Cootie catchers!

Hi guys!
I know it's already halfway through, but it's the week of love! In the school age group I work with at my daycare we are doing tons of lovie-dovie crafts. I spent about two hours Monday night working on the supplies for the two crafts I will tell you about tomorrow and the next day, but this craft is a classic that needs revived!
Cootie catchers. Please tell me at least a few of you remember making these in elementary school and writing a dozen silly things inside to make your friends laugh. In order to make mine fit the idea of Valentine's Day I went on pinterest and found these two outlines:

http://lilluna.com/free-valentines-cootie-catcher/ 

http://thecraftingchicks.com/valentine-cootie-catchers-free-printable/

The kiddos ended up working better with the first one that the second one, but I also think it would have worked out better had we printed these out in color, and cut the squares out for them. 

Then, we folded. You start by folding it into a diagonal triangle pictures facing out, then unfold and do the same on the other diagonal. Then, fold the paper in half like a book with the pictures inside, doing the same thing the other direction once one is done. 

Then, face the paper pictures down on a flat surface and fold in the corners so they meet in the middle like a star. This is why the first picture is better than the second, since there aren't any lines on the second. After that, flip it over and fold in the corners again. Make sure that you push really hard on your creases so that this last part turns out well. Fold the paper in half so your most recent flaps are inside, then unfold that last fold and do the same the other direction. Then flip it over and wiggle your fingers into the flaps on the back. It takes a little manipulation and pinching but then you have your cootie catcher! If my explanation makes no sense, here is a chart that might make it easier: 

https://babysitterblab.wordpress.com/2011/01/09/cootie-catcher/

This is a great craft to do with older kids whom don't necessarily love normal crafts. Even several of my daycare boys loved making these, which was a surprise for me. 

Well, gotta head back into the wild blue yonder (oh dear, I'm a dork). I will have a new post up for you by tomorrow night! 

~Blondie~

20th Birthday cake AKA Sugar to the Max

Hi guys! So yesterday I turned 20 and for my birthday I made myself a cake. For my birthday cake I used an online recipe (Found here: https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/foodie-tale-11267581/best-lemon-sheet-cake-2641022027 ) to try to duplicate a cake that my mom has made me for my birthday for as long as I can remember. I did some perfecting though, and here I am to tell you about it. :)

The recipe calls for....     1 box of lemon cake mix (along with the ingredients called for on the back                                            of the box)

                                         1 cup buttermilk

                                         1 3oz packet of lemon pudding mix (I used 3.4 and it worked just as well)

                                         Glaze: 

                                         4 cups powdered sugar

                                         1/3 cup lemon juice

                                         3 T Vegetable oil

                                         3 T water

Now for the fun part: my changes. I changed the recipe by adding a couple tablespoons of lemon juice to the cake mixture right before my final mixing (mostly because I bought the cheap pudding mix). The changes I wish I had made was the cut back the powdered sugar because I ended up with too much glaze, and also add more lemon juice to the glaze. It just didn't have the bite I wanted. 

So, onto how to make it. It's a pretty basic recipe. Mix the dry ingredients together separate from the wet, then slowly add the dry into the wet until it's all combined. Preheat the oven to 350, dump the mix into a greased 9x13 pan, and pop it into the oven for the time it suggests on the box. Make it for the longest time they give you, because this batter is very wet. 

Once you can put a toothpick in and it comes out clean, you're ready to go. Let it cool for a little bit (long enough for you to make the glaze), then poke some holes into the cake with a butter knife or something small. Not too many, just enough to let the glaze sink in. Once you've mixed up all of the ingredients for the glaze, pour the glaze on the cake. If you took my tips, you should be able to use all of it, and when you have no more gaze the cake should look like this: 

                        

I swear, it looks like more than it is. I let it sink in overnight and when I went to cut into it the next night it looked like this: 

Alright, there you have it. How to make a delicious cake for yourself (you might even share). I would recommend small pieces and a glass of milk for this delicacy. Or big pieces and pretending it's 0 calories. Either way, enjoy! 

~Blondie~