Archives for May 2011

If your kiddos love to get their bounce on, you’ll want to register for next week’s Momtopia event at the Supermall on Monday, June 6th. These popular free events are designed just for the 6 and under set.  This month’s is a, “take over,” of Super Jump Party Zone-the bounce house in the the soft play area.

There will be two different shifts available beginning at 10:00, but you do need to register to hold your spot. To register call 253-833-9500 and press o to speak with guest services. You can join Momtopia here or by picking up a form at the kiosk in front of Nordstroms. Do note that for this event only, you’ll also need to sign a waiver and wear socks.

If this sounds like it has the potential to become a jiggly mosh pit, you might want to check my bounce house list in the menu bar and visit another time.

Need a little something to take to to a barbecue today? I found this recipe in Quick Cooking from Taste of Home about a thousand years ago. It’s basically just store bought cookie dough (or make your own), with a two-step cream cheese filling. They taste Amazing, and they look like much more trouble then they are. If you want to be festive, you could add some candies in appropriate colors to the cookie dough. There are also variations of this recipe online that add coconut to the filling. I’ve never tried that, but I’m sure it would be great.

Here’s the recipe over at the Taste of Home site.

Note: There is nothing healthy about this. If you want to be healthy, bring a salad.

Did you know Jo-Ann Fabrics offers Summer classes for kids? It’s true! As you might expect, the topics are things like sewing pillow cases and decorating with fabric paint. I see several that my oldest would enjoy.

Most of the classes are 30.00-45.00, and you do have to purchase your own materials, so we’re not talking the bargain of the century here, But If you go in and register on certain open house dates, you can get half off the price of the classes. The next one is June 11th. Now, if you look on their home page, it says you can get half off your class fees this weekend, but the girl I talked to didn’t know a thing about that and tried to tell me that their website is owned by some other company. Huh? Anyway, if you have a kiddo who would enjoy these classes, I’d suggest you do the following:  First,  locate the store near you and check their kids’ kamp schedule. *Then, give your store a call to see if you can get the half-off registration this weekend. If you can’t, mark your calendar to score it on the 11th. That isn’t too complicated, is it?

If you’ve got a favorite craft you’d like to share with my readers, or a tip on a summer activity that keeps your gang busy, just drop me a line!

*Yes, I know that isn’t how to spell camp. I don’t know why people do that either.

This is on sale for 20.00 from Zulily today. I’m just sharing it because it made me laugh out loud. They have loads of other cute ones if you feel like redecorating, but seriously, I just wanted to make you smile. Do mothers of girls say this as much as mothers of boys?

Mark your calendars for Friday, June 3rd.

It’s Free donut day at Krispy Kreme. Just stop on in and get one free donut per customer. You can pick your favorite!  The info is a bit tricky to locate on their site, but I did find it under press releases. I know my store did this last year, but it’s never a bad idea to call and check with yours before you head out. I’ll remind you.   Thanks, Slickdeals.

By the way, while there are very good reasons not to stuff your kids full of donuts, I do have to say that Krispy Kreme is great about working with you if you need to do a fundraiser or just want a different playdate. They’ll give a little talk and free hats to just about any group. Plus, it’s fun to watch them the donuts getting cooked through the window. Just try to keep your tongue off the glass-that’s just tacky.

Photo: stock.xchng

Are you in charge of organizing a picnic or party this year? Want some entertainment besides guessing when the burgers are going to be done?

Try renting a game bag from Pierce County Parks and Recreation. Bag rental is just 15.00, and comes with everything you need! You can choose from volleyball, piffleball,  kick ball, a picnic bag with a tug of war rope, flying discs, and  potato sacks, or-my personal favorite-the big parachute!

You don’t even have to be a resident of Pierce County. You just have to fill out the form and call the office. Now, just hope for sunshine and have everyone bring a dish to share, and you’ve just pulled of the best party ever! You will have to leave a 50.00 deposit when you check out the bag, but it’s fully refundable once you return all the equipment.

The bags are popular during the Summer months, so reserve one as soon as you know your date.

Photo credit: KevinKLuu at stock.xchng

I had a whole outing planned today, but quite frankly, my senior assistant just wasn’t feeling it.

As you can see, he wanted to build a pillow fort. So, while I thought about dragging him out and pretending to you that it’s nonstop, on the go fun here at the SFM house, I decided to just let him build the fort.

We like the pillow method, which involves shoving some piece of furniture close enough to your wall that you can make a roof with your couch cushions or pillows. You can also try the blanket over the table method, or the blankets across chairs technique. The key here is having something to keep the blankets temporarily together. Ready for the secret? Chip clips. You know-those big ‘ol thingies you use to close the chip bag. I read this somewhere, so don’t credit me, but it’s genius-if you can call a blanket fort building tip genius. I think I just did.

Once you’re done, forts are the ideal place for reading books by flashlight, and you’ll want to bring some blankets and stuffed pals, if you’ve got them.

I promise to be back with a, “real,” post later, but first, I’m off to traffic court. Yep, I wish I could go in the pillow fort instead. Some days are like that.