Family Fun (Plants)

  I don't know if spring is only here because the calendar said so or not.  By the way the weather is acting it's definitely not a confirmation.  I heard today on the new Punxsutawney is wanted.

  Apparently people are fed up with the lies!   With a few more days of a threat of snow this weekend I have decided to start pretending spring was here with a little bit of planting.

  If spring won't come to us we will do it our ourselves.

Some of my perennials are coming up so I know winter is almost over.  This pot has some Hostas.

 I will clean it out after the snow is gone.  Until then I will keep the debris for extra warmth.

  We planted a variety of flowers.

So now we will sit and watch them grow! 

Next we will maybe plant some veggies!  I did plant some parsley for the butterflies and found some milkweed I'll need to plant as well.

  Have you started planting flowers?  Do you plant flowers or buy them. I will buy a few plants as I can't grow everything and I like all the colors.

Family Fun (free day)

  Family fun can happen anywhere.  It just has to be 1) an activity or event be done with 2) family.

  Even a day out can be all about the family.  I checked out and planned my day for the kids today.  Free is always a nice thing so I definitely utilized that as my entertainment today!

  Today we started out with our favorite once a month activity!

The kids workshop at Homedepot!  The project was a periscope.  I will admit I had to remove a few nails with this project.  Precise nailing was most important today.

  After that we made our way to Target!  Did you know they were celebrating Dr. Suess at some locations?  Lucky for us, our location was one of them.

The kids received some fun activity sheets, sat in some very comfy chairs and heard the story Green Eggs and Ham.

 After this a small walk to celebrate 30 years was our next destination.

Happy Birthday AuntieAnnes! We enjoyed celebrating with you!

I not going to ask what the favorite activity of the day was because all I want to hear is spending time together and that may or may not be the answer.  

Either way everyone got out of the house, created, ate and even got a dose of enrichment, and imagination from the Dr.  I would say it was a good day.  Bring on Sunday because it is the day of rest and relax.

Driving down Candy Lane

  There I was with my kids enjoying the movie Wreck-It Ralph when I released what a perfect idea it would be to make a car based on the fun candy car that Vanellope (The Glitch) raced with!

   Her car was made up with the gummy worm wheels, sprinkles, chocolate syrup, gumdrops, cookies and all other yummy things.  I thought how fun it would be to make one.  Enter Halloween candy! 

  Yep, and surprisingly my daughter had more then I thought!  I don't know how she managed to have so much.  When it was candy time I clearly asked her brother for candy and not her.  We will remedy this situation now.

  I let the kids grab whatever they wanted to use to make their car.  My daughter grabbed her one and only Rice Krispy treat. My son had to take more time and be creative with his.  I also joined in the fun with my own idea.

  My daughter had a head start on her car.  It was coming out great.  She had wheels, a driver, steering wheel.

 My son decided he was making a car boat!  He was the one guilty of the most candy consumption during this process but, definitely the one with the biggest imagination!

  After all my suggestions I had to jump into the fun too.  I had so many endless wheel suggestions but changed it up based on limited options.

 We all used a variety of candy to assemble our cars!  Tootsie Rolls, Gobstoppers, candy bars, lifesavers, gummy bears, Dots, Nerds and more 

Even though my son's surrounded his boat with water.

We had a race!

I applaud my kids for the good time they gave me.  They had fun, helped each other with suggestions for parts and there was no arguing!

The race was a three way tie but, our bellies won in the end!

When we were making these I thought what a fun idea for a birthday party activity or movie theme activity!

I'm not going to assume everyone else still has Halloween candy but, do you have Christmas candy left?  

5 benefits to a Snow Day

  With the weather being so crazy this week I feel like my whole month is off.  How can a few days of roads closed down throw off my life? My life isn't really thrown off I just have to adjust things, make minor adjustments and accommodate differently.  There are some benefits to closed roads though during a snowfall.

1.  Saved money.
I can't leave my house because the roads are not clear and the stores are not open anyways.

Well now that you mention it there is always delivery. Pizza and Chinese anyone?

2.  Focused playtime.
This playtime with the kids is different because it's not planned.  Somehow when there's no school kids are bored but, in the summer they run a muck.  So the kids are constantly asking to be played with.

I have colored more, had my makeup applied by the children, done nails and more.  I didn't know bored could last so long.  I know they are enjoying themselves and appreciating it.

3.  Snow pictures.

  Its not that snow is rare in Virginia.  If it was, it isn't any more because while I have lived here it has snowed every year.  Each year it snows more than the previous year.  

The roads are in desperate need of some sand, salt and a plow.  I am a secondary road so the roads will get clean when they get clean unless the sun gets to them first. The problem is they try to thaw during the day then refreeze overnight.

4.  Fitness is flexible.

  While I can take a break from working out due to the lack of ability to get to the gym (if they are even open).  I get to walk the neighborhood for fresh cold air.  I do not run in the winter when it's too cold but, if your trapped in a house for too long a nice brisk stroll is a welcoming activity.   

  This is reason number I don't even know of why I need a Fitbit.  I hadn't been using the map I run app on my walks because I thought they would be short and sweet but usually my phone logs the steps/miles/distance.  As you can see I got credit for yesterday but not for today.  So I can't count on it that's for sure.

5.  I notice more colors.

  There are so many beautiful colors.  The different hues in the sky.  The shine of the ice.  Everything has a different beauty to it in the winter.

This was a stroll I took at sunset.  When I walk I look everywhere. Up, down in front of me and behind me.  You never know what is happening behind you if you don't look.  Of course I have to look down because of all the ice but, still you never know what you'll see.

Did you gain anything from a snowday?  How many days off did you get with the latest storm?  What did you do to pass the time?

Garden of Lights

 A trip though the gardens at night with holiday lights displayed offers a great night out for the family.

Each year the display is equally as entertaining as the previous year.  You are amused at a waving snowman!

Or amused at the underwater theme.

The light displays have some displays with solid lights others may have animation or music.

The colors are nice to see either way and it's just neat to see a glowing butterfly!

Finally your tour ends with some little fellas that will get a smile out of at least one person in the car.

Since we have been to this display several years in a row I guess this is one of our traditions.  What's one of your traditions or places you go yearly over the holiday season?

Weekly recap

This week was pretty laid back in a few areas more so then others.

Little man didn't have preschool this week as the public school was out 3 of the 5 days so there was too much activity going on to ever get his focus.

I actually only cooked two meals this week.
DeconstructedChicken Potpie and Chicken Fried Rice.

I cashed in one receipt for free lunch at Chick Fil A and will use my remaining one this weekend.

Different times of year they offer a promotion to buy food one day and bring the receipt back the next month for the same meal free!

  We spent a family night bouncing around at our local trampoline park.  Pay one price and your whole family jumps which is better then the per person rate.

I finally finished one book.

Then started another.

Even found time to hit the gym regularly this week which was a great accomplishment and overall gave me a better feeling!  

Cardio and weights does a body good!

The rest of my weekend is going to amount  to low key activities and random fun.  How was your week?  What will you be doing this weekend?

#NaBloPoMo

Weekly recap

The week started out with eagerness and excitement as it was Halloween.  On my hands I had a ninja and Moana (the Hawaiian Princess).  Guess you know movie we will be seeing at the end of the month.

  We visited a few trunk or treats.

 Then a fall festival.

I like attending the fall festivals.  The kids have so much fun with the games and bounce houses.  This one even had  petting farm and pony rides!

Enter my first trip to the corn maze.  Wow, how have I missed out on this?  I believe running atleast 2 miles chasing kids was the best cardio ever!

Little man worked on letter G throughout the week.

 He learned it was for garage and golf 


We took advantage of kids eat free on Halloween for dinner and our dinner winner of the week was breakfast for dinner.

        Corn Beef Hash Huevos Rancheros

  Made a blanket for children in hospice with the mops group I'm in.  Now is the time to help out where you can. It's not always about financial donations. Think of what else you can do?

My book club met at a cute tea shop to go over last month's book.  I think this was my second favorite of the week.

My kids on the other hand despite of the candy may think that catching a movie was the best!

   I don't anticipate the upcoming week to be as busy and that is ok by me.  Sometimes it's nice to stay home and put your feet up.

How was your week?  Did you get out to catch a movie? Or dinner out?  Do you still have candy?  We do because I hide it and eventually the inquiry for candy stops coming.

#NaBloPoMo

Day 5 The Elf

  So I had stayed up late last night.  I have a lot on my mind and am having trouble sleeping.  However lucky for me by 3 I was tired enough to finally make my way upstairs.  I couldn't believe what I saw.

  I see that Elf is making himself at home and has decided to take up getting acquainted with the other toys.

Although from his vantage point I'm not sure he was shaking hands with the monkey.

Kind of looks to me like a plan of attack.  You know how you get off the bus and unknowingly get bombarded with snowballs before you can even make one.  Before you even know what hit you.

What is that on your lap?

Oh, dear it looks like you ran out of snowballs and I came upstairs at the right time!  

Not nice Elf!  You are a guest in our house and I expect you to behave just like everyone else.  Which means if you want to throw snowballs at anyone you need to give them a heads up!