Twins Tuesdays: P is for Penguins

Penguin crackers from Aldi.
A very cute (and frugal) treat!

I am still trying fit in learning activities for the twins, as I wrote about in a post last year. I'm always on the lookout for fun ways to learn and themes to celebrate. Sunday was Penguin Awareness Day. There is a day for everything, isn't there? (Just so you know, "World Penguin Day" is April 25!)

Things like this give me little ideas to keep twin tots busy. Penguins are fun, cute and easy to turn into a lesson. In my little ones case, a lesson about letters! "P is for Penguin!" Penguins captured our attention for a few days; we did coloring pages with penguins. The kids like penguins, particularly Henry the penguin on "Oswald." (We are big "Oswald" fans in this house. In fact, I encourage it. It's a "quiet" show. I love the "Oswald"/"Little Bear" hour on Nick Jr. because the stress level in our house just drops when the gentle music plays on both shows. So calming!)

There are many ways to work a little penguin theme into a day, or week:

• We don't have this book, but it seems really great for a penguin lesson: If You Were A Penguin by Wendall and Florence Minor.
• For older kids, the book and movie, "Mr. Popper's Penguins" is really fun. Other great penguin flicks: "March of the Penguins" and "Happy Feet" definitely fit the bill.
• You can watch the Penguin Cam at the California Academy of Sciences.

I love this little instruction sheet on how to draw a penguin:

Source: nothingbutpenguins.com via Kellie on Pinterest

There are penguins at a local aquarium, and I bet now is the best time to see them. Crowds are not as big, so it might be worth a trip to see them without waiting for a space to peer into the exhibit, as one does in the summer.

So, whether you love penguins or not, they are a great way to celebrate winter. You could also do lessons on polar bears, or owls, or octupus, or whatever animal you choose.

I'm planning a lot of fun for Groundhog Day. Stay tuned!

TWINS TUESDAYS: "Little Bear" Birthday Fun

The twins' birthday is Saturday, so we had a little family party this weekend. Just immediate family -- grandparents, two aunts and uncles, and first cousins. Big Girl's birthday is in the summer, so in the past we always had elaborate picnics, with great aunts and great uncles and second cousins, but I've learned that bigger isn't always better.

Right now, simpler is better. Simpler means smaller. Simpler is less expensive. And this year, I decided to have the twins' birthday party on a Sunday morning, as a brunch. Easy-peasy, right? Morning means not needing beer or wine, or appetizers for that matter. I decided to make a large breakfast casserole, with shredded hashbrowns, eggs, peppers and onions, bacon and sausage. It was a modified version of this:

Source: bettycrocker.com via Kellie on Pinterest

I didn't follow the directions exactly. I used the recipe as a guideline; added sausage to the peppers-and-onions layer and the eggs poured on top; and made it twice as big. It came out pretty good, and everyone seemed to like it. I kept the buffet options light -- the casserole, some fresh bread, and a giant fruit salad prepared by my mom. Juices and coffee with assorted flavored creamers completed the beverage menu. For dessert, it was simple Funfetti cupcakes, with icing and sprinkles.

The kids love the television show "Little Bear" (as do I!) but since it is old, there is basically no merchandising to be found for this theme. Ebay has some items that are rather pricey, and that is not an option. So what's a mom to do? Make your own!

I created a half-dozen little cupcake picks with wooden skewers, scrapbook paper, and an image printed on the computer:

With the festive icing, and chocolate Teddy Grahams -- a stand-in for our favorite "Little Bear" -- and it was just enough of a theme to carry the day. A few other images printed on cardstock were hung in the kitchen.

Luckily, I was able to cull enough festive paper items, including napkins and plates, from my party goods storage, so there was no need to shell out money for those. I used plain red plates, with yellow "Happy Birthday" napkins. It all went well together. My one regret, but not a big one, is that I didn't get some party hats. I would love to have had little bear ears for the kids to wear.

If you are looking for more "Little Bear" party ideas, there are not many which I could find either by Googling it or searching Pinterest. However, these links might help:

• LittleToons.com has some great "Little Bear" free coloring printables that would make a great activity or a way to create decorations. There even a great "Little Bear" mask printable that would make a great party activity; print it on cardstock to make it sturdier before the kids color it!
• Nick Jr.'s website also has free coloring pages, as well as a Thank You note that you can easily print out.
• Peppers & Pollywogs has some good ideas in this post.
• I love this party post about making Birthday Soup, just like in the "Little Bear" story. The ideas of using honey bears as favors is also so cute!
• Using the "honey bear" idea, it would be great to find empty honey bear bottles and fill them with Teddy Grahams or gummy bears or something like that, wouldn't it?

If the twins were older, and had little friends to invite, I would love to use some of the ideas above. Who knows? Maybe there will be another "Little Bear" party in our future.

I am just happy that I was able to put together a very sweet little birthday brunch for my little twinkies on a budget. Twin Moms need that, don't they? Especially with December twins!

More "Treats"

Yum, yum!

Big Girl and I made more treats yesterday! Popcorn and Neopolitan ice cream sandwiches. (Here's a link to our first mini food project.)

A big thanks (again!) to artist Toni Ellison for sharing her mini food secrets on YouTube. Ours may not look as good as hers, but she tutorials make it so easy to attempt. We are having fun with these little projects!

Baking Some "Treats"

Polymer clay pie slices!

On Sunday, Big Girl and I had a mother-daughter crafting date. Her piano teacher had told us about these videos on You Tube which demonstrate how to make mini food out of polymer clay. Well, Big Girl and I took one look at those videos and we were hooked.

Last week, polymer clay was 40 percent off at Michaels so we knew that was a sign to go get our supplies. She picked out two different things to make and we headed out to get our clay.

On Sunday, with the twins in the rooms for a nap and my husband out golfing, we sat down and unwrapped our clay packages and got to work. We had so much fun that 3 hours passed by in the blink-of-an-eye!

Big Girl making "cherry pie filling."

We first tried our hand at mini pie slices: cherry, blueberry and apple. Of course, we could not get it to look as good as the video, but I think they can out pretty cute. Big Girl is having her birthday party this weekend, and wants to make some blueberry slices as charms for her friends for party favors. (Blueberry because her party is Greek mythology/Percy Jackson based, and if you know anything about the Percy Jackson books, his mom always made him blue food for special occasions.)

I only mastered one apple pie slice, but I plan on trying to make more. My favorite is the cherry, because cherry pie is so cute, right?

I'm embedding the tutorial from YouTube below. The artist is Toni Ellison, and her work is amazing. She is what I consider a generous artist, since she shares so many of her secrets in these wonderful tutorials.



Big Girl also wanted to make the lemonade drink from the Starbucks tutorial. I worked on this one while she worked on her blueberry pies. Oddly enough, the "lemonade" is actually glow-in-the-dark clay! Here's a really bad pic of our finished drinks, complete with Starbucks logo, ice cubes on top and a green straw:

Blurry pic of our Starbucks lemonade charms...

I just couldn't get a good pic. They are definitely not as good as Toni Ellison's version, but they are cute none-the-less!

Here's the video for the lemonade as well as several Starbucks drinks:



This was such a fun project. We would like to make several more things we've seen on YouTube... Being a coffee drinker, I would love to make the coffee. We also want to try the pop tarts, cakes, ice creams... They are all so cute! We will likely use some in our dollhouse, and larger versions would make really good American Girl food. You can add the eye hooks to make charms like we did for some of them, and turn them into necklaces, earrings, or even create a charm bracelet.

(I'm actually thinking ahead to Christmas... Um, did I just say that? :) But seriously, how cute would one of those Starbucks charms be, when packaged with a $5 Starbucks gift card? So cute!)

And the best part about our Sunday afternoon craft project? Spending quality time with my daughter.

Mom's Guide to... July 4th!

Source: missmustardseed.blogspot.com via Kellie on Pinterest

Independence Day is this week, which means patriotic fun! Break out the red, white and blue for the mid-week holiday. I love the display above -- lemonade, daisies, flags and strawberries. Doesn't get much prettier and simpler and cozier than that.

For Memorial Day, I had a post on poppies and a few other patriotic links. For the 4th of July, I've also compiled a few links to inspire and educate.

Source: july.tipjunkie.com via Kellie on Pinterest

Of course, we must start out with a kid-friendly craft. I love this handprint/footprint flag. Stick it in a frame for an annual decoration. It's so cute and what a great memory of your little ones. Be sure to write the year on it somewhere.

For more framed decor, this free printable subway art is perfect to add to your 4th of July display. Print it out and stick it in dollar store frame. (If the dollar store frame doesn't match your decor, hit with a coat of spray paint!)

And speaking of printables, here's an adorable 4th of July Bingo Game printable. Or how about a set of Conversation Starter Cards and Jokes? Both are great for a holiday picnic. Print out and put in a basket on the kids table.

Family Fun has a wealth of Fourth of July ideas, from crafts and recipes to activities and printables.

Learning about the holiday doesn't have to be boring: Who remembers this nostalgic Schoolhouse Rock video:




Don't forget to make your treats patriotic on the 4th!! Red, white and blue food is must for the holiday. With strawberries and blueberries abundant, it's easy to whip up a patriotic plate of fresh fruit, or top a simple cake with white frosting or Cool Whip, then add a berry display on top.

Source: bettycrocker.com via Kellie on Pinterest

Betty Crocker's Firecracker cake, above, is perfect for the 4th of July. You can also turn the cake into a cupcake version by layering the three colors of batter in cupcake liners. Top with white frosting and red, white and blue sprinkles.

And one of my favorite blog's, Frugal Upstate, has a great post on how make a red, white and blue ice cream cake.

Finally, keep it safe: Check out this fireworks safety article before you launch any rockets or light any sparklers.

Have a great Fourth of July!

Pool Noodle Garland

Recently I was browsing on Pinterest and I came across this and decided to re-create the project myself. Do you do that? Do you pin stuff to make? And do you ACTUALLY make it? I try to make things I like -- not everything, since materials can be expensive, but I do like to find little projects and recipes to make life more interesting and to bookmark for the future.

Any-who... Back to the Pool Noodle Garland via Dollar Store Mom. I headed over to Dollar Tree to see if they some pool noodles and, lo and behold, they had the same three choices that Dollar Store Mom used. (I really wanted more color choices, but I wasn't spending more than $1 each -- this is cheap crafting, folks!) I picked up the three colors as well as a plastic clothesline to string everything on. The original project uses twine or string, but I figured the blue-and-white clothesline would be sturdier (and more colorful).

Ironically, while I waited to tackle this little craft, my husband worked on getting our pool ready.

And he saw the pool noodles and decided to use them for a late afternoon swim.

So much for that... I headed back to Dollar Tree to get three more!

The project was super-easy-peasy-simple and I think it's pretty cute and colorful. We have this totally boring, bland, plain white stockade fence around our pool ladder for safety reasons. It's a basic box where we can leave our towels and get in the pool and I think it's kind of ugly. This year, I wanted to jazz it up a bit and I thought this garland would be an easy and frugal way to add some cute summer color.

Basically you slice up the pool noodles into little flat shapes and then thread them on the string/rope/twine/whatever. It's as easy as that. Except when I got out the kitchen knife and slice up the pool noodles, the twins are intrigued and begging for a piece. So I hand Buddy Twin a blue pool noodle flower, and he takes a bite out of it.

Seriously.

He chomped on a pool noodle. I guess he thought it was fruit or some other food since I was cutting it up on the kitchen counter.

Sigh.

I pull the styrofoam out of his mouth and, choking crisis averted, continue on with crafting.

The plastic clothesline was thicker and I didn't have a "needle" to thread it, so I taped the end of the clothesline to a big giant needle to get it though the pool noodle pieces. It worked well enough for me to string up as much I wanted. I had plenty of pool noodle pieces left over, and I can make another whole garland if I want, but for now I'm letting the kids play with them.

The final project only cost $4, and like I said earlier, I could make two garlands for this price. The above photo only shows about half of what I made -- the other half links around the front of the fence. Frugal and fun! I'm sure you could add other things to the garland if you wanted, like cheap flip flops, or pin wheels or something to jazz it up even more.

And speaking of flip flops, for another great frugal and fun project, try these flip flop planters from dollar store finds on Dollar Store Crafts. Very cute!

Milestone Birthday Gifts

My sister-in-law recently turned 40 and I wanted to give a cute gift. I couldn't afford 40 diamonds or 40 bottles of wine, etc., so I started searching Pinterest for something cute. I made the little above jar of bubblegum, and attached a gift card for $40 on the top. I thought my little bubblegum gift was pretty cute and colorful, and everything, except the gift card, came from the dollar store, of course!

In my search I came across a few other "milestone" gifts -- you can make them work for any milestone birthday, like 30, 40, 50, etc. There were many variations on Pinterest for this one:

Source: sistersstuff.blogspot.com via Sarah on Pinterest

Some pins were of the lollipops in jars, in buckets, in flower pots, shaped as flowers, etc. The sentiment was always the same: "(INSERT AGE) SUCKS!"

Of course, any variation on the birthday number is fun: For 40, try 40 cards, 40 instant lottery scratch-offs, 40 anything. Or put together a gift basket in memory of the year the person was born.

This gift is also pretty creative: A "Bucket List Scrapbook."

Source: sometimescreative.blogspot.com via Amy on Pinterest

Each page has a different adventure, and leaves room for notes and photos. Some of the options can include "Throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain," "Swim with the sharks," "Ride a mechanical bull," "Take your children to Disney World," and more more. You can find out more about it here.

Last-minute Easter ideas

A few of my Easter decorations

Easter is just a few days away, but there's still time to pull off the best Easter ever. Don't let time stop you from creating a little fun for your family. And fun doesn't really have to cost much.

If you have last-minute Easter basket shopping to do, don't forget to check out these recent posts: Easter baskets for little kids and Easter baskets for big kids.

If you need a cute little decoration to store your dyed eggs in, why not check out this tutorial on a paper bag Easter basket? It's adorable and frugal.

Source: ellinee.com via Kellie on Pinterest

If you need a cute Easter dessert or hostess gift, try Jelly Bean Bark -- simple and easy and pretty and cute. For a little gift, package in cellophone bags with some ribbon. You can even store it the paper bag basket from the above photo.

Source: scissorsandspatulas.com via Kellie on Pinterest

Here's another version, called Bunny Cookie Bark, with different ingredients, but same concept:

Source: yourhomebasedmom.com via Kellie on Pinterest

Both involve just melting chocolate, adding some yummy ingredients and letting the chocolate re-solidify in the fridge.

Keep the kids at the Easter gathering happy with Jelly Bean Bingo. (A free printable.)

Jelly Bean Bingo! Great kids game for Easter gathering.

Source: club.chicacircle.com via Kellie on Pinterest

Pull off an inexpensive and simple egg hunt by picking up plastic eggs at the dollar store. Stuff the plastic eggs with little treats (also available at the dollar store) or even loose change. Or get a jigsaw puzzle at the dollar store and put pieces of it in the eggs you hide. When the kids open all the eggs, they can put the puzzle together. (And it can keep them busy while you get the Easter dinner ready!)

Pick up some pre-made sugar cookie dough, bake cookies in holiday shapes or even plain round circles, and let the kids decorate with pre-made icing, sprinkles and other candies for a festive Easter dessert.

And then there is the annual favorite, PEEPS! If you want to know anything and everything about the treat, including find a whole bunch of recipes on what you can create with one, visit the PEEPS website.

If you want to give kids a lesson about the real meaning of Easter, several blogging moms always talk about this tradition -- making Ressurection Rolls. The rolls are basically crescent roll dough wrapped around a marshmallow, but when you bake them, the marshmallow melts and disappears -- like Jesus' body in the tomb. Learn about it at this link.

After Easter dinner, make your own Easter parade. Take a walk with the family, and if you are feeling adventurous, put on some hats, or Easter bonnets.
So that's it! Feel free to add some of your own ideas and links in the comments section.

HAPPY EASTER!

Getting My Green On

St. Patrick's Day is Saturday, and for Irish-Americans (and wannabe Irish-Americans), the blessing of March 17 falling on a weekend is a fun prospect.

I'm sure many will celebrate with a Guinness or a green beer, but some of us won't drink ourselves into  oblivion. If you are still scrambling to plan some fun to honor the Irish heritage this weekend, look no further than this post. (One of my goals with this blog is to offer up some ideas I find in my web surfing, so from time to time, I hope to put posts with a fun list of links to great ideas.)

So, here are several great links to get your Irish up...

Let's start with this:

Source: shine.yahoo.com via Kellie on Pinterest

The Shamrock Shake! Check out the copycat recipe here to make it at home. You can recreate the once-a-year McDonald's treat without having to leave your kitchen.

And on a side note... does anyone remember Uncle O'Grimacey??

You could also start a tradition with your little ones with having a leprechaun visit overnight: My oldest has woken up to silly little trinkets left on her bedroom floor -- chocolate coins, a tiny toy... Think green and think rainbow, like rainbow-colored twizzlers. Or have your leprechaun do a little mischief --  put green food dye in the toilet bowl, leave tiny green "footprints" on yesterday's newspaper, tint the milk for the morning bowl of Lucky charms green... All you over-achieveing Elf on the Shelf mommies can surely dream up something!

Of course, if there's time, have your little ones set a leprechaun trap on Friday before they go to bed. You can see some ideas here -- Family Fun magazine is alway is a great source of things to do with kids.

Maybe you'd like to celebrate your heritage with a special Irish gift, whether for yourself or a loved one. Head over to this link, Ogham Art, to see the most unique Irish gifts, decor and jewelry (I love this piece.) I have a pretty frame with my children's name written in the ancient Ogham alphabet. And if you ask, they will even design a tattoo for you!

Older children might want to hear the real story of who St. Patrick really was.

And if there's time, cram in some crafting. I always love a dollar store craft! Sustainably Chic Designs did a post on some crafty St. Patrick's Day decor created from Dollar Tree items.

Kids can also craft up some St. Patrick's Day cards for loved ones, with shamrocks and rainbows and leprechauns and pots of gold, but if you run out of time, check out this American Greetings link with a few free printable cards.

UPDATE: I also just saw a preview for this TV movie, "Chasing Leprechauns," which will air at 8 p.m. Saturday on the Hallmark channel. Looks like cute family entertainment. Check out the preview on the link.
As for me, I will celebrate with my own family, as well as visit my husband's family -- however, St. Patrick's Day for me also means something different. It was my grandfather's birthday, and he died just before my twins were born at the age of 90 years. So I always remember him on this day!

Enjoy your St. Pat's, and be safe!