DIY: Haunted House Marble Maze

The boy has been very interested in all things that are maze and puzzle related lately.  I, being quite the puzzler myself, fully support and try to nurture the obsession.  So with all this in mind, and Halloween right around the corner, I thought that we would throw together our own little haunted house maze.  Everything needed to make this maze I pulled from my giant container of "this could be crafted" materials.  The hubs gets on my case about keeping things like shoe boxes and toilet paper tubes, but as any good crafter knows....you never know what kind of supply you are going to need.  So, here we go!

Step 1:

Gather your materials:

a shoe box lid

poster board

glue

scissors

pencil

paintbrush

paint

stickers (decorations are optional)

*tip: I was going to use elmer's glue, but realized that we were out. 

 I opted for super glue, and in the long run was really happy that I chose it 

because of how quickly it dried.

 Step 2:

Cut an opening large enough for your marble to fit through at the beginning of the maze.

With your pencil draw a sketch of your puzzle keeping your end point in mind.

*tip: Keep the size of the marble in mind when 

making your twists and turns and openings.  

Take it from someone who did a lot of erasing.

Step 3:

Cut strips of poster board about 3 inches wide.  

Fold in half and then have another quarter inch lip folded up on either side. 

*tip: Keep your poster board handy.  

I ended up cutting way more strips than I thought I would have needed.

 Step 4:

Glue the internal wall along the paths that you sketched in step 2.

Step 5:

Paint the entire maze.

After your paint is dry, you may decorate however you would like.

thankful thursday

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Today was one of those days.  I felt it in my bones.  My joints ached before ever making myself vertical out of my bed.  Getting both feet on the floor was like moving a ton of bricks. 

I got a bit cynical thinking about "thankful thursday".  Gratitude shamtitude.  I would be grateful for a few more hours of sleep and no responsibilities for the day.  Well, once I decided to get over my one person pitty party and face the facts...well, lets just say, it all starting spinning out of control.  And by "it" I really mean the boy.

You see when he's not feeling well, he's wild.  He doesn't listen, acts out, and tortures anyone and anything that gets in his path.  It's hard to feel sorry for the little bugger,  but you have to do what you have to do.  By about 3pm, I wasn't sure who was going to snap first...me or the poor dog (she been taking a beating from the boy lately - although, that bitch....she can go hid and take a nap whenever she wants).

So 3pm.  We've all lost our cool.  The boy is crying for no reason at all, the dog is hiding, and I wanted to find myself in the fetal position in the corner rocking like a crazy person.  And the it occurred to me....THE BEACH! Here comes the gratitude bit.

I quickly strapped on the suits, slathered the sun screen, and dragged the boy out the door.  It was time to send all that crazy out with the tide.  Something about the ocean, the waves, the sand in unmentionable places, the sun, it heals us both.  We took a day that could have defeated us both and turned it into one of the best evenings.

There is not much that can't be cured with a little salty air and being buried in the sand up to your neck.  Today I am so thankful that I have to ocean to wash away the weight of the world.

Joys of Parenting: (Super)Hero

This morning I was shaken from an almost perfect nights sleep by a little boy foot drop kick to the face! Rise and shine! All of us piled on top of each other.  Trying to regulate a grouchy dog, a grouchy mom, a grouchy dad, and a wide awake toddler has become sort of a regular morning routine.  So I started with the bribes and threats.  I was trying to buy myself just five more minutes, when my little monster informed me that he had a tummy ache.  "Mom, my tummy hurts so bad because I am so hungry." says the boy.

So as the guilt hit me like a ton of bricks at the realization that maybe I hadn't fed him enough the night before, I pried myself from my cozy nest of pillows and blankets to make him something to eat.  Like a zombie I dragged myself to the kitchen, wondering why the sun wasn't up yet.  I threw some frozen pancakes into the toaster oven and proceeded to the coffee (which I always manage to mess up when I am that tired). Ding. Now I had pancakes and strawberries on the table, coffee grounds on the floor, and my eyes still closed.

Breakfast ended after three half eaten bites.  Three. That was all.  Then I was informed that he was too full.  I wanted to scream! But settled for cartoons and coffee that was too hot to drink.  As we sat there snuggled on the sofa, the bot turned up and looked at me and said: "Mom, you are my hero!"

I was in disbelief. His hero? What did I do? So I asked him.  Well turns out that hero keep people from starving to death! So there it was.  I stood there over my next steaming cup of coffee, donning my imaginary tights and cape, saving the universe at 6am....one half eaten pancake at a time.

my friend jess...and the man of her dreams!

I had the absolute pleasure of being apart of my best friend Jess' wedding this past weekend. It was a picture perfect Connecticut soiree and every detail was just amazing!  Seeing all of Jess and Jonny's hard work was like the icing on the cake (that her mommy made) to their storybook romance.  Lots of memories and new friends were made.  Best wishes to the newly weds! Mr. & Mrs. Hack!

inspiration lookbook: hello

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thankful thursday

Sharing happiness...now there is a novel idea.  

We are currently neck deep in political propaganda and slander.  You can't turn on the television, radio, or internet without being slapped in the face with someones negative opinions about someone elses opinions.  Personally I can't wait for it all to be over.  

But to help me get through I am going to focus on spreading my light.  I have plenty of joy to give, so if anyone needs some, just reach out!  To let you all in on a little secret, the more your share your happiness, the more you receive! Happy thankful thursday everyone! Go spread the love!

Thankful Thursday

How often do you stop to take in the majesty of our planet? Like really stop, reflect, and take it all in.

One week ago today, it all hit me. I live in a beautiful part of Florida, surrounded by beaches and tropical wildlife.  But that's my normal. I am so used to it that it has lost it's "awe" if you will. But there is so much more out there, beyond the palm trees and flat wet lands.

I was on a very very early morning flight across the country to spend an amazing long weekend in Lake Tahoe working with my best friend. So things were already looking pretty good for me... but then flying high somewhere between Ft. Lauderdale, FL and Houston, TX I decided to pry open my tiny window and was blown away with the amazing sight out side.

We were being chased by the rising sun.  A beautiful orange glow was breaking through sheets of purple haze and white blankets of clouds.  From this point on I was glued to that window.

I have always loved looking out the window on airplanes, but i think before it was an escape from the claustrophobic cabin.  This time I was taking it all in! Every second of the decent into Houston the  picture outside changed and filled my head with inspiration and awe.

The sun began to break through the clouds and pour streams on light over the land making long shadows and pools of orange and gold.  The patterns and textures created by the fields and streams we all set a glow by the early morning sun.

Maybe it was the 3am wake up time mixed with more coffee than should be consumed by one human that early, or maybe it was being chased by the rising sun, but the whole thing became a very existential experience.

I could go on and on for days about the amazing sights of Lake Tahoe, but today I wanted to share just one thing.  As if someone or something was trying to put a picture to a perfect ending of the day, this was the sunset that i was privy to viewing after a long day of traveling with the rising sun.  I am pretty sure this is where the lyrics "purple mountain majesty" come from!

So to sum it all up, today's thankful thursday is dedicated to the wonders of our beautiful planet, the amazing family that I have who always support my travels and adventures, and having the worlds best friend who was able to share all of these breath taking moments with me.  Never overlook the beauty all around you and shout it from the mountain tops how thankful you are!