St. Patty's Day Straw Flags Done 3 Ways!

Holidays (small or large) get more exciting each year as the kids get older.  I'm excited to pull out all of the leprechaun pranks and green foods.  I know I've already shown you these St. Patty's Day printables, but I thought it might be helpful if I show them in use multiple ways.

The straw flags/tags could be used as just that, straw flags...

...or as a shirt tag exclaiming "kiss me"...

...or as a little banner hung next to the leprechaun's treats left in the kiddo's shoes.  Can't wait to stuff their shoes with fun green treats (ideas-- mike & ikes, sprite, limeade drink, green spearmint gum, green canister of pringles...etc. you get the jist of it).

This was a quick shamrock banner made by those sparkly foam cut outs that can be found at any craft store.  I got mine at Michaels 50% off and three packages cost me all of $3.  Love deals like that!

 As I was hanging banners and taking pictures, this little fella snuggled in on the couch to watch me.  Too bad his name isn't "Lucky", that would be so fitting for this post.  Thus, his name is "Gus" and we love him whether he's an Irish dog or not.

{free printable} Lucky You! Happy St. Patty's Day Party Printables

I may not be Irish, but it's still fun to celebrate this fun green holiday!  So lucky for you...I have some FREE St. Patty's party printables to share.  The package includes:  "Lucky" framable sign/print, Invitations, Cupcake Toppers, and "Kiss Me" Straw Flags.

The whole collection!

Enjoy!

{recipe & craft} Rice Crispy Shamrock Treats

Hope you haven't put away your Valentines heart cookie cutters yet!  These shamrock Rice Krispie treats were a hit at our household and my little ones enjoyed eating all the many scrap leftovers.  Rice Krispie treats are some of the easiest things to make, so I feel a little silly posting this, but what the heck. It was a fun make and hopefully you'll find it fun as well.

 Needed:  Rice Krispies Cereal, Butter, Mini Marshmallows, Green Gel Paste Coloring, Heart Cookie Cutter,  Wooden Skewers, and Plastic Wrap.  Oh, and don't forget some cut green ribbon too!

 Once the marshmallows have melted add a few drops of the green gel paste and stir until you get the coloring you desire.  Then add the cereal and stir stir stir like a crazy woman.  Then quickly transfer it to a greased pan before it cools (which happens quickly).

Next, spray your cutter with non-stick spray and start cutting your hearts.  I used three hearts per shamrock, smooshed them together and shoved a skewer in the center to hold them all together. Then, let them cool completely before wrapping.

Such a sweet edible bouquet of Krispie treats.

Rice Krispie Treat Recipe

{recipe adapted from Kellogs at ricekrispie.com}

          3 Tablespoons Butter

          1 Package Mini-Marshmallows (10oz)

          6 Cups Rice Krispie Cereal

          Green Food Coloring

Directions:  In a fairly large heavy bottom sauce pan melt the butter and marshmallows.  Once completely melted add the food coloring until you've receive the coloring you desire.  Next, add the Rice Krispie cereal and stir vigorously.  Immediately transfer over to a greased pan and cut out shapes before it completely cools.  Now, enjoy!  My little monsters sure did.

{share} Three Quick & Easy Toddler Activities

 Little boys are full of energy, constantly moving, and curious about everything.  I'm kept on my toes daily with my two kids.  At times I find it challenging to find new things for them to do so they don't get bored and start beating each other up.  Below you will find three constant activities we do just about everyday.  These games don't require anything in addition to what most of us already have in our homes.  So here we go...

1.  Dinosaur Hunt

The dinosaur hunt hats aren't needed for this activity, obviously, but it sure does make them look cute.  I bought these hats and the foam lettering at Hobby Lobby and my littlest one, Graham, loves to wear his all day long.  So, how do we play this game?  First, I make my kids hide in the corner with their nets and hats while I disperse of all the many dinosaurs (and other plastic animals) around the room.  I make some of them difficult to find for my older one, while the majority are just scattered on the floor in plain sight.  Then they come running from their corner and collect as many of the animals as they can until their nets are about to burst.  Then, we play it again!  Fun stuff, I tell ya.

 2.  Fruit Loop String Beads

So in addition to dinosaurs, my kids adore fruit loops (yep, I'm that mom that allows them to eat sugary cereal).  The kids enjoy threading their fruit loops onto their string.  I love watching their concentrated faces as they try their hardest to bead their cereal.  Then, we tie knots in the end and wear them as necklaces.  It's kind of nice, really.   They have snacks on the go and I don't have to worry about them spilling all over the ground and getting crunched into the carpet.  Plus, stringing the cereal helps their chubby little fingers to develop manual dexterity and hand-eye coordination.  Graham thinks it's pretty cool to eat them straight off of the string.

 3.  Magic Blanket Rides

Everyone has a blanket laying around, right?  In my case, one too many blankets reside in my house.  Which reminds me-- I need to make a trip to the Good Will.  Anyway, Miles and Graham are mad for blanket rides.  Usually toys, balls, and snacks accompany them on these rides.  Typically following these rides is the request to be burrito-ized!  I swaddle them tightly and they giggle and wiggle their way out and then we do it all over again.  I can't imagine how much fun this would be, but then again any time spent with my mom I enjoy so I'm thinking they might just enjoy the attention they're getting from me and making me laugh in the meantime.

All in all, I've found in my three short years as a mom, that it's really about being silly with my kids and encouraging their imaginations to wander and grow.  I've also discovered with my two, that I have to keep their minds going.  An idle mind brings on trouble-- you know, stealing each others toys and rough housing.  So we usually only spend 15-20 minutes per activity before we move on.  There is nothing more that I enjoy than watching my two little nutballs being silly and laughing at themselves or each other.  I really hope they remain the best of friends...

 What are some of your kids' favorite daily activities?  I'm always looking for new ideas. :)

{free printable & project share} How Do Dinosaurs?... Book Popsicle Stick Puzzles

I'm pretty sure every mother to young boys has heard of these "How Do Dinosaurs..." book series, but if you haven't click on the book picture below and go check them out.  They are apart of our nightly ritual-- sometimes they are an all day phenomenon.  My kids LOVE them.  So much we've had to purchase this particular book (see below) 3 times because the pages began to fall out.

So... because they are a fave in our house, I thought it appropriate to use these book's pictures on my popsicle stick puzzles.  I googled these books and found a gazillion pictures online to print at home.  I'm not sure if it's illegal or not-- anyone know?    However, you could also use pictures from any old book you have laying around.  After I did this I thought to myself I could have used one of those other books with the pages falling out and that would have worked great too!

The puzzle sticks were a super quick craft and was achieved in one afternoon's nap time.  I used jumbo popsicle sticks and these pictures were cropped and sized just right for them.  I highly encourage the use of your own books, as I've been told as of lately that using pictures from the web and printing them infringes on copyrights.

The number stickers were an after thought, but I think they'll be nice to have when it comes time to teach the little ones their numbers and their order.

 My three year absolutely LOVES them and has asked to play with them for the past few days straight.  It's always great when you can take your child's favorite book and make it come alive for them.  Such a darling book series--recommend checking them out at the library OR buying them for your own library collection.  They are a fave in our family!

{project share} DIY Stegosaurus Hoodie

Inspired by Whatever Dee Dee Wants and liberally using her tutorial, I decided to have my own run at this fun DIY dinosaur hoodie.  Not to mention it made me break out my brand new serger, that has been sitting in the box over a year now.  I don't know why, but just the thought of serging fabrics intimidated me.  Once the threading process was finished, which took forever, it was relatively easy to maneuver.

 I decided to use two differing shades of green felt for the stegosaurus spikes.  I sewed two of the sides, then stuffed them with batting and stitched them back into the hoodie using my serger.  One of the fastest sewing projects I've ever done.

These two little sillies just love their dinosaurs and this hoodie was very much appreciated by my little one.

Side Note:  I was a little concerned how the washing process would effect the felt spikes, but after washing it numerous times already I can see that they're going to hold up fine.  The batting has stayed fluffy and has not balled up and the felt hasn't shrunken at all.

ROAAAAAAAAAR!  If you have some dino-lovers in your family this has been a huge hit and I highly recommend it for your little ones.

{WINNER} Shappy Apple's Key to My Heart Necklace

First, thanks to everyone for entering this contest.  Now, for the winner! With the help of Random.org the winner is....drum roll please....

Commenter #2, Brandee 

Yay--I'm so excited for you.  Shabby Apple is so generous for this giveaway.  Please remember you still have until March 2nd to receive the 10% discounted rate, using code "embellish10off" at checkout.  Enjoy your necklace Brandee.