instructions

How to Play – Boggle Jr.

Part of the fun in raising Zoey is finding things that delight and educate her; I want to find fun, creative board games to play with her during our family game nights! This week we played Boggle Jr. by Hasbro for 1 to 2 players!

This game will help children with their spelling in a fun, rewarding way! If this means setting up a reward system for if they could finish all the 3 letter words, then the 4 letter words and then the combined deck, do it! Education should be fun and rewarding! I could see improvement in Zoey’s word recognition and spelling almost immediately.

Let’s play!

IN THE BOX

Boggle Jr. game tray
8 letter cubes
30 picture/word cards (double-sided)

Game # 1: Match it-Spell it

Shuffle and stack the picture/word cards so the 3-letter words are all face up and turned in the same direction.
Place the stack in the tray above the cube slots, facing the child (the word cover is flipped down & out of use).
Point to the picture on the card and ask the child what it is — i.e. a pig, a jar, a pie, the sun, etc.
Point to the word below the picture and say the word, then spell the word out loud letter by letter.
Go back to the first letter and have the child find that letter on one of the cubes and place the cube in the first slot of the tray, directly under the letter as it appears on the card.
Proceed through the other two letters until the 3-letter word is spelled out in cubes under the card.
Reinforce what the child has just accomplished by saying the word and spelling together. Give the child the top card and proceed through the rest of the remaining 3-letter words in the same manner.
Next play with 4-letter word cards. Then shuffle the cards and play with 3 and 4 letter words mixed.

Game # 2: Cover it-Spell it

Shuffle and stack the picture/word cards so the 3-letter words are all face up and turned in the same direction.
Place the stack in the tray above the cube slots, facing the child (the word cover is flipped up & in use).
The child glances at the word under the cover, then hides it again. Now he/she is no longer matching letters with letter, but is actually spelling the word from memory.
Next play with 4-letter word cards. Then shuffle the cards and play with 3 and 4 letter words mixed.
For two players the children take turns. Each time a child successfully spells a word from memory, he or she wins that card and continues to the next.
If a child spells a word incorrectly, that card is placed on the bottom of the pile of cards and that child’s turn ends. When the card comes up again, the player whose turn it is attempts to spell the word.
The children alternate turns until all the cards have been used, whoever has won more cards during the game wins!

ENJOY!

How to Play – Candy Land

This is one of my childhood favorites that I hope will also be one of Zoey’s childhood favorites. Gameplay is relatively easy with movement based on drawing cards and associating colors, but the board is very busy to navigate. Zoey is currently more interested in playing independently with the gingerbread characters than progressing the game, but we’re hoping her attention will change over time!

Let’s play!

IN THE BOX

A game-board
4 gingerbread character pawns
64 cards

INSTRUCTIONS

Open up the game board and place it on a flat surface.
Shuffle the cards and place them facedown in a pile with easy reach of all the players.
The youngest player takes the first turn. Play then passes to the left of that player and onward.
Each player picks a gingerbread character pawn and places it as the start of the path near the four children.
The youngest player goes first, play then passes to the left.
On your turn, draw one card from the deck and then move the gingerbread pawn as directed. Always move towards the castle, unless a picture directs you to move backwards on the path.
- When you draw a picture card, move your pawn forward or backward on the path of to the pink picture space on the board that matches the pink pictures pace on your card. For example if you draw a lollypop card, move your pawn to the pink space on the board that shows the lollipop.
- Two or more gingerbread pawns can be on the same space at the same time.
- When you draw a card with one color block, move your pawn forward toward the castle to the first matching color space on the path.
- When you draw card that has two color blocks, move your pawn forward toward the castle to the second matching color space on the path.
- There are two shortcuts on the path, Gummy Pass and Peppermint Pass. If your gingerbread lands by exact count on the yellow space below Gummy pass, or the blue space below Peppermint Pass you can take the shortcut immediately to yellow space above Gummy Pass or the yellow space above Peppermint Pass.
- There are two licorice spaces on the path. If you land on one of these sticky spaces by exact count, your gingerbread pawn is stuck there for one turn.
Your turn is over. Place the used card in a discard pile.
If you are the first person to reach the multi-colored rainbow space, you’ve reached King Kandy’s Castle. You win!

ENJOY!

How to Play – Yeti in My Spaghetti

This is a fun one with lots of laughs! Zoey does not “carefully or strategically” remove the noodles yet, she’s our wild card, and more often than not, she causes the yeti to fall to the bottom of the bowl! Set up is very easy, so if this happens too quickly it’s easy to reset and play another round!

Let’s play!

IN THE BOX

A bowl
A yeti
30 noodles

INSTRUCTIONS

Place the bowl on a flat, level surface.
Arrange the noodles over the top of the bowl, criss-crossing in a random way.
Gently set the yeti on top of the noodles (in the middle is best).
The oldest player goes first, carefully and strategically removing a noodle by sliding, slipping, pushing, lifting, etc! Be careful not to disturb the Yeti enough to let him fall into the bowl.
If you touch a noodle, then that is the one you must remove, no touching and testing the placement of the noodles!
You may use both hands to remove a noodle, but you can only use one hand at a time.
If you successfully remove a noodle and the yeti does not fall to the bottom of the bowl, the player to your left goes next, and so on.
If the Yeti falls to the bottom of the bowl during your turn (or immediately after your turn before the next player goes), the game is over! If the Yeti shifts or ends hanging by a noodle, keep playing. The game stops only when he falls completely to the bottom of the bowl!
The player who last successfully removed a noodle before the player who made the yeti fall is the winner!

ENJOY!

DIY – Crochet Pumpkin with a Cinnamon Stick Stem

Welcome back friends! Do you crochet? I dabbled in crochet off and on for a few years, always fascinated, but never fully catching on. I kept at it, and suddenly, it clicked! I feel calm and cozy when I’m crocheting, and fiercely proud whenever I complete a project.

It’s that time of year for autumn decor! So let’s create a crochet pumpkin with a cinnamon stick stem!

SUPPLIES

Crochet hook (size 5.5mm)
Medium yarn (size 4)
Fiberfill stuffing
Scissors
Yarn needle

INSTRUCTIONS

Create a slip knot and then chain 31 stitches.
For this piece, we will be working in the back loop only for all stitches.
Starting in the 2nd chain from the hook, create 3 slip stitches, 6 single crochets, 12 half double crochets, 6 single crochets and 3 slip stitches. Then chain 1 and turn the project around.
Repeat step 3 until the project measures about 12 inches long across the center.
Join the two short sides of the project together, and insert the hook into the back loop of the working stitches and the starting chain as you stitch the final row.
Sew a running stitch along the bottom edges of the project and pull to gather. Then tie a knot, weave in some of the excess yarn, and cut off the rest.
Turn the pumpkin project over and stuff it with fiberfill until it’s as plump as you want it.
Sew a running stitch along the top of the pumpkin and pull to gather, leaving a hole large enough to insert a cinnamon stick. Then tie a knot, weave in some of the excess yarn and cuts off the rest.
Insert a cinnamon stick into the hole you left for it at the top of the pumpkin. You can hot glue it in place or leave it loose like I did so that I can replace the cinnamon stick if it looses its smell!
Place in your house an enjoy!

How to Play – The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel

Zoey has loved this game since before she even knew how to play! She would pull everything out and play with the Squirrel and the acorns, honestly it’s surprising that there are no missing pieces! Then we learned how to play the game together, and she loves it even more! She loves picking up the acorns with the squirrel squeezer; we find it super fun and easy collecting and replacing the acorns to the tree stumps and back.

Let’s play!

IN THE BOX

A game-board (part of the box)
A squirrel squeezer
A spinner
20 acorns in five colors
4 tree stumps

INSTRUCTIONS

Remove everything from the game box, then scatter the acorns onto the tree on the inside bottom of the box.
Give each player a tree stump.
The youngest player takes the first turn. Play then passes to the left of that player and onward.
On your turn, hold the squirrel squeezer, spin the spinner, then follow the directions below according to your spin. Then it’s the next player’s turn.
- Color: If the wheel stops on a color, use the squirrel squeezer to grab a matching acorn and place it in a matching hole in your tree stump. If that hole is already full, skip your turn.
- One acorn: Pick any one acorn from the tree and use the squirrel squeezer to pick it up and place it on your tree stump.
- Two acorns: Pick any two acorns from the tree and use the squirrel squeezer to pick them up and place them on your tree stump.
- The Sneaky Squirrel: Use the squirrel squeezer to steal any colored acorn you need in your tree stump from another player’s tree stump.
- Sad Squirrel: Pass the squirrel squeezer to the player on your left and skip your turn.
- Squirrel Storm: Oh no! A furious storm blew all of your acorns back into the tree! Put them back and skip your turn.
If you’re the first player to collect all of the acorns to match the ones on your tree stump, you win!

ENJOY!

How to Play – Hi Ho! Cherry-O!

Zoey has loved this game since before she even knew how to play! She would pull everything out and sort the fruits by color or put the puzzle together, honestly it’s surprising that there are no missing pieces! Then we learned how to play the game together, and she loves it even more! She loves counting out the fruits; we find it super fun and easy collecting and replacing the fruit to the baskets and back.

Let’s play!

IN THE BOX

A game-board
A spinner
A puzzle
10 “apples”
10 “blueberries”
10 “cherries”
10 “oranges”
4 baskets

INSTRUCTIONS (CLASSIC)

Place each basket in the game-board hole to the left of its matching color tree/bush.
Each player chooses a tree/bush and places the matching colored fruit in each of the game-board holes.
The puzzle is only for co-operative games so place it back in the box.
The player whose birthday comes next takes the first turn. Play then passes to the left of that player and onward.
On your turn, spin the spinner, then follow the directions below according to your spin. Then it’s the next player’s turn.
- One Fruit: Pick one fruit from your tree/bush and put it in your basket.
  - Two Fruits: Pick two fruits from your tree/bush and put them in your basket.
  - Three Fruits: Pick three fruits from your tree/bush and put them in your basket.
  - Four Fruits: Pick four fruits from your tree/bush and put them in your basket.
  - Bird or Dog: Someone’s nibbling at your fruit! Take two fruits out of your basket and place them back on your tree/bush (if you only have one fruit, put that one back. If you have none, do nothing).
    - Spilled Basket: Uh-Oh! Take all of the fruits out of your basket, and place them back on your tree/bush.
If you’re the first player to have all 10 fruits in your basket say “HI HO! CHERRY-O!” You win!

INSTRUCTIONS (CO-OPERATIVE)

Place each basket in the game-board hole to the left of its matching color tree/bush.
Each player chooses a tree/bush and places the matching colored fruit in each of the game-board holes.
Break up the puzzle and place the pieces facedown near the game-board.
The player whose birthday comes next takes the first turn. Play then passes to the left of that player and onward.
On your turn, spin the spinner, then follow the directions below according to your spin. Then it’s the next player’s turn.
- One Fruit: Pick one fruit from your tree/bush and put it in your basket.
- Two Fruits: Pick two fruits from your tree/bush and put them in your basket.
- Three Fruits: Pick three fruits from your tree/bush and put them in your basket.
- Four Fruits: Pick four fruits from your tree/bush and put them in your basket.
- Dog: Remove one fruit from your basket and place it back on the matching tree/bush (if you have none, do nothing).
- Spilled Basket: Remove two fruits from your basket, and place them back on your tree/bush (if you only have one fruit, put that one back. If you have none, do nothing).
- Bird: Turn one piece of the bird puzzle face up. Every time you turn over a puzzle piece, try to fit it into the bird puzzle. If you can’t do this leave it face up until it fits.
The players win if they pick all the fruits and say “HI HO! CHERRY-O!”, before the puzzle is completed. The bird wins if the puzzle gets completed before all the fruit is picked.

ENJOY!

How to Dye Cotton Flour Sack Towels

I wonder why white dish towels are so popular? They are nearly impossible to keep stainless and who wants stained and dirty looking dish towels hanging in the kitchen? Trying something new, I purchased a 5-pack of white flour sack towels and dyed them blue! Let me show you how!

SUPPLIES

Cotton flour-sack towels
Plastic table cover
Paper towels
Rubber gloves
Plastic container or stainless steel sink
Large metal spoon
1 teaspoon of dishwashing detergent
1 cup of salt
Rit All-Purpose Dye (liquid)

INSTRUCTIONS

To remove any finishes that may interfere with dye absorption, pre-wash the flour sack towels in warm, soapy water without any fabric softener.
Prepare your workspace. If you do not have an asphalt driveway to work on like myself, cover your workspace with plastic table cover and have paper towels handy to protect against any possible spills.
To protect your hands from hot water and staining, please wear rubber gloves.
Fill a plastic container or stainless steel sink with enough water for the fabric to move freely when stirred. This water should ideally be 140°F. My tap did not get hot enough, so I used an electric kettle to heat the water and it worked out well!
To enhance the color in cotton: add 1 cup of salt and 1 teaspoon of dish detergent.
Shake the liquid dye well and add it to the dye-bath.
Test the color by dipping a paper towel into the dye-bath. If color is too light, add more dye. If color is too dark, add more water. I used the whole 8 oz. bottle of dye in a plastic bucket filled 2/3 of the way full with water.
Wet the towels, squeeze out any excess water, and add them to the dye-bath.
The first 10 minutes are the most critical, stir slowly and continuously to ensure an even color.
The towels can remain in the dye-bath from 10 minutes up to one hour with stirring. I left mine in for about 45 minutes.
When the desired color is achieved, remove the towels from the dye-bath. Keep in mind that the fabric will look darker when wet and will dry lighter.
Rinse the towels in cool water until the water begins to run clear.
Wash them in warm water with a mild detergent, rinse and dry.
Enjoy!

How to Dry Mint Leaves for Tea

Welcome back friends! Let’s get cozy and have a cup of tea!

I am fortunate enough to own a spearmint plant that has flourished in its container and I want to show you how to harvest, dry and brew your own spearmint tea!

Beyond being a warm and comforting beverage, spearmint tea has numerous proven and/or potential health benefits, including:

Fighting bacterial infections.
Relieving digestive upsets.
High in antioxidants.
May aid in balancing hormones.
May lower blood pressure.
May lower blood sugar.
May help reduce stress.
May help relieving arthritis pain.
May improve memory function.

INGREDIENTS

Mint leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

Trim the mint back, then pluck the best leaves from the stems. If you do not want or need to trim the mint back, you could also pluck the best leaves directly from the plant.
Wash the leaves thoroughly with fresh water, then place them in a salad spinner to remove any excess water.
Line a baking sheet with with a baking mat or parchment paper and spread the mint leaves on the prepared baking sheet. Be careful not to crowd them.
Turn your oven on to it’s lowest setting (for many this will be 170F).
Place the mint leaves in the oven and bake them until dry. This could only take 10 to 15 minutes, but it varies by oven strength so keep an eye on them! They will be curled and make a dry rustling sound when nudged with a utensil.
Remove the tray from the oven and allow to cool.
You can store the leaves in an airtight container or brew some tea right away!
Use an infuser and keep the leaves whole or grind them up. If you do grind them up, smaller pieces will make their way out of the infuser and float around in your tea. This isn’t a bad thing, just personal preference!
Enjoy!

Let’s Create Our Own Candles!

Lets Create Our Own Soy Candles I bought a soy candle kit for myself several years ago, opened the box and looked at the supplies, then folded it back up and set it aside. For years! I don’t know if I felt intimidated or scared I’d get it wrong, but I’ve been missing out because it is pretty darn satisfying to make your own candles!

If you’re a beginner, like myself, I highly recommend starting with a candle kit. I purchased this kit from www.candlewic.com. Unfortunately I no longer see these or any kits available (this may change in the future), but they do sell all the supplies individually or you can purchase a kit from another reputable website, including Amazon, Bramble Berry, Candle Science, etc. Each kit should include instructions with specific temperatures to add any colors or scents. In this post, I’ve refined the instructions from my kit which you can reference to create your own candles or apply the basic principles if using another candle kit.

Lets Create Our Own Soy Candles

SUPPLIES

Lets Create Our Own Soy Candles

12 candle containers (8 oz)
12 pre-tabbed wicks
12 glue stickers
Pouring pot
Thermometer
Stirring utensil
4 pounds of soy wax
4 different color dye blocks
4 different fragrance oils (1 oz)
3 bow tie wick bars

INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare your candle containers. Place a glue sticker onto each pre-tabbed wick, then place one wick directly in the center of each candle container.
Place one pound of soy wax into the pouring pot. If you have a kit, this may already be measured out for you, if not use a kitchen scale.
Set the pouring pot into a large saucepan filled a third of the way with water and bring the water to a soft boil.
Allow the wax to melt, then insert your thermometer and continue to heat until it reaches 175 F.
At 175 F, add the color dye block and stir until it’s completely melted and blended with the wax.
Remove the pouring pot from the water and allow the wax to cool to 140F.
At 140 F, add the fragrance oil and stir until well incorporated.
Carefully pour the dyed and fragrant wax into three of the prepared wax containers. One pound of wax, one color dye block and one ounce of fragrance can create three 8 ounce candles.
Center the wicks in the bow tie wick bars and allow them to cool and set completely on a level surface for at least 24 hours.
Once cooled and set, remove the bow tie wick bars and cut the wicks.
Enjoy!

I plan on using these in our home, but I would love to make more for family and friends! Do you use candles in your home? What is your favorite scent? Mine is Spruce or Mulled Cider, all the holiday feels!