Go Green: Picnic Style

I got an email today on how to have a picnic and produce zero-waste at the same time! Brilliant! I wanted to share that email article with you today, so that you can prepare as you set out on your Memorial Day festivities.

Go Green: Picnic Style

Thanks, Ebay Green Team!

Homemade Valentines

Every time I step foot into a store, whether it's a grocery store or a chain store, I see boxed Valentines that you can buy now. It's rather tempting as a mom, to just pick up a box and be done with one more activity on the "to-do" list.

I want to encourage you, if you're a mom and have Valentines to write up for your toddlers, to step outside the box and make your own! We had a few snow days here, and one of those days I just dug through our craft drawer and Z-Man and I had a blast just making our own Valentines.

We used a bag of suckers that we got from Halloween on clearance, and will attach them to our homemade Valentines.

Here's Z-man, having a great time trying to make the best Valentine he could with glue and random sequins we had.

Then I had Z-man tell me one thing that he liked about his classmate, or something the classmate does that makes him laugh. It was fun to hear what he had to say about some of them, and then I wrote those comments on the Valentine! It is a fun, personal note the parents can laugh at.

So, I encourage to be creative and pull out some random craft items that your kids can put together, and see what they come up with!

Thanks, Mom, for taking these photos!

Christmas Thoughts.

This year doesn't really have the Christmas feel to it, I'm not sure why...maybe it's because Pudge has the stomach flu for the second year in a row!! Yup, he got it last Christmas as well. Even my dad remembered, and said, "you can only pull that excuse once!" It was funny coming from him.

So I was really bummed that we missed out on my family's Christmas get-together, especially since it was the first year that we weren't exchanging gifts. I wished I could have been there to just see what it would be like without all the stress of finding the right gift, and what the feeling would have been to just "hang out" with the family on Christmas Eve.

I got to spend some quality time with Pudge, since he was sick. We got to cuddle in my bed, while watching "Frosty" & "Charlie Brown" on our laptop. I will remember that from years to come.

But at the same time, it was probably good that we didn't drive an hour to my parents, because there was a lot of snowfall, and we probably would've ended up in a ditch somewhere. Our Hybrid is not meant to be driven in the snow.

Nothing makes me happier than to see snow falling! You can ask my family. Whenever is starts snowing, I just dance around the house and say "It's so pretty! Look at it snowing boys!" Last night, Christmas Eve, we got 4 inches of fresh snow. That's on top of the already 6 inches of snow we got earlier this month! It really helps us get in the Christmas spirit!

So today I'm thankful that Pudge is feeling better, and that we got to spend Christmas with my in-laws. It was great to be around family and to watch the boys get excited about presents. I will have to post pictures later to show how much fun it was.

Thanks for reading my thoughts, and it's nice to actually sit down and write some feelings down. I hope you all had a very merry Christmas and got to remember what's really important this season.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I just wanted to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving! I hope that you take the time out of your day to really appreciate all the things you are blessed with.

Insulting Target Commercial

I was relaxing last night and watching tv while my husband took the kids out to the Y. While I was watching I saw this commercial put on by Target where this mom made her son a homemade Iron Man costume for Halloween.

Do you feel offended after watching this commercial? I totally did. Especially since we made both our kids costumes this year! I think that mom did a great job at making the outfit!

Here are some photos of our kids' costumes this year:

Even when we went to another Trick-or-Treating event, a person standing by seeing our kids homemade costumes said, "Wow, you don't see that anymore. I remember when we used to make all our Halloween costumes." I'll take that as a compliment.

Another excellent blog that clearly has done their homework on this commercial:

target-commercial-hates-on-homemade-halloween-costumes

I'd love to hear your thoughts if you've seen this commercial and how you felt...

Chili's: Kids Eat Free on Halloween Weekend

Just a heads up in case you're planning on eating out with your kids this coming holiday. Both October 20th and 31st, dress up your kids for Halloween and they'll receive a free kids meal (with the purchase of an adult entree). This offer is good on dine-in or carry-out. Kids must be 12 years old and younger and in costume.

Bring out the costumes...

I have been wondering where to find different Halloween activities to do with my kids during this season. Our boys love to dress up, so why not milk that for all it's worth? So, after surfing the web this past week, I finally came across a brilliant website that shares lots of activities to do with your kids in the Chamapaign-Urbana area.

Visit Chambana Mom's blog to find out what there's to do around Halloween.

There are a couple other festivities that I knew about that were not mentioned on their list.

• Good Shepherd Lutheran Church annual Trunk or Treat - 4:30-6pm - Sunday, Oct. 24th.
• Halloween at the YMCA - Friday, Oct. 29th - 6-8pm.

Have fun this Halloween and be safe.

Halloween Treats

I should totally be folding laundry right now, but I got distracted by checking my email. Parenting is a fabulous website for anything kid related, and so here is my latest find on their website....Halloween treats and goodies! For more recipes, click here.

This picture above is super creepy to me, but highly creative by using white chocolate, m&ms and a latex glove. Super cool!

And if you're looking for healthy snacks, they've got them too! I love that website!

Still looking for a kids Halloween Costume?

Are you still looking for a halloween costume for you little one? I got a recent email from Parenting magazine with tons of ideas for costumes.

Click on this link to find more ideas!

Valentines Day Ideas

As many of you know, Valentines day is coming up quick! Are you in need of some cute and crafty ideas for this holiday? I love the thought of handing out treats to little kids in my son's class! And they're making their own Valentines Boxes out of shoe boxes. It's going to be so much fun!

Here are some Valentine ideas from Martha Stewart that I thought were all adorable! Check them out here. Also there is a blog that is through Martha's website that I follow, and that's The Crafts Dept. They have some fun ideas on their blog as well.

Also, I highly recommend checking out Family Fun's Magazine at your library. They have some awesome ideas in there as well. Or you can check them out online here.

Hallmark Cards = $2.02

I recently got 2 $5 off coupons at Hallmark from my (free) Martha Stewart Living magazine and from the December issue of Woman's Day.  If you have these magazines and need cards, head over to Hallmark and snag some of their $0.99 cards, making your total with coupons, $1.01!  There are some super cute cards in that section!  I know a lot of women who are expecting soon, so I was excited to pick up some baby cards, as well as thank you cards for after the Holidays are over.  So if you don't get these magazines, maybe consider picking up these specific issues if you need some cards on hand.  

Last Minute Ideas for Halloween Costumes

I forgot how much fun Halloween can be....finding a fun costume to wear, and a chance to get out in your neighborhood and meet your neighbors!  Here's a photo of us last year, trick-or-treating:

For those of you who are like me and looking for funny, cheap Halloween costumes, I found this list of costume ideas from this website.  I think that I like #14 and #20.  Stay tuned and maybe you'll get a glimpse of what I decided to be!

And here's another cute picture from last year.  My two boys sitting in a pile of sugar that was going to be quickly donated to the church trunk-or-treating event! 

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1) Dress up as you normally do. If someone asks what you are, tell them you're a werewolf. If they ask why you have no hair or fangs, explain that it's not a full moon.

2) Get a bag of white balloons and a box. Put the box over your head and cut out holes for your arms. Paint the box a bright color and the word "soap" across it. Then tape the bubbles to the top of the box around your shoulders and head.

3) Tape a bunch of green or purple balloons all over yourself (wear green or brown clothing underneath). Go as a bunch of grapes.

4) Wear brown clothes. Get a package of fall silk leaves for decorating (you can get 50 in a pack for about a dollar at craft stores). Tape them all over your arms and on a hat. Get a stuffed bird and perch it on your head. Go as a tree.

5) Wrap yourself in a roll of orange felt. Cut armholes and put an orange ski cap on your head. Go as a carrot stick.

6) Safety-pin a bunch of cheap watches and costume jewelry on the inside of your coat. Go as a con man.

7) Get a large box and paint it white, green or tan. Make a hole at the top for your head and armholes. Glue on some magnets and some post-it notes with shopping lists and phone numbers. Go as a refrigerator.

8) Get a roll of orange yarn and a few bags of roasted pumpkin seeds. Glue them all over a cheap orange sweat suit. Go as pumpkin guts.

9) Wear a t-shirt displaying your favorite brand of booze. Get a foil pie plate, punch two holes in it at either end, and run string through it. Put it on your head like a hat and tie it. You're a bottle of your favorite drink.

10) Glue some (clean) garbage all over a sweat suit. Go as a trash heap.

11) Throw a white sheet over your head, and cut a hole for your head to come through. Wear a yellow hat and paint your face yellow with make up. Go as a fried egg.

12) Get a poster board, make up a funny advertisement and paint it on. Hang it around your neck and go as a billboard.

13) Put on your rattiest clothes and get a toy shopping cart. Fill it with junk. Go as a shopping cart/bag lady.

14) Dress like a mailman. Get a stuffed dog and sew it's mouth to your pant leg.

15) Get an gorilla costume. Get one of those headbands with the springs on it, but remove the silver balls from the end and glue on tiny toy air planes. Carry a little Barbie doll in an evening gown and you're King Kong.

16) Get a large box. Cut a hole for your head and arms. Wrap it with gift wrapping paper and put a big bow on your head. Make a large gift tag out of construction paper that says, "To: Women, From: God." This year, you can honestly say you're God's gift to women.

17) Wear all black and a pair of dark sunglasses, or glasses with a rubber nose. Get a strip of fabric you can fashion into a sash (like a beauty queens) and use fabric paint markers to write, "Bless you," across it. You're a blessing in disguise.

18) Get a box and paint it white. Make holes for your head and arms. Paint or draw black spots on it and go as a die. If you have a partner, make two and go as a pair of dice.

19) Get an old black sweat suit. Get yellow fabric paint and paint a double-line down the middle, vertically, front and back. Glue some tiny toy cars up and down your front and back and go as a highway.

20) Get a clear plastic bag, and a bag of assorted colored balloons. Step into the bag and make leg holes and arm holes. Fill it with balloons half-blown up, while you're still in it. Tie it off at the neck. Get a piece of paper as a label and write,"Jellybeans" across the front. You're a bag of jellybeans.

21) Get a bunch of Barbie dolls and a black sweat suit. Attach the dolls randomly all over the sweat suit. You're a babe magnet.

22) Get a medium sized box. Cut a hole at the bottom for your head, and a large, square opening in the front. Put pipe cleaners as antennas and glue soda bottle caps on as knobs. Put it over your head and wear all black. You're a TV announcer.

23) Wear a black sweat suit and randomly attach single socks all over your clothes. You're the sock thief from the drier.

24) Get some yellow yarn and brown pom-poms. Glue them all over an old sweat suit. Put an old colander over your head as a hat. Go as spaghetti and meat balls.

25) Wear a clown costume top and paint your face. Get a large box and paint it a bright color. Make a hole for your waist and put it on as if the bottom of a skirt. Go as a jack-in-the-box.

26) Glue a bunch of newspapers to old clothes. Go as paper mache in progress.

27) Get a bunch of small, single-serving sized cereal boxes. Glue them all over some old clothes and bring a big, rubber knife. Go as a cereal killer.

28) Get a box, cut arm holes and a hole for your head. Wrap it in pretty patterned gift paper. Stick a bunch of tissues coming out of the neck, and put on a hat covered with tissues glued all over it. Go as a box of tissues.

29) If you're very pregnant, paint your belly with orange face paint and draw a pumpkin face on the front. Wear a shirt that opens in front and just fasten it above the belly so the pumpkin protrudes. When you put your arms down around your belly, you'll look like you're carrying a jack-o-lantern.

30) Paint your car or bicycle tires with black paint. Lay old clothes front-down on the street and drive over them. Let them dry, put them on and go as road kill.

31) Tie a sneaker to the top of your head, wear all pink and paint your face pink. Go as a piece of gum.

32) Get two large pieces of foam and strap them to your shoulders so one hangs in front, the other in back. Stuff some lettuce leaves coming out of them (or green felt), and on the underside of one glue a big, round, red or brown piece of felt that sticks out of the sides. Go as a sandwich.

33) Get a round piece of cardboard and cut a hole in the center of it. Get a large foil tray and cut a hole in it, as well as a table cloth with a hole in it. Put the cardboard over your head, then the table cloth so it hangs over your body, then the tray. Place lettuce leaves coming out from around the neck hole. You're a head on a platter.

34) Wear a raggedy old pair of shorts and t-shirt, and go unshaven if your a man. Mess your hair up. Get a garden tiki torch from the party supply store. Go as a recent loser from Survivor.

35) Dress as a dog and put a cardboard cone around your neck to keep you from scratching for fleas.

36) Dress as a dog and carry a bottle of your favorite liquor-- you're a booze hound.

37) Glue cotton all over a light blue outfit and carry a water gun to squirt people. You're a rain cloud.

38) Get a pair of angle wings and put them on your back, dressed in your pajamas, fuzzy slippers and bathrobe. Carry around a coffee cup. Your the "Angel Of The Morning."

39) Cut out a cardboard shape like a surf board and cover it with fake spider webs. You're a web surfer.

40) Dress in a business suit and carry around a big jar filled half way up with thumb tacks. Go as the "tacks collector."

41) Get a devil costume and throw over it the ugliest thrift-store blue dress you can find. Be the, "Devil In A Blue Dress."

42) Tape a bunch of white colored balloons to a a skin-colored body suit. Wear a shower cap and carry a scrub brush.

43) Wrap your body in aluminum foil and top your head with a beret. You're a french kiss.

44) Get a rubber pig's nose and wrap yourself in a blanket. Go as a pig in a blanket.

45) Make a green pumpkin shape out of felt and hang it over yourself. Paint a face on it. Go as Jack O' Lantern.

46) Get a bag of moss from the craft store's floral isle. Glue it all over some old clothes and hat and go as a chia pet.

47) Pin underwear to your torso and go as a chest of drawers.

48) Dress like a cat; carry a black bag stuffed with fake jewels overflowing. You're a cat burglar.

49)Attach gum wrappers, small pieces of pink clay to represent gum, soda cups and popcorn bags and a few kernels of popcorn to a black sweat suit, and go as a theater floor.