Archive for June 2013

Monday, June 24, 2013

Count them with me...

1
 2
3 
4
5
6
7


and just like that
 8


Vance celebrated his birthday about a month ago and wanted to go to the zoo, be back at home in time to celebrate his birth minute (2:04), order pizza, and for me to bake an Oreo cake.
And that's just what we did. 
Cause that's just what you do when it's your baby's birthday.

Happy Birthday Vance! 
I have a feeling that 8 is going to be great! 

Friday, June 21, 2013

Friday 5: Celebrating Simplicity

5 noteworthy and toast worthy happenings from the week.

Here's to Moms who still bring back souvenirs for their adult children.
 (Jealous of her trip to the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen but so glad she thought of us while there!) 

Here's to aloe. Because it's inevitable. 
(Anyone else cover the kids in sunscreen then forget to do yourself?)

Here's to Readers.
(The summer reading program at our library is a hit.)

Here's to first trophies.
(It was her first taste of a gymnastics meet but definitely not her first fake mustache.) 

Here's to Them. 
(It's what it's all about.)

Cheers!
What are you toasting to tonight?


Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Oh No? Oh Yes! Minute to Win It is Back! (Plus win $100!)


Giveaway has ended and winner has been notified.
What does Apolo Anton Ohno, Minute to Win It, and my family have in common? Get comfy, because that's exactly what I am here to talk about today!

I remember watching every Apolo Anton Ohno speed skating race during previous winter Olympics. We would gather around the television and scream, "Oh No!" to cheer him on as if we were there in person. Among winning 8 Olympic medals he has also won and received the first ever perfect score on Dancing With The Stars, written best-selling books, and raises money and awareness  for EIB (exercise-induced bronchospasm) which he himself suffers from. Now, he can add game show host to his list of accomplishments because he is the new host of Minute to Win It which will be airing on the Game Show Network (GSN) starting June 25 at 8/7c. 

Never seen Minute to Win it? If so, you are missing out! It is a family friendly game show that features competitors taking part in different challenges that escalate in level of difficulty using everyday household items. When each challenge is successfully completed more money is won and at various points of the game the players can choose to keep going or walk away with what they have earned so far. The grand prize is $250,000 which takes 10 successful challenges to earn. It's great silly fun!

Just how is my family involved? 

I was asked to host a Family Fun Night and play games from Minute to Win It. However, when this opportunity was presented I was 14 hours away from hopping on an airplane with my family to go see even more family which meant I had little time to prepare. We are fans of the show and I knew it would be a bunch of fun so not wanting to say no, I knew I would find a way to make it happen. That's the great thing about families - they work together and make the best out of every situation. 

Again, the Minute to Win It games are played with common household items and I bet you can find the majority of everything you need around the house. That is exactly what I did - I grabbed  anything that I thought could be used and that would survive the flight and stuck them in a bag. 

It was a bit challenging playing in a hotel room but we made it work and had so much fun doing so. Looking back, it worked out so well that this would be great to bring on family vacations!

Let the games begin!
Hanky Panky: Level 1
Empty 1 tissue box with one hand.


Completed!

Bobble Head: Level 1
Players work together to score a combined 200 clicks on pedometers attached to their heads. 

First the kids tried, then the adults.

Completed!

This Blows: Level 1
Blow up a balloon and then blow the air out to propel 15 cups off the table. 
 



Completed!

Chop Stack: Level 7
Stack 4 lip balm tubes using a pair of chop sticks.  


 It was definitely one of those games that looked easier than it actually was because no one was able to complete it!

We ran out of time (remember, we were out of town and had to keep up with our already scheduled activities) and had to play our last game the next night. 

Office Tennis: Level 5
Players use clipboards and a balled up piece of paper, hit the paper back and forth and into a waste paper basket.



Completed! 


If we had this much fun with limited supplies and in a hotel room just think of the fun that could be had in the comfort of your own home! I am looking forward to doing it again and trying some more of the games. In the meantime, my family and I are excited to watch the all new series of Minute to Win It hosted by cutie-pie Apolo Anton Ohno on the GSN on Tuesday June 25th at 8/7c. Want more information? Join the conversation by visiting M2WI on Facebook and Twitter and visit the GSN website.
  Catch all new episodes of Minute to Win It with new host Apolo Ohno all summer long on GSN.
So, what do you say? Think you can do better than us at the games? Let me know! Plan a Minute to Win It Family Fun Night of your own and give it a try! Enter by commenting to win a $100 Visa gift card to use toward your very own Family Fun Night! 



Sweepstakes Rules:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winner  will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 6/18/13 – 7/17/13.

Friday, June 14, 2013

Friday 5: Celebrating Simplicity

5 noteworthy and toast worthy happenings from the week.

Here's to a healthy and happy Vance.
I have yet to write his birthday post, but he just had his 8 year old check-up.

Here's to a little backyard ambiance.
I have yet to plant any flowers this summer so these will have to do. I picked these up on clearance at Target - cheap and cute, so when they're soon covered in pollen or get knocked down with an incoming baseball it won't be a heartbreak. 


Here's to putting the kids to work.
They're finally getting old enough to help and not "help", if you know what I mean. Both kids helped with yard work this week and made the job get done faster. 


Here's to saying "yes" more often. 
Maggie Mason wrote about this awhile back and it hasn't left me. When it comes to the kids, I feel like I'm always telling them "no". Stopping and thinking about "Why not" before answering can lead to more fun and better memories.


Here's to the kids playing together. Nicely.
I hope this continues this all summer long! 

Hope you all have a great weekend and Happy Father's Day to all those Daddies out there!

Cheers! 
What are you toasting to tonight?

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Pool Envy


I'm surrounded by neighbors with swimming pools and I'm jealous. I can hear (and see) the splashing! The music! The laughter! It's like being very hot and thirsty and watching the person in front of you drink a giant bottle of water. We belong to a pool and I am thankful for that, but it's not the same as having one in your backyard. For one, I bet I'd never find a floating bandaid in mine. 

When we were house hunting we specifically looked for a house without a pool. I'd like to go back in time and give myself a little slap on the cheek.


Sorry, kids, this is as good as it's going to get for awhile.

Tell me, what are you envious of lately?  


Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Pre K Graduation: Just try to hold back the tears!



Some schools make a big deal out of PreK graduation and some don't. I'm so glad that ours does.

Vaughn graduated from Pre K a few weeks ago. As much as I knew it was coming I did't want it to happen. She loved it there, loved her teacher, loved her friends. 



(The school was covered with reminders.)

The ceremony itself was great. The kids had been practicing and were so excited to get up on the stage. 

As we entered, programs were handed out along with purse-sized packs of tissues. We all chuckled about it commenting on how we'd probably need them. 

Inside the programs were quotes from our kiddos when asked, "What have you learned this year?" and "What do you want to be when you grow up?" It was a cute addition.

 Vaughn (clearly missing the intention of the question): "Well, my brother says mermaids are poisonous! I learned that one time at Christmas my cousin was sleeping with me and she saw Santa and his sleigh."

Vaughn: "A fashion show designer, so I can take fabric and design clothes."

On her way to get her diploma.

Each teacher spoke (and cried) about being so proud of the kids and having to say goodbye, the kids sang a couple of songs, danced to their favorite silly song, as well as Gangham Style, and Oh, The Places You'll Go! was recited. 


Of course afterwards we celebrated with cake and other snacks. The teachers handed out gifts to the kids as well as their own copy of Oh, The Places You'll Go! 


Such a great evening!

She had one more week of school after that night and it was tougher than tough saying goodbye to her teacher and to the school. Vaughn hugged her friends and they all told her goodbye. Vaughn and her teacher gave each other a giant bear hug and both waved and gave each other pouty faces until we rounded the corner and were out of sight. I won't lie - I was a weepy mess. 

It wasn't just what her teacher taught, it was how she taught. As a parent, it means the world to see someone care for your child in the same manner as you would. I believe Vaughn had such a great year because of the loving, fun, creative, and challenging environment that her teacher created for her students. We'll definitely miss her but are looking onward and upward to Kindergarten!   


Friday, June 07, 2013

Friday 5: Celebrating Simplicity

5 simple noteworthy and toast worthy happenings from the week.  

Here's to simple days at the park.
(This statue is close to home and one of the kid's favorites to climb.)

Here's to Little League night at the ballpark. 
(The boys were excited to walk the field and to watch the game as a team.)

Here's to homemade popsicles.
(We're on our 3rd batch so far. The kids love them and I love the fact that they're all fruit!)

Here's to funny kids.
(I hope she's not the only girl carrying Big League Chew, two types of lip gloss, and pink sparkly hand sanitizer in her pink sequined purse.)

Here's to family.
(Thankful to be surrounded with them this weekend.)




Cheers!
What are you toasting to tonight? 
Have a great weekend!

Monday, June 03, 2013

A Magic Window: A not-so fairy door for a boy


I made a Fairy Door for my daughter and noticed a slight bit of jealousy from my soon-to-be 8 year old son. I could tell he wanted to be in on the magic but was quick to disregard the notion of wanting to have a fairy door. "Fairies are for girls" he said. I told him, "magic is for everyone".


Later that evening he said to me "what if Roberto Clemente and Bob Gibson could come into my room. That would be cool." I agreed but told him "Bob Gibson was still alive", with a smile. That's where the idea came from. 
A not-so fairy door for a boy.      


He hasn't said it but I'm pretty sure he knows that I made it and put it there for him. He just likes having a little bit of magic of his own tucked away in a little corner of his room. 


I followed the same steps as in Vaughn's Fairy Door. I bought the unfinished window from Hobby Lobby and painted it white. I bought a piece of scrapbooking paper that looked liked frosted glass because I didn't want to see the wall behind the window. Going with the baseball theme, I used another piece of scrapbooking paper that looked like grass and put it behind the frosted glass paper. Just cut them to size and stick them in the windows. Tape can be used to hold them in.

Both panes of the windows open and close. I decided to leave the bottom window open just a bit to reveal the glass as if the window looks onto a ball field. I used super glue to make them stay this way. 


I picked up the bat, ball, and glove from Hobby Lobby also. I used hot glue to affix them to the window. 


There you go, a Magic Window fit for a boy.


Have a great day!




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