Wordless Wednesday: Oregon Zoo

Oregon Zoo

Try It Tuesday - Glam'ed Up Flip Flops

We made these flip flops during Camp MOM (stay tuned, there will be a other posts about our crafts and activities coming up over the next few weeks!)

I bought $1 flip flops when Old Navy had their sale, 3 bunches of flowers from the dollar store (although most of us chose the same flowers) and used leftover fabric and leftover beads and also used needle, thread & scissors.

All we did was cut strips of fabric that were about 1/2" in width by about 18" in length. We cut 2 pieces of fabric for each flip flop, so you need 4 strips for a pair. Next tie (double knot) one piece of fabric to one of the flip flop bands and wrap around until you come to the center where the two bands meet and then tie again. Repeat for all bands. Tie the ends of the fabric in the center where the two bands meet together. If your fabric is too thick to stay tie, you will need to put in a couple stitches to keep it in place.

Next take your flowers off the stem and remove all the plastic pieces, then re-stack your flower petals. Stitch the petal to the fabric in the center, as you bring your thread through the top add a bead and pull your thread back through the petals to the fabric. Repeat that for every bead you are adding. Tie off thread when you are finished.

Make It Monday: S'mores Oatmeal

The idea for this came from my daughter, who admittedly is kinda sugar crazed. It's a yummy idea and they gobble up their oatmeal. August 10th is National S'more Day, so why not try it then, or check out Northern Cheapskate in early August for my post on 12 different ideas for S'mores.

S'mores Oatmeal Recipe
1/2 Quick-Cooking Oatmeal
1 C Water
1 T Chocolate Chips
1 T Mini Marshmallows
1/4 Sheet of Graham Crackers, crumbled

Directions: Stir oatmeal and water together in a bowl that is twice as large as the contents. Microwave for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes. After cooking, top with chocolate chips, mini marshmallows & graham crackers. Enjoy!

$5 Friday - Kayaking & Canoeing

Ok, technically I didn't pay anything to kayak, except maybe $5 in gas money to get me there if we want to get technical. I own my kayak and paddle & life jacket, so I had it to bring along. We went kayaking at Sakatah State Park in Waterville, MN. State Parks in MN do have an admission free of $5 a daily or a yearly pass for $25. So, if you had your own kayak & supplies you would only pay $5 to enter. We have a yearly state park pass, which we have used many times over now so that our cost per use is probably around $3 right now.

My friend who I went kayaking with did not own one, but she could rent one from the park office (pictured above) and the cost of that came out to less than $5 for 2 hours. It was $10 for up to 4 hours (so, you can't really pay for 2 hours) or $20 for 4 - 8 hours. It is the same price for a canoe that you can have up to 4 people in, so in that case you would end up paying $2.50 a person for 4 hours. Good deal! All paddles & life jackets are included.

Of course there are other places you can rent kayaks and canoes from, but I am giving you an idea on a place to do it that helps you save some green in your pocketbook.

Thrifty Thursday: Lowe's Build & Grow Toy Story R.C.

Did you miss out on the last Toy Story Build and Grow at Lowe's, well, now there is another chance to build something from Toy Story on July 27th or 28th. This time your child can build R.C.

You can choose between Saturday @ 10am or Sunday @ 2pm. If your nearest one is full, it will say so when you register. Register early! These Free clinics are becoming quite popular and filling up fast!

Register for This Lowe's Build & Grow Clinic!

Check back later to see what the offerings are for August. All summer they Build & Grow are associated with Disney-Pixar.

Wordless Wednesday: Views from the RiverPlace Hotel in Portland

We spent 3 nights at the RiverPlace Hotel in Portland on our trip there in June. It is right on the marina. These are the views from the hotel.

Try It Tuesday: Watermelon Paper Plate Craft

Summer time means watermelon! But you don't have to just eat it! You can create it. All you need is a paper plate (only half of one actually), some washable paint and your imagination.

 My son did this one all on his own, except I cut the paper plate in half. I simply told him to paint the inner semi-circle red and outer ridge green and use his finger tips to make the seeds. Next up will be to have a watermelon seed spitting contest like we have on our 102 Things To Do This Summer bucket list. And maybe make myself some Watermelon Sangria Granita. Yum!