Halloween painting project

Since I've become somewhat of a Pinterest additct pro, I've decided that I really need to be more serious about actually trying out things I've pinned, instead of just collecting them.

 

I have discovered that Baking Soda is a fantastic cleaner, especially with some of our hard water issues; a simple 15 minute workout can leave you searching for the handrail in the bathroom for two days; there are some Yummy recipes to be found and there are Tutorials for anything I could ever want to attempt on my own.

 

Here are some of the kids projects that I've pinned... that I've never tried! What's the point of searching out activities to do with your kids if you're not going to do them? A couple of months ago I came across this adorable canvas snowflake painting project! I thought it would be a perfect rainy day activity, the only problem was ... I didn't want to wait that long!

 

So... I ran out and picked up a couple of canvases, put them in a drawer, and waited for the middle of September to pass, so we could do our own Fall rendition!

 

First we gathered our materials: canvas, masking tape, paints, brushes

 

 

 First, use the masking tape to outline your print. The pin I found was for snowlfakes - we opted for Jack-o-Lanterns! Be sure you press the tape down cleanly on the canvas.

 

Then choose your color palate - we went with brown, red, orange and yellow.

 

 

Paint your canvas - All Of It! Cover the tape, the full board and around the edges. This part was a bit harder to explain. The oldest was doing his best to paint a "real" Jack-o-Lantern!





The next step - Wait. Wait until the paint has dried completely. We opted for over night. This was the hardest step of them all! 

I get a kick out of this one! Their personalities really come through in the end result of their paint trays!

 The next morning, we peeled off the tape... aaannnddd... 

 



  Ta- Da! I used a Sharpie to outline the paint border as suggested in the snowflake post. This makes a Huge difference in the image.

 These adorable works of art will be with us through Thanksgiving! We are already on the hunt for a canvas sale, so we can make one for each Holiday!

 

Thanking our Teachers

Tomorrow... will be our Biggest Little Guy's last day of pre-school. It seems like yesterday was his First Day, and I was trying to keep up with him as he ran in the door!

While I'm Very excited for him to start Kindergarten - though probably not as much as he is, he's been "bored" at school the past few months, because he, "already know(s) everything they are trying to teach (us)!" - I am still a little sad that he's growing up so quickly.

So, tonight we made some gifts for his fantastic teachers! Luckily, our Littlest Guy starts pre-school this fall, so they won't be getting rid of us quite yet. :) Thanks to the wonderful world of Pinterest, we found a super cute idea for Teacher Thank You gifts, so we decided to make our own version!

First, he wrote each teacher their own thank you card, and wished them a happy Summer.

Then he decorated the back of each with Lots and Lots of stickers!

Next, we assembled our supplies - plastic insulated cups with straw & lid (I went with the slightly more expensive ones on the simple notion that they could be tossed into the dishwasher), Lipton and Crystal Light flavor packets and some 4th of July necklaces.

We rolled up the thank you note and slipped it inside, filled the cup with the packets and beads...

and screwed the lids back on.

Ta-Da!!

These were super simple, and all for about $11.50 each. The cups were the most expensive, at about $10 each, but I figured the better cups would last longer and get more use.

What are your ideas for teacher gifts?

Check out this idea and more cute teacher gift ideas from this great Pinner!

Artichoke Delight!

This is the perfect time of year to get your hands on some giant California artichokes! The Monterey coastal area is filled with artichoke plants, with funny green flowers on top - the artichoke is actually an edible bud, and oh, how Yummy it is!

Artichokes are so yummy, that they are a family favorite - and one of our 5-year old's favorite foods! We eat them regularly when they are in season and wanted to show you this quick recipe for Steamed Artichokes.

I start by cutting the stem off flush with the base of the artichoke. These are very large ones, I picked up for just over $1 each. They are the size of my hand and can easily be a meal in themselves!

Place your artichokes in a glass bowl and add about 1" of water.

Then cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

Stick the bowl in the microwave - Yes! In the micro! Ours has a "Fresh Vegetables" setting that I use, I have not really paid attention to how long they cook for, maybe 3-5 minutes. When the micro stopps, leave the door closed for another 2-3 minutes to let them steam a bit more.

Careful! The bowl will be hot! Then remove the plastic wrap, drain the hot water - Carefully! - and serve with mayo.

We also had some amazing Honey Garlic Porkchops that I found a recipe for on Pinterest! I love that site! Mmmmm! We'll be using that recipe again, too! A cup of brown rice cooked in a can of chicken broth with a Tbsp of butter and a green salad made this meal complete!

Just peel a leaf at a time, dip in mayo, and go to town! Yum!

Love these happy customers!

Our favorite part of the artichoke, is the heart! Once you've eaten all the leaves, remove the "hairy" inside and you're left with a bowl-shaped heart. Top with a smear of mayo and you're one bite away from heaven! Artichoke hearts are a hot commodity around here and if you're not paying attention, your heart just may get stolen!

Today we've linked up over at Two Maids a Milking - hop on over and check out a Fantastic Apple Pear Crumble Tart recipe!

Click on the Recipes tag to find more recipe ideas!

A Pinterest Project

Pinterest. Have you heard? Have you been?

Have you come up for air yet?

I held off on pinning for a few months, namely because my home computer had gone on to a new life and I could barely get through the required computer work in the office, let alone getting stuck in the world of Pintering.... Hmmm...
And now, well... let's just say that I have been able to justify my new Pinterest habit by actually following through with ideas that I've come across. Even if it means Summertime desserts in January!
All you need for this project is a bowl of yogurt...

and some beautiful CA Grown strawberries!

Wash and stem the berries.

If you'd rather eat the berries at this stage of the game, you just go right on ahead.

Or, you can roll the berries around in your bowl of yogurt - you can try to use a spoon, but if you need to lick your fingers, go right on ahead and do that. Just be sure to keep the rest of your berries off of the "Serve to Guests" plate.

We did not have vanilla yogurt on hand, so we used the blueberry, peach and strawberry cups that we had in the fridge. The fruit in the yogurt cups would slide off the berries, making it a little harder to coat, but too much yogurt was not going to hurt anyone!

Place the coated berries on a wax paper lined baking sheet...

and stick the sheet into the freezer.

Once frozen, halve the berries -- I recommend taking the berries out at least 10 minutes before serving so they will be just a bit easier to cut. Be sure to use a good sharp knife and a cutting board - or just take them out of the freezer before they are frozen solid. 

Then add your own personal touch... we drizzled chocolate syrup! Yum!

I keep the "left over" berries in a zip-lock bag in the freezer for easy grab-and-go treats. The boys loved them and I'm sure they'll be a daily request once summer rolls around!

So, we want to know... what's your favorite Pinterest project?
Here is the link to this one. Hers look so much prettier than ours. :)