We ate dirt.....and loved it !!

Yes, it's true......we eat dirt sometimes here at the McDonald mansion (I wish!! About the mansion part....not the dirt)

Well, maybe not the kind of dirt that's in our yard.....but the yummy kind!

Yup! You guessed it! I'm talking about "cups of dirt"....like those really-messy-fun-because-it-has-worms-in-it desserts your kiddos can get at places like TGI Fridays or Mimi's Cafe.

For Father's Day me and the girls made these to go with our uber-healthy Dad's Day dinner we whipped up of super-sweet chocolate chip waffles with whipped cream on top (we were gonna make 'em for breakfast.....but things got changed).

These are sooooooo easy to make, so the whole family can help. Here's how our clan make 'em:

Supplies

1. 5-10 oreos with the cream taken out (and eaten right away, of course!)

2. 1 package of worms (preferably the gummy kind....not the live kind)

3. A package of chocolate pudding

First, make up a package of choc. pudding, following the instructions, and divide up into the 4 cups.

Then, crush up the cookies in a ziplock baggie till it looks like dirt (the fun part for any kids who have the desire to destroy things)

Next, scoop the poor, crushed, Oreos on top of the pudding however deep you desire (we like lots!)


Finally, load on the squirmy worms! We usually add 2 per cup....but go crazy!

Then, just refrigerate till you're ready to eat!

With one package of pudding, it makes 4, but sometimes we double it to make sure we have leftovers!

So yummy and easy....Plus it gives you a good excuse to go to the store and buy OREOS!!! They even have fun summer colors and strawberry ones out now!

Tips
You can do cute things with these! Once, I went to a 4th of July B-B-Que where my friend made a HUGE batch of this in a big (clean) flower pot. After making it all and adding the worms (some fully buried so the kiddos had a great time finding them!) she adding some fake flowers (also clean). Then she had a kids beach shovel to serve it with (yup, you guessed it....clean-a-roonie!)

Now, it's your turn! Just in time for all your July 4th bashes!!

Have fun!

Free paint alert !!!

Hey there all you crafty peeps!

Get some free paint for your next DIY project!

If you go here.....you can pick out your favorite color of paint and Glidden will send you a quart of it (in eggshell finish) FOR FREE!!!


Now that's what I'm talkin' about.

I'm still trying to choose, so I took a break to blog about it (cuz I care about you all).

Also not sure what I will use it for....but you can be sure that I will blog about it!

Thanks to everyone else who posted and let me know!!

"Mommy, how do babies get in the mommy's tummy?"

Sooooooooo, the other day my 4 -year-old, Maddie, walked in my office........ and hit me with: "Mommy, how do babies get in the mommy's tummy?" came the query of my sweet baby girl, who, it seemed only yesterday somehow found her way into her own mommy's tummy.

Well, needless to say, I wasn't prepared so I said what I always say in these situations: "Go ask daddy"........"but daddy said to ask you," came her innocent reply (Yeah, well we'll see what happens when it's time to give the sex talk......he won't be so smug then!).

Luckily, I just happened to have a great age-appropriate book to bail help me out. So, after poking my head into the kitchen to glare at my sweet husband of 7 years who grinned at me and went back to playing his computer game, I sat my girls down and read "You were smaller than a dot," a book that my parents had for us when we were young (gotta love thrift store finds!)

After reading the book and answering a few questions with some beat-around-the-bush answers (come on, I'm all for being truthful with kids about stuff like this, but they're only 3 & 4 and I had to keep it G-rated!), I went to inquire as to how this particular subject popped into my curious daughter's brain. I asked my other half and he just pointed to the t.v. There, on the screen was a close-up picture of a woman's who-ha blurred out (not very well). I had forgotten to change the channel after watching a show on TLC and my daughter happened to meander by when "A baby story" came on! (I was planning on coming right back to watch something, but got sidetracked).

Anyhoo, just thought I would share this great mommy milestone with ya'll to remind you all how lucky we are to be mommies!

Have fun!

A great toy for car (or plane) trips this summer!

Hallooooooo!

I was going for the Winnie-the-Pooh sound with that....what did you think.

Anyhoo, this is something cool for you to take with you on all your gloriously fun vacations you will be taking this summer so you can keep the kiddos busy during the boring parts (ie. the traveling). I got the idea for this from Little Birdie Secrets here and thought: "Hey! cool, a chalkboard you can roll up and use anywhere!" But, I could only find the chalkboard fabric online and I wondered how the mat would look with regular fabric backing instead of oilcloth (cuz' lets face it......the choices of oilcloth in most stores is pretty much nil. The people at Joanns didn't even know what I was talking about until I found it on my own and showed them :). Soooooooo, I messed around a bit with some chalkboard vinyl (yeah, you heard me, I said chalkboard vinyl. I SO should've joined Grace's chalkboard party last month) and came up with my own version with a cute little tie to boot as well as a whiteboard version. And, using the vinyl, made it so I didn't have to mess with spray adhesive (that stuff always gets everywhere when I try to use it) So without further ado, ON WITH THE TUTORIAL!!!

Supplies
1. A 15"x 20" piece of the cutest fabric you can find (if you pick one with a white background, make sure it's on the thicker side or the black will show through)
2. A 13"x 18" piece of chalkboard/whiteboard vinyl (I'll list some in my Etsy store in the next day or two)
3. 17" of coordinating ribbon (or longer, if you'd like)
4. Coordinating thread.

I'll warn you now....I'm not the most knowledgeable seamstress, so please excuse me if I get the terminology a little wrong :)


Step 1
Lay your fabric face up and, on the short side, go in 4 inches and sew your ribbon halfway up. If you use a wider ribbon, you can reinforce it like I did with an "x" after sewing the square. You can also just do it easy, and just sew a straight line down the middle of the ribbon to attach it.


Step 2
Turn your fabric over and adhere the vinyl to the wrong side. Do this by peeling the vinyl away from the backing using the transfer tape (like pictured). Then, lay it on the fabric, sticky side down, and smooth it out. Then, use a stiff credit card or pan scraper to rub it on securely.

Step 3
After that, clip each corner to leave a 1" seam allowance (the one in the picture has rounded edges, but on later ones I made, it was easier for me to use clipped edges).

Step 4
Fold the seam over 1/2" and iron it down. DO THIS PART CAREFULLY AS THE VINYL WILL MELT ON CONTACT WITH THE IRON. I found that ironing down the first fold, makes the second one easier. If this part makes you nervous......just skip it. Now is a good time to condition the vinyl by laying a piece of chalk on it's side a rub it all over the vinyl. Then wipe it clean with a wet sponge (or towel or whatever your heart desires). You can actually do this whenever, but I did it here.

Step 5
Fold the edges over another 1/2" and pin in place, but only pin where there will be fabric, because any holes made in the vinyl.....will stay forever until the END OF TIME.

Step 6
Stitch the fabric down all the way around and........voila!! Easy peasy!

Some Tips
You can make yours any size you want...maybe even mini versions would be so cute. I just liked the size that They made theirs on Little Birdie Secrets.

You don't have to have a tie if you don't want. Or, you can do a shorter tie with velcro or a cute button to fasten it instead.

If you want, you can add a simple pocket while you add the ribbon. I just didn't do it to keep it simple for the Crafter's Club I teach.

To completely clean the chalkboard....just wipe it clean with a wet sponge (or towel or whatever your heart desires).

Also, I like using sidewalk chalk on my chalkboard crafts, since it's softer and less likely to scratch the surface. But......since I hate getting the dust all over my hands (and didn't even want to think about little chalky hands in my car), I simply made a little casing for the chalk. Just measure around the chalk and the height and then take the cutest paper you have and cut it to size. Then, wrap it around and tape it in place using your handy, dandy "terrifically tacky tape" and ta-da. Your kiddos can just slide it up as they use it!

If you do the whiteboard version, it's great fun! And I'll include the marker and a cute little eraser in the auction. Just one thing though......you just have to clean it with a mild cleaner every once in a while or it will get too much build-up on it.

Thanks for stopping by!
Have fun and don't forget to let me know what you think!

Make old, broken crayons fun again!!

So, how many of you out there have a crayon box full of broken crayons? Let's see those hands! Then you have to go out and get all new ones. Well.......don't throw those away. You can turn them into something cute that kiddos will be dying to color with. CRAYON FLOWERS!!!! (or hearts, or stars, or whatever you want). There are 2 ways to make these. The first way is to just put all your broken crayons into the mold and put them in the oven till they melt. I will be showing the second way since I didn't know if my molds were oven safe and didn't want to gamble whether I would end up with a big melted mess in my oven :)

This is also something the kids can even help with (at least a little). Here's what you need:

Supplies
1. Silicone ice cube trays (I got mine at the Dollar Tree for $1 buck each)
2. Glass measuring cup
3. Small or medium pot
4. Broken crayons (of course!)

Step 1
Make a double boiler by putting water in your pot and the putting your glass measuring cup inside (with the handle hanging over the side). Bring water to a boil while doing the next step.

Step 2
Divide the crayons into the groups you wants to melt together. I did: black, brown, pink (mixed reds, pinks and whites together), purple (mixed blues, purples, and a few whites), yellow, orange, & green. Since I have 2 girls, and they tend to use pinks and purples ALOT......so I wanted to make more pinks & purples.


Step 3
Melt down your colors in whatever order you want to pour them into the molds. Then, once melted and using a potholder to pick up the measuring cup, pour them in the molds. This is the fun part for the kids to help with! You can layer the colors, swirl them, or just make solids. Whatever their hearts desire. Since my kids are little, I couldn't let them pour, but they got to tell me how they wanted ME to do it.

Step 4
Once cooled, let the kids pop them out of the molds.....and let them have fun!

Tips
If your kiddos are little, like mine, maybe let them help with the parts that don't involve the stove too much like maybe some stirring while the crayons melt. My girls had fun sorting and dictating how they wanted their crayons to look. They also loved popping them out and seeing the magical end results!

To get layers....make sure you let the previous layer cool mostly before pouring the next. To get swirls....pour the next layer while the previous one is still liquid.

Make sure you put something under your molds just in case you drip (like I did).

The crayons smell kinda bad when they melt, so be prepared.

Using molds with less detail in them will make them easier to clean (I will update you later on how well the dishwasher did on this as well).

Have fun!

Great Father's Day Gift

Hey there.....as usual I am probably the LAST one to post an idea for the upcoming holiday. Well, this one doesn't take a whole lot of time, so quit whining :)

I (with the help of my girls) made these for my hubby 2 years ago for Father's Day. I saw something similar and LOVED them, but soon found out that they were made with clay that had to be kiln fired and people usually charged anywhere from $20 (for no painting) to $65......EACH! But, I really liked the way they looked and I couldn't find anything else that produced the same result. So, I figured out a way to fake it (don't all women do that?).
Anywhoo, I don't have step-by-step pictures, but I'll give good instructions and just let me know if you need any help.

Supplies:
1. White oven dry clay like "Sculpey" brand. I can't quite remember how much I used, but get more anyway just in case you need a re-do.....you can always return any unopened packages.
2. Acrylic craft paint in whatever colors you want use.
3. "Sculpey" brand glaze sealer (or gloss finishing craft spray)
4. Alphabet stamps (you can find these where you find the clay, but don't use your scrapbooking stamps like I did. The clay will ruin them)
5. Rolling pin & wax paper
6. Your kiddos of course!

Step 1
Remove the clay from the package, whatever amount you think you need. If your child is older, you will need more and vice versa. Knead the clay until it is very soft and pliable.

Step 2
Roll the clay between 2 sheets of wax paper into a circle until it is about 1/4 inch thick (I think the package warned about making anything thinner than 1/4 inch).

Step 3
Bring your kiddo over and help them press their hand into the clay (this may be a 2 person job depending on how old they are). Make sure to "help" them press really hard to leave a good impression. If you don't get a good impression, you can start again or maybe even just smooth the clay on the top and try again. After getting a good handprint, use your letter stamps to put your kiddo's name and the date, if you want.

Step 4
Bake the clay in your over according to the package directions.

Step 5
Once cooled, paint the inside of the handprint and name with your acrylic paints and let dry. You may need 2 coats depending on the brand and colors you use.

Step 6
Once the paint is dry, use the "Sculpey" clear glaze to give it a glossy "kiln fired" look. When I made these, I don't think they had the glaze....cuz believe me, I looked for it. I used a glossy finishing spray sealer on mine and it still looks nice, but I think it would've been nicer to use the glaze.

Some Extra Tips
While you are getting the clay ready, don't have the kiddos waiting for you. Your first time it will take you longer than you thought to get it just right (it always does). Just let them play close by so you can grab them when you're ready. Also, another reason it's important to get a good, deep impression....is that it makes it easier for you to paint. That way you can follow the natural curves of their print. On Maddie's, the thumb part looks a little off cuz that part didn't imprint as deep and was hard to tell where to paint. Also, the fingers are the hardest part to get a deep impression of, so keep that in mind while you help your kids push their hands in.

Update: Come join me over @ Just a Girl for her fun "I can make that" party!

Why I LOVE 3 Year Olds!!!

This is my just-turned-3-year-old, Aislyn. And these pictures pretty much explain it all. Here's picture #1....do you see anything wrong with this picture?

Now, do you see anything wrong with this picture?

We were running late to go somewhere and I asked her (actually, I told her after asking her 36 times) to get her pants back on so we could leave (Yes, at some point almost everyday, my children end up without some or all articles of the clothing I put on them that morning).
Anyway, she came running in to ask me if she put her flipflops on the right feet (at that point shoes were the least of her dressing woes). I didn't notice at first glance and gave her the thumbs up for getting the shoes right. Then, she turned around to run to the garage.....and I lost it.
I called her back and said "So, Aislyn, you got your pants on all by yourself?" (snicker, snicker...) to which she responded with "Yeah, I did it all by myself" (but imagine it said with in a little girl voice with a tiny lisp). Then I asked her if she needed help buttoning them up. She looked down to check and then slowly looked back at me with a guilty expression, like she was about to be drawn and quartered (Just so you know, we save that punishment for worse crimes; like messing up their hair that took me an hour and 3 candy bar bribes to do). After seeing that face.....I couldn't hold it any longer and burst out laughing as my 4 year-old came out to inspect the scene.
I said "Stay there!" and grabbed my camera, at which point she knew she was in the clear and made sure to ham it up for me. She was even nice enough to hold her shirt up for the second picture (maybe I've conditioned my kiddos too much with the camera?) Needless to say, we were a little later than I wanted to be, but I was in a good mood.
Have fun!

Giveaway Winner & Easy Exterior Home Decor!!

First things first! Sorry I didn't post my winners yesterday, but I had a migraine attack yesterday afternoon and couln't stand to even look at my computer for more than a minute.

Thank you to everyone who played (all 6 of you :). You all had great ideas!
These were the ones I went with:

So congrats to Jenn, Crystal (seems like she's very lucky these days), Misty, & Kim! I went ahead and am sending out 4 prizes (minus 1 cute jar) since it was 4 of you who's ideas (M&M's and some Cheese It's snacks for the kiddos) I went with and I haven't tried to figure out random.org yet ;)
So, for those who are curious....here are the prizes I will be sending out:

1. CHOCOLATE! Inside the tacky
cute jars
2. 6 pieces of vinyl in fun colors for you to play with on your Cricuts (or other die cutters).
3. Some fun chipboard letters in various colors.
4. Some cute seasonal rubons (great for a calendar)
5. Some embelishments for your scrapbooking!

Next time.....hopefully I can do a BIGGER prize :0)


Now......I wanted to show how we added a little "curb appeal" to the outside of our house recently. It was easy stuff and did not cost alot of $$$$ (which no one has these days).

So, here's the before. Just kinda "blah" and "boring", plus we really need to paint our trim, but that's another post.

Here's the after. We added some scrolled iron ($30 bucks each at Pier 1),

I added some "Welcome" vinyl to our front door,

and a little "please remove your shoes" vinyl to the window next to the door. My hubby also pressure washed the walkway and trimmed the reeds (or whatever they are called, I forgot) in front of the office windows.

Quick, cheap, and easy!

Now, it's your turn to go forth...and decorate!
Have fun!

tacky

Another Meanest Mom Giveaway!!!

Sweet! Here's another Meanest Mom giveaway! This time for 100 bucks CASH! Who couldn't use $100? Anyhoo, here's the link to enter and remember....if you win I get a finder's fee :)

P.S. I'll announce the winners of my giveaway tomorrow :) You will be sorry you didn't enter when you see the goodies I'm giving away.....(no, not $100 bucks)

Chalkboard Tags.......And More!

So, everywhere you look people are talking about recycling. Well, here's a great way to recycle your cereal boxes......or any boxes, after you're done eating the goods.

I got the idea of recycling boxes to make bookmarks from Crissie Grace (She also made cute white chalkboard tags too, but a little different). Anyhoo.....they turned out soooooo cute and I wanted to make something to hand out at the Enrichment I was participating in, so I started out making bookmarks, but then cut them in half and made most of them cute tags. I still made a few bookmarks as a b-day gifts to my friend Heidi, who reads alot (and happened to tease me about another chalkboard project I made :)....but that's another posting).

So, here's the "How to" for 3 different ways to use them. But, as always with chalkboard paint.....the possibilities are endless!

Supplies:
1. Empty cereal boxes or any other food boxes you have lying around
2. A good ol' can of chalkboard paint
3. Scissors or paper cutter (the one I have is rotary, so it had no problems cutting through the thin cardboard)
4. Cute scrapbook paper
5. Chalk....of corse!

Before you start, just break down your boxes and tear all the sides apart. This will make the cutting process go quicker.

Step 1

Cut the boxes down to 2 3/4" x 4" or 2 3/4" x 8" if you want to make bookmarks. The top pic shows just the raw side of the 4" tags and the bottom pic shows both the raw and printed sides of the bookmarks.

Step 2

Get out your trusty can of chalkboard paint and spray the printed side of the tags/bookmarks. I say printed side because it will take less coats since the paint won't soak into the raw cardboard side. Also, if you spray on the raw side, it may make your tags curls a little....like when you get cardboard wet. I only needed to spray 2 coats on mine.

Step 3

Pick out the cute paper you want on the other side and cut it down to size and then stick it on! I also inked the edges for an added touch (when don't I ink the edges of a paper craft?)

Step 4

Get out your trusty Crop-a-Dile and punch holes in the tops (I was able to do 3 at a time with this baby!!!!). Then, for the tags, I used hemp cording (I use this stuff all the time!), and on the bookmarks, I matched up some ribbon.
And.....Ta Da!

You can use the tags to write little notes on for your kids and hubby or write reminder notes to yourself.

Use the bookmark to write exactly where you are in your book or to take notes while you are reading and inspiration strikes (happens all the time to me :)

You can even put a bunch of tags on a ring and use them for flash cards for the kiddos since what they are working on constantly changes.

P.S. here are a few more notes.....:
Don't forget to wait 24 hours before writing on the painted chalkboard finish (or whatever it says on the can) and always season the surface before use. Do this by laying your chalk on the side and rub up and down, then side to side on the whole surface. Then wipe with a damp cloth. This will help it not get so scratched. Also, they recommend that you use a softer chalk (like sidewalk chalk), so to keep it from getting all over your hands....I like to make a cute wrapper out of pretty paper, as shown in my pics. This way, as you use it, your can just tear the paper down like on a crayon.

Have fun!

GIVEAWAY!!!!

Alrighty, so it looks like to get your attention I have to make sure you know my last post has a GIVEAWAY!! Also, to make my GIVEAWAY!! more interesting.....whomever wins the jars will receive, not only the jars themselves, but they will be filled with goodies (and maybe just a little belly button lint).

Got your attention yet or do I need to GIVEAWAY!! my second-born too (someone already has dibs on my first-born)?
Have fun!
P.S. Wednesday will be the last day to submit ideas!

A Kitchen Counter Makeover & Better Pics

Ok, so thanks to my friend Emily (great name!), I am re-learning about photography and trying to take better pics to post. You see, I took a few photography courses in college a llooonnngggg time ago and totally forgot everything. So, I have been studying it all again. We had this great 35mm that was awsome and last year I finally broke down and went DSLR and picked a GREAT one! (Canon EOS 40D) But.....I was lazy and went back to using full auto P mode. Anywhoo, the last post was the 1st one using full manuel mode (whew!).

Now on to the good stuff:

So, yesterday I was at Marshall's and spent wwaaaayyy too long (just ask my 3 & 4 year-olds). But, while I was in there I found this way cute set of glass canisters for only 10 bucks! Yup, you heard me.....10 bucks! So, I decided that one of my kitchen counters needed a makeover.

So, here is the before....

And here is the after. Notice how they sparkle in the sunlight!

I've always wanted a tall glass canister for spaghetti (yes, I have a weird spaghetti-in-a-glass-canister-fettish) and brown rice looked good in the other one. But, now I don't know what to put in the last two. Any suggestions?
Tell you what....I'll pick the top ideas 3 and send you one of the previous tenants of my kitchen counter (you can pick from "ideas" "opinions" or "belly button lint", but be careful.....we've had that 3rd one for a long time and we've nearly filled it:)
Have Fun!