Valentine Bean Bag

Remember this Guest Post at No Biggie last Monday? While I was making my garland, my little 5 year old wanted a bean bag. He was so cute. The minute he looked at the hearts he exclaimed: "Lets make a bean bag!" I would show you the original, but it was sacrificed during a game of catch in the kitchen because it landed in a puddle of syrup from breakfast. Alas it went straight into the garbage. I never would have guessed a little bean bag would bring so many hours of fun.

Want to make your own Valentine Bean Bag?

Cut (2) heart shapes. Sew right sides together 1/4 inch around entire heart, minus a 1" opening.

Flip heart inside out. Iron. Fill with rice or small beads. Hand stitch heart closed. To withstand hours of tossing and catching, repeat hand stitching sveral times.

My boys have come up with several fun games to play with our valentine bean bags. After the first landed in syrup I have made several more!! With the cold weather, playing outside is not much of an option. Getting out my boys extra energy now has an outlet with our bean bag games.Here are a few ideas:

• Catch (obviously)  
• Hot Potato
• Juggling
• One Hand Catch
• Hide -n- Seek

Don't forget to enter My Valentine Giveaway for {2} $25 gift cards to La Caille in SLC!

Little Leprechauns...Big Beards

Are your kids dying to take St. Patrick's Day to the Next Level? Are you kids tired of just wearing green? Is dress-up a sacred art form in your house? We'll my boys are guilty on all three counts! So, I came up with this fun Leprechaun Craft that we did this morning to get a little more "pat" in our St. Patty's Day.

All you need is orange string, green pipe cleaners, and a fun St. Patrick's Day Hat. I got all three at the Dollar Store.

To make the Beard Form: with your pipe cleaners measure your child's face. Take one end and loop it around your child's ear - follow around their chin - secure around the other ear. My seven year old needed two pipe cleaners. My three year old 1 1/2. Trim pipe cleaner to fit child's face.

To make the Beard Fringe: take your string and cut between 30 -40 pieces 10 inches long. You can do more or less depending on how full you want your beard. Take your piece of string and bring the ends together and place under your pipe cleaner.

The string ends must now go through the hole in the loop of your string.

After pulling your strings end through, pull tight to finish the knot.

I wish I knew the name of this knot, but it was easy enough for my boys to do with a little repetition and assistance. If you know the name of this knot please let me know.

Once your beard is complete add a hat and you'll have a Leprechaun ready to tell you where their pot of gold is!!

{Since I first posted the Leprechaun Beards, I have gotten so much amazing
feedback I am linking up all over the web!}

Good Luck Friend

Tired of the same old superman and barbie valentine's? This is a takeoff of a thank you gift I got a couple years ago from a neighbor. My boys had alot of fun making these easy valentines to give to classmates at school.

All you need is fortune cookies, chocolate and some fun sprinkles. I buy my fortune cookies at a local chinese store that sells a dozen for 55 cents. Can't beat that!

Microwave your chocolate in a (microsave safe bowl) for about 1-2 minutes; until chocolate is melted.

Dip half of your fortune cookie in the chocolate. This is so easy by boys do this part with no help. Place cookie on tin foil or wax paper to allow chocolate to set; this may take a half an hour or more depending on how warm your house is.

Add a few holiday sprinkles and your finished. Each classmate is getting one chocolate cookie and one plain cookie. We wrapped the cookies in a cello bag with a little note saying: "Your a Good Luck Friend"!

Marshmallow Craft

My boys came up with this craft all on their own. It is simple and easy. Take skewers (or toothpicks) and attach the ends together using marshmallows to make fun and interesting designs. My boys love this craft for several reasons: 1) pointy sticks 2) marshmallows 3) building and creating

The shapes and designs don't last long, but they continue to build and attach the skewers in fun ways. As a bonus they get to eat all the marshmallows when they are done. My three year loves it because I will ask him to make shapes: triangle, square, rectangle, diamond and he can do it all on his own.

Christmas Calendar

Adam and I's trip to Disneyworld last february!

Summer Hike!

Taking a nap in Island Park

Last Day of Kindergarten

Exhausted from playing!

Jet Skiing in Lake Tahoe

Every year since my oldest was about 2 years old we make a Christmas Calendar for the Grandparents. I add a few photos and the kids do awesome art work. Although I know the pre-made calendars you can create on the web are easy and nifty - it just isn't the same for us. Besides we love to really get our hands dirty while making it. Here are some of the photo selected to grace this year's calendar.

Warning, Danger: Boys!

The Dangerous Book for Boys by Hal and Gonn Iggulden is a must in any boys library. We were the lucky recipients of this book last Christmas. The recommended age for the book is 10 and for a boy to do these projects on their own, I must agree. But my boys are a little younger and are totally enthralled just looking at the pictures, asking questions and begging me and my husband to help them do the projects. Projects include: invisible ink, building a tree house, making crystals, paper airplanes, smoke signals, famous battles in history, and secret codes just to name a few. This book is great for summer projects or a rainy saturday. I hope you will enjoy this book as much as our family has.

Lego Maniacs

I have two boys and they love legos. Legos are a great way to get your kid's imagination to work in new and different ways. Kids can start at an early age using legos (children who put small toys in their mouth are not old enough, yet). In my opinion, nothing beats legos for quiet, creative time. They come with easy instructions (my boys call them maps) and usually 1-3 creations can be made from the same set. My older boy (age 7) can understand the instructions on his own. My younger son (3) still needs my husband and I's assistance. After a lego is completed we take pictures and pose the lego in cool, fun ways. The boys get a kick out of it!

My boys love the Lego Magazine. It is a free monthly magazine with games, coupons, comics, and pictures of kids creating legos. We found a subcription form in one of our lego boxes. This November, we are taking a trip to Legoland San Diego, CA. and are we thrilled about the chance to see, breathe and play legos all day long. For more information go to http://www.lego.com/