Ocean themed crafts!

We spent the last few days creating crafts relating to our ocean theme as computer is down, so no printables. Some were borrowed ideas while some others were self-inspired. 

Tissue roll Anemone

This idea was borrowed. 

 Jellyfish

Self-inspired. Used a clear cake container and painted it with Artzooka's not-so-secret paint recipe for plastic. They dry clear.

Octopus

Self-inspired. Bunch up newspapers, cover with masking tape, paint then stick in pipe cleaners! Easy!

Ocean diorama

Fish out of bowl

I actually remembered this craft was done by my tutor when I was in my primary school. Ages ago! But he did a bird on one side and a cage in the other. So I just changed this to an empty bowl on one side, and a fish on the other. Stick the pictures face out together with a stick, we used a disposable chopstick. The trick is to spin the stick between your palm as fast as you can, and you can see that during the spinning it will look as if the fish is in the bowl! 

And we also did sensory tub!  

This was played during bath time. Once.

Some real shells, miniature ocean creatures erasers, stingray and lobster wind-up toys that swim, blue water, and some water beads. Note: There was an article in the paper that Malaysia has banned these water beads, as there were cases reported of kids swallowing them and had to undergo surgery! Be extra careful with them.

Of course I had to keep my eyes peeled, Adik was already getting ready to pop everything in her mouth!   

And when I got tired of keeping vigilant in the toilet, I tossed all the creatures in a big ziplock bag, squirted in lots of hair gel, and tadaa, a safer sensory bag! This idea was inspired by another mommy, but I'm truly sorry I coudn't find which. Chanced upon it quite some time ago. 

A for angelfish

Current theme: Ocean!

Letter of the week: A 

Craft: Angelfish

From the letter 'a'

With her art supply and googled images of real angelfishes

Pasting fins and tail

Painted and done!

The paper plate fish was done much earlier. Now instead of pasting them on walls, which drove me crazy as they fell to the floor all time,  I hang them up as a mobile with fish line and clothespins. Makes the room look more interesting too! Don't you think?

Scoot scoot makeover!

There was this particular day we went to a relative's house and Kakak saw this scooter outside and started playing with it. It was in a truly wasted-looking condition but works alright. The grandma said she could take it home since they wanted to throw it away anyway. 

It was quite sad actually seeing her scooting happily with it. She didn't mind a bit that it wasn't new, as a matter of fact, it was so worn out! As much as it saddened me, I did not plan to get a new one for her, because I still stood firm in my beliefs that my children will not be getting ALL the things they want as easy as they thought, material things that is (books are different story). Some will have to wait, while others may have to be earned even if we have the means. I hope by this way they will learn to value more of what they owned and not be spoiled senselessly by materialistic wealth.   

So what I did was to promise her that one day I will make her scooter pretty and pink! That was just what we did last weekend. With cans of spray paint, some fabrics and mod podge, we started our project. After about several hours of spray and mod podging later, I was honestly elated upon seeing the transformation of the scooter! Kakak was beaming too!

Now, all it need is just a change of tyres! And maybe a bell and some ribbons. 

Tadaa!

Share good times and good art

I don't know why as of late I always have the cravings for: McDonald's!

Especially the breakfast, sausage mcmuffin with eggs! Yummy!

Thank you to Abah who took pain and time ~well not really right, because its just near your golfing driving range and you were willing just so I wouldn't get mad at you and your yet-another hobby~  to buy them, as we do not have the luxury of home delivery ~thank God for that actually~ and its about 15-20 mins away.

So if you are a McDonald's lover like me, you might actually already owned their Breakfast/Dinner Box. I think its just awesome and the ways you can use them afterwards, superb!

So this is what I made mine into:

Hahah! A box for Kakak's art tools! 

the ' I can't be bothered with my Mama' look

Some of her art supplies 

Pencil Colours

Pencils, Brushes, Pipe cleaners, Straws, Chopsticks, Crayons etc..

The poster paint box can be fitted in nicely too!

So now, I do have a good reason to go and buy more boxes!

A smurfy weekend!

It wasn't as great as I thought it would be. The smurf movie that is. Abah even dozed off in the middle. And I would have to think twice the next time we want to watch any movie, because Adik is so fidgety and restless! I think she's not the movie kinda person, she is not even interested in cartoons unless it is the singing part. Its a good thing of course.

Kakak on the other hand, could be numbed by watching tom and jerry and mr bean - yes mr bean! I don't get it! - for hours! I am making it a challenge for myself to reduce - or totally scrap! - the tv amount for my children, insyaAllah!

Steps to be taken, more and more activities. Alhamdulillah for blogs out there who shared tons of ideas and also to Pinterest! -which I have to tell myself dozen of times to Just Stop Pinning Already and Get Moving- sheesh!

But that would also mean, more commitment on my side - its not like Im not already committed or something, what am I living for if not my family, in their every waking hour every single day, I feel like I don't even have a life of my own anymore! I can't remember the last time I went out alone, or read a good book without disturbance, or talked to my friends, or even having a decent conversation with anybody, and I think Im beginning to rust in the art of talking. Even as an introvert, I do need a good conversation with a listening adult once in a while right - note that, listening. Okay, enough of that already.

Wait..what's this post supposed to be about actually...aahh a smurfy weekend.

I love our weekends when we are not travelling back anywhere. It is super tiring. And I hate the packing. And the heaping laundry after that.

Well, let's just feast on pictures and captions shall we.

A smurfy weekend in Kuantan. 

Walking along the beach after a McDonald's breakfast

She loves loves and loves to walk

Something caught her attention

Always has a funny pose for the camera

"I want those!"

We didn't let her so she decided to walk off with her stroller

hmph! stomp stomp!

I'm a big girl Mama!

"I don't wanna let go!"

Time to get smurfy!

That was a lovely weekend!

Adik's antics..

they never fail to put a smile on our face.

Since getting her 'licence' at exactly 1, she has been toddling everywhere from the moment she wakes up.  Sometimes she would take my hand, gesture me to get up and walk around with her too - and if I don't, she would 'throw' herself on the floor bawling, angry is her new-found emotion.

Let's feast on her shall we - I mean her pics of course,

Umaira on being 1 : What will I be when I grow up?

Shopping queen?

inventor?

chef?

domestic queen?

artist?

And oh, did I mention she had a nasty accident a day before her birthday. Fell face first on the gravel from our car - the CRV which is quite high! She was leaning on the door when her Kakak came and  immediately opened the door! Cuts on her nose and grazes on forehead. But she only cried for a little while and calmed down when BFed, my poor baby. Quite a strong threshold of pain I must say. Alhamdulillah its better now, no marks on the nose, only small spots of white skin on the forehead. 

Abah's girl...

She is like her Abah in more ways than he would admit - well he wouldn't admit only the negative ones.

But alhamdulillah, I would like to believe that she has also inherited his talent - drawing.

She love posing with her 'masterpiece'

her drawing interpretation of the plushie

totally on her own

Next, the cat

Again unguided.