Do It Your Freaking Self - Blog - Page 18 of 23

4th of July Firecracker Bark

on July 4, 2016

One of the things I absolutely love about the 4th of July is of course, fireworks! I have very vivid memories of going fireworks shopping with my dad and lighting off bottle rockets when we lived in the country. I remember going to the county line to get the really cheap ones and armfulls of roman candles. When we moved to the suburbs (and to Shelby County where home fireworks were illegal) we would always go to the church picnic and celebrate there. Even now in my adult years I enjoy the fireworks shows… and I, being the Disney fan that I am, adore Disney’s fireworks. I especially love having them year round!

Now that I’m an adult and work with children, I’m really enjoying seeing the wonder for the first time. Yes, there are a lot of “Holy Crap” moments, because who doesn’t freak out a little bit at loud noises, but overall the 4th of July is almost magical in it’s own right. This Firecracker Bark gives you all of the pop and surprise of a firework, but without the accidental burn if you get too close. (Yep, I’ve done that too) And it’s a really quick impressive dessert for when you forget to make something for your friend’s 4th of July party.

Do you have a favorite 4th of July memory?

ByChelsea

Hank the Octopus Bark

on June 22, 2016

Make this fun Hank the Octopus Bark for your next Finding Dory party! Fun and colorful party snack kids can help with.

This post contains affiliate links. Please consider shopping from them. It helps support my craft supply addiction.

First off, let me tell you that I was first in line to see Finding Dory…. well maybe not because I do not deal with large crowds of kids. I went on a Monday and it was mostly to get out of the ridiculous heat or I would have gone later because I unfortunately am really bad at making time for myself. Can we talk about the fact that it was 112 degrees in LA that day? Thank goodness I don’t wear makeup or it would have been melting off. Seriously.

Okay, so Finding Dory. If I had gone at opening night, I would have pictured myself like Moses parting the red sea… of children. I’d be all like “Get out of my way. I need this in my life more than you do.” Because that is how I roll.

Now, I’m not going to give away the movie if you haven’t seen it yet (What is wrong with you?!?) but I will say that next to little baby Dory the breakout character for me was Hank the Octopus (septopus?). I mean, I love octopi (unless it’s like Sharktopus or something) anyway, so his character was a total bonus.

And keeping with my current love of chocolate bark, (Click here for some Dory Bark) I was inspired to make this Hank the Ocotpus Bark. He’s a little salty so I put some pretzels in it and kids will love adding the cute candy eyeballs.

ByChelsea

How to Make a Mermaid Trinket Tray

on June 20, 2016

Let’s talk mermaids shall we? Yes, mermaids. I’m talking Ariel, Peter Pan’s friends that live in the lagoon, Daryl Hannah in Splash, MERMAIDS. (I’m choosing to ignore the Cabin in the Woods Merman (Not Safe For Kids) because…. reasons). Like any baby of the 80s/child of the 90’s I grew up during the Disney Renaissance. Meaning that Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and Lion King (to name a few) were on heavy rotation at my house. We’re talking constantly. And now, as I take care of little girls, I get to experience that all over again…. and it’s AWESOME! Seriously, dress up and princess pretend with 5 year olds is amazing.

Okay, so recently I got to see the Little Mermaid performed live to screen at the Hollywood Bowl. For those of you that don’t know what that is, its basically the movie playing with stars or original cast coming out and singing the songs while the movie is playing. I’m not gonna lie, it was pretty awesome. I’m gonna make you a little jealous here and say that it was Sara Bareilles (Ariel), Titus Burgess (Sebastian), and Rebel Wilson (Ursula)….oh, and Uncle Jesse as the Chef. Yep. You missed it. Get jealous. So, as I was saying before I got super excited about this experience, I saw the production and was inspired to make this super simple Mermaid Trinket Tray. Well, that an the original little mermaid in Denmark (which is suuuuuper tiny, just sayin). Now you can collect all of your own gadgets and gizmos a plenty, thingamabobs and more in your own Mermaid Trinket Tray!

ByChelsea

Bubble Painting Note Cards

on June 15, 2016

It’s all about the bubble…paint note cards. I’m not sure there is any child that will tell you they don’t like blowing bubbles in their milk. It’s probably one of my favorite past times personally. Especially when it’s chocolate milk because then it mixes everything up even more. YUM!

Okay, so this craft is not about milk, but it IS about blowing bubbles and making art with them. Bubble painting note cards are a great project for kiddos as it allows them to be a bit messy and they make something really really cool.
Continue reading

ByChelsea

Finding Dory Bark

on June 13, 2016

Make your own chocolate bark inspired by Disney/Pixar’s Finding Dory. Finding Dory Bark is a fun activity for kids and a fun addition to theme parties!

Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Swimming, swimming, swimming!

Oh Dory! I’m so glad she’s getting her own movie. She totally deserves it. I can’t count the times I’ve quoted her when I’m having a rough day. Or just needed a friend. You see, Dory didn’t really have a reason to care about Marlin or him finding his son, but she did. She cared enough to go on this insane adventure for someone she barely knew even when she couldn’t remember what was going on. She just went because her heart told her to. And now I’m excited to see her favor returned.

I mostly love this movie because of the theme of conquering fear. I know a lot of us deal with it. I personally have a very visceral reaction to stepping out of my comfort zone and facing the unknown. Fear isn’t just being in a moment of fight or flight, it can also be a mindset which we see all too well in the character of Marlin and I love that Marlin is able to conquer that fear a bit with a little help from Dory. He could have given into despair, but she unknowingly helped push him to save his son and grow as a fish.

ByChelsea

Summer Survival Babysitting Bag

on June 8, 2016

This post may contain affiliate links. Purchasing through them helps support my craft supply addiction.

Summer is upon us folks and in socal that means hot days, sweaty nights and NO SCHOOL! For those of you that are babysitting or nannying this summer, it means more opportunities to play and find ways to entertain kiddos. This can lead to some sticky situations if you’re not prepared because bored kids are unhappy kids which can sometimes lead to destructive kids.

So, idolizing Mary Poppins like I do, I’ve put together 13 items you can put in your summer survival babysitting bag to keep the kids alive and occupied or create some quick activities.

ByChelsea

No Sew DIY Wine Gift Bag

on June 6, 2016

Listen up! Stop bringing wine as a gift to parties without dressing it up a little. Seriously, you’d wrap other presents! So why not wine? Yeah, you’re going to drink it anyway, but it is a gift. Put it in a bag or something.

What? You don’t have a bag laying around the house? They’re not cute enough, festive enough, for you? Don’t worry! I’ve got you covered. Get thee to a craft store and let’s get started! You don’t need to know how to sew either!

If I’m being honest right now, a wine gift bag also makes it a lot easier to carry cupcakes and wine without being scared I’m going to spill anything. 😉

ByChelsea

Red White and Blue Cookies

on June 3, 2016

Red White and Blue Cookies are sure to be a hit both in your kitchen and at your Memorial Day or 4th of July cookout!

Okay guys, normally I would make cupcakes for events like Memorial Day and 4th of July. You know, those events where you’re getting really patriotic and celebrating (or mourning) but I’m not gonna lie, these cookies came out of laziness. Pure and Simple. Problem is though, when you have a blog, people kind of expect you to at least attempt to make things look good and well, I hate to disappoint. It’s a blessing and a curse.

So yeah, these Red White and Blue Cookies came out of laziness. And you know what? They turned out great! Could I have made cool pinwheels or super fancy iced sugar cookies? Probably. But when you’ve worked all weekend (late nights too) and wake up at 10 for a BBQ that is supposed to start at noon, well… fancy flies out the window. SO! If you need a quick cookie recipe that makes a big impression without taking a ton of time, keep this in your arsenal. It makes the easiest softest cookies ever!

ByChelsea

Spray Painted Glass Bottle Vases

on June 1, 2016

I collect jars and bottles. Like too many. I collect old pasta jars, pickle jars, those bottles left over from when I tried to do a juice clense for 2 days (I got really cranky). I collect so many jars that the “house drink” at our place is a “Jar-Garita” inspired by My Drunk Kitchen. Yes, we like jars at our house. But sometimes I feel like maybe, just maybe, they can be prettier? Cuter? So lets give it a try. These DIY Spray Painted Glass Bottle Vases will take you probably 10 minutes make great gifts or fun party decorations! Lets get started, I’ll show you how!

ByChelsea

DIY Queen of Hearts Magnets

on May 30, 2016

Making Perler Bead magnets are a fun activity for children ages 6+. These DIY Queen of Hearts Magnets are sure to keep them busy and create something fun!

I’ve started writing the intro to the post probably 10 times and kept going down the rabbit hole. How appropriate that this post should be about Alice In Wonderland!

If we’re being honest, which we are, I’ve always been in love with Alice in Wonderland. As a book, it’s beautifully written. As a film (cartoon, movies, etc), it is a classic. I’m also a huge fans of the book re-imaginings. I think it speaks to Carroll’s legacy that his characters keep coming up in various forms and people are still inspired by his works of fantasy today. My favorite book iteration has got to be The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor.

So, with Alice Through the Looking Glass coming out this weekend and Allavelle’s Beautiful Children’s Book DIY, I was inspired to create these DIY Queen of Hearts Magnets!

I especially like working with perler beads with the older kiddos because it keeps them busy, helps them with motor skills, and teaches them about patterns and shapes.

ByChelsea

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