Sprinkle

Keep summer simple.

Hot weather and bored kiddos tempting you to purchase new Super Soaker plastic water guns?  Yes, kids find these toys entertaining but you probably have enough on hand - scattered in the back of the garage!

First things first, take stock of your munitions!  Rally the troops to test and wipe down your current stockpile.  Label the keepers with a sharpie and store them in laundry baskets in the "KID ZONE" of the garage. 

If you are still prepared to introduce a new item into your water play arsenal, I stumbled upon a simple option I want to share...

Looking for a replacement garden hose at Target, I discovered a line of PURPLE garden hoses and sprinklers.  Fifty feet of lightweight hose was inexpensive and has more creative uses (read: chores - washing car, rinsing garbage cans, watering hanging baskets) than water blasters that require a reload every few minutes and encourage attack play.

Right away, my 9 year-old was inspired to set it up to oscillate on the driveway while he and a friend played basketball in the "rain" in 90+ degree heat!  It has also been a water "volleyball net" for a beach ball and a "car wash" for bikes!

Maybe you already have a hose on hand your kids could use?  Make it accessible and bring on the fun :)  What would your kids do with a sprinkler and a hose?

Plan Ahead Pranks

Today's blog is devoted to harmless April Fool's Day pranks researched around the web...Because we like to amuse ourselves :) 

Pranks to Play From:

 April Fool Zone

Fake Nail Polish Spill

Pour nail polish on a piece of waxed paper.
Let dry.
Remove.
Place in frustrating location to simulate accidental spill.

Top of Car

Attach cup, newspaper, coat, etc. to the top of your car.
Drive slowly in parking lot.
Act confused when people attempt to help.

May I Have Mayo

Replace the lotion in prankee's bottle with mayonnaise.

(Unless victim has an egg allergy!  Mayo has eggs.)

Link to more pranks...

Speaking of eggs...

Crack Up

Glue the eggs to the bottom of the carton.  Nuff said.

Crack Up Disney Junior Style

Click link to learn how to disguise sweet treats as eggs.

Still Cracking Up...

Hard boil eggs.  Then return them to the carton.
 

Dollar Stores are a quick stop for prank item ideas.  

Like a whoopee cushion (Youtube video.  Cute monkeys.).

Chicago Tribune 3/30/11- Mmmmm.  This is tasty.  April Fools!

Prank happy :)

There is always switching the salt and sugar.  If you're in a pinch...

Sneak Peep

     'Tis the season to re-purpose peeps.  Tween gave this couple the keys to the playmobile car.  They have the top down and are ready to roll...

Beep Peep

No texting while driving!

Want some serious inspiration?  The deadline for the fifth annual Washington Post Peeps Show is Monday, March 14th!   View pics of  previous winners @ Peeps Show IV.

 Update:  Chicago Tribune has a little diorama contest too!  Peeps in Play.  Deadline noon on Friday, March 25th.

LinkedIN LoggedON Fog

Brain hazy.  
Cluttered with virtual initials. 
(just FYI)

Debuted the Declare Order website last week.

Tweaked the Declare Order website today.
Took time for a little writing fun.

Scroll down for my tweaked lyrics to "Initials" from the HAIR soundtrack.

(click the link below the movie poster to play the track)

Play "Initials" from Hair

The actual "Initial" lyrics:                               Updated "Initial" lyrics
                                                                                  (tweaked by, Leslie):

LBJ took the IRT                                                WWW searched the FAQ
Down to 4th Street USA                                  to Download the 4 sheet PDF
When he got there                                             When he "liked" there
What did he see?                                                What linkedIN free?
The youth of America on LSD                      The youth of America sharing RSS feed
LBJ   IRT                                                                 WWW  FAQ
USA LSD                                                                 PDF   RSS feed

LSD LBJ                                                                  RSS feed    WWW
FBI CIA                                                                   FB status    Youtube Replay

FBI CIA                                                                   FB status   Youtube Replay
LSD LBJ                                                                  RSS feed   WWW

A little Tweet 4 u...

Quickfire Challenge

     Creating dinner in a flash can be stressful.  On those nights when speed is a necessity, insert a little levity into the process.  Or just DO it for fun!

Quickfire Dinner

  
     Bravo's hit reality competition show, "Top Chef" has a segment entitled, "Quickfire."  Contestants are challenged to prepare a dish and serve it up to be judged in a short amount of time.  In the past, some of the Quickfires have required contestants to "create a sushi dish," "create an original ice cream flavor," and "create a two-egg breakfast dish in 10 minutes, using only one hand."

     Have fun fixing dinner courtesy of the Top Chef folks at BRAVO and their "Quickfire" idea!  Create a family challenge, or make it up as you go along.  Amazing what you can get accomplished when the clock is ticking.  Work as fast as you can and enjoy the ride!

TRY THIS ONE!  

Milk-free, Egg-free, Nut-free

Prepare 4 toasted BLT sandwiches 
served with sliced apple 
and 4 mugs of tomato soup.  

Don't forget drinks and condiments!

"You have 15 minutes.  Your time starts...NOW!"

Possible Strategy
1.  Pre-heat oven to toast bread on cookie sheets
2.  Pre-heat pan for bacon
3.  Start heating soup
4.  Butter 8 slices of bread
5.  Place bread slices on cookie sheets and put in the oven.
6.  Place bacon strips in pan
7.  Rinse and slice tomato
8.  Rinse and tear lettuce
9.  Stir soup
10.Flip bacon

Check your time!  Ahhhh!!!

11.  Set out plates and mugs

12.  Set out condiments

13.  Place tomato slices and lettuce on plates

14.  Stir soup

15.  Turn off heat under bacon (if haven't already!!!) and blot, as needed

16.  Pour drinks

17.  Distribute toast on plates

18.  Assemble BLTs

19.  Remember apple!

20. Hurry to cut apple

Check your time...

21.  Pour soup into mugs.
DONE!  Did you make it?

(This week's posts are dedicated to a friend who finds it impossible to find time to make dinner.  She works full-time and has several kids.  “Impossible only means that you haven't found the solution yet.”)

Spongebob Squarepants

Buddy from Cake Boss,  
NFL Football Players, 
Project Runway's Tim Gunn, 

Spongebob Squarepants and Patrick,  
Wii Miis,  
Facebook Friends...

Colorful characters enter our lives via screens.  But how to manage them all?

     One solution is to give these entertaining folks a designated time to come in!  Provide a boundary.  Make them less available ALL THE TIME.

     Think about it this way...The newspaper is on the driveway in the morning.  School buses arrive and depart at designated times before and after school.  Motivated people work-out early before work.

     We anticipate these events and plan around them.
 

     Controlling the quantity of screen time needs to be a conscious choice.  The American Association of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends limiting children's total screen time to no more than 1 to 2 hours of quality screen time per day.  One solution for keeping this trifecta of tv, video games, and computers being used for entertainment purposes under control is to schedule it in at designated times.

Screen Time Management Schedule:

7:00 - 8:00 am

4:00 - 5:00 pm

8:00 - 9:00 pm

This schedule includes weekends!  Perhaps the 8:00 - 9:00 pm time would only be allowed if homework is finished, dinner is eaten, and hygiene is in check.  My own son rarely wakes in time on school days to make the 7:00 - 8:00am slot and no longer begs for "just 15 minutes."  If the time is past, the time is past.  Some days the kids watch three hours and some days just one.  It all evens out nicely :)

     We do make allowances, as needed - when the Chicago Bears are playing, or for a movie night.  And, obviously, TiVo makes recording shows a snap.  The weekend rule at our house was amended to "You can watch/play for one hour after you wake up," to meet our family's needs.  We did not want to encourage the kids to wake up early on Saturday just to watch tv!

     Organizing screen time in this manner has become a habit.  The middle of the day is for school or play.  Screen time is not filler time - it is a conscious part of the daily routine. 

Boys 8-10

Mission: Establish A Nerf Bunker

Objective: Control Nerf Gun Clutter

Method:
1.  Gather Nerf weaponry.

2.  Gather Nerf ammunition.

3.  Measure weaponry and ammunition.  Calculate storage needs.

4.  Locate and repurpose laundry baskets, cardboard boxes, and plastic storage bins for storage.
(Ended up purchasing a 44 gal artificial xmas tree bin at the Container Store ).

5.  Designate an out-of-the-way corner or empty portion of a closet as A Nerf Bunker.  Space should be large enough to store the storage - with room for two 8-10 year old boys to manipulate and load Nerf guns.  (Ended up dismantling daughter's seldom-used dress-up room under the basement stairs!)

6.  Dig around for accessories - clipboard, old grey fleece vest with zipper pockets, net from a previous Pirate themed party, protective eyewear, flashlight, handcuffs, ammo belts, etc...   

7.  SPLURGE item - a camouflage patterned Snuggie cammo Snuggie - for sniper cover.