Making Bird Feeders With The Kids

For our craft last week the kids and I made bird feeders.  This is an easy craft to do with kids of all ages.

All you need for this craft is peanut butter, bird seed, string and pine cones.  We collected a bunch in the summer to use for crafts throughout the year.

The kids just spread the peanut butter on the pine cones and rolled it in the bird seed.

When we were done we tied string on and hung them out in the backyard on the trees.  The kids loved watching the birds have their snack.

This is also a great craft to do at birthday parties.

Jenn

Halloween Treat Bags and Pumpkin Mandarin Cups

This year I did treat bags for my daughter to take to school and Sparks and pumpkin mandarin cups for my son to give out at preschool for Halloween.

This is what I used for their treats:

-snack size chocolate bars
-welches fruit snacks (not pictured)
-treat bags
-mandarin fruit cups
-Halloween pencils
-black marker (not pictured)
-thin ribbon (not pictured)


Treat Bags

For my daughter's friends I used a treat bag and filled it with 1 pencil, 2 snack size chocolate bars and a pack of fruit snacks.  I used ribbon to close the bag and curled the ends.

Pumpkin Mandarin Cups

My son is only 2 and I know he will already get a ton of candy from his Halloween party so I decided on a healthier treat.  I took mandarin fruit cups and used a black marker to draw a pumpkin face on it.  He thought it was awesome so I hope the other kids will like it.  I saw this idea on Pinterest a while back and thought it was so cute .

Jenn

Tissue Paper Pumpkins

This is a great craft to do with the kids.  I did this with my 2 and 6 year old.  We even did this twice in one week.  These are also great to display for Halloween decorations.  

What you need for this:

- toilet paper
- orange tissue paper
- green tissue paper
- tape
- markers

Take a piece a orange tissue paper and fold it in half.  Place the toilet paper at the end and roll it up.  Use a piece of tape on the seam.  Push the ends of the tissue paper into the ends of the toilet paper roll.  Cut a small piece of green tissue paper and stick it in one of the ends.  Give your kids a marker and let them create their own faces.  I hope your kids enjoy this Halloween craft as much as mine did.

Jenn

1st Birthday Party Theme

Last week was my daughters 1st Birthday.  I'm going to share some of the things I did to put her party together.  Hopefully these ideas will help when you plan your little ones party.

DECORATIONS

I went to Party Max and Dollarama to pick up the decorations.
This is what I picked up from each store.

Party Max
-pink plastic plates
-1st Birthday Banner
-invitations
-1st birthday hat
-1st birthday bib
-high chair decorating kit
-1st birthday cake plates
-1st birthday napkins
-I ordered helium balloons to be picked up on day of party
-sign me dog

Dollarama
-pink table cloth
-pink cutlery
-pink napkins
-pink and white streamers
-pink cupcake liners

FOOD/DRINKS

This is the food and drinks I served.

-meatballs
-meat and cheese tray
-buns
-chips
-goldfish
-cabbage rolls
-oreos dipped in icing
-spinach dip
-veggie straws
-watermelon
-grapes
-srtawberries
-cake / cupcakes
-ice cream
-pop
-juice
-water
-punch

 I saw on Pinterest oreos dipped in chocolate.  I hate melting chocolate .  Something always goes wrong no matter how I do it so I thought I'd save myself the hassle and use icing.  I bought a can of icing and used food colouring to tint it.  I put the icing in a bowl and melted it in the microwave . You should stir every 10 seconds until the icing drips off the spoon.  You don't need to melt the whole can of icing at once I did bits at a time .  Once the icing was melted I dipped half the oreo in and placed it on wax paper.  Then put some sprinkles on it before the icing set.  To save on time I made these a few days before and kept them in the freezer. 

 

For the cake I made a 6" fondant white cake .  I had it displayed on cake plates and pillars.  Under the cakes I also made cupcakes.  I served the cupcakes for the party and kept the 6" cake for my daughter to smash the next day which was her actual birthday.

I also picked up a sign me dog for everyone at the party to sign.  I was a bit upset since my other 2 kids had a bear but they only sell the dogs now.  Not that big of a deal lol but I was hoping they would all have the same one.

Jenn

Legoland Discovery Centre Toronto

My husband and I took our kids to the Legoland Discovery Centre in the Vaughan Mills Mall in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  My kids had a blast.  As soon as we pulled up they were screaming with excitement.

They loved the giant Lego people .

These are all the activities they have there for you to do.

LEGO FACTORY
As soon as you walk in the door they show the process of how Lego is made .  Both kids got a Lego piece as a keepsake . 

KINGDOM QUEST
The kids loved this ride .  You get to ride through a tunnel and use a laser gun to shoot all the bad guys to save the princess.

MINILAND
This part was amazing.  It was a whole city made of Lego.  There was the Rogers Centre, Air Canada Airport, CN Tower, Air Canada Centre,  and a whole lot of other Canadian landmarks all made out of Lego.

LEGO MASTER BUILDER ACADEMY
The kids took a class on how to build a Lego beaver.  My 6 year old loved it but my 2 year old lost interest after a few minutes.

LEGO FIRE ACADEMY
They had a decent size play area for the kids to play on. With slides and wall climbers and different levels.

MERLIN'S APPRENTICE
The kids also loved this ride .  It was like a carnival ride .  The faster you pedaled the higher you went.

LEGO CONSTRUCTION SITE
This area had Lego everywhere .  There were soft Lego, big and small Lego.  Even the baby enjoyed it.

 

LEGO RACERS: BUILD AND RACE
This area had ramps to race Lego cars.  This was a challenge for us since my husband and I had no idea how to build a car out of Lego.  Luckily we found cars laying around that other kids had built. LOL.

When we were ready to go home you have to walk through the Lego store .  I had already looked online at their website to see what they sold to get my kids prepared on what they could choose .  I didn't want any melt downs for an expensive set.

Overall we had a great time and I would recommend taking your kids there. Admission wasn't too bad.  It was $22 for ages 13 and up and $18 for ages 3-12. Kids 2 and under are free .  They also have a cafe inside .  We ate in the food court of the mall when we were leaving.

If you would like more info click here .  There are also other Lego Discovery Centres across Canada and the United States. 

Jenn

July Favorites 2013

DOVE STYLE + CARE MOUSSE

This mousse is very light weight.  It holds curls and is great to style with.  It has a whipped cream texture .  I purchased it at Shoppers for around $5.

 

MUNCHKIN FRESH FOOD FEEDER

I loved using these with my kids.  I used to put frozen or fresh fruit or cooked vegetables in it.  I liked how the kids could suck on the food without the worry of them choking.  They are easy to use .  I highly recommend trying this product.  I purchased it at ToysRUs for under $10 for two.  I bought them 6 years ago so I'm not sure if you can still get them there but you can order them on amazon.ca.  

 TAKE ALONG TOOL KIT

  

I collect Huggies points.  So I used my points to get this tool kit.  It cost 425 points.  My 2 year old son loved this.  It came with a hammer, screw driver, nails and screws.  If you purchase Huggies diapers I recommend collecting the points.  I have used the points to get a few different things.  I have been happy with everything I received.

STARBUCKS LIGHT VANILLA BEAN FRAPPUCCINO

This is my new favorite drink .  I ask for it light to save on calories.  That means it is made with non fat milk , sugar-free syrup and no whip cream.  According to myfitnesspal.com a grande is only 160 calories.

Jenn

June Favorites 2013

PHILADELPHIA CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE

This cream cheese is a nice way to fight the urge to eat chocolate .  My kids think it tastes like icing and I agree .  It is only 50 calories for a tbsp.

STARBUCKS SUGAR-FREE HAZELNUT SYRUP

While in Starbucks one day I discovered you can purchase their syrups.  I figured they would be expensive but they were only $10.   That's the same price if you were to get bottle of syrup at a specialty coffee store .   You can also purchase a pump there for it but I had one already at home .   I usually put one to two pumps in my coffee depending on my mood.  The sugar-free syrups have ZERO calories in it.

HEXAGON GATE

In our new home our living room has a large open entrance way.  With having a crazy 11 month old that loves to climb stairs I had no idea what type of gate to use that was long enough.  Plus here was only one wall that it could attach to.  We purchased the North States Superyard Xt Gate from Toys R Us.  I didn't connect it in the hexagon shape like it was meant for.  I put it across the entrance way so one side was behind the couch and the other side could be pulled over to go in between my computer desk and wall.  When we don't need it we push it back behind the couch.  If you have a gate problem like I did maybe this option could work for you.

view from outside living room

view from inside living room

Jenn

Let's paint the fence

My kids are always telling me they're bored even though they have a ridiculous amount of toys.  My mom told me that when we were little she used to give us a paint brush and a bucket of water and let us paint the deck.  By the time we thought we had "painted" everything the water had dried so we'd start again.  My kids love doing this.  I bought them each a special bucket and paint brushes from the dollar store and they couldn't wait to get started.

I hope this will keep your kids busy for hours.

Jenn

Fruit Loop Neckaces

Sorry I haven't written lately but my husband and I have just moved into our first home .  Moving with 3 young kids has been keeping me very busy.  Now that I'm mostly settled in I should have some more time to get on my blog.  The good thing about moving is there had been lots of  DIY projects I have been working on so I'll be writing about those soon.  To ease back into things I'm going to start back with a kids craft that I have used to keep my kids busy while I've been unpacking.



My 2 oldest love making Fruit Loop necklaces.  Not only is it a neat thing to make but it also gives them a snack to eat.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
-Fruit Loops
-plastic lace (you can find spools of it in the craft store)


For those of you that don't know, this is what plastic lace looks like.

All you do is cut a piece of the plastic lace and tie a loop knot on the end.  Pour some Fruit Loops in a bowl and let the kids thread it on.  Once they are done tie the ends together and let them wear and eat their creations.

Here are some pictures of my little ones making theirs. 

Isabella was a pro at this.

Dean couldn't wait till he was done.

Showing off their hard work.

YUMMY

Hope you all enjoy this with your kids.

Jenn

April Favorites 2013

MARY'S ORGANIC CRACKERS

These crackers have become mine and my husbands favorite .  They are only 140 calories for 13 crackers. They are made with whole grain brown rice, quinoa, flax seeds and sesame seeds.  These crackers are also gluten free.  They can be found at Costco for around $7.  It has 2 bags in the box.
I have also seen them at Fortinos but they are about $5 for 1 small bag.

LIPTON GREEN TEA SUPERFRUIT - WILD CRANBERRY AND POMERGRANATE

I love this tea.  I found a sample of it I got a while back, and after I drank it I knew I had to buy a box.
I probably would never buy this flavour combination if I hadn't had a sample so I'm glad I did. 

3-IN-1 SMART TRIKE

My son got this bike for his 1st birthday.   He absolutely loves it.   I love how this bike is good from 10 months to 36 months.  It has an adjustable handle to push and a 3 point harness for when their young.  When they get older you can take off the bars along the side .  Then when they get old enough to ride a tricycle you can take of the handle and let them ride .  I definitely think it's a great investment.   If you would like to see more on how all the stages work click here.



CONTIGO WATER BOTTLES

A few weeks ago I purchased these water bottles from Costco.   It came with a pack of 3 and was just under $20.  I find these bottles very convenient.  They are leak proof and you just press a button on the back to release the seal to have a drink.  These bottles are 100% BPA free .  There is a clip handle on the bottle which  makes it easy to carry and easy to attach.

Jenn

Disney's Cars Theme Birthday Party

For my son's 2nd birthday I decided to do Cars theme since he was obsessed with McQueen. I'm going to be showing how I put his party together. I don't have pictures of everything because I didn't know I'd ever be writing about it but I will post links to explain everything.

                                                                The birthday boy

INVITATION

I wanted an invitation that looked like a ticket. I searched Etsy and found someone that would make it and send me a copy through my email. I ordered it from Kids Party Kreation. I printed out the tickets on card stock at home, but you could also go to a retail outlet like Staples etc.

DECOR

For the decor I used red and white streamers. I went to Party City and bought a checkered flag table cloth roll. It cost around $20. I did about 6 or 7 tables and there's still some left on the roll. I also bought a couple Cars table decorations . I printed out signs on card stock to put up at every game. If you would like the templates click here

.

I made pit passes for each kid to wear with their names on it. I printed them off on card stock and laminated them at home. If you would like the template click here. To protect them I bought a plastic "lamination kit" from the dollar store, which served its purpose perfectly.  I cut out the size I wanted and put a piece on both sides of the pit pass and trimmed the edges. I then hole punched the top and added string.

FOOD

For food I kept it simple and ordered pizza. I also had chips, and a fruit and veggie tray. I bought Cars plates for the kids and red plates for the adults to use. For the cake I made a 3D McQueen cake and cupcakes.

For this cake I used the Wilton 3D Cruiser pan. I looked up a McQueen picture and did my best to copy it.

The cupcakes are hard to see in this picture but I just used white buttercream icing and stuck flags in them. I bought the flags at Party City.


GAMES AND CRAFTS

I had different stations set up with activities for the kids.

Colouring Table - I had a table set up with boxes of crayons and pictures of some of the
                           characters of  Cars. I downloaded some pictures and took them to
                           Staples to make copies.

Sticker's McQueen - I bought a poster of McQueen and downloaded a picture of his smile and
                                 made a pin the mouth on McQueen game. I made copies of his smile at
                                 Staples and used tape to have the kids stick it on.

Ramone's House of Body Art - I bought Car's tattoos for the boys and princess tattoos for the girls.

Pinata - I bought a Cars pull string pinata from Party City and filled it with candy. His party
             was 2 weeks after Halloween so I went on the search for candy on sale the week
             after Halloween.

Bean Bag Toss - I hadn't put on my winter tires yet so I used them to toss the bean bags in.

GOODIE BAGS

To make the bags I downloaded the Cars logo and printed it on to paper lunch bags. I did this at home and it was not as easy as I thought. I had to do one at a time putting the paper bags into the printer. When I was done filling them I folded the top down and hole punched 2 holes and tied ribbon on it. Even though it was a little bit of work I was very happy with how they turned out.

I don't have a picture of what was in the goodie bags but I will post pictures of where I got the ideas from.

In the goodie bags I put some candy that was left over from filling the pinata. I also put Cars stickers in them.

I found a template for Cars bookmarks. So I printed them on card stock and laminated them.

If you would like this template click here.

I found a bag topper template which I also downloaded and took to Staples to print. I used snack size ziploc bags and filled one with Oreos and another with Bugles. I folded the topper on top and stapled it.

If you would like the template click here.


If you have any questions please comment below. I hope you found some ideas for making your little boys birthday special.

Jenn