Transformers Bingo

I put together these Transformers BINGO cards for my youngest boys 5th birthday party.  He's super excited to play this with his friends this weekend.

 Instructions:  Click on each image and save to your computer.  Print out one each of these 4 BINGO cards on card stock (I printed two per page).  Cut out and laminate (if desired).

Next, print out these BINGO calling cards (3 pages, 9 altogether) on card stock; cut out and laminate (again, if desired).   (Note, not all the cards are exactly the same size, although very close.  The compulsive perfectionist inside of me is dying but, oh well....as a mother of five children I've learned that sometimes you just have to let things go.  he he he....)

How to play:  Place calling cards inside a box, container, or envelope.  In random order pull out one card at a time.  Have the children mark the corresponding picture on their individual boards with buttons, pieces of candy, or other small objects (appropriate for their age).  If you chose to laminate, dry-erase markers work really well for this.

The object is to be the first to mark off three pictures in a row.  When this is accomplished, child shouts out "BINGO" or in this case "Transformers, roll out!" and wins a prize.  Play for desired length of time or until all children get a prize. 

Enjoy!  Happy Bingo-ing!

Allergy Friendly Trick-or-Treating House Sign

Another cute sign I will be posting this Halloween.....

This one was put together by my older sister Natalie.  Both she and I have kiddos with severe nut allergies and this time of year (and Christmas--with all the yummy neighbor goodies) can put a mama on edge.

One great way to set a few minds at ease and to help little kiddos in your neighborhood feel safe this Halloween is to 1) Purchase a few "prizes" to hand out to allergy kids that are non-food items (pencils, spider rings, etc) 2) Post a sign like the one below to let others know you are allergy conscious and/or 3)Paint a pumpkin teal and place it on your porch--signifying your allergy consciousness as well (Check out the Teal Pumpkin Project for more information).

I plan to do all three.  Isn't it cute?

Happy Halloween Y'all!

"Trick FOR Treat" Sign

I'll be the first to admit I'm a bit of a Halloween "Hum Bug".  Honestly, it is NOT my favorite holiday....at all.  Don't get me wrong....I LOVE the part about the candy and about eating it, but everything else I could leave by the wayside.   

What I especially dislike about Trick-or-Treating is the hoards of teenagers that end up on my doorstep.  I mean, COME ON!  Not that I never did it.  In fact I did.  Once.  When I was 14.  It was the most humiliating experience of my life and I never attempted it again.

Anyway....

These last few years I've come up with a way to enjoy having these too-old-for-trick-or-treating-aged-kids come up my steps rather than being annoyed at their freeloaderness-ess.  I've taken the term "trick or treating" and tweaked it just a bit.  For the aforementioned ones, I call it "trick FOR treating".

This is how it works.  They do a trick for me....I give a treat to them.  Ta Da!  That's it.  Not so hard but very entertaining.  I figure that as long as they are embarrassing themselves (by begging me for candy) they might as well have to really embarrass themselves by doing something funny for me.

This year I decided to give them a little fair warning.  I'm not much of a poet but tonight this little ditty came together quite nicely.  Enjoy and feel free to copy (right click on image and save to your computer):

Happy Halloween Y'all!