DIY Board Game for Father's Day (Defend the Castle)

My boys were so excited about Father's Day this year. They have been making cards, planning breakfast in bed, and working on a play to perform. Somehow...they made all that happen this morning! It was priceless. I also helped them make a Castle board game with knights and princesses to play with their dad. They named the game Defend the Castle. I thought I would include our easy tutorial on how to make your own board game. Remember you can use any theme you want!

 

 

Supplies:

 

Old board game

Printed pictures

Modge Podge

Dice

 

Directions:

 

I think the easiest way to build a new board game is from an old board game. We had a cheap one from Dollar General we didn't play anymore. You could easily pick up one at a garage sale for $1-$2.

My boys decided on a castle theme. I googled castle images and they had the best time picking out their own castle for the board. (I had no idea how much FUN they would have making this!) 

 

 

We cut our images to fit the four corners of our game. Then I modge podged them on to the existing game. Remember, you can cover the entire game board or just replace parts of it.

 

Here is my son planning out his castle. (Such a serious look)

 

We used the little stands from the existing game and then selected knights and princesses to use as our board game pieces. If you don't have stands, I saw this cute idea below to personalize pieces.

 

Unfortunately, the link I found does not give credit to the true genius behind this idea. Sorry!

 

We happened to have some mini weapons lying around, so we used them as part of our game. As the characters move around the game, they can land at a castle. Then the owner of the castle must defend their castle by rolling a regular dice. The one who rolls the highest number wins the battle and the weapon.

 

Here are some examples of the cards we made. We placed some stickers on our board of shields. If a player landed on a shield they got to draw a card and follow the instructions.

 

Some examples:

 

The handle of your sword breaks. Move back 1 space.

 

The King and Queen requested your presence. Move ahead 2 spaces.

 

Fight like a knight and move ahead one space.

 

The dragon blew his fiery breath at you. Move back 2 spaces.

 

Show how you would defend yourself in battle. Move ahead 2 spaces.

 

 

The kids had fun coming up with fun things to do on the cards. Their favorite cards to draw were the ones that allowed them to be interactive. What little boy does not like to pretend sword fight?!

 

I think I am going to end up laminating the pieces if they keep playing it so much so they will keep their integrity. I have a feeling we will be creating more board games for some summer fun. This project cost us little more then paper and ink and it was fun to make together.

 

Hope you all have a Great Father's Day!!!

 

 

Vintage Story Book Shower Dinner Party

Ok. So I completely cheated and used part of my teacher appreciation week gift idea, towards a baby shower dinner I was throwing. Two of my dear girlfriends from high school are both pregnant with boys. They are due in July about a week apart. They already have several showers scheduled, so we decided to do an intimate "girls night" dinner with our old high school crew.

 

It was supposed to be casual...but the night before...I decided I just couldn't throw it without a theme! It is just not my style. I chose the simple theme of vintage storybooks. I already had stacks of old books and they made the perfect décor. I even pulled out my wedding china I NEVER use. (gasp)

I found this great image without a link (Sorry) and printed out cards for the place settings. I asked the guests to write themselves as the author and then write a note to each mom to be.

 

We started with these storybook themed salads. See instructions here.

My mass production of Peter Rabbit "Veggie Garden" salads.

 

The table setting included small mason jars with white flowers on top of vintage storybooks.

 

 

I was so excited to be having my first true dinner party in my new home.

 

Check out all the old storybooks on the window sill.

 

I love that my girlfriends and I have been friends for over 20 years! I am very lucky.



Unique Teacher Appreciation Lunch

My son has the best kindergarten teacher I could have ever asked for. Last week for teacher appreciation week, the school had a really fun theme of "Super Hero" teachers. They used the word Super, and challenged the students to bring an item any day they wanted that fit the theme.

S=supplies for school

U=unique gift

P="pretty" smells (flowers, lotion, etc)

E=something to eat

R=something to read

 

 

We participated in several days and we had a lot of fun coming up with creative ideas. For our teacher appreciation unique lunch idea, we sent a salad in a large mason jar. I wrapped a small piece of burlap around the jar and I hot glued it in place. Next, I created a tag with the theme of Peter Rabbit and called it a "Veggie garden" We sent a side of salad dressing and my son headed off to school with a fun salad for teacher appreciation week.

 

FYI: For the order of the layers...tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, cheese and lettuce

We kept it simple but you could easily add green and red peppers as well.

Chocolate Bunny Milk

Well, this is a little late for Easter...but so was I.  I bought this to try on Easter morning and in all the excitement I forgot!! We were having too much fun egg hunting, basket hunting, and spending time with family most of all. Well, maybe you can just pin or remember this for next year.

 

 

I bought some chocolate bunnies for 99 cents at the dollar store. I made sure they did not have any obvious cracks in them. A week after Easter we finally tried them out. I used a sharp pairing knife to make a small hole in the top of each bunny. Turning the knife in a circular motion, I carved out a small hole big enough for a straw. I used a small funnel to pour in the milk and we were ready to go!

 

Both of my boys loved it. This might have to be a new Easter tradition for us. At the cost of $1 per child I think I can afford to keep it up! I hope you had a great Easter!!

 

DIY Matte Finish Paint or Chalk Paint

The name might be deceptive if you have not heard of chalk paint before. It is not to be confused with chalkboard paint. It is basically altering paint to have a matte finish or chalky finish. It is very popular right now, and I especially love the look. My mom passed down this dresser that she had as a little girl, and I painted it pink for my precious little girl. My husband called it Pepto pink. I am in love with her new vintage pink dresser!!

 

 

 

Project Supplies:

Paint Flat
Plaster of Paris
Water
Container
Spoon or mixer
Paint Brush
Sandpaper (medium)
Furniture wax



Chalk Paint Recipe:
2 cups paint
4 Tb Plaster of Paris
2 Tb Water

 

 

Here was part of my dresser before I began the project.

 

 

I bought really bright pink paint thinking that the plaster of paris might dull down the color. Wrong! However, I still loved it that bright.

 

The paint appears very streaky when you apply it at first. It took about three good coats of paint. Make sure you let it dry several hours in between...even though it is sooo tempting to paint it sooner.

 

Don't panic yet! The coats will look more even as you go.

 

When all layers of paint are well dried, rub on a coat of wax.

 

 

I scuffed up the pink dresser a bit with a sander for a vintage look.

 

I was very pleased with how it turned out.

 

 

I also painted an old highchair with the chalk paint for my princess. Her vintage nursery is finally done. More to show soon!!

 

Pirate Treasure Valentine

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope yours is great. My boys have been whipping up Valentines all week. They are sooo excited to celebrate. Of course, our classroom Valentines were created very last minute. I walked down the party isle at Hobby Lobby at lunch, and looked for some motivation. I found some cute little treasure chest boxes and created this Valentine.

 

 

 

Valentine...You are a real TREASURE!

 

My three year old loved helping fill them with gold coins, pirate rings, and Valentine candy.

 

 

My five year old and I worked on his Valentine's earlier this week. We sewed fleece hearts together and filled them with rice.

 

We wrote:

Valentine...You Warm My Heart

 

They are designed to pop in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. They heat up perfectly to warm your hands or throw in your jacket pocket. You may also use your heart in the fridge as a mini cold pack for boo boos.

 

Thank goodness we finished all the Valentines in time!! Happy Valentine's Day!

 

P.F.Chang's Holiday Special

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of P.F. Changs for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

How was your holiday? Ours was wonderful minus the chaos, stress, and never ending events. However, I don't know what we would do if our life slowed down. As long as we take time to spend with our children to celebrate, the rest of the pieces fall into place. One of my husband and my favorite places to eat is P. F. Chang's. They offer a unique menu inspired by a combination of Asian and American culture. The dishes are such grand portions that we like to order what I consider "family style" and share several different selections. Some of our favorites are Kung Pao Chicken, Pad Thai, and the Chicken Fried Rice. The chicken fried rice is always a kid pleaser in our family.

 

 

Take a break with your family this holiday season and enjoy a delicious meal at P.F. Chang's. Their gift cards also make a perfect gift for friends, family, and co-workers. When you purchase $100 in gift cards you will even receive a bonus $20 gift card to treat yourself! Yum! 

 

 

Who do you still need to find a last minute holiday gift for? P.F. Chang's might be the perfect solution!

Need to know more about their array of menu items...Visit pfchangs.com. You can also Follow @pfchangs or Follow P.F. Chang’s on Pinterest