Puffin Mail for a Puffin Girl

Shortly after I posted about Annika’s Puffin interest, I was contacted by Donna, the Puffin Lady. She asked if she could put together a special package all about Puffins for Annika. What little girl doesn’t love getting mail, especially packages:)

Not long after, we found this package nestled in among my front porch pots (which I LOVE by the way) from the Puffin Lady. As soon as Annika found it she squealed with joy.

The first thing that she noticed was that the package was addressed to “Annika the Puffin Girl”. We often call her Ani(Ah-nee) but according to Annika that does not really count as a nickname. So Puffin Girl it is! Love it!

This box was packed full of little goodies. Donna went way over the top in finding special little Puffin items that a girl would love.

I love this picture. It could not be more true to our little Puffin Girl. She loves stuffed animals and immediately started snuggling this little guy. It took no time for Annika to name this little cutie, Puffy. Also notice the cute little Puffin scrunchy she is sporting.

What a sweet little Christmas ornament. Each of the kids have a collection of their own ornaments that they love. Annika was so excited that her Puffin box contained an ornament. This sweet little Puffin will be cherished.

I love all the fun books that were included in the package. We have read them a few times and now are going to pass them onto Annika’s Kindergarten class.

There were many more delightful little items as well, this box was packed right full! Donna even included a pair of Puffin socks for me! Annika loves showing her package to everyone that comes over. Soon after the Package arrived, Annika received a letter from the Puffin Lady. It contained a few pictures, one of which Donna is holding a Puffin. After a few sweet questions, Annika has now made it her goal to one day see a real Puffin. I love it!

The Puffin Lady has truly blessed our little Puffin Girl! Thanks so much Donna!

Minute To Win It Family Night # 1

Don’t Blow the Joker ~ Minute to Win it Game

Our family loves playing games. We played Minute to Win it with friends New Years Eve and the kiddos loved it! Minute To Win It, is a NBC show where contestants participate in 60 second challenges that use common household objects. We love free, fun family entertainment and this totally fits that category. Today we enjoyed playing Don’t Blow the Joker.

Don’t Blow the Joker Supplies:

The set up was super simple, which is part of the reason that I love these games so much! All you need is:

A glass bottle ~ we used an empty Starbucks coffee drink bottle
A deck of cards ~ including one joker
A Minute timer or stopwatch

To Play:

Simply set the deck of cards face down on the bottle with the joker being on the bottom of the pile face up. The kids LOVED timing each person. Before each contestant began the kids would say “_________ you have a minute to win it in 3, 2, 1 go” (just like on the game show) Then start the timer. The contestant will then gently blow the deck of cards and trying to keep the joker on top. This task must be completed in under a minute.

I love the concentration on Annika’s face as she is timing me. Don’t mess up Mommy! Ha!

Annika was super excited to be the first one to complete this challenge! Go Annika! We all struck out on our first try except Annika. After the first round, the kiddos wanted to keep playing until they got the joker to stay. I love their persistence. Eventually we all were able to complete the task in minute. This was so fun and the kids can’t wait for the next Minute to Win It family night.

For more Minute to Win It Games, check out our:

Floatacious

Bite Me and Junk in the Trunk

Cup Stacking ~ Stack Attack

Cleaning with Shaving Cream

Our poor IKEA art trays were in need of a major cleaning. They were covered with paint, glue, glitter, markers and most any other art medium you can think of. I have the cleaning bug, which does not visit our house often so I am taking full advantage of it! You are going to love this simple Cleaning with Shaving Cream trick.

A while ago, my sister-in-law taught me this simple trick. Shaving cream is a fun medium to play with. It is a great sensory medium, plus it has the added bonus of cleaning power. Love that!

The kiddos had fun smearing, building towers and drawing pictures. I thought about making some cute marbled artwork, but we will save that for another day since the main goal today was to clean.

We used a can of shaving cream that has been in the back of our cupboard for a long time. However, if I was purchasing a new can I would buy a sent free variety. The smell can be quiet strong. Annika asked me if it was OK that she smelled like Grandpa Bruce. So funny!

The kids enjoyed playing numerous games of tic-tac-toe. The loved “erasing” each game.

Once they tired of drawing, I gave the kiddos some scrub brushes to get the last of the grime off the trays. It worked like a charm. With a simple rinse, the trays are now perfectly clean and ready for the next creative project.

Hmmmm…I wounder how many cans of shaving cream it would take to clean our shower;)

If you don’t want to miss out on any of the fun we are having at Housing A Forest, make sure to follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, Google + and Twitter.

All Wrapped Up

Christmas tree storage can be a real issue. I could not resist taking a picture of the Christmas trees all wrapped up (well minus my entry way tree, which I’m not ready to pack up yet!). Are all your holiday decorations all taken down and reorganized? It brings me mixed feelings. I’m sad to see all the pretty decorations boxed up, but I love all the extra space I’ve gained back. Who would have thought just a few little trees would take up that much floor space;)

We are having a little debate and wondering if you would be so kind as to give your opinion. When you take down your tree, how do you store it? In the original box neatly placed; left fully together and wrapped in plastic to protect from dust; or shoved haphazardly in a back closet that will not be opened again until Dec 23rd. Thanks for you input and happy reorganizing!

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Puffins

Annika learned about Puffins recently in Kindergarten. She loves to recite the poem they learned, and wanted to share it with you.

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Since she is only half day Kindergarten we have lots of fun time together before the other kiddos get home from school. Today she really wanted to learn how to draw a Puffin. I’ve seen Puffins in the zoo, but I was not totally confident I could draw one accurately. I love the internet for these moments, we pulled up a few pictures of them on the computer and set to work.

I love how Annika’s Puffin turned out. There is just something magical about kid drawings. She used a blue sheet of construction paper and oil pastels. Oil pastels are creamy and easy to color with, plus the colors are so bright. However, Annika always points out that they are messy and hard to clean off her hands. Funny girl. In my opinion, the mess is totally worth it!

After she finished her Puffin picture, she thought it would be fun to teach other kiddos how to draw one. Here is Annika’s step by step guide on how to draw a Puffin. Love it! I might start making regular “how to draw” posts by Annika. She spends hours drawing, especially people and animals. Hope you enjoyed her little lesson.