Fun Activities

Enjoying The Rain

JM Perez By JM Perez1 min read473 views

Yesterday’s rainfall brought so much joy and peace of mind.

It is the second rain we have had since the start of Summer and it was such a relief. Like most weekends, we are always out and about visiting Vintage and Antique Shops, Retail Stores, Nurseries and so much more. One thing I very much wanted to do this weekend was to take the kids to a Park and let them loose.
Instead of doing those wonderful things, we opted to stay home. As of now, the backyard fencing is 80% complete. We got rid of more Oleanders and what a difference! It feels like we gained three feet on that side of the yard. It started raining, so we ran into the garage, sat back enjoying some delicious and nutritious snacks while watching the rain fall. It was a wonderful moment for the kids. As soon as the rains stopped, they resumed drawing on the driveway with Crayola Sidewalk Chalk and we continued digging out more Oleanders.

Hawk.
Hawk perched on a Wire.

Early in the evening as my husband was removing and replacing all the solar batteries, he spotted a Hawk perched on a Wire just above the Sweet Almond Tree.

DIY: Grass Pet {Making Shoes}

JM Perez By JM Perez1 min read606 views

A week and a half ago we decorated my Son’s Grass Head Pet.

After watering it and placing it on the kitchen window sill for some warm Sun light, it grew its first hair six days later. Today we spotted two more tiny hairs underneath and above its nose. We gave it some feet/shoes.

Grass Pet Face with one hair.
Grass Pet Face with one hair.

Materials/Tools Needed:

  • Scissors
  • Craft glue, Hot glue gun
  • Toilet Paper roll, Craft Paper, Card Board (for the shoe)
  • Pencil, Permanent Marker (to draw and decorate the shoes)
  • Small Ice Cream/Yogurt container or Toilet Paper Roll (for the body)

How to proceed:

  • Squeeze the toilet paper roll to make it flat. If you are using craft paper, fold the paper in two
  • Using a Pencil, draw a foot or shoe on one side of the toilet paper roll or the craft paper
  • Use your scissors to cut around your drawing (you will end up with a set of foot or shoe)
  • Use your Hot glue gun to glue the shoes/feet to the bottom of your body.
DIY: Grass Pet Shoes.
DIY: Grass Pet Shoes.
Grass Pet with Shoes.
Grass Pet with Shoes.

On my next update I will show you how to make an outfit for the Grass Pet.

Fun Afternoon at Huntington Beach

EPEngineer By EPEngineer2 min read570 views

“The Sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” ― Jacques Cousteau

After weeks of planning and postponing, my wife finally made arrangements with our friend Evelyne, to meetup at her place in Buena Park, CA and then spend the rest of the day at the Beach. After much anticipation and a good weather, we decided to drive down since we figured there would be less people after the holiday. On our way there we spotted so much traffic left and right that I was afraid the days activity would not happen.

After spending about an hour at our friend’s apartment catching up on events and waiting for the arrival of a friend of hers, we then made our way to Huntington State Beach. It took us about twenty minutes to get there. After what seemed like an hour waiting in line to get in, we finally made it. It was packed, yet roomy since people where keeping to their activities and not running around as much. We found a location and set up. To our amazement, the weather was surprisingly warm and we didn’t have to cover up until much later.

Huntington State Beach Sign.
Huntington State Beach Sign.
Father and Children on the Beach.
Exploring with my Kids.

We had brought shorts and shirts to get in but when we got out of the car we felt the fresh cool air and decided to go as we where (less chances of getting sick). I had an awesome time with my kids. We fought and ran away from waves, found some shells and even got to catch some Sand Crabs on a foam cup. After having some fun watching them bury themselves on the little dirt inside the cut, we released them so they would not die. The Seagulls where very interested on our activity since they figured an easy dinner was to come.

Seagulls on the Beach.
Seagulls on the Beach.
Lone Sailboat.
Lone Sailboat.

It was a nice cloudy day and the breeze was inviting up to the point where it started to get cold. I had almost forgotten the feeling with all the heat we are having at home. We said our goodbyes to friends who came with us and left our sand castles behind for the birds to take over. The journey back home was as scenic as the drive away from it was. Being here for the day reminded us of the many times we have made the same drive and how it’s never the same each and every time. I am looking forward to the next time we find ourselves there again.

Nerd Day at School

JM Perez By JM Perez1 min read848 views

The week of May 13th through May 17th, is the start of Spirit Week at my Son’s school. Today was Nerd Day.

We had such a wonderful weekend at home, celebrating Mother’s Day weekend and doing all the fun things we enjoy that we completely forgot to stop by Party City to buy a pair of nerd glasses for my son. We saved the day by quickly remembering that both my husband and me sported huge prescription glasses once upon a time. After locating the glasses, my husband decided to use one of his and modify it to fit our son’s little face perfectly (and oh, boy! The little dude was thrilled. He wanted a mohawk hairstyle, but his hair was just too curly).

Nerd Glasses.
Nerd Glasses.
Materials/Tools Needed Step by step
  • A Pair of Nerd Glasses
  • Tiny Screwdriver
  • Pliers
  • Spray Paint
  • Use a tiny screwdriver to open the frame and remove the lenses
  • For smaller kids, use some Pliers to bend the temple tips
    (so it wraps behind the ears)
  • Adjust the nose pads so they don’t scrape the nose bridge
  • Spray paint and let it dry

With approximately three more weeks to go until Summer vacations, my kindergartener is so excited about the fun activities his teacher has organized for them. It’s going to be a fun-filled week with lots of laughter and cheers and I am looking forward to making these moments memorable and lifting up his spirit.

Fun Easter Treats

JM Perez By JM Perez1 min read736 views

With Easter approaching there are so many things to do. Between tending to the garden, keeping the kids busy and decorating the house; there isn’t much time left to plan for dessert. I have been going through some blogs and websites to come up with some simple, yet fun Easter treat ideas to give me a little inspiration to create something beautiful and fun for my family. I hope they can be of help to you as well.

Bunny's Face. Source.
Bunny’s Face.
Source.
Bunny Butt Cookies. Source.
Bunny Butt Cookies.
Source.
Carrots Chocolate Covered Strawberries (from Harry&David). Source.
Carrots Chocolate Covered Strawberries (from Harry&David).
Recipe.
Bird's Nests. Source.
Bird’s Nests.
Source.
Cheesecake Filled Chocolate Easter Eggs. Source.
Cheesecake Filled Chocolate Easter Eggs.
Source.
Bunny Coconut Cake. Source.
Bunny Coconut Cake.
Source.
Honey-Glazed Bunny Rolls. Source.
Honey-Glazed Bunny Rolls.
Source.
Bunny Marshmallow Pop. Source.
Bunny Marshmallow Pop.
Source.
Bunny Log (from Swiss Colony). Recipe.
Bunny Log (from Swiss Colony).
Salted Caramel Easter Popcorn. source.
Salted Caramel Easter Popcorn.
Source.
Krispie Treat Easter Carrots. Source.
Krispie Treat Easter Carrots.
Source.
Bunny Racer. Source.
Bunny Racer.
Source.

Have a fun and safe Easter!