5 Kid Friendly Crafts to Keep Busy

Are you going a little stir-crazy?

(WHO ISN'T?)

Well, Easter is only a little over two weeks away, so why not put this time to good use by making some holiday crafts, treats, and tasty dishes to keep the kids and yourself busy? 

(Below are some tried and true crafts/recipes I've done-and their links-so happy crafting)

1)

HOW TO MAKE PRETTY EASTER BASKETS WITH PAPER

The prettier the paper – the better

But white paper will work 

Simply color, paint, draw or even paste magazine pictures to beautify your baskets

The stiffer the paper – the stronger

If you have cardstock – all the better

Staple, tape or even glue – use what you have around the house 

2)

MAKE SOME FUN AND EZ TREATS

These are simply cupcakes with coconut frosting but if you don’t have coconut, simply scoop your frosting into a baggie and cut the end off to pipe “grass” on top. 

If you have questions let me know in the  comments.

3)

MAKE YOUR OWN MINIONS

If you have food coloring and eggs, you can make your own minions. If you don’t have jiggly eyes, simply draw them with a marker or paint them with food coloring.

4)

CREATE RICE KRISPY EGGS

If you have rice krispies and marshmallows – you can make easter eggs! If you don’t have marshmallows, you can make your own.

5)

CREATE BEET JUICE EGGS

If you have a can of beets and some eggs, you can color eggs the natural way. This is safe (except for the obvious staining issue). Put on an apron, tie a towel around yourself, or simply wear old clothes for this project. 

It couldn't be more simple. Just dunk your egg in the juice - then let it sit - it takes longer than food coloring but it comes out pretty.

I hope you enjoyed these five simple ways to have some fun with things you probably have around the house.

Stay well and happy creating!

Gangsters and Ghosts - Haunted tour in Chicago, Illinois (Part 4 of Ghosts, Gangsters & Ghouls)

Me and Fatina Ghost Hunting

While we were in Chicago, we had to visit one of the most famous gangster's in history, Al Capone.
Maybe you've seen the movie Scarface, which just happened to be Al's nickname. So, we took a road trip to Mount Carmel Cemetery to pay our respects. And, of course, Mount Carmel is said to be haunted. But, not by Al. Instead the story Julia Petta, the disappearing lady in the white gown.

But, still we  had to stop by Al's grave.

Al Capone's Grave

Even though Al Capone went to prison at 33, and died January 25, 1947, it  looks like a lot of people  still visit his grave. 

Stormy Skies over Mount Carmel Cemetery

The clouds rolled  in and it turned into a stormy sort of experience. And, as we searched for the specific  gravesite, we came upon some beautiful crypts.

A beautiful place to sit and remember. . . loved ones

We  didn't have any paranormal experiences  while we were there although as soon as we climbed out of the car, it started  to rain, and as soon as we climbed back in the car, it cleared up. We started to leave and, we got a little turned around  for a second, so we drove back by the cemetery, and it started to rain again. Just  a little creep factor.

We also went on a Gangsters and Ghosts tour in downtown Chicago and had to stop at Death Alley, which is said to be haunted by the victims of the fire of December  30, 1903. Over 2000 people were inside the theater in front of the alley, when an electrical fire broke out and claimed hundreds of lives.  

Death Alley in Chicago

There were lots  of other spooky sites but I'll save those for Part 5 of Ghosts, Gangsters & Ghouls.

After our Gangsters and Ghosts tour,  we were tired so we went back to our hotel and enjoyed another type of spirits ;D

Me,  Kara and Fatina Toasting After Our Tour

Haunted Houses in Gary, Indiana (Part 3 of Ghosts, Gangsters & Ghouls)

My daughter and daughter-in-law, and  I went on a road trip in search of forgotten spirits (and I'm not talking about Lemon Drops ;)

We've taken a few of these ghostly road trips before, like the time we went to Kenosha, Wisconsin and Lake Michigan and caught a few strange (some might say Paranormal) occurrences on camera.

But this time we were searching in Gary, Indiana--yes, it  seems like Indiana has more than its fair share of ghosts and ghouls. Maybe that's why it's ranked as one of the most  dangerous cities in the United  States.

I'm working on a ghost story. So, lately, I've been doing a lot of paranormal research by visiting Castles, Crypts and Creepy Places. And even though I've gone to a lot of cities and different states, I've realized my favorite creepy place is right here in Portland, Oregon.

If you're interested in seeing my #1 location for creepability, check it out here.



And, if  you've had any paranormal experiences of your own, please share a bit about it in the comments below.

The Most Haunted Cemetery in the World - Bachelor's Grove Cemetery, Midlothian (Part 2 of Ghosts, Gangsters and Ghouls)

Bachelor's Grove Cemetery just happens to be the most haunted cemetery in the world. And, I was  skeptical about this spooky story but, as my daughter-in-law, Fatina, and I jumped in the car and drove off on our road trip, I soon began to see how this location had earned its reputation.

First, we had trouble finding the cemetery. It's actually hidden inside the woods and although google maps  has the location marked  correctly, it's not so easy to find. There are no signs directing you to the historical location. And there isn't even a parking lot or a simple sign to mark its location.

We had to park across the  street at the Rubio Woods Forest Preserve. Then we ran across the busy highway to find the entrance, which was marked by two wooden posts with a rope strung between the two, blocking the path.

But we didn't let that stop us, as we walked around the rope and started our search for haunted spirits. The path was nothing more than dirt, littered with stones, that might have once been a walkway. Now, it was muddy and slippery but we walked on.

After walking about a quarter mile, we suddenly came upon an opening and didn't even notice the graveyard until we were right next to it. It was literally in the middle of the woods.

A chain link fence surrounded the small cemetery but there was no gate, no sign, nothing except for tombstones in the center to confirm we'd found the spot.

We went in and wandered around reading the fallen gravestones.

Many were too deteriorated to even read and some were nothing more than stones poking out of the  earth.

People have seen spirits and strange colored lights here. Some claim to hear ghostly sounds as they hike through the woods and some have even said they've seen a two-headed monster.

While we were there, we did see a frozen pond at the edge of the cemetery. We walked over and saw a misty vapor rising from the chilled ground. 

It was freezing cold in the shaded woods. And, as we walked away from the cemetery we heard strange sounds and creaking branches from the trees as they swayed in the wind.

It was definitely one of the creepiest places I've ever visited and this was during the daylight. I can tell you I wouldn't have the guts to walk down that deserted path in the dark to search for the Bachelor's Grove Cemetery. And I can understand why people say this is the most haunted cemetery in the world.

Ghosts, Gangsters and Ghouls - in Gary, Indiana - the 1st in a 5-part series

Recently I went on a whirlwind, weekend trip to visit my daughter in Chicago. While I was there, I thought why not do a little ghost-hunting...so we did.

We started out in Chicago on the Gangsters and Ghosts tour (but I'm saving that for another post).

We started out Saturday morning, on a roadtrip….

ROAD TRIP TO GARY INDIANA

That big (once beautiful building above) is the City Church, in Gary, Indiana, which by the way, just happened to be the murder capital of the world in 1994 and it still holds the dubious honor of ranking as the 6th place in the country for violent crime...Chicago ranks 25th.

So, what better place to start a ghost-hunt?

It was a day filled with Empty Places and Ghostly Spaces.

And, as we wandered around the city, I felt overcome with a sense of sadness, not simply because these once-beautiful buildings  have fallen into such horrible disrepair but also because this city was once home to a thriving community. But, when the steel factory jobs all disappeared, so did most of the people...at least most of those living in Gary. And, while Chicago ranks high on the list of MOST HAUNTED cities in America, Gary would get my vote.

I don't even think I would have had the guts to wander around this city in the dark, at night...of course I don't usually like to wander around most big cities in the dark, at night. But at least during the daylight, I found the nerve to enter a few creepy places.

I'm going to close out for now, but keep watching here for more ghost stories...because they're coming....

Valentine's Day Gingerbread House

At Christmas I wanted to make a gingerbread house but never got around to doing it. So, I decided on this long holiday weekend, I'd make a Valentine's Day Gingerbread House, with the help of my daughter and daughter-in-law. And this is how it turned out.

If you want to see how I did it, click on the link below.

Video of how I made the gingerbread house

And, if you watch the video, please let  me know what you thought.

Thanks!

The Great Critique - coming 1/18/2020

Winter Great Critique – January 2020

Date/Time
Date(s) - 01/18/2020
9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Location
TaborSpace, The Dining Room
5441 SE Belmont Street - Portland, OR 97215

SCBWI Oregon’s Great Critique is an event that happens twice a year. Each session is an awesome opportunity for writers and illustrators to be critiqued by a professional and their peers.

Never been in a critique group? Wish you could be critiqued by someone who is ahead of you in the publishing game? Want to strengthen your work? Need a fresh set of eyes and ears on that oft-revised piece? This is your chance. A published author or illustrator will lead each small group and critique your manuscript or art. You’ll also hear/see others’ work and get feedback from those writers and illustrators too. Plus you’ll learn from the comments by the critique leader about the work of others.

So sign up for a morning of perfecting your craft. And, who knows, you might make a few new like-minded friends to start a new critique group, too.

There will be a meet and greet at 9:00, where attendees sign in and get their name tags, then can enjoy a cup of coffee and a snack while meeting other writers and illustrators. Faculty books will be available for purchase during the refreshment time as well.

Sign up here: https://oregon.scbwi.org/events/winter-great-critique-january-2020/

The faculty includes;

Addie Boswell 

Cindy Baldwin 

Zoe Burke  

Kelly Fry 

Melissa Hart 

Sarah Jane Marsh 

Suzy Vitello 

Kate Berube