Origami is the timeless art of paper folding often associated with the Japanese culture.
There is no better way to show your feelings towards your special Valentine than with an original piece of art in the form of origami.
Origami is the timeless art of paper folding often associated with the Japanese culture.
There is no better way to show your feelings towards your special Valentine than with an original piece of art in the form of origami. These are a few of my favorite origami ideas that are sure to please and surprise your Valentine. I hope you have as much fun trying these as I did.
Heart Pull Apart Valentine Card
Origami Valentines Envelope Instructions
What will you be making your Valentine this year?
7 Homemade Valentines Day cards. Your kids will love taking something unique to share with their class.
I remember being in 5th grade and sitting down at the table with my box of Valentine’s Day cards. It was such a struggle trying to pick which card to give to each of the kids – specifically the boys – in my class. If it was too lovey then they would think that I LIKED them – EEEEWWWWW! And on the flip side which one do I pick to give to the boy of my dreams. His name was Andy and he asked me to be his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day that year and I screamed NO WAY and ran – my BFF liked him too so no way was I going to say yes. He ended up sticking a pretzel in his nose later that day anyway so somehow even the 11 year old me knew that I had dodged a big one by saying no that day.
Valentines have come a long way since the little box with 25 cards and a piece of candy to tape to the card. I have gone the shortcut way (my favorite) and bought cards while other years I have gone the long-cut (yet fun) way by making my kids cards for their classes. Here are some of my favorite homemade cards that I have seen around so far this year.
Hopefully at least one of these give you some inspiration to make or have your kids make their valentines this year.
7. ‘Doh’ You Want To Be My Valentine
We spend quite a bit of time in the car each week driving. Here are some of the gems that my husband and I heard from the seats behind us this week…
We spend quite a bit of time in the car each week driving. Here are some of the gems that my husband and I heard from the seats behind us this week:
Little A: It is FREEZING back here. You guys are trying to kill me!
Big A: For every five minutes you girls are quiet I’ll turn down the air one notch.
H: Finally. Wait does down mean colder?
Big A: Time is starting over because you talked…
Slap! Slap!
Mom: Keep your hands to yourself.
H: I am.
Little A: She is using her feet.
H: I think my feet are wet.
Little A: I think it was my fingers.
J: How did your fingers…. Never-mind, I really don’t want to know.
We put together a kick-a kid’s holiday gift guide. We hope that you are able to find at least one item for someone on your list!
Due to the number of items we have split the guide up into three different sections – kids, 18+, and tech. You can check out our 18+ picks here and our tech picks here. Enjoy!
Party Game Express helped us become parent of the year, as far as your kids are concerned, a party with Party Game Express is how to make that happen. This 32 foot mobile video game theater has all the latest games for Wii, WiiU, and XBox. It comfortably accommodates up to 24-50 people at the same time. Several packages are available to fit any price range. My favorite part, everything takes place on the truck so I’m left with zero party mess in my house. This is sure to be a BIG hit for your next birthday party, family reunion, graduation party or just for fun.
This great camera is auto flash and focus free. Take bold, vibrant pictures, even in low lighting. Automatically determines the best brightness and suitable setting by lighting the corresponding mode (Indoors, Cloudy, Sunny, Very Sunny). This would make a great activity for creative expression for younger kids, and adult kids alike. In a world of all digital, my kids have loved getting an actual photo to share with friends.
Cozmo
This toy is a lifesaver on yucky weather days when the kids are stuck indoors. The included app communicates wirelessly with the hoop to keep score and record playbacks. This is not the usual indoor basketball hoop. My boys really like that they can play arcade style, solo, one on one or full court. This is available at most toy stores and, of course, Amazon.com.
ClickBlock ClickWhiz 3-D Magnetic Construction Toy Space Gear Set, 21 Piece
Who remembers Little House on the Prairie? Did you read the books or watch the series on t.v. Check out this gorgeous doll that we found locally for those of us that want to share the love of Laura Ingalls with the next generation. We were sent this doll for review and it has been one of our favorites from the whole year. My girls love it!
Little House on the Prairie Laura Ingalls 18” Doll, made by The Queen’s Treasures. The Laura Ingalls 18” Doll is available online at TheQueensTreasures.com and Target.com. A full-line of accessories is available on TheQueensTreasures.com.
Check out the Little House on The Prairie website as it has so many helpful and educational resources about Little House on the Prairie including a historical timeline, and many history articles, as well as fun crafts, recipes and more.
Saving the best for last! I have 2 girls and they can’t get enough of this! My older daughter babysits quite a bit and ever since we got this tent the whole babysitting time is spent playing and having tea parties inside. Your little one’s imagination will run wild while playing in this foldable tent. This cute piece is made with durable wood poles to sustain all of their imaginative play for years of use. Great for indoor or yard use. Best thing is that it is available at Toys R Us, Belk, Kohl’s – so right in your neighborhood (or just a click away).
*Sometimes we accept product or payment for our review. As always opinions and comments about the products are our own.
“Punning is a talent which no man affects to despise but he that is without it.” – Jonathan Swift
“Puns are the highest form of literature.” – Alfred Hitchcock
“Punning is a talent which no man affects to despise but he that is without it.” – Jonathan Swift
My favorite pun of all time is:
I say it all of the time. Most of my kids do not appreciate my sense of humor. But there is one that you can tell is filing my jokes away to use at a later date.
My son has a unique sense of humor that sometimes makes me stop and wonder what I have been teaching him, and sometimes makes me pat myself on the back. The majority of the time he is a quiet kid that has people wondering if he is even paying attention to what is happening around him. But when he decides to open his mouth and say something it is always deliberate and usually funny.
Right now he is into puns and he usually leave me thinking that he really is paying attention to what is happening. Here are a few of the things that I have heard the past month that either had me groaning, laughing, or left me in awe wondering exactly how his mind makes connections.
And now you know why I am always asking myself, When’s My Vacation?
I was looking through a bunch of my old photos from the past coupe of years and noticed a trend when it comes to my girls. My girls like to have their face painted. Whether we are at carnivals, state fairs, school fundraisers, or farmer’s markets they want to use their spending money on face paint. Some of these are very creative and I wish I knew who had done them so that I could have them come to my kid’s parties.
These are so simple yet so cute. They had these done at the Farmer’s Market. It only took about 1 minute each but it stayed on all day and the girl’s felt like princesses!
These were done at a Halloween Carnival at a church. Abi was a princess/ballerina so once she had the spider web added she became a Spider Princess. Haley was a chef/baker and added a small cupcake to match the ones being served at the carnival.
Abigail got this done in her Kindergarten class during a Valentine’s Day party. One of the parents brought in a friend to pain their faces.
And this one was done at a school carnival. The face painting was so good at this event that the next year they ended up charging more.
I found some amazing ideas from Daizy Design Facepainting.
I really like how she creates using the whole face. These cute faces really look like E.T and an elephant.
Face paint is such an easy thing to add to a party to take it up a notch. All of the kids have a great time and get to go home with a memory instead of little toys and candy. This would be the perfect addition to the any family party or event!
Water balloon fights are a big favorite at my house. This game is super fun and encourages the kids to develop some strategy skills.
Water balloon fights are a big favorite at my house. I don’t think a day has gone by this summer that I haven’t been asked if we can have a water fight. This game is super fun and encourages the kids to develop some strategy skills. I love to try to get those gears between their ears turning as often as possible. You could modify this to an indoor game with balls when you’re stuck indoors, or use snow balls during the winter.
Watching the kids develop their own strategies is really fun. I also love seeing them have the self control to choose not to throw their balloon until they have a better chance of hitting their target. And of course it’s fun to have a free for all at the end with any remaining balloons.
I hope your kids love this as much as mine.
This year our summer fun day was epic. It was full of laughter, sun, family, and just enough competitive edge to keep things lively.
This year our summer fun day was epic. It was full of laughter, sun, family, and just enough competitive edge to keep things lively. We tend to over do it a bit, but this year we found just the right balance of activities and planning. The kids were able to have a ton of fun, and the adults got to enjoy the show and some good grown up conversation.
There were 5 challenges in the course. Each kid got to have a practice run going at their own pace to see just how the challenges work. Then we timed them. There were no winners or losers to this. The timer just kept things really hopping. With Labor day just around the corner this is the perfect way enjoy what’s left of the summer heat.
Army crawl on your belly through the inflatable kiddie pool. This was a good first stop because there’s no way to be timid about getting wet. For those kids who have a hard time involving themselves, getting totally wet right off the bat seems to break the ice.
Take a water balloon from one bucket and try to make a basket into another bucket 5 to 10 feet away. We had two starting points; one for older kids at a further distance, and one that’s a little closer to the target for younger kids. If you make a basket, you get a piece of taffy after you finish the course.
10 push ups in a kiddie pool for older kids. 10 sit ups in a kiddie pool for younger kids. I love including exercise or some kind of strength training whenever I can sneak it into kid activities.
Over unders with a row of pool noodles set up on lawn chairs. For a little extra challenge, an adult sprayed down the kids during this one. If the noodles are knocked off the kid has to put it back in place. This is a photo op dream come true. Be sure to have your camera ready.
Water gun target shooting. This is super easy to set up, and totally fun for the kids. Poke a hole in a plastic cup and suspend it on a string between two trees, or poles of some kind. Have a bucket of water and a squirt gun at one end. The challenge is to move the cup from one end to the other by squirting it with water. Watching the kids slow down and take aim was really fun and the look of satisfaction on their faces upon completion was priceless. I might set this up at my house from time to time when the kids need something to do on those hot summer days.
Let me know what you come up with for your own epic summer fun day.
One of my favorite, and most epic, family traditions is our Summer Fun Day. With Labor Day around the corner, there’s still plenty of time to have your own Summer Fun Day.
Every summer my sister comes out from LA for a week or two to spend some time with the family. All of my 6 siblings still live around home but her. So when she’s here, we make up for every second of lost time with her and her darling boys. There’s always a giant birthday celebration, swimming, hiking, camping, movies, and whatever else we can pack into the time we have together. One of my favorite, and most epic, family traditions is our Summer Fun Day. With Labor Day around the corner, there’s still plenty of time to have your own Summer Fun Day.
This is a day where adults and kids alike party like there’s no tomorrow. We change it up a little each year. Each mom, or dad, will come up with some kind of activity to be in charge of. Of course there’s always a little healthy competition to come up with the best idea. Some of the greats from summer fun days past are:
This year started out with an H20 Course. This is an easy one to split up the workload. Everyone just plans one stop on the course. We let each kid do a practice run through the course first to get the hang of it. Then we started timing them for some added competitiveness. This worked out great for all of the different ages and abilities we were trying to accommodate. Salt water taffy was the prize for completing with awesomeness. And everyone was awesome.
Our second game was water balloon battleship. My brother was the instructor for this game and he did not disappoint. He has a great way of being encouraging and provoking to the kids simultaneously. This game included elements of strategy. It was really fun to watch the kids work out a plan of attack in their own way.
After being in the sun all afternoon we usually do popsicles for a treat. This year, we loaded up all the kids and headed to Fizz, our local specialty soda shop. This place is amazing, and a HUGE hit with the kids. If you’re ever in Utah, this place is a must see. It will forever be the last stop on our summer fun day.
When we were chosen to throw one of the #DisneyKids playdates this year I was thrilled!
When we were chosen to throw one of the #DisneyKids playdates this year I was thrilled! Last year we did a #Disneyside Villains Party complete with a Hot Chocolate Bar that went over so well with the teens that I knew we could handle a preschool playdate this year. Little did I know that the teens would be a piece of cake next to a bunch of toddlers!
We knew we had to go simple because little ones don’t have a long attention spam (SQUIRREL!!) – and neither do I!
We did a simple afternoon party with snacks and no meal. This way the kids could come and play and then go home for dinner. With so many allergies, likes and dislikes, and issues that we might run into we thought that it would be easier.
We started off with a red carpet and Mickey welcoming the guests.
Then we had a treat and prize table set up in the house.
We kept the table simple and used red and white and blue as our color theme. We made Disney cupcakes (watch for the recipe soon) and they were delicious! I bought a cute cupcake tower from the $1 store and surrounded it with a white feather boa that I already had from another party. We drank Nesquik – thanks to the amazing #DisneyKids box of wonderful that was delivered.
Does anyone else agree that a party is just not a party without a photobooth? We did a simple backdrop using $1 store tablecloths – 6 of them to be exact. Then layered it with the decorations that we received in our #DisneyKids Playdate box.
It turned out uber cute and the kids loved it… that is some of the kids loved it. We had 4 that would not step foot into the photobooth area. Moms tried bribing with candy, movies, games, and the big kids were brought up from the basement to help, but alas they were SCARED to death. Toddlers… can’t get them to do anything when you need them to 🙂
We played several games and the little ones did great! We played Bingo and use chocolate pieces and we had about 10 Bingo’s all at once!
But the winning game by far was charades. Everyone including the big kids and dads got in on this game! We went through all of the cards more than once!
We made little goodie bags because every party needs a take home. They included:
There was singing. There was dancing. There was laughter. The kids had a great time and we can’t wait to host our next Disney party!
When's My Vacation 