Magnetic Cookie Sheet

   Any parent can benefit from this trick! Have you ever found yourself gripping the stearing wheel just a little too tight when your kids ask 'are we there yet' for the fiftieth time? I'm guilty of it on several occassions, but really, can we blame them? I get bored, too! This  project will give them a new, exciting activity to play with in the car. And who knows...maybe it will buy you 30 more minutes of silent riding :)

Materials: 

• Old cookie sheet
• Several matchbox cars (If you have them, use the rejects that are missing wheels. )
• Magnetic strips
• Hot glue gun (and glue sticks.)
• One car-crazy child

   As I have said before, my son LOVES car.  Any project I can think of that will include his obsession is fine with him. This activity not only provides entertainment in the car but it also helps to improve his hand eye coordination.  
   First cut the magnetic strip into 1/2" sections and reserve two for each car. Peel the sticky backing off of the magnet strip and squirt a pea size amount of hot glue onto the sticky part of the magnet. 
   Attach the magnet pieces of magnet onto the flattest part of the underside of the car. In my case, it was most flat in between both sets of wheels. If it works better on a particular car to use a bigger strip in the middle, do so. Let your magnetized cars dry for at least 15 minutes to ensure the magnet won't come off...Be careful if you are using this activity for small kids who are still interested in 'eating' toys.
   Now you are ready to attach the cars to the cookie sheet! Your kids will love to play with their new toy...even with all the new colorful plastic toys out there, my son still prefers a good home-made invention any day :) I knew he was mine!
   You could also use your coffee filter butterflies on the cookie sheet as well! Think outside the box to come up with new 'magnet' ideas....glue magnet strips to pipe cleaners to create 'roads,' or use shells you found at the beach as a different shape for them to explore! The options are endless! Go try out your new invention with a nice, long car ride!

 *To make things even easier, check out this magnetic tape! (I still suggest using hot glue to adhere to toys.)
 

Tin Foil Paint Tray Clean-up

   
Sometimes just thinking about doing a painting project can make you tired, especially when you have a toddler to look after while cleaning up. This idea really came out of necessity.  I needed something that was going to help me clean up his easel after we used it. 

Materials:

• Aluminun foil
• Paint
• Paint brush
• Messy child

   Although it isn't necessary for me to get the easel completely clean after each use, the big blobs that would stick to the easel paint cups after only 10 minutes really bothered me.  I needed something that was going to buy me some time so I could get my little man cleaned up before I had fingerprints all over my walls and before the paint would stick to the easel...what.a.pain.  Then it came to me----Tin foil!!!!  Why hadn't I thought of this before? I use tin foil when I am painting (it is easier to mix colors on, more so than plastic) so I felt really dumb when I finally started using this technique with Eli.
  All you do is line the easel paint cups with tin foil! Shape the tin foil the best you can to fit inside whatever you will put the paint in then when you are done you just ball it up and throw it away! Genius if I do say so myself.  Especially when I am busy with +Blossoming Buttons Custom Stationery and Art!
   Most parents who avoid painting projects are mostly worried about the mess and the clean up. You can't control the mess, you have a kid, but you can make the clean-up a little bit easier! Got any other tips I haven't thought of yet? Please comment and share them! Use this technique for any other painting project, see us use it in the packing peanut project! Happy painting, everyone :)