I know the first day of winter isn’t officially here yet, but our weather has recently decided that winter is happening. We haven’t got enough snow yet to make a snowman, but we brought the winter fun indoors with this fun snowman hat craft! This can be done at home or in a classroom!
**This post contains affiliate links. We may get a small commission, at no additional charge to you, for purchases made from our links.**
Materials Used
White Construction Paper
Black Construction Paper
Orange Construction Paper
A Paper Towel Roll
Glue
Scissors
Tape Or A Stapler
I started by cutting thick strips from the white construction paper and taping them together in a circle that was just slightly bigger than my daughter’s head. While I did that, I drew a large circle onto another piece of white construction paper and had my daughter cut it out. If your child is too young to use scissors or if you need to save time in a classroom setting, you can cut the circle out ahead of time!
Next, I drew a triangle on the orange paper for my daughter to cut out. After that, I helped her cut out two big circles and several little circles from the black paper. Next, we worked together to cut out a long rectangle and a square from black construction paper.
After the cutting was done, my daughter got to work gluing together her snowman face.
To finish our cute little snowman hat, I used tape to attach the snowman to the paper band. To help it stand up better, I cut a strip from a paper towel roll and taped it under the snowman.
Book Suggestions
Little learners love pairing up a book with a craft! Here are a few suggestions.
As a person who lives too far away from Disney to be a frequent visitor, the changes felt very overwhelming at first. My husband and I still remember running to get paper fast passes on our Honeymoon and we were also pretty comfortable with digital Fast Pass system that had been available for free up until the parks closed due to the pandemic, so the thought of paying to wait less wasn’t something we loved, but we were willing to give it a try.
You can purchase Disney Genie+ in advance for your entire trip, but we decided to purchase it in the morning on the days we wanted to use it. The service is $15 a person per day however, that does not include tax, so it ends up being $15.98 per person. For my family of three, it was just under $50 a day. We bought it three times, so the extra expense came to almost $150 for the week. It felt like a lot to spend on a service that was once free, but when we compared it to similar services at other theme parks we’ve been to, it was much less expensive.
Now that we’ve gotten a few of the basics out of the way, let’s talk about my experience! My dad and step mom got us all an Individual Lightening Lane pass for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in Epcot and we purchased three days worth of Genie+. The wait for Remy through the Lightening Lane was very short. Unfortunately, it broke right as we were about to get into a ride vehicle. They scanned our band and told us to come back at any time. When we did go back, we ended up having to talk to three cast members to get back into line. The first two told us that we had a boarding group, but not a Lightening Lane. It did get sorted out and the ride was a lot of fun! The boarding groups for the ride were gone right at 7AM that day, so if Disney World’s newest ride is a must for you, it is worth paying for!
We used the Genie+ at Magic Kingdom and Hollywood studios. It was amazing in Magic Kingdom. Our first MK day was a busy Sunday, and we were still able to get almost constant Lightening Lane selections. The longest we waited in line all day was about 10 minutes. My daughter is just under 40 inches, so she couldn’t ride any of the big rides, but we rode almost everything else in a day. In my opinion, the service is a must for Magic Kingdom, even if you have several days planned at the park. After our second day at MK, we park hopped to Hollywood Studios for dinner and a few rides. I was very disappointed to find that almost all the Genie+ selections for gone by 3:30PM. We were able to get one for Alien Swirling Saucers for much later in the evening. We originally were going to buy Genie+ for our full day at Hollywood Studios, but because of that experience, we decided not to.
Overall, I really enjoyed the Genie+ service and found it to be a good value for our time at Magic Kingdom, but didn’t think it would have been worth the cost at any other park.
Have you used Genie+ yet? I’d love to hear your opinions!
Science is a part of our daily lives. Potential STEM learning is all around us! It is important that young children are given the opportunity to explore how that day-to-day science works. Today we have some wonderful science experiments and activities to share.
Halloween is almost here! I have gathered some fantastic homemade Halloween treat recipes. You can make these with your kids or make them while they are at school for a fun surprise!
Every month, I look forward to getting my BoxyCharm box! The box is only $25 per month and it includes 5 full-size beauty products worth well over $100! Keep reading to see what I got in my box this month!
*This post contains a referral link. I may get credit for those who sign up using my link.*
KNDR BEAUTY
Overnight Lip Mask
Retail Price $20
My lips get so dry once the weather gets cold, so this came at the perfect time! I tried it out as soon as I opened the box and loved how soft and moisturized it made my lips feel. It is a little thick and sticky feeling, but I can get past that since it works so well.
MALIN + GOETZ
Resurfacing Face Serum
Retail Price $70
I decided to gift this one to my mom because I already have more skin care products than I can use!
JULEP
Makeup Remover Towelettes
Retail Price $20
These makeup removing towelettes aren’t horrible, but I don’t love them either. They are soft, but have a smell that I don’t like. I would not pay $20 a pack for these.
LAURA GELLER
Spackle Skin Perfecting Primer: Hydrate
Retail Price $32
I just got a primer last month, so I’m not opening this one up until I finish that one.
BEAUTY BAKERIE
Milk & Honey Highlighting Palette
Retail Price $38
This palette is beautiful! I don’t use highlighter on a daily bases, but I will use it. I got a similar palette last month, but I like this one better.
Overall, I didn’t love this month’s box. I did like it enough to feel like I got my money worth, but I was disappointed to get very similar items two months in a row. If you get have a subscription, I’d love to hear what you thought of this month’s box!
I know we haven’t even shared any Halloween crafts this year, but as my preschooler and I were talking about modes of transportation, she decided to talk about ways Santa might get around. It was a wonderfully creative conversation. After talking about it, she wanted to make Santa’s boat. It turned out super cute, so I wanted to share it!
**This post contains affiliate links. We may get a small commission, at no additional charge to you, for purchases made from our links.**
Materials Used
Paper Plate
Red Paint
Brown Construction Paper
Decorative Paper
Paint Brush
Scissors
Glue
Craft Sand
I started by cutting a paper plate in half. After that, I gave my daughter red paint to paint the paper plate.
While we waited for the paint to dry, I drew a rectangle on the brown construction paper and a triangle on the back of the decorative paper for my preschooler to cut out.
Once the plate was completely dry, we flipped it over and glued the rectangle onto the back. Next, we flipped it back and glued the triangle onto the rectangle.
To finish the boat, my daughter made three circles with glue. I helped her pour the sand onto the plate. This part was messy, but so much fun! If you want a less messy option, you could use black construction paper.
The end result of our spur of the moment craft project was a magical boat fit for Santa!
Book Suggestions
Little learners love pairing a book with an activity or art project! Here are a few suggestions.
Our family loves to travel! This past weekend, we did a fun travel themed activity that encourages creative thinking and language skills.
**This post contains affiliate links. We may get a small commission, at no additional charge to you, for purchases made from our links. This helps keep our blog running.**
Materials Used
Construction Paper
Glue
Magazine Clippings
Scissors
Something To Draw With
I started by drawing a rounded rectangle on the construction paper. I also drew two handle shapes. I helped my daughter cut all three things out.
After the shapes were cut, we folded the rectangle in half and then glued the handle shapes onto the sides.
While we waited for the glue to dry, we talked about where we could go on a pretend trip and what we should pack. My preschooler decided that we should pack from a camping trip. I had her pick pictures from a pile of magazine clippings. Before she glued on each picture, she told me what it was and why she needed to pack it.
Book Suggestions
Little learners enjoy pairing a book with crafts and educational activities! Here are a few suggestions.
Raising a family is both rewarding and challenging. Juggling work, the house, and your family can be a major source of stress for parents. Today, I want to share five things you can do to help manage stress levels as a parent.
Reduce stress in your life by setting priorities, taking unnecessary things off of your to do list, and finding time to do things as a family that you all enjoy. Think of activities to help you feel relaxed and healthy, and then try to do at least one activity a day to reduce stress.
If you are feeling alone, reach out to a friend who you can speak honestly with. Chances are, whatever is stressing you out, might not be as uncommon as you think it is. There are a lot of stressful issues that parents face but rarely talk about. Even if your friend can’t relate to what you are going through, it always feels good to talk out tough feelings!
The activities that work best for each person will be different, but they can include meditation, yoga, exercise, reading, or even just binge-watching Netflix. Everyone manages stress in their own way, and it may be necessary for you to try a few activities to see what works best for you.
Most parents feel guilt over something they think they do wrong as a parent. A hectic work schedule, chronic illness, or the occasional yelling incident may be the source of parental guilt. Try not to be too harsh on yourself when you feel like you aren’t being a great parent. Try to focus on the parts of parenthood you are handling well instead of the things you think you are failing at.
It is okay not to be super mom or dad every day. Knowing and accepting that what you do and do not have time for in your life will help you make healthier choices that can lead to a less stressful life.
Being a parent can be hard, but it can be a little easier if you work to reduce your stress levels!
I’d love to hear from you! What is your favorite stress relieving activity? What steps have you taken to reduce stress in your life?
Felt is such a wonderful fabric for small children to craft with! Today, we want to share a list of easy felt projects that children can do with just a little help!
I recently signed up for a BoxyCharm subscription. BoxyCharm offers 5 full-size beauty products each month for just $25. Today, I want to share what was in my August box.
*This post contains a referral link. I may get store credit when someone subscribes to BoxyCharm using my link.**
KATE SOMERVILLE ExfoliKate® Glow Moisturizer (retail price: $70)
I have not tried this one out yet. I signed up mid July, so I got July’s box shortly before I got this one and I’m still using the amazing skin care products from that box.
I absolutely love this palette! I would definitely pay the retail price. The glitter shadows are super pretty and all the pigments last well.
PURLISSE Ageless Glow Serum (retail price $38)
I absolutely love this stuff! It makes my skin feel so soft while offering the perfect amount of tint.
EARTH HARBOR AQUA AURA Reparative Eye Crème (retail price $34)
I just tried this for the first time today. It was okay. I didn’t love how it smelled. I probably wouldn’t pay the retail price to buy it again, but I will use it.
MANNA KADAR Hydration Happy Face Mist (retail price $19)
This spray is my least favorite thing from the box. It didn’t make my face happy at all. It felt kind of gross on my skin.
Overall, I am really happy with this box and can’t wait to see what September has in store.
I’d love to hear from you! Have you gotten August’s box? If so, what did you think?
