Don't Eat Pete {in Easter Peep style}

Last night I was doing the dishes, and I suddenly thought of this idea. It probably came because of all the cute Peep crafts out there. Anyway, needless to say the dishes never got finished, and I am very tired. :) But when an idea hits, sometimes other stuff has to wait, right?  My boys LOVED playing this and we came up with some variations on it too.

This is a really fun and easy game- and I made up a download for you (below)- all in the name of the Peep.☻

If you haven't played Don't Eat Pete, let me quickly explain it. You put a candy (we used jelly beans) or other edible item-just as a Cheerio, on each picture. One person leaves the room, and the rest of the group picks one to be the "peep". When the person comes back in the room, they start eating one at a time. (My son just took them off because he did not like the jelly beans-and you can do that too.) When the person picks the "peep" that the group picked, you yell "Don't eat the peep!" And everyone has a good laugh. You repeat until everyone has had a turn.

NOTE: if you have small children that are startled by loud noises, this game could scare them. It depends on the child. My children (not the baby-it scared him) were fine, but I have played this with older children, and they did not like the yelling part. Just letting you know- so you don't have crying children from this game. :)

A FEW VARIATIONS:

We did COLOR BINGO. I made several cards, and as I called out a color, the kids would put a candy on that colored peep.

We also did COLOR MATCHING- matching the colored jelly bean to the peep color.

AND you could also print these out on colored card stock and number them and do the same two games but with numbers or ABC's.

Want to play this game with your family? Click below to download your copy and have fun playing Don't Eat the Peep! I made it in a word document file and it is white so you can color it or print it on colored card stock. The ones above I colored with Crayola markers and highlighter markers.

Download your Don't Eat the Peep game board here.

Can you please leave me a comment if you like this and will be using it? I spent way too much time on this post and some comment love would be good for me today :)
And now I have exercise to do, dishes to do, laundry to fold, etc. etc. But at least we have a fun Easter game to play :)

Happy Easter Week! Hope it is a fun one!

Fabric Baby Blocks {tutorial}

Like the new look? I owe it all to Maggie. Her logo/link is there on the left. She does amazing work so if you want a new blog look, you really should check her out. :) More on that later.
There are a few kinks and things I need to fix still.
Want some free-chocolate? See link below if you want your own See's....just because- most everyone loves chocolate- and it is Springtime and Easter :)


About a month ago, I used up some charm pack squares to make some soft baby blocks. I always thought things sewed in cubes, looked too hard. :) Surprise- it isn't hard at all. My childen love these- and throw them around all the time-kind of like bean bags-but these stack up too.

SUPPLIES FOR SOFT BABY BLOCKS:

Charm pack squares or fabric scraps (squares that are 5 or 6 inches squared)
Interfacing-to put on the wrong side of the fabric- a square for each piece of fabric
Thread
Stuffing - I used washable polyfill, and in one I used old socks cut in small pieces

After ironing the interfacing to the wrong side of each square, sew the squares together, at 1/4 inch as shown above- right sides together.

Then start sewing the sides together to form a cube.

When you have to sew a corner, where 2 sides already meet, there is a little trick I discovered. You just have to fold the one side you aren't sewing out the way - like pretend it isn't there. :) I labeled this photo to show you:

Hope this makes sense. Once I figured this out, it was so easy. {sew easy....}

Leave one side open so that you can add your stuffing. You can handstitch this up, or very carefully use your machine.

Repeat for each block. These can be made pretty quickly. And then you can have loads of fun:

And of course let baby play with them. :)

If you make some of these, I would love to see them.

Thanks for reading! Happy Sewing and Creating!

Featured and a Give-a-way

Shut the front door! My Little Gems  made TCB that is Today's Creative Blog! And it turns out all you have to do to be on TCB, is offer Kim chocolate. That's it! I really didn't need to have anything creative on here at all. I'm totally kidding of course.
But since chocolate always sounds so good- and this blog made it into the big leagues- (ha ha)-
 I am going to give-a-way some of my favorite chocolates (and Kim from TCB's favorite)  to you!

The winner of this give-a-way will receive one pound of See's candy- the best. the yummiest. my mouth is watering right now just typing this.

All you have to do is leave a comment. OH- and be a follower or a reader-via- google reader. That's it.
Hope you win!

How "Boys" pretend play in the kitchen

In case you are wondering how a little boy (ages 2-4) would play with a play kitchen...here is the actual run down of how they do it.
And it is so different from a girl- of that I am sure.

The bring in their pirate toys, blocks, legos, and robot toys all placed on their Tool Bench which they move right next to the play kitchen- just in case they need to build something instead of bake something....

They bake up CAR MUFFINS
which are delicious by the way....

The make sure army guys are guarding the raisins and salt and pepper, and just in case the army guys need help, they place a "knife" (it's plastic people) next to them...

They make baseball soup too.

And if you take a peek in the oven, this is what you will see.

So if you still think kitchens aren't for girls...think again. I used to think that too. But I have realized that imagination/pretend play is for all children.

And it is just a kitchen. Not a make-up vanity people.
They didn't even want a kitchen- I did. It will make a great addition to my pre-school room :) Plus it is cute and I needed some cuteness around here. :)

We play restaurant with the kitchen mostly. And dinosaurs. And cars. And racetrack. That is boys for you and I just love them! Even it it means lots of cars, airplanes, helicopters, dinosaurs, army guys, dirt, mud...and an occasional play kitchen- because mommy needed one you know.

DIY Play Kitchen from a Nightstand Completed

It is finally finished! Our DIY play kitchen from a nightstand that cost 6.50. We did put more than that into this, buying paint, glue, and some hardware. I would say we did not spend more than $50. Most of the steps we got from this flickr group created by Jane. She was the first one I saw building these cute kitchens. I'm sure you have seen several of these out there.   Well this is ours- we made it and it lives in our house.☻

If you were expecting a total BOY kitchen, sorry to disappoint you. I wanted a neutral one. :) But my oldest boy informed me he wanted a MAC TRUCK painted on the oven door. (Can't we have one toy in our house not covered in cars and army guys? Just sayin.. :) )

Here is what we started with :

Here are a few Tips, Hints, and Ideas if you would like to create one. Make sure you refer to Jane's photos linked above-she really gave a lot of detail that helped us out in this project!

 I used Gorilla Glue for attaching many small parts. My husband also used screws, washers, and bolts to attach many piece so that the kids can move them.  For the stove top, I painted black circles with paint, (and the help of a sharpie marker to make the edges even) and used popsicle sticks that we had cut in half and spray painted silver. (We had leftover silver spray paint from a Christmas project.) The sink faucet is an upside down wooden "J" and the hot and cold knobs are little wooden people you can buy from a craft store- painted silver and screwed in so they turn.

The sink bowl is from Goodwill. I searched for a silver bowl, and most were over $7. But I found this one for about $1 at Goodwill. If you can't find one, get a pet food bowl if you really want a silver bowl.

We used chalkboard paint to make a chalkboard on one side, and a scrap of wood to frame it. I used Gorilla Glue for attaching the frame.  This glue requires pressure, so I used masking tape to hold it in place, and it worked! I also used Gorilla Glue for attaching the pieces to the stove top-the popsicle sticks. This glue expands, so I just used my sharpie to cover it up if it came out over the edges. If you haven't used this glue, you have got to try it- powerful stuff.

The knobs for the sink are just pieces we found at the craft store, painted silver and screwed is so they can turn.

The back splash is a piece of chair rail -a scrap we also picked up at Home Depo.

The towel bar is a dowel we painted silver and glued it to some scrap pieces. The towel is a washcloth- and I used velcro to attach it over the bar, so it can be taken off. (and it is cuter than my actual kitchen towels...)

We used the actual door from the nighstand, and attached it with hinges. I used some sticky-backed velcro to help the door stay closed. (I used white because I had it on hand but black would have been a better choice.)

The oven door handle is the actual hardware from the nightstand, just painted silver.

Originally, we were going to use a dowel to hang the curtain. Then after a thought, we realized, when the dowel was unattached, it would automatically be turned into a sword in our house- every long object becomes a sword with my boys. ☻ So I used velcro to attach the curtain. I used sew on for the curtain, and sticky-backed velcro for the cabinet. It stays put really well.

What kitchen doesn't have an army guy to guard their salt and pepper shakers? I think that is my favorite part. ☻

The salt and pepper shakers are just wooden pieces I found at the craft store, painted, and glued together.

We did buy the back piece and the shelf piece from Home Depo. Most of the extra wood pieces we used were in the scrap bin.

 And there you have it...the tour of our new play kitchen. I like it so much more than my real kitchen, maybe I'll try using this one instead. (wink wink)

We decided we will be making more of these- they are so fun to make and personalize! If you live in my area, I'd be happy to help you make one or make one for you.

OH...and because I have been informed by my 4 year old that every kitchen has to have a refrigerator, we have plans to make one from an old desk we were going to get rid of- more DIY projects to add to my list! Now I just need a wood shop, and about 20 extra hours in the day :)

**Added later: I have had several questions about the measurements of this. They are:

15 inches deep

22 inches wide

Total height is 40 inches

and height to the top where the stove and sink are is 21 inches high. **

Lucky Irish Kisses {chocolate pretzels}

So I WAS going to have a little "Green Party" for my children and a few little friends tomorrow for St. Patrick's Day. But we have had nothing but bad news today and things are a little bit of a {wreck}. But tomorrow will be better right? Before I go to bed, I wanted to share one St. Patrick's Day thing....these cute and yummy Irish Kisses I made tonight:

All you need is pretzels, Hershey's kisses, chocolate chips- I used white ones, and green M&M's.

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees.

Lay out your pretzels on the cookie sheet.

Place one Hershey's kiss or 4 chocolate chips on each pretzel.

When the chocolate is soft- after about 5 minutes, take out of oven and place a green M&M in the middle. If you use the chocolate chips, you can use a toothpick to swirl it a little so it looks like a clover.

I like the way the chips look like a clover shape- perfect for St. Patrick's Day. Of course can make chocolate pretzels for any holiday. So Yummy!
Happy St. Patrick's Day.
I'm not feeling well so I am going to bed.
BUT I finished the play kitchen from a nightstand! When I feel better, I'll show you!

Baking with Flax seed Meal {great egg substitute}

Have you ever baked with Flax seed Meal. It is very healthy for you! Full of omega-3's and fiber. Plus you can use it for an egg substitute. How cool is that?

As it says on the package, use one tablespoon flax seed meal and 3 tablespoons water. Mix in a bowl, and let sit for a bit. Use as a substitute for an egg in any baking recipe.

We have been using flax seed meal for a while. Here are some cookies we made with it. We used no eggs in this recipe. Sometimes I'll use 1/2 eggs and 1/2 flax seed meal- to up the fiber in a recipe. I do this often with muffins.

Don't the cookies look good? I'll tell you ...they were good. :)

Here is the recipe I used:

In the cookies above, I used craisins, pecans, and a little chocolate chips- although they were good with just the craisins and pecans.
****You can buy it at almost any  food or health food store- I think I got mine at Sunflower Market. I keep it in the fridge, and use it for all kinds of stuff- but I love that you can use it for baking as an egg substitute.

Winner, Winner, Winner, Steak for Sunday Dinner!

I just wanted to say that. And we sort-of had steak. I had a bite and ate my chicken. My husband had steak, and then we had birthday cake- cause my 30th birthday was- yet again- last week! Crazy I know- how many of those can you have in a lifetime?


I LOVED reading your favorite things. Thanks so much for entering and sharing those things with me. It makes me feel like I know my readers a bit better...and I like that. :) Thank you. I know there are a lot of great give-a-ways out there and I appreciate you taking time to have some fun and enter this one.

ON WITH THE WINNERS!!! (using Random.org)

APRON goes to - ArJay and Magdelyn who said:
Wow three prizes and you want me to pick one! I have no idea which is my fav, I love vintage aprons, already have a wall for the quote picked out, and I have already planned how my life will be easier at church with the tote.

I am a follower

SIGN goes to entry - Texas Gal who said:All three are super cute and make me happy for winter to end - I like the sign the best! :) ~Adrienne


 TOTE BAG goes to - Amber Omer who said: Wow, how fun! You are amazing! I can't decide my favorite either...love 'em all. I think I would use the bag the most (always a need and I only have a couple plain ole black diaper bags). But  I love the apron! And I'm a sucker for vinyl also. Thanks for doing fun prizes and surprises!


IF YOU ARE WINNER- you have a week to contact me through email: little gems crafts (with no spaces)  {at} gmail {dot} com   so I can mail you your prize. If I don't hear from you in a week, I will pick another winner. So please contact me so I can get you your prize.

NOW...if you did not win, I will show you a little "how to" make an easy apron, and tote bag later.

And we will get back to more fun posts. Thanks so much for reading, following, and playing along!
Happy happy Spring- it is coming soon!

Give-A-Way! For my readers and followers :)

THIS GIVE-A-WAY is NOW CLOSED. WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY. THANKS FOR ENTERING AND PLAYING!

Are you anxiously awaiting SPRING? It should be here any day. Let's celebrate with a give-a-way!

This Give-a-way  is just for my readers and followers. If you aren't a reader {via google reader}, or a follower, you can still join in, if you would like to enter. There will be 3 winners, and there are 3 separate prizes. Just leave a comment, and you are entered(if you are a reader/follower). If you want to mention one of your favorite things (family doesn't count only because that is everyone's favorite-i.e. mine), or which one of these you like the most, I would love to hear that too!

 Each prize will come with a few little extras- my favorite treat, book, etc. to share with you! Here is what I made to give to you:

This is a 1/2 apron, generously cut to fit anyone. The straps are long enough to wrap around twice if you are small, or tie once in the back in a bow- if you are like me- and not so small. :) It has a large pocket and I will include a few small prizes- my favorite book, snack, etc. in the pocket!  The main fabric is from a fun vintage sheet, and has the same pattern on the backside-(double thickness.) If it looks a little funny, that is because my chair needs some practice with her modeling skills. {ha!}

I love vinyl lettering and good quotes. So here is a sign with one of my favorites. It has a hook on the back so it is ready for hanging, or could sit nicely on an easel. I will also include a few little favorites with this sign-like a book I like, a snack I like- something else fun-a little surprise-because I like surprises- especially ones that come in the mail. (no that is not a hint....except to my husband...)

And another thing I love is cute fabric, and cute bags. So here is both. This is one of my first attempts at making a bag, and I loved it so much, I wanted to keep this for myself. So I will be making more! This is a very deep, large bag. It measures about 15 inches deep, and 15 inches horizontal, and 8 inches wide. You can fit quite a bit in this bag.  PLEASE NOTE: Contents in the bag are NOT included in give-a-way-:)

(contents in bag are for photo purposes only)

It is lined with a lime green, and has a small double pocket on the front- that would fit a cell phone, lip gloss, and a pack of gum. ;) I'll be including a few little treats with this one too. I thought of about 20 places I could take this- church, errands, car bag for toys, baby stuff, grocery, etc. I so need to make more of these.

So hopefully one of these little prizes says SPRING to you!!

Leave a comment!

Tell me what you like...

You have until FRIDAY MARCH 12th at midnight! Good luck!

please note- when I announce the winners, if I can't get a hold of you within a week, I will pick a new winner. :) I'll have you email me if you are a winner!

A little more humor

Kind of like my last post- the sign thing- this one cracked me up. Kami at No Biggie posted this and I needed to laugh today so I am posting it too.

Plus I love redbox. And really need to see 500 Days of Summer. Thanks Kami!

Where I Live

I took this photo yesterday. It was about 70 degrees. I always laugh when I see signs like this, because almost all of the time, there is no ice. There is no snow.  Maybe one day out of 365- actually 2 days in the past 4 years there was snow on the ground- and it melted within an hour.  But I'm from Utah. And although I miss snowboarding, and the fresh white snow for the holidays,  I don't miss driving in the snow at all. ☻

Sorry if you are in the midst of "Spring Snow" right now....enjoy it for what it is. ☻

My kids have never built a snowman. My kids have only seen snow on the mountain tops. Maybe they'll just grow-up swimming and playing tennis and golf. Maybe someday we'll live where it rains most of the year.
So for now, I'll enjoy my brown desert and sunshine- even if it turns into over 100 degrees for most of the year-in a few months.

So if you live in a cold wet place right now, just remember Spring is around the corner- and guess what- you can go outside all summer long!! (We can't where I live...)

***FAVORITE THINGS give-a-way for my readers and followers starts on MONDAY- woot! woot! Just a little fun and a spring gift for you for being so nice. ***