Yarn Bowl- Pinned it, Did it!

I'm going to start of this Pinned it, Did it! post by saying that this yarn bowl craft was a semi-failure.  I say "semi" though because I know what I did wrong, I now know how to fix it, and I am confident that if we were to try again, it would work just fine.

(even my photo turned out slightly blurry!)

I saw this yarn bowl pin and thought it was totally awesome and my girls would love making it.  Well, Nutty did have fun making it, but ours did not turn out so awesome.

We made our flour and water paste.  This was our first wrong step.  The original directions call for paper mache paste.  The difference?  Paper mache paste dries clear, simple flour and water paste dries white. 

We got using a glass bowl right but I COMPLETELY forgot to cover it with Saran Wrap before we started wrapping paste covered string all over it.  Yeah, I had to pry that string off with a sharp knife once it was dry.  NOT cool!  I almost gave up and cut it off with scissors (ruining the yarn bowl) but I had to have a photo for this blog!

You'd think that I would have picked up on the two wrong steps above after seeing our bowl like this but nope, I'm an idiot!  Anyway, I did manage to pry the yarn from the glass bowl without ruining it.  Here's a photo of the original yarn bowl and ours:

No feelings hurt when you tell me that the original is MUCH better.  I already know that!

My thoughts?  I definitely think that yarn bowl can be made if you follow the directions unlike me!

Click on the photo above to see other Pinned it, Did it! posts.

Phineas and Ferb Live--Giveaway!!

"There's a hundred and four days of summer vacation and school comes along just to end it.  So the annual problem for our generation is finding a good way to spend it..."  Like maybe going to Phineas and Ferb live (even though summer vacation ended a month ago)!

Ok, can I make a confession?  I love Phineas and Ferb.  It is one of the few non-adult cartoons that my husband and I actually watch even when my girls are not around.  In fact, when the Phineas and Ferb movie came on TV, my husband "recorded it for the girls" because he was busy that night.

Did you know Phineas and Ferb are doing a live show?!  My family could not be more excited!  Here's an excerpt from the official press release:

Disney’s Phineas and Ferb: The Best LIVE Tour Ever!

 “Mom! Phineas and Ferb are going on a LIVE tour!!!” School’s out for summer and anything is possible as Phineas and Ferb create their biggest invention yet -- Disney’s Phineas and Ferb: The Best LIVE Tour Ever!  Phineas, Ferb, and the whole Tri-State Area gang embark on a bold escape jumping out from behind your TV and onto the stage in a live action adventure – right in your hometown!  And, before you can wonder, “Hey, where’s Perry?” the beloved pet platypus shifts to his secret double life as Agent P to foil another one of Dr. Doofenshmirtz’s evil plans.  Musical madness abounds in an escapade so awesome that even Candace can’t help but join the hilarious hijinks.  It’s the ultimate end to summer vacation, so seize the day ‘cause Phineas and Ferb are gonna do it all!

In Minnesota, Phineas and Ferb live will be on 

Sunday, October 21 at 1pm and 4pm 

at the Excel Energy Center.

Tickets are currently on sale via Ticketmaster, Ticketmaster.com, phone at 1-800-745-300 or the Xcel box office.

Ticket Prices: $56, $42, $26, $22 and $18

Toys In The Dryer Readers can save $5* on advance tickets with the code MOMMY.     

* Discount valid on the Sunday, October 21 @ 4 p.m. performance only.   Discount valid on $26 and $22 price tickets only.   Savings do not apply to front row or VIP seats.   Limit six (6) tickets per order.  No double discounts.   Offer subject to ticket availability.   Additional fee’s may apply.    

 3 Easy Ways to redeem the Savings:  In person at the Xcel Box office, Call Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000 and mention code MOMMY or via Ticketmaster.com and enter code MOMMY

One lucky Toys In The Dryer reader will win a family four pack of tickets to the show 

via the Rafflecoptor form below!

Not from Minnesota, no need to worry, Phineas and Ferb are doing live shows all over the country! Just visit http://www.PhineasandFerblive.com to find a show near you!

a Rafflecopter giveaway So who's got the Phineas and Ferb theme song stuck in their head now?

Changes...

Monday was suppose to be the day...the day when Lindsi officially left Toys In The Dryer, the day when I changed everything from Jamie and Lindsi, to just Jamie, and I changed our profile photos over to this awesome new single photo taken by Glimpses of Soul Photography at the Minnesota Blogger Conference.

But Monday was not the day...Lindsi did not leave Toys In The Dryer, I did not change things over to just me, and our accounts continue to have last year's photo of the two of us together...

So what happened?  What's changing?

It was made very clear to Lindsi and I as we attempted to transition our blog over to just me, that we are a partnership.  That partnership was further realized when I went to the Minnesota Blogger Conference alone and everyone remembered us as a pair (and asked where Lindsi was).  This blog was founded and built by both of us, and it it both our passions.  We shed many tears (no lie!) as we tried to break up, and I just could not take the last step of removing Lindsi's name from everything.

We came to a conclusion that would make both of us happy while still accommodating Lindsi's personal circumstances.  Lindsi will remain a part of Toys In The Dryer but will be more in the background.  She will continue to write but will only be doing so twice a month (or more if able).  Though I will be more of the "face" of Toys In The Dryer, we will continue to have our combined profiles and will leave things as Jamie and Lindsi and not just Jamie.  After all, we are a partnership.

Our schedule is what will be changing.  I can not handle all the blog posts and behind the scenes stuff on my own.  Though Lindsi will continue to take care of some of the things, I now have more responsibility on my end.

Starting Monday, October 8, our schedule will be as follows:
Monday: Activity or Craft
Tuesday: Hodge Podge
Wednesday:  off
Thursday: Tasty Treat
Friday: Pinned it, Did it!

Really it's not that much of a change.  You'd be amazed a what one less post a week can do for a person's stress level though!  I'll also be adding a new topic to our Hodge Podge list.  In addition to sponsored posts, expert advice, humor, and random posts from our other topics, I'll be adding "hot topics".  In order to get our readers to interact with each other and develop a sense of community, I'll start posting "hot topics" once a month.  These topics will be parenting or kid related and will hopefully spark some conversation around here.

So are you as excited about Lindsi staying as I am?(*Lindsi's edit- I'm SO excited!)

Pumpkin Pie Spice Bars

Are you ready for the most amazing fall-ish bars? Here you go!

In a large bowl combine:
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 can of pumpkin pie filling (I use Festal brand)

Pour batter into a large pan (11x17 inches should do) and bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes. Let the bars cool completely before adding the frosting.

To make the frosting combine:
2 8oz packages of cream cheese (softened)
12 T butter (softened)
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp milk
5 cups powdered sugar

Spread evenly over the COOLED bars and get ready to enjoy! *Warning- if you make these for a family event, gathering, or party you will be asked to bring them again...every.....single....time!*

You've Been Boo'd! (FREE download!)

Last October a friend at work was talking about how she had been Boo'd and how fun it was.  Been Boo'd??  What's that?

She went on to tell me that someone left a plate of treats on her doorstep with a sheet of paper that said, "You've Been Boo'd!"  She then returned the favor to someone else.

What's so fun and special about that?  Well, it's a ding-dong and ditch thing!  

Essentially, you make a plate of treats, copy the sheet of instructions and the "We've Been Boo'd"  sign, go to someone's house in your neighborhood, leave the plate and papers on the doorstep, ring the doorbell, and run!

Two weeks before Halloween last year, Nutty, Tottie and I went out and Boo'd two neighbors.  My girls LOVED the ding-dong and ditch part of this!  Because we started it in our neighborhood, we did not put a "We've Been Boo'd" sign on our door right away.  We were then Boo'd by another neighbor and got to Boo two more neighbors!  My girls were so excited to do it 4 times and can't wait to do it again somewhere in our neighborhood this year!

Have you ever done anything like this in your neighborhood?  If you want to start doing this in your neighborhood with your kids, you can download the "We've Been Boo'd" sign and the "You've Been Boo'd" instruction sheet by clicking on the links!