Science Experiements 101

If you didn't stop by my blog swap last week with Crafty Cierra.. here is a look at my Halloween project post!

My kids LOVE anything that has anything to do with science.  So this Halloween I thought that it would be fun to do some spooky science experiements for creepy Halloween decoarations.   We took several of our recycled glass jars and some bottles of corn syrup and for about $7 we had some FUN!

First we cleaned out our jars and removed the labels. 

Then we poured in the food coloring and added our creepy additions.  We used the items that GROW as they absorb water.. we are waiting to see if they grown in corn syrup (after several days of floating.. they didn't grow). 

Then we made labels that my son made up.  He called them "Green Death", "Eyeball Stew" and "Blue Venom"  Isn't he cute?

Then we glued the labels onto spooky Halloween paper and made cards that stand with the names. 

We displayed it all together on our shoe organizer (which I won't show you because it is too messy!) and viola we have a super creepy.. super cute display!

You can't tell in the picture but there is a skeleton floating in there!

And lastly here it all is together with the spider webbing that is hanging ALL over my house!  So glad the kids love to decorate for Halloween!

Happy Haunting!

I am linking this to a Crafty Soiree @ http://www.katiesnestingspot.com/

Love,

Pinkapotamus!

Toilet Paper Pumpkins!

Friday was my first Brownie meeting of the season!  (Phew, I made it!)  I have 14 third grade girls so I have to have projects that ALL the girls can make.  Sometimes this can be a challenge.  I have been seeing toilet paper pumpkins everywhere and thought that this would be FUN.  Also with Girl Scouts.. everything is on a budget.. so I have to find activities that are inexpensive. 



  I luckily (or unluckily) enough had a whole package of scratchy toilet paper from BJ's that we didn't like so we donated it to the crafting cause.  Then I went to visit my dear friend Joann and picked up 4 yards of orange burlap since it was on sale.  Then I also bought a package of raffia.  Total cost $8.  Whoo hoo!

First I cut the burlap into 16" x 16" squares on the cutting mat.  The I cut the raffia into bundles and packaged each one in a baggie (which I reuse for each meeting.. use resources wisely). with a piece of an old toilet paper roll

Place the toilet paper roll in the center of the burlap and tuck it inside starting with the corners. 

So easy my 3 year old made one too!

Then glue around the folded toilet paper roll and stuff it in the hole.  Then tie with a raffia bow. 

For the girls, I also gave them black felt to make jack o lantern faces.  It was soo much fun to see how different each one was!  For mine.. I used some old silk sunflowers!  Here are mine and my daughter's!

These were super easy, inexpensive and cute!  Hope you try them with your little ones!

Love,

Pinkapotamus

Old Lady SPICY Chicken!

Gotta start my week out right by saying a HUGE thanks to several lovely ladies for featuring my diaper trike this week!  This was one of my favorite projects.. so thanks to Jami at The Blackberry Vine @ http://blackberryvine.blogspot.com/ and to Jill  at Creating My Way to Success @ http://jembellish.blogspot.com !  Also a HUGE thanks to Kati @ The Multi Purpose Life for Shooting me a BLOG AWARD!  Keep on the look out.. you might be next to get one! (hint.. hint.. check back tomorrow!)

This makes me sooo happy.. now on to the POST~

This post is NOT in offense to ANY old ladies out there!  In fact, old ladies are some of my favorite people, like my Grandma who is 90!

That is my little guy walking my Grandma!  Too cute!

This recipe is lovingly named "Old lady Spicy Chicken" for the lady whose name we did not get, who gave us this recipe at a party!  She was AWESOME and an AMAZING cook!  Also it is Kinda fun to say it!

(Also if any of you like the Frank's red hot commercial with the old lady who says, "I put that S*** on everything" .. it makes it all the funnier!)

So onto the recipe!

Ingredients

1 cup of olive oil

1 package of skinless boneless chicken

2 small cans of tomato sauce

Frank's red hot

cayanne pepper

salt and pepper

Start by heating up 1 cup of olive oil in a large sauce pan. 

Cut up chicken into bite size pieces. 

Then cook until no longer pink and season with salt and pepper. 

Add in the two cans of tomato sauce, Frank's red hot to taste (I can't tell you an exact amount as it depends on how SPICY you like it.. I like a lot so I add about 10 - 15 generous shakes!), and a few sprinkles of red pepper flakes. 

Let everything come to a boil, then simmer covered for about an hour. 

Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve over rice with a salad!  Yum-O!

Hope this puts some spice in your week!

I am linking this to the Show off your stuff Party @ http://firefliesandjellybeans.blogspot.com/

Love,

Pinkapotamus!

Crafty Ciera Blog Swap!

Hey bloggers! This is Cierra from cRafTyCiErRa (you can visit Pinkapotamus there today!) I just started blogging last week, so be easy on me! I am a mother & wife. I love to craft & cook for my family! It seems to get me through those crazy days! I love doing anything that has to do with ribbon & paint! I like to do crafts that are cheap in price but look like they cost way more! I wanted to start blogging because I love crafting & sharing my ideas with others! My favorite craft right now are these Wooden Pumpkins for Fall! I have so much fun making them & I hope you will too! They are super cheap & easy to make but the best part is...how many compliments you will recieve on them!

ITEMS NEEDED: Orange paint, brown paint, paint brush, green ribbon, green wire, scissors, glue, small wooden pole (found at any craft store), & a pole of landscape timber (found at Home Depot)

COST: This entire project cost me $12 & once you have the wood you can make TONS more!

1. Cut the timber into 3 1/2, 5, & 7 inch blocks

2. Cut the wooden pole into 3 - 1 inch blocks

3. Paint the timber orange (I did 2 coats)

4. Paint the wooden poles (stems) brown

5. After the paint has dried, glue the stems onto the top of the timber

6. Cut off 3 long sections of wire & wrap them around the handle of the paint brush to make curls

7. Wrap the wire around the stems twice so it will hold well

8. Cut your ribbon into 3 strips & tie them into a bow on top of the wire

AND YOUR DONE!

I hope you will have as much fun making these as I did! Please visit me at cRaFtYCiErRa & follow my blog to see other fun crafts, recipes, & more! Thanks for reading & happy crafting!

Cierra Larsen

If the Broom Fits...

In my house COFFEE is KING!  Every morning the first thing on the agenda is to make the obligatory pot of coffee.  The kids know that Mommy does not function without it and that they need to wait until I have had coffee before addressing any issues.. (otherwise it is NOT pretty!)

This is me in the morning.. waiting for the coffee to brew!

So it goes without saying that we have lots of coffee containers.  I hate to waste anything.. so for the most part I save the containers and use them as storage containers for my crafting supplies.  But with all of the upcycling ideas floating around.. I decided that it was time to do some upcycling of my own. 

I decided to use the coffee lids.. so here is a fun Halloween tutorial for a witch's broom!

Start with 3 coffee lids

Paint the lids with paint (I used black to match the paper and broom)

Use a similar size circle to make circles out of scrapbook paper and cut them out.

Once you have your circles and your paint is dry Mod Podge the circles to the outside of the coffee lids.  Apply Mod Podge to the outside as well as the paint will peel and chip without the seal. 

I then used my Cricut to cut out the words.. IF The Broom Fits Fly It.  Then Mod Podge again.

Once the glue was dry then I hole punched each of the lids, one at the top and one at the bottom. 

Then thread ribbon through th holes so that you can make a loop at the top.  I attached mine with a bead at either end so that the ribbon would not slip through.

Then I tied ribbon around the broom handle and tie it together.  Then tie with a big ribbon!

Here is the completed broom decoration!  Hope you try one!

Mr. Pinkapotamus decided that we should put the decoration outside on the porch with our bear.. Here they are together.. Witchy Bear and broom!

I can think of about a million other cute projects to do with these.. so keep checking in for more ideas!

I am linking this to Upcycled Awesome @ http://www.thetshirtdiaries.com/

and to Spooktacular September @ http://eighteen25.blogspot.com/

and to The Craft Challenge @ http://crystalscraftspot.blogspot.com/

and at October Spooktacular @ http://whilehewasnapping.blogspot.com/

and to Fall Fun Craftastic Monday @ http://sewcando.blogspot.com/

and at Market Yourself Monday @ http://sumossweetstuff.blogspot.com/

Love,

Pinkapotamus!

Pirate Name Sign

Welcome to all of my new Followers and of course welcome back to my loyal followers!  Whoo hoo! We are less than 30 away from 100 and a giveaway of a custom mirror!

I can't wait!

In the meantime, I have been very busy getting ready for Halloween.. check back for a blog swap and Halloween craft!  As for today's post I wanted to share a name sign that I made for my boys room.  I only made one.. but I am working on another to match.

The first one was for my little guy William whom we call Will (and honestly 4 letters is much less work and materials than the whole name!)  I will be making a second to match for my son Sean and then they will be hung over their beds with the X marks the spot altered letter artwork between them. 

Then there will be a whole pirate theme to the bedroom including the pirate mirror!

Complete bedroom pictures to follow as soon as I find a night that I am actually home to do some REAL decorating with Mr. Pinkapotamus!

 Yeah.... finally! 
I am linking this up to Hoo's got Talent @ http://nightowlcrafting.blogspot.com/
and to What little boys are made of @ http://733blog.blogspot.com/

Love,

Pinkapotamus!

Whoo Are You Part #17

Here is my weekly contribution to the Hoo Are You Party with Night Owl Crafting @ http://nightowlcrafting.blogspot.com/

1.  If you could add one room to our house, what would it be?
There is NOO question in my mind that I would add a 3 season craft room!

 

2. How many pillows do you sleep with at night?

3

 

3. What is the best costume you've ever worn for Halloween?

Strawberry shortcake when I was 4

 

 4. If you could erase one item off the face of the earth, what would it be?

That's a hard question.. but I guess the plastic rings that hold the soda cans together.  Too many animals have been harmed by them.. just as easy to package them in cardboard (and biodegradable!)

 

5. Where do you do your best thinking?

I do my best thinking at the kitchen table in the middle of the night.. it is the only time I am EVER alone!

 

Can't wait to see everyone else's answers!

Love,

Pinkapotamus