LuCk Date {Bubbles}

We rang in the official start of summer with a POP! 

Summer is all about easy, simple, fun activities!  What better way to celebrate the beginning of summer than with a Bubble LuCk Playdate with our friends at Fairfield County Moms Blog!   

There was nothing at this Bubble LuCk Date that you couldn't do at home!  Building a basic bubble tool kit is a great way to keep the kids entertained for a while on a summer day. 

There are so many bubble activities to entertain kids of all ages!  For this LuCk Date, we had several bubble stations set up with various materials to explore.  We filled some shallow tubs with bubble solution and allowed the kids to explore blowing bubbles with fly swatters, string, straws, paper tubes, and bubble wands.  A plastic drink dispenser made a great "bubble refill" station!  The kids loved filling cups with soapy solution for more bubble play! 

For a craft, we set up a DIY Wand Table.  A simple pipe cleaner and beads can be transformed into a bubble wand by forming one of of the pipe cleaner into a simple shape (oval, circle, heart, square), and threading beads on the pipe cleaner to create a "handle." 

We  filled a small kiddie pool with bubbles, placed a hula hoop inside, and tried to make a giant bubble.  I had a few too many little hands helping me , but we had a great time trying to make the big bubble fly!   

Thank you everyone for "popping in" to this LuCk Date!  Have a fantastic summer! 

Recipe {Strawberry Yogurt Ice Pops}

Lucas and Chuck picked their weight in strawberries this weekend!  Karen and I challenged ourselves with a little "what can we make out of all these strawberries before they go bad?" 

A good friend gave Chuck a Zoku Pop Maker for her first birthday, so I decided it was about time to open this box and get poppin!  Since the was my first time using the Zoku, I decided to keep things simple.  

Recipe:
3 parts strawberry
1 part yogurt (we used Greek)
1 part milk (we used 2%)
1 part honey

Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor, and mix until smooth. If you are using a Zoku Pop Maker, these take about 7 minutes.  I think that was the only learning curve for the Zoku; cream based pops take longer to solidify than water based ones. 

Chuck absolutely loved her yogurt pops! Can't wait to see what else we come up with!   

Celebrate {Father's Day}

Our dads don't need tie clips or golf bags, so what is something that we can make for them that they will actually use?

If you are anything like me, you have a ton of absolutely adorable Instagrams that live somewhere in the clouds. I love me some Instagrams, but their signature square shape make them a bit challenging to put into a standard size picture frame. 

I made my husband this set of awesome coasters out of some of our favorite 'grams! 

Materials:
Printed Instagrams
Mod Podge
Mod Podge Brush
Square Tile (like these from Home Depot)

Directions:
Cover the back of your photos with Mod Podge, and place it on tile.
Once it is dry to the touch, seal the coaster with another coat of Mod Podge

They were super simple to make!  I made these coasters as part of the table decor for my husband's surprise party last summer.  To celebrate his milestone birthday,  I was looking for a creative way to display pictures from different parts of his life, and these did the trick! 

If you are not an avid Instagrammer, use this clip art to make your own set of custom coasters! 

Project {Coffee Dirt Dough}

Last week, as a little treat I decided to buy myself a French Press. It took less than 24 hours to become a full blown obsession (iced coffee!!!) Not being one to waste, I started saving the coffee grounds, knowing I could use them for something.

A few days later, Lucas asked for play dough and I knew I had found my "something" With my love of coffee and his love of trucks, we had the perfect combo and Coffee Dirt Dough was born.

1 cup flour
1 cup salt
1 cup wet coffee grounds
1 tablespoon cream of tartar
4 tablespoons oil

Mix in a large pot and stir over medium heat until it pulls away from the sides and a ball forms.

Great to use with trucks, dinosaurs, fake flowers and you can alter the texture by changing the grind of your coffee!

Play {Summer Can Kick the bLuCket List}

Maybe it's because Karen and I are teachers, but we are both absolutely obsessed with summer! I mean, life is just better in flip-flops, isn't it?  The days just get a bit lazier . . there are ice cream sundae rides, popsicles, fireworks, and skies filed with twinking stars. Summer means trips to the beach, more time to spend with family and friends, and the ever persistent smell of sunscreen wafting through the air, and we love everything about it through and through.

The ladies of LuCk have decided to put ourselves up to a bit of a challenge by creating a Summer bLuCket List!

Ally & Chuck's bLuCket List

• Discover a new Popsicle Recipe
• Make a mud pie
• Enjoy an outdoor movie
• Stay up past bedtime
• Forget what day of the week it is
• Have a family camp out
• Do a ridiculously messy arty project outside
• Catch a lighting bug
• Explore a new place
• Learn how to blow a bubble  

Karen & Lucas's bLuCKet List

• Stand in a bubble
• Eat smores on a weekly basis
• Swim in a lake
• Go fishing
• Make a Winter Wonderland 
• Go for a hike
• Bury someone in sand
• Play mini golf
• Eat homemade ice cream
• Go down a water slide

So, here's to mud pies & water slides! Happy Summer! 

Creative Spaces {Lucas Land}

We have this great three seasons porch at our house that has never served a specific purpose. In the summer, it turns into a storage room for the overflow of Lucas's toys. In the winter, we put the Christmas tree out there to keep it away from curious hands and climbing toddlers. I was actually working on unpacking the spare bedroom upstairs when I had a brainstorm/moment of insanity. I have always wanted an art room, aka a space where I could be creative and not have to worry about the mess or being in the way. Now that I have Lucas, it was the perfect excuse to have a creative space in the house. 

Here is how we turned our not-so-purposeful room,  into an affordable, fun, creative, purposeful creative space!

I found an old, beat up desk on the side of the road a few months ago and it was a great place to get started. It is a little big for Lucas now, but it worked well for storing supplies. In time, Lucas will grow into it.

We have most of the art supplies stored in plastic drawers and a 4 sided art cart. I love that the supplies are all accessible to Lucas. It was a big risk to take, but he is very good at asking for help to take out the paint and I love the independence and responsibility it teaches him.  

We are currently using an old toy box by the window as his table. I love that he can lookout and be inspired by the great outdoors (and maybe a truck or two driving by) We were using an old TV stand, but that has been re-purposed as a seed sprouting station. My little guy is becoming quite the gardener this year and the art room is a perfect place to make a mess with dirt and a great sunny spot to grow!

For those less messy days, I have set up a flannel board corner for Lucas to be creative in. He loves retelling the stories with me, as well as making up his own. Creating them is a great creative outlet for me!

We have a child sized easel, but the funny thing is, we have yet to use it now that the art room is set up. Lucas can usually be found at the station by the window or he loves to unroll the kraft paper and get to work on the floor. 

I love that the art room is inviting to everyone in the family, even if that means coming home to a naked child, covered in paint from head to toe. Since putting the art room together, I have noticed Lucas is more inspired to create both at home and at school. Hopefully some ideas have inspired you too!