Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting {A Ninja Party}

My son turned 6, and what better way to celebrate than with a Ninjago birthday party!  What 6-year-old boy doesn't love a little Ninja mixed with Legos!  Well, here is what I did for those of you thinking about throwing a Ninja party yourself.

The Birthday Shirt:

Cole of course wanted a "6" shirt, but I didn't want anything too cheesy or childish.  I decided on a throwing star with a 6.  Then on the back, I did his name.  I simply printed out a template, then cut out the fabric (2 layers of knit).  Then I stitched them on.  I used the font "Last Ninja" for the lettering and the throwing star.  It's free--so just google it.

Ninja Headbands:

I followed these instructions for the headbands.  But, to make it EASIER (much), I sewed the right sides out & just did a rolled hem at the bottom rather than having to turn the tube inside out (I tried one that way, and it was going to take WAY too long.)

Throwing Stars:

 Beforehand, I had made throwing stars for all the kids using these instructions.  The boys got to decorate their own star, and then they took turns aiming and throwing them at some balloon targets.

Ninja Moves:

 We let each of the boys take a turn showing off their Ninja moves.  My husband held the balloons for them to use as a punching/kicking bag.  It was pretty funny watching them each with their own little Ninja style!

The Pinata:

No party at my house is complete without a pinata.  If you are interested in making your own pinata, take a look at this past post.  It was funny though.  I made the pinata pretty strong (thinking we could have 15 boys needing to get a good whack at it).  Well, the strings broke after round one, but the pinata was still strong.  So, we decided to let the kids kick it, karate chop it, and even head-butt it.  Very funny!

 The Cake:

After looking online for different ideas, this is what I came up with.  It wasn't quite like how I had planned in my head, but I was happy with how it turned out.  I used 2 cake rounds for the bottom.  Then used a large pyrex bowl to create the dome portion of the head.  For the eyes, I just used tootsie rolls (regular flavor & vanilla).  I just rolled them out flat.

What a fun party!  I sure love that boy of mine!  It's hard to believe he is 6!

Father's Day REPOST

Last year I made a Father's Day Questionnaire.  You can see the original post HERE.  Well, it is one of my most visited posts, so I thought with Father's Day just around the corner, I would repost it--And give you all a link to the questionnaire.  Hooray!

Here is a picture of what my son came up with last year:

I am excited to have my kids fill them out again this year.  I think it will be fun to compare them to last year.  I just LOVE seeing the things kids come up with!

Click HERE to download your own copy.  It might take a minute.  If it doesn't work, please let me know!

Oh What Do You Do In The Summertime?

Is it summertime for you yet?  My kids still have a week and a half of school left--ugh!  I think I was ready for school to be done a few weeks ago.  Oh well.  But while I am anxious, I know we will all go a little crazy in my house if we don't have some FUN things planned.  To help with this, I created this:

I love when a project comes together how I have planned in my mind!  This little project started brewing in my mind after seeing similar kinds of things on other blogs.  I have had these cute little buckets and the little rod for quite sometime--just been waiting for the right project.  Finally, I figured out what I needed them for!

Here is what I did:

I just used Q-Tips for this.  You don't need very much.  I just spread some along the corners, edges, and randomly through the middle of the board.

To paint the wording, I used the same process I always use when making signs.  Find out HERE.

After I painted the letters, I did a little more sanding over the whole thing--mostly just to give the wording that worn look to match the rest of the board.  Then I just hung the rod.  Simple!

For the buckets, I decided to have one full of activities for me to do with the kids while the husband is at work (or sleeping--he works nights), one full of Family activities, and an empty one to fill up with the activities we actually do (hopefully it will be full by the end of the summer).

I am so excited.  My kids are too--in fact, we did our first activity this afternoon.  We made THESE delicious cookies that I pinned a few weeks ago. Delish!

Hooray for summertime!

My Baby's Hand

Okay--here's a Jennifer original.  (I know, kind of amazing!)  This is a little project I did a few years back with my older two kids, and now it's Reese's turn.

At 6 months, I have traced my child's hand and made a little stitchery out of it.  I combined it with a photo of them at 6 months.  It is fun to have a little comparison of all my kids at 6 months!

For the frames, I took the $1 wooden frames you can buy from Michael's.  I think you can buy them from other craft stores, but Michael's is the cheapest I have found.  

I simply painted the sides white...

Cut scrapbook paper to cover the frame (just trace around the frame onto the paper)...

 Apply a thin layer of Mod Podge onto the frame to glue the paper to the frame.  I also applied a layer of Mod Podge over the paper to seal it.

Pretty easy, right?  Love it!

Super hero Capes = Super Hero Mom

Well, between a 2 week Spring Break, Easter, my Birthday (last year of 20's!!) I have been somewhat absent.  It's good to be back into a regular routine--yes, good to be back to the regular grind of life.  After seeing these great Super Hero Capes on Pinterest, I thought they'd make a great Easter Basket prize.  Well...I didn't quite get them done--until TODAY.  But actually, I decided it works out better this way because now I get all the credit (therefore becoming a Super Hero to my kids) instead of the Easter Bunny!

 My princess Halle, and my Superman Cole

My kids LOVE them.  They ran around the house today Saving the World and protecting me from "the bad guys."  I'm not sure what I would do without them.

Rockin' it With The Kids

I did a little crafting with my kids this week--and they had the BEST time!  They are always wanting to help paint my projects, but let's be honest--that is not always a good idea.  Well, here is a project that they can paint without messing up.  LOVE ROCKS!
Simply go on a "Rock Hunt" with the kids.
Let them paint them whatever color they want.
Paint on hearts or other V-Day things.
Put in a jar.
Then, these rocks become a motivator to do a little service for family members.  We are using them to show our love between now and Valentines Day.  If we want to let someone in our family know they are loved, we can simply do a little act of service for them and leave a little "Love Rock."
Beautiful. Simple. Free.  LOVE!

Go give some one a rock!

Headband Flower Wraps

Don't you LOVE Pinterest!  I love the inspiration.  I love when I see something, actually make it, and it turns out great!  Love it.
Recently, I saw these cute Vintage Wrap-Knock-off Belts.  Well, I really wanted to make headbands for my daughter and niece.  So I used THIS fabulous tutorial, but just changed it up a bit to make a headband rather than a belt.

I first made a template out of a cereal box.  I brought in one side where I planned to add the elastic.  I made the template 2 1/4" wide, and then long enough to almost wrap around my daughter's head.   You'll need 2 pieces of fabric this size.

 I followed the tutorial I found on Pinterest, only, when sewing the two pieces right sides together, I added a small strip of elastic.

When They were done, this is how the elastic looked on the back:

I had a hard time choosing which was my favorite.  I really Loved how they turned out!

The best part is that my daughter actually leaves them in--which she doesn't do with bows or flowers.  Hooray!  I call that a victory.

Happy Sewing and Happy Pinning!

Take a Crack at It--DIY Pinata

When my oldest turned 1, my husband decided that we needed to start a tradition of having pinatas at the birthday party.  The best part was that my husband made it himself.  And I have like the tradition--Dad makes the pinata.  However, the last few have been more of a joint effort because he is much busier than he was 5 years ago.  So, here's a look back at a few of our pinatas (not all are great, but all were FUN!)

Here is a tutorial because ANYONE can make a pinata--and it's great to save $20!
All you need is a little paper mache, a balloon, newpaper strips, paint or other decorating supplies.  Let's get started:

To make your paper mache, I fill a medium size saucepan halfway with water.  Bring to boil.  In a separate container (I use my salad dressing pampered chef thing), mix a cup of water with 3 to 4 HEAPING big spoonfuls of flour.  Add to boiling water while whisking.  Bring back to a boil.  The mixture should be thick--kind of like gravy, only a little thicker.  Once this is done, you can put it in your fridge or freezer to cool it down a little faster.

While paper mache is cooling, blow up your balloon to desired size.  Then tear newspaper into strips about 1 1/2" wide.  Once your paper mache is cool enough to handle, spread some of it on to your balloon.  Don't be afraid to get a little dirty--USE YOUR HANDS! Then start adding your newspaper strips.  Rub more paper mache over the paper.  Coat the whole balloon with one layer.  Let dry (Colorado is much nicer than Washington to dry it quickly!) 

Once dry, add another layer.  Repeat this process about 4 times.  I usually keep the paper mache in the fridge in between layers.  Your balloon should start feeling pretty hard.

After about 4 layers, you can cut a small hole in the top and pop your balloon.  Then you can insert your candy through the hole.  Once you have everything in, cover the hole with more newspaper and paper mache.  Also, at this point, you will want to tie some string around the pinata so you will have something to hang it with.  We usually add at least 2 more layers to the whole pinata.

Now this is where the fun starts.  Start painting or covering with crepe paper--whatever you want.  I just use regular craft paint.  You can also use tempera paints, but make sure they aren't the washable kind (they don't really coat the newpaper.)

That's it.  Not too hard.  It does take a few days, but it is fun to see the transformation from balloon to pinata!

ABC Art

I created a little ABC art for my kids.  (I used digital art work from www.sweetshoppedesigns.com).  It took me awhile to find a frame that I thought would work.  I wanted it to be colorful.  I ended up finding one at the thrift store, painting it, and sanding it down a bit.  I love how it turned out.

**I saw this first on another blog, but cannot remember which one.  I had it saved, but my computer crashed and I no longer have the link.  Sorry.

So, how are you feeling today?

I have a 4 and 3 year old.  They keep me busy.  We had a little playgroup at our house, so I came up with a fun little activity and lesson for them.  We talked about emotions.  I decided to take pictures of them making different faces to express different emotions.  From there I made little emotion charts--like the ones I am sure you've all seen with the little cartoon character faces.  They had fun, and they certainly made some funny faces.

Here's what I came up with for my two little ones:

Simple instructions:

1--Take pictures of your little one making the different faces.
2-- Use a photo editing program (I used photoshop).  I made my canvas size a 5x7 for easy printing.  I also turned the gridlines on so I could line everything up.
3--Adjust the pictures to be about the same size.
4-- Add the emotion underneath the picture.
5--Order the prints.
Easy and fun.