Teddy Bear Tea Party

There hasn't been too many activities my kids have been interested in at the library the past few weeks, so I was kind of surprised when Allison saw they were going to host a Teddy Bear Tea Party this weekend and asked to go. The recommended ages for attendance was the 3-10 year old set, so I debated registering her. Even though she just turned 10, I thought she might feel a wee bit too old for it once we got there. In the end, we decided to go, and I am so happy we did.

We started with story time. Now, this did not hold her interest because she would rather read herself instead of being read to.

But the rest of the event was A OK with her! Everyone was asked to bring in their favorite teddy bear, and there were place setting for everyone to have their own tea party with their stuffed bear. The tables were set up with snacks, which consisted of Teddy Grahams, Gummy Bears, Fruit Roll Ups, and "Tea".

 The tea was really juice. They thought kids would like the juice better, but Allison would have much preferred the tea. She was pacified when she realized we were the only two sitting at our table and had a free for all on the snacks.

 The final activity was crafting. The kids all got to make 2 crafts. A paper bag bear puppet and a bear mask.

Even though it turned out she was the oldest kid there, it didn't phase her one bit. She kept gushing about all the fun she was having throughout the whole party. Yay for another successful free library event!

Have you ever been to a tea party?

A Girl After My Heart

Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching. It’s one of those holidays that your either love or hate. For me, I choose love. I am a girly girl, so a holiday that focuses on love, hearts and pink is A OK in my book. I think that it is a holiday that can be celebrated a few different ways. If you are new into a relationship, you may want to show your love with a card, candy and Valentine’s Day Flowers. It’s a day of romance and celebrating your coupledom. I used to look forward to spending some one on one time with my husband. I have been with my husband for 16 years, and we now have two girls. Valentine’s Day, to us, is more of a celebration of family, and the love we have for each other. It’s not about the two of us any longer, but the family as a whole. The girls and I like to focus on making a few sweet treats and a few handmade cards to pass out to friends and family. We love to put out pink decorations, then make a few crafts. 

 

All of us moms know how our hearts light up when our kids bring home something they made at school in art class for us, but Allison just stole my heart the other day. The one thing I love about my children getting older, is they can take the initiative on what kinds of crafts they want to make all on their own. That’s exactly what Allison did.

“Here mom. I got started on your Valentine’s Day gift early. I wanted to make you something, but I didn’t know what, so I got on Pinterest for some ideas. Here you go!” And she handed me her finished gift.

Yes, it looks like the art work of a 9 year old, but the fact that she got on to one of my favorite sites to find inspiration for crafting a gift for me, well, that’s just priceless. She is surely a girl after my heart.

 Do you celebrate Valentine's Day? Do you do it as a couple or as a family? 

 


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DIY Popsicle Stick Puzzles

I've been trying to think of things the kids can do to curb summer boredom. My kids love puzzles, so making popsicle stick puzzles were great fun for them.

What you need:

Popsicle Sticks
Printed out picture of your choosing
Mod Podge
Exacto Knife

Print out any picture you like, but make sure it is at least as long as your popsicle sticks. Clip your picture a little larger than the sticks. Lay out popsicle sticks and line them up flat end to flat end.

Brush Mod Podge over all the sticks. Carefully lay your picture over the sticks, then firmly press down, making sure it is completely stuck to the glue on the sticks. Brush Mod Podge over your picture.

Allow all the glue to completely dry. Once dry, using your exacto knife (adults only here!) cut each stick away from the others. Flip the stick over on the side without the paper. Cut the excess paper from around the corners.

There you have your very own custom puzzles! Cheap, easy and fun!

Leprechaun Trap

The girls and I decided we were going to try to trap a leprechaun this year. Mariah wants to go on vacation this summer, so she really wants some of that gold. Allison just wants to keep the leprechaun as a pet. I don't know how well that would work for her, but if we catch one, I'll let you know!

We decided to put our crafting skills to the test. We built our leprechaun trap with scraps we had laying around the house. We cut a little trap door in the floor of the box in front of the pot of gold and covered it with clovers so hopefully he will fall through it and get stuck. Then, since we all know leprechauns love shiny things, we glitter coated almost everything to attract him to our trap. Hopefully our plan works. If we actually catch him and hit it big, we will be sure to share the wealth. Wish us luck :)