Printable Star Stencils

Have you waited until the last possible minute to decorate for 4th of July?? Need a fun way to keep the kiddos busy for those outdoor BBQ’s and picnics?? Then grab your favorite sidewalk chalk and print out a few of our star stencils for some artsy outdoor fun! Once the template is printed, trace […]

Mandatory Picnic

We’ve been blessed with beautiful weather lately! You know, the kind of weather when it feels like a crime to be spending any amount of time indoors?? Yeah, that kind. As I was just about to do my usual boring reheat the leftovers from last night’s dinner for lunch thing, I looked at Clara and […]

Flip Flop Fun

Do you like to kick off your shoes at the end of a long day?? Grab a pair of flip flops or other loose fitting shoes, add a hula hoop for a target and voilá — instant lawn game FUN!! Emily loved this excuse to kick off her shoes over….. ….and over….. …and over again! Great active […]

Outdoor Mud Pie Kitchen

This outdoor mud pie kitchen set was simple and easy to set up. It made my almost 3 year old SO happy to create her own mud pie creations over and over again! Here are a few ideas to make an outdoor mud pie kitchen set of your own: I loved making mud pies as […]

Outdoor Color Match

For a fun time, put paint chip cards of different colors on a binder ring, and punch a large hole in each shade. Go outside and try to match all the colors!! Clara is always up for any excuse to go outside, so this activity was an instant hit! We brought our swatches to a […]

Sunday Snapshot — Rock Star Gardening!

Know what makes working in the garden seem like a lot more fun?? Cranking up the radio and gardening rock-star style!! Also?? I play a mean air guitar with a shovel! 😉 Wishing all the mommies a very Happy Mother’s Day!!

Garden Photos That Make Me Smile

The whole family has been hard at work on our garden — here’s a little update with things we were happy to see!! We get excited when we find tiny sprouts of lettuce starting to appear! Aren’t they sooooo cute??? And look — potatoes starting to sprout!! Yay!!! There’s always work to be done, but […]

Invisible Graffiti

Love painting, but not a fan of the mess?? Ever have an overcoming urge to paint graffiti around your neighborhood, but don’t want to risk getting in trouble with the law?? Then invisible graffiti is for you!! It’s a piece of white cardboard cut into the shape of a palette with completely dried nail polish […]

Marbled Paper Journals

After our amazing encounter with the peacocks at the zoo, we were inspired to make some art!! Lots of marbled paper was made using this technique with beautiful peacock hues of tropical blue, cobalt blue, and apple green — so much fun!! What I love about this project is that each print is so unique — no […]

Happy Earth Day!!

Emily and I visited a local playground today to pick up some litter and be kind to the Earth. We brought along our friend “Bob”, the trash-eating dinosaur!! Hear him ROAR!!!! Long before we had kids, Bob lived in Mark’s dorm room in college, so he’s a long time friend of ours. Picking up trash […]

Fun Activities for Screen Free Week

Need a few fun activities to get you through the rest of Screen Free Week?? Here are some of our favorites to get you off the couch and outdoors! Basketballs are soooo over-rated. What you really want to do is play a game of Invisible Basketball — lots of fun!! One of our favorite outdoor […]

Garden GROW Bunting

It’s no surprise that we are big fans of gardening, but this year we have a new addition to our usual rented garden plot — our first raised bed in our own backyard!! Mark has been hard at work with all the building, and I was SO excited that I could not WAIT for the […]

Sidewalk Butterfly Garden

Know what makes me very happy??? A brand-spankin’ new box of colorful chalk pastels!!!!! Honestly, I have been waiting ALL Winter to open them so we could…. …create a butterfly garden along our sidewalk!! Emily and I absolutely love sidewalk chalk art! Each section of sidewalk is like a huge canvas, and I would have […]

Sunday Snapshot — In the Garden

We have been hard at work on our rented garden plot, and getting ready for Spring! Lettuce, broccoli (Emily’s favorite veggie), and onion seeds are all in the ground… up next, peas!!! Five Reasons to Start a Garden 1. Organic gardening is good for the planet. 2. Cancel that gym membership — gardening is great […]

Weekend Rewind — Catching Leprechauns

St. Patrick’s Day will soon be here! Here’s a festive and frugal activity Emily and I did last year, and it made our neighbors and letter carrier SMILE. Have fun!! In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, we thought it would be fun to lure some leprechauns into our house for good luck. Armed with a […]

These Crafts are for the Birds!

We are excited to be welcoming back the birds, and what better way to celebrate than with some fun crafts?? Here are a few of our favorites! Both Clara and Emily have gotten lots of use from these Field Guides for Tots. We found you can make Bird Feeders from just about any Recyclable! We […]

Giveaway — Kids Gardening Prize Pack

A big thank you to CSNStores.com for sponsoring this fun giveaway! If you’re not already familiar with CSNStores, they are made up of more than 200 online stores and sell everything from kitchen appliances to swing sets for kids. They have an amazing selection, and are well-known for their good customer service! Lately our days […]

Sunday Snapshot — Snowy Story Time

Emily’s new favorite reading spot… Nothing like some outdoor snow furniture! Wishing you and your family a fun weekend — stay warm!!