A House of Cardboard

I'm a big fan of cardboard, and the creativity involved with it. The possibilities are endless! I have made a castle from scratch before (inspired by this, but in a much more simple form). This time around, I took the lazy approach and bought a pre-made cardboard house. The house had white walls, so we took the opportunity to add a few decorative touches, namely a flower and vegetable garden.

Want to make your own? Try this: Makebabystuff.com.

Truck Obsession?

My little one has a truck obsession, just like his older brother. I remember driving to construction sites just for a half hour of sweet silence. Now I don't have to leave the comforts of home. This website has it all - truck pictures with labeling for all the parts (handy to have for those of with little construction vehicle knowledge). And the best part, short videos with the trucks in action.

Salt Dough Ghosts

We do these every year! They're easy, fun to do, and make great tabletop decorations. Click here for instructions.

Printable Halloween Fun

Click on over to Oliebollen for some Halloween fun. They have printables for a Halloween party, with invitations, iron on decals, and my personal favorite - Dress the Candy Corn activity.

Halloween at the Dollar Store

It's been awhile, but Halloween has inspired me once again! I went to the dollar store (The Dollar Tree to be exact), and came home very pleased. What did I buy, you ask?

2 strings of garland, separated to make ornaments for my Halloween tree (branches cut down from my Mimosa tree)
1 bag of spider web stuff

2 creepy crows (Chad asked if they were real - love it)
1 bag of peat moss
1 string of bat garland

A few fake pumpkins and 1 glittery squash

1 blow-up spider

1 mummy tree wrap

Just have to work on my giggly gravestones, and I am ready for the little trick-or-treaters. I'm tempted to do the talking pumpkin trick (using a baby monitor). Would that be too scary for innocent little children? Maybe I should try it out on my own first.

Camping In

We have a Labor Day tradition that allows the kids to camp, while I sleep blissfully in my own bed.


Play Equipment:

1. Play huts and blankets
2. Flashlights
3. Marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers
4. Toilet paper wick heater

Set up your tent in an adventurous location (like the family room), draping blankets over play huts (or make your own fort). Use your flashlights to make shadow puppets and tell ghost stories (not too scary, you do want them to sleep tonight). Head for the backyard and use the heater to roast marshmallows and make smores.

Optional: get up in the morning and find the closest wildlife area. We went hiking, caught tadpoles, picked wild blackberries, and got plenty dirty. All the benefits of camping, with all the comforts of home!

Lunch Box Suggestions

School days are upon me, and I'm having a hard time forking over $2.30 a day for my child to consistently eat chicken nuggets. With a little research, I found a few great lunch box ideas:

Kraft Foods Lunchbox Ideas

Family Education's Top 10 Packable Lunches

I just ordered the Pampered Chef Cut N' Seal so I can make my own Uncrustables. I plan on mass producing a bunch and then throwing them in the freezer. Anything to save a little time in the morning.

I also like the idea of Bento Boxes, I just may have to get a few.

And for a little extra something to slip in the box:

Familyfun Lunch Box Jokes

Happy lunch making!