ENTERTAINMENT – Page 2 – Whole Heartily

DIY – Ghost Pom Pom Painting

Part of the fun in raising Zoey is making things that delight her; I want to create fun, educational crafts for her that are made with love and will be loved! This week we’ll be creating pom pom paintings of a ghost for halloween!

I remember when I was a kid we made halloween crafts at school and my mom would bring them out every year as part of our halloween decor. It made me feel super happy and proud that she would take the time to save and display my art every year and that is the feeling I want to inspire in my own daughter.

Let’s get painting!

SUPPLIES

Ghost Pattern Download

Ghost pattern (see above)
Printer paper
Scissors
Scotch tape
Black cardstock paper (8.5 x 11”)
Clothespin
Pom pom
White paint

INSTRUCTIONS

Print this ghost pattern I’ve created and cut it out of it’s frame, then set the frame aside.
Cut the eyes and mouth out of the ghost shape.
Break off three small pieces of tape, roll them into cylinders, and use them to attach the eyes and mouth where you want them on the black cardstock paper.
Pour non-toxic white acrylic paint into a pie plate (or something similar) and use a clothespin to grab ahold of a pom pom.
Place the ghost pattern’s frame around the edges of your cardstock page and dab the pom pom in the white paint, then dab it around in the edges of the ghost’s shape to create a dotted pattern for your little one.
Remove the frame and allow your little one to dab the paint away to their heart’s content.
Allow the paint to dry and then gently peel off the eyes and mouth to reveal!
Hang it up and enjoy!

Homemade Play Dough Recipe

Part of the fun in raising Zoey is making things that delight her; I want to create fun, educational crafts for her that are made with love and will be loved! I see much play dough in our future, and while buying it is always a viable option, how fun and cost effective is it to make some on your own?

So let’s make some homemade play dough!

SUPPLIES

Large saucepan
Wooden spoon
Wax paper
Gloves
Sandwich bags

INGREDIENTS

2 cups of all-purpose flour
3/4 cup of salt
4 teaspoons of cream of tartar
2 cups of warm water
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
Food coloring

INSTRUCTIONS

Place the cream of tartar, flour, and salt in a large saucepan and stir to combine.
Slowly add the oil and water, stirring until well incorporated.
Cook over medium heat, stirring consistently, until the mixture thickens into a dough.
Remove the pan from the heat and allow the dough to cool slightly until it can be handled comfortably.
Divide the dough into equal portions based on how many colors you would like, and roll into balls.
Put on gloves and press an indentation into each ball of dough, then add 15 drops of food coloring to the indentation of each ball to start, you can always add more later.
Knead each ball of dough until the color is well incorporated. If the color is not as bright as you want, you can add more food coloring and knead again.
Enjoy!

*This can be stored in sandwich bags, one for each color. Just be sure to remove all the excess air for longevity of the dough!

Family Friendly Autumnal Activity Ideas

Welcome back Autumn! Every year I look forward to the Autumn and the warmth it generates inside my home and soul. Where I live, September and October are still rather warm on some days, and turn wet and cold as the months progress toward Winter. I cannot get enough of the rain this time of year. The cold, wet weather begins to take over outside, driving us all inside to be together and warm. There’s nothing like cuddling up with people you love, reading a good book, watching a movie or playing a video game while the weather misbehaves outside.

I intend to spend a lot of time with my family this year and came up with some family friendly ideas I’d like to experience with Zoey! Follow along and try some of these activities for yourself, this is a time we should all enjoy!

We intend to:

Bake bread.
Bake cookies for family and/or friends.
Collect acorns and make art.
Collect leaves and make art.
Collect rocks and make art.
Make nature pressings or rubbings.
Donate to a food bank.
Go on a hayride.
Go puddling in the rain.
Have an indoor picnic on a stormy day.
Make a bird feeder.
Make Halloween decorations.
Go trick or treating!
Make fresh tortillas.
Make homemade play dough.
Make stovetop popcorn.
Pick apples.
Bake apple pie.
Drink apple cider.
Make caramel apples.
Pick out pumpkins at a pumpkin patch.
Give pumpkins a bath.
Carve, decorate and/or paint pumpkins.
Bake pumpkin bread.
Roast pumpkin seeds.
Roast s’mores.

Horizon Forbidden West – Legendary Armor Statistic and Upgrade Guides

If there’s one thing I do when I play a game (besides trying to relax and enjoy myself), it’s look up information. I get curious or stuck, and I find myself turning to the internet for answers. There are a lot of good guides out there that are super helpful, but what I don’t see are an abundance of simple and clean visual guides that lay out all the information in one place.

I’ve finished playing Horizon: Forbidden West and I have to say that Aloy has to be one of my favorite female protagonists in video games. She’s so clever, resilient, and that hair is a work of art! Since Horizon: Zero Dawn, I have been fascinated with this world Guerrilla has created and cannot wait for more!

I’ve created statistic and upgrade guides for all of Aloy’s Legendary Armor! These visual or infographic guides are separated by each armor. Each armor page details its resistances, skills, weave bonuses and supplies needed for leveling it up!

Please let me know if you would like me to work on a guide for the other collectibles within Horizon: Forbidden West or if there are any games you would like to see visual information or guides for in the future! I love helping people, discussing games and organizing information!

Horizon: Forbidden West – Bag Upgrades

I’ve created upgrade guides for all of Aloy’s baggage! These visual or infographic guides are separated into ammunition holster and quivers, ammunition satchels, and resource pouches. Each bag details what is needed to level it up, and what statistics leveling it up will increase!

DIY – Sensory Slime

Part of the fun in raising Zoey is making things that delight her; I want to create fun, educational activities for her that are made with love and will be loved!

I don’t believe I ever played with slime as a child, but it is super fascinating and fun to play with even as an adult! Adults should mix the slime, or supervise while a child over the age of 6 mixes. This recipe is safer for children to handle, but if they are younger than the age of 6 please supervise and please do not let them eat any!

Let’s make some slime!

SUPPLIES

8 oz of washable school glue (i.e. Elmer’s)
1 to 2 drops of liquid food coloring (optional)
1/4 cup glitter (optional)
1 teaspoons of baking soda
2 tablespoons of saline solution (contact lens solution)

INSTRUCTIONS

Squeeze the glue into a medium bowl, then stir in the food coloring and glitter if desired.
Add the baking soda to the glue mixture and stir until smooth.
Add 2 tablespoons of the saline solution and stir slowly until the mixture forms into a blob and becomes stringy.
Pick up the slime and work it between your hands, until smooth.
Enjoy and store in an airtight container so you can enjoy again!

Water Table Accessory and Activity Ideas

Part of the fun in raising Zoey is making things that delight her; I want to create fun, educational activities for her that are made with love and will be loved!

With how much young ones love water, water tables are perfection during the hot summer months! Set them up in a comfortable location with some shade, and watch them play to their hearts content! They can play with the table as is, or you can add accessories to make the play even more engaging and fun!

Here to inspire you, I’ve created a list of water table accessory/activity ideas to keep the kiddos entertained for hours!

**If you live in California or any other location where wasting water may be an issue, no worries! Bypass adding any food coloring to the play water and once you’re done, you can use it to water your plants!

Elden Ring – Nomadic Warrior, Missionary and Perfumer Cookbook Guides

I’ve finished playing Elden Ring and I can’t say I love it and I can’t say I hate it. It’s beautiful, yet grotesque. It’s mindnumpingly frustrating one moment, then intensely satisfying the next. I am conflicted, but it kept me playing through to the very end so there is pull there!

If you’re curious as to what cookbook you will need to craft a specific item, I’ve got you covered! If you’re wondering where to find each cookbook, I’ve got you covered!

These visual or infographic guides are separated by the different cookbook themes, then by what recipes they teach and where to find them within.

Please let me know if you would like me to work on a guide for the other collectibles within Elden Ring or if there are any games you would like to see visual information or guides for in the future! I love helping people, discussing games and organizing information!

Elden Ring – Fevor, Frenzied and Glintstone Craftsman Cookbook Guide

If you’re curious as to what cookbook you will need to craft a specific item, I’ve got you covered! If you’re wondering where to find each cookbook, I’ve got you covered!

These visual or infographic guides are separated by the different cookbook themes, then by what recipes they teach and where to find them within.

Elden Ring – Ancient Dragon Apostle and Armorer Cookbook Guide

If you’re curious as to what cookbook you will need to craft a specific item, I’ve got you covered! If you’re wondering where to find each cookbook, I’ve got you covered!

These visual or infographic guides are separated by the different cookbook themes, then by what recipes they teach and where to find them within.