DIY Craft: Lightsabers from Pool Noodles

You don't have to search Pintrest very long to find these little jewels... and I'm not taking about those cute boys (don't they look fierce?)

Pool Noodle Light Sabers have become a staple in our house. With a quick trip to Wal-mart, you can have all the supplies you need to make 4 light sabers for under $10.

What you will need:

2 pool noodles

Gray Duct Tape

Black Electrical Tape

Serrated Knife (I used our bread knife)

Scissors

What to do:
Start by  cutting each noodle in half with your serrated knife, just eyeball it, no need to be exact. Use Gray Duct tape to cover one end of the noodle. Then generously wrap the tape up the noodle about 7 inches.  Finish the wrap with an even edge. Decorate your light saber by adding borders, buttons, and switches using black electrical tape.  Ta- Da... that's it your done! Release the Jedi's!

Fun, Soft, and Perfectly Safe! 

OH YEAH!! 

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU!

Ham and Egg Cups - Budget Friendly Recipes

 We love the versatility of eggs in our home and the ease it takes to make them... in any form! We love them for breakfast, but honestly breakfast for dinner? YES PLEASE!  I really thought Ham and Egg cups would be the egg recipe that would ruin my fondness of all eggs being easy, but nope, I was so surprised to find out these beauties are easy peasy and the best part is my boys and husband LOVE them!  Did you hear me say they are so easy?  Which also means they are also a great recipe to get the kids in the kitchen to help! 

What you will need:
12 slices of thinly sliced ham
1 dz. eggs
Mozzarella Cheese
Salt and Pepper

How to:

To get started place one slice on thinly sliced ham into each muffin cup, creating a bowl to hold your egg. The ham will shrink when cooked.  (Get Ham sliced as thin as the deli can make it without having tears or holes, I went for a thickness of 1)
After all the ham has been placed in muffin cups, crack one (1) egg into each slice of ham.

Place 1 tbs. shredded cheese on top of egg. Your choice. (I have used mozzarella, cheddar, and mozzarella/Parmesan mix - favorite!) and season with salt and pepper.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes... do not overcook or your eggs will get tough and dry.

Serve it up with toast and jelly, fresh fruit, or a small side salad! Oh, it is so good!!! I think I'm going to make some right now to have for lunch today!

Winning Science Fair Project - William

Science Fair, Science Fair, Science Fair... the words can send shivers down a parents spine. The thought of first coming up with a project, adding one more thing to the list of many things, spending one more minute of time, even maybe an entire weekend or worse two weekends! Yikes,  but no not here... you see I am really a closet homeschooler.  William mentioned Science Fair and I couldn't wait!! He was pretty excited,too. :) So away we went... You can read about the project here.  Here is what happened Post Science Fair! 

William ended up placing 3rd for the entire region of 1st grade science fair projects!  We were so proud and he got to experience what it means to put in some hard work and concentration and reap the rewards!

On Stage accepting his reward!

Sorry the pic is a little blurry, but you can still see the pride on his face and gleaming smile as he made his way back to his seat! Great Job, Will!!

Favorite Things Friday

A few fun things from these last two week... I know, I know, I was supposed to make this post about the happenings of last week, but I'm changing the rules... (just this once.) Thanks for understanding.

My favorite things are all about... surprise, surprise... my boys!

Number one on the list, My sweet hubby! Photos like this one remind me of the plethora of photos that we took when we were dating in college.  We are just a couple of young kids newly married (9.5 years), anyways!

Silliness in the shade.  Silly brothers bonding a top a table in the back yard! Please take note of the Blue, yes I said, blue cactus in the lower left hand corner.... Ha! It's a statue we found when we were moving in.

Just Will and Dad.

One on One time with Dad is special, especially when headed to see Star Wars in 3D! I love the bond the boys have with their daddy and the joy that spread across Will's face when he learned he was getting to go on a date with Dad!

Simple reminders of a wonderful night! William put his 3D glasses in a special place to keep them "forever"!

Brennan is obsessed with super hero's right now and I love watching him as he tediously sets up each and every super hero in a very specific position and place that is very methodically thought out. This is just a small sampling to the normal giant armies that are arranged all over the house. 

Superman, loving on his baby (blanket), just one of the remaining things that keep him in my "baby" category. I'll be so sad when he gives it up and becomes a big boy.

 Sally, our sweet dog... totally relaxed as chaos and war breaks out all around her. I love that we have a sweet dog that loves her precious boys so much! Sometimes, I think she believes they are her pups.

Last night Cade said a quite lengthy prayer, praying for his family, his attitude, his fish, his tarantula, his dog, and the garden spider; aka, Spinney that has taken up residence outside his bedroom window. I know God placed that lovely spider there for his pure enjoyment! He checks on it and talks about it constantly!

 I love the wonder and awe, that spreads across his face each time he gets the opportunity to interact with one of God's amazing creatures! Here Cade is watching his new fish; a black and orange beta named.... wait for it... B.O. , short for Black and Orange, of course.

Upwards Basketball season is almost over, but each Saturday for the last 12 weeks, I have marveled over the growth of the skills in our little team, but mostly I have marveled at the Godly men involved in this program that have taken time to pour into these children's lives.  The players, coaches, and referees gather to spend some time in prayer before the game. 

Upwards is a nation wide program offering multiple sports and summer sports camps accompanied with bible based character building and faith building for girls and boys of all ages. If you are interested in learning more information or finding a program near you visit upward.org

A few of my favorite things! What are yours?

Chemical Free Cleaning - Window Blinds

Hey I keep a pretty clean house.  I sweep and mop almost weekly. I am pretty good at dusting, or at least assigning one of the kids to dust.  The kitchen is spotless every night before I go to bed, and toilets stay sanitized (necessity with boys, stinky) But please, please, please, don't peak at the fans( I just turn them on if someone is coming).. and don't even speak of between the couch cushions (there is no telling what you might find there), the top of the fridge (yikes), but you CAN inspect my window blinds all you want!  That's right, my window blinds are spotless, well almost spotless, thanks to a little tip from a friend. 

Want to know the secret?  Ok, I'll tell you but you have to promise to share it with EVERYONE you know... (just click the facebook or twitter button below and share away). 

Ok, so here it is... a dryer sheet!  Yep that's it, that is the big secret!  I know you are thinking "Really?" but I promise I have tried feather dusters, electro-static dusters, and every cleaner you can imagine... but none of them have done the job like a dryer sheet, not even my vacuum.

You don't even have to use a new dryer sheet.  in fact I think the used dryer sheets are easier to use because they are softer, and wrap around the slats better. The dirt is attracted to the dryer sheet and the softener helps to repel new dust. No stinky cleaners or expensive cleaning tools; it all free! Well, as long as you use dryer sheets.

I used one dryer sheet per window. Start by, turning the blinds down and rubbing side to side in short repetitive strokes(like and eraser) with the used dryer sheet. Then, turn the blinds up and repeat the process for the other side.  You will probably have to wipe up a gathering of dust from the window seal... or at least I did (my blinds were really dirty).  Give it a try!! I would love to see if you gals have as much luck as I have, so go on.. you know you have a few used dryer sheets floating around your laundry room, it really only takes a few minutes. Then, please come back and tell me what you thought.  Was this a helpful cleaning tip for you? 

PS.  I haven't tried yet, but I bet it works on those ceiling fans too!

Image Credit

Musings from a Mother of Boys: Follow up from the Ingeted Lego

Well, many of you have read our happenings with the ingested Lego. Thank you to those of you who commented and helped to put my worries at bay, and for those of you that have followed up with phone calls or in person inquiring of the outcome of the toy.  If you didn't see that post late last week, you can catch up here. 

You all now know the Lego was swallowed around 8:00 Thursday morning. Well, all day I stayed alert waiting for Brennan to make any notion that he may need to use the restroom. Sure enough, around 6:00, Brennan took off to the restroom where he found his brother. Which, was good for me.. I needed the alert.
Brennan: "Hurry, I need to go poo."
Brother: silence
Brennan:"HURRY!!"

Ah, the moment I had been waiting for all day had come.  (I want to take a moment and place a little side note. Any of you reading this that are not mother's yet... I know that I may sound a little dramatic, but one day you will find yourself, for one reason or another, waiting for your sweet precious to pass a little stink bomb. And the relief you will feel when everything looks normal is well.... good.) So, I'll continue.. the moment came,  I grabbed a trash bag and ran to the bathroom. stretched it over the potty seat and gave Brennan some privacy.  After a few minutes he was finished and low and behold... the Lego was delivered! 

Well,  for those of you who have not dealt with this particular issue... here is my advice on how to find an ingested object in stool.  (Gross, I know... but hey it's a part of motherhood and so I will continue.. if nothing else than to fill your curiosity.)

First, and possibly the trickiest part, catch you child before they have to go potty.  Raise the lid and seat of the potty and spread a trash bag over the inside (as if placing it in a trash can).  Lower the seat and let your little one do the doo.  When finished, remove the bag and tie the top in a knot. (This is the grossest part) Smash on the bag, to determine if the lost object is present.  I opened the bag and used TP to remove the item and sanitize well with bleach. "What? It was a brand new toy... "  Then dispose of the trash bag, OUTSIDE!

Well there you have it! A long day with a happy ending! And yes, Brennan did get his Golden Lego saw (above) back.

Wordful Wednesday Psalm 127:3-5

"Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate."

 Psalm 127:3-5