Just for Fun Friday.

Happy Friday everyone! Despite the kids being sick and trying to drag me down with them for the last couple of weeks I am keeping my spirits high and focusing on the changing of the season. I love Fall and we are ready for some cooler weather here in Phoenix for sure. It's a little depressing that it never really cools down enough to adorn all of the cute cold weather styles that I love like tall boots, cute coats and lovely scarves unless I go at at night which doesn't happen very often these days, kids crampin my style..... the darlings. But a girl can dream can't she?

I am also itching to visit some where that is bursting with autumn color and feeling, some place where there are front porches with pumpkins and potted plants, lawns with orange, yellow and red leaves scattered about and apples and pears that haven't traveled across the country to reach us out here in the desert.


I can't wait to go Trick-or-Treating this year with the kids {assuming they aren't sick}. We found a cute little neighborhood nearby that is built from mid-west architecture in mind with all of the for-mentioned things I mentioned and cobblestone streets, beautiful lush landscaping and a very festive and small town feel. This is very exciting for us since most all of the houses here in Phoenix are stucco 'cookie cutter' homes and small, rocky front yards with no personality.

What are you most excited for about Fall?

Where do you live and what do you enjoy about it?

xo

just for fun Friday......

head scarf tutorial

leaf

old church renovated into a home 

I should have been a gypsy

color pallet

boots

pirate boat

What the Heck am I Supposed to Do with these Kids All Summer Anyway?

It's only been two weeks since school let out for the summer and I'm already going bonkers. Bonkers I tell you.  We live in the desert and it's already 100+ degrees outside. That's hot. {if anyone says 'but it's a dry heat' I'll scream} The parks, bike trails and golf courses are all deserted and dusty. The animals in the zoo have retreated to their respective caves. And here at my house we have our very own zoo of sorts going on front and center. The kids are already acting like caged, wild animals. I'm pretending I don't hear the tantrums and fighting as we speak.

So, what the heck am I supposed to do with 4 extremely energetic kids all summer long anyway? We can swim and read and play X-Box but then what about the other 15 & 1/2 hours of the day? Crafts are great. My kids love crafts. They keep them busy for longer than any other thing. I used to hate them due to the mess and the fact that I seemed to do 99% of the work and would often be sitting there all by myself finishing a craft intended for the kids amusement. Here is a fun list of very doable crafts I've found on the blessed internet. I hope you visit each site for the directions and for more creative ideas.

Check back in a few days because we made something very, very cool here at our house that the boys are still crazy about after a whole entire week! Wow.

Home Made Puffy Paint from Sandy Toes and Popsicles

Make a Puppet Theatre

picture from Cool Spaces for Kids

Head to your local Library.

Sign up for a summer reading program and go to fun classes.

Going to the Library will be even more fun with this cute book bag.

sewing pattern from Shiny Happy World

My boys love doing this.

picture from Martha Stewart

Beat the Heat! Have a Water Party!

Simple and Cute Sponge Ball tutorial from One Charming Party

Flash Back to 1984: Old School Candy {POP} Rocks!

My mom has been living with me on and off (but mostly on) for many years now. It's so nice to have so much extra help around the house and with the kids. My husband is super amazing but he works long hours during the week and I am a strong believer that it takes at least 2 fairly responsible and extremely energetic adults per child in the home in order to keep them alive happy and also in order to sustain ones sanity. Having a friend to talk to during the long, crazy days that is otherwise known as  'Stay at Home Mommy Madness' really breaks up the monotony of every day life and is good practice in speaking like an adult so I can re-enter civilized society someday, God willing.

My mom has been away for a few months visiting her family and came home yesterday, Yay! Of course my 4 kids think of her as a very important part of their lives and love her to bits. Also extremely important to the little darlings are what sort of special 'prize' Gramma will bring home for them. My 4 year old thinks that Gramma is just staying at the airport while she is away. He questions several times while she is gone "When is Gramma coming home from the airport?" or "What kind of prize will Gramma bring us from the airport?" Kids are great.

So this got me thinking about how fun it is for kids when even the smallest of surprises are brought home after a trip away. My dad did it when I was little; snow globes, small treasures and dime store jewelry. My husband does it for our kids; tee-shirts, stuffed animals, toy cap guns and bows and arrows.
And Gramma brings home the best 'prizes' of all....

C.A.N.D.Y.!!

Usually Gramma brings fun, old fashioned candy like PEZ and Candy Necklaces. I can't help but be transported to my youth whenever I see these candies and treats. Nostalgia is a wonderfully amazing thing.  Something like PEZ and Blueberry Slushies brings back totally random memories of my neighborhood, childhood friends long forgotten and reaching up out of the pool to pick a plum off our backyard tree while swimming in my favorite blue polka dot bathing suit. Here are some of my All Time favorite childhood candies and fun treats.

I want to know!

What were your favorite treats as a child?

What things remind you of your childhood?

PEZ



Paper Candy Dots





LOVED Candy Necklaces



Cinnamon Toothpicks.

Which brings back very bad memories of cinnamon oil which was very populare amoungst

stupid teenage boys to smear on your face as you walked by them in the halls of high school.

The oil would burn and leave large welts across your face and God help you if it got near your eyes.

Jerks.



Coke Flavored Gummies




Wax Candy




The SMURFS were SMURFERIFIC!




My Fav. Like Totally.



Cigarette Candy.



Oh My Gosh! Remember these? They used to sell them from the Ice Cream Trucks! Yikes.



And I couldn't leave out my beloved Garbage Pail Kids trading cards.

Does anybody remember these?

They were totally and completely disgusting and wonderful. Like totally.