Summer Celebration

In Thursday's SEM celebration blog hop I mentioned that I am combining Ali Edwards Summer Manifesto with the summer "bucket" list blog challenge over at The Happy Family Movement.  
Here is our list

I used my copic markers to jaz things up a bit and make my list look more like summer - I mean come on - this is me we are talking about :)  I have do draw or scrapbook something - speaking of which I am super duper excited to scrapbook this summer now that we have a list to actually follow . . . yeah I get excited about scrapbooking and lists I'm that kind of person.
So on our list you will find:

• Go tent camping in the backyard
• Play in the creek on Sunday afternoons
• Go visit local parks and fish
• Have a picnic at the pool
• Go to the zoo
• Visit Nana and Pop-Pop
• Make smores and roast hot dogs over a campfire in the back yard
• Catch lightning bugs
• Make sandcastles at the beach
• Pick peaches, blueberries, cherries, apples (when in season)
• Have a giant water fight (use hose, balloons, water guns, etc.)
• Go miniature golfing
• Go to the $ movies and get popcorn
• Visit Great Nana and Great Pop-Pop
• Go swimming at different pools
• Get ice cream cones
• Watch a movie outside in the backyard or to a drive in or a movie in the park
• Go visit Grandma and Grandpa
• Go to Port Discovery and Baltimore Inner Harbor
• Go to Longwood Gardens to see the Giant Tree Houses
• Watch fireworks
• Go to a baseball game
• Go bowling

We have a few other things on our list but the boys helped to make this one - funny because visiting people was the thing they added.  They just love to be with people they love - come to think of it so do I :)Have a great summer whatever you do - and look for the blessings in your every day life - I'm going to be looking for them in my life this summer as well :)  

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Kids say the funniest things!

Do your kids say or do the funniest things?  Mine do.  They always have me laughing at the things they say and do!  
My son dressed for gardening with an oven mit, flip flop and boot.  He said he wanted to be cold on one side and warm on the other :) 

My daughter, who currently is in speech therapy because she doesn't say very much, is always bringing a smile to our faces with the way she dresses :)  

All three of my kids love to have a good time.  My daughter has started speaking and we are all thrilled.  The other day my oldest said to me, "Mom we need more babies"  When I asked him why he explained that  our girl is talking now so she is no longer a baby and he likes babies.  He said to me, "I want ten more Mom."  I was not sure whether I should laugh or cry at the thought of thirteen children.  

Three have me busy enough!

I need to remember to write down these things more often because they make for great scrapbook pages!  Scrapbooks are for my kids to remember these days (and me too!).  
Jeannette Lynton is having a contest of sorts (with prizes!) for all the funny stories and things your kids say.  Why not head on over and share a story?  You might even win something :)
While you are at it check out the Kids challenge over at Scrapping Everyday Miracles!  My boys, who are not the sit still and make an art project type of kids no matter how hard I try to make them do art projects, want to join in on this fun!  We'll see - Saturday will be our scrapbook day - I'm not sure if I'll have anything to share with you or not after this weekend.  
Thanks for stopping by!  I'd love to hear your stories too so feel free to leave some comments on funny things your kids say or do :)  Let's share the love!  

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Share A Smile

Well we are almost finished with our ShareASmile project but are waiting on Ruth (who is extremely busy with her new book release) to get the totals for us.  So I'll have a post up on Monday morning to let you all know what the total is.  Thank you for your patience (and there is still time to enter the giveaway here )
Here is a project my kids and I worked on this weekend.  Do you have left over egg dye?  I do all the time!  This year we decided to use that left over dye to make tie dye shirts :)  The kids chose the shirts they wanted to use and went at it . . .   

We set them out on the back deck to dry in the sun. 

They couldn't wait to put them on and show their daddy!  All three of them wore them to bed :)

Thank you for all your efforts and help with the ShareASmile project.  Here is a card I made for you all because you really truly do inspire me!  

Special thanks to the following blogs: Raisingfigureskaters

Crafts~N~Things for Children
Play Dr. Mom
Jaihart
Boo Boo Princesses Raising Figure Skaters

hands on : as we grow Courts Craft Corner   

Linking up with these great link parties 

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Play Challenge - Day 30

Well this challenge did not end the way I had hoped with all the sickness in my home but for those of you who followed all the way through I'm finishing off the challenge today.  Thank you for joining me and putting up with the crazy ending :)  Day 30 - keep on playing!
One of my readers commented that her kids are having so much fun she is going to put all the activities into a jar for the kids to chose one each day!  I am so thrilled with that idea I'm going to do it myself.  My kids keep asking if they can "make music" or "draw big" like we did before!  I have learned that those 15 or 30 minutes of uninterrupted time with them really did mean a lot - I need to be more focused on getting in time with them and put my agenda aside! 
So I found these ideas on pinterest from How To Nest For Less

 and one of my favorite crafting blogs The Crafting Chicks

I am working on my own jar/can for the kids and I'll be sure to post it when I have it finished :) 
For now - keep on playing and enjoy your kids.  
This time has taught me these things about . . . 

• My daughter - she loves the time with me - many of the activities the boys lost interest in long before she did - she can play for hours on her own but really enjoys just being in the same room with me - she loves to "cook" and the flubber project & science experiments were her favorite activities
• My oldest - he craves one on one time and love to be a leader - if I gave him the instructions he was in heaven telling the others how to make this project or that project work - I need to praise him more for taking the lead and being a GOOD example when he does it instead of always telling him to stop bossing his siblings around 
• My middle boy - he is crazy (nothing new learned here) and really enjoyed the active days - his favorite was probably the play islands and horse playing because he just loves that type of physical activity - he knows he is loved when I tickle him, wrestle with him and "fill up his love tank" with kisses 
• Me - I spend way too much time on the computer!  I sit down to just look this one thing up or get this recipe or check my e-mail and before I know it the morning is shot!  I need to get off and spend purposeful time with my kids . . . on that note

What did you learn throughout this experience?                     

Opperation Smile Fundraiser going on now
for more information check out my post here

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Happy Valentine's Day

It's another giveaway day for the Heart Project (actually it is our last giveaway) but before I get to that I want to share a little project that the kids and I made yesterday to celebrate Valentines.I found this on pinterest from Betty Crocker 

Betty Crocker

My love is a HUGE fan of cookies and of all the things in the world I could cook or bake my very least favorite thing to make is . . . you guessed it . . . cookies!  In the spirit of love however, I put away my own dislike and my kids and I made these for my husband.  
I used this totally awesome peanut butter cookie recipe (I'm not a fan of box mixes) and doubled the recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup margarine, softened
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Combine margarine, peanut butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla. Blend together very well.
2. Add flour, baking soda and salt with mixer. Chill dough 15 minutes in the refrigerator. Roll into balls by hand.

 3.  Place on sprayed cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven until edges very lightly browning (about 7 to 10 minutes). Don't overcook. We store them in a plastic storage containers, and they stay soft!

 On some of the cookies we added the dove chocolates when they came out of the oven.

 On others I pressed my thumb into the cookie to make a heart shape before cooking and added red colored sugar into the indentations.  

They turned out like this :)

Today is the last day of the giveaways for The Heart Project. There are still many in progress, so be sure to check them all out [there's a list at the end of this post].

The Heart Book will be available for donation through the rest of February, so if you haven't gotten one yet, you can still do so!

So far there's been over $1,800 donated to the American Heart Association [through the books, auctions and CraftProjectIdeas matching $1 for every book sold]. Can you help us reach our goal of $2,000 by the end of February?

Today. You have the chance to get the beautiful, printed version of The Heart Book for free! We're giving a few away today!

US $20.00

Order the Printed Version

Entries (are listed in the Rafflecopter form, but just for you to know):

• Leave a comment on one of the participating blogs (about the AHA)
• If you've donated/bought the ebook, let us know for another entry.
• Tweet about the giveaway (can be done once/day)
  
  
  Terms & Conditions:
  *** Available to US residents only.*** [not sure how to word this if there are others participating outside the US... suggestions???]
  
  
  This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. We hereby release Facebook of any liability. Winner(s) will be contacted by email 48 hours after the giveaway ends. If you have any additional questions - feel free to send us an email! * No purchase is necessary to win.
  * Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
  * Winners will be chosen via random.org by 2/21/12 and will have 48 hours to claim their prize. If winner does not claim prize within 48 hours or forefits, prize will be redrawn by random.org and the new winner will be notified.
  * Void where prohibited by law.
  
  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Linking with these link parties hosted by these fabulous blogs!                    

Opperation Smile Fundraiser going on now
for more information check out my post here

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