14 Days of Valentines

I started a tradition a few years ago that we really enjoy. From the first day of February until Valentines Day, I give the kids a small treat or gift. I just finished putting them together for tomorrow. I try to have all of them ready in advance so I am not scrambling every day. I still have 2 or 3 that I still need to get but the rest are ready! Even though they are almost the same every year, the kids don’t care and they get so excited. One year I even made a giant heart shaped puzzle with a message on it and gave a puzzle piece each day. The kids really had fun using sticky tack and putting it together on the wall. If I get a chance tomorrow before they get home from school, I may do that again this year. This year I found a cut little mailbox at the Target Dollar Spot that I will put them in and raise the flag. I wish I had one for each child to have their own. I will allow them to open the mailbox as soon as everyone is home from school! Here is a list of the fun treat and gift ideas that I use. I just print out the little message on colored paper and cut them into hearts to tape onto the item.

I love your little tootsies! (tootsie rolls)

You’ve always “mint” the world to me! (Andes or York mints)

You always help me out when I’m in a (Crunch bar)

You are the greatest - Bar None! (granola gar)

You Warm my heart! (hot chocolate mix)

Let it be posted, you’re the best! (Post-it pad & pencil)

“Soda” you know I love you? (small can of soda)

Kisses, just for you! or Smootches, just for you!(Hershey's Kisses)

You’re so cheesy, you cracker me up! (cheese & cracker pack)

I couldn’t bear to live without you! (cinnamon bears)

You are my sweetart! (Sweettarts)

I don’t mean to be “gushy” but, I love you! (Gushers fruit snacks)

You make me smile! (Walmart fruit snack smiles)

No TWIX, I love you! (Twix candy bar)

You're worth more to me than 100 GRAND (100 Grand candy bar)

You're EXTRA special to me (Extra gum)

Don't SNICKER, because I love you. (Snickers candy bar)

HUGS & KISSES, just for you. (Hershey Hugs and Kisses candies)

I love your BUBBLY personality (bubbles)

Just POPPED by to say Be Mine (bubbles)

Valentine you make my heart float (bubbles)

I’m BUBBLING over with love (bubbles)

The other tradition we have, is that Hubby brings home a balloon for each of the kids. The kids sure love balloons and Hubby loves to pick them out! What do you do to make Valentines Day special?

Thanksgiving Traditions

One of the blogs I follow asked for ideas for Thanksgiving traditions. As I responded I realized I haven't recorded here the things have become part of our month of November. We have two traditions that my kids absolutely love! A few years ago we made tukey hats. We put on some music with a good beat and danced. That particular song will forever be the "Turkey Dance Song" at our house and we do the turkey dance every Monday night during November. I had no idea it would become a cherished family tradition, as silly as it is!

The other tradition is to make a thankful tree. I just got some brown and white craft paper at the craft store, drew and cut our a brown tree and glued it onto the white. Our is about 3'x4'. Then I went and had it laminated. This way I don't have to make a new tree every year. I have also seen a branch stuck in plaster paris used as well. I like to paper one for storage purposes. Then we take leaves (I save time by buying big packs at Oriental Trading because we go through about 150 every year) and throughout the month write things we are grateful for and hang them on the tree. On thanksgiving afternoon or evening, after we are finished with extended family activities, we read all the things we wrote outloud as we take the tree down to get ready for decorating for Christmas.

The Road Trip Fairy

We have a wonderful little fairy that visits us on road trips. She has an irridescent rainbow dress, violet hair, beautiful wings that fly fast enough to keep up with us on our trip, can be invisible when she wants (Mom has only seen her once), and of course a magic wand! She purchases and wraps small gifts (usually dollar store items) that can be played with or occupy children in the car. Each child's gifts are wrapped in a specific paper so they know which are for them. When we stop for a rest, every couple of hours or so, the kids can search the car to see if the Road Trip Fairy visited. This keeps our children occupied and surprises that are ongoing. It also cuts down on the "are we there yet?" and "He's touching me!"

Bubbles, Bubbles, everywhere

This morning we pulled out something that we haven't done in a while...bubbles! Even the word seems like magic. I make a bucketful of bubble solution (I'll post my recipe below) pull out the large bubble wands found at the dollar store as well as other bubble devices and we have a blast! Today the kids were trying to bite the bubbles and really enjoying themselves giving me a good chuckle. Whenever I need to see that my kids are still cute despite the arguments I can always pull out the bubbles.:)

Homemade bubble solution
Exploratorium recommends :
2/3 cup Joy or Dawn dishwashing soap
1 gallon water
2 to 3 tablespoons of glycerine (available at the pharmacy or chemical supply house.)
Pour the water in large container.
Add liquid detergent and gently stir.
Add rest of ingredients and stir.
Set aside for four hours before using to allow bubbles to settle. If the bubbles get too stirred up and don't work as well, just let them sit undisturbed for a few hours and they will be good as new.

Bubble Wand ideas!
commercial wands
bend pipe cleaners to make your own shaped wands
Use gum drops and toothpicks to make geometric shapes and hang from string to dip. (Do not eat gumdrops after using)
Use your hands, forming a circle with your fingers.
Use cookie cutters
Use telephone wire to braid and bend your own colorful wands.
Use your imagination to find other things around the house.

Giant Bubble Wand
Materials
String
Two drinking straws
Bubble solution
Large, flat baking pan
Directions
Thread a length of string through two straws.
Tie the ends together to make a loop.
Leave as much slack string between the straws as you like, depending on the size of bubble you want.
Pour bubble solution into a large, shallow baking pan.
Hold one straw in each hand, leaving the string hanging slack between them.
Dip the straw-and-string loop into the bubble solution, then lift it out slowly, taking care not to break the film of bubble solution.
Pull the straws apart until the string is taut, then hold the bubble film in front of a fan or the wind and watch a giant bubble take shape!


Group Activity

I have also made huge batches in a wading pool for large groups. You can have a child stand in the middle and using a hula hoop, raise a bubble around the child. Just make sure the pool is on a very level surface. This will only work a few times until the solution is too weak and needs to settle again.