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Showing posts with label castle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label castle. Show all posts

Interesting Facts about Samurai and Himeji Castle Jigsaw Puzzle Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent this puzzle in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Today I am going to share another 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle. It is a beautiful photograph from Japan. It is the Samurai Castle and Cherry Blossoms 1,000-Piece Jigsaw Puzzle

The Mighty Knights & Sapphire's Castle

Disclosure: Peter J. Clark sent me copies of these books in exchange fro my honest review and help promoting Sapphire's Castle Relaunch. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation.  As in all my reviews I am providing links for your ease, but receive no compensation.

Today I am going to share with you two wonderful children's books by Peter J. Clark and illustrated by Kory Fluckinger. His first book is The Mighty Knights


http://www.peterjclarkbooks.com/#!product/prd14/4132063101/the-mighty-knights


The Mighty Knights is about two young boys who are brave knights. They sleep with their swords and are always ready. They awaken to a growling sound in the middle of the night and fight the dragon they find under the kitchen sink. Working together they are able to defeat the dragon and then the boys go back to sleep with their swords ready in case another unknown comes their way. It is a wonderful tale about courage in young children. It is well written and a fun book. The illustrations are fun.

Sharing Saturday 15-23



Thank you to everyone who shared last week!! This week there were less posts shared, but the ones that were are amazing!! For features we have some help with picking Summer Reading, June Holidays, and what I am calling Create and Play. 

Royal Clothespin Dolls

After making Hazel the peg doll fairies and animals, she wanted some princesses, princes, knights, king and queen to play with her castle playmat.  I decided to use clothespins since I had a bunch of them. We needed to glue buttons on the bottom so they could stand on the playmat. I decided to paint the males and I painted the tops of the females and added felt to be their skirts. I used wool roving for the females' hair. Some of which I even needle felted into place.
She has named each one. One is Princess Moonlight and there is Cinderella (in blue), and Princess Carrie. The men are named after her father, grandfather and first cousin. She is still deciding which are princes and guards.
Now she loves to make up stories about all her princesses. It keeps her busy for hours and then she puts on a show for us.


Hazel's Princess Birthday Party

Sharing Saturday is still open! Please come share your child-oriented crafts, activities, ideas and inspire us all!!

Today was Hazel's birthday party. I am happy to say it was a success. I shared our invitation and what we will be giving her on her actual birthday this past week. She announced to me about a week after last year's party that she wanted a princess theme. Now I knew a princess party would happen sooner or later, so I have been buying princess things when I seem them on clearance. I also went to a couple of stores and got boxes. I made this cut out castle that you saw when you walked in and decorated it with crepe paper/streamers and star shaped lights. Then we bought some princess balloons and the manager at Rite Aid (who was not able to come to the party) blew up our balloons and gave us the mylar ones (one for inside and one for the mailbox). Not that you can tell, but the latex balloons have the Disney princesses on them.

 I also made a photo arch and covered it in sparkly snowflake paper. (Sorry I blocked out faces of other children so you could see the decorations but not the kids.)
Hazel really wanted a pinata as well, so we found a princess one. I cut the bottom so we would not break it open or hang it since it was an indoor party. We also made a beeswax castle which I saw in some magazine but have not been able to find since. I bought this jasmine plant so we put it in the castle and used it as a centerpiece.

Oh, and Hazel had her hair done at the hairdresser this morning and of course wore her princess dress from Halloween. She also wore a rhinestone necklace of mine that I wore in some wedding.
We still have a large mixed age party, so we had several crafts. There were crowns and tiaras to decorate. The tiaras were foam crowns I found on clearance a couple of years ago hot glued onto headbands I bought at the Dollar Tree. There were wands to make. I cut paper stars out and gave them lollipop sticks (8 inch long) and ribbons and glue. There were shields to decorate. Steve cut up shirt boxes in the shield shape and then stapled a strip on the back for a handle. There were also beads and stretchy string to make bracelets and coloring books and markers and crayons. I have to say the older children, teenagers and some adults really had fun at the craft table. Hazel did a couple after the majority of the people had left.
Yellow cake

We had planned a couple of games, but they did not happen. It was a bit too hectic with the 30+ people. We were expecting close to possibly 60, but the kids all went straight for the family room and toys and played. Many did not break for food until the cake time. Speaking of cake, Hazel insisted on having a strawberry cake and a vanilla (well we did yellow) cake. So we made two cakes. Since a couple of her friends have nut allergies, we made the cakes from scratch. The yellow cake was made in a crown pan that I bought on clearance or at Christmas Tree Shoppe. We used this recipe from Allrecipes. It was very good and we do not have much left.
Strawberry Castle Cake
The strawberry cake was a castle. I saw the idea at Betty Crocker . I also added two princesses near the castle. I used this recipe from Confections of a Foodie Bride. I tried a recipe for strawberry frosting, but it never quite formed and was more of a glaze. I made the recipe twice, but did not have success and was out of powdered sugar so I went with the glaze. The neat thing about it was it was a pink cake and pink frosting and I did not use food coloring. The wafer cookies however fell apart over night so the doors and windows were a bit broken. Overall everyone liked the cakes though.
Oh, did I mention I pulled out my wedding tiara for the day. The hairdresser pinned it in for me this morning as well. Now I am glad it is over. I still need to pull together Hazel's gift and wrap it and wrap the one from my sister, but her actual birthday is still a few days away. She has already decided what next year's theme will be. I'll see if she sticks with it. It will be easy if she does. She is thinking snow fairy.

Now to get some sleep!! Have a good night!!



Hazel's Christmas Gift is Finished

So for Christmas I finished Hazel's playmat. Awhile ago I made her a zoo play mat (for original post go here). I have been making her some animals for her zoo and bought a few. At her school holiday fair I bought her a wooden hedgehog and a fabric pig and turtle. Then I made a wool kangaroo, penguin and lions. I finally finished her male lion. What do you think?


I knew I wanted to make it reversible and decided to make a castle play mat on the other side. I bought her some castle blocks and then found some more that are at an incredible price at Michaels this week, so I bought her two sets.
I was going to make her a royal family, but ran out of time so I bought her one and a unicorn. I bought them at 50% off sale at least.
 I think she will love it. I can't wait to see her open it all. Are you making any of your Christmas gifts this year?

Now I just need to finish her birthday gift and all the decorations and plans for her birthday party.


Happy Family Times #23--Birthday Party


Have you done something with your family this week? Come share it with me and Kelly from Happy Whimsical Hearts! Each week we collect the different activities we do with our families in hopes to inspire each other to have more quality family time! Please share yours below!

This week we went to a friend's birthday party. He turned three! He is the son of our hairdresser. We really enjoyed this party. They had a blow up water slide, a bouncy house, a castle slide and swords and shields for all the kids plus knight hats for the boys and princess hats for the girls. It was a castle themed party which is what the birthday boy asked for. I had not brought Hazel's swimsuit even though the invitation said to, because when I got my haircut a week ago, I was told they were unable to get the water slide. A lot happens in a week. We let her go in with just her regular clothes and we borrowed a towel. She had a great time.

When we first arrived most of the kids were playing in the water. Hazel could not wait to join them. It took her a bit to climb up. Steve went over to help the first few times. I went after that and taught her how to do it. Then she was successful by herself. She loved being in the water! Look at how wet she is. It took forever for her shorts to dry, but she loved it.
After eating some great food, the princess and knight clothes were passed out. I got Hazel to dress up but then she wanted to go back in the castle without any of her tools. Unfortunately by that point all the kids were having sword fights in the small castle, so she didn't last long in there. We headed over to the bouncy house.
She had a great time in the bouncy house. The other kids came and joined her as well. For the most part we stayed over here. Then the lollipops got passed along. Our friend made Jolly Ranger Lollipops. All she did was put jolly rangers in the oven for 5 minutes at 250 degrees. When they melt stick lollipop sticks in them and put them in the fridge until they harden. Everyone seemed to love them including Hazel.
Then Hazel got interested in her sword again. It started with me. I held her shield and she would try to hit it with the sword. Then I got Steve to play with her so I could get a picture. We got to bring one of the extra swords home so we can have sword fights. Oh, and we got a knight's helmet for Hazel as well.

Then it was time for cake. Our friend does not usually bake cakes, but she saw a castle kit at AC Moore. So here is her castle cake. (She is saving all the plastic pieces for me since we are doing a princess theme this year!)
Isn't it adorable? It was quite tasty too. Then for a favor she had her aunt make chocolate lollipop castles. These are so cute as well!


Now it is your turn to share how your family has spent some quality time lately.


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Ok, now for our PARTY!! Please share your FUN Family Times!!