Painting

Wine Glass Pumpkins – Halloween & Thanksgiving

This is the first year in four years that I can decorate for Halloween. I started my decorating with some cute wine glass pumpkins. Yes, we are already decorating for Halloween even though its only September, just goes to show exactly how much I’ve missed being able to put anything out for Halloween, not for myself, but for my kids.

Wine Glass Pumpkins

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You need no crafting skills, or anything like that, because I don’t have any, and I think mine turned out rather great still. Cute and crafty.

Here’s the thing: I did these ones myself, but your kids could totally do them. If you don’t feel comfortable with them having glass, and wine glasses can be delicate, pick up some plastic ones. Use flameless tea lights instead of real candles.

I got my wine glasses from the dollar store, they were $1.25 each – I later found our Walmart has some for a buck. No matter how new they might be, wash them, and wipe them down with some rubbing alcohol.

I taped the stem before I started painting the orange of my pumpkin, and it just so happens that my paint color was was Pure Pumpkin. Painting on glass isn’t hard, but it isn’t necessarily easy either. The first coat went on easily.

I found squirting the paint on the glass, thickly, then using the foam brush to lightly spread it over the first layer. Too much brushing will remove the first layer of paint.

Once the orange fully dried, remove the tape. I chose to not put tape over the orange and just free handed the green paint.

You can also add a face to your pumpkins. These are perfect for Halloween, like I said, but because I didn’t put a Jack o’ Lantern face on mine, I think they’ll be perfect for Thanksgiving too.

Some tea lights on top, set on top of my beautiful hutch and I have started my Halloween decorating. Without having to take it down in a few weeks.

Do you do much decorating for Halloween?

Alternatives to Handing Out Halloween Candy

Our 6 Favorite Halloween Books

Q- Tip Painting – Easter Eggs

by Ashley Mullen

Sometimes changing one little thing makes something new and exciting again. Like painting. You can only paint so much, so often with a paint brush and then, you just get bored. I almost find I’m the same way with the holiday decorations. Each year I get more excited as my kids are getting more excited each year. Here is one way we are adding decorations this Easter.

Q- Tip Painting – Easter Eggs

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Just changing something like the painting tool changes everything. We’ve done some finger painting and painted with feathers in the past, and I’m sure we’ve used Q-tips too but I hadn’t shared it apparently… until today.

I have this template of nine Easter eggs that I printed out for my girls to decorate. The perfect Easter activity and decoration.

We had some special Crayola Washable Glitter Paint, I am quite impressed with just how glittery it is! I only use Crayola products so that I know nothing is going to get ruined. An old egg carton is perfect for paint.

Q-Tips make the perfect dots. Lines. Makes them take a little longer to color something in fully – makes a 2 minute paint job last at least 4 minutes!

We have eggs that are full color, stripes, polka dots, zig zags, and repeat. No two are alike.

We’ve made a few Easter crafts this year including Toilet Paper Roll Bunnies and Cotton Tail Bunnies (coming tomorrow).

Painting with Q-Tips doesn’t require a template to paint. You don’t need paper to paint. If its warm outside take them and the paint out and test out painting on different surfaces, rough and smooth. Use water colors, or colored water. Get creative. Have fun. Be Messy.

What you do with your eggs is up to you! We have our on the cupboards surrounding the bunnies that we also made. They would make a great wreath as well.

Do you make decorations with your kids for the Easter holidays?

Summer Survival Kit

by Ashley Mullen

Summer weather is just about here. We’re still getting a rainy day here and there that goes along with spring, but the temperatures are definitely up there. This year we’re living in a …good little city I guess we’ll call it. Better than where we were last year where the public pool didn’t open until August 1st, and closed September 1st.

I know we’ll be hitting the splash pad and wadding pool a LOT. The girls loved it the few times that we managed to get there last year. It’ll be nice to see Gauge’s reaction this year. Plus, its free, which is always the right price. This year my survival kit for summer with three kiddos of my own plus the girl I watch a few days a week. [Read more…] about Summer Survival Kit

4 Things I Always Have for Kids

by Ashley Mullen

In my house it’s simple to pull out a quick, fun, time killing activity. I always have 4 things on hand for kids to use, besides toys. They make great boredom busters, inside or outside, messy or clean play. Getting ready to move again and these will once again be the last things to get packed. Most kids love all of these, and can last 5 minutes or, like in our house, more than an hour.

My kids are huge fans of science experiments that answer a question they might have, or playing board games but sometimes we need to be bored to grow our imagination.

4 Things I Always Have for Kids

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Paint

They can paint anything: a table, the ground, paper, the bathtub, get creative!I’m not a fan of painting in the house, because no matter that materials I provide, it is inevitable that they will be finger painting and move far off the paper.

Cornstarch

Add water to cornstarch and they will have more fun than you could ever imagine also mix with shaving cream, paint to make the experience last or create new ones.

Play dough

Playdough or the ingredients to make it they don’t need toys to play with play dough. There are so many different recipes for playdough, making for different textures and/or smell.

Paper and Crayons

Great for on the go too.

Of course another things we always have it outside time. While right now there are days that it is too cold and windy to go out, but the kids love getting suited up to go out and play. While when I have a house full it can take up to 45 minutes to get out of the house, it is definitely a great way to entertain them. Bonus, since winter weather started (in October) they all have learned to get some of their stuff on by themselves.

We definitely can’t wait until warmer weather.

Painting Tin Foil – New Texture

by Ashley Mullen

I’m not sure what has been up this week, but it has been crazy here. Feet running, hands hitting or pushing, screaming, crying, and the list could go on and on. 6 kids, one tired stressed woman… needless to say, I have been sucking back coffee like crazy and can’t wait until the end of the day. Instead of turning to the TV on to put them into comas (not often do I let them watch TV) I tried something different. Painting tin foil.

Painting Tin Foil

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This was probably one of the best things to paint on, take the tin foil (aluminum foil) fold it around the edges of the table to keep the table clean. Easiest clean up, not including the kids of course, the paper plates were starting to break down already and went into the garbage too.

We mixed our primary colors to see what we got. In the end they saw how to make brown: mix it all together!

This was Austin’s house with water falling on it.

In the end, one child wasn’t too impressed with me nor the finger painting and opted for playing in the toy room instead. The other three painted until there was no more paint, their plates were breaking down and the paint on them had dried.

Instead of fighting all afternoon they got messy, instead of feeling like the worst person ever for getting after them all afternoon I just had to scrub them down (and hope that the parents weren’t planning on going any where after picking up their kids.) In the end I called it a success.

Painting

Wine Glass Pumpkins – Halloween & Thanksgiving