This post contains affiliate links.
 |
| We had gorgeous weather!
Sunny. Warm. Awesome.
|
Spring had sprung. I knew it had, it said so all over my Facebook feed. But it didn't stay epic for long. Rain and cold air came back this week! Since then, I've had a song stuck in my head that I remember from when I was Pirate's age. I may not be able to find it on youtube; but a couple of decades later, I can still hear it oh-so-clearly!
"It's raining outside and we can't go out to play; what do you like to do in the rain?"
So with it being so cold and wet outside, we opted to stay indoors. We kept ourselves warm and dry by drinking coffee, and coloring! That's right, I said coloring! It seems to be all the rage now. Grown-ups relaxing with their old childhood pastime. In fact, it's such a hit that that coloring book creators have gone wild creating new, grown-up friendly pages in countless themes! But enough of that! The best part of it all was that Pirate and I could do this together. Spending time with this kid is oh-so-important to her little heart and it's oh-so-important to us as a family.
 |
| Coloring with Pirate |
And if we can spend time together without me having to cross a perilous obstacle course she has designed or hiding under the kitchen sink, I'm all for it!
Because, really. What 32 year old really needs to be under the kitchen sink?!
People get stuck.
Anyway! We couldn't have picked a better time to be stuck indoors. I was given the opportunity to review an adult coloring book! So we grabbed some pencils, some coffee and the coloring book! Well, technically we printed out some .pdf copies - which, if you're into it, when you buy this coloring book on Amazon, it includes a free .pdf download.
by: Jade Summer
 |
| CLICK HERE to find this on Amazon! |
I was really surprised at how much detail there was to this book. It really took some time and effort to color every piece. And if you enjoy coloring, that's a great thing.
It was nice to just sit and chill.
Drink my coffee and color a picture with my girl.
Pirate lost interest pretty quickly and flipped her paper over to draw on the blank side, but she is 6 years old. Still, I think it was a win for us! Inexpensive. No back spasms from being stuck under a table. If you're into coloring, be sure to check this out on Amazon. The author has soooooo many more books to choose from!
Drop us a comment, how do you spend your rainy days? What's your favorite indoor activity with the little ones in your life?
As always, come back for more. Like us on FB and subscribe here for more posts!
Rainy Day Survival: Coffee & Coloring
Wednesday, March 1, 2017 • adult coloring book, amazon, cheap, coloring, family, gifts, kids, mom, parenting, pirate, presents, quality time, rainy day, things to do
This post contains affiliate links.
|
| We had gorgeous weather!
Sunny. Warm. Awesome.
|
Spring had sprung. I knew it had, it said so all over my Facebook feed. But it didn't stay epic for long. Rain and cold air came back this week! Since then, I've had a song stuck in my head that I remember from when I was Pirate's age. I may not be able to find it on youtube; but a couple of decades later, I can still hear it oh-so-clearly!
"It's raining outside and we can't go out to play; what do you like to do in the rain?"
So with it being so cold and wet outside, we opted to stay indoors. We kept ourselves warm and dry by drinking coffee, and coloring! That's right, I said coloring! It seems to be all the rage now. Grown-ups relaxing with their old childhood pastime. In fact, it's such a hit that that coloring book creators have gone wild creating new, grown-up friendly pages in countless themes! But enough of that! The best part of it all was that Pirate and I could do this together. Spending time with this kid is oh-so-important to her little heart and it's oh-so-important to us as a family.
|
| Coloring with Pirate |
And if we can spend time together without me having to cross a perilous obstacle course she has designed or hiding under the kitchen sink, I'm all for it!
Because, really. What 32 year old really needs to be under the kitchen sink?!
People get stuck.
Anyway! We couldn't have picked a better time to be stuck indoors. I was given the opportunity to review an adult coloring book! So we grabbed some pencils, some coffee and the coloring book! Well, technically we printed out some .pdf copies - which, if you're into it, when you buy this coloring book on Amazon, it includes a free .pdf download.
by: Jade Summer
|
| CLICK HERE to find this on Amazon! |
I was really surprised at how much detail there was to this book. It really took some time and effort to color every piece. And if you enjoy coloring, that's a great thing.
It was nice to just sit and chill.
Drink my coffee and color a picture with my girl.
Pirate lost interest pretty quickly and flipped her paper over to draw on the blank side, but she is 6 years old. Still, I think it was a win for us! Inexpensive. No back spasms from being stuck under a table. If you're into coloring, be sure to check this out on Amazon. The author has soooooo many more books to choose from!
Drop us a comment, how do you spend your rainy days? What's your favorite indoor activity with the little ones in your life?
As always, come back for more. Like us on FB and subscribe here for more posts!
This post contains affiliate links.
This post may contain affiliate links. Disclosure at the bottom.
Really, my entire household is pretty hooked on the caffeinated beverage. Well, not quite everyone. Not Tootsie Roll, but give her time. She's only one.
We have had a very cold and rainy week. So when Pirate and I were trying to get warmed up yesterday, we pulled out one of our favorite little coffee makers: Melitta Pour-Over Coffee Brewer.
 |
| {Click here to see this on Amazon!} $5.85 + shipping |
Oh how we love this little guy! We bought this about 5 years ago and makes a delicious cup of coffee. We think it's even better than the drip-coffee some days. I was running low on coffee the other day, so I made sure to use the Melitta to better "budget" my coffee to save some for later. Because Mama needs her coffee.
I'll say it again, Mama needs her coffee.
Pirate's Coffee Tutorial.
I love how excited she was to make this video for y'all, I hope you enjoyed it.
Yes, my child attempted to slurp up the creamer she spilled! She is six, and this is real life. I've said it before, I'll say it again, nothing that you find on this blog will ever be about perfection!
Tell me, what's your favorite way to drink coffee? Not a coffee drinker, what do you enjoy? As always, feel free to leave a comment and find us FB & Twitter.
Pirate Makes The Coffee: A Tutorial
Saturday, February 11, 2017 • amazon, coffee, coffee maker, melitta, pirate, pour over, spilled milk, tutorial
This post contains affiliate links.
This post may contain affiliate links. Disclosure at the bottom.
Really, my entire household is pretty hooked on the caffeinated beverage. Well, not quite everyone. Not Tootsie Roll, but give her time. She's only one.
We have had a very cold and rainy week. So when Pirate and I were trying to get warmed up yesterday, we pulled out one of our favorite little coffee makers: Melitta Pour-Over Coffee Brewer.
|
| {Click here to see this on Amazon!} $5.85 + shipping |
Oh how we love this little guy! We bought this about 5 years ago and makes a delicious cup of coffee. We think it's even better than the drip-coffee some days. I was running low on coffee the other day, so I made sure to use the Melitta to better "budget" my coffee to save some for later. Because Mama needs her coffee.
I'll say it again, Mama needs her coffee.
Pirate's Coffee Tutorial.
I love how excited she was to make this video for y'all, I hope you enjoyed it.
Yes, my child attempted to slurp up the creamer she spilled! She is six, and this is real life. I've said it before, I'll say it again, nothing that you find on this blog will ever be about perfection!
Tell me, what's your favorite way to drink coffee? Not a coffee drinker, what do you enjoy? As always, feel free to leave a comment and find us FB & Twitter.
Valentine's Day is upon us! It's less than a week away, and I have a little DIY for you. One of my favorite things to write on this blog has been my little Five Under $5 series. So in the spirit of Valentine's Day and for the love of little gifts with little price tags, I give you the Heart Map.
All you need are a few good memories, a picture frame, some paper and a printer, a little magic from Google, and some basic craft supplies like scissors and glue. And coffee. Never forget the coffee.
Let's get started! Now please remember, this comes from the heart. It's not about perfection. Nothing on this blog is EVER about being perfect! Believe me!
The first thing I did was find the locations of some meaningful memories on Google maps, and printed them out. Then I found a background on google images that I liked.
When you have all that, we can start!
3. I placed my little images on the background where I wanted them. And with the tiniest layer of glue, I made it permanent!
Oh, look at that! It's almost done.
And yes, I'm taking this moment to show off our picture. That was ten years and two babies ago.
4. After giving it a moment to dry, I put the Heart Map into the frame! And that's it!
Now not everything about this project went exactly to plan, my original frame was brown -- but it broke! Oops! Work with what you have, and don't worry.
I hope you love it, I was inspired by about a billion images on Pinterest. Anyone else lose entire days on there? I do! This took my under 20 minutes to make and way under $5.00!
As always, leave a comment below and tell me what you think! Find us on FB and twitter.
Happy Valentine's Day!
A Little Valentine's DIY: Under $5
Thursday, February 9, 2017 • cheap, diy, five, frugal, gifts, heart map, map, under $5, Valentines
Valentine's Day is upon us! It's less than a week away, and I have a little DIY for you. One of my favorite things to write on this blog has been my little Five Under $5 series. So in the spirit of Valentine's Day and for the love of little gifts with little price tags, I give you the Heart Map.
All you need are a few good memories, a picture frame, some paper and a printer, a little magic from Google, and some basic craft supplies like scissors and glue. And coffee. Never forget the coffee.
Let's get started! Now please remember, this comes from the heart. It's not about perfection. Nothing on this blog is EVER about being perfect! Believe me!
The first thing I did was find the locations of some meaningful memories on Google maps, and printed them out. Then I found a background on google images that I liked.
When you have all that, we can start!
3. I placed my little images on the background where I wanted them. And with the tiniest layer of glue, I made it permanent!
Oh, look at that! It's almost done.
And yes, I'm taking this moment to show off our picture. That was ten years and two babies ago.
4. After giving it a moment to dry, I put the Heart Map into the frame! And that's it!
Now not everything about this project went exactly to plan, my original frame was brown -- but it broke! Oops! Work with what you have, and don't worry.
I hope you love it, I was inspired by about a billion images on Pinterest. Anyone else lose entire days on there? I do! This took my under 20 minutes to make and way under $5.00!
As always, leave a comment below and tell me what you think! Find us on FB and twitter.
Happy Valentine's Day!
This post contains affiliate links.
I had originally planned something different for today. But alas, Monday has gotten the best of us and here we are.
Usually, this is when I get to snuggle up with Tootsie Roll and go back to bed. However, this morning she had an appointment with her pediatrician. Wake the baby. Feed the baby. Dress the baby. Find my wallet. Rush through the gas station. Sign in at the doctor's office. And...... wait.
By the way, whoever invented these toys (below) for the little ones was a G E N I U S! Tootsie Roll thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Then again, she only discovered sliced bread a few days ago!
 |
| My Busy Town Wooden Activity Cube Click HERE to see it on Amazon! Her fun was cut short, though. Shots! Tears! Bandaids! This girl was having none of it. Her healthy little lungs made her point clear. It was barely after 9am, and Monday had been a beast! |
Why did it have to stay that way? There's no rule saying that just because there are sticks in the road that you have to run off into the ditch? Life happens.
That's what this was. A stick. But we were going to make the best of the day we had been given. We were going to enjoy things we loved; not wallow. A happy bucket list for our Monday emerged.
I was in desperate need of caffeine. Desperate. Need. I ran through McDonald's and got myself a chocolate chip frappe. With an exaggerated ten pounds of sugar per ounce, I no longer worried that I'd fall asleep driving. Also, because chocolate. Chocolate. Chocolate. Chocolate.
We got home and binge watched the Wiggles. Kicking and screaming turn to bouncing and laughing. Say what you will about The Wiggles; they bring Tootsie Roll immense joy. And joy was what we were seizing!
 |
| You know you need to check the Wiggles out! Click here to find this on Amazon.  |
Happy Monday!
Monday, January 16, 2017 • babies, chaos, do over, family, Grace & Mercy, monday, sahm
This post contains affiliate links.
I had originally planned something different for today. But alas, Monday has gotten the best of us and here we are.
Usually, this is when I get to snuggle up with Tootsie Roll and go back to bed. However, this morning she had an appointment with her pediatrician. Wake the baby. Feed the baby. Dress the baby. Find my wallet. Rush through the gas station. Sign in at the doctor's office. And...... wait.
By the way, whoever invented these toys (below) for the little ones was a G E N I U S! Tootsie Roll thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Then again, she only discovered sliced bread a few days ago!
|
| My Busy Town Wooden Activity Cube Click HERE to see it on Amazon! Her fun was cut short, though. Shots! Tears! Bandaids! This girl was having none of it. Her healthy little lungs made her point clear. It was barely after 9am, and Monday had been a beast! |
Why did it have to stay that way? There's no rule saying that just because there are sticks in the road that you have to run off into the ditch? Life happens.
That's what this was. A stick. But we were going to make the best of the day we had been given. We were going to enjoy things we loved; not wallow. A happy bucket list for our Monday emerged.
I was in desperate need of caffeine. Desperate. Need. I ran through McDonald's and got myself a chocolate chip frappe. With an exaggerated ten pounds of sugar per ounce, I no longer worried that I'd fall asleep driving. Also, because chocolate. Chocolate. Chocolate. Chocolate.
We got home and binge watched the Wiggles. Kicking and screaming turn to bouncing and laughing. Say what you will about The Wiggles; they bring Tootsie Roll immense joy. And joy was what we were seizing!
|
| You know you need to check the Wiggles out! Click here to find this on Amazon. |
It's Family Friday! Here is a list of five things you can do with your family today! Many of them are free, or at least inexpensive. But all of them have the potential to create some fun memories.
1. Go to the park.
Grab a picnic blanket, pack a lunch & go to the park. It sounds like a cliché, but just getting outside and changing your environment is half the fun. Eat on the ground, play a game of I-spy, make an obstacle course and have the kids beat their best times, lay back and discover pictures in the clouds. The sky is the limit! Literally, if you're cloud watching!
2. Go bowling.
There’s nothing like the look on a kid's face the first time they knock a bunch of pins down!
3. Go rock hounding.
This is a favorite in our home. Mr. Incredible and Pirate try and find unusual and special rocks, they bring their rocks home and identify them through books and online. Pirate loves to collect rocks in general. Mr. Incredible loves the science behind different rocks. They collect rocks from all over the place: along creeks, in the woods, Pirate even found a rock today from digging in the dirt alongside our driveway. Youtube has countless videos on the subject. Who knows, you may even stumble upon gold or kryptonite.
4. Go fishing.
It’s one of the great and quiet past times. A great way to enjoy being out in nature. Unless of course you’re scared of fish, like me. But that’s a whole different blog post! Be sure to check your local area for the rules. You may need a fishing license. In our area, anyone under 16 can fish without a fishing license.
5. A Sunday drive.
This may sound like a thing of the past, but it doesn’t have to be. Clear your day; load up in the car, and drive. No destination necessary, no rush. Just enjoy each other’s company and see where the road takes you. You may end up at a historical battlefield like we did.
You can be a rebel and pick any day of the week. Of course, just make sure you have enough gas in the tank to get back home!
4. Go fishing.
5. A Sunday drive.
You can be a rebel and pick any day of the week. Of course, just make sure you have enough gas in the tank to get back home!
And with enough fun and excitement, the little ones might nap the entire way home. That's my list, what's on yours? Comment below with your favorite family activity or something on your family is excited to try!
** Note: Please, always be mindful where you go and what you do. Use good judgment regarding safety, local laws, and any other thing I haven't yet thought of.
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
Family Fridays: 5 Family Activities to Try Today
Friday, January 13, 2017 • family, family friday, five, kids, parenting, quality time, series, things to do
It's Family Friday! Here is a list of five things you can do with your family today! Many of them are free, or at least inexpensive. But all of them have the potential to create some fun memories.
1. Go to the park.
Grab a picnic blanket, pack a lunch & go to the park. It sounds like a cliché, but just getting outside and changing your environment is half the fun. Eat on the ground, play a game of I-spy, make an obstacle course and have the kids beat their best times, lay back and discover pictures in the clouds. The sky is the limit! Literally, if you're cloud watching!
2. Go bowling.
There’s nothing like the look on a kid's face the first time they knock a bunch of pins down!
3. Go rock hounding.
This is a favorite in our home. Mr. Incredible and Pirate try and find unusual and special rocks, they bring their rocks home and identify them through books and online. Pirate loves to collect rocks in general. Mr. Incredible loves the science behind different rocks. They collect rocks from all over the place: along creeks, in the woods, Pirate even found a rock today from digging in the dirt alongside our driveway. Youtube has countless videos on the subject. Who knows, you may even stumble upon gold or kryptonite.
4. Go fishing.
It’s one of the great and quiet past times. A great way to enjoy being out in nature. Unless of course you’re scared of fish, like me. But that’s a whole different blog post! Be sure to check your local area for the rules. You may need a fishing license. In our area, anyone under 16 can fish without a fishing license.
5. A Sunday drive.
This may sound like a thing of the past, but it doesn’t have to be. Clear your day; load up in the car, and drive. No destination necessary, no rush. Just enjoy each other’s company and see where the road takes you. You may end up at a historical battlefield like we did.
You can be a rebel and pick any day of the week. Of course, just make sure you have enough gas in the tank to get back home!
4. Go fishing.
5. A Sunday drive.
You can be a rebel and pick any day of the week. Of course, just make sure you have enough gas in the tank to get back home!
And with enough fun and excitement, the little ones might nap the entire way home. That's my list, what's on yours? Comment below with your favorite family activity or something on your family is excited to try!
** Note: Please, always be mindful where you go and what you do. Use good judgment regarding safety, local laws, and any other thing I haven't yet thought of.
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
What a crazy title.
I mean – what on Earth?! Am I right?
We just spent a few days snowed in, but with the temperature now in the fifties and the rain we had yesterday, the snow is gone! Today the children went back to school for the first time since Thursday. Snowed in over the long weekend, we had an amazing amount of quality time as a family. Time we don’t usually get. So as much animosity as I bare toward the icy evils of snow itself, this winter weather has felt like more of a blessing than anything.
As I have said before, Pirate loves few things more than a good craft and quality time. To her, quality time fills her little heart up and she feels loved. So while she was in school I made a mental list of a couple of her favorite things that we could do together while Tootsie Roll napped.
We started with crafts! Her face simply lights up when art is involved. She gets that from her daddy. I thought it would be fun, since our snow had melted, to make pictures with melted snowmen. She told me that her snowman traveled to Florida. He melted under a palm tree with coconuts. A happy way to go.
When I tell you that art is not my forte, I mean that with every fiber in my body … and then some. I am not an artist. I got an F- in art in 7th grade. I can provide references upon request. I’m a writer.
However, it’s not about perfection. Motherhood is never about being perfect, don’t ever think it is. This was about Pirate and spending time with her on her level, meeting her where she is and letting her enjoy being a kid. A kid who likes things that I don’t. And that’s perfectly okay. So when she asked me why I wasn’t also making a snowman, I had to take a step back and pick up a crayon.
However, it’s not about perfection. Motherhood is never about being perfect, don’t ever think it is. This was about Pirate and spending time with her on her level, meeting her where she is and letting her enjoy being a kid. A kid who likes things that I don’t. And that’s perfectly okay. So when she asked me why I wasn’t also making a snowman, I had to take a step back and pick up a crayon.
 |
| Pirate's snowman melting under a palm tree. It was a sunny day. |
 |
| My snowman melted on a beach. |
Our next adventure sent us to the kitchen. Hot Dog Pie was on the dinner menu. Over the summer, we created what soon became one of Pirate’s favorite meals. It is basically Jiffy cornbread mix with cut hot dogs mixed in. It sounds crazy, but it’s actually pretty good. Even Mr. Incredible has enjoyed it once or twice. Pirate adores it, and if you asked her to describe it she couldn’t… because she’d be too busy devouring it!
It’s a recipe so simple that Pirate made a cooking tutorial. If you are interested in seeing her teach you how to make it be sure to comment below and tell us!
We took it out of the oven and it smelled delicious. It looked delicious!
I started to transfer it onto a pretty plate to take a picture and it broke into pieces. It was a sad mess.
But again, none of this is about being perfect. Life is a mess. Motherhood is a mess. It’s supposed to be. When we’re obsessed with being perfect, we’re going to fail every time. And that's exhausting.
Did the crumbly meal did bother Pirate? Ha! No. To her it was a delicious mess. In fact, our six year old girl ate 3/4 of this Hot Dog Pie with a two glasses of milk!
We finished our night playing with Tootsie Roll, she woke up in time to have some dinner (minus the hot dogs), an obstacle course in the living room, homework, stories and bed. Pirate told me that she was glad that was a good day with her favorite things! And that makes my heart full.
I hope you enjoyed our crazy adventure today. What do you do to spend time with the little people in your life? What crazy food does your family adore?
Comment below, I’d love to hear from you. Remember to tell us if you want to see Pirate’s cooking tutorial!
Hot Dog Pie & Melting Snowmen
Thursday, January 12, 2017 • family, Grace & Mercy, hot dog pie, kids, love language. snow, mom, parenting, quality time, sahm, Stay at home wife mom
What a crazy title.
I mean – what on Earth?! Am I right?
We just spent a few days snowed in, but with the temperature now in the fifties and the rain we had yesterday, the snow is gone! Today the children went back to school for the first time since Thursday. Snowed in over the long weekend, we had an amazing amount of quality time as a family. Time we don’t usually get. So as much animosity as I bare toward the icy evils of snow itself, this winter weather has felt like more of a blessing than anything.
As I have said before, Pirate loves few things more than a good craft and quality time. To her, quality time fills her little heart up and she feels loved. So while she was in school I made a mental list of a couple of her favorite things that we could do together while Tootsie Roll napped.
We started with crafts! Her face simply lights up when art is involved. She gets that from her daddy. I thought it would be fun, since our snow had melted, to make pictures with melted snowmen. She told me that her snowman traveled to Florida. He melted under a palm tree with coconuts. A happy way to go.
When I tell you that art is not my forte, I mean that with every fiber in my body … and then some. I am not an artist. I got an F- in art in 7th grade. I can provide references upon request. I’m a writer.
However, it’s not about perfection. Motherhood is never about being perfect, don’t ever think it is. This was about Pirate and spending time with her on her level, meeting her where she is and letting her enjoy being a kid. A kid who likes things that I don’t. And that’s perfectly okay. So when she asked me why I wasn’t also making a snowman, I had to take a step back and pick up a crayon.
However, it’s not about perfection. Motherhood is never about being perfect, don’t ever think it is. This was about Pirate and spending time with her on her level, meeting her where she is and letting her enjoy being a kid. A kid who likes things that I don’t. And that’s perfectly okay. So when she asked me why I wasn’t also making a snowman, I had to take a step back and pick up a crayon.
|
| Pirate's snowman melting under a palm tree. It was a sunny day. |
|
| My snowman melted on a beach. |
Our next adventure sent us to the kitchen. Hot Dog Pie was on the dinner menu. Over the summer, we created what soon became one of Pirate’s favorite meals. It is basically Jiffy cornbread mix with cut hot dogs mixed in. It sounds crazy, but it’s actually pretty good. Even Mr. Incredible has enjoyed it once or twice. Pirate adores it, and if you asked her to describe it she couldn’t… because she’d be too busy devouring it!
It’s a recipe so simple that Pirate made a cooking tutorial. If you are interested in seeing her teach you how to make it be sure to comment below and tell us!
We took it out of the oven and it smelled delicious. It looked delicious!
I started to transfer it onto a pretty plate to take a picture and it broke into pieces. It was a sad mess.
But again, none of this is about being perfect. Life is a mess. Motherhood is a mess. It’s supposed to be. When we’re obsessed with being perfect, we’re going to fail every time. And that's exhausting.
Did the crumbly meal did bother Pirate? Ha! No. To her it was a delicious mess. In fact, our six year old girl ate 3/4 of this Hot Dog Pie with a two glasses of milk!
We finished our night playing with Tootsie Roll, she woke up in time to have some dinner (minus the hot dogs), an obstacle course in the living room, homework, stories and bed. Pirate told me that she was glad that was a good day with her favorite things! And that makes my heart full.
I hope you enjoyed our crazy adventure today. What do you do to spend time with the little people in your life? What crazy food does your family adore?
Comment below, I’d love to hear from you. Remember to tell us if you want to see Pirate’s cooking tutorial!
I'm super psyched about this post! It's been in the works for about a week now, and has been a labor of love.
Mr. Incredible works long hours, so family time has to be found and seized! Hopefully, this will be the first in a weekly series called Family Friday. True, I'm not posting this one on a Friday. But as it turns out, the timing turned out to be perfect as we are SNOWED IN!!
Mr. Incredible works long hours, so family time has to be found and seized! Hopefully, this will be the first in a weekly series called Family Friday. True, I'm not posting this one on a Friday. But as it turns out, the timing turned out to be perfect as we are SNOWED IN!!
Without further ado, I give you:
The Game of Clue: DIY STYLE!
Nothing says family time like sitting around the table, accusing each other of murder! Clue is a game that is older than tablets and apps. It comes from my childhood, but Mr. Incredible and Pirate had never played before.
Pirate loves few things more than a good craft, so I wanted to see if we could use the wonders of Google (and our printer) to make our own. Originally, I had planned on personalizing it by making family and friends into the suspects. But I thought I’d better keep it simple this time. As soon as Pirate heard that I had a project to do, she was all in!
After everything was printed, it took Pirate and me about thirty minutes to make. I’ll show you how we did it!
I do not own this game or any of these printable files, nor do I offer them on this site. I will, however, point you to where I found mine: Google.
I started this project by searching Google for a few things:
Time to start!
#1. You will need:
1) Print outs of:
a. Clue Rules
b. Clue Board game (enlarged to fit on 4 pages)
c. Suspect/weapon/room cards
d. Miniature version of suspect/weapon cards to be used as token (not pictured)
e. Detective notebook pages
2) Two manila folders
3) Tape or glue (we used tape)
4) Scissors / paper cutter (if you just happen to have it!)
5) A six sided die to play.
#2. Tape the two manila folders together to make a large square. This will be what you assemble the board on.
#3 and #4. Cut off the excess white border from around of the play area. It will make assembly easier.
#5. Assemble! Put the board together. Line the edges of the paper with the seams of the manila folders. This will make it easier to fold up and put away. Tape, tape, tape! We used a lot of tape to attach the board to the folders. Check to make sure it folds up easily.
#6. Cut out the clue cards, tokens and detective notebook pages.
And… THAT’S IT!!! Let the fun begin!
Playing was a blast! The point of the game is pretty simple, collect clues and find who murdered the host. Pirate, six years old, caught on quickly and needed very little help. Playing against Mr. Incredible, though, was not so simple! As it turns out, he’s a tricky super sleuth!
Pirate can’t get enough of our game of Clue! In fact, she’s asking to play it right now. I imagine we’ll be playing this until the snow subsides and school reopens.
I hope you enjoyed this as much as we have.
Comment below, what is your favorite family game?
What you do when it snows?
*Note: I let my child use the paper cutter because she has a lot of practice and adult supervision with it. It’s sharp and potentially dangerous, make sure to use good judgment when deciding what supplies you use. Especially when kids are involved!
Family Friday: D I Y Game of Clue!
Monday, January 9, 2017 • clue, diy, family, family friday, game, game night, kids, parenting, series
I'm super psyched about this post! It's been in the works for about a week now, and has been a labor of love.
Mr. Incredible works long hours, so family time has to be found and seized! Hopefully, this will be the first in a weekly series called Family Friday. True, I'm not posting this one on a Friday. But as it turns out, the timing turned out to be perfect as we are SNOWED IN!!
Mr. Incredible works long hours, so family time has to be found and seized! Hopefully, this will be the first in a weekly series called Family Friday. True, I'm not posting this one on a Friday. But as it turns out, the timing turned out to be perfect as we are SNOWED IN!!
Without further ado, I give you:
The Game of Clue: DIY STYLE!
Nothing says family time like sitting around the table, accusing each other of murder! Clue is a game that is older than tablets and apps. It comes from my childhood, but Mr. Incredible and Pirate had never played before.
Pirate loves few things more than a good craft, so I wanted to see if we could use the wonders of Google (and our printer) to make our own. Originally, I had planned on personalizing it by making family and friends into the suspects. But I thought I’d better keep it simple this time. As soon as Pirate heard that I had a project to do, she was all in!
After everything was printed, it took Pirate and me about thirty minutes to make. I’ll show you how we did it!
I do not own this game or any of these printable files, nor do I offer them on this site. I will, however, point you to where I found mine: Google.
I started this project by searching Google for a few things:
Time to start!
#1. You will need:
1) Print outs of:
a. Clue Rules
b. Clue Board game (enlarged to fit on 4 pages)
c. Suspect/weapon/room cards
d. Miniature version of suspect/weapon cards to be used as token (not pictured)
e. Detective notebook pages
2) Two manila folders
3) Tape or glue (we used tape)
4) Scissors / paper cutter (if you just happen to have it!)
5) A six sided die to play.
#2. Tape the two manila folders together to make a large square. This will be what you assemble the board on.
#3 and #4. Cut off the excess white border from around of the play area. It will make assembly easier.
#5. Assemble! Put the board together. Line the edges of the paper with the seams of the manila folders. This will make it easier to fold up and put away. Tape, tape, tape! We used a lot of tape to attach the board to the folders. Check to make sure it folds up easily.
#6. Cut out the clue cards, tokens and detective notebook pages.
And… THAT’S IT!!! Let the fun begin!
Playing was a blast! The point of the game is pretty simple, collect clues and find who murdered the host. Pirate, six years old, caught on quickly and needed very little help. Playing against Mr. Incredible, though, was not so simple! As it turns out, he’s a tricky super sleuth!
Pirate can’t get enough of our game of Clue! In fact, she’s asking to play it right now. I imagine we’ll be playing this until the snow subsides and school reopens.
I hope you enjoyed this as much as we have.
Comment below, what is your favorite family game?
What you do when it snows?
*Note: I let my child use the paper cutter because she has a lot of practice and adult supervision with it. It’s sharp and potentially dangerous, make sure to use good judgment when deciding what supplies you use. Especially when kids are involved!
 |
| Pirate playing in the first sprinkling of snow. |
At about 5:45 this morning, we got the call telling us school would be canceled due to inclement weather. Hooray! Hooray! Snow day!
Morning came and morning went. Snow hadn't arrived yet. I decided that I needed to run to the store while I could. While there was still bread left on the aisle. Before milk was impossible to find. I needed to go before the apocalypse. Zombies. Snow. Whatever. I needed to go get the essentials.
Fruit, milk, sugar and coffee creamer. I had what our house needed to survive the winter weather. Truth be told, I expected very little. My main reason for going to the store was to beat the rush. I made it outside to see the beginning of snow.
Two things crossed my mind. First, "I want to take a picture, but the camera won't pick it up." And secondly, I remembered Loralei Gilmore and her love for winter's fluffy present. "I smell snow," she would say every year when it snowed. I wanted to post that as my status. I however don't share Loralei's love for the snow. Not at all. Mr. Incredible had to listen to me rant about it a few minutes ago!
I do however, love the fun it offers to my children.
We live in the south, and in our area snow happens a couple times per year and maybe an inch or few at a time. It's just enough to cancel school and plaster smiles on some little faces. So, that's enough for me to be excited about this snow day.
I got home to find that Pirate had already started collecting snow in a cup. "I need something to make it a slushy," she said. So I offered her some coffee. It came with a mixed review. "It's disgusting, but good. Mostly disgusting."
 |
| Pirate and her coffee snow slushy. |
Tootsie Roll got her first taste of snow. Literally. She wasn't sure what exactly to make of it but she had no objections!
We played in the snow until I could no longer feel my toes. Until Pirate remembered that she is a warm blooded creature and not a snowman. Until Tootsie Roll had eaten her fill of snow.
Now remember, snow is not my thing. But loving my family is. Pirate feels loved when she has our full attention. Quality time is so important to her. It's her love language and she will outright ask for time together.
Right before Christmas, I came across a blog on Pinterest that had words I needed to read. While its focus was on marriage, the application goes so much further. It was about how to love somebody when you aren't necessarily feeling the love. As a parent, as a human being in any relationship, there are times when it's not easy to feel the love; just like there are times when you are so smothered by love it's crazy. It's life!
A quote from a book suddenly became an intentional goal for me. A resolution that I don't annually make this time of year.
“When an action doesn’t come naturally to you, it is a greater expression of love. Ultimately, comfort is not the issue. We are talking about love, and love is something you do for someone else, not something you do for yourself. Love is a choice.” — Gary Chapman (The 5 Love LanguagesSnowballs. Snow angels. Snow coffee slushies. Frozen toes. Chattering teeth. Time with my children and filling their little love tanks. That was just the beginning to our snow day!)
❆ ⛄ ❆ ⛄ ❆
SNEAK PEAK to what's NEXT:
#snowday
#familyfriday
#gamenight
#diy
#whodoneit
Come back and find out what it's all about!
Leave a comment below!
Suscribe & find us on FB!
Snow day ⛄ ❆ Family day
Saturday, January 7, 2017 • family, goals, Grace & Mercy, love language. snow, mom, New Years, parenting, Resolutions
|
| Pirate playing in the first sprinkling of snow. |
At about 5:45 this morning, we got the call telling us school would be canceled due to inclement weather. Hooray! Hooray! Snow day!
Morning came and morning went. Snow hadn't arrived yet. I decided that I needed to run to the store while I could. While there was still bread left on the aisle. Before milk was impossible to find. I needed to go before the apocalypse. Zombies. Snow. Whatever. I needed to go get the essentials.
Fruit, milk, sugar and coffee creamer. I had what our house needed to survive the winter weather. Truth be told, I expected very little. My main reason for going to the store was to beat the rush. I made it outside to see the beginning of snow.
Two things crossed my mind. First, "I want to take a picture, but the camera won't pick it up." And secondly, I remembered Loralei Gilmore and her love for winter's fluffy present. "I smell snow," she would say every year when it snowed. I wanted to post that as my status. I however don't share Loralei's love for the snow. Not at all. Mr. Incredible had to listen to me rant about it a few minutes ago!
I do however, love the fun it offers to my children.
We live in the south, and in our area snow happens a couple times per year and maybe an inch or few at a time. It's just enough to cancel school and plaster smiles on some little faces. So, that's enough for me to be excited about this snow day.
I got home to find that Pirate had already started collecting snow in a cup. "I need something to make it a slushy," she said. So I offered her some coffee. It came with a mixed review. "It's disgusting, but good. Mostly disgusting."
|
| Pirate and her coffee snow slushy. |
Tootsie Roll got her first taste of snow. Literally. She wasn't sure what exactly to make of it but she had no objections!
We played in the snow until I could no longer feel my toes. Until Pirate remembered that she is a warm blooded creature and not a snowman. Until Tootsie Roll had eaten her fill of snow.
Now remember, snow is not my thing. But loving my family is. Pirate feels loved when she has our full attention. Quality time is so important to her. It's her love language and she will outright ask for time together.
Right before Christmas, I came across a blog on Pinterest that had words I needed to read. While its focus was on marriage, the application goes so much further. It was about how to love somebody when you aren't necessarily feeling the love. As a parent, as a human being in any relationship, there are times when it's not easy to feel the love; just like there are times when you are so smothered by love it's crazy. It's life!
A quote from a book suddenly became an intentional goal for me. A resolution that I don't annually make this time of year.
“When an action doesn’t come naturally to you, it is a greater expression of love. Ultimately, comfort is not the issue. We are talking about love, and love is something you do for someone else, not something you do for yourself. Love is a choice.” — Gary Chapman (The 5 Love LanguagesSnowballs. Snow angels. Snow coffee slushies. Frozen toes. Chattering teeth. Time with my children and filling their little love tanks. That was just the beginning to our snow day!
❆ ⛄ ❆ ⛄ ❆
SNEAK PEAK to what's NEXT:
#snowday
#familyfriday
#gamenight
#diy
#whodoneit
Come back and find out what it's all about!
Leave a comment below!
Suscribe & find us on FB!
 |
| Cloth Diapers |
As soon as we were expecting our oldest, I started obsessively looking into everything baby. Of all the things I researched, cloth diapers were one of the few things I was most passionate about. And as soon as I started to tell people my intentions to wash and re-use my child's poop collector, I discovered that everybody had an opinion!
"Eww."
"You'll change your mind."
"I'm going to buy you some regular diapers anyway."
"Oh no, she's not going to use cloth diapers!"
"Let me tell you about my experience..."
"Good for you!"
"Us, too! What kind do you use? Aren't they great?"
Now let me start by saying that I wasn't always on board with cloth diapers. My first thought was like so many others, I cringed and then thanked God for Pampers. Then one night I Googled cloth diapers, really I was looking for a train wreck. I was fully expecting that my search would only re-enforce my loyalty to modern convenience and further alienate me from the "cloth diapering freaks" of the world. I thought I was going to see children crying from being poked with dull safety pins.
Wow, cloth diapers were not what I expected! For starters, where were the safety pins? The plastic pants? What about the huge flat white pieces of cloth? Today's cloth diapers are almost as easy as disposables, you can snap them, velcro them, if you really want to you can pin them. You can get all different sizes, or one-size diapers and adjust them to fit your baby as they grow. And can we talk about the adorable patterns?! MIND. BLOWN.
I obsessed over cloth diapers. I lived on YouTube and learned everything I could. By the time we ordered our baby's fancy poop catchers, I felt like an expert. Cloth diapering felt very doable.
Our diapering journey officially began because we were some broke, young, soon-to-be parents and the cost of disposables adds up and never ends. I had read somewhere that, on average, it costs in the neighborhood of $2,000+ to diaper a child for the first 2-1/2 years. Or something crazy like that. And did I mention that we were young and broke? We ordered 25 diapers and spent a grand total of $217. We spent $15 on a kitchen-sized trash can to use as a diaper pail, and we were off and running! Well under $300 and we had diapered our daughter. Suddenly, poopy diapers weren't so scary to wash!
There are, of course, other very good reasons to consider cloth. Maybe you love the environment. It is guessed that it can take a disposable diaper anywhere from 250-500 years to decompose in a landfill. Really think about that. The very first disposable diaper ever used, and oh so many more after that, are still stinkin' up the place. I got that fun fact here, thanks Google search.
Assuredly as life happens, so do really massive poopies. I'd be amiss if I didn't add that we don't face anywhere near the amount of blowouts (aka - explosive poop! aka - poop up the baby's back! aka - time for a bath!) as we do with disposables.
Now every so often we use disposables. Life happens and, as much as I adore the cloth diapers, I'll be the first to remind myself that they're just really fancy poop catchers. It's all good. I'm a firm believer in doing what works for your situation and your family!
If you have any questions, comments, or would like to know about our diapering/wash routine, let me know!
|
| Cloth Diapers |
As soon as we were expecting our oldest, I started obsessively looking into everything baby. Of all the things I researched, cloth diapers were one of the few things I was most passionate about. And as soon as I started to tell people my intentions to wash and re-use my child's poop collector, I discovered that everybody had an opinion!
"Eww."
"You'll change your mind."
"I'm going to buy you some regular diapers anyway."
"Oh no, she's not going to use cloth diapers!"
"Let me tell you about my experience..."
"Good for you!"
"Us, too! What kind do you use? Aren't they great?"
Now let me start by saying that I wasn't always on board with cloth diapers. My first thought was like so many others, I cringed and then thanked God for Pampers. Then one night I Googled cloth diapers, really I was looking for a train wreck. I was fully expecting that my search would only re-enforce my loyalty to modern convenience and further alienate me from the "cloth diapering freaks" of the world. I thought I was going to see children crying from being poked with dull safety pins.
Wow, cloth diapers were not what I expected! For starters, where were the safety pins? The plastic pants? What about the huge flat white pieces of cloth? Today's cloth diapers are almost as easy as disposables, you can snap them, velcro them, if you really want to you can pin them. You can get all different sizes, or one-size diapers and adjust them to fit your baby as they grow. And can we talk about the adorable patterns?! MIND. BLOWN.
I obsessed over cloth diapers. I lived on YouTube and learned everything I could. By the time we ordered our baby's fancy poop catchers, I felt like an expert. Cloth diapering felt very doable.
Our diapering journey officially began because we were some broke, young, soon-to-be parents and the cost of disposables adds up and never ends. I had read somewhere that, on average, it costs in the neighborhood of $2,000+ to diaper a child for the first 2-1/2 years. Or something crazy like that. And did I mention that we were young and broke? We ordered 25 diapers and spent a grand total of $217. We spent $15 on a kitchen-sized trash can to use as a diaper pail, and we were off and running! Well under $300 and we had diapered our daughter. Suddenly, poopy diapers weren't so scary to wash!
There are, of course, other very good reasons to consider cloth. Maybe you love the environment. It is guessed that it can take a disposable diaper anywhere from 250-500 years to decompose in a landfill. Really think about that. The very first disposable diaper ever used, and oh so many more after that, are still stinkin' up the place. I got that fun fact here, thanks Google search.
Assuredly as life happens, so do really massive poopies. I'd be amiss if I didn't add that we don't face anywhere near the amount of blowouts (aka - explosive poop! aka - poop up the baby's back! aka - time for a bath!) as we do with disposables.
Now every so often we use disposables. Life happens and, as much as I adore the cloth diapers, I'll be the first to remind myself that they're just really fancy poop catchers. It's all good. I'm a firm believer in doing what works for your situation and your family!
If you have any questions, comments, or would like to know about our diapering/wash routine, let me know!
I love watching Breakfast at Tiffany's. To me, it's the perfect New Year's movie.I won't take on the challenge of doing a movie review. I'll say that it's a fun and girly move about "faking it till you make it" into a the lifestyle you want!
It made me laugh and pull out my make-up. I think that if Audrey Hepburn's character had been a real person, and in this day-and-age, she'd have her own YouTube channel and about a zillion subscribers.
Halfway into the movie, it's revealed that Holly Golightly is not quite who she appears to be. Her real name is Lula Mae and she is from Tulip, TX. Anyway, she is just trying to make a new life for herself!
Isn't that the essence of New Year's Resolutions? Picking at what we wish was different about our life and kicking it to the curb. Nielsen took a poll last year of the top resolutions. At the top of the list were health goals. People want to feel better. A bit below those were financial and organizational dreams; scattered through the poll were relationship and entertainment goals.Hilariously enough, there was even a noticeable percentage who intentionally refused to make resolutions. The common thread in it all? New Years. New Years feels like a tangible 'do over' date with a clean slate!
 |
| Neilsen's New Year's Resolutions Poll (2015) |
Real and lasting change has to come from something more than a just fresh calendar. I'm sure we could get super deep with this, but I won't.
I'll sum it up in this: if you're wanting your resolution to last, be picky with what you pick and make it something that's real to you.
Don't be afraid to go big.
Pick something that will keep you going and bring you joy.
Be your own version of Holly Golightly and grab the life you want.
If all your other resolutions are short lived, kindness and caring never go out of style and they go further than you'll imagine. Nobody knew that better than Audrey Hepburn herself.
Happy New Year!
Breakfast at Tiffany's and the New Year
Friday, December 30, 2016 • do over, goals, New Years, Resolutions
I love watching Breakfast at Tiffany's. To me, it's the perfect New Year's movie.I won't take on the challenge of doing a movie review. I'll say that it's a fun and girly move about "faking it till you make it" into a the lifestyle you want!
It made me laugh and pull out my make-up. I think that if Audrey Hepburn's character had been a real person, and in this day-and-age, she'd have her own YouTube channel and about a zillion subscribers.
Halfway into the movie, it's revealed that Holly Golightly is not quite who she appears to be. Her real name is Lula Mae and she is from Tulip, TX. Anyway, she is just trying to make a new life for herself!
Isn't that the essence of New Year's Resolutions? Picking at what we wish was different about our life and kicking it to the curb. Nielsen took a poll last year of the top resolutions. At the top of the list were health goals. People want to feel better. A bit below those were financial and organizational dreams; scattered through the poll were relationship and entertainment goals.Hilariously enough, there was even a noticeable percentage who intentionally refused to make resolutions. The common thread in it all? New Years. New Years feels like a tangible 'do over' date with a clean slate!
|
| Neilsen's New Year's Resolutions Poll (2015) |
Real and lasting change has to come from something more than a just fresh calendar. I'm sure we could get super deep with this, but I won't.
I'll sum it up in this: if you're wanting your resolution to last, be picky with what you pick and make it something that's real to you.
Don't be afraid to go big.
Pick something that will keep you going and bring you joy.
Be your own version of Holly Golightly and grab the life you want.
If all your other resolutions are short lived, kindness and caring never go out of style and they go further than you'll imagine. Nobody knew that better than Audrey Hepburn herself.
Happy New Year!
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