30 Summer Break Family Fun Ideas!

My kids finish school this week. And then we have two months to fill in with making memories! Which isn't easy on our strict budget. But it is also not impossible. I've been reading Living a Beautiful Life on Less. The author had 2 lists that I pulled some great ideas from. One list was all the great things you can do as a family while the other was date night ideas. In addition, my sons teacher sent a link of events that will be held at one library near us over the summer. They are all free and there are various ones that are divided by age groups. 

What are my favorites?  

I'm going to list out some of the ones I plan on trying with our family. Leave me a comment below about additional ideas you might have!

1. Lego! Pull out some Lego blocks and see who can build the coolest, tallest or most original creation. Don't forget to take pictures! In the past, we built our own versions of a house or a boat and even a city together. 
   
2. Make some s'mores. If you have a fire pit, even better! But if not, there is no harm to making some inside. Don't be afraid to get messy. Making a mess is all part of the fun! 
3. Visit a water park. We have a splash park up the street. It is small, but also free. And when the triple digits hit us, we might need to cool off for a bit. Especially when being stuck inside for days and weeks on end hit us hard. Cabin Fever is real, people! Just remember that you love each other very much. 
4. Visit a museum. Sometimes your local museums have free days or times just for those who live nearby. So see what is available. Our library offers free passes to some of our local museums and attractions. I'm hoping to get one for our family to see the Astronaut exhibit that is currently being held. 
   
5. Geocaching. I heard about this from an awesome friend of mine many years back. He participated. It is a real treasure hunt! You use coordinates to find hidden containers near you. You can create a free account and search for ones near you. Once you find it, you sign the log book inside to prove you found it. Some are big enough to contain items for trade as well. Little trinkets and toys, usually. Just remember to put something in if you take something out! Be fair. Don't leave trash or junk. And put the container back EXACTLY as you found it. That way someone else can find it later. I'm seeing over 800 near our area alone! Can't wait to take the kids searching. This also makes a great date if you and your love like being outdoors!
6. Bowling. I absolutely loved going bowling with my besties. After our shift at the library, we would go bowling and spend a couple hours unwinding and sharing laughter. It was always a blast. How much more so with family? Check out your local bowling alley to see what deals they offer. This is another great date night idea! 
7. After dark treasure hunt. When it gets dark, turn off the lights! Hide something special like a treat or something from the Dollar Tree even. Draw a map with clues and have them figure it out! 
8. Check out the local ice skating or roller skating rink. Again, look on their website or ask about any specials they might have. Another date idea!
9. Vampire hide and seek or just hide in the dark. Two ways to go about this. Vampire hide and seek is something I learned from my in laws. One person hides. As other people find them, they have to hide with them. Until the last person finds the group. Or, just turn off all the lights and have the seeker try to find everyone with a flashlight. Just remind the kids that you will not be going outside! My kids freaked out the first time we played it. 
10. Have a movie marathon. Pick a series of movies. We might do a bunch of Star Trek, Star Wars or Lord of the Rings movies. Get some snacks and snuggle up in front of the TV! 
11. Go for a hike. Pick a park with trails or somewhere new to walk and hike. Get the kids to identify things they are seeing. Maybe look up things you don't know what they are and learn something new together! 
    
12. Have a bake-off challenge. I love this idea! Do boys versus girls. And see who can create the best dessert! 
13. Create an ice cream bar at home. Get all the trimmings and let everyone design their ultimate ice cream treat! 
14. Pull out the telescope! Or if you don't have one, find a place away from the city lights and spread a blanket. You will be amazed at what you can see without interference. My husband has a great telescope that I hope we get to use this summer. That or a trip to your local planetarium. Check to see if they have discount days!
15. Family picture fun. Normally, family photos are boring. And time consuming. And everyone can't wait for them to be over. So how about letting the kids take some? Everyone gets to pitch in on ideas for new family photos. Maybe even add props. 
16. Paint canvases together. The Dollar Tree carries canvases. Get enough that everyone has one and let everyone paint the same scene together. See how we all see things differently, but beautifully at the same time. 
17. Play a card game. 
18. Play a dance game together. We have games for the Wii and the Xbox 360. Such games like Just Dance. Pop one in and have your own competition. See who the Dancing Queen really is in your household! Date night idea!
19. Go for a walk. Sometimes it is good to just walk. Talk. Explore the neighborhood. The key is to be together. Also great for date night!
20. Make your own movie. Work together to write a script and create some costumes. Then film your own movie! 
21. Garden. This might not be the best for the summer. But you could do this as a family. Plant a garden. Even if it is just a few little seed starting trays or pots. 
22. Check your local library. One of the libraries here is having an event nearly every day over the summer. And these are free! They have everything broken into age groups with some being for the whole family. 
23. Read a book together. Take turns reading from a book. Our family loves the I Survived series or American Girl stories. They are riveting, but insightful as well. Reading also helps them maintain their skills for the next school year. 
24. Make cards. Work together to create cards for friends and family. You can use all kinds of things. Construction paper, wrapping paper bits, stickers - be creative! Father's Day, birthdays, other holidays - heck, get a head start on Christmas cards if you want! Just do it together. 
25. Play a video game together. We love playing Minecraft, Mario Kart and dance games. Find something you all enjoy! Also a great date night idea!
26. Watch a documentary. I know, I know. Who watches those anymore? But there are some really interesting things out there. Find out what interests everyone and pick accordingly. Talk about what you learned. 
27. Write a story together. I did something like this with my friends in my younger years. I got a journal and we each took turns writing a chapter. I'm looking forward to seeing what we come up with as a family. Take it easy. Each person write 2-3 sentences. Let it get crazy! Let it be funny. Let it be you. 
    
28. Create a Blessings Bag and help someone in need. We see homeless people quite often. Putting together a bag and grabbing it on the way out is no biggie. Get the kids involved. Water, snacks, gum, small things that help pass the time, cash - whatever you think could be useful to someone with nothing. You could even take it a step further by taking the family to volunteer at a shelter, soup kitchen or nursing home. 
29. Go to the movies! AMC is having a special this summer that should save you some big bucks. $4 for the tickets, popcorn and drinks for kids. Check out the article here. 
30. And this last one is a favorite of mine! Nerf gun battle! Grab your weapon of choice and pick your corner. Then open up and listen to the laughter!!! Another fun date night idea. 

Stay hydrated! Stay safe!

This summer is predicted to be a hot one. So don't forget to keep everyone well hydrated. Especially if you plan to be outdoors. And always play it safe if you are going hiking or walking. Know where you are going and be mindful of what is around. 

What are your plans for the summer? What cool things would you like to try? Leave me a comment below!   

Preparations For Free Comic Book Day

Free Comic Book Day happens on the first Saturday of May every year. And it is a blast! Being the nerdy family that we are, we love to dress up as the characters that inspire us. As a family! Not only do we get to dress up and get free comics, but we bond. We share in fun times together as we prepare our costumes before the big day and then we show them off. As fun as it is, it can be a lot of work. And it means that I need to have all my supplies in order. My crafting corner needs some help, but it works out for now. Eventually I need to get another one of my storage boxes for my steampunk supplies alone. My Mom bought me this first box and it has been amazing! My kids can search through it as we work together. Though the baby loves to rearrange everything... almost daily!

My husband normally looks like he walked off the set of a Resident Evil movie.

He created his cosplay before we got together. And made it as realistic as possible. Makes me a proud wife! Sadly, he might not be able to get dressed up with us due to his old pants needing replacement.

My oldest son asked me to help him look like a Black Ops Guy. A spy with a cool gun, basically. His was easy to put together. But then he changed his mind and decided he wanted to be the Jedi from the Force Unleashed 2 game. *hit head here* So I started over and had plenty to come up with.

I bought a pair of cheap suspenders and hot glued belt-like pieces to it to create the chest harness. I used Pringles lids and craft sticks that I painted silver to make the decorations for his belt.

My Mom sent Ace bandages that I could use to wrap his arms. It will look awesome!

My younger son wanted something that truly tests my creative abilities. He wants to be a Tusken Raider from Star Wars.

For the most part, I was able to make the pieces easily. I sewed and hot glued his rifle sling and pockets together.

He decided to use some Jedi robes as the main part of his costume. Makes him look more like a Tusken assassin. The mask has been tormenting me though. I have to use what we have around the house, which makes it even harder. Otherwise I would have followed this guys tutorial. Or use this guys great idea. Instead, I'm using the hood piece on the black robe to hot glue these pieces I created using broken Nerf darts (painted silver) and a toilet paper roll that I cut in half and painted.

I had a couple silver pieces I had taken off something else. They made the perfect toppers for the darts that go right above the mouth. The mouth part is still up in the air for me. I have a leather belt, but I haven't figured out how to get the triangular shape yet. Then, to finish it off, more Ace bandages will be wrapped around his head.

My oldest daughter wanted to be Princess Leia. Normally, I'd be so proud! However, this was difficult in that she had no white dresses and I had nothing plain white to use. White is not a family-friendly color around here. It stains too easily. I did find a great tutorial on Pinterest about using a large piece of white fabric or sheet to use without having to sew anything. Yay for easy! And my Mom had sent me some pillow cases that I could use. Then she changed her mind and wanted to be Aurora instead. Thanks for continually being indecisive kids...

Then there is the baby... What do I do for her? I am thinking a Barbie Princess is just right for this little lady. She has dresses. I just need to accessorize her. I think...

Finally, there is my own cosplay. I'm going all steampunk. A Steampunk Time Traveler. I finally got the skirt to an acceptable style. I also found the shirt that looks perfect under my corset. I'm feeling pretty good about how it looks.

I have been working on this for quite a while. Took an old pair of boots, glued on the gears to the ankle and painted the toes. I had a cheap pair of goggles that I put in actual colored glass lenses into, painted and added gears on the sides. My Mom sent the corset.

I added gears and chains to 'punk it out more. I sewed pocket pouches that I added gears to so that I can hang them from a draped belt. I'm still debating on whether I'll add my steampunk'd glocks.

I created one holster at least. And one of my favorite pieces? This cuff!

One thing I have learned, is that your craft supplies can come from anything. I had an old pair of boots with buckles on them. I cut those pieces off and now they are being used for my oldest sons costume. Embellishments can come from things you least expect. Like the silver pieces I mentioned that I've glued to the Nerf darts. They came from a busted pair of headphones. Always remember to think outside the box!

Getting Into the Steampunk Spirit

I've always known I was a nerd, but I didn't always know just how big a nerd I was. As I got older, I developed my tastes and interests a bit more. I branched out from Star Wars and Lord of the Rings and discovered other cool things. Cosplay and conventions and such. But my favorite being Steampunk. Where the past and future collide to create amazingly detailed designs. Victorian styled clothing with steam-driven gadgetry and plenty of gears! It is absolutely beautiful. Which is why I have decided to design and create not only a costume to cosplay in, but even a purse that I can wear around daily. I scoured the internet for ideas. Pinterest was a big help, of course. I found one pin that showed how a lady transformed a regular purse into a steampunked piece of art! Mine may not be so decorated, but it is my own work-in-progress. One that I hope to keep working on as I get the supplies.

"Everything begins with an idea." - Earl Nightingale

Step one is always to have the idea. My purse is not the first thing that I wanted to embellish for my cosplay. Originally, my husband and I wanted to give a couple Nerf guns a makeover. Which is still on the agenda. Just taking the back burner at the moment. We will also try to get some top hats to fit our characters. I've decided to go along the lines of time travel.  He's still deciding on his. Then there is the need of a bustled skirt.... Well, you get the picture. We have an idea in our head of what we want. So now for the next step.

With the vision in my head, I have started gathering pieces to bring it to life. My Mom has helped a lot. She shops at yard sales and thrift stores in St. Augustine. Plenty of older things that fit my needs there. 

Following the birth of an idea comes the path of design! 

 

Creating the designs has been the biggest reason it has taken me so long to get this much done with it. First of all, I'm not much of an artist. I hold the vision in my head, but can't seem to transfer it so easily to my hands. And then I am never truly satisfied it is done. But I look at it this way, as long as new pieces come my way, it can always be a work in progress!

I practiced with painting on paper first to make sure I was able to get the look I wanted, then I started painting the purse. Unless you have multiple purses and don't care about trashing some, I suggest you take this route too.

Then I practiced laying out the pieces I wanted on it to see where things fit best.

Not everything I originally wanted, had a proper place in my designs. No worries, I'm hanging on to them for future uses. I settled on a clock design, directional star (or compass star) and a key element.

For the most part, I love them all. The star came out a little shaky, but not too bad. As I get certain other materials, I plan to add to the purse. For now, however, it is ready to be shown off as is! 

And the fun has just begun! I am thinking that in what little free time I have, I might start working on other parts of our costumes. Not sure I'll be ready for Halloween, but eventually I'll be rocking it!

Are you a steampunk fan? I'd love to hear your ideas. Share them in the comments below!

How Much Do You Like Valentine's Day?

Or as I like to call it, Singles Awareness Day! 

This year, my Mom was showing me the Valentine's Day boxes that her kiddos made. I was pretty impressed. There was a robot one from her youngest

                                                            and a plane from another.

I went on Pinterest with my kids to look at ideas. Especially since today was a snow day. We had some more snow and ice. Not enough to make a snowman or snowball fight, but enough to make it slippery.

My kids have basically had a 4 day weekend. And unless they are playing video games, they are getting bored of being indoors. 

So I showed them Valentine's Day box ideas. And asked what they thought. They were super excited. Mostly because they love doing crafts and are not intimidated by them like I am. I'm getting bolder with my creativity. Much like I used to be when I decorated a wooden doll house I built with my Dad. I created a board on Pinterest for the ideas we liked most. They each picked a theme for their boxes. My oldest wanted a Plants vs Zombies box, my other son wanted to make his look like an Xbox console and my daughter wanted Elsa's castle. 

We got started. I scrounged around and managed to find 3 boxes. While looking for paper to cover them, I actually found a shoe box. After I had already started using the tissue box and two small Amazon boxes... But it's all good. I will keep that shoe box for another project later. 

We covered my oldest sons box with green construction paper, the middle had black construction paper and the castle was done in blue construction paper with blue card stock paper for parts of it. My husband was a huge help in getting the details just right. After my middle boy had the bright idea to trace a real Xbox controller (I'm so proud that he thought of it himself!), my husband worked with him to create the details and make it look like an actual controller. 

For the princess castle, I had beads and ribbon to add little decorations. She wanted a snowy look, so I used pearls to look like delicate snow falling. We printed a tiny Elsa picture to put in the doorway too. We used toilet paper rolls to make the towers on the corners.

I'm not a Plants vs Zombies fan, so I had to follow my sons lead and have him tell me what he wanted. I also found one that had been made on Pinterest and loosely followed the design on the box we made. We printed out characters since he didn't have toy versions. 

Overall, I'd say I'm pretty impressed. These look fantastic! And my kids are going to be the cats pajamas when they bring them to class to collect their Valentine's. What about you? Are you and your kids making anything like this? This could even be good for on the office desk... After all, who says employees can't give Valentine's? Share your ideas in the comments below!

A New Year is Here Already!

Where has this year gone in such a rush?! Already, we are fast counting down to 2018 and the new beginnings it shall bring. 
My baby is a year old! Still not walking, but once she gains her confidence I believe she will take off running. 

My other children are starting to truly show their strengths and weaknesses in life. Be it reading from my oldest to science and math for my middle kid, to my fast learning little diva in kindergarten. I am so proud of them all. 
We had a wonderful Christmas vacation. Went to spend it with my in-laws. While enjoying good food, good times and gifts, there was a couple family members who ended up in the emergency room. One of them went in as one person and came out as two! Such a cute little fighter that one has turned out to be. Definitely had us on edge all that week though. 
Looking back, I think this was our best Christmas so far. We all got things we needed or really wanted. People might laugh, but getting Tide and a laundry basket was awesome. Getting a laptop had me so thrilled! These were things I genuinely needed. My kids got the pants they needed. Or underwear. And a backpack. My husband and his drill or the compressor. The simple things that will be appreciated so much this year. It was a blessing all around. We are all so happy this holiday season. And yes, we got things that we wanted or thought were cool. Like the years subscription to Amazon Prime, gaming gear, and dolls. 
But the greatest gift all? We spent this Christmas together. We made happy memories that will last a lifetime. 

And then, we went shopping for Christmas clearance deals. Sadly, I waited too long and by the time I went on Thursday, there wasn't much left. But I did get some of the things we needed.

Like wrapping paper. The ones I found were reversible and had patterns that I can use throughout the year. I picked up an Axe gift set. We were in need of another toiletries bag and my husband uses some kinds of Axe products. The ones he doesn't use, I will be sending to my brothers. All for $12. We bought a regular sized tree for the Christmas' to come. Gonna need it for our growing collection of amazing ornaments. And the Star Wars light show projector?! Can you believe it was only $7?? I picked up other little stocking stuffers for chore rewards and for next years gifts.

I had stopped by Walgreens when picking up a picture too. Once again, they were wiped out of most of the good stuff. I did find a little sun catcher for my little princess to paint. It was half off the sticker price too.

Moving into the New Year, I have decided to make my resolution to lose 30 lbs. To build strength to my failing body and to lighten the load I carry daily. My back isn't going to get better. And I can't afford to fix it. So I can at least focus my energy on making less stress for it. This will be the first year I have had this resolution. Usually, it is to make more of an effort in being a better mother and person. Which will still be a goal. I truly believe that everyone can be better in life. Kinder, more compassionate, giving, loving, honest. Just some traits I think everyone should work at daily. 

What is your resolution and why? What do you strive for in your own life? And how do you plan to make 2018 better than 2017?

Texas Renaissance Festival Review

The day came and went far too quickly! It felt as though I had spent forever in preparation, only to have it fly by in an instant. My trip at the Texas Renaissance Festival finally happened!

FYI: Kids go free on Sundays! 

The night before, I downloaded the app. TRF has an app! You can look up where and what food options are available, map out the places you want to go, and even set up a schedule of what you want to see while you are there. I picked our top entertainment choices and set up the schedule. You can even have it alert you when the time for your event has come. I also marked "favorite" shoppes we would want to stop in while we were there. There were some issues finding the places we wanted to be at. Thankfully, they have maps hanging at the bathrooms and plenty of cast members that are willing to give directions.You can also purchase a souvenir guide that will include a map and information on everything they have there. Even after leaving, the app sends traffic alerts for those coming and going. One such alert let you know what other highway to take to avoid long traffic lines. The app also lets you know what events are better geared towards kids. 

Prep before you go!

Then came having everything laid out. I was going to be getting up at 5 AM and waking the kids at 5:20. The plan was to leave by 5:45 to get there in time for the opening ceremony. Talk about being down to the wire! My husband had to work the night before, so we had to plan it all out in minute detail. Which brings me to another part in planning that I didn't consider. If you want a hotel for any of these weekends, don't wait until the week of to book. THEY WERE ALL FULL! So we were definitely driving back home after the event. Which was actually for the best. My husband was going to be too tired for too long a day. If we had gotten a hotel, he would've wanted a nap in the early afternoon and come back for a couple more hours before calling it a day. So it worked out. But, if you were really wanting to stay close or make it a longer trip, book in advanced. WAY advanced! I had the diaper bag packed to the brim. I had waters for everyone in the fridge. Since each person is only allowed to bring in 1 unopened water bottle, I had these in the fridge. I got out our amazing cooler, that I have mentioned before in a review, and threw more waters in the freezer. Plan was to have them in the cooler in the van so that when we went out, they would be waiting and thawed enough to start drinking. I also set out breakfast. We are not big on eating that early in the morning. So I grabbed snacks that will be easy to eat when we are ready. Not the healthiest, but for something like this - worth it. I packed each of the older kids a snack bag. They can share, trade, and snack on the variety I gave them to and from the event. And everything in the bag would be fine in the car while we were inside the TRF. 

We didn't leave right when we planned to. Despite waking the kids earlier than I thought I would, they were slow in getting dressed.

So we left a little after 6. And the drive there was mostly in thick fog.

Soooo we got there about 9:20. Missed the opening and cannon fire. But as you will hear in my interview with someone at the Festival, the fog gives a certain mystery and hypes you up as you come in. The Texas Renaissance Festival has a magical feel about it. You are basically going back in time to a village of the Renaissance. 

After checking in and getting our passes, I did a quick interview with Travis Bryant. This guy gets the word out about an amazing experience you can have at the Texas Renaissance Festival only. It was great meeting him and working with him to make our trip possible. I apologize ahead of time, the video was broken into two.  

Going through the gate, the guys all got kissed by the pirate wench. Lucky for her, my attention was elsewhere... 

Once we parted ways, we checked out our first show - Birds of Prey. This was a wonderfully, engaging show. Educational as well.

They had vultures, hawks, and owls that flew among the guests, did tricks, and showed us what they are really capable of. Our whole family enjoyed the sight.

There were a couple moments when the birds showed who really ruled the roost by not obeying their trainers commands.  
After the show, my kids were crying for food. My little vultures... So we went hunting. Oh the smells! I can't tell you how badly I wanted to order lots of things. They had foods from all over the world. We requested 2 orders of potatoes - these were potato slices, fried to a crisp. Delicious! No one should ever be without their famous turkey legs.

My oldest said he didn't want that, so we compromised. We bought 1 turkey leg and 1 steak on a stick.

It didn't seem like enough, so I told them to endure a little more fun and we would eat again. (It was just soooo good!) 
We went to see the Pirates of the Pride of Bedlam next. Talk about a rockin' good show! We were all enjoying their rowdy tunes.
Even our baby pirate was happy. We had some random pirates hand out gold doubloons to the kiddos and some shoppe owners were giving away free Frankincense and Myrrh. My son got a piece of a bismuth crystal. For those of you who aren't familiar, it is a fragile metal crystal that is grown.
We saw many fascinating characters. My younger son loved this one:

I saw 2 awesome versions of Depp characters.

They had a parade and a version of a haunted house you could walk through. The haunted house was an additional fee. The family-friendly version was a 3D show.

We finished our day with an interview with the Captain and his First Mate of the Pirates of the Pride of Bedlam.

I'm sorry if you are unable to hear much, as it was at a very noisy time in the area. He is very lively, very friendly and offered some great insight to the Texas Renaissance Festival.
We missed the Joust and the fireworks this time. But I do hope that a future trip may afford these wondrous sights as I'm told they are truly magnificent.

Also, both interviews led me to believe that Arsene is someone you positively MUST see at least once while you are there. I hope you got to enjoy the sights through my experience, but that you are planning your own trip in the future. If you are here in Texas, they have many weekends yet. We suggest you plan to bring shopping coinage. The artisans here do a splendid job with handcrafting just about anything your heart could desire. My sons are now proud owners of a hearty double-sided wooden axe. 

What did you find most fascinating?