Halloween traditions are a special way to make memories during Fall with those you love. If you have kiddos, it is an especially fun time of the year because it’s filled with costumes, magic, sweets, and treats! Who doesn’t love all of those things? To help fit in all the fun, this is a quick Halloween Traditions Countdown FREE Printable.Â
You can use this PRINTABLE as a way to keep track of the things you plan to do before Halloween. You can print and use it for ideas to make your own list, use Halloween stickers to mark the one’s you’ve already done, cut them all out and put them into a hat – then take turns picking out a Fall activity, or just close your eyes and point to pick one!Â
Fall always gives me the warm fuzzies because of the glowing lights in each pumpkin, the hot spiced cider, baked goodies, and all of the laughter and smiles!Â
I made this FREE Printable to help make it fun and easy to track how many things you’ve done! Get to it! Enjoy the moment, make memories with those you love, and have a HAPPY HALLOWEEN! XO
You’ve Been boo’ed PDFHave you ever been Boo’ed before? It’s a new thing for our family, so I wanted to share how it works so you can give it a try! You can Boo your neighbors, friends and family with this fun PRINTABLE that I’ve put together for you. 🙂
There are 2 ways to BOO someone. First is to simply drop off a basket of goodies with this PRINTABLE and sign the bottom. You can also give them an extra of this PRINTABLE so they can BOO another neighbor. Just be sure to add a little note at the bottom asking them to put the sign on their door so others know they have already been BOO’ed.
The idea is to pass the BOO along to others – basically spreading the joy and fun! Isn’t that the best? I absolutely love this concept, which is why I made this PRINTABLE to share with you all!
I hope you enjoy it! Please let me know in the comments if you give it a try – and if you used my PRINTABLE! Have fun and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
XOXO,
Mommylexi
It’s happened! Tie dye is back – and it’s all the rage! It’s also sold out at most stores because it’s a fun at home activity, and we’re all stuck at home right now. Did I give up on my tie dye dreams? No way! I decided to try reverse tie dye! If you’re new to reverse tie dye (I was), it’s where you use bleach to take color out of your garments, instead of adding colors to them. It’s really fun, easy, and most people have what they need on hand. Keep scrolling for quick instructions and what you need.Â
Materials
Before you get started, you’ll need to gather the following materials:
- Shirts or other clothing that are medium to dark in color so that the bleach has enough pigment to pull out. I used old shirts that we weren’t using anymore and gave them a makeover with this technique.
- An empty spray bottle. I used an empty spray bottle that used to have house cleaner in it. Because it was empty, I rinsed it out until it was good and clean, and I was all set! No need to purchase a new one!
- Bleach – enough to fill about 2 inches of the spray bottle.Â
- Rubber bands (optional).
- A tarp to protect surfaces.
- Rubber gloves to protect your hands.
Steps
1. Lay your clothing onto a clean flat surface. Decide where you want to pinch (so you can create a center for your swirl) and twist. You want it to be a nice swirl that is flat on the top and bottom. Use 1-2 rubber bands to secure your swirl. We used shirts so the rubber bands helped keep the sleeves in place.Â
2. Put your tarp outside, preferably on the ground. We used rocks and other things to secure the ends so it didn’t blow away. You definitely want to do this outdoors, so it is well ventilated. Lay out your clothes that have been twisted and secured.Â
3. Put on your rubber gloves to protect your skin. Take your spray bottle and add 1-2 inches of bleach to it. Close it and make sure it is on “spray” and not “stream” or “off”. You’ll spray your clothes as much or as little as you like. I sprayed the tops pretty well, flipped them over, and sprayed the bottoms as well. Why not? 🙂 Let them sit outside for 30 – 60 min, preferably in the sun. We ended up eating dinner (yes we eat so early that the sun is still shining) – and let them sit for well over an hour. We wanted them to bleach a good amount of color out, and they turned out awesome!Â
4. Put your rubber gloves on again, take the rubber bands off of the clothes, bring them inside and get ready to toss them into the laundry. Wash them in cold water, regular cycle (don’t mix with any of your other clothes). When they are done, hang them up to dry. That’s it! So easy! When they are dry, enjoy wearing your new reverse tie dyed clothes!Â
We tried a variety of shirts/tanks and I love them all. My workout tank didn’t bleach as much as I thought it would (see above), but I love how subtle it is. The black shirts bleached really well, as did the dark grey one Sofia is wearing in the image above. My lighter grey shirt is more subtle as well, and it’s really pretty! I’m planning to throw it on with light jeans and flip flops for a casual look.
I hope you give this a try, have fun, and please comment with how it goes! I would love to know! Hoping everyone is staying safe, healthy, and enjoying these warmer temps! xo
Summer vacation is upon us – which means it’s time to keep the kids busy all day long! We have one kiddo who isn’t old enough for camp yet (Sofia) and another kiddo (Gabe) who has a week and half before camp starts. We have been baking, crafting, running through sprinklers, swimming, and more! This particular activity is a lot of fun and very versatile.Â
The recipe below is for something that I lovingly call Clay-Dough and it is my favorite alternative to salt dough. We have dogs, and salt dough is dangerous for animals and kids who may eat the dough. It sounds silly, but little kids and animals are really good at putting things in their mouths and eating things that they shouldn’t. I’m a better safe than sorry kind of mama. 🙂 Not to mention, it is fun to make, easy to play with, you can make so many things, bake it, paint it, and more! Scroll down for the recipe and how to!Â
If you have a child or children who happen to like dinosaurs, grab any plastic figurines and use them to press feet, spikes, tails, etc. into the Clay-Dough and make your own fossils! It is so much fun and really easy! Please share this post with others and comment with questions or how it goes if you give it try! I would love to hear from you! Have fun, happy Summer and enjoy! xo
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Baking Soda
- 1/2 Cup Corn Starch
- 3/4 Cup Water
- Sauce Pan
- Baking pans
- Parchment or silicone sheets
- Plastic dinosaursÂ
- Cookie cutters (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 175 -200 degrees F (depending on how low your oven goes).
- In a sauce pan combine the cornstarch, baking soda, and water. Stir over medium heat. After about 4 minutes or so, the mixture will begin to thicken. When it looks like instant mashed potatoes, turn off the heat and use a big spoon to put the Clay-Dough into a bowl. Cover it with a damp cloth to keep it moist until it is cool enough to handle.
- When it’s cool, place it on a piece of parchment or silicone mat. You can add a little more cornstarch if it feels too sticky (similar to how you would add flour to sugar cookie dough if too sticky to work with).Â
- Use a rolling pin to flatten it to about 1/4″ thick and use cookie cutters to make shapes. You can also roll into small balls and flatten with your hands (my kiddos did both).Â
- Push the plastic dinosaurs into the Clay-Dough to make fossils. We pushed their feet, spikes, tails, ribs, spines, etc. into the Clay-Dough and it looks so cool!Â
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper or use silicone baking sheets. Transfer your shapes/fossils to the baking sheet(s). Bake them for about an hour, turning them over halfway through cooking. Some of ours were a little thick in the middle and not completely hard after an hour of baking, so we let those air dry overnight.
- Enjoy your super cool creations! You can make this Clay-Dough for homemade ornaments, little figurines, sculptures, etc. Let your kids have fun using their imaginations! 🙂 xo
Crafts are fun all year round, but they are especially helpful during the cooler months. This is an easy craft that you can do with simple supplies that you most likely already have on hand. It has a turkey theme for Thanksgiving and is perfect for some easy family fun!Â
I hope you give this a try and let me know how it goes in the comments! Enjoy and have the Happiest of Thanksgivings!Â
What You Need
- Construction paperÂ
- Scissors
- Glue Stick
- A circle roughly the size of a small Tupperware lid or masking tape
- PencilÂ
- Crayons
Instructions
Pick a color for the turkeys body. Fold the paper in half and trace your circle. Cut the circle out and because you folded the paper you will have more than one!Â
Next make your paper leaves. I made them about the same height as my glue stick (to keep it easy). You can make them super simple or get fancy with the edges. It looks cute no matter what!
Stack your construction paper (pick 3 sheets in different colors than the body) and draw your leaves on the top sheet. Keep the papers in a stack and cut out your leaves. You’ll end up with lots of leaves very quickly!Â
Use some scrap paper to cut out the beaks and turkey gobbler.Â
Give the paper pieces to your little one(s) – it’s time to glue it all together. You can see Gabriel and Sofia gluing all the feathers on the back of the turkey body.
Trace the bottom of the glue stick for finger holes. Cut them out using the scissors.Â
I cut out a smaller circle and glued it to the back of the turkey to make it thicker and help it stand up better.Â
Use the crayons to draw on the eyes and decorate the feathers if you want. Have fun with it!Â
When you’re done – put your fingers through the holes and do the turkey trot! 🙂 Have a Happy Thanksgiving! Muah!
If you love bath bombs, this craft is for you! I love pretty much anything that I can do easily with my kiddos. This is a really fun activity that you can do on your own (perfect to give as gifts), or do with young kids. My children are 3 and 5, and this is really easy to do with them. I made this batch of pumpkin shaped bath bombs with Sofia (3 years old) and she did fantastic! It’s messy (lots of powder) but easy to clean up and super fun! They also smell lovely, and if you make them in the morning, they should be ready to use as part of your bedtime bath routine. Keep scrolling for a lot more photos, the recipe and instructions to make these cute bath bombs! Enjoy and let me know how it goes!Â
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Baking Soda
- 1/4 Cup Corn Starch
- 1/4 Cup Citric Acid
- 1 Tsp Olive Oil
- Lavender Essential Oil (About 20 drops depending on how strong you want it)
Tools
- Mixing bowl
- Mixing spool or spatulaÂ
- Spray water bottle (if you have one)
- Silicone baking molds or other molds to shape your bath bombs
Instructions
- Combine the Baking Soda, Citric Acid, and Corn Starch in a bowl. Mix well with the spoon or spatula.Â
- Add 1 tsp Olive Oil and about 20 drops of lavender oil to the mixture add more or less depending on your preference). I like to use the spatula to combine it most of the way, and then use my hands to ensure it’s really thoroughly mixed.
- If you have a spray bottle, fill it with water and spritz the mixture 1-2 times, them mix with your hands. Spray 1-2 times more and keep mixing with your hands. It doesn’t take much moisture to make the mixture moldable. If you use too much water at once, it’ll fizz up and won’t be the right texture. We didn’t have a spray bottle, so I used 1-2 tiny drops of water from a cup. It worked well but I went extremely slow with the water. You’ll be surprised at how little you actually need.Â
- When you can tell the texture it moldable (another reason mixing with your hands is a big win), pack the mixture into the molds as tightly as you can. We used pumpkin molds for Fall, but you can honestly use whatever you have on hand. I like that you can have fun and make different shapes based on the season or holiday.
- Let the bath bombs dry in the molds for 5-6 hours or overnight. Gently pop them out of the molds and store in an airtight container.Â
- Use 1 bath bomb per bath (warm water) and enjoy! The lavender is so soothing and the fizzing is fun! My kiddos LOVE this activity and the bath time fun once they are done. Yay!
Spring has sprung and it’s time for a new, fun, family friendly craft! Be always blooming with this fun activity that is easy and you may already have the materials on hand! Keep scrolling for materials, a quick step by step, and lots of cute pics! Enjoy! Muah!
What You Need:
- Paper cupcake liners in any color or pattern you like (or have on hand)
- Construction paper
- Scissors
- Glue – liquid glue works best for this (not a glue stick)
- Glitter – any color you have on hand works
What To Do:
Step 1: Cut your leaves and stems out of green construction paper. If you want to add some grass, cut a long strip the length of the paper and about 2″ wide – then make 1.5″ cuts all along the strip like blades of grass.
Step 2: Glue the grass, stems and leaves to another piece of construction paper. We used white but you can use whatever color you like. I think blue would be fun as well, to look like the sky.
Step 3: Glue the paper cupcake liners at the top of the stems to make your flowers. I only had one color liner (polka dots) but the inside was silver, so we glued one of them inside out for variety. It’s always nice to use what you have on hand.
Step 4: Put glue in the center of each cupcake liner – aka – flower. You’ll need enough liquid glue to hold the glitter (see step 5).
Step 5: Cover the glue with glitter! This can be a little messy but it is pretty easy to clean up and looks super pretty! Putting newspaper down before this step can help control the mess. 🙂
Step 6: Lay flat to let dry – and enjoy your beautiful new Spring Flower artwork!
Who doesn’t love a sweet treat for Valentines Day? These sugar cookies are fun to make and even more fun to eat! I’ve shared a simple sugar cookie recipe below – but you can easily purchase heart shaped cookies from the bakery section of your grocery store and decorate those! Talk about a bake free – super delicious – family friendly activity! Keep scrolling for some photos of Sofia as my decorating helper, and the recipe! Enjoy! XOXO
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Butter
- 2 Cups Sugar
- 2 Large Eggs
- 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 4 Teaspoons Baking Powder
- 5 1/2 Cups FlourÂ
- Heart shaped cookie cutters
- A variety of sprinkles
- White frostingÂ
- Red, pink and black decorating frosting/gel (for writing & drawing fine lines)
- Any other yummy treats you want to decorate your cookies with
Instructions
These are quick, easy, fun, NO BAKE, holiday cookies! Aren’t these honestly the cutest!?! Anyhoo…I made these with my kiddos tonight and they were a big hit. If my 2 year old and 4 year old can do it, I feel like they have to be pretty fail proof! 😉 To learn how to make these cute cookies, scroll down to watch our video how to’s! Keep scrolling down for a list of ingredients. Enjoy!Â
- Chocolate covered biscuit cookies for the chimney – We used TimTams and they were $2.99 at the grocery store and Target
- Milk Duds for the shoes
- White and Red frosting – I purchased the ready made frosting from the grocery store so I could keep it easy and store what wasn’t used for later. You can easily make your own as well. Use the white frosting to put together chimney and shoes. Use red frosting to hold the legs and act as the bottom of Santa’s jacket.
- Red licorice for the legs – Twizzlers pull and peels can be cut to size and are the right thickness. The brand is not important. They just need to be thick enough around to hold the milk duds on top.Â
- Shredded coconut for the snow
Happy No Baking! Haha! 🙂
The Fall Leaf Wreath activity is perfect for younger children. It is also a simple activity for adults to pull together with minimal resources. I wanted to do something fun with Sofia (age 2) while her brother was at preschool. I used a couple of items that were already on hand and we went on an adventure to find leaves in the neighborhood for our Leaf Wreath.
Sofia had no idea what we were going to do with the leaves, but she did know we needed to find lots of colors and shapes. I gave her a small paper bag and asked her to look for her favorite leaves to put in the bag. We walked around the neighborhood pointing out all the red, brown, yellow, orange and green leaves on the ground. She had so much fun finding really big ones, small ones, leaves with more than one color on them, crunchy ones, etc.
Once we collected the leaves, we went back inside for the activity portion. I made a “wreath” shape out of a paper plate. I gave Sofia some school glue and let her put some onto the “wreath” shape. Then she was able to pick which leaves to put onto her wreath. We spent time looking at areas that needed more leaves, where we needed more glue, and where we could use different colors.
It was a very simple activity that took a nice amount of time, combined outdoor exploration with indoor activity time, and really didn’t require a lot in terms of materials or cost. Plus – you can use a ribbon to hang your completed Leaf Wreath in a window or on a door. Super festive and a great way to show your little one how proud you are of their work.
I’ve put what you will need for the activity and simple instructions below. I hope you enjoy this fun and simple activity – and please comment if you give it a try! I would love to know what you think, how the wreath turned out, and what other activities you may want to see moving forward! Happy Fall!
What You Need:
- 1 Small paper bag
- School Glue (liquid glue works best for this activity)
- 1 Paper plate
- Scissors (safety scissors work well if your child is old enough to help cut the plate)
- Leaves in a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes
- Newspaper or junk mail to protect your work surface
- 1 Ribbon to hang your leaf (roughly 1 yard long)
What To Do:
- Give your child the small bag and head outside for a “leaf hunt”
- Take your child on an adventure to find leaves of different colors, shapes and sizes. Take this time to help them explore their surroundings. Ask them to find leaves as if it is a scavenger hunt. Ask them to look for specific qualities…a yellow leaf, a tiny leaf, a really big leaf, a red and orange leaf, an old leaf, etc. Let them show you which ones are their favorites, and ask them why.
- Once you have enough leaves – and a good variety – head back inside for the activity portion.
- Put some newspaper or junk mail down on the table to create a work station and protect your table surface from the glue/mess.
- Take your paper plate and scissors, and cut a hole out of the center so you have a “wreath” shape. If your child is old enough to use safety scissors, they can help you with this task as well. You may want to help them make a small opening so they are able to cut more easily in the middle of the plate.
- Give your child the school glue and have them put some on about 3-4″ of the wreath. They can do this in sections.
- Next have your child select leaves for the wreath. You can do a scattered wreath where it is a mix of colors, shapes and sizes all over. You can also do an hombre wreath where you can start with the darker colors like the deep reds and work our way around to orange and then yellow. Depending on the age of your child, you can decide what is appropriate. We did the more scattered approach since she is only 2 and I wanted her to pick the leaves she wanted to put on it.
- Help your child find little spots that could use more glue and/or more leaves so it gets nice and full.
- Let the wreath sit flat to fully dry. You may want to keep some newspaper underneath to catch any glue drips.
- Once the wreath is fully dry, use the ribbon to hang it on a door or in the window. Your child can help find a special place to hang it, and even tie the ribbon if they are old enough and are practicing how to tie things like their shoes.
- Have fun and enjoy your new Fall Leaf Wreath!
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