Just Add Stickers

This cute craft makes a good Valentine's day decoration for the mantelpiece or TV unit. Cost: Under $5.00 Time: About 15 minutes Material: Pom-poms of different sizes and colours Googly eyes Pipe cleaner in different colours Alphabet beads String Construction paper Glue Scissors Directions: Cut heart shapes out of the construction paper. Lay all the material on the table and create little bugs. Use the construction paper hearts as wings or feet. Pick the letters LOVE BUG from the alphabet beads. Thread them on the string tying a knot between each. Arrange the bugs on a mantel or shelf and hang the Love Bug string above them. Happy Valentine's Day!

The Super Bowl is about a week away, it's time to start decorating! Football is big at my house, I'm not an avid fan but I love to decorate and it's easy to get caught up in the hype and excitement of the event. This is an easy banner you can make with the kids. I went with Touchdown so that we could reuse it from one year to the next but you can make it with your favourite team's name or in the team colours. Cost: Under $5.00 use what you have around the house Time: 20 minutes Material: Orange, green and brown card stock or thick cardboard Markers Ribbon (or kitchen string) Glue gun Directions: Fold the card stock in half. Cut 9 squares of orange card stock (all the same size) cut along the top so that each set of two pieces are connected. Cut 8 smaller squares of green card stock. Cut 2 football shapes out of the brown card stock. On the orange squares write the word touchdown writing one letter on each square. Measure and cut the r...

The last time I was at my parent's house I was looking through my mom's old craft books for some ideas and inspiration.  I remember looking through the same books when I was little picking out our next project. It's funny how different things will speak to you depending on your mood or interests at the time. This is a project that I never payed much attention to but it caught my son's interrest.                              Time: About one hour Cost: Under $10.00 (make use of any scrap felt you have around the house) Material: 2 large sheets of felt one or two colours for the train and black or a dark colour for the wheels. Stuffing Ribbon Velcro Button (that we got out of Grandma's button box) Permanant marker Needle and thread     Scissors Directions: Double layer the felt, draw the outline of an engine, a caboose and two train cars. Cut out the train shape...

Oh my goodness it is cold outside! Most of the weather for the past few weeks has been too cold or too frozen to play outside. We've been to the mall and to the playarea at McDonald's more times than I can count. Today it was a combination of rain and freezing rain aka the perfect day to stay inside and dream of warmer days. I set up the Elmo tent and BBQ. I made a campfire using flameless candles and rocks on a plate. It was a hit with the toy story toys. You can't have a campfire without marshmallows (dipped in chocolate) on a toothpick to look authentic! Have fun and stay warm!

This is a conversation overheard at McDonald's one snowy day when all the parents in town brought their kids to play in the indoor play area: Dad 1: "My kids like making carrot cake the best." Dad 2: "I don't have a recipe for that." Dad 1: "Just use a box mix, the important thing is spending time with your kids. But you have to get the special cake pans in the shape of disney characters." This conversation made me smile and it is so true.I believe in cooking with your kids. As soon as my little man could stand on his own he was in the kitchen 'helping' me. There are so many lessons to be learned in the kitchen: counting, measuring, reading and following instructions just to name a few. The father at McDonald's was right, you don't have to be a great cook making a cake or muffins (my favorite) out of a box is just as much fun for them. Here are some tips that I find make it go more smoothly. Tips: It's goi...

Happy New Year everyone  and all the best for 2014! For the first time ever I kept a new year's resolution, I wanted to start a blog and actually stick with it and here we are! There were other resolutions on the list but one kept is better than none. This year my blogging resolution is to write 6 posts a month. Let's see if I can keep a resolution two years in a row. Don't forget to celebrate the little victories this year!