School’s out for summer!!! And now that the kids are home all day, you may hear, “I’m bored!” Here’s a free printable of “what to do when bored” for your kids.
Download your free printable of what to do when bored for kids!
10 Great Valentine Box Ideas for Boys
It’s not easy coming up with Valentine box ideas for boys. If your boys are like mine, they just don’t get into the lovey-dovey hugs & kisses idea of Valentine’s Day. My boys just want the CANDY!!! So getting my boys excited about making a Valentine’s Day box (without hearts & doilies) takes some searching and a bit of creativity.
Last year, I created an easy monster Valentine box for my boy (shown below) that he was proud to bring to school.
For this year, I searched the Internet and Pinterest to create this collection of the Valentine box ideas for boys.
My boys each picked one of these ideas for a Valentine’s Day box.
Follow me on Instagram to find out which Valentine box I will be making for my boys this year.
10 Valentine Box Ideas for Boys
Robot Valentine Box – My son recently made a robot for a school project from an old cereal box, so a robot was on our list for possible Valentine box ideas. Simply cover your box in foil and let your boy decorate!
Shark Valentine Box – This Valentine box idea creates a shark from an old baby formula can, gray wrapping paper, and craft foam.
Lego Valentine Box – This easy craft uses an old shoe box, plastic Solo cups, and spray paint to create an easy Valentine box for a boy that loves Legos.
Batman Valentine Box – This crafter created this Valentine box of the Caped Cruisader for her boy. She also has a cute Valentine bookmark printable available for download.
Angry Birds Valentine Box – This easy Valentine box used felt & a hat box. This boy actually sewed it together! But personally, I’m a hot glue kind of mom.
Dinosaur Valentine Box – Now this Valentine box is a labor of love constructed with a shoebox, cardboard, tape, construction paper, acrylic paint, markers and stickers.
Pirate Ship Valentine Box – This Valentine box was created into a pirate ship by painting a shoebox brown and adding sails, ocean waves, and fish using craft foam.
Ninja Turtles Valentine Box – This easy craft simply used construction paper, crayons and markers to create an awesomely quick Valentine box for boys.
Despicable Me Minions Valentine Box – After watching Despicable Me recently, my boys love this Valentine box using an old tissue box, paint, and craft foam.
Easy Monster Valentine Box for Boys
I created this simple monster Valentine box for my boy last year.
The supplies included an old shoebox, orange felt, construction paper (for the teeth), wiggly eyes, fun fur (for the eyebrows), old egg carton (for the eyeballs, not shown), scissors, and my ever-faithful hot glue gun.
And my boy (the photographer) took this photo while I was creating his Valentine box (on a Saturday morning while I was still in pajamas no less). You craft in pajamas too, don’t you?
Which of these Valentine ideas for boys are you going to make?
Best 13 Pinterest Pins of 2013
I love Pinterest, even though it can make me feel like the ultimate slacker mom! Pinterest can be more than just recipes, organization, home decor, and crafts. I have learned so much about parenting from great articles on adoption, foster care, and raising Godly kids — discovered through Pinterest. Here are my best Pinterest pins from last year. All of these have been repinned over 100 times. I hope you find inspiration too. (Click on the photo to pin it yourself!)
13 Best Pinterest Pins from 2013
#1. – This motherhood quote was repinned over 2,000 times!
#2. – I wrote about how to keep your emotions in check during the foster care journey.
#3. – Quotes about what makes a family are always popular.
#4. – My DIY homemade womens pirate costume I created for our Disney cruise was repinned 248 times. Ug!
#5. – This fatherhood quote was popular at Father’s Day
#6. – Likewise, quotes on motherhood are just as popular.
#7. – This quote on healing resonated with me and others too. Can you tell a story without crying?
#8. – This homemade handprint craft for Mother’s Day was pinned from my Mother’s Day DIY Craft board.
#9. – I’m always looking for easy crafts for preschoolers and this reindeer fingerprint art was popular at Christmas.
#10. – A fellow foster parent shared about her love for her foster children after infertility struggles.
#11. – This sweet Mother’s Day handprint craft had a sweet poem too.
#12. – Here’s a natural remedy for Lice! Eeww!
#13. – Although only repinned on my board over 100 times, over 10,000 people have seen this post on time-in discipline.
Are you on Pinterest? What has been your most popular pin?
Top Ten Toys for Active Boys (& Girls) [2022]
Because I am the mother of two very active boys (one extremely hyperactive ADHD son), I’m always searching for toys and activities to keep my energetic boys entertained. My husband (a former elementary PE teacher) and I compiled this list of the top toys that keep our active boys playing.
Many of these toys for active boys include jumping. Jumping is a great activity for active children, and extremely useful for children that may have sensory processing issues. My son is sensory seeking and jumping helps him expel energy and provides much-desired sensory input.
Here is my gift guide for toys for active boys (and girls). This list includes a variety of toys with different price ranges. Some of these toys can even be used indoors.
Top Ten Toys for Active Boys (& Girls)
Monster Feet Stompers $6.15
My husband highly recommends these plastic “stilts” for any kid. His students would play with these stompers throughout an entire PE class period. The plastic is durable and will even hold the weight of a 200-pound man.
Pogo Jumper $15.00
This pogo stick is made of a soft, durable foam and squeaks when your child jumps. Since it doesn’t require the balance skills of a regular pogo “stick”, children as young as 3 years old can jump indoors or out.
Hopping Horse $17.49
Last year, at a going-away party for Island Gypsy Hawaii, this hopping horse was the life of the party for my two preschool boys. They would bounce, fall off, and bounce again…for the entire duration of the party.
Pogo Balance Board $29.99
According to ADD expert, Dr. Edward Hallowell, new research shows that a balance board stimulates the cerebellum part of the brain and can help children with concentration and reading problems. What other reason do you need?
Pop-Up Play Tent $18.99
We purchased a pop-up play tent for my oldest son when he started walking, and 4 years later, he and his brother still play in this tent at least every other day. They love to fill it with toy cars, superheroes, and tennis balls. You will have to purchase balls separately.
Plasma Car $89.99
Our church’s school has a number of these Plasma Cars that kids play on incessantly when they are brought out. These toy cars go by turning the steering wheel back and forth. Kids learn great coordination and movement skills while playing with this toy car.
Indoor Trampoline $49.95
When we visit my sister, my boys jump continuously on the indoor trampoline, even while watching movies. This trampoline is for use up to 150 pounds (just in case, I want to exercise myself).
Bicycle $119.99
My boys love to ride a bicycle, but now it’s extremely difficult to find a bicycle that can passed down to either a boy or a girl. I found this bicycle that can be used by either a boy or a girl. It also comes in other colors, such as white – plus you can purchase this bicycle in sizes from 12-inch wheels with training wheels to 20-inch wheels with kickstand – and the 3 other sizes in between!
Bounce House $209.99
We purchased this inflatable bounce house for our kids two years ago, and my boys LOVE it! Our bounce house is easy to set up and take down. This bounce house has proven to be durable, and is extremely popular at get-togethers, birthday parties, and at home. It is totally enclosed with netting so it is safe.
Swing Set $165.99
After intense research on the durability of swing sets, we purchased a metal swing set for our active boys. This swing set is made of steel instead of the plastic play sets that are so popular now. This set comes with two swings, a climbing net and a basketball hoop. My in-laws still have the steel swing set, my sister-in-law played on as a child. Now the grandkids and great-grandkids play on it! Metal swing sets last forever!
What are your top toys to give the active kid? Please comment below.
FTC Disclosure: The links in this post are affiliate links for Amazon, which means when you click on a link and purchase, I receive a very small commission (at no additional cost to you). Amazon then gives that commission to me as an Amazon gift card so I can purchase from Amazon. See how nicely that works for Amazon?
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Our Family’s Best Halloween Costumes Through the Years
It’s hard to believe but I’ve been a mom for over five years now! My babies have grown into little boys. No longer can I just pick out Halloween costumes for my family. My boys now are big thinkers with their own ideas for Halloween costumes. And they now tell me what costumes they will be wearing for Halloween. Through the years, our family wore group Halloween costumes that were so much fun to put together.
Our family Halloween costumes through the years:
Long before Big Bang Theory debuted on the small screen, my sweet husband (then fiancée) and I were just a couple of nerds in love!
A few years later, we were blessed with a very special baby elephant that joined John McCain and Sarah Palin on the campaign trail.
When the foster “twin” girl to my Mickey Mouse moved a few days before Halloween, Mommy stepped in to fill Minnie’s ears.
The next year, a new addition to our family made no place like home!
And then, the Joker and Catwoman tried to foil Batman, the Caped Crusader, and Robin the Boy Wonder.
But ahoy, matey, this crew of pirates tried to take over a Disney cruse ship last Halloween.
Does your family dress in Halloween costumes? Which family Halloween costume is your favorite?
VIDEO: Our Last Minute Vacation & Foster Parenting Update
The majority of this summer, our family was larger by 2 foster children. A little girl that we thought would be a good playmate for our 6-year-old was a parenting challenge. Plus, I had forgotten just how HARD it is to take care of an infant, especially one that is already exhibiting signs of hyperactivity with NO napping. We were ALL stressed out.
When the foster children left at the end of July, we realized that our family had been so busy in this chaos, that we hadn’t planned a summer vacation! After the stress of constant bickering, we ALL needed a nice break!
After discussing our options, we were excited about a getaway to the Dallas Metroplex, and opted to stay in Arlington with all the family activities there.
Check out my video of our day at the Six Flags Hurricane Harbor waterpark! (Listen to the lyrics of the song, Gone, Gone, Gone: “You will never be alone. I’ll love long after you are gone, gone, gone.”
Thanks for watching!
Did you sneak in a summer vacation with your family? Where did you travel?
Part of My Son’s Past is Gone
If you follow me on Instagram, you already know that we had an exciting day last Friday. The day began as any average, quiet morning in our household, with our 6-year-old throwing a fit. I don’t recall what he was upset about — maybe he wanted donuts for breakfast? He had run into his bedroom and was on the floor crying.
As I walked into his room, he raised his red, teary face at me. I smiled and became excited. “Wow! Look at you! Hurry! Go to the bathroom and look in the mirror!” His demeanor changed immediately as he got up and trotted off to the bathroom. He was looking in the mirror, as I exclaimed, “Smile! Look at you! You’re so big!” And then he saw it!
My baby boy lost his first tooth! And he didn’t even know it! We rushed around looking for the lost tooth because — there’s money in that, you know? He quickly found it on the floor where he had been crying just moments before. We didn’t even realize the tooth was loose! Since his other
tooth was loose, Dad pulled it too. 
When my baby boy came to live with us at 8 months old, those bottom two teeth were the only teeth he had. For me it’s a particularly bittersweet moment for the loss of those two teeth are also a loss of my baby boy that isn’t a baby anymore. This baby boy changed our lives immediately. One phone call on March 4, 2008 changed the lives of so many.
Those two teeth were the link to his past life. There is nothing now left from his former life (except Blankie). Today, I think of his birthmom and her incredible loss of such an amazing son. Has she finally overcome her addiction? I pray for her and birthmothers everywhere.
Our boy placed his teeth under his pillow for the Tooth Fairy with a tooth holder like this one on Amazon:
It had belonged to his 21-year-old Bubba.
$5 for 2 teeth. It appears the Tooth Fairy didn’t have change.
Do you follow our adventures on Instagram? All the cool kids are!
101 Spring Break Activities for Kids
It’s SPRING BREAK!!! Avoid the boredoms!!!
Looking for spring break activities and things to do with your kids this week while they are out of school?
I’ve compiled this list of 101 spring break activities that you can do with your kids.
Click this photo for a list of 34 spring break activities.
Click this photo for even more spring break activities.
Here are 5 more fun things to do within your budget.
Here are 10 more ideas for places to go during spring break.
5 more kid-friendly things to do during spring break.
And 22 more fun & frugal spring break activities for kids.
Spring break activities for our family are visits with both sets of grandparents, a trip to the zoo, and a picnic in the park.
Check out all these other fun-filled kids activities.
What activities are you doing with your kids during spring break?
Easy DIY Disney Mickey and Minnie Mouse Costumes
We love Halloween and will be celebrating this year with the Mouse himself on a Disney Cruise out of Galveston, Texas!!!
Here is an easy Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Homemade Mickey Mouse Halloween Costume that I put together for Stinkpot a few years ago. Our foster daughter, Blondie, was to be his Minnie, but she moved a few days before and so…
Here are the items you will need:
Black Turtleneck
Red Shorts
Black Stocking Tights
Yellow Crocs
White Gloves
Mouse Ears, of course!
Other Miscellaneous Supplies: Yellow Felt & Glue Dots to add yellow felt “buttons” to Mickey’s red shorts.
Mouse Makeup: I found that Black Cream Eyeliner with a brush is much easier than using a pencil eyeliner! Color in the nose! Smile and outline the cheeks, then add a line from the sides of mouth to cheek lines. Viola! A mouse!
Easy-peasy, Mouseketeers!
DIY Homemade Minnie Mouse Halloween Costume
I became my Stinkpot’s Minnie Mouse date on Halloween…
Here I am with Blondie before she left…
For Minnie Mouse costume you will need the items listed above: Black Stocking Tights, Yellow Crocs, White Gloves, AND..
Red Polka Dot Dress
Minnie Mouse Ears
Easy-peasy, Mouseketeers!
Do you have plans for Halloween? Do your kids already know how they will dress? Or do they change their minds a million times before?
