Outdoor Shower

Hillbilly Style Outdoor Shower!!
Sprinkler attached to a lawn umbrella, attached with duct tape no less!!
Kids were thrilled.
Ahh!! Summer.

Ball Maze/Run

Salt Crystals

We used a strong salt solution and let these crystals grow (dry) in a dish.
I love that the girls can see each solid formation and get  a real sense of what it is we pour out of the salt shaker.
Kitchen science rocks!!

Science Stuff

The kids are having a great session of schoooling lately.
We have had so much time to enjoy crafting and experimenting.
This was a neat little project that was quick to set up and quick for results.
Perfect mod day boredom buster too.

We also heated up some larger beach rocks in the oven and drew on them with crayons.
I have these in the garden now and they are colourfully beautiful.

Stalagmites and Stalactites

Using a heavy solution of epsom salt and water that we died blue, we watched these stalactites grow.
Every time they'd get long enough to look at and photograph a kid would accidentally knock it off.
This si the only one i managed to get.
Its a great little experiment, please don't judge it by these photos.

Salt Painting

The kids really liked the way this worked.
First pour white glue in a pattern or picture.
Then coat with table salt, not mom's really expensive Himalayan salts.
Shift salt back and forth, over sink is best or outside, to be sure all glue is coated well.

Once glue is dried, one picture took 2 days as it was really thickly coated with glue, paint with water colours and watch the colour spread.
Science and art all in one!!

Ring Craft

Another simply wonderful and quick and cheap craft.
Wire and beads.

Kids make them, I make them, they make great gifts.

Trainer

Added this to my routine, I'd like to say my Daily routine, but its more like every couple of days.
Put I love it, riding without leaving my porch.
I can even lift arm weights while I spin.

Nike Fuel Band

I finally broke down and bought one.
I am kinda in love, but not for the reasons you'd think.
I read all the reviews and comparisons i could find and they ring quite true, so no need to go over the obvious.
But i love being able to track my movements and compare my days.
Its motivating for me and I admit I actually like the band itself, it my style (but in plastic.)

I feel like i am on track after 3 weeks of plain monitoring and can now implement a new routine to amp up my health and work outs!!
Summer body...here i come!!

BBQ Gazebo

Hubby loves to build.

Hubby loves to build big things!!

This is so exciting!!

A BBQ gazebo.
A place where we can have fires and hang out in any weather, protected from the elements.
One thing about have a fire is you are limited to only a certain time of year, Fall.
Since summer is  generally fire season and we live in the forest, we are very careful.
It's usually pretty chilly when we have fires.
This will have a tin roof to reflect the heat down, with a hole in the roof to allow the smoke to escape.

Engineering this was a feat in itself.
No plans just a master mind and lots of patience.
I love have a huge year!!

Produce Bags

I made these great produce bags for a dear friend for christmas.
I have made many of these in the past and seem to keep giving them away.
They work perfectly for all produce and most bulk foods as well.
They wash up easy and are able to fit into your re-usable bags bag, making it easy to remember at the grocery store.

Lint Craft

Other than fire starter, I was determined to see if there was something else that could be done with all of our lint.

I found a website, actually a few, that told of Lint Clay.

Well why not I guess.

So I set out to see if indeed it could be possible.

I worked in the glue and water.

I chose to wear gloves, for some many reasons, I mean it is lint after all.

Anyways, I found that it was hard to mold into anything.

SO?.. I opted for a square.

A tester, I told myself.

But lets face it, this is about as far as this craft will ever get.

I have to admit it did harden well and stays together great.

Maybe I'll use it as a paper mache project base.

This craft is a GOOOONG!!

Mugs

Yet another Pinterest idea.

I'd post a link but it seems everyones been doing these and they state the instructions in the post.

That said, I wont really go into details of how they are done. 

But these are the ones I made.

I can't post the one the girls made yet, they are gifts for family and friends.

Sumo Lounges

Have you ever seen these things?!?!
Check them out  http://www.sumolounge.com/
They are the BOMB!!

Big, fluffy, lounging pillow that is the most comfortable thing ever.
We ordered 2 but are still waiting for the other one.

Pop Bottle Crafts

During the summer we seem to acquire pop bottles.
We don't usually have these around but with friends, family and neighbours coming over for dinners, BBQ's, bon fires and summer evening visits we always are left with many.
So instead of recycling, we craft.
Terrariums and bubble blowers this time.

Feather Hair Clips

 Another quick crafting session because I wasn't about to spend $15 on one of these clips when they take 3 minutes and $1 each.

 Now the girls are sporting colourful hair that they can put in and out on a whim in any colour they want.
I wish I had done that as a kid, would have saved me a lot of time, money and hair problems over the years!!

Pop Can Earrings

 Here's a recycling craft that anybody can do, if they so wanted to.
Take an empty pop/beer can and rinse it out.
Cut it open and press flat.
It is a really pliable metal and cuts with regular scissors super easy.
Cut out the desired shape, I folded it in two to get the both sides to match.
I then took a ball point pen and drew designs on them.
Once I spray painted them and let them sit over night i poked holes in the tops and finished them up with earring findings.

They are so light weight.
The girls each love theirs and want to make them for everyone they know.

Red Flowers

Cut several rounds of red fabric, the kind that is silky, and sort of waterproof.
Sorry i am not certain as to the actual type.
Find a small candle as a heat source for melting edges.

Place fabric close to flame, just in the heat of it and edges will curl up nicely.

But too close and they catch fire and leave a wonderful black edging.

I may have burnt as many as I didn't but once all layered up the flowers looked pretty neat actually.

Sew them together with some black embroidery thread and your flower is ready.
I put one on a hat I had ready to send to my niece in Quebec.
Now thats a perfect hat so a styling 2 year old!!

Now what to do with the rest of them?

Cabbage Paper Painting/Sciencey Stuff

I found this recipe for a crafty science experiment, on Pinterest of course.

The instructions were a tad vague bu tI managed to figure it out.

It takes some prep but it was worth it.

Not sure if the kids really got the whole science behind it, I think they thought it was more magic than anything!! Just joking.

I cut half a purple cabbage up and boiled in about 1 cup of water.

I let it boil for 15 minutes or so and drained into a shallow pan to cool.
Cut watercolour paper into small squares.

 Soaked paper in juice for about 10 minutes and flipped to soak the other side for about the same time.

 I initially thought that there wasn't enough juice but that was deceiving.
The paper doesn't really absorb a lot, so it goes a long way.

 I let them dry on the pan overnight and flipped them over a couple times as I walked by just to be sure  they didn't stick.

 The next day we gathered a bunch of liquids to use to write on the paper with.

 Some worked better than others, for obvious scientific reasons.

 I'm not too sure I'd rush out to do this one again but it was well worth a try.
I wish they would have drawn picture and then we could have at least hung them up and show them off.
Maybe next time.