Super Mario Goody Bags.

"Mario!" in my Italian video game voice.

Guess what I get to do? I get to plan a Super Mario Party for my son.

His birthday is this weekend and it was just decided that we get to have a party for him.

 Planning a party in one week....sounds like a fun challenge. He is excited because the party destination is at Otto's Video Games and More. We have never had a party anywhere except our home because ummm....I'm pretty particular about things and don't like rules, but they are very cool over there....letting me do almost whatever I want...!

These Goody Bags are what I was working on last night....

 Inside of them:

Stickers, Notebooks, Pencils, Markers, Mustaches, and Brick Candy.

*Everything found at Party City in one single trip! Hey, I told you that I planned this quickly {Smile}

 Are these not amazing?

The handy-work of my artist husband.

 

Easy enough and SUPER cute...!

Shadows..!

Groundhogs Day has come and gone...however, I thought I would post this anyways because it is awesome...!

I was gone on February 2nd, but my husband taught our 4 year old about Groundhog Day.

One of the activities that they did was study Shadows.

He started her off early in the day tracing a shadow on the sidewalk with a piece of sidewalk chalk.

*Below is the second picture, first one didn't turn out.

 Throughout the day, they came outside and traced the shadow. He explained why the shadow moved.

 This was a hard shadow to trace. I'm proud of her...!

 My baby hard at work learning...!

 

She had such a fun time making the shadow traces with Daddy.

I heard aaaallllll about it...!

100th Day Project...!

A 100th Day Project can basically be whatever you want it to be....! That is the beauty of it. A collection of 100 things...!

I suggest getting a poster board to draw or cut a shape out of and attach 100 things onto it.

My daughter's favorite thing in the world {aside from Dragons} is Minnie Mouse.

After pondering making 100 dragon scales or adding 100 teeth to a dragon....we decided upon Minnie since we just did the Chinese New Year project.

Noe searched the Internet for a Minnie picture and got to work sketching it.

 She had to put 100 circle dots onto Minnie's Outfit.

Since, we guesstimated wrong....he drew a mushroom besides her really fast to use up the last sticker dots.

 We counted to 100 again and again.

Counting to 100 can be FUN....!

I'm Stuck On YOU...!

Can I just say how much I love our Valentines this year?

It's my blog, so I can...! {hehe}

It all started with a stamp that I saw in the Dollar Section at Michael's. It was a little Porcupine that says "I'm Stuck On You!" So adorable. I decided to get it and find something to work with it.

After brainstorming....bubble gum, stickers, band aids, peanut butter and jelly {brainstorming here.} I asked the hubby. Immediately he tells me, "What do the kids love to play with that are sticky? Sticky Hands!"

Ummm....YES!

It just so happened that I have a gift card to Oriental Trading Co that I got around Christmas. I know...I'm lucky or blessed sometimes...one or the other. I ordered up these bad boys 72 for $7. I needed at least 90 for 3 kids classes....so I ordered 2 packages and have leftovers.  

Once I got them in, I had to decide how to make them into Valentines. I found a pack of Doilies in my Art Supplies and the rest was history.

 These are seriously so easy, that I told Noe "I feel like I'm being Lazy." He said "You're making Homemade Valentines, how are you being lazy? You are so weird." Leave it to your man to put things into perspective.

 

My favorite thing about these is that they aren't edible.

I'm usually having to stay up late the night before parties getting 90 {30+ in my 3 kids classes} treats ready. With these, I can start early. I've been doing a bit each night. 

The kids are going to write their names on the back....and we are good to go...!

Plus, they LOVE Sticky Hands.

Chinese New Year Frames.

Happy Chinese New Year...!

We celebrated today with just a wee bit of fun.

It's the Year of the Dragon, which is my son's Zodiac Sign.

We talked about Chinese New Year and the history around the holiday. I read the children their Zodiac Signs and the characterstics in which they are supposed to have.

They then did a craft project.

I had looked up some Written Chinese and copied some of the words onto a piece of paper; words that I thought the kids would like.

I had them choose a word and the copy it's character onto a piece of paper.

Once they were finished, they got to decorate around it however they wanted.

With a hot glue gun, I glued chopsticks around the paper. I asked them if they wanted to decorate the frame and they chose to put some pompoms on there.

Lastly, I hot glued some red ribbon to the back for them to hang the frame up.

 Maelyn's "Beautiful" Frame.

 My 4 year old chose the word "Dragon." She tried to write it at the bottom. Don't you love that early developmental stage of writing...? When they run out of room and don't quite understand how a word works, so they write the rest of the word above it. Darling.

Patience chose the word "Faith."

My son practiced writing the Chinese Characters on a piece of paper. He's older and finds it fascinating.

For dinner, we made Orange Chicken, Fried Rice and Pierogies....and we didn't forget the fortune cookies...!

My fortune said "I Inspire Others With My Principles."

I like that {Wink!}

Year of the DRAGON.

2012 is the Year of the Dragon for Chinese New Year....!

How fun...we love DRAGONS.

My husband and I worked together on creating this dragon project with my daughter.

He set out designing the body, yes, he is a perfectionist....unlike all my sloppy projects.

I worked with Carmendee on the handprint scales.

 For the scales, we mixed green...red....gold..and gold glitter paint onto her hands.

Pressed down on a piece of paper and then when dried...cut out.

Noe used several pieces of green construction paper to create the body and just taped them together.

Carmendee glued the handprints onto the body. She also made more scales using her thumbprints.

I am digging our Chinese New Year Dragon.

Next, comes my favorite part....celebrating with a delicious dinner...!

Envelope Mini Album.

Valentine's Day is coming up and I really wanted a Mini Album to celebrate how much I love my Kiddos...!

What to make a Mini Album out of???? How about Envelopes? I have a bunch of them.

Now, I realize there are a bazillion Envelope Mini Albums out there, so if you do yours a different way...awesome. This is just how I did mine, this particular time. Everything totally FREE with what I have. No fancy machines to bind it together. Nothing like that.....good old fashioned envelopes and paper...!

{Decided to do my tutorial on the pictures...click them if you need bigger. Let's see how this tutorial turns out that way?!}

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fairly simple right?

I toyed with some titles like "10 reasons I love you.."

The album is going to get fatter as I add my photos and all my embellishments.

Hope this is a craft that you try or have tried....because I think it's adorable!

*Disclaimer: My Posts are from my Life as a Stay-At-Home Mommy. I do not get compensation on the majority of my posts {not that I haven't thought about earning some more moolah..wink!} The reason being, I want to post what I want, when I want to post it....no advertising that I don't approve of and if criticism of my posts occur...I can delete it. I'm just me :) No pressure to live up to...!

Maelyn Jules

My oldest daughter turned 9 years old this past weekend....!

Maelyn Jules.

My girl.

Strong-willed. Opinionated. Prissy. Intelligent. Leader.

When we moved from her hometown, she missed her opportunity to be on the cheerleading squad with her friends. So, when my best friend told me about a Cheer Camp in town...I asked if that is what she would like to do for her birthday. She said "Yes!"

The CSUB Cheerleaders put on the camp.

She learned a Justin Beiber dance routine and some cheers.

They performed at the Women's and Men's Basketball Games.

 The Cheerleaders were extremely nice. She had such a great time...!

 Maelyn asked for a Cheerleading Cake with Blue and Yellow for her birthday...!

 Grandma took her to Build-A-Bear and out to lunch at the Golden Corral.

She loves her special times alone...!

 My daughter is officially 9 years old...!

Proverbs 22:6

"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."