CVS Summer Deals

If you are in the market for any summer toys and you have a CVS nearby, head over there soon for some great deals. My local store had 90% off summer merchandise, including sandals, this week, so I picked up a 3-pack of small squirt guns for about 70 cents. Landon has been having a blast with them. (Mommy and Daddy think they're awfully fun, too.)

Marbled Paper

Here's another fun project from Family Fun Magazine:

Spread a smooth layer of shaving cream on a rimmed baking sheet (about 1/2 inch thick). Drip drops of food coloring on the shaving cream and swirl them around (we used a craft stick). Lay a piece of cardstock on the cream and press lightly. Lift it up and use a squeegee to remove the shaving cream. You're left with a colorful, marbled creation!

Landon loves this activity and will make several paintings in one sitting. It's definitely an outdoor activity, so do it now before the weather gets too cool!

Noodle Sprinkler

Family Fun magazine's latest issue had instructions for making a sprinkler out of a pool noodle. It was super easy, and Landon had a blast with it. If I were to make another one, though, I think I'd spread the holes out more; right now I have them about 3 inches apart. If there were less holes, the water might shoot up higher out of them.



Speaking of Family Fun, it's a great resource for all kinds of fun activities to do with your kids, especially seasonal ones. I got my subscription free (I think it was a bonus that came with an order I placed on Amazon.com), but I plan to renew it when my free one ends. It looks like a 10-issue subscription costs about 10 dollars.

Summer Fair

Landon has been looking forward to the fair for an entire year. We kept telling him that in the summer--when it was hot--it would be time for the fair. He was so happy that fair day had finally arrived today. This morning he asked me, "Is it hot for the fair?"

He had a blast today. He ate fries, funnel cake, and other fair food, checked out the petting zoo, and rode plenty of rides (some with Daddy and some by himself). He's already looking forward to next year's fair.

The Critter Construction Book--Free Resource (Today Only!)

Freebie of the Day is offering a great resource for little ones today: The Critter Construction Book. It's completely free, but it's available today (8/4) only. Here's the description from the site:

This little book was originally produced by the author and her son for a group of preschool HeadStart children and was designed specifically so the kids could cut out a set of basic shapes and then create the “critters” herein with their parents. New designs have been added to the originals over the years until now there is an entire menagerie of critters to create. See if your little ones can put together the ones here… and perhaps create some new ones on their own!

Visit Homeschoolfreebieoftheday.com to download your copy!

Anniversary Picnic

Today was our 7th wedding anniversary, and since last week was extremely busy with VBS, we decided to take today off of work and spend time together as a family. We took the kids to a local nature preserve for a picnic. We played on the playground, ate lunch, and took a walk (with Landon on his tricycle). The weather was beautiful, and it was a perfect day to hang out outside together.

Relaxing Summer Evening

We set up Landon's pool and sprinkler tonight. He enjoyed splashing around, and Simon spent some time hanging out in his little cabana.