Mario Father's Day Card 2012

It is time to update the Father's Day Mario card printable.I have offered it in years past, and I always think it is a big hit. If you haven't seen it before, here is how it works. I have created a Father's Day printable that looks like the Mario title screen. You can simply print out this first image and you are all good to go.

Click on the image to get it full size and either save it or print. The full size image should fill a regular 8.5 x 11 sheet.
Option 2 is for those who are comfortable with Photoshop or some other program that will edit PSD files. You can customize your card to make it fit your need a little better. You can change:

• Dad's Name
• Dad's Birthday (Currently the date of Father's Day in there)
• Number of Kids (Coins)
• The year(In case you use next year or beyond!)

Here is what you need to do to customize your own:
Step 1: Download the font "Press Start" and install it - It is a must!!
Step 2: Download the MarioCardDownload2012.psd file. (After you click the download link, there will be a 20 second delay before you can actually download the file.)
Step 3: Open in Photoshop(or GIMP)
Step 4: Select the text layer you want to change
Step 5: Using your Text Tool change the text to your desired text
Step 6: Print and enjoy!



I am a little bummed I can't just keep using this same card every year for my husband. I still really like it! Maybe I'll have to get creative and come up with another video game themed printable. Is your husband or Dad a gamer? What is there favorite video game?

Father's Day Craft: Fishing Pole Treats

Today I get to show you all about the fun craft play date we had. We made some really adorable Father's day crafts and we got to use Elmer's Single Painters #GluenGlitter.

You can purchase Elmer's Painters one marker at a time for only $1.97 each at Walmart. Perfect for when you just need one specific color, you don't need to buy a whole pack anymore. Look for a display like this in the craft aisle of your local Walmart.

Do you want to see what other cool things I found at Walmart? You can see my whole shopping experience in my Google+ album HERE.

Okay, let's get crafting. When I was trying to think of some fun projects to use my Elmer's Single Painters on, I knew I wanted it to be a Father's Day gift AND something that kids could make. I called on my good friend Vanessa for help, and she had just the project in mind. One of the reasons I love the Elmer's Painters is because they are so kid friendly. They get to paint, but it's much more like using a marker which they are used to. It cut down on so much mess.

Supplies:

• A reel of some kind. My friend Vanessa is handy with power tools so she cut out some reels and fish for us. You could use a thick dowel for the reel instead, with no problem.
• A wooden or paper fish. The Elmer's Painters would work great on some card stock too. The fish needs two holes, one for the eye, and one to attach your wire to.
• A trendy tube/long plastic tube for Dad's favorite treats. Here is an online resource for the tubes or you can check local craft/scrapbook stores too.
• Elmer's Single Painters in a variety of colors
• Craft wire to act as your fishing line

Step 1: Drill a hole in your reel/dowel. You will be gluing your tube of candy into the hole, so make sure it is a good fit.

Step 2: Paint your fish and reel. We let the kids pick the colors they wanted and the went to town with the foam brushes.

Step 3. Let the pieces dry completely and then decorate with Elmer's Painters. The kids got the biggest kick out of this. I had my daughter decorate one side of the fish. Then on the other side I wrote, "You're a 'REEL-Y' awesome Dad."

Step 4. Poke a hole in the lid of your tube with a nail and secure your craft wire. This picture is the underside of the lid. You can see the wire coming through the lid. Then the wire is wrapped around the lid a few times.

Step 5.  Fill your tube with candy. We used Swedish Fish, but M&M's fit great too. Really any candy that fits in the tubes will work. Hot glue the tube into your reel. Attach your fish to the other end of the wire.

My daughter had so much fun making these. We are going to make them for the Grandfather's too! No play date is complete without some delicious snacks. I picked up all the snacks at Walmart too.

 
Thanks to Vanessa for playing and crafting with us. It was a lot of fun.

For information about all of Elmer's products you can check out their website: www.Elmers.com, Facebook: www.facebook.com/elmers , or Twitter: www.twitter.com/elmers.
I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™. #CBias #SocialFabric

Puterbugs Giveaway

This is the last week of school for my kids. I can't believe summer time is already here!At first I thought I would never get used to having my oldest in kinder but now I don't know what I am going to do with both kids home all the time!

I was recently introduced to a really unique program by Discovery Kids called Puterbugs. Discovery Kids Puterbugs is the only interactive class experience available that teaches children, in a fun and age-appropriate way, the full scope of technology skills in today’s digital world. In a safe environment that promotes a healthy foundation and proper tech etiquette, the program helps children master skills that range from basic file navigation, Internet, and keyboarding skills to an understanding of the latest technology, such as mobile apps and cloud computing! 

Here are some of the features of the Puterbugs program:
* Keyboard Skills, Technology Terms & Usage
* Letter & Number Recognition, Reading Readiness
* Leadership & Teamwork Development
* 1 Laptop or 1 child taught by a certified instructor
* Exclusive Software Designed for Ages 3-7
* Alignment with the NETS (National Education Technology Standard)

I am constantly amazed at how my small children act like sponges when it comes to technology. My four year old can start a web browser, navigate to Netflix, find the kids section, and pick the exact show she wants. She learned all of this just by observing us interact with the computer. I love that Puterbugs is focused on teaching children practical computer skills in age appropriate ways. Puterbugs was geared especially for 3-7 years old. I also really like that Puterbugs was developed by Discovery Kids. Discovery is a brand I know and trust.


My local Puterbugs franchise(Phoenix Metro) is run by Mr. Ken, the owner of FutureKiddie.com. I have spoken with him and not only is he knowledgeable but you can tell he is really passionate about what he does. He really believes in what he does and I am so excited for my kids to take a Puterbugs course from him. I am also excited about the cool mom points I am going to get. My kids are going to be thrilled that they get to "play" on the computer once a week for four weeks. 

Mr. Ken has generously offered TEN spots in a Puterbugs class for me to giveaway. I am so excited about this. You will get to choose which location and dates you would like to attend, subject to availability of course. Click HERE to see a list of current locations and course dates. This giveaway is open only to those in the Phoenix Metro area that are willing and able to attend.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

**Disclaimer I am being provided enrollment to Discovery Kids Puterbugs. All opinions are 100% my own.**

Southwestern Chicken Packets

Today I am a sharing a great grill recipe perfect for your next summer barbecue. These would be a really delicious addition to your Memorial Day barbecue too!  I am happy to show you how Smart & Final can help you put together the perfect barbecue this week. They have some great sales from May 23-29, 2012.

Down 32 lbs in six weeks

This is more of a personal post, so feel free to skip it if that isn't your thing. I'll be back with a recipe soon! 

Spoiler alert: This post is about how I lost 32.5 lbs in six weeks. If you are curious about some more details, you can keep on reading. :)

How not to make pop treats, an anti-tutorial

**Disclaimer: I think it's important to laugh at ourselves every once in awhile. So please take my anti-tutorial in that spirit.**

It's Friday and I don't know about you but I sure could use a break. I thought I would try something a little different today and show you an anti-tutorial alternately titled, "learn from my fail", or "How to succeed by doing exactly the opposite of what I did."

I decided to make some cookie dough pops for an event where I needed to bring a treat to share. It is easy to do, you just use your favorite cookie dough recipe and replace each egg with 2 Tbsp of milk. I rolled them into balls.

No Fall Hanging Dishtowels

At my house we suffer from chronic "dishtowel on the floor" syndrome. The silly things just won't stay on the oven door. Today I am going to show you some cute dishtowels that won't fall down. The secret is that they are buttoned on! All you need is a dishtowel, a pot holder, and a button.