National Luau Month - Beach Party!

May is National Luau Month! How did I know that? Well, Oriental Trading Company, of course! I love this site for theme-related party supplies! And their prices are very reasonable.



Over the years, I have purchased lots of fun things from them like the pineapple drink cups below. I remember we used them for the beach-themed birthday party my daughter had one year. Her birthday is in February, so that was really interesting! These plastic cups are too cute!

I also pick up what I can from garage sales. I couldn't pass up a box of little drink umbrellas - I think I have enough to last me for years! 

One time I was lucky enough to find almost a whole box of leis at a garage sale!  These have come in handy for many impromptu "Hurry, Mom, we need a costume tonight," moments. I send along the whole box for my kids and their friends. Leis are always a hit!

Whether you are celebrating a beach party or National Luau Month (because it's May), these types of supplies are good to have on hand. Even on a regular 'ol day, they can make the moment special and fun! 

Yes, Life is but a Theme!

Closet Clean Out

Like It or Launch It!

It’s that time of year. If you have children - you know what I’m referring to. It’s time to weed out the clothes that don’t fit anymore. Whether it’s clothes from the winter season or warm weather items, now’s the time to figure out what they need for summer.

If your kids are like mine, they really dislike this process. “Try it on,” I’ll say! Yet, they look at me with that blank stare. “Do I have to?” Why, yes!

In my family, we’ve come up with a fun tradition (of course!). We play the “Like It or Launch It” game. After they try it on, we say either yell “Like It” and it gets folded and put back in the drawer. Or we shout “Launch It” and it gets thrown into a pile for cousin hand-me-downs or to be donated. Somehow this little game makes it all do-able. Whatever it takes to get the job done is just fine with me.

Here's our Launch It pile from this weekend. Yikes! I've got some folding to do...

So, I encourage you to put out the teaser...”Hey guys, want to play Like it or Launch it?!” You might be surprised at the more favorable results!

Yes, Life is but a Theme!

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Mothers Day - The Perfect Gift

Mother’s Day! What a treat for us mother’s. It’s fun to be spoiled and to be recognized for all we do. How will you celebrate?

By now I'm guessing you’ve figured out that I like things that are free to mostly cheap. Mother’s Day is no exception! In fact, I stressed to my family - Please don’t spend a lot of money on flowers, gifts or a card. Instead, I would really prefer a gift of time. Truly!

So, my husband asked for “my list”. You know, the list of things that you’d like to get done but you have a hard time finding the time. He said, “Ok, let’s pick two and get them done on Mother’s Day!” Boy was I thrilled!

I'm so excited for the whole family to help clean out our cars - vacuuming and washing windows and wiping down the insides. (Gosh, I will feel like a queen the next time I drive it.) Next we will spend a little time doing some yard work. Joy!

This Mother’s Day will be one of the best for me. Not only will I get to check off a few things on that never ending list, but I hope to find a little time to catch a nap followed by a wonderful dinner prepared by my husband. For your next celebration, I urge you to consider being frugal and give a thoughtful and appreciated gift - the gift of time.

Yes, Life is but a Theme!

Teacher Appreciation Week

Teacher Appreciation Week is April 6-10, 2013. It’s time to honor our local educators and thank them for all that they do to ensure that our students are getting a quality education.

Some people like to make a special treat for their teachers or give them a small token of their appreciation. Others will craft a class or individual project where the students can share what their teachers mean to them. These are all very kind and appreciated.

But I’d like to propose that you consider a “free” and thoughtful way to say Thank You to those who serve in this very important role. I would like to share with you the National Education Association website. (Note: Not only do they promise to ensure Great Public Schools for Every Student, this website also has a lot of useful information.)

Anyhoo, in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, they have a “Pledge Your Support for the Nation's Teachers”. All are encouraged to sign the pledge to show they appreciate our public school educators and all that they do. Here is the link:

National Education Association Pledge

I took the pledge, and I hope you do too! After you press Submit, they offer five additional ways that you can help make a difference in teachers’ lives. Again, all but one are FREE!

Yes, Life is but a Theme!

Six Second Hug

A few years ago, I experienced the six second hug. What's that, you ask?

Let me back up. If you’re like me you typically reach in for a hug, embrace for a second, maybe pat their back, and step away. Until my friend hugged me and held on...for six seconds. It causes you to take a breath and relax for a bit. It felt great!

Here is some interesting information I found on hugging:

• Research shows that if we hold a hug for at least six seconds, we optimize the flow of mood-boosting chemicals.
• Studies show that a family member is 47% more likely to feel close to a family member who often expresses affection than to one who rarely does. Sometimes it’s good to say, “I love you,” sometimes it’s good to express that thought without words.
• Also, frequent huggers have lower blood pressure and higher levels of oxytocin (a chemical that promotes bonding).

My son, in particular, is a huge proponent of the six-second hug. I have to admit, I really like it too. Give it a try!

Yes, Life is but a Theme!

Fun at Work - Theme Days

It's that time of year, I think. We're all tired of the cold spring temperatures in my northern state, and we are really ready for warmer weather. The back and forth of warm and cold weather teases us and frankly wears me out. I'll say it again. It's that time.

It's time to mix it up at work! It's time to put a little spice into the work day. With my theme-based brain, I can come up with all sorts of activities to break up the monotony during your day job! 

• One time we brought in all sorts of crazy lights and turned off the overhead lights. (Can you say lava lamp or pink pony lamp? haha) Light week is a ton of fun.
• Or how about "dress like the boss" day. If that's not your thing, just pick a color and have everyone wear blue shirts, for example. 
• My favorite, Alma mater day! You choose either high school or college. This one is really a hoot - believe me, I've seen grown men squeezed into their football jersey letter jacket. Too funny!
• It's baseball season - how about everyone support their favorite team. Or just make it "jersey" day and any sports team will do.
• And if dress up days don't work. Think treats! Hold a trivia contest, and the loser brings treats. Or pick out of a hat, for that matter. tee hee

The point is - it's time to break it up a little. These activities start conversations, if nothing else. At least we can take a break from talking about the weather!

Yes, Life is but a Theme!

Birthday Tradition - What I Like About You

Happy Birthday to my son! He's in college now and just turned 19. I can't believe I"m that old! 

We had fun taking him out to dinner and making his day special. After dinner, we headed back to his dorm room for gifts and cake. It just so happened that all of his buddies were standing in the hallway near his room. Naturally, we stopped and chatted with the boys. Lots of fun for us to talk with his new friends! 

Then it dawned on me. We FORGOT! We forgot all about our tradition. I even blurted out "We forgot!" and my whole family knew what I was talking about. Then right there I explained to his friends that they'd have to help us out. We'd go around and all tell a thing or two that we like about the birthday boy. It was really neat to see what the friends all liked about my son. I giggled when one boy said, "I like that he gives 6 second hugs." Then they all shook their heads in the "Oh Yea!" agreement. (I'll save that explanation for my next post.) 

Mission accomplished. Tradition upheld. And I'm so glad we forgot to do this at dinner so we could share in his new friendships. 

Yes, Life is but a Theme!

Meal Time and Craft Treasures

My last post shared a fun, versatile craft. I want to piggy-back off of that and think back to a time when collages were made more frequently in my house.

Children can be very demanding, of course. But it seemed like they always kicked it up a notch right about the time I wanted to make dinner. What’s with that?! I often tried to find something to keep them busy around this time of the evening. Think collages! My kids had so much fun cutting out random pictures from magazines or newspapers and gluing or taping them onto paper. Sometimes they had a distinct theme, sometimes they were simply things they liked at the time.

When we had more time, they also liked to make “sculptures” from the craft bin. The craft bin is a plastic tote that I kept filled with random things. 

These items came from garage sales, old packaging, or craft stores, etc.. Think bells, shells, ribbons, pompons, pipe cleaners, old egg cartons, small boxes, you name it! I’ve seen marble races, doll and fairy houses, robots, and many other unique treasures made from the craft bin. Just be sure to keep tacky glue on hand for this one. You’d be surprised how they never grow too old for the craft bin or collages. (if I do say so myself...)

Yes, Life is but a Theme!

Love Collage

Love. That word is really speaking to me lately. It seems to be popping up all over the place and I feel I just have to address it.

So the other day my daughter wanted me to do a craft project with her. Well, I turned to Pinterest, of course! I saw a very cool design similar to the one I made (see picture below) A sheet of card stock and a $5 frame later, and wah lah! I have a cute addition for our couch side table.

My daughter, on the other hand, made a similar type of design for her good friend’s birthday. In the middle she put a picture of the two of them. Around that she taped down all sorts of meaningful words in their friendship. We had a bunch of fun looking through old magazines, cutting out letters and taping them down. But more importantly, we had great conversation. And, that, my friends, is what LOVE is all about!

Yes, Life is but a Theme!

Pet Names and our Cockatiels

I have a funny story to share. And, of course, it involves a theme!

About 6 years ago, we adopted two cockatiel birds - a female named Coconut and a male named Peanut. My family is a little “nutty”, so they fit right in! Note: my son didn’t think that Peanut was a very “manly” name, so he nicknamed the sweet little bird“PJ”.

One day we realized that PJ and Coco were mating, so we got on the internet determine the possibility of Coco laying some eggs. LONG story short, we put a nest box on their cage and we hatched three more birds! Very fun, indeed. But what to name them? Well, we had to stick with the theme, don’t you know! My kids came up with various “nut” names, but we decided on: Chestnut, Hazelnut and Walnut. We kept Chester and gave Hazel and Wally to our good friends.

We enjoyed those birds and their funny little personalities for many years! I’m sad to share that Coco passes away a couple of years ago. She was mostly white and really pretty. But I’m sharing pictures here of PJ and Chester.

Peanut

Chestnut

As my kids have grown, we haven’t spent as much time with these pets. But I’m also happy to share that we are thrilled to “pay it forward” as we gave the birds to another young family who will give them all of the love and attention they need.

The moral of the story - think about the names you give to your pets. Why not name them with a theme in mind? We went through the whole goldfish stage...named them all after authors of children’s books. My favorite was Theodore Geisel. Quite a name for a gold fish!

Yes, Life is but a Theme!

Laundry Games

Laundry! Not my favorite chore, and I’m sure most would agree. Yet we all know it has to be done. Unfortunately, sometimes, to the tune of missing out on play time with our children. Or maybe not. How about using laundry as a learning tool, or making a game out if it.

Shapes, colors, patterns, oh my! For the little ones, they can help to sort laundry by pulling out squares (towels). Show them how to fold it into smaller and smaller squares. Or maybe they can help to sort dirty laundry by colors, perhaps lights, mediums and darks. And socks lend themselves to matching. Make a game out of it! 

Speaking of games, I like to make a game or race out of most anything. Sometimes my kids and I race to see who can put our laundry away faster. Or we choose what to fold together, “Let’s both pick a shirt out of the pile. Now pick a pair of pants. etc.” 

Try to get your children involved with the chores and make the chores fun. It’s a win win, as they say. You are spending time with your kids and getting something done at the same time! Yeah!  

Yes, Life is but a Theme!

MLB Opening Day Tailgate

Opening Day! Most people know that refers to the first game of the (MLB) baseball season. No matter what state you live in, I’m guessing there’s a pro baseball team nearby to cheer for. It’s an exciting day that many people also think marks the beginning of spring. Well, if this day doesn’t lend itself to a theme or tradition, I don’t know what does. Ha! 

My husband likes to mark the day with a cookout. Weather permitting, he will bring out the bean bag toss game and we have our own “tailgate” party in the back yard. Any friends are welcome to join in! And don’t forget, put on your team gear - we cheer for the Milwaukee Brewers - so we all don our blue and gold! Try to use your teams colors throughout the party. Colored plates, napkins, beads and such are always easy to find at the party store. And anytime you have an excuse to put up crepe paper, well now you have a party!!

To tell you the truth, we aren’t the biggest baseball baseball fans you’ll ever meet. But I’m always game for a party, and especially a party with a theme! 

Go Brew Crew!

Yes, Life is but a Theme!

Friendship and Making Someone Feel Special

It has been such a busy time for our family lately that I feel like I haven’t given the proper attention to my girlfriends and our friendships. Do you ever feel like that? I know they would be there for me in a minute, but that doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t tell them once in awhile how much I appreciate them. So here are some easy, low cost ideas to remind someone that you care about them. That someone could be a spouse, friend, family member, or whoever you think could use a little, “Thanks for being a special person in my life” message.

• Have a fresh donut waiting for them with a note, “Donut” you know how much I appreciate you?!

• Drop off a bag of Swedish Fish candy and a card that says, “O-fish-ally” you’re the best!

• Make some yummy chocolate covered strawberries to say, "Thank you berry much for being you!"

• Tape Reeses Pieces candy to a thick piece of paper, and write “I love you to “pieces” with the candy taped in place of the words.

If you’re looking to treat someone in this way, just take a look around the store. Look at candy, cosmetics, perfume, food products, clothing tags, you name it! You’ll find something that has just the right phrase that you could use for a play on words or to tape on a card as part of your message.

And I would like to thank you for taking a moment out of your busy day to stop by my blog! Since I can only offer you words, I will do all I can and say merci, gracias, arigato, danke, mange takk, and thank you!

Yes, Life is but a Theme!

Sports Water Bottle Label

Even though it’s April, the madness of March is still with us! We are heading to the basketball state tournament for 8th grade girls this weekend. Of course, my daughter is very excited for the event. This is her first time attending this tournament, while most of her team has already competed in this tournament in the past. And it’s quite a big deal as you must be invited to attend every year! Not only that, but these parents are all in! The girls will be decked out with matching monogrammed socks and towels, homemade T-shirts, headbands, door signs - all thanks to the amazing moms! So I decided to contribute my little dose of team spirit. I made water bottle labels - matching our team colors purple, black and white.

You just have to design, print, and tape the paper to disposable water bottles (rip off the existing label first, of course). I included a couple of close ups so you could check out the amazing creativity! A good theme needs creative wording, right?!

You can change the nutrition facts to be geared toward any subject or sport.

I know they are going to love them. In fact, I already made them for my older daughter who plays at the varsity level (I just changed the name to their school mascot). One of the players swore there was magic in the water as she felt better than ever. ha! (And they did win the game!)
Go Team!

Yes, Life is but a Theme!

April Fools

Well, well, well. If you weren’t the fool today, what gives?! Everyone needs a little prankster in their life for some fun on a day like today! Over the years, I’ve pulled a few myself. But, my favorite April Fools jokes are the ones that my husband and I pulled on our children when they were little.

Let’s see, there was the time that we taped newspaper the full length of their bedroom door. When they got up in the morning and opened their door from the inside, well it was a hoot! (I did leave a small gap at the bottom so they wouldn’t be scared, and in the morning they just crawled out instead of tearing it down. Oh well.) An oldie but a goodie is when we’d look out the window in the morning and exclaim, “It snowed last night!” This one wasn’t so popular, of course! A more cruel one is the time that I made it sound like I had fallen and I laid at the bottom of the stairs acting like my leg hurt. I could usually string this one out for half a minute until they caught on. :)

But here’s my favorite. One year when our two oldest were about 5 and 7, after they were asleep we picked them up and switched beds. We thought it would be so darn funny when they’d wake up in the morning in the opposite bedroom and wonder how they got there! I can vividly remember when my husband and I woke up giggling, thinking how we couldn’t wait for them to wake up. However, when we went to wake them, they were in their right beds! What?? Apparently, my daughter woke up in the middle of the night and walked back to her bed. She couldn’t figure out why her brother was in her bed, so she told him to go back to his own bed! Did you follow all of that? Well, let’s just say the joke was on us!!

Whether you were the joker or the jokee today, I hope it was memorable. Do you have any good jokes to share? Leave a comment! And next year I’ll be sure to share my devious ideas a day or two ahead of time so you can prepare!

Yes, Life is but a Theme!

Happy Easter Trivia

Hoppy Easter! (I couldn’t resist) Will you be enjoying Easter Brunch? Whether you will be eating at a restaurant or celebrating at home, meal time is always a great time for conversation starters. Over the years, I have purchased various little cards that do the trick, but one of my favorites is to have trivia questions ready to go. The Internet is chock full of trivia for just about any subject area. Easter is no exception. So while you’re waiting to be served, or you’re looking to add some fun during your meal, give some of these questions a try:

1. What is the most common date for Easter? Answer: April 16, but did you know that Easter always falls between March 22 and April 25.
2. Where does the tradition of Easter eggs come from? Answer: Germany - the earliest Easter baskets were meant to look like nests for the eggs.
3. In the song "Here Comes Peter Cottontail," what is the Easter Bunny bringing for Tommy and his sister Sue? Answer: Derived from the Beatrix Potter books and made famous by singer Gene Autry, Tommy is going to get jelly beans and his sister will receive colored eggs.
4. How much do Americans spend on Easter candy and how much do they consume? Answer: We spend about $2 billion on Easter candy every year, translating into about 7.1 billion pounds of chocolate and other sweets. For Americans, Easter is the second most important candy-eating occasion of the year, after Halloween.
5. How did hard-boiled eggs come to be associated with Easter? Answer: When Christians fasted during Lent, they were prohibited from eating eggs. Those that were laid during Lent were often boiled to prevent them from spoiling and then used to break the fast on Easter.

Whether you enjoy trivia or not, I think these are fun and help to keep the conversation flowing. Prior to your next gathering, I encourage you to complete a simple search on google according to your theme and give it a try. It’s always a hit!

Yes, Life is a but a Theme!

Competition and the March Madness NCAA Bracket

A little competition is always good for a family. And my family is no exception. We are very sports oriented, and you could say that we are all a wee bit competitive. ;) But even if you’re not, a little dose can be really fun. I could talk about our intense four-square games or card games that involve name calling (lol) but I’ll stick with the current most popular competitive event - March Madness!  

So how’s your bracket doing? You know, the NCAA basketball tournament. It seems everyone is always talking about it. If you don’t know where to start - it’s easy to find one online, print and fill it out. My husband and son have a ton of knowledge and usually do pretty well. Me, I pick based on the name, the mascot or the colors. Don’t laugh - I do pretty well! And of course, you have to have a prize! And our stakes are high! All five of us fill out a bracket and the loser makes dinner. Not only does it give us something to talk about, but it gives us something to look forward to. So if basketball isn’t your thing, find a little something to stir up some competition (we regularly run to the car laughing, “Last one’s a rotten egg!”) because I assure you it’ll bring a little joy to your day.

Yes, Life is but a Theme!  

Everyone Child has a Song

I grew up in a very musical family. My grandfather was in a band, my mother studied piano and played professionally, and my dad loved his accordion and organ. Quite regularly, we jammed and all got involved with banjos, percussion instruments, or just dancing and singing along. So it’s no surprise that that each of us kids had “our song”. I can still hear my dad singing my song...

Every little star above knows the one I love

Sweet Sue, just you

And the moon up high knows the reason why

Sweet Sue, it's you...

Of course, each of my children have their song. I have so many beautiful memories of rocking my babies and sweetly singing their songs. I haven’t sang those songs in quite awhile, though.

So I was surprised last night when my friend Tina mentioned her daughter’s song. She said, “You know - remember when you said every child needs a song?” Wow, I don’t recall saying that. But she brought me back to so many great memories of when my children were babies. And guess what? I'm going to go down memory lane and sing their songs to them this week! What fun!

Yes, Life is but a Theme!

Spring Break Road Trip

My family loves to travel. And we always travel by car. One time my son said, “I love it when I wake up in the middle of the night when we stop to get gas and I don’t even know what state we’re in!” Too funny! While we try to travel mostly at night (everyone sleeping = no fights...ha!) we do end up spending a fair amount of time traveling during the day.

Over the years, I have used so many different ideas to keep the kids busy. But here is one of my favorites for the little ones. Bring along a cookie sheet for each child. It needs to be the kind with a ledge around the edge and it works well for so many reasons. This little tray on their lap allows them to color while keeping the crayons and markers on the tray so they are not falling all over the car. In addition, bring along every magnet you have! Your kids will spend hours (OK, maybe not hours, but a good chunk of time) playing with the magnets, moving them around and role-playing. All of that with no mess or hassle! Happy trails to you...

Yes, Life is but a Theme!

St. Patrick's Day

Top O the Mornin to Ya! I hope you are all decked out in green! 

St. Patrick’s Day is another day that lends itself to sooooo many themes! Over the years, I've done so many fun things with my children. Some more time consuming than others for me, but all a lot of fun for the family. But a friend once told me about her tradition, and I thought it was so cute I just have to share.

The night before St. Patrick’s Day, when everyone is asleep, those tricky little leprechauns sneak around her house and even pee in the toilet! How do they know? Well, the toilet water is green! (can you say food coloring?!) The little ones think it’s so fun to wake up and check to see if the little green men played their trick again. What fun!

Here’s one to share at your event tonight:

What’s Irish and stays out all night?

Well “Patty O’Furniture” of course! (yuk yuk)

And I can’t close without an Irish Blessing:

May you live as long as you want and never want as long as you live.

Yes, Life is But a Theme!