate the bag a little with a permanent marker.

****

*Last*, put all your new upcycled sand toys in the bag. Weave a piece of ribbon through a few of the holes in the produce bag and then tie up your bag with the ribbon. You can also tie the ribbon at the top so that it makes a handle.

Once your bag is finished, head to the beach, the sandbox, or the playground!

When it is time to leave, clean up is SUPER easy. At the beach, place all your toys back in the bag and dip it a few times into the water. If you are playing at the sandbox, a good spray with the water hose will get rid of most of the sand.
Thanks for joining for 6 Days of Summer Fun! I hope everyone has an awesome summer!

Random Thoughts of a SUPERMOM!

Backyard Campfire~With no burns, I promise!

2010-06-05T05:00:00.006-06:00

Welcome to Day 5 of our 6 Days of Summer Fun with the SUPER moms!

Head over to Random Thoughts of a Super Mom to see my post about how to have.... The Perfect Fireless Campfire!

Rainbow Pudding Pops!

2010-06-04T04:00:00.001-06:00

It is day four of our 6 Days of Summer Fun and I thought it was time for a yummy snack:)

Today, I am sharing how to make

RAINBOW PUDDING POPS!

Just as yummy as regular pudding pops, but so much more fun:)

Gather your ingredients, supplies, and helpers.

You will need a box {or two} of instant vanilla pudding, milk, food coloring, a couple of mixing bowls, a whisk, plastic or paper cups, and popsicle sticks.
Have one of your helpers pour the pudding mix into your biggest mixing bowl.

Have another helper pour in the milk. Make sure to follow the directions on your package of pudding.

Once the pudding is mixed according to the directions, evenly separate it into 5 or 6 smaller bowls.

Add in red, orange, yellow, green, blue {and you can do purple...my boys didn't want it} food coloring to your divided up pudding. Then get a little help stirring until the pudding is the color that you want.

Spoon the different colors of pudding into your cups. Try to do smooth and even layers so that you will see a good rainbow on the sides of the pudding pop. Have one of your helpers put a popsicle stick into each of the cups of pudding. The pudding should be thick enough to hold up the stick...if not, cover the cup with plastic wrap and then put the stick through the plastic wrap and into the pudding.

Place the pudding pops in the freezer for a few hours. The time will depend on the size of your cups.

After they are completely set, take the pudding pops out of the freezer. Use your hands to warm up the sides of the cup so that the pudding pop will come out of the cup easily.
Then enjoy {and try not to make too big of a mess with} your SUPER cute and SUPER yummy treat!

RANDOM THOUGHTS OF A SUPERMOM!

Make Your Summer Plans with this Welcome Summer Banner

2010-06-03T04:47:00.002-06:00

Its Day 3 of our 6 Days of Summer fun with the super Moms.

Check out my post and how-to over at Random thoughts of a Supermom!

No Sew Felt Library Bags

2010-06-02T04:28:00.003-06:00

Welcome to Day 2 of our 6 days of Summer Fun with the Super Moms!

This post is from Kelli at Random Thoughts of a Super Mom!

This summer, we are planning to head to our local library for their Summer Reading Program. I think it is SUPER important to make sure your kiddos keep learning, even when they are out of school for the summer. I decided to make each of my boys a library bag to use this summer. Hopefully these bags will make our trips to the library easier, and teach my boys a little bit about responsibility!

These No Sew Felt Library Bags are SUPER simple to make...no sewing machine required! All you need is felt, ribbon, a hot glue gun, and pinking shears or scissors.

*********************

1. Decide how big you want your bags to be....mine are 12 inches tall by 14 inches wide. Lay out your felt and measure the width of the bag and two times the length. Use your pinking shears {scissors are okay too...pinking shears just make the edge more decorative} to cut a rectangle...mine was 24 inches by 14 inches.

2. Find the center of the length, and fold the felt in half. Use your hot glue gun and glue the edges of the bag together, starting closest to the fold and working your way up to the top of the bag {where the opening will be}. Do this on both the left and right edges of the bag.

3. Use a hole punch {or you can cut a small hole with your scissors} to mark the places at the top of the bag where you want the handles to be. I punched two holes on the front side of the bag and two holes on the back side of the bag. I measured approximately 1/3 of the width over from each edge so that the handles would be evenly spaced.

4. Use ribbon to make the handles of the bag. You will need two pieces of ribbon cut the same length {one for the front and one for the back}. They can be as long or as short as you would like. To attach the handles, pull the ribbon through the holes from the inside of the bag and then tie a knot on the outside. Then pull the other end of the same piece of ribbon through the other hole and tie a knot in it. Repeat the same process to make a handle on the back side of the bag too. I used a little bit of hot glue to hold the knot in place and make the handles a little stronger.

5. Use your ribbon and lay out the letter that you want to put on your bag. Then use your hot glue gun to attach the ribbon to the front of the bag. Cutting your ribbon with pinking shears keeps it from fraying and makes the letter a little more decorative.

After about 10 minutes and a little bit of hot glue, you end up with a SUPER cute, No Sew Felt Library bag!

Random Thoughts of a Super Mom

Super Mommy Secret~Liven Up That Lemonade Stand!

2010-06-01T14:24:00.005-06:00

Sorry for the Later post this week...Memorial Day has thrown my blogging schedule off!

Welcome to Day 1 of our 6 Days of Summer Fun with the Super Moms!

Dont forget this week I am teaming up with Kelli over at Random Thoughts of a Super Mom
So we will be guest posting on each others blogs every other day!

Head over there to see my 5 Super Mommy Secrets to

Liven up that Lemonade Stand!

6 Days of Summer Fun with the Super Moms!

2010-05-30T23:02:00.001-06:00

This week I am teaming up with Kelli over at Random Thoughts of a Super Mom

and we are putting together

6 Days of Summer Fun with the Super Moms!

Check in all week to get some SUPER Summer Fun Ideas!

Celebrating~Our Little All-Stars

2010-05-27T04:33:00.005-06:00

These
4 Little All-Stars
happen to celebrate close birthdays in the spring so their Super Mommies planned a party for them so we could all Celebrate together.

I made them matching T-shirts with iron on transfers that you print from your computer.

The font is All-Star, just dont forget to reverse the images and words before printing!

The back says "2 is trouble"

We had Game Stations and a Soccer Ball pinata.

There was Lightning Basketball in our mini hoop, Kicking Soccer Shots through the cones,

and Lil' Slugger Tatoos (the older kids ran the stations!)

And we had lots of food!

We Grilled burgers and Hot Dogs...and we served them in these cute holders that I got at a garage sale!

We put the drinks on ice in this fun inflatable Goal Post. It came with a ball so the kids could play with it too! I covered cans with "football play" paper and set a pom pom by them...to hold the silverware.

There was a Concessions Stand with popcorn, candy, chips (mini bags),

licorice ropes, and baseball cupcakes.

Here is the JV table where the All-Star guests of honor enjoyed their cakes.

I put them on these ball mirrors from the dollar store.

We served the icecream in these ball eggs that I got after Easter, they are actually round...not egg shaped.

I printed some "Ball" words and put them in these black IKEA frames for decoration.

I think they had a great time!

I was inspired by these amazing party bloggers!

pisforparty.blogspot.com

celebrationsathome.blogspot.com

littleantdesign.blogspot.com

Celebrating~Our Little Pianists

2010-05-26T04:30:00.002-06:00

We have a Piano Recital this week so I have been dreaming up some fun with my SIL, Jen, who always inspires me with her creativity!! Check out her great ideas and they would work for any special singing or musical instrument performance.

Here is her piano dinner. I think it sets a dignified and elegant tone for the evening!

This is her Piano Recital Treat...So cute and simple!

And this is her Piano Recital Place Setting.

The little music notes have the place setting names for each child! The scrapbook paper beneath the square plates is so creative but Jen adds that she was thinking about copying their actual recital music for each childs individual place mat...that is a great idea, Jen!

I also found these adorable Tun-a Piano Sandwichs to serve as a main dish! (I will add my photos when I make it, I may use chicken salad instead since my kids arent huge tuna fans!)

And this Retro Piano Cake which would be a festive treat for the evening (although I would really have to simplify it!)

Celebrating~My Big Reader!

2010-05-25T04:48:00.002-06:00

I promised our son that once he was done with ERAGON we would have a family movie party and watch the DVD. So when the super, crazy, active, 9 year old finished reading a book that big,

we had to Celebrate with him!

It took him several months, but we finally got to have a Friday Night Pizza and Movie Party for him.

We were so proud of him for getting through that HUGE novel

(He never did finish Harry Potter...probably because I let him watch the movie BEFORE he was done reading)!

He really liked Eragon, though.

He immediately started the sequel, Eldest...too bad there is no movie for that one!

{Here is a Super Mommy Secret for anyone in the Boise area: Pizza Perfection has their pizzas BOGO Free on carry-outs anytime! Their larges are big (12 pieces!)and their pizza is delicious! You end up getting 2 pizzas, piled with toppings, for around $20.}

That is where we got the pizzas for this Movie Party!

Then while the kids were taking baths I made popcorn...

...And set up the "Concession Stand" as they had requested!

They loved buying and selling! Then we settled in and enjoyed the show.

I hope you feel inspired to CELEBRATE your Big Readers too!

{Here is one more Super Mommy Secret: These movies were BOGO for $1 at Hastings...so 2/$6.99}

Celebrating~My Little Ballerina

2010-05-24T04:17:00.004-06:00

My Little Ballerina had her recital on Saturday and these are the flowers we gave her at the end.

I wanted to find a Special way to display them for her so she could remember her performance all week!

A comment from Yanet, over at 3 Sunkissed Boys, about her teacher appreciation, gift could not have come at a better time! Check out her Teacher vase jars that inspired me to make this Ballerina vase jar.

Here is how I did it:

I hot glued a bobby pin onto the outside of a quart sized canning jar, just like Yanet. I also bent it a little to make it curve with the jar, as she suggested.

Then, I cut a 12x24 inch piece of tulle.

(I couldnt get it to show up so I took a picture of it in front of my screen.)

Then I scrunched it together in the middle.

And then slid in into the bobby pin, all the way to the curve.

Then I wrapped a 2-3 inch piece of pink ribbon around it and hot glued it in the back

Then I dotted some glue onto the seam in back and pressed it onto the jar so it would stay down.

Then I trimmed the bottoms of the tulle to make it even.

Once the tutu was done, I slid in this little card that

I made with a photo of her holding her flowers right after the recital.

And it is a perfect way for us to Celebrate that she is our little Ballerina as long as her flowers last.

Thanks for sharing your post, Yanet!! I love this little jar.

Celebrating the Small Stuff!

2010-05-21T04:12:00.004-06:00

Check in next week as we show you how we

Celebrate the {Not So} Small Things in Life!

All week long.

Isnt this board cute? My sister in law made it for me, for my birthday.

Today we celebrated that soccer practices are over!

p.s. She said she found the idea on a blog, it is Somewhat Simple, here is the link! (thanks Michelle!)

Last Day of School~Break out the Books!

2010-05-20T04:28:00.002-06:00

If you are like me, you let your kids buy books on almost every book order but they get lost on the book shelf and you forget to read them at the right occasion! Here is your reminder!

This is our favorite Last Day of School book...

But I pulled out these fun Flower, Bug, and Beach Summer ones too!

This one also looks fun...since I have a third grade boy!

Last Day of School by Louise Borden

Last Day of School~Dinner Party

2010-05-19T04:26:00.011-06:00

I have been thinking about what we can do to make our dinner FUN on the last day(s) of school...

(I mean, as with every night, I would rather just GO OUT...because

I really love eating out but we cant do that all of the time.)

Have a "4" Dinner

Here is what I am thinking, Super Mommies. Since my guy will be going into 4th Grade next year, we will have a Four (4) Dinner on the night of his last day of school! Here is what I mean, all of the food will be in the shape of the number of the new grade they are NOW in. Here are some ideas:

Hot Dogs (with or without buns) cut to the shape of a 4

Grilled Sandwiches shaped like a 4 (cut off the crusts, then cut into strips to shape)

Mashed potatoes written in a 4 (use a pastry bag or ziploc with the corner cut off)

Breadsticks or pretzels witht he dough shaped into a 4

Carrots (or other raw veggies) cut into the shape of a 4

Watermelon with a 4 cut out (use strips or a cookie cutter)

4 shaped cookies for dessert (use strips or a cookie cutter)

I cant forget my little preschool graduate either. On her last day of school, we will be having

a "K" dinner!

Here is where you can download the picks that I made!

Just trim around them with decorative scissors, I used fiskars "clouds."
There is a blank pick on there if you need to make a grade that I didnt make.
And Super Mommies, if you would be so kind, if you download I would love a comment ;) !!

Super Mommy Secret~Boredom Buster Can

2010-05-18T04:28:00.004-06:00

Make Yourselves a Boredom Buster Can

If you are worried about summer boredom, make one of these to help you through it! I saw a few variations of this idea last year so I was inspired to make my own rendition last June.

I thought they were so cute, I made a few more as gifts for my friends Stephanie, Angie, and Jen.

Ours was made out of a glass pickle jar, but for my friends, I used formula cans (we had LOTS of them around here last year!). I covered them with mod podge and a few torn layers of paper. Then I printed the tag with their last names from my printer and embellished with the first letter of the last name (of the family I was giving it to), and ribbon. Then I filled it with little strips of paper that had activities printed on them to help the bored kiddos get busy with something!!

So Easy!

SUPER MOMMY SECRET: And, best of all, HERE is the list of boredom busters that I compiled from fun websites, blogs, and other super mommies out there...with a few of my own ideas sprinkled in (I wish I had written where each idea was from, but I wasnt doing this blog back then, so I didnt know I would want to give credit to someone! Some of the ideas still even have links attached in the document so they will take you to the instructions!! So thank you to the Super Mommies whose ideas I borrowed to cut into strips and put into our cans!) .

**You may want to separate them into categories such as field trip, crafts, cooking, etc. So on days when you know you ARE NOT going on a field trip they can pick from a different section. I am picturing a 3 way cardboard divider in the can (like the ones that separate the different flavors in the tins of Christmas popcorn).

Last Day of School~After School Party Time

2010-05-14T03:29:00.009-06:00

Here are 5 Fun Ideas for After School Party Time.

1. WATER, WATER, WATER! Lets all hope for a beautiful sunny day so the kids can party in the water! Invite the class, the block, whatever! Last year we had a backyard party with slip n slides, water inflatables, kiddie pools, water balloons, sprinklers, etc! We had a movie and some crafty things as well but the kids had so much fun in the water they wouldnt stop for movies or crafts!!

Here are some other fun water ideas I have seen:

~Attack them with water guns or balloons as they get off the bus or walk up to the house!
~Play water games like sponge relays, water balloon catch or volleyball, carry the water balloon on a spoon, fill the cup on partners head with a water gun, etc...it all turns into a water fight anyway!

2. Krispy Kreme and Wahooz (or "Boondocks", the local fun center)! If the weather is not so good, take their new report cards to places like Krispy Kreme and Wahooz for free donuts and free tokens for their good grades! **Please leave a comment if you know of other great places that give freebies for good grades!

3. Sundae Bar! Have a Sundae Potluck! Last year our kids loved the "Last Day of School" build your own Sundae bar! Have everyone bring some toppings to share and the host can provide the icecream. We had a serious spread!

4. Have a P.O.O.L Party: Playing Outside On the Lawn...If its nice but not warm enough for water play, set up Croquet, Bocce Ball, Badminton, Volleyball, Kickball, Baseball, Horse Shoes, (or whatever you have in your garage). If you have a big group you can divide and send groups around to games in a rotation. If it is smaller you can just rotate as one big group!

Have prizes for the winners and winning teams!

5. Create a "Last" day of School Scavenger Hunt: I know my oldest would love this!! Have the kids divide into teams and go around the neighborhood, yard, or block to collect the "LASTS" of things around the neighbors homes and yards. (Be sure the neighbors are warned ahead of time and willing to participate)

Set some rules like: They only get 10 houses and 10 minutes. Tell them the specific houses they should go to so they dont bother your whole neighborhood!

Here is a list I was sitting here thinking of...

Go to a neighbors house and ask "May I have your last...(see below)"

The last Banana (or any fruit you list there)?

The last of your current roll of Toilet Paper?

The last of your bottle of Ketchup?

The last newspaper you read?

The last piece of gum in your purse?

The last of your tube of toothpaste?

The last of the bottle of soap at the bathroom sink?

The last coin in your wallet?

The last can you opened?

The last soda in your fridge?

The kids on the team that is the most successful can each win a prize like a box of candy labeled "The Last box of movie candy".

Our district just cancelled our last day of school and made the last FULL day our official "Last Day of School" which kind of hampers our usual all afternoon party plans...but we will make it work!

I hope you all have a happy last day of school too!

Last Day of School~Breakfast Celebration!

2010-05-13T03:58:00.002-06:00

Last year, I read this idea online so we just had to try it!

Make the Last Day of school a PaRTy

from the moment they wake up!

Hang party decorations! (Chair signs, "Celebrate" banner, crepe paper, balloons)

Play summer music! (The Jamies "Sum-Sum-Summertime")

Make a Last Day breakfast! (summer fruit smoothies and school spirit colored scrambled eggs)

We had "Last Day of School" spirit with green colored scrambled eggs and "Summer" Strawberry and yogurt smoothies.

The kids love their own chair decoration, dancing to the Summer music and then checking out their Gallerias.

Super Mommy Photographers,

Dont forget to take a picture of them to compare with the first day of school shot!

Last Day of School~Hello Summer Basket

2010-05-12T03:11:00.003-06:00

"Hello Summer" Basket

Last year I had this Hello Summer basket of goodies waiting inside the door for the kids.

Inside I stashed fun things to get them ready for, and keep them busy during, the summer.

Here are some of the things I put in for each of them:

A new book or set of books.
I bought some used ones at Hastings.

A journal. I got these in the $1 section at Michaels. We didnt fill them so we will use them again this summer.
Be sure to interview them on the first page:
Who's your best friend? Whats your favorite subject? Height, weight, favorites, etc.

A mini sunblock, mini bugspray, glasses, and a chapstick. Be frugal, I got most of these things with coupons or at the $1 store!

A school work book with fancy pencils. I got the workbooks at Ross for $4. Pencils were on clearance for less than $1 for the package.

A game to play together. Use coupons for games. I got Sorry for less than $1.50.

A craft kit (Michaels has lots of these).
Be sure to use the weekly 40% off one item coupon.

Outside toys: Bubbles, chalk, etc

Water toys: squirt guns, water balls, & water balloons

Other Super Ideas: towels, flip flops, swimsuits, resuable water bottles, anything you get them for summer but havent given them yet!

Super Mommy Secret~Good Bye School, Hello Summer! From Family Fun Magazine

2010-05-11T04:11:00.004-06:00

Good Bye School~Hello Summer!!

I used a roll of paper from our easel and some crepe paper to make a sign for the kids to break through.

They could not wait to rip it apart on their way to the back yard and our Last Day of School Celebration!

Check back tomorrow to see what was waiting inside the door!

I found this fun idea last year from the Family Fun Magazine.

Super Mommy Secret: Did you know you can get a subscription (1 year~10 issues) to Family Fun for only $4.69. Go to http://www.bestdealmagazines.com/ and look in the "Family" category. And if you enter code PXCJ59 you can get 15% off of that!
These magazines are full of Super Mommy Ideas and I love stashing them in my car to read while I am waiting for my kids at soccer, after school, or whenever!

Last Day of School Galleria de {insert child's name here!}

2010-05-10T04:00:00.007-06:00

Last year I wanted to wrap up the year with a fun Summary on the wall. It was so simple.

On the night before the last day of school, while the kids were sleeping, I got them ready.

In our formal living room area,

I hung a fancy sign (it was just printed on scrapbook paper) that said:

(the 2 is for 2nd grade)

Galleria de Tate~2

Galleria de Londyn

In the Gallery, I hung things like their class photo, art projects, awards, tests that were Aced, and other

things that had good and important memories for them from the year of school they were completing.

I used black yarn to outline it all. I just taped it in the corners and it held great.

They loved looking at it and it was so easy!

Check back all week, I will be posting lots more "Last day of School" Super Mommy ideas.

Teacher Appreciation~6

2010-05-06T12:57:00.001-06:00

Ahhh...Teacher Appreciation Week is coming to a close!

Here is the last little gift I whipped up last night. Mrs. Duthie "wished" for colored plastic cothespins and stickers on her wishing tree this week....so I made this little board to present them to her.

I thought this board would be useful in class for those papers without names, or just for all of those important papers she needs to attend to.

Here is how I did it. It is Very Simple!

1 piece of wood (I had a scrap of wood from the garage. It is 9 inches x 28 inches.)

1 package of plastic clothespins

1 piece of paper

Vinyl name "Mrs. Duthie's Clipboard" (or you could print it on paper and mod podge it on)

Ribbon

Mod podge and brush

Paint and brush

Sanding block

Hot glue gun and glue

1. Gently sand the rough edges off of the wood. Then paint it (I just painted the front).

2. Mod podge the paper onto the middle. I put mine on slanted.

3. Rub the edges with the sanding block for a little distressed look.

4. Put the vinyl name on at the top and hot glue the 4 clothespins on.

5. Drill 2 small holes at the top and string ribbon through for hanging...You are done!

I clipped the extra clothespins onto the side and then put some sticker packs onto the clips.

After I was done I thought it needed some extra cuteness so I added these paper flower with a brad in the middle. Just hot glue them onto the 4 clothespins that are glued to the board.

Now we can all take a breather and have Happy Teacher Appreciation until next year!!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

2010-05-04T21:02:00.008-06:00

Fiesta Time!
Cinco de Mayo is another fun reason for a party here at our house but I thought I would do a little research and find out what it is actually about...it isnt Mexico's Independence Day, as I had thought. It is the day that the Mexican Army beat the French Army (twice its size) in Puebla, Mexico on May 5, 1862. A classic tale, like David and Goliath. I will have to share that with the kids.

Jen got me these margarita cups (at Walmart) to celebrate Cinco de Mayo! Arent they cute? I happened upon this video on how to rim them with sugar. Check it out...you just rub them with a lime and dip them in a plate of sugar (or salt, I havent tried it but I think that sounds yucky!). They are so festive and fun! I cant wait to do it. My kids will think I am so cool.

I found the Margarita mixes at Costco (2 pack for 6.50ish.). It looks like I only need to add ice since we wont be adding Tequila! Maybe I will add some orange juice or sweetened condensed milk. I have never made Margaritas but it sounds easy enough. And we have some little umbrellas that will be festive.

I am using red, white, and green tablecloths, like the Mexican flag. And we are making these cute little sombreros as name place holders. (I finished one to take a photo below but my little Crafty pants girl wants to finish the rest of them tomorrow!)

Arent they fun? She is having a great time making one for each of us.

My son has been begging for Auntie Olivia's Chicken Taquitos so that is what will be on our menu. (I will see if she is okay with me sharing her recipe.) As well as Mexican rice and chips and salsa. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

What are you having for Cinco de Mayo, Super Mommies? Share your recipes.

We have to make something for dinner, why not yummy Mexican food?

**UPDATE Here is the recipe for

Auntie Olivia's Taquitos

(they are easy and delicious!!)

1 rotisserie chicken (precooked from the grocery store) or 2-3 c shredded chicken

8-10 tortillas (I like Pepe's tortillas in the 30 pack)

1 10 oz can enchilada sauce

1 c shredded cheese

olive oil

toppings as desired:

pico de gallo, salsa, sour cream, guacamole

Shred the chicken and place in a bowl. Pour enchilada sauce into the bowl with chicken and stir. Warm both sides of a tortilla in a skillet, add 1 large spoonful chicken and sprinkle with cheese. Roll tightly, then fry, seem side down, in olive oil. Serve with toppings!

Thanks Auntie Ollie!

(Here is Olivia holding Londyn, isn't she beautiful?)

Cinco de Mayo Breakfast for the Kiddos

2010-05-04T15:51:00.004-06:00

Has anyone tried Huevos Rancheros?

Well we are going to have them tomorrow morning and I can't wait. I love introducing my kids to new things. We are going to keep them simple. Corn tortillas, eggs, salsa, and cheese. Here is the recipe I am following from about.com. Adjust as needed.

"There are many versions of huevos rancheros, some with cheese, beans or grilled chiles. The most authentic way to make huevos rancheros is very simple, eggs and salsa, served with corn tortillas.

Huevos rancheros are a Mexican tradition."

(We love traditions! Maybe it will become one of ours too.)

Ingredients:

4 eggs

1 cup fresh salsa

4 corn tortillas

oil

salt to taste

Preparation:

Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees. Coat each tortilla in oil and place on cookie sheet. When oven is ready, cook for approximately 5-10 minutes, depending on how crisp you like your tortillas.

Heat oil in small frying pan, cook each egg slowly on one side until whites are firm and yolks are runny. Salt to taste. Place one egg on each tortilla.
Heat salsa in the pan on high heat for about 2 minutes or until extremely hot. Pour 1/4 cup over the top of each egg which will further cook the top of the egg. Let it sit for about 1 minute before serving.

Have Fun Super Mommies!

I hope you feel inspired to start Cinco de Mayo with a yummy Mexican Tradition!

Super Mommy Secret~Anniversary Family Day

2010-05-04T04:36:00.005-06:00

We celebrated our Anniversary this weekend so I thought I would share a fun tradition that we started a few years back. We love to celebrate just as a couple, but we also have a Family Birthday Party. As in the Birth of our FAMILY party.
(this photo was taken recently in the same place our engagement photos were taken...
12 years and 3 kids ago!)

We watch our wedding video (yeah, its VHS) and look at our wedding photos. We sometimes even go to the temple where we were married and walk around as a family (when the weather cooperates!).
I usually make a nice dinner and a cake or cupcakes.
This year we sang happy birthday to our family and blew out 12 candles.

Its also fun to open a family gift. I try to find something simple and FUN that we can use as a family, like a croquet set or a funnel cake maker. (It didnt happen this year due to one child having a sprained ankle and the other having a fever and the stomach flu. Such is the life of us Super Mommies, right Ladies?)

When the timing allows, it is fun to do the family party for Family Home Evening, like we did last night. Then you can add in a little lesson on marriage. I love including our kids on the Celebrating. They love it too.

I originally found this idea online, shared by Valerie Christensen.

Thanks Valerie, we love this tradition in our home.

Teacher appreciation~5

2010-05-03T04:21:00.002-06:00

Teacher Jars and Etching

My friend Caroll had an etching craft party this month and it was really easy and fun. Since then I have been a little obsessed...and I have been trying to think of something to make for our teachers with etched glass.

D U T H I E

I used vinyl as the pattern. I took the letter out and used the vinyl that was left as the pattern.

Then we dabbed the etching cream on to make the letters.

I spray painted the lids white so they would all match.

I added some ribbon around 3 jars and glued a flower to the top of one jar.

I filled them with breath mints, red pens and highlighters, candies, gel pens, #2 pencils, and paper clips.

It looks really neat (look close it is hard to see with the glare in the photos).

You could just use the vinyl letters on the jars and that would be cute too!

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!

May Day Baskets for Friends!

2010-05-01T11:15:00.003-06:00

Here is Jen's idea for May Day Baskets for friends. This wasn't a big tradition where I grew up, but Jen and my husband, Jared, remember taking cute baskets around the neighborhood as kids. They grew up in the Midwest. I think it is adorable. We will have to try it next year, I think the kids would love this tradition.

From Jen:
"Here is a picture of our May Day baskets we are going to take to our friends. I used a cup and punched a hole on both sides and used a pipe cleaner for the handle. I used my cricuit and cut out flowers and punched a hole in the middle and stuck a sucker throught the hole and then I used a green straw to make the stem longer."

May Day Facts:

Here are some fun May Day Facts that Jen compiled as well.

May Day (May 1st) is celebrated in many places around the world. The traditions and stories surrounding May Day vary from place to place. There is, however, one thing that is similar in most celebrations - the use of Flowers!

One of the most popularly known May Day traditions is to hang a basket full of spring flowers and/or other small gifts on a neighbor's doorknob. The trick is you don't want the neighbor to see you! If you get caught, you are supposed to get a kiss.

A popular activity on May Day is to decorate a pole with brightly colored ribbon or paper streamers. Some also add flowers and balloons. The pole is usually carried in a parade and then placed in the ground at a designated area. People then dance around the May Pole, holding the ends of the streamers or ribbon in their hands. Make your own tabletop May Pole here.

In London, May Day is celebrated with the children going from house to house. They bring flowers and get pennies in return. The pennies are then thrown into a wishing well. The pennies are then donated to charity.

In France, cows play an important role in May Day. The cows are led in parades with many flowers attached to their tails. The people watching the parade try to touch the cows; it is believed to be good luck.

In Germany, one tradition is for boys to secretly plant a May tree in front of the window of the girl they love.

On May 1st, people in Hawaii celebrate their own version of May Day; they call it Lei Day. People give Hawaiian leis to each other. They put them around each other's necks and sometimes give a traditional kiss.

ENJOY!

Teacher Appreciation~4

2010-05-01T01:59:00.001-06:00

Here is a Teacher Appreciation Idea that I have been working on today.
This one is for the Staff Lounge for All to Enjoy.
(the sayings for the treats came from my sister In law Jen...I want to give credit where credit is do, but I am not sure where she heard them. Or she may have thought them up...she is creative like that {smile})

First, make a sign or poster to hang in the teachers lounge with a nice message. I prefer to digiscrap so I am going to have mine printed at Costco for $2.99. This is a 12x18 that I designed in photoshop using a freebie kit. Go to Shabbyprincess.com to find it. It is called Sweet Serenity.

Leave a space at the bottom for messages that can be switched every day.

We are going to hang it on the wall above a small table. Then place upon the table, a nice bowl.

Every day fill the bowl with a treat and hang a new sign that corresponds to it (on the stripey blank area above). Mine below are 5x7 and I will also have them printed at Costco.

Individually wrapped Sunflower Seeds (this one will be up the day the kids bring flowers!)

Dum-Dum Suckers and Smarties

Individually Wrapped Lifesavers

Hersheys Kisses and Hugs Chocolates (this one will be up on chocolate day!)

Carefree Gum

Check back soon for a teacher appreciation gift that uses those little glass jars that they dont recycle for us here in Boise!

Its May Day EVE!

2010-04-30T13:11:00.010-06:00

Dont forget that it is May Day Eve tonight! Be sure to plant your Magic Jelly Beans!

(I hope you were all able to make it to Walgreens!)

Teacher Appreciation~3

2010-04-30T01:00:00.001-06:00

Simple Denim Aprons

I already posted that I was going to make Simple Denim Aprons for our teachers this year.
Here is how they turned out. I love them! I also added some chocolate in the pocket so T can take it on "Chocoriffic" Day (each day next week has a theme).

Check back soon for more ideas as I post what T will take for the other 4 themed days!

Teacher Appreciation~2

2010-04-29T00:50:00.001-06:00

Here are the things I did last year for Ms. Beck. Let me know if you find some inspiration!

Name Poem Plaque

Ms. Beck made these acrostic name poems in class with our kids names and they were really neat.

So I got the idea to make one out of her name and let my son pick the words (and write them). I printed her name vertically onto scrapbook paper, mod podged it onto wood, tied a ribbon onto it, then mounted the wood onto white beadboard (I got the wood and beadboard from a house being built nearby!).

Then I let T carefully write the words he chose to describe Ms. Beck.

The easel is from IKEA. I painted it white to match.

Spa Basket

okay it is a stretch on the rhyme but it works...lotion, facial bars, bubble bath, body wash, chapstick

(all bought with coupons for little or no cost!)

Then when I got to school that day to volunteer, I let each child in the class write something special about Ms. Beck on a die-cut flower, taped it to a straw, and poked it into her basket.

Movie Night

“Superman, Batman, pick one to see. You are a Super Hero to me!

I’m “Soda”lighted that you are my teacher!”

I just copied and pasted the Redbox logo and printed it onto white paper. Then I glued it onto a homemade red envelope. Add popcorn, movie candy, some soda, and the cute tag line above and you are set.

Chocoriffic! Can

I know teachers probably get lots of candy so I filled this one with premium chocolates!

The can is a formula can covered with scrapbook paper and tied with a chocolate-y brown ribbon.

The tag is hooked on with the binder clip.

Covered Door~The Recipe for Success

I think decorating the classroom door is a super cute way to say Your GREAT! I found the "Recipe for Success" theme out in blogland and then I went to the dollar store and got some things to go along with it.

First I covered the door with some polka dot wrapping paper this made it so easy and cute!

I got 2 packages of plates to write names on, a set of oven pads, some cooking utensils, and an apron that all of her students could sign. I wrote "Cooking up some Fun" on it. I stuck the oven pads to the door with Scotch brand removable sticky hooks and they held great all week. Then I die-cut apples and let the kids write the thing Ms. Beck had taught them that they loved the most.

Cinco de Mayo

(I forgot to take a photo of this one last year and she took it home that night

and used it so I couldn't get a photo the next day!)

Cinco de Mayo always falls during Teacher Appreciation week so we might as well go with it, right ladies?

Last year we did chips, salsa, and a taco kit. This year I think I will do some cute margarita glasses and maybe a mix, nonalcoholic of course!

Our tag read something like

"Happy Cinco de Mayo! Have a Buena Fiesta, You are a Muey Buena Teacher!"

...not sure if that is correct Spanish but she got it, I think!

Check back, I will post some things I am doing this year on Friday.

A Blog AWARD!

2010-04-28T11:23:00.000-06:00

I received my First Blog Award!

A BIG thanks to Cherie over at Pink Little Notebook.

Check out her cute Football themed party. We may be borrowing some ideas this fall!

10 Things That Make Me Happy.

1. Being a Mommy! Kissing Chubby Cheeks, Taking Silly Photos, and Surprising my Kiddos with FUN!

2. A Beautiful Photograph of my Child, especially when I take it...I love Photography.

3. Throwing a Big party with cute decorations and lots of good friends and food...being Creative!

4. Date Night!

5. A Clean House.

6. Vacations~Especially when I can just lay on the beach.

7. A Really Hard Super Slamma Jamma hit in Volleyball.

8. Knowing I get to be a Mom Forever.

9. Girls Nights Out, Girls Trips, and Girl Talk! I Love hanging with my Girlfriends!

10. Going out for Dinner! (not having to cook, cooking is not one of my favorite things!)

I am Awarding this Blog Award To:

My good friend, Candace at Crafty Sisters

My good friend, Julie at Not Too Shabby

Here are the rules for accepting the award:

1. Copy & Paste the award on your blog
2. Tell who gave you the award and link to their blog
3. List 10 Things that make you happy
4. Pass the award on to other bloggers and visit their blog to let them know about the award.

Teacher Appreciation~1

2010-04-28T04:01:00.031-06:00

I thought I would spend the rest of the week posting fun ideas for teacher appreciation.

Maybe it will inspire you to try something new this year, and that would be fun, right?

When my son was in first grade our school's PTA had the kids bring something every day for their teachers. Day 1 they all brought a flower and the teacher had a full bouquet, Day 2 they all brought a fruit and then the teacher had a big fruit basket, and so on.

On one of the days the kids were supposed to create a piece of art for the teacher. When I think art, I think photography. I let my son take the camera outside and go crazy taking photos of whatever he wanted. The best photo he got was a great close-up of a flower. So this little project was born...

Teacher Appreciation~1 Let Your Child Create A Masterpiece

I added a photoshop border, printed it on matte paper, then mounted the photo onto mat board and let him write beneath it

(in his very best and most careful first grade handwriting)

Great Teachers Help Children Bloom

Love, Tate

Last time I was in her room she still had it up!

Optional IDEAS

~You could frame it as well but I just left it on the mat board.

~You could let your child paint or draw a flower and use the same saying.

~You could let your child take a photograph of anything just let them add their handwriting to it to make it feel like it is genuinely from a child.

Super Mommy Secret~May Day Tradition

2010-04-27T03:05:00.004-06:00

This Secret isnt mine. It is from the Super Mommy over at See Jane Blog.

They call it "Cutest Easter Tradition," see how she did it here.

We missed it for Easter but I thought it would be fun to do this tradition for May Day since it is growing a "flower" so that is how we are going to do it in our family.
Dont forget May Day is May 1st!

It also happens that my friend, Steph, is celebrating her daughter's birthday on May Day-Eve, so we will be getting together to celebrate and also planting our Magic Jelly Beans together. I cant wait! I get as excited planning surprises for the kiddos as they get when they receive them!

Here are our Magic Jelly Bean Seed Packets.

We wanted them to look official for the birthday party so we made this seed packet with photoshop using the template here and a photo I took of my jellybeans. (I used some elements that were digital freebies so I dont think I can share it as a download...let me know if I am mistaken because I would love to!)

We will plant ours in a pot or basket because we will have to bring them home...

You can just plant them in the flower bed outside,

but most importantly, this is what will grow!

See Jane Blog also shared this Super Mommy Secret~

These lollipops can be found for $1 at Walgreens!

I just love blog land so we can all use and share fun ideas!! Thanks to See Jane Blog for this one, it really is the CUTEST! And for Kendra at My Insanity for sharing it!

Earth Day Dinner

2010-04-23T19:57:00.002-06:00

I know Earth Day is over but before I forget I thought I would post our dinner since it was pretty fun.

We had four courses of Earth's wonders...

The African Jungle

green mashed potatoes with broccoli, asparagus, and parsley for the trees and jungle animals picks.

The Ocean

blue jello with Swedish fish and sea creatures

The Earth

Meatloaf made in a ball pan. I put it on an upside down bowl with a plate over it

(I used some packing tape to hold the bowl and plate together...I didnt want it to fall over!)

This is my awesome Wilton ball pan.

Desert

candy bones and rock piles (chocolate covered peanuts) in sand (corn flakes, oatmeal, chinese noodles)

Enjoy!

Very Last Minute~Earth Day Hair Clip

2010-04-23T00:25:00.003-06:00

Print out this Earth on cardstock and trim the outside with scalloped edge scissors. Glue or double stick tape it to a clip and you have a hair clip that matches their Earthy T-shirts. You could mod podge or laminate but it lasted the day okay for us just being on cardstock.

Earth Day Rocks

2010-04-22T09:23:00.001-06:00

Earth Day Rocks (no, literally)

I decided to make these rocks instead of place cards for our Earth Day dinner. I thought I would share the idea since it is pretty cute and simple.

I used vinyl lettering but you could print on vellum and mod podge it on or just write it on with a Sharpie. I gathered rocks about the size of my fist that would stand up fairly high (not just lay flat).

As I was gathering the small ones I thought it would be fun to make a big one too! This one is about 10 inches long and 8 inches high.

After I gathered my rocks, I washed them and dried them. While they were wet the colors were brighter so I decided to mod podge them to keep the "wet" look. I mixed it with an equal part water so the mod podge wouldnt be too thick.

I set them on newspaper to dry. After they were dry I stuck the vinyl lettering on.

This is SOO easy!! Good Luck Super Mommies!

Earth Day Breakfast

2010-04-22T04:38:00.002-06:00

Earthy Breakfast Time

As I was putting my kids to bed, I asked them what they would like for breakfast tomorrow since it was EARTH DAY! Londyn said she wanted boiled eggs colored like the Earth and Tate said he wanted worms...Here are my attemps...I got it ready tonight so I thought I would post it so that if any Super Mommies are up early you can make something fun too.

I cut newspaper with decorative scissors for a placemat and then set the egg on a bottled water lid.

Hard Boiled Eggs A Gummy Worm in Dirt (Granola).

First I boiled the eggs in blue dye and added a little vinegar at the end to make them nice and dark. I had some vinyl left from my Earth Day Rock so I used it as a pattern for the continents. I mixed a few drops of green food coloring with 2 tsp vinegar and dabbed it on with a cotton swab.

Here they are. Some arent as dark as others, but the kids will love them.

Notice below what they are sitting on...REUSED bottled water lids!

Happy Earthday to You, Happy Earthday to You....

2010-04-21T22:00:00.002-06:00

Earth Cakes and Mud Pies

My kids called these Earthday Cakes and sang the birthday song while they made them. They had lots of fun doing it. I really cant recall letting them play in the mud before. Thats not very Super Mommy-like of me. I need to be better at allowing messes. I will work on that.

Get ready for Earthday Cakes! I bought some tin pans at Honks ($ store) 4/$1 last week so we were ready. The first thing we did was go on a Nature Hike and they gathered the ingredients for their cakes. They brought a backpack and a cup to gather their plants, rocks, etc.

I brought a garbage bag so we could do a "trash hike" and gather litter while we were out in the neighborhood. I should have brought a paper bag for the recycleables that were scattered about...I will have to remember that next time. (I just put the little hand with the clover there because I thought it was cute...)

Then I gave them their pans, buckets, bowls, utensils, and a full watering can and sent them to the part of our yard with lots of dirt.

We will have to try this again...they liked it so much I am sure they will be asking me about it again soon.

Happy Earthday Cake making to all of you!

Earth Day Craft~Bottle Cap Necklaces

2010-04-21T18:44:00.003-06:00

Here is a cute Craft that my Sister-in-law, Jodi made with her daughter. I asked her to post about since it is Recycle-ish and she was kind enough to share her project with us. Thanks Jodi!

Bottle Cap Necklaces (or just magnets)

Here is a fun little craft to make for any jewelry loving little girls in your life! They are really easy and it is fun to make a bunch at once. My daughter wanted to make them for all her friends. Make a bunch and give them as a gift!

Here are the supplies you need:

Bottle caps (you can buy these in bulk for pretty cheap, look online)
Small washers
SUPER strong magnets
Craft Glue
Something to put the washer on for your necklace (I found this big bag of nylon loops at hobby lobby for a couple of bucks)
Diamond Glaze
Whatever picture or design you choose to put in the bottle cap

I used a photo program to create whatever I wanted to put in the bottle caps.

Once you have them cut out and fit to size use craft glue to adhere the paper to the bottle cap.

Then comes the diamond glaze. This stuff is pretty cool. It just makes a glass like layer on whatever you put it on. Make sure you DON'T shake the bottle, you don't want bubbles in there-they are really hard to get off of your image once you pour it.

It doesn't take much to cover the paper. It comes out cloudy and dries clear. If you do get a bubble in there...good luck getting it out! One thing that occasionally worked for me was to use a straight pin to try and pop it or use it to scoot the bubble to the side and slide it out of the bottle cap.

Once you have your image covered you can add a little bling if you like. These small acrylic jewels are perfect. Now let your bottle caps sit and dry where no little fingers can poke at them.

Okay, here is where your SUPER strong magnets come in. You have to make sure they are really strong or they will get bumped off the necklace. Use your favorite type of super glue to attach the magnent to the back of the bottle cap.

Hook your washer onto your necklace.

The magnent should have a good strong hold to the washer and now it is ready to wear and be changed over and over!

Once you have a nice little collection you can make a cute magnent frame to hold all your bottle caps til they are ready to be worn.

I love it Jodi, thanks again for sharing!

Earth Day Recycled Banner

2010-04-21T04:44:00.071-06:00

Decorate for Earth Day with this Easy Recycled Banner!

If you know me, you knew I would be making one!

I love hanging a banner for every Celebration around here, Earth Day is no exception.

Here is how we made this Recycled one:

You will need:

paper bags

your recycle bin (full)

white school glue

jute rope (or any yarn)

stapler

scissors

Lay out your paper bags (with the part that open at the top) and write your message on them with regular white school glue. My kiddos picked "Love (heart) Earth". Then let the kids rip, cut, smash, or crumple, and then stick various items from your recycling bin onto the glue.

Fold the top over.

Then staple onto the jute rope.

For added color, cut triangles from colorful cardboard and staple between the letters.

Here are some of our letters

Love Earth Super Mommies!

Super Mommy Secret~Bottled Water?

2010-04-20T04:02:00.007-06:00

Here are some Secrets I recently read.

1,500 water bottles end up as garbage every second!

86% of plastic bottles end up as garbage (not Recycled!).

This Earth Day invest in some reusable water bottles for each member of your family. See how Jen did it with her super cute

"Earth Day Dinner" post here.

You will keep the Earth Green and your wallet green as well. If you do use bottled water (which we do sometimes!) be sure to RECYCLE your bottles!

Check out the Water Bottle Story here to get more facts and see where the information I read came from.

Earth Day~Earth Worms in a Cup!

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Dont forget to do something fun with your kids this week! Try this fun and easy treat.

Just layer crushed oreos, chocolate pudding, and gummy Earth worms in a clear cup.