Shamrock Sun Catcher St. Patrick's Day Craft with Free Printable

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We've had a few days of exceptionally warm weather for the month of February lately, which has made it even more difficult to be trapped inside when the temperatures are not so mild. Why not pass the time with a St. Patrick's Day Craft? This Shamrock Sun Catcher (with free printable) is a fun way to work on fine motor skills and enjoy the sunshine from inside your home!

Shamrock Sun Catcher Craft with Free Printable
Supplies Needed: 
-Wax Paper
-Shamrock Printable - download it HERE.
-Scissors
-Green Tissue Paper
-Mod Podge
-Paintbrush

1. Cut small pieces of the green tissue paper. I used multiple shades because I had them on hand, but you can do all one color or even throw in some white or gold! If your kids are learning how to use scissors, this is a great time for them to practice those fine motor skills. To make one shamrock, you won't need an exceptional amount of tissue paper - maybe cut up a square foot's worth of paper and see where you stand.

If you don't want to cut, you can also just rip the tissue into tiny pieces. I opted for scissors since that's something we are working on anyway.

Looks like salad - am I right?!

2. Print off the Shamrock Printable and cut it out. Trim around both black edges - inside and out. Cut a square of wax paper that is slightly larger than your shamrock outline.

3. Use a brush to spread Mod Podge all over the wax paper. The kids especially loved this part. Tip: tape down the edges of the wax paper to the table so it doesn't slide around while the kids are using a glue-covered brush.

4. Cover the Mod Podge with tissue paper pieces. It took my kids a few applications of Mod Podge before they had the whole thing covered in paper.

5. Once your wax paper is mostly covered, paint a layer of Mod Podge over the top of it all. Next, use Mod Podge or glue to add the shamrock on top of the green tissue paper pieces.

6. Allow the Mod Podge to dry, then trim around the outside black shamrock edge. Hang however you desire - punch a hole and hang with ribbon or just tape it to a window like we did!

This project was a lot of fun and kept us occupied on a cold afternoon! Have fun making your own Shamrock Sun Catcher!

How do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day?

Monster Jam at Kansas City Sprint Center {2016 Review}

Disclosure: I received media passes for my family from Feld Entertainment for this event. All opinions expressed are my own. 

The noisy trucks. The screaming fans. The smell of exhaust mixed with nachos and cotton candy. It was all pretty amazing, but all of it together was not anything close to the thrill of watching my almost five-year-old's eyes get bigger and bigger as each new truck roared its way onto the track. This was the second time he's been to Monster Jam (read about the first time) and I think it's safe to say it's something he will never want to miss.

If you've never been to a Monster Jam show before, I'll tell you upfront - it's way different than a lot of other entertainment experiences. It's LOUD (bring ear protection), the arena lights are up for the whole show, and you never know what might happen when the trucks are out!

The show began with a race of all the trucks, then the speedsters and ATVs. My son was fascinated by every bit. He kept asking what the names of the trucks were and pointed out as many details as he could. It was a test of my lip-reading skills, since we were both wearing ear protection! He was way too engaged in watching the show to pause for a photo with mom (and who wants to smile on command?).

There was a lot of audience interaction and some giveaways for passes to next year's Monster Jam. The announcers kept the event moving right along, in spite of some calamities like a zombie arm flying off a truck and a couple of trucks landing upside down!

The second half of the event was full of freestyle, donuts, and wheelies. It was really fun to predict what the judges would score each truck on their performance. Scooby-Doo took the title for the night. My guy would have liked Grave Digger to win, but he says that his favorite trucks are "all the puppies" so we were pleased with the outcome!

You can purchase Monster Jam tickets now, plus make sure you are following along on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest info!

Here's the full list of remaining showtimes:

Saturday, February 6 - 7:30pm

Sunday, February 7 - 2:00pm

Which truck is your favorite? 

Avengers Assemble for Marvel Universe Live! at Kansas City Sprint Center

Disclosure: I received media passes to this event. No other compensation has been received. All views expressed are my own. 

I've seen a lot of shows and theatrical productions in my life, but I have to say that Marvel Universe Live!, playing this weekend in Kansas City at the Sprint Center, was more action-packed than any of them! I wasn't totally sure what to expect, but it's very safe to say that all my preconceived notions about how entertaining the show would be were blown out of the water!

My son is turning five next month. He's a big superhero fan, but he's never seen any of the movies featuring the Avengers, X-men, or Spider-man. He was excited to get all dressed up in his Thor suit and tote his Mjölnir all the way to the Sprint Center!

We had no issues finding our seats and settled in to enjoy the evening. Mjölnir was kept at the ready and we even checked out the integrity of the railings to make sure they would hold up against the hammer's strength. Good news, Kansas City - they did!

Image Courtesy of Feld Entertainment

The two-act show has a runtime of about one hour and forty-five minutes, with one intermission. The scenes are well-designed with an appropriate length to successfully hold the attention of young children. My son still wiggled a little bit, but was overall pretty mesmerized by the show and asked me questions about the storyline, so I knew he was picking up plot pieces.

Image Courtesy of Feld Entertainment

The show begins with a gathering of our heroes as they have learned that Loki is (once again) seeking world domination. The cast of heroes includes the more famous: Ironman, Spider-man, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye, and Black Widow - plus a few of the not quite so famous: Falcon and Captain Marvel. There were even a few of the X-men in the story - Wolverine, Cyclops, and Storm were definitely important parts of the plot.

Image Courtesy of Feld Entertainment

It is a very family-friendly show with no inappropriate dialogue or innuendo (that I noticed). The stunts were constant and pretty incredible. From flipping cars over to lighting someone on fire to throwing criminals and good guys alike off of tall buildings, there was always something visually stunning going on. I was way impressed by the Statue of Liberty set, where Spider-man and Thor fought off the Sinister Six villains from Spider-man's universe. A multi-level apparatus with a scrim that went back and forth from being opaque and translucent, the illusion was beautifully created that a battle of epic proportions was going on inside the statue herself. Having been inside the crown of Lady Liberty, I can say that I don't think there's quite as much space in there for battling as they portrayed, but I didn't mind. This scene also included the pretty amazing stunt with the Green Goblin flying on his hovercraft while Spider-man dangled upside-down beneath him. On the way home, I asked my son what his favorite parts were and he said "Everything. But, I wanted to be IN IT!" I might have a heart attack if I were watching my own child perform these stunts, but as a performer I can see how it would be an incredible job!

There were multiple scenes featuring stunts with motorcycles on the small set, and those were a huge hit with the crowd, as well. The only part my son didn't like was when the Hulk had shiny green eyes - he said that was a little scary. But for the most part, he followed the plot well and was on the edge of his seat waiting to see what would happen next! He picked up on the fact that the heroes were tracking down three powerful objects to stop Loki from taking over the world and declared to me loudly during the show: "Locust (Loki) has one of them! He'll have to get dead a LOT!"

Image Courtesy of Feld Entertainment

I would happily go see the show again! If you have the opportunity, you don't want to miss it! The tour is here from January 14-17, and you have several more chances to see the show. You can follow along via Facebook and Twitter for more info! And click here to purchase tickets to Marvel Universe Live! Kids' tickets are just $15 for select performances.

Here's the full list of remaining showtimes:
Friday, January 15- 7:00pm
Saturday, January 16 - 11:00am, 3:00pm, 7:00pm
Sunday, January 17 - 1:00pm, 5:00pm

Who is your favorite Marvel Universe hero?

Thanks to Feld Entertainment for the chance to attend this event! 

Octonauts Party Food Signs Free Printable

Looking for more Octonauts party ideas? Make sure you check out our Octonauts Birthday Party Food Ideas, Octonauts Favor Ideas, Octonauts Birthday Party Decoration Ideas, Sea Anemone Pipe Cleaner Craft and Paper Plate Fish Aquarium Craft!

Are you planning an Octonauts birthday party? We have a bunch of Octonauts party ideas here on the blog. I've had so many requests for the Octonauts food signs that I featured in our party food idea post that I have turned them into a free printable to share with you! Your party guests can explore, rescue, and protect to their heart's content while munching on every Octonauts themed food imaginable.

Our Octonauts party food signs printable includes the following:

-Buncha Muncha Crunchy Carrots

-Kelp Cakes

-Barnacle Kabobs

-Fish Biscuits

-Gup of Fruit

-Professor Inkling's Humuhumunukunukuapuaa Hummus

-Sea Cucumbers

-Sticky Starfish

-Seaweed Chips

-Fresh Salt-Free Ocean & Jellyfish Juice

-Shark Teeth

-Sound the Octo-Alert!

-Pufferfish

-Coral Chunks

-"Don't Forget to Take Home a Sparkly Sea Urchin & Jumping Jellyfish" (more for favors than food - it's a bonus!).

Most of the snacks we served were pretty easy to put together, and everyone enjoyed the party table! The majority of our food items were allergen-free as my son can't have wheat/gluten, dairy, or eggs. But you could do equivalent menu items with any kind of snacks you want. Make sure you check out the Octonauts Party Food Ideas post for more details on each of our menu items. I think the Gup of Fruit was one of my very favorite parts of the party table.

When you're ready, you can grab your free printable Octonauts Food Signs and get ready for your own awesome party! I trimmed my food signs inside the black lines, then glued them to slightly larger pieces of colored card stock to make them pop on the party table. I usually use a paper slicer to ensure I get even cuts.

What will you serve at your Octonauts birthday party?

Read and Share 5 Minute Bible Stories {Children's Book Review}

Disclosure: I received a sample copy of this book to review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Around here, we never say no to a good book, I have to admit, though, that when I'm feeling especially tired, I am not a fan of the storybooks that have more words than they have pictures. Don't get me wrong - I love reading with my kids and I'll read them any book they bring me from our collection - but if I'm already in danger of falling asleep on the couch, I need a book with an upbeat pace to keep me engaged! Read and Share: 5 Minute Bible Stories is one of our newest titles, and it is perfect for bedtimes when we're all feeling sleepy.

This is a collection of stories retold by Gwen Ellis and illustrated by Steve Smallman, from the publisher Tommy Nelson. The book is split by Old Testament stories and New Testament stories. Each story is just two pages long, making it perfect for bedtime (each kiddo can pick one or two stories) or for a reading marathon (the stories are short enough that I don't mind reading half the book in one sitting)! The highlights of the Old Testament stories include Creation, Noah's ark, Abraham, Moses, Ruth, David, Esther, and Jonah. The New Testament features stories of Jesus' birth, John the Baptist, Jesus' parables and miracles, His death and resurrection, the early church, and a picture of Heaven, via Revelation.

Each story includes the Bible reference for the text the tales are from, as well as a comprehension question to engage kids in the story. The illustrations are engaging and often prompt my kids to ask further questions about what is going on in the story.

This one is already well-loved in our collection and I'm sure we will read it cover to cover many, many times!

Thanks to BookLook Bloggers for my review sample of this book. I received no compensation for posting a review and all views expressed are my own.

Dairy Free Salted Caramel Shake

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #DairyFree4All #CollectiveBias

When I found out that my son had food allergies, I felt disappointed because I feared that he might never get to experience "normal" things like frozen treats, cheese-covered meals, and buttery, gooey rolls. Granted - these things may not be the healthiest, but in moderation I still love them. So whenever I have the chance, I try to find an allergen-free alternative to special treats for my kids to enjoy. We needed a treat last weekend, so I whipped up this Dairy Free Salted Caramel Shake for us, and it was a huge success!

So Delicious Dairy Free® is my go-to brand for dairy-free frozen treats. My kids love them, I love them... you just can't go wrong. I feel safe choosing So Delicious Dairy Free® because of their world-class allergen-testing program and the many products they offer that are made with organic incredients, plant-based, and Non-GMO Project Verified. For a family that avoids artificial colors, flavors, trans-fats, and hydrogenated oils, they fit the bill just right! I found the Coconut Milk Vanilla Bean and Cashew Milk Salted Caramel Cluster varieties needed for this yummy Dairy Free Salted Caramel Shake in the freezer section at my Walmart store.

Dairy-Free Salted Caramel Shake 
Ingredients

1 1/2 cups So Delicious Dairy Free® Cashew Salted Caramel Cluster
1/2 cup So Delicious Dairy Free® Coconut Vanilla Bean
1/3 cup So Delicious Dairy Free® CocoWhip
1/4 cup So Delicious Dairy Free® Coconut Milk
Dairy-Free Mini Chocolate Chips
Blender

Instructions

-Mix together the Cashew Salted Caramel Cluster and Coconut Vanilla Bean in the blender, with the 1/4 cup Coconut Milk. Note that if you prefer a thicker shake, you can use less coconut milk! 

-Blend for about a minute, or until smooth and bubbly.

-Pour into glass. Garnish with CocoWhip and chocolate chips. Pop in a spoon or a straw and enjoy!

It turns out that creating a delicious dairy-free shake is no more difficult than a "normal" shake! My kiddos were thrilled with this treat and keep asking for more.

I'm seriously drooling just remembering how delightful this shake tasted! Another trip to the store for more So Delicious Dairy Free® frozen treats may be in order! What's your favorite dairy-free snack?

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #DairyFree4All #CollectiveBias

Under the Sea Birthday Party Supplies from Oriental Trading

Looking for Under the Sea party ideas? Make sure you check out our Octonauts Party Favor Ideas, Octonauts Birthday Party Food Ideas, Octonauts Birthday Party Decoration Ideas, Sea Anemone Pipe Cleaner Craft and Paper Plate Fish Aquarium Craft! This post may contain affiliate links. I received samples from Oriental Trading to facilitate this review. This review is based strictly on my opinion. Others may have a different opinion or experience with the products listed. No other compensation was received.

After the success of Lincoln's firetruck party last year, I turned to Oriental Trading again when I was planning our Octonauts themed party earlier this year. I love decorating for parties, but there are only so many hours to DIY things for my celebrations - so it makes sense to add in some awesome supplies from a reliable company.

Oriental Trading sent me a big box of goodies to use for the party. The Jumbo Realistic Sea Life Cutouts were so helpful for transforming our house into an ocean wonderland! Everyone loved them, and the kids thought it was fantastic to help me hang them on the wall.

The Under the Sea Stamps have been a huge hit, for weeks after the party! I have to pay close attention so my ink pads don't get other colors of ink embedded in them, but I think Lincoln would happily play with stamps for an entire day if he could.

These stamps make for a really simple birthday party craft for preschoolers, as they are both fun and educational and help kids with fine motor skills.

I know we'll get many more uses out of these stamps!

The party guests loved being able to select things to add to their favor bags. We used Squishy Jelly Fish, as well as Mini Light-Up Spiky Balls (as sea urchins).

Other things we included in the favor boxes were Ocean Life stickers and Sea Life Creatures. The stickers were used up by my kids extremely fast, but the sea life creatures have been favorites in our Octonauts play bin for months now!

The Ocean Life Stampers were a lot of fun to give to guests as well. And I have good news to report: they wash off walls easily!

The octopus in the favor photos above is part of the Plush Mini Tropical Toy Assortment. These were perfect for the fishing game that we rigged up in our hallway. The kids loved fishing for treasures and they were all quite pleased to receive the little creatures.

To create the game, I just hot glued a piece of fishing line to a wooden dowel and a clothespin. It was the fastest DIY ever. The "ocean" wall in the hallway was a plastic tablecloth taped to the wall. So easy and cheap!

We also received some Fish Straws (which were of course a big hit) and some paper plates for our guests to use with our oceanic food options! The party was greatly enhanced by Oriental Trading and we can't wait to go shopping again when it's time to plan another party. 

Disclosure: I received samples from Oriental Trading to facilitate this review. This review is based strictly on my opinion. Others may have a different opinion or experience with the products listed. No other compensation was received. For more information, you can read my Disclosure Policy.