Our Five Ring Circus

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Puffy Paint Hearts: A Fun & Easy Valentine's Day Craft Kids Will Love {Tuesday Talk}

Happy Love Month! It's hard to believe that we are already one week into February, and that Valentine's Day is just one short week away. 2017 is flying by!

Before I share this adorable Valentine's Day craft, I just want to mention how excited I am to be joining a group of amazing bloggers as a new host for Tuesday Talk! I've been linking up my posts on this weekly link party for well over a year, so I was thrilled when I was asked to be a host. You can grab my button and link up any of your posts below!

Lexie Loo, Lily, Liam & Dylan Too

I love making holidays special for my four kids, and Valentine's Day is no exception! I know it isn't a big holiday in the grand scheme of things, but we still have fun celebrating. We decorate the house with hearts, make valentines and valentine boxes, and spend the first half of February baking and making heart-themed crafts.  It's just such a fun way to celebrate those we love most!

We kicked off our Valentine's Day crafting with a really fun puffy paint hearts craft! My kids absolutely LOVE puffy paint. It's easy and inexpensive to make, and it has the coolest texture after it dries.  They have made so many adorable crafts using this awesome sensory paint!

Puffy Paint Hearts

INGREDIENTS:

  • Shaving Cream
  • White Glue
  • Food Coloring
  • Bowls
  • Spoons for mixing
  • Paint Brushes
  • Construction Paper
  • Sprinkles (optional)
 Puffy Paint

DIRECTIONS: 


1. Fill each bowl with shaving cream (1 bowl per batch/color).

2.  Add in the glue. Some "recipes" will tell you to mix equal amounts of glue and shaving cream, but I feel like that's too much. Start with a small amount, mix, then add more if needed. The texture needs to be thick and sticky, but foamy enough to be able to paint with. Basically, when you lift the spoon out of the bowl and shake it a little bit, the mixture should not slide off. That's when you know you got it right!

Puffy Paint

3. Add drops of food coloring to each batch.  Start with just a few drops and add more if needed.

Puffy Paint

4. Stir the mixture until the color is perfectly blended. It will look pretty and good enough to eat! (My toddler tornado sampled it before. Exactly why he sat this one out!)

Puffy Paint

5. Grab paper and paintbrushes, and start painting hearts! Be sure to paint with large globs of puffy paint so it remains puffy when it dries.

Puffy Paint  
Puffy Paint
Puffy Paint
Puffy Paint

6. Add sprinkles to the design as soon as it's finished. This can be VERY messy which is why I say sprinkles optional! My 9 year old accomplishes this step neatly, but my 5 year old is very, let's say, enthusiastic!

Puffy Paint
Puffy Paint
Puffy Paint
Puffy Paint

7. Allow the Puffy Paint Hearts to dry for 8-12 hours. They will dry into a silky soft, puffy texture, and the kids won't want to stop touching them!

Puffy Paint Hearts

No matter how many times my kids make a craft with puffy paint, it never gets old. They will paint picture after picture for well over an hour. Most of their creations have lasted over a year, despite being constantly touched.  This year, the Puffy Paint Hearts are an adorable addition to our Valentine's Day decor!


Puffy Paint Hearts


Join us for Tuesday Talk! Link up ANY post below.

Tuesday Talk





Friday, February 3, 2017

Motherhood Lens: Our Everyday January Moments

January is my least favorite month of the year. It's the longest, coldest month (or rainiest, as was the case this year), and it just seems to drag on forever. Everything just feels so blah after the holidays are over, and the seasonal depression kicks in.

January was unseasonably warm this year, so we got to spend some time outdoors, but the almost daily rain kept us indoors most of the time. It also turned out to be our busiest month ever. Dylan's basketball season started and Lexie joined after school choir, so we had to add quite a bit to our already packed schedule.

I always blog about the big events, but really, it's the magic of those everyday moments that make life so memorable. I made it my goal this year to really take notice of the beautiful moments that make motherhood so amazing.  Those are the moments that bring me so much joy. Those are the moments that I want to remember for the rest of my life. I vowed to slow down and enjoy them.

Motherhood Lens Our Everyday January Moments

No more words. Just moments.

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January doesn't seem so bad after all. It was actually quite beautiful! 

(Except for ending it with a stomach virus. I could have done without that!)

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