Project: Road Trip-Pop-O-Matic I Spy

Today's Project: Road Trip comes from an idea I saw a long time ago, forgot about, and then thanks to the world of pinterest, found again. Bet you guys didn't know I like that site, huh???


Ohdeedoh is a delightfully addicting site. This idea came from over there and you can find the original post HERE.

My Little Men love bubble wrap...what kid doesn't! That is why I knew this would be a perfect idea for our long car trip. I just knew I had to make my own version of this travel game. I call mine Pop-O-Matic I Spy.

There are two hard parts of making this game. ONE-thinking up that many things to spy. Two-drawing said things tiny enough to fit behind each bubble and also lining it up. Oohhh I had such a brain cramp trying to come up with enough things to spy. Then actually drawing them...eh-hem...the horse/dog/coyote creature I drew which Oldest was quick to point out did not look like the intended horse it was supposed to be.

After drawing one sheet, I decided I was going to copy it so that each boy could have their own. I also made a much easier Alphabet I Spy.


Once you have your picture sheets, all you need is a sheet of large bubble wrap cut to fit your picture sheet. Attach the bubble wrap with double stick tape.

Then start the fun. They will pop away any time they see any picture on their sheet. Super fun!

Since I am so nice and I now know how much time making one of these sheets takes, I am making the ones I made available to you to download. I only ask one thing...

...NO COMMENTS snidely referring to the ineptitude of my drawing...especially directed at my horse/dog/coyote creation...i mean he has feelings too...

download here

Download here

Enjoy!

Project: Road Trip-Travel Folio Games

Okay, so right now we should be somewhere in the middle of our journey. Who knows were we will be at this point. Who knows how much sanity the parents will have left. Who knows how much exactly how much fun the Little Men are having. BUT hopefully we have filled all the bored moments with some fun activities.

Today in Project Road Trip I am sharing these Travel Game Folios. I got this idea from stitch/craft and immediately put it on my to do list. I changed it up just a bit. When I finished them, my boys were already super excited to be able to use them.

They are easy to carry. Easy to use. I used her idea of putting plastic in to make the games reusable. I printed off games and I printed off writing practice sheets.

I am going to run through how I made these just in case you have a trip coming up.

I used school folders for the base of my folios. It is a great time to find fun ones since back to school sales are going on. I found these at Target...where else!

I decided how wide I wanted my folios and drew up a pattern with rounded corners. The straight edge matches up with the fold in your folder. Tracing with a pencil will leave an indent that you can follow with you scissors when you cut it out.

They will look like this:

I also cute a small strip for each folder out of the scraps...that will be for the pen holder.

For the clear sleeve I used a page protector.

I cut the sleeve in half and then cut it to fit the inside of the open folder. Then I sewed it on either edge and then in the middle. The openings are on the sides.

After the plastic in in place, sew on the velcro on the same edges you sewed the plastic in place.

Next you attach the pen holder. Fold the small strip in a "w" type shape.

Now here is where you live you learn...my first time through I attached the pen holder on the outside. Temporarily attached the small piece to the outside front with scotch tape. Then I sewed in place. Talk about a PAIN, and it didn't look that pretty.

So here is attempt 1:

Then I decided to sew the strip into the fold at one of the sides. This was a lot easier to sew in place AND the stitches on the printed side do not show as much as they did on the white inside. You don't even have to add a pen holder.

I googled and printed of pen and paper travel games and writing paper. I found the ones I like, cut them to size and slipped them into the plastic sleeves. Add a dry erase marker or a washable marker, cut a piece of felt for an eraser and you are set.

Hopefully hours of FUN.

Here are some of the links I used for the games.

number tracing worksheets HERE
tracing paper HERE
connect the dot HERE
hangman and tic-tac-toe HERE

Project: Road Trip-Happy Camper Vouchers

On the Road again, I can't wait to get OFF the road again...


I am pretty sure that is how the song was supposed to go, I'm just sayin'.

In light of our current cross-country move, and for the fact that I will be without a computer during said cross-country move, I decided to do another Project Series this week.

The theme this week is Project: Road Trip.

I am going to be sharing little projects that I have done in preparation for our oh-so-long journey across the United States. Since I am most worried about my sanity the comfort of my Little Men, the projects I am sharing are geared towards traveling with children.

Today I am sharing with you Happy Camper Vouchers. I read many different ideas of rewarding kids during a long trip, vouchers were by far my most favorite idea.

I decided to call mine "Happy Camper" vouchers. I designed them using all the free tools from picnik. Here are some of the vouchers I made.

I printed every voucher twice, since I am using this mostly for the older two. Once they were printed out, I cut them out. I put them in two different large mailing envelopes...one for each Little Man.

During the trip they will get to pull out a voucher when they have had prolonged good behavior, or if they do something really out of the ordinary, or show kindness to each other. Depending on what the voucher says, they will get to do one of many things. Either get a new toy, a book, cash, a treat at the gas station, to pick the movie, gum...you get the idea.

Prior to the trip, my boys were really excited about these. They knew some of the things they might get and others were a surprise.

I am excited for them to earn these on our big trip.

I even made a blank one for you guys. Just download it to your computer. Then you can go into picnik and insert your own rewards.

Good luck on any trip you might have before Summer is done.

Happy Trails to you, until we meet again...


Okay so I will be back tomorrow with another Project: Road Trip post.

Did Ya Miss Me?

Does it seem like I have forgotten how to blog? Whew what a crazy/fun week plus we have had away from home.

We are back, in body at least. My house was immaculate when we got home...however...it is a hot mess. now. Unpacking, laundry, and getting in the habit of cleaning up after one's children again is a heavy task indeed. Add all of that to the fact that we are getting ready to move and boy howdy I am barely treading water.

Our trip to Idaho was lovely. We didn't quite nail down a house yet, but hopefully it will all be final soon. We were able to see family and friends and enjoy some time child free. The Little Men had a blast in all of their respective babysitting gigs. Now we are home, at last. Home for a little while anyway.

This next month is going to be a juggling act. Our house is still for sale...anyone need a cute starter home to house your cute family??? We will be setting dates for move, finalizing plans, signing a mortgage, preparing for a cross country move with little ones, and most important we will be trying to spend every last minute with friends...sigh...sniff...sniff.

I do have plans to be around, but I hope for patience while it may not be so project, sewing, and crafty over here this month. Ya never know, I could pull out some things, but I just can't make any promises. I mean I love my sewing machine but I LOVE my friends and kiddos more, so the time will be theirs.

HOWEVER, I will still be posting recipes. I mean I can't stop cooking, right? I have some really yummy Summer recipes coming up that you will not want to miss.

Speaking of recipes...

I am now a food and recipe contributor over at Somewhat Simple

She did a little intro to me today...WELCOME Somewhat Simple readers! I am super excited to be over there on her great site.

Look for my monthly recipe over there very soon!

As always, I love you guys. Thanks for coming by, staying awhile, and being a part of this little piece of my life.

Project: Leaving on a Jet Plane

I have decided that I am going to start doing "project" series here and there. Sometimes there will be lots of posts and sometimes just a few. They will be inspired by a different themes and tasks that I experience. They will be projects that I think will be helpful to others.

My first PROJECT series comes from the fact that I had to prepare for a cross country flight with my three Little  Men ALL by myself. I am sure many of you do this often, however I do not enjoy torture so I do not. I wanted to come up with a couple of things that would make the trip easier/more fun/less insane.

So over the next few days it is PROJECT: Leaving on a Jet Plane.

My first project was a simple backpack for each boy. Luckily my fabulous friend had already made two of my boys bags for past birthdays. So all I had to do was make 1. Woohoo.

Simple Drawstring Backpack

The pattern is from Martha Stewart. It is super basic and pretty easy to follow.

I changed the bag a little.

First I added interior pockets. That way crayons won't get lost in the bottom of the bag.

 ...and little friends have a snug place to rest.

In the original pattern it says to use a continuous piece of fabric for the outside and inside. I didn't have fabric that length, so I halved the length, cut two pieces for inside and outside. Then I sewed them together together at the bottom edge to make the outside and inside.

For the pockets I cut 2 strips measuring 5x14. I pressed the top down 1/2".

Sewed along the top.

Then I pinned my strips to the inside lining. In one strip I marked places to sew the crayons holders. They were 1" apart. In the other strip I marked equally to make 4 pockets.

Sew the pocket strip across the bottom and then stitch in the pocket markers.

Then I followed the assembly instructions of the original pattern. The only other variation I made was to use strips of a t-shirt 1' wide, sewn in half, instead of the cording.

The bag came together super fast, it would have been even faster without the pocket, but I seriously heart the pocket so I am okay it took more time.

Now all you have to do is pack each little backpack up with all the essentials for your little travelers.

I just know that this will help my Little Men...yes I am wishing and praying.