Make Your Own Panning for Gold Adventure Trip

I have been researching all types of fun summer trips to try. They all have one thing in common. They are expensive! One of the trips I was really excited about was the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas. Kids can actually dig for real diamonds and keep what they find.

 

However, it was Sunday night, and I wanted somewhere I could go Monday while I was off. I was looking for a day trip. I decided to make my own summer adventure trip for only a few dollars.

I went out in our backyard and found three broken tree limbs. Then I hunted down three bandanas from our house for our lunches. I tied them up in Tom Sawyer style. The boys were very entertained by their lunch sacks.

 

 

Next, I found a free river at The Big Rocks Park in Glen Rose, Texas. I am pretty sure most of you can find a creek or something nearby that would suffice for your own gold mining or panning adventure.

 

Supplies:

Tin foil pans with holes poked in the bottom

Plastic gems

Gold Painted rocks (gold nuggets)

Treasure bags

 

Upon arrival at our "gold panning site," we let the boys use skewer sticks to poke holes in the their tin foil sleuce. I had prepared ziplock bags with dirt and treasures hidden inside.

 

I poured a bag in each child's handmade sleuce, and they got to work! Hopefully you can see the gold rocks in the pan above. They knew it was fake and they were still excited by their discoveries.

 

My youngest thought he hit the jack pot!

 

I also created small bags to hook on to their belts, for additional treasures they found. I got the idea from this months Family Fun Magazine. Click here for directions on their Explorer Bag. It is made out of a produce sack and duck tape. I made ours smaller, and then put clips on them, so the boys could wear them in the water without losing them. It made the perfect treasure pouch.

 

Even the little princess enjoyed the morning activities.

 

 

Sweet brothers! (No they don't always get along that well!) I think they truly enjoyed our day trip adventure!! Good luck planning your own.

 

 

Chick-fil-a Cow Appreciation Day *Free Meal*

For those of you that don't already know...today is Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-fil-a July 2014.

Click here for the official website. We have had several cow associated related costumes and attire in the past. This year, I made some simple capes for my three super heroes. I sewed a lightning bolt on the back, and attached some ribbon to tie around their neck. However, you could just as easily use press in tape or adhesive to whip up some of these capes!

 

 

Q: What is Cow Appreciation Day?

A: For one day only, black and white spots, cow bells and furry ears will be appropriate attire in the nation's second largest chicken chain. In celebration of July 11, Cow Appreciation Day, an unofficial – yet nationally recognized holiday, Chick-fil-A will award a free combo meal (breakfast, lunch or dinner) to any customer who comes to one of the chain's 1,200-plus restaurants fully dressed as a cow.

 

Q: What does "fully dressed as a cow" really mean?

A: "Fully dressed like a cow" means effort to be dressed like a cow from head to toe. "Partial cow attire" means just a cow accessory, such as a cow-printed hat, vest or purse.

 

Here are some of our past projects...

 

 

We just glued some black felt on a white t-shirt.

 

 

This was a fancier version of the cape we made in the past. I can't seem to find it though after our move 6 months ago!

 

 

Either way, the point is you can score some free Chick-fil-a today! They even have free printables on their website to make it really simple.

 

 

Good luck with your cow costumes! We must fly off now to Chick-fil-a to celebrate this special day!!

 

Mommy and Me Date Gift Set

While trying to decide on a gift for my best friend, and my son's best friend, whose birthdays are a few days apart, I elected for a joint gift. I made a basket full of Mommy and Me date nights that I hoped they would both enjoy. The gift basket included 5 date nights for Mom and son.

Mommy and Me Date Nights!

 

I kind of wished I had made a duplicate gift for my boys and I with date nights when I was done. We could really use some good excuses to get out of our camper we are living in right now! Funny story. After 5 days of rain in Texas, I drove up beside the camper to park on the land as usual. I quickly realized my tires were not moving smoothly any more. I attempted to begin backing up without success. I was stuck in the mud!! Finally, after quite some effort, and a little panic, I managed to avoid hitting the camper and our current water line. It was a close one according to these tire tracks.

 

I was so afraid to go back, I drove off to stay somewhere else for the night. My boys were so confused as I drove off. "MOM!" After my luck lately, I was not going to chance finding a safe spot to park, where I could actually leave early in the morning for work again. I accepted my defeat calmly. Plan B. Ok, now on to the date nights.

 

Date Night 1: Bake some brownies with me!

 

(Brownie mix and a new spatula)

 

Date Night 2: Take me to the movies

(Movie tickets and some candy treats to bring along)

 

Date Night 3: Ice cream and coloring

(Gift card to buy ice cream at Dairy Queen, coloring book, and new crayons)

 

Date Night 4: Buy some flowers and plant them together

(Garden gloves, small hand shovel, and money to buy flowers)

 

Date Night 5: Fly a kite, blow some bubbles, and use glow sticks in the swimming pool after dark!

(Beach bag, kite, bubbles and glow sticks)

 

I hope they enjoyed the gift!!

 

P.S. I didn't have a fancy way to make the tags. I googled images for chevron print. I cut and pasted the image in Microsoft Word and then typed the text over the chevron image. It was super easy and it did not require a fancy program.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dinosaur Book Box: Dinosaur Games, Activities and Reading Fun

I finally completed another book box to trade out. This one was themed Dinosaurs. Roar! I spent a total of $10 making this one. As I've mentioned before, I sort through my books and find a theme I think the kids would like. I obviously had plenty of dinosaur books! Then I looked through the scholastic catalog and ordered six Dinosaur books that were $1 each to share. As luck would have it, I found these awesome dinosaur sandwich cutters on sale for 70% off at Target this weekend. Every child will get one of those too! 

 

Book Box Contents 

·         Dooley Makes Friends

(Please let your family keep one of these or the Dinosaur Dig for your book collection)

·         Dino stuffed animal reading buddy

·         Dinosaur Dig by Jan and Mike Berenstain

(Please let your family keep one of these or Dooley Makes Friends for your book collection)

·         Dinosaurumpus by Tony Milton

·         Curious George and the Dinosaur by Margret and H.A. Reyes

·         My Little Dinosaur by Ilse-Margret Vogel

·         Dinosaur Bones by Bob Barner

·         Joe and Betsy the Dinosaur by Lillian Hoban

·         Danny and the Dinosaur by Syd Hoff

·         Dinosaurs by Teresa O’Brien

·         How to Draw Dinosaurs

·         Ten Little Dinosaurs by Pattie Schnetzler

·         The Flinstones: Dino Gets a Job

·         What Comes Next Dinosaur Activity Sheet for scissor and pattern practice

·         Dinosaur foam puzzle or wooden puzzle depending on the age appropriateness

·         Dinosaur sandwich cutter (Have a fun dinosaur themed lunch and keep one for your family!)

·         Dinosaur Grow Capsules (Perfect for bathtime)

·         Paleontologist Notebook: Let your little one learn a little about dinosaurs and fossils with their personalized notebook 

 

 

This notebook is about 12 pages I created of fun activities. I would be happy to share it if you email me!
 

·         Consider making some binoculars out of toilet paper rolls for your little paleontologist

·         Dinosaur Egg: Handle with care. You can spray them with vinegar for a fun reaction or just let them crack open their individual egg with any tools on hand. (They easily dissolve or clean off with water) 

 

 

Dino Egg: Mix baking soda and water + black dye (or icing)

 

I have seen many different recipes for this...but this one was super easy and fast.

 

Form mix around dinosaurs.

 

I think they look so fun! Fragile: Handle with care!

 

·         Have fun! Make sure everything on this list is returned to the book box for the next child.

·         Let me know when you have worn out your book box and we will trade. I am hoping to trade about every 3 weeks and just meet up with you. Thanks! Michelle

 

Summer Two of the Traveling Book Boxes

When last summer was just around the corner, I began thinking about the long 3 months ahead of us, and the Texas heat. My son's can get a little bored without the constant stimulation of school, and it is hard to go outside in the peak heat of the day. I figured my friends might need some boredom busters too, so I dreamed up the summer of the traveling book boxes. It reminds me of the concept of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Have you read the story or seen the movie? It is precious.

My plan was to create multiple themed book boxes with books, games, activities, crafts, and entertainment ideas. We would trade out every 2-3 weeks and get a new box for our kiddos. I tried to make them light at first, so I could ship them back and forth. Then I realized everyone was truly close enough, that we could just drop them off.
 

I sent out an email to see who might be interested in my crazy plan. I received four positive replies back and I began creating my book boxes. This being the second summer, it appears that everyone is in on the idea again. This year I am going to solicit some help from some of the other moms to hopefully make a book box each.

 

The first one I created this summer is themed Frogs!

 

I sent a printed sheet with this picture and a listing of the contents and activities.

 

Frog Book Box Contents

 

·         Frog Incentive Chart with star stickers. Place a sticker on the chart as you read each frog book. When all ten books have been read, reward your child with one of the Frog blowouts.

·         Frog stuffed animal. Please pick a frog to keep. Let your child name their frog and bring them along on their frog reading adventures.

·         Too Many Frogs by Sandy Asher

·         The Big Wide-Mouthed Frog (please take one of these books and keep it for your child’s collection.)

·         Froggy Loves Books (please take one of these books and keep it for your child’s collection)

·         The Teeny Weeny Tadpole by Sheridan Cain

·         National Geographic Kids Frogs!

·         The Day the Frogs Came to Lunch by Suzanne Weyn

·         Let’s Go Froggy! by Jonathan London

·         Froggy Goes to Camp by Jonathon London

·         From Tadpole to Frog by Wendy Pfeffer

·         Frog in the Kitchen Sink

·         Game: Frog Leap Pad Launcher. Remove the small plastic frogs from the bag. Place one in the large bottle cap top on the launcher. Set out the plates as lily pads. Now launch away and try to get your frog back to its lily pad.

 

(Launcher made from a piece of 2x4, clothespin glued on top, tongue depressor glued on the clothespin, and a bottle cap on the end of the tongue depressor. Launch away!)

Game: Frog Jump and Measure. Make a starting line with chalk on the sidewalk. Jump like a frog and measure with a tape measure how far you made it. Leave your little frog stuffed animal as a marker. Keep trying and see if you can out jump the other "frogs" in your family.

·         Craft: Frog Foam Activity Kit

·         Have fun! Make sure everything on this list is returned to the book box for the next child.

·         Let me know when you have worn out your book box and we will trade. I am hoping to trade about every 3 weeks and just meet up with you. Thanks! Michelle

 

 

In case you missed the box boxes last year...here they are...

 

 

Bug book box click here

 

 

Monkey Book box click here

 

 

Dog Book Box click here

 

 

Cupcakes, Ice Cream, and Flip Flops Book Box click here

 

 

Pirate Book Box click here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spooktacular Jokes for Dinner

I quickly discovered that my kids really love dinner table activities and games. I enjoy that they are willing to sit at the dinner table with their Dad and me and eat and talk. I plan to continue this habit. My oldest is four, and he is recently appreciating the humor of jokes. He loves it when he can understand the punch line. I looked around for some easy to understand Halloween themed jokes and found these great Halloween Jokes for Kids. I copied a ton of these great ideas and printed them out, folded them up, and put them in this cute jar.

 

  

Here are a few fun examples...

 

What did the skeleton order for dinner?

Spare ribs 

What do goblins mail home on vacation?

Ghost Cards

 

What do baby ghosts wear on their feet?

Boo-ties!

What is a ghosts favorite piece of clothing?

Boo-Jeans

 Who did the ghost invite to his party?

Anyone he could dig up


This project did not cost me a dime. It was all made with supplies I already had at home. Cheap projects are the best!

Supplies:

Jar ( I used an old glass salsa jar)
Scrap book paper
Fake spider
Printed Jokes

I tried out the jar at dinner tonight. My boys were so anxious to finish their meal just to get to the jokes!! The jokes would be fun in lunch boxes for kids that can already read. We will have to wait another two years for that at our house.
 

 

 

Mommy...Which Foot?

I realized I have crippled my poor child by helping him too much. First child syndrome I would assume. He still does not know which foot to put his shoes. (However, he is so independent in everything else) This is mainly due to the fact that when I get him and his brother dressed at 6am to go to work...I am always running late and in a hurry. Rather then fight his frustrations, I put on his shoes and socks for him. This week I vowed to stop doing that. Now I hear.."Mommy, which foot does this shoe go on?" I tried to tell him the toes need to look like they are kissing, but he said YUCK! Where is my girl when I need her? Lol. (I only have two boys)

 

 

Superman to the rescue to solve all of my problems. Every mommy needs a good super hero on her side.

 

I took this sticker that we got from the doctor's office. Somehow, it never made it to my son's shirt.

 

I cut the Superman sticker in half to form a puzzle of sorts. I inserted the two halves in his shoes...and found my sanity again.

 

 

My son saw his new shoes and said, "This is AWESOME! Can you do it to all my shoes???"

Check out my new tab on my blog...Make Me. It shows a picture and a link to tons of my tutorials. Pin your heart out.

Dog Book Box..Summer of the Traveling Books

Presenting box number four. This week my boys opened the dog book box in our continued adventure of the traveling book boxes. Summer is almost over, so we are winding down on our book box adventures. However, I really did enjoy keeping them engaged this summer with books and activities. They were excited each time I told them a new book box had "arrived." As always, the Clifford box had books, activities, games, crafts, and a snack surprise.

·         Clifford Book on stakes. Surprise your little one with a “storywalk.”  The stakes are numbered. Push them in the ground and let your little one walk to read the story. Leave plenty of distance between each page of the book. See example here:

·         Additional Clifford books to read

·         The Puppy who Went to School by Gail Herman

·         Spike by Paulette Bogan

·         Little red dog reading buddy

·         Clifford Suckers-Attach two felt red ears and some googly eyes to make a Clifford sucker snack for a treat at the end of your storywalk or treasure hunt (these were not quite as cute as I hoped, and hopefully they won’t scare your child. Lol!)

·         Treasure Hunt-Set up a dog bone search. Clues are numbered with recommended hiding places.  (This would be fun for a Clifford birthday party too. Let me know if you need the template)

·         Dog Bowls and placemats-Be a little silly. Serve your child breakfast or lunch in a dog bowl...or even popcorn.Guaranteed to make them giggle. Our cocker Mia looks on very jealous. Ha! It is not even her bowl. I bought it at the $1 store.

·         Clifford Maze-Let your child use the paw print stamp in each square to help Clifford find the way to his doghouse. (Red ink pad included)

 ·         Dog Bone Counting Game-Numbers are magnetic. Change out the numbers on the dog bowls and let your little one put the correct number of dog bones in the bowl. Dog bones have been glazed, so please don’t let your child or dog eat any!

 

My son really enjoyed this game. The bowls are just flat pieces of paper but they almost appear to be three dimensional in the picture above.

·         Have fun! Make sure everything on this list is returned to the book box for the next child.

Let me know when you have worn out your book box and we will trade. I am hoping to trade about every 3 weeks and just meet up with you. Thanks! Michelle