(EXTRA)Ordinary Fun

We've been dealing with a stomach bug this past week. So I definitely wasn't in the mood (or even able) to go out and get fun new things for Noah. This week, we turned normal activities into fun, new-ish games! Okay, don't get all excited. It's not that impressive, but it was fun & free!!

While window showing, we lol'd at the rodents at Petco! Noah's always been a fan of animals, so we try to stop at pet store when ever we have a chance!

 

We took advantage of the beautiful afternoon and washed our cars.

Noah loved playing with the squeegee.

We even pulled out his cozy coupe so he could wash his car, just like mommy!

 

And of course, we had to roller coaster ride down the drive way with Aunt Rachel!

On Sunday, Noah's 16 month birthday, we took a bath .... full of JELLO! It was actually pretty awesome. I made a double batch of blue jello. Added a little bit of water and we splashed, played, and ate.

Here's a better shot of what the sensory bath looked like! Just putting a little bit extra into ordinary things to make them fun!!

A Week of Pinterest

After the crazy month we've had, I wanted to take it easy and stay home for the week. Just get back to basics and catch up on some sleep. I wanted to try something different from pinterest every week! And the best of all, it only costs me 72 cents for a week worth of fun!!

MONDAY and TUESDAY: you've already seen HERE. We made a table fort on Monday and Tuesday we made cornstarch goop.

WEDNESDAY we played with a box full of stuff (inspired HERE). Literally. I gathered a bunch of random non-toy things, threw them in a box, and called it a day. Noah's box included a mirror, empty oreo box, funnel, cheese grater, alarm clock, bump-its, alligator clips, squirt bottle, resistance band, pants hanger with pajamas bottoms attached, cooling rack, and a silicone bundt pan.

THURSDAY, it finally stopped raining so we could play outside. I made 5 trays of colored ice cubes after seeing THIS pin and knew Noah would have a blast. He didn't disappoint. First we added ice cubes to our tub of water. Noah had fun trying to pick the ice cubes out of the water.

Next we played with them on our picnic table and he "painted" with them.

Noah was still in a creative mood, so we colored with chalk! I don't know why I hadn't let him do that before. He love scribbling all over and then stomping on his artwork with his wet feet, washing it away in the process.

FRIDAY we painted with cornstarch. I used the same cornstarch from the Tuesday activity and followed these instructions. I used a tablespoon of cornstarch, and enough water to cover it, with food coloring. I mixed them in individual containers before transferring them to the muffin pan. It was Noah's first time painting and he was quite the artist.

Life As of Late

We've been play-dating and exploring what our city has to offer like crazy lately. It's nice to get out of the house, but you better believe it's almost more work to keep your tornado of a toddler contained in public.

We've gone to the Austin Zoo,

went to Loco-Motion Inflatable Playland,

and even the Austin Children's Museum. I can't recommend each place enough. There was so much for Noah to do at all three locations, we played and laughed until little man was tuckered out.

We've even celebrated with a holiday and a milestone. Noah got his first hair cut and took it like a champ. Almost zero wiggles and no fussing whatsoever. What a relief!

 

Fourth of July didn't go exactly as planned but we made the best of it! We went to Frontier Festival and met up with some family. Enjoyed a petting zoo and some cold popsicles. Grilled out, swam in the pool, and celebrated with sparklers and fireworks!

Even with our busy schedule, that didn't stop us from trying new pinterest activities!

We made a giant outdoor bubble bath! Add a little bit of soap (we've used hand soap and dish soap with no problems) and a hose! I put the hose on spray mode to get the most bubbles (maximum bubbles NOT pictured)!

On one of our play dates, we tried chocolate pudding finger/face painting! I believe she made it from a little bit of hot chocolate mix and water, but you could easily just do it with instant pudding mix.

We also made cornstarch goop! Cheap and easy to make. We used 1 cup of walmart brand cornstarch (72 cents), half a cup of water, and a few drops of food coloring! Mix and you have this amazing "sliquid". You can touch it and it will be a liquid, but if you hold it, it's a solid. So crazy. Just go try it. Would be even better for older kids, but Noah still had a blast!

Today, we went old school and tried a table fort (just sheets on our kitchen table). I had brought books and a flash light in to read some books, but the flash light stole the show. I grabbed all the rest of the flash lights I could find and let Noah play with the shadows and lights. Tons of fun and free!