A Tie Dye Party for Emily’s 9th Birthday

This year for Emily’s birthday party she decided she wanted to Tie Dye shirts with her friends at her birthday party. My first thought was, that would be great if your birthday was in the summer and not the winter. How was I going to be able to have kids Tie Dy inside my house. Then I remembered seeing a way to tie dye shirts with Sharpie Markers on pinterest. After looking it up and testing it out a few times I decided that this was something we could definitly do and it turned out to be a lot of fun and not very messy either!!

I set up our dinnning room table with a tray for each girl to work on. In the center were all the Permanent Markers and rubber bands we had for the girls to use.

I gave each girl a plain white t-shirt and showed them how to roll and tie up their shirt with the rubber bands. Then they got to work coloring the different sections in with the permanent markers.

When the finished coloring, while they were still tied with the rubber bands I sprayed them I sprayed them with rubbing alcohol enough to saturate them, but not to completly soak them. The rubbing alchohol makes the permanent markers ink run and spread out over the material. It is really cool to watch the colors spread and blend together.

After about 5 minutes the girls took off their rubber bands and I hung the shirts up to dry. Once they were dry they should go into the dryer for about 5-10 minutes to set the ink or be ironed.

I had made Emily a shirt to wear on the day of her party and my husband came up with the idea to have each of her friends sign the back of her shirt. It is a fun keepsake from her birthday party. 

While they were taking turns signing her shirt I gave each girl a rainbow scratch door hanger for them to work on. They really had a good time with this activity and it lasted a lot longer than I anitcipated.

I had fun making these tie dye t-shirt cookies for the girls to have with the cake and I also indivitually wrapped one for each girl to put in their goody bags.

The part that I loved the most about Emily’s birthday party is that she decided that instead of asking for presents for her birthday she asked each girl to bring a pair of pajamas for her to donate to Jake’s Jammies. This is a charity that provides a comfy pair of pajamas for children that are in the hospital. When the lady came to collect all the pajamas that Emily collected I was so proud of her. I started to tear up as she told me how worried she was that there wasn’t going to be that many pajamas and how it made her birthday so special when she saw our coffee table overflowing with pajamas that she knew were going to make children in the hospital SO happy and comfy.

We always like to do a photo booth at the girls party so that we can get pictures of the girls with their guests. I was hoping to find a nice tie dye table cloth, however there really wasn’t that much available. My husband did find really cool tie dye print Duct tape which we used for a picture frame photo prop. With the pictures that I took I turn each one into a photo card and send the personalized card as the thank you for coming to the party.

The girls after the party with their finished tie dyed shirts!

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BOO at the Zoo!!

We love visiting the Bronx Zoo and since we have the Family Membership we try to visit as often as possible.  We have never had a chance to visit during the Bronx Zoo’s Boo at the Zoo, but after seeing all the fun that they have to offer during this time of the year we will definitely need to make a trip this fall!

Check out below to see all the fun festivities that will be going on during the next five weekends!!!

There is no other venue in the tri-state area that offers as much Halloween fun as the Bronx Zoo's Boo at the Zoo. Festivities run for FIVE weekends beginning Saturday, October 4th in addition to Columbus Day and Halloween. Activities range from a magical illuminated pumpkin walk to costume parades with stilt walkers and giant puppets to musical theater, Broadway show performances, magic, crafts, treat stations and more! Families can also check out our animal exhibits of bats, owls and other winged icons of Halloween. Guests can also embark on a trip back in time with a ride through the Dinosaur Safari before it goes extinct!

This year don't miss the premiere of the mesmerizingg Jack O 'Lantern Illumination – Creatures of the Night. Be amazed by more than 1,000 hand-carved and beautifully lit Jack 'O Lanterns, meticulously sculpted into various animal shapes, ranging from bats, to reptiles, marine creatures, mammals, nocturnal birds, and bugs.

     

Sand Sculpt USA is back for in-person carving of fabulous 3-D pumpkins. View their artistry as they sculpt animal mothers and babies, a fantastic Komodo Dragon and other lizard species and a Dracula lion. There will be a spectacular grand finale during Halloween weekend consisting of a 3 day carve with 3 sculptors utilizing a 600 lb. pumpkin!

Boo at the Zoo offers families a safe, fun-filled way to celebrate the beloved Halloween holiday.  It is THE go-to event for everything spectacularly spooky and family-friendly. It will bring a guaranteed day of fun for the whole family so be sure to make a trip to the Bronx Zoo and embrace the Halloween season!  

Visit www.bronxzoo.com/boo for specific details and times for all of the wonderful Boo at the Zoo activities.

What: Boo at the Zoo at the Bronx Zoo

When: Weekends starting Saturday, October 4-Sunday, November 2; includes Columbus Day and Halloween

Where: Bronx Zoo

2300 Southern Boulevard

Bronx, NY 10460

718.741.8294

Don't miss Boo at the Zoo celebrations at Prospect Park Zoo (October 25-26) and Queens Zoo (October 31-November 2) as well. Check out ProspectParkZoo.com and QueensZoo.com for more details.

Ghost Town at Sundown :The Wild West~Poppins Book Nook

 

Emily loves reading and is working her way through the Magic Tree House series.  I love these books because they combine fiction with non-fiction to create a fun story that children can actually learn from.  For this month’s Wild West theme she read Ghost Town at Sundown (Magic Tree House).  In this book the Magic Tree House whisks Jack and Annie back to a ghost town in the Wild West around the 1880’s. They meet a mustang herder named Slim and also some rattlesnakes, horse thieves, a lost pony, and even a ghost.

Both Emily and Juliette had fun decorating their own Cow Girl Boot to go along with this book and the Wild West theme. 

I found a great Cowboy Boot Template that the girls used as an outline. I set them up with our box of markers and bin of collage materials and let them decorate however they wanted to. 

Ready for some more Wild West fun? Then be sure to check out the co-hosts of Poppins Book Nook and if you have a book and activity post that fits with this month’s Wild West theme, feel free to add it to the linky below. 

Enchanted Homeschooling Mom ~ 3 Dinosaurs ~ To the Moon and Back ~ Planet Smarty Pants ~ Farm Fresh Adventures ~ Growing in God's Grace ~ Chestnut Grove Academy ~ Faith and Good Works ~ Learning and Growing the Piwi Way ~ The Usual Mayhem~ Preschool Powol Packets ~ Monsters Ed Homeschool Academy ~ Adventures in Mommydom ~ Teach Beside Me ~ Life with Moore Babies ~ Kathy's Cluttered Mind ~ Are We There Yet? ~ Our Crafts N Things ~ Hopkins Homeschool ~ ABC Creative Learning ~ Joy Focused Learning ~ P is for Preschooler ~ Laugh and Learn ~ A Mommy's Adventures ~ Inspiring 2 New Hampshire Children ~ World for Learning ~ The Kennedy Adventures ~ Ever After in the Woods ~ Golden Grasses ~ Our Simple Kinda Life ~ A glimpse of our life ~ Journey to Excellence ~ Happy Little Homemaker ~ Little Homeschool Blessings ~ Simplicity Breeds Happiness ~ Raventhreads ~ Water on the Floor ~ Learning Fundamentals ~ Tots and Me ~ As We Walk Along The Road ~ Stir the Wonder ~ For This Season ~ Where Imagination Grows ~ Lextin Academy ~ The Canadian Homeschooler ~ School Time Snippets ~ Peakle Pie ~ Mom's Heart ~ A Moment in our World ~ Every Bed of Roses ~ Finchnwren ~ At Home Where Life Happens ~ Suncoast Momma ~ The Library Adventure ~ Embracing Destiny ~ Day by Day in our World ~ Our Homeschool Studio ~ A "Peace" of Mind ~ Thou Shall Not Whine ~ SAHM I am ~ eLeMeNo-P Kids ~ Simple Living Mama

An InLinkz Link-up

When I Grow Up: What Will I Be When I Grow Up? ~ Poppins Book Nook

When I was little I loved to read all of the different Little Critter Books.  I still remember sitting outside showing my Grandma how I could read the books all by myself.  So as soon as I saw the theme for this month’s Poppins Book Nook I knew that we would read When I Grow Up (Little Critter) .  Emily and Juliette love hearing about all the different jobs that Little Critter’s sister wants to have and I love the message that you can be anything you want to be.

This opened up the discusion about “What do you want to be when you grow up?” and that is always a fun thing to talk about with little kids!

Emily wants to be an Art Teacher, An Ear Piercing Girl and the Tooth Fairy (yes you read that correctly, I guess in reality one day there is a possibility that she will achieve that goal one day!)

Juliette want to be “a builder like Daddy!”

 

Check out these other creative blogs to find more “What Will I Be When I Grow Up” themed books from the other co-hosts of the Poppins Book Nook and if you have a book and activity post that fits with this month’s When I Grow Up theme, feel free to add it to the linky below.

Enchanted Homeschooling Mom ~ 3 Dinosaurs ~ To the Moon and Back ~ Planet Smarty Pants ~ Farm Fresh Adventures ~ Growing in God's Grace ~ Chestnut Grove Academy ~ Faith and Good Works ~ Learning and Growing the Piwi Way ~ The Usual Mayhem~ Preschool Powol Packets ~ Monsters Ed Homeschool Academy ~ Adventures in Mommydom ~ Teach Beside Me ~ Life with Moore Babies ~ Kathy's Cluttered Mind ~ Are We There Yet? ~ Our Crafts N Things ~ Hopkins Homeschool ~ ABC Creative Learning ~ Joy Focused Learning ~ P is for Preschooler ~ Laugh and Learn ~ A Mommy's Adventures ~ Inspiring 2 New Hampshire Children ~ World for Learning ~ The Kennedy Adventures ~ Ever After in the Woods ~ Golden Grasses ~ Our Simple Kinda Life ~ A glimpse of our life ~ Journey to Excellence ~ Happy Little Homemaker ~ Little Homeschool Blessings ~ Simplicity Breeds Happiness ~ Raventhreads ~ Water on the Floor ~ Learning Fundamentals ~ Tots and Me ~ As We Walk Along The Road ~ Stir the Wonder ~ For This Season ~ Where Imagination Grows ~ Lextin Academy ~ The Canadian Homeschooler ~ School Time Snippets ~ Peakle Pie ~ Mom's Heart ~ A Moment in our World ~ Every Bed of Roses ~ Finchnwren ~ At Home Where Life Happens ~ Suncoast Momma ~ The Library Adventure ~ Embracing Destiny ~ Day by Day in our World ~ Our Homeschool Studio ~ A "Peace" of Mind ~ Thou Shall Not Whine ~ SAHM I am ~ eLeMeNo-P Kids ~ Simple Living Mama

An InLinkz Link-up

No Pirates Allowed: Ye Old Pirates ~ Poppins Book Nook

With two girls I was really not sure what we were going to pick to read for this theme, but after we found the  book No Pirates Allowed Said Library Lou, by Rhonda Gowler Greene  at the library I was so excited to read it with Emily and Juliette.  Big Pirate Pete and his parrot Igor’s treasure map leads them right to the Seabreazy Library.  Library Lou needs to convince this noisy pirate that all the books are the true treasure that he is looking for.  This is one of those books that are fun to read and has a great story and message too.

  

Although we didn’t do an actual project to go with this book we had fun talking about our favorite books and it did motivate them to go on a few treasure hunts throughout the house.

Check out these other creative blogs to find more “Ye Old Pirates” themed books and activities from the Poppins Book Nook and if you have a book and activity post that fits with this month’s Wild West theme, feel free to add it to the linky below.

Enchanted Homeschooling Mom ~ 3 Dinosaurs ~ To the Moon and Back ~ Planet Smarty Pants ~ Farm Fresh Adventures ~ Growing in God's Grace ~ Chestnut Grove Academy ~ Faith and Good Works ~ Learning and Growing the Piwi Way ~ The Usual Mayhem~ Preschool Powol Packets ~ Monsters Ed Homeschool Academy ~ Adventures in Mommydom ~ Teach Beside Me ~ Life with Moore Babies ~ Kathy's Cluttered Mind ~ Are We There Yet? ~ Our Crafts N Things ~ Hopkins Homeschool ~ ABC Creative Learning ~ Joy Focused Learning ~ P is for Preschooler ~ Laugh and Learn ~ A Mommy's Adventures ~ Inspiring 2 New Hampshire Children ~ World for Learning ~ The Kennedy Adventures ~ Ever After in the Woods ~ Golden Grasses ~ Our Simple Kinda Life ~ A glimpse of our life ~ Journey to Excellence ~ Happy Little Homemaker ~ Little Homeschool Blessings ~ Simplicity Breeds Happiness ~ Raventhreads ~ Water on the Floor ~ Learning Fundamentals ~ Tots and Me ~ As We Walk Along The Road ~ Stir the Wonder ~ For This Season ~ Where Imagination Grows ~ Lextin Academy ~ The Canadian Homeschooler ~ School Time Snippets ~ Peakle Pie ~ Mom's Heart ~ A Moment in our World ~ Every Bed of Roses ~ Finchnwren ~ At Home Where Life Happens ~ Suncoast Momma ~ The Library Adventure ~ Embracing Destiny ~ Day by Day in our World ~ Our Homeschool Studio ~ A "Peace" of Mind ~ Thou Shall Not Whine ~ SAHM I am ~ eLeMeNo-P Kids ~ Simple Living Mama

An InLinkz Link-up

Outside Your Window: The Great Outdoors ~ Poppins Book Nook

This month the girls and I had fun exploring nature with the Poppins Book Nook’s “The Great Outdoors” theme.  After reading Outside Your Window: A First Book of Nature we were inspired to see all the different things we could in nature.  I loved seeing the girls get excited about a different bug they found while playing in the yard or pointing out pretty flowers on our walk to school!

  Since we have been very busy with the end of the school year all we really had time for was observing nature and talking about the fun and interesting things that we noticed around our yard and in our neighborhood.  We are really looking forward to seeing more of the great outdoors this summer! 

Check out these other creative blogs to find more “The Great Outdoors” themed books and activities

Enchanted Homeschooling Mom ~ 3 Dinosaurs ~ To the Moon and Back ~ Planet Smarty Pants ~ Farm Fresh Adventures ~ Growing in God's Grace ~ Chestnut Grove Academy ~ Learning and Growing the Piwi Way ~ The Usual Mayhem~ Preschool Powol Packets ~ Monsters Ed Homeschool Academy ~ Adventures in Mommydom ~ Teach Beside Me ~ Life with Moore Babies ~ Kathy's Cluttered Mind ~ Are We There Yet? ~ Our Crafts N Things ~ Hopkins Homeschool ~ ABC Creative Learning ~ Joy Focused Learning ~ P is for Preschooler ~ Laugh and Learn ~ A Mommy's Adventures ~ Inspiring 2 New Hampshire Children ~ World for Learning ~ Ever After in the Woods ~ Golden Grasses ~ Our Simple Kinda Life ~ A glimpse of our life ~ Journey to Excellence ~ Happy Little Homemaker ~ Little Homeschool Blessings ~ Simplicity Breeds Happiness ~ Raventhreads ~ Water on the Floor ~ Learning Fundamentals ~ Tots and Me ~ As We Walk Along The Road ~ Stir the Wonder ~ For This Season ~ Where Imagination Grows ~ Lextin Academy ~ The Canadian Homeschooler ~ School Time Snippets ~ Peakle Pie ~ Mom's Heart ~ A Moment in our World ~ Every Bed of Roses ~ Finchnwren ~ At Home Where Life Happens ~ Suncoast Momma ~ The Library Adventure ~ Embracing Destiny ~ Day by Day in our World ~ Our Homeschool Studio ~ A "Peace" of Mind ~ Thou Shall Not Whine ~ SAHM I am ~ eLeMeNo-P Kids ~ Simple Living Mama

An InLinkz Link-up

Tops and Bottoms: Folktales ~ Poppins Book Nook

 

This month the girls and I had so much fun reading a bunch of different folktales.  Our favorite was definitely Tops & Bottoms !!  This is a trickster tale about a rabbit who tricks a lazy bear by growing veggies on his land and offering the bear of a choice of which part of the plant he wanted.  The girls were amused by how the rabbit kept giving the bear the less desirable part of the plants.

After reading this book we were busy planting our own garden and talking about the different parts of the plants that we eat.  Now we can’t wait for everything to grow!!!

Check out these other creative blogs to find more “Folktale” themed books and activities

Enchanted Homeschooling Mom ~ 3 Dinosaurs ~ To the Moon and Back ~ Planet Smarty Pants ~ Farm Fresh Adventures ~ Growing in God's Grace ~ Chestnut Grove Academy  ~ Learning and Growing the Piwi Way ~ The Usual Mayhem~ Preschool Powol Packets ~ Monsters Ed Homeschool Academy ~ Adventures in Mommydom ~ Teach Beside Me ~ Life with Moore Babies ~ Kathy's Cluttered Mind ~ Are We There Yet? ~ Our Crafts N Things ~ Hopkins Homeschool ~ ABC Creative Learning ~ Joy Focused Learning ~ P is for Preschooler ~ Laugh and Learn ~ A Mommy's Adventures ~ Inspiring 2 New Hampshire Children ~ World for Learning ~ Ever After in the Woods ~ Golden Grasses ~ Our Simple Kinda Life ~ A glimpse of our life ~ Journey to Excellence ~ Happy Little Homemaker ~ Little Homeschool Blessings ~ Simplicity Breeds Happiness ~ Raventhreads ~ Water on the Floor ~ Learning Fundamentals ~ Tots and Me ~ As We Walk Along The Road ~ Stir the Wonder ~ For This Season ~ Where Imagination Grows ~ Lextin Academy ~ The Canadian Homeschooler ~ School Time Snippets ~ Peakle Pie ~ Mom's Heart ~ A Moment in our World ~ Every Bed of Roses ~ Finchnwren ~ At Home Where Life Happens ~ Suncoast Momma ~ The Library Adventure ~ Embracing Destiny ~ Day by Day in our World ~ Our Homeschool Studio ~ A "Peace" of Mind ~ Thou Shall Not Whine ~ SAHM I am ~ eLeMeNo-P Kids ~ Simple Living Mama

An InLinkz Link-up