tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80784140023379664002024-03-12T17:50:40.724+13:00mousehouseMeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.comBlogger212125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-21377403228098861732017-04-26T15:20:00.006+12:002017-04-26T15:32:36.527+12:00Laundry renovation tips and ideas
I went on a house tour a few weeks ago in Mount Maunganui run by NZ House and Garden magazine and saw some incredibly stunning and mostly huge homes. I always like looking at the practical spaces in a home such as the pantry, laundry, mudroom type space if they have one, office type space etc. To me those spaces are as important as the big kitchens, bedrooms and living rooms because Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-82912068531202874572017-01-19T20:49:00.003+13:002017-01-19T20:49:46.352+13:00Snow globe postcards
After seeing this idea for Snow globe postcards on this great website http://funcraftskids.com/diy-snowglobe-postcard-craft/ ....
I thought it would be fun for my class to create their own as part of our learning about the Olympics last year. The students chose a country that was competing in the Olympics and researched that country. They then had to write a postcard to friends or Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-32786433706172814662017-01-16T21:01:00.001+13:002017-01-16T21:01:22.604+13:00Romero Britto Art
As part of our Olympics/Rio learning last year I introduced my Year 4 class to the art of Brazilian pop artist Romero Britto. They loved his style of art and enthusiastically created their own art works 'Britto' style.
Hare are two You Tube clips I showed my class...
Romero Britto Bio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIklk8X7GzA
How to create your own Romero Britto art work
https://Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-70961299104743138202017-01-16T20:45:00.000+13:002017-01-16T20:45:17.520+13:00DIY Paper CraftsThe school I teach in has an 'Adventure Time' programme in two terms of each year (a little bit like 'clubs' from when we were kids if you wre lucky to have that at your school. Teachers get to choose what they would like to do based on their interests and strengths, and the children get to choose which group they would like to join. In 2015 as a parent (my kids go to the school I teach at) I Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-62286809696013206032017-01-15T22:44:00.002+13:002017-01-15T22:44:24.466+13:00Antarctica
Year 5/6 class- 5 weeks 2016
This was a fantastic topic-so many rich and relevant learning experiences, and lots of ways to get creative as well. The students loved sewing these penguin softies and were so proud of them. They also created pastel penguin art works and water colour penguin art works. Highlights included creating kahoot quizzes about Antarctica, researching Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-45979115676203275822017-01-15T22:02:00.001+13:002017-01-15T22:02:47.075+13:00Mothers Day cards and gift
Last year I taught a lovely class of Year 5/6 for 5 weeks while their teacher took long service leave. During this time it was Mothers Day so I taught the students how to make their own stamps for wrapping paper, and how to make the little 3D flower bouquet cards.
To make the stamps we used a milk bottle lid and some sheets of thin foam (http://www.warehousestationery.co.nz/product/Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-34163409543017420322016-03-20T10:14:00.002+13:002016-03-20T10:14:44.235+13:00DIY Jewellery Craft Class
After seeing these cute tube bracelets on Pinterest I thought it would be fun to do a DIY Jewellery craft class with my group of crafty kids. I have a group of around 16 kids from ages 6-12 that come to my craft classes- I just do them every few months when I think of a fun theme and have the time/energy to do one!
Here are some pics from yesterdays class
First up we Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-81372754294062881342015-10-21T20:46:00.001+13:002015-10-21T20:46:28.437+13:00Family Photo Wall DIY
If there is one thing I would love to be more organised with since having kids it's all the photo's I take. And from talking with friends it seems like it's something we all want to get on top of, but one of the hardest things to actually do! I did a massive cull of my digital photo's in my iPhoto recently - but still have a crazy amount in my iPhoto library. And that's only fromMeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-9930774843920580462015-09-10T14:01:00.002+12:002015-09-10T17:38:04.486+12:00A French Themed Birthday Party
The good thing about going through all my photos finally is that I find all these photos for blog posts I have meaning to write for a good while now! So I thought I would share these photos of the french themed birthday party I did for Amelie back in April. I wanted to keep her party small this year as I had just had Jack's first birthday party- well he turned 4 but it was his first actual partyMeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-62475058544147646742015-09-06T19:49:00.000+12:002015-09-06T19:49:18.412+12:00Easy Kids Party Ideas
I always like thinking of ideas for kids parties, things that are quick and easy to prepare, which will keep everyone entertained. 'Pass-the-parcel' can take a while to wrap up, and a DIY piñata can take a lot of effort too! Then some new Allen’s lollies arrived at my door just at the right time (the kids are really loving me having a blog at the moment). In my bumper pack I Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-2009153140188783682015-08-07T21:34:00.002+12:002015-08-07T21:34:42.908+12:00Home Sweet Home Sewing and Stitching Group
I mentioned recently on FB that I am taking a sewing and stitching group at my daughters school for the next 5 weeks one afternoon a weel- they do an awesome 'Adventure Time' programme where teachers and parents choose some of their favourite activities or things they are experts at and students get to choose what group they would like to join- it's a bit like what I remember of 'Clubs' when I Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-58763465812981261782015-05-20T11:24:00.001+12:002015-05-20T11:24:08.776+12:00Craft Room Pegboard DIY
As part of our renovation last year we converted a small room and half of a bedroom into a craft room/office space. Because we stuck within the existing exterior walls of the house for this part of our reno the room is just under 2 metres wide but is nearly 6 metres long. So a very long but narrowish space means clever storage as I needed to maximise every inch of this space (still have had toMeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-40976256641321227302015-03-30T18:59:00.001+13:002015-03-30T18:59:17.406+13:00A Lego Party
Hi everyone, here are the details of my daughter Stella's 6th birthday Lego Party we had last week. I chose to do an after school party as her birthday was on a Wednesday so we could do the whole birthday on the one day, rather than every other year where the party has been on a different day to the birthday. We had 12 guests plus our three kids so there were a lot of kids running around, I Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-89999530041490632882015-03-24T20:57:00.000+13:002015-03-24T20:57:38.887+13:00Easter treats
Last week I was asked by Countdown Supermarkets to come up with a couple of Easter baking treats to share. I do my weekly groceries shop at Countdown using their online delivery service (LOVE this service) and have done so for a few years now so it was great to be asked to share some ideas! I'm all for baking that is easy and that appeals to kids so I chose two recipes that will be handy for youMeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-85971846380660639712015-03-15T20:48:00.001+13:002015-03-15T20:56:24.550+13:00DIY Personalised Photo Art
If you would like to make your own personalised photo art for your child here's a quick 'how to'- (I'm writing how to do the ones with the writing down the side of the child but as long as your child wears a blank t-shirt you could follow these instructions to do one like Amelie's). These are such a great way of capturing your child's personality at a certain age, and looks fantastic framed Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-30868379259691812592015-02-16T11:01:00.000+13:002015-02-16T11:01:31.094+13:00DIY Pin Board with Scotch® Expressions Tape
For my last project as part of the Scotch® Expressions Tape 'Back to School' campaign I was asked to come up with a tutorial for making a school pin board using Scotch® Expressions Tapes. I loved doing this as I think pin boards are a great addition to a child's bedroom for their treasures and keepsakes, and to keep them organised and tidy as well! I remembered this noticeboard Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-88636296001830627792015-02-02T12:40:00.000+13:002015-02-03T10:00:24.983+13:00DIY Chore Charts with Scotch® Expressions Tape
Last year I shared a '30 day Organised Home Challenge' on my Facebook page. One of the challenges I shared was making a chore chart to help with morning routines and getting jobs done around the house. A friend Rae shared her cool chore charts she made that she uses with her three children. Here are a couple of pics of them…
So when I was contacted to take part in another Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-19322372642696019002014-11-27T21:44:00.000+13:002014-11-27T21:51:01.477+13:00Mousehouse Advent Cards
Hi all, I hope you're all having a good week and not feeling too frazzled in the lead up to Christmas! Just writing a quick blog post to share these advent cards I made this week to go with the pocket bunting I made a few years ago. I've been meaning to make the cards since I first saw them on Pinterest a few years ago so I'm very happy to have finally finished them! I used ideas from lots of Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-86046006099702125502014-09-16T09:14:00.002+12:002014-09-16T09:21:49.815+12:00Some favourite toys for independent and open-ended playThe toys that my children love playing with are also the toys that I love because of their timeless appeal and also because they encourage creative and/or independent, open ended play- for example if they are playing 'babies' this game can go on for a very decent amount of time depending on the age of your children! So I thought I'd share my favourite and my children's favourite toys with you- Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-90694231062548810642014-09-15T10:25:00.000+12:002014-09-15T10:25:04.003+12:00DIY Scotch® Tape Gift Boxes and tags
You might remember back at the start of the year I took part in a fun campaign for the new Scotch® Expressions Tapes. I shared ideas for a fun washi tape craft party, a washi tape dollhouse and these crafty posts as well…
* Washi Tape Kids Art and Crafts
* Washi Tape Back to School ideas
* Decorative tape ideas in the Classroom
Well I am Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-8537162636195899072014-09-02T11:31:00.001+12:002014-09-05T13:46:52.631+12:00Organised Home Challenge Day Two- Handbag and wallet
My challenge for Day two is to organise your handbag or baby bag, and your wallet- here's my Facebook post with some ideas for decluttering/cleaning and re-organising your bags :)
Today's challenge is an easy one after yesterday's big fridge one-organise your handbag/baby bag and wallet. Empty everything out of your bag and get rid of whatever you don't need, go through your wallet and Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-87385255106472538682014-09-01T10:43:00.001+12:002014-09-01T10:43:27.448+12:00Organised Home 30 day challenge- Day one- Fridge
I'm sharing 30 days of ideas/tips/projects to help organise your home on my Facebook page for the month of September- here is my Day one Challenge- organising your fridge :)
1. Take everything out of your fridge, clean the shelves, inside the doors, and the fruit and veg bins.
2. Check expiry dates and get rid of anything taking up room in your fridge that doesn't get used e.g.: Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-3263306861136497602014-08-27T09:59:00.001+12:002014-08-27T12:20:32.429+12:00Family Time Capsule
When we started our reno and the builders were taking the old plaster board off the walls I was hoping we'd find an old newspaper inside one of the walls- I remember as a child the thrill of finding some faded old newspaper hidden away for a different generation to find. We didn't find any but as our builders have nearly finished the gibbing of our new walls I thought it would be fun to makeMeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-12467429319236811972014-08-13T09:44:00.000+12:002014-08-13T09:44:21.772+12:00DIY Skateboard Swing
Hi everyone, here is a quick blog post showing how to make one of these cool skateboard swings- great for older kids and a really quick and easy backyard project!
You will need
* a skateboard deck
*2 pieces of dowel approx 20cm long each for the 'handles'
*a rope - ours was approx 10 metres long- cut this in half for each side of the swing
(it all depends on the height of your Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-27337375834330460622014-03-25T20:06:00.002+13:002014-03-25T20:06:30.082+13:00mousehouse 'ABC suitcase' giveaway
I absolutely love anything to do with the alphabet- typographical artworks, abc books, alphabet posters, abc games and puzzles…I don't know if it's the teacher in me or just the simplicity of the alphabet but I have built up a bit of a collection of games, books and puzzles plus I love making my own ABC activities as well. And I think children having some knowledge of letters and sounds Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com45