Easy Easter Wreath

The girls and I had blast making this colorful Easter wreath.  I was in charge of the hot-glue gun and they helped by sticking the plastic eggs to the foam wreath.  This is a nice way to recycle all those left over plastic eggs.  We even added a little Easter grass to make it look more festive.

My girls know that I usually plan a fun craft to do after their school-work is complete.  Happy Easter Crafting!
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Shamrock Math Game

 

We had a good time playing this Shamrock Math Game.  Olive would grad a hand full of pennies and drop them on the table.  She then separates the heads from the tails and starts her math problem.  This picture is showing 10+10....we would also switch it up with subtraction.  Olive thought that this was a fun way to work on her math.  I like that "heads and tails" can be adapted for just about any holiday.
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No Time For Flashcards

Leprechaun Mirrors

We converted this dollar store mirror into some St. Patrick's Day fun. Just peek in the mirror to get a glimpse of your inner leprechaun.  All you need is just felt, glue and scissors.  Good-luck finding your pot of gold!
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Valentine Holder Ideas

We have a fun Valentine Party to go to today! Here are some our valentine box creations that I think turned out super cute.  

Olive's garden of love:

                                                                    Jem's tissue paper heart:

                                                       This is last year's creation of a kitty:

Hand Peace Dove's for MLK Day

We had a lovely conversation this evening about peace and ways that we can show peace to the world. We talked about Martin Luther King and how he wanted all colors to come together.

 Olive: Peace is....
Sharing and caring with others, being helpful, helping someone when they get hurt,  and praying about nature and loving animals.

Jem: Peace is...
Helping others and being kind to your dogs, helping friends get up when they get hurt, and being nice to your family and friends.

I must say that I am a true believer in Classical Conversations as Olive said, "you mean Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation." I am impressed with the knowledge that she has picked up from her History timeline.  I explained the difference between the two Martin Luthers.

Baby news: I felt the baby kick for the first time this evening! I am right at 17 weeks and I have a big smile on my face as I type this.

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Airplane Cake

The girls wanted to make Daddy's cake into something special for his big day....we decided on an airplane. Happy Birthday to a wonderful Husband and Father!

After baking the cake, I froze it, which made it easier to cut out the airplane shape. I used a left over triangle piece for the top and my peanut butter buttercream frosting, his favorite!

Rocks and minerals.

My girls are so interested in rocks and gems. Olive knows the birthstones for each family member and knows that Mica is just "fools" gold, even though it looks pretty. The girls had a blast when we went ruby mining over 4th of July weekend in the mountains of NC. Olive enjoys matching her new found collection up with these rock photos. She also thinks quartz is lovely because it looks like a diamond.

Crafty 4th of July Firecrackers

Besides the heat and humidity, there are many things to like about this time of year. 4th of July fireworks, yummy corn, blueberries and peaches in season, and lightning bugs just to name a few.

We used these items to create these cute 4th of July Firecrackers.

Cut the red construction paper to fit the toilet paper roll, wrap it around, and secure with tape. Next cut strips of any color paper and tape to the inside of the paper roll. Punch holes in the top and insert a pipe cleaner so you can hang your new creation. We added yellow tissue paper to make it look like fire was coming out of the top-Enjoy your 4th!

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to my Buzz Lightyear, my Dad, and to all the great men who make a difference in our lives.

The girls and I took Buzz on a kayak trip, it was a first for all of us, and something we will for sure do again. We saw many lovely birds, a stingray, and crabs.

Enjoy the outdoors with your Dad today!

Alligator Cake Sneak Peak!

Here is a quick look at Jem's very green gator cake for her 3rd birthday tomorrow. I think it turned out really cute for her alligator jungle themed party. I'll show more photos tomorrow.

Hungry for a Party!!!

My little Jem turns 3 on Friday and we sure are "hungry for a party" at our place. The theme is an alligator jungle party so I am attempting to make an alligator cake. Today I baked the parts and tomorrow I'll use my homemade buttercream frosting to decorate it.

(Use you imagination) - We used a Christmas tree pan for the head, loaf pan for the body, cut a bundt cake pan in half for the tale, and used heart shape muffin tins for the feet.


Stay tuned for the finished cake tomorrow!

Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting!

To celebrate the end of our school year I made a super yummy chocolate cake with peanut butter buttercream frosting!  Buzz says it's the best frosting I have ever made! The recipe could easily be made into just vanilla buttercream too. I think everything taste better when it's made on my Grandmother's old Sunbeam mixer that still works wonders.

The Best Frosting Recipe:

• 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 to 2 of milk or whipping cream
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• dash of cinnamon

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