Oh, what do you do in the MOST BORING TIME OF YEAR?!?

This is a hard time of year for us.  It is freezing cold and we rarely see the sunshine.  No good holidays with cute decorations for my house.  Restricted eating.  It is depressing.  My kids want to go outside but can only last for 20 minutes.  I am going crazy.  I need some ideas.  What do you do?   What do you do with your kids??  HELP!

Here are my ideas:
1.  Speed clean your pantry.  (from Real Simple)

Take your pantry from filthy to flawless in just 15 minutes. Here’s what you’ll need: sponge cloths, a dustbuster, a smooth-top easy liner, dishwashing liquid, baking soda, paper towels, a spatula, and a clear square plastic bin (about six by six inches).

• Minutes 1 to 3: Move the trash can near the pantry. Empty shelves onto the counter, tossing out anything expired or suspicious (old cracker boxes, ancient bags of flour, outdated canned goods). Most dried herbs and ground spices should be replaced every six months (jot down those you throw away so you’ll remember to replace them); goods like honey and brown sugar can last forever.
• Minute 4: If you’re overloaded with canned goods, make a bag for a local food bank (see feedingamerica.org for locations). Separate the “keeper” contents into two categories: everyday items and occasionally used items.
• Minute 5: Fill a bowl with warm water and a squirt of dish soap. Dip a sponge cloth in the solution, wring it out, and wipe down sticky jars and dusty cans. Let dry.
• Minute 6: With a handheld vac, clear the shelves of crumbs, being extra diligent in the corners.
• Minute 7: Sprinkle baking soda on any honey drippings, jelly spots, or other residue. Top each with a paper towel soaked in hot water. Let sit for a few seconds.
• Minutes 8 to 9: Lift the paper towels and use a spatula (or an old credit card) to dislodge the now softened sticky stuff. Then dip and wring the sponge cloth again, and wipe down all shelves.
• Minutes 10 to 11: Dry shelves thoroughly with a cloth. Apply shelf liner (it wipes clean and makes it easier to slide things in and out).
• Minute 12: Place items that tend to get lost—loose packets (oatmeal, Sloppy Joe mix), tiny jars (bouillon)—in a plastic bin.
• Minutes 13 to 15: Reload the pantry. Put everyday stuff—cereal, pet food, lunch ingredients, snacks—at the most accessible levels. Light occasional items (spare paper towels) belong on top. Heavy occasionals (jugs of oil) can go on the bottom. Group by category: baking supplies all in a cluster, for example. Keep multiples (three cans of chickpeas, say) together, so you don’t lose track of your stock.
  
  
  2.
  
  

  Sparkly Tangled Paper Lanterns

  By Cindy Littlefield

  

  Print

  Add Comment

  Share

  Every year Rapunzel spent locked away in the tower, her parents sent beautiful floating lamps into the night sky in hopes that their daughter was out there somewhere to see them. Fashioned from pretty scrapbook papers and covered with stick-on gems, these paper lanterns are fun to fold and decorate, and will add a glittery flare to your child's bedroom. Hang them in front of a window to catch the light, or string them together for a wall-to-wall garland.

  You'll need:

  
  

  • Scrapbook papers
  • Ruler
  • Scissors
  • Glue dots
  • Faux gems
  • Thin beading cord or decorative thread
  • Buttons (2 per lantern)

  Instructions:
  

  1. For each lantern, cut a paper rectangle from scrapbook paper. It should measure 24 inches wide and between 6.5 to 8.5 inches high (depending on how tall a lantern you want).

  2. Set the rectangle down with the long edges at the top and bottom. Fold the top down half an inch and use the ruler to smooth the crease. Then fold the top a second time (another half an inch) to create a paper "hem." Do the same with the bottom edge of the paper.

  3. Next, fold the left side over half an inch (do not fold it a second time).

  4. Fold the paper sideways so that the right edge just meets the fold you made in step 3. Press this new fold to create a sharp crease.

  5. Unfold the paper and refold it, this time bringing the left edge to the crease you made in step 4.

  6. Fold the left side of the paper toward the crease, as you did the right side. At this point, you should end up with four equal-size lantern panels.

  7. Now form the lantern box by tucking the half-inch fold on the far left panel between the top and bottom hems of the far right panel, as shown. Use glue dots to secure the connections in the corners.

  8. It's time to add some sparkle. Let your kids adorn the lantern with lots of faux gems.

  9. Finally, fashion a hanger for the lantern by tying a button on each end of an 8-inch length of thin beading cord or decorative thread. Use glue dots to attach the beads to opposite sides of the lantern top.

  
  

  See All Tangled Crafts, Recipes and Printables
  

  
  3.  Family Movie Night-Toy Story 3

  (Invite your neighbors and have a fun little party)  

  from Amy Workman 

  Once or twice a month we do a whole themed night on a particular movie, complete with goodies, decorations and fun activities, we call it Movie Night and today I get to share with you the new Toy Story 3 movie. (If you haven’t seen it yet, I can’t recommend this movie enough! It is fabulous!)

  
  We’ve all been VERY excited to see this movie, and my kids have been counting down the days until it’s release. So, lets get started shall we?

  I usually start with a fun and yummy treat, and this time we did make-your-own Mr. Potato Head cupcakes!

  

  Start by baking up a batch of your favorite cupcakes, and frost them with peanut butter icing. If you have peanut allergies at your house, no problem, butter cream frosting tinted brown is a great substitution.

  So now we’ve got the body of our potato and here’s where the fun begins… he’s about to get a lot cuter!

  
  Check your local bulk food store or candy isle for different sweet treats that can represent the various body parts of a Mister or a Misses Potato.

  
  Don’t limit yourself to just candy, I ended up using cereal pieces for the nose; and licorice makes great hairy eyebrows and mustaches.

  My kids had so much fun decorating their potato head cupcakes!

  
  After eating that yummy cupcake you’ll want something to wash it all down with, so how about a squeeze toy alien milkshake?

  
  Blend up your favorite flavor of ice cream into a milkshake (we used mint chocolate chip). Next, cut the backs off of 3 marshmallows and stick them to the side of the cup. Add some black eyes with an edible food marker, a green licorice straw and you’re done! A huge hit with the kids, and so easy to make!

  

  Now that we’ve covered the food for our movie night, just a couple more simple touches and you’re ready to watch your show.

  I printed a picture of Buzz Lightyear from the Internet and made it into a small sign to go with our Buzz Band glow bracelets.

  
  This next prop was an awesome find at my local dollar store. (A great place to get inexpensive treats and decorations for your own movie nights) These monkey candy toys. (Makes SO much more sense if you’ve seen the movie) They happily clapped along with the movie.

  

  Last but not least, I like to do a little bit of decorating to bring the whole night together. So I wrapped a big box in brown paper, wrote Sunnyside on it and grabbed a bunch of the kids toys to represent different characters from the movie.

  
  For most of my movie nights, the first time I watch it is usually with the whole family. Most of the time I can get an idea of what the movie is about by reading an online plot summary or from commercials or pictures. But in this case, I did watch the movie before hand, so that is why my treats and decorations are so specific. I of course didn’t mind watching the movie again, it’s that cute!

  I love doing movie nights for my family, and the kids think it’s just the greatest thing ever. Plus, it’s like I get to throw a party every month, and I love the creative outlet this provides for me. I hope you found some inspiration from this, and want to start your own family movie nights!

  4.  And if all else fails, plan a trip to St. George.  

  

  St. George-January 2010

  Ok.  Your turn.  What do you do??