Daniel the Tiger Finger Puppet

I know I've already mentioned Won't You Be My Neighbor? as a film to see. I'm mentioning it again. It will make you feel! A burst of positive emotions went over me. I was also emotionally sensitive after the movie. Creativity moved my household. My husband hadn't worked on sculpture for a few weeks, and in the garage he went to work away. Isaak and I were stumped before the movie on craft ideas for ParentSavvy (who I write for). After the movie we had a flood of ideas! So many we wanted to get done right away. Won't You Be My Neighbor? isn't just rated high from me, it's rated high overall. If you go you'll laugh, possibly cry, and feel moved!

Visit this craft on ParentSavvy.com . I have another version of it up there.

Daniel the Tiger Finger Puppet:

Isaak came up with this craft all by himself. During it he'd stop and say, "Mom go ahead and take a picture!" I hope he never looses his creative drive!

Isaak started out making a couple finger puppets on his own as sample pieces. Once I saw them I knew he was ready to move forward with the step-by-step craft.

Supplies-

Felt:

Begin with different colors of felt. I happen to have some just laying around. For his sample elephant he used grey and blue. For his sample giraffe he used yellow and brown. For Daniel the Tiger he used orange and yellow.

Fabric Paint:

I can't stand Fabric Markers! They bleed so bad! Fabric Paint is better in my opinion. I got out the tiger colors I had. Isaak only used the yellow. You can opt to use markers or Sharpies instead.

A Dark Sharpie:

This will help with fine details, and marking where to cut!

Glue:

It's optional. Isaak used it on 3 places, but you can opt to sew instead.

Ruler:

It too is optional. Isaak insisted on using it. I wasn't about to argue it. Any time kids want to use a ruler, the better! I get college students that do not know how to use a ruler. I'm not even kidding!

Extras:

The only thing I bought was googly eyes. It's good to have fabric scissors to cut the felt. We had a few different colored threads handy with a needle to sew with.

Time to Begin-

Fold and Cut the Felt:

Start by getting a finger to fit in the felt. Isaak pinched his finger with it, marked it, measured across, drew down a Sharpie line, and cut the felt out. *See images below!

You'll end up with one piece of felt! It's ok if it's not cut out perfectly. It will be folded and sewn.

Fold and Sew:

Isaak knows how to sew, but I did it to help time wise. He has trouble with knots. Start out sewing length wise.

Then sew the bottom. It doesn't matter which is bottom and which is top. You just have to leave one open because it's a finger puppet.

Cut the Head:

Draw a head shape with a Sharpie, and cut it out.

Attach the Head:

You can sew the head on, or glue it. Isaak wanted to glue it. Had we done it again I would have said, "Let's sew it." It got kind of messy holding it, to sew on other parts.

Face Details:

He glued on the eyes.

Then used fabric paint for some more details.

Then he cut out some ears, and I sewed them on.

I sewed whiskers on the next day when everything was dry.

Feet and Body:

I have to admit Isaak lost me a bit with these rolled up things *see below. They are feet. He cut them, rolled them, and put them under a book to keep them rolled. Then I sewed them, so they stayed rolled up. They look kind of like mini toilet paper rolls. They'll make sense in a bit.

He added what looked like a cape on Tiger's backside. I sewed it on for him.

Then I sewed the mini toilet paper rolled things to his front (2) and back (2). The cape looking thing is his backside. *See the 2nd picture, it should make sense.

Finger puppet ready!

He did add stripes with fabric paint. He also added claws with Sharpie.

I added whiskers.

Isaak loves him! I think he's cute as well. Well maybe not as cute as Isaak is. ;)

 

Were you a fan of Mr. Roger's when you were a kid?

Lunch Tote Review #backtoschool

There's some things it seems we can never have enough in our house: Pillows, Good Water Bottles, Lunch Containers, and Lunch Totes. So I planned on just listing a few things, and ended up listing four things. What do you use a lot in your house?

Travis uses pillows all the time. I dropped a glass water bottle, and it shattered to pieces. There was a kid that threw something at another kid, and Mica's water bottle slammed to the floor. The straw section was all broken. Mica also lost a water bottle. Travis and I both work a lot, so we go through lunch containers. The lids always break before the containers do. We don't even wash them in the dishwasher. They just start to tear apart. The boys aren't into their younger kid lunch boxes/bags, so I'm trying to up their style a bit. Instead of cartoony things, we go simple these days.

I got an Amy Insulated Large Lunch Bag to review. It's perfect for going back to school!

It's big enough for two lunches, or one lunch and some drinks for the top. 

This week I've taken lunches for Monday and Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and Friday was on it's own. I did throw in some drinks for today.

Colors: 

• Jean Blue $7.07
• Red $12.99
• Grey $6 (The color I got to review)

I'm not sure why they very so much in cost, but they do. They are all on Amazon Prime and can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/Insulated-Cooler-Double-Decker-School/dp/B0756ZSRD4/ref=sr_1_3?m=A1C4KMAOPNJ2JL&s=merchant-items&ie=UTF8&qid=1531831467&sr=1-3

Perks: 

• It's insulated well! That's good and bad. Good because things stay cold, bad because it's harder to just throw in the washer. It can be wiped out though. 

• I like the 2 big compartments. Over the weekend I make pretty big meals that carry us into the work week. I love taking 2 meals, and not have to deal with taking a meal for a day. 

• It's well designed. Meaning it looks nice!

Downfall: 

• The shoulder strap clasp is broke. It never worked. It just slips right out. I might as well throw it out, or only use the top handle. I was excited it had a shoulder strap. I'm often holding many things like my computer bag and groceries. It's nice to not have to hold a lunch bag too. I don't want my glass containers to fall and break though. I really don't think this is a problem with all their bags. Just this one. It could have been tested better before they shipped it out. 

Overall I do like this lunch tote. I'm in love with the room it has! What do you like to carry your lunch in, or do you buy your lunch every day?

Disclaimer: I got this product for a discounted price in exchange for an honest review. I only review things that I think will fit my readers or family.

Random Tid Bits

1. I took Mica to a new place to get a sports physical. Travis is big about him being involved in a sport. I'm big about him being involved in anything extra. I see him more as a reader and drama kid. I get Travis' point, he should be active with something. Mica's going to try out Cross Country.
   
   Travis had the appointment at the boy's doctor's office - early August. It was during Hummel Camp. Travis would have had to take off work to get him from point A to point B, back to point A, and back to work. It would have been more expensive to go to the doctor's office. I opted to take him to an after hours clinic that was only $15. He's all checked out! The boy is now 1/2" taller than I am. Thank goodness his hernia was taken care of last year. Otherwise that would be an issue.
   
   His doctor's office was annoyed when I called to cancel the appointment. They were like, "Well...don't you need to schedule a new appointment?" I said, "Nope! I already took care of it. He's up to date on his shots, so he's good." They were like, "Ok then!" and hung up. I love their doctor, but the office has been annoying quite a few times lately! 





Mica watching Wipe Out at the Clinic.



2. I wonder why middle and high schoolers have to get a sports physical, but elementary schoolers don't? Isaak will play basketball once again. Hopefully in a league and at school. He might even play volleyball. It's open to boys and girls in elementary school. After that point it's strictly a girl's sport. 


3.  You guys have read about Mrs Clean Freak before. She's the lady that made me get rid of folders in a classroom because classrooms have to be blank. She also gives me lists of things to do. When I was completing one list I heard her talking to another employee saying that she should actually get something done today. She's good at being bossy, and making me lists to feel like I'm 13 years old.
   
   We gained 4 students from what we had in the original works. That's a good thing. Tables were added. New tops have to go on those tables. I'm the type of person that just does stuff that needs to be done. I don't really need a list. Imagine that. Ha! I just added the tops to the tables.
   
   Mrs Clean Freak said to me, "Alissa who told you to add those tops on those tables?!" Me fibbing just to get her off my back, "The Boss Man." Mrs Clean Freak, "I hate when he does that! I'm supposed to be in charge of the clean up." Me Thinking, Well I hate when you treat me like I'm 13 by giving me a list. I also hate that you don't work on the tasks along side of me, and just boss me around. I went back to the Boss Man, and told him what I actually said. Boss Man said, "It's ok Alissa. I'm glad you just moved forward to do it." Ha! Do you have a bossy person in your life? I get my Boss being bossy, but Mrs Clean Freak isn't even my Boss. Travis says I just need to suck it up. I do. I also need to vent about it in the process.


4. I've been so unproductive, since I got back. I think I just feel overwhelmed with school getting ready to start, photos to go through, and the pressure of looking for jobs all summer was getting to me. I feel like I need a vacation after I had a vacation. 


5. I came home, and Mica ate not one, not two, not three, not four, but five of these! I think we've all done something like that in our youth. It sort of cracked me up. I know he's growing! We had a discussion about how one, which is like two (two in a package) is ok to eat. Otherwise he needs to eat other things as well. I have never bought them Little Debbie anything, so this was a treat. I didn't even know they changed the name from Nutty Bars to Nutty Buddies. What's your favorite Little Debbie snacks?

Camp Aim for the Stars

I have to go backwards a bit. A few weeks ago the boys went to Aim for the Stars | Science and Math Camp at University of Nebraska Omaha.

I like that the camp is so parent friendly. What I mean by that is, is that they have a before and after care program, they have a self pick-up for kids that have been to the camp for more than a year - you just drive up to pick your kid(s) up and they get in, their registration is simple and online, you can pay for all of the camp or installments, and the family event is in the evening.

They've been going to this camp for years now. What I like is that they offer different camps within the camp. Examples: Isaak was in Stack it Up! and Mica was in Get Your Game On! The year before the camp names and content was different for the boys.

Family Night was the night before we went on vacation. There are options, so we do things different each year. You can go into the classrooms to check things out. There's also a choice of going into the planetarium for a slightly cheesy movie, or C.A.P.O.W. - Chemistry and Physics on Wheels. C.A.P.O.W. almost seems like a magic show, but it's science. They have their gift shop open. For the camp the kids get a $5 off coupon for anything in the gift shop. We always have gotten something small for the boys there.

Here's their camp t-shirts they got this year:

We actually opted to skip the big fancy presentations, and spent our time in the boy's classrooms this year.

Isaak was so excited to be in Stack it Up! with his cousin Elijah. They built a city with Legos. Isaak had a theater. He had a container where he was collecting fake tickets from people. 

Isaak was really happy that Mr. Miller was his teacher for the camp. He has worked at the elementary school when Mica still went there. He has a boy that's Mica's age and a girl that's Isaak's age. We've had their other oldest child babysit a long while back. We've hung out with them at different times. 

Besides stacking things up with Legos, they also played Jenga and were supposed to have a paper airplane contest, but it rained all day so that got canned. 

Mica wouldn't shut up about Get Your Game On! He was a little bummed that his cousin Evan wasn't with his. My sister Terra signed him up for a different camp. 

Mica's never really gotten into bored games as much as Isaak or I. With his birthday coming up he has been going on and on about games he wants. A few are $45 games! Yikes! He's talked about all these survival games: Risk, Pandemic, Settlers of Catan, and Stratego. 

I bought Risk on vacation to keep them occupied at Travis' Aunt and Uncle's house. 

I got Settlers of Catan on Amazon with a GC I won. 

I've contacted Z-Man in hopes that they'd give me Pandemic to review. I even laid out what kind of a post I'd like it to be. Where I'd go over board games for older kids, and ways they benefit them. I haven't heard back, so I'm betting that's a no go. I kind of wish they'd just email me saying, "Nope", so I'd know to just buy it. I thought with reviewing for ThinkFun, Goliath Games and Tenzi they'd be all over that. My life feels a bit full of rejection these days. Oh well. 

Mica even taught me Othello; saying it would now be my favorite game. It was good he was thinking of me. I did like it.

We spent most of our time in the game room battling it out. 

Isaak got a bit bummed the teacher kicked his butt in Chess. Ha!

What board games do you like the most? Are there any that you've played that we should try out?

Disclaimer: None of these products were given to me to review. I'm only sharing an experience.

WW: Airplane Ride {Linky}

We just got back from Arizona last week. It was Isaak's first airplane ride, and Mica's first one that he can remember. 

Sorry if I was kind of absent last week.

My favorite shot was a silhouette of Isaak. He was so excited!

Then there was Mica that's not scared of roller coasters, but was freaking out about the plane taking off. In his defense I'm the opposite. The poor boy was also drugged up on Benadryl because he had an unexplained rash that ended up covering his body. That's a whole post in its self.

Since I don't fly all that often, I took some photos. 

Do you like airplane rides?