LEGO Fangirl (with Crazy Action Contraptions from Klutz)

I have loved LEGO for as long as I can remember. From my first DUPLO set to The Movie and videos games I love so much, this timeless toy has always found it's way into my free play. My love for LEGO is so well-known that a friend once commissioned the making of a giant LEGO Hogwarts Lynn for my birthday!

 

So, when Klutz and LEGO paired up to create Crazy Action Contraptions, it was pretty much a match made in heaven for me! I rushed home and Mike and I raced Super Charged Speedsters up and down the halls of my apartment all afternoon long.

Last week, as I packed for a cottage weekend, I was thinking back to some of those fun times so I threw Crazy Action Contraptions in my suitcase for a second round of brick-filled fun. And on Saturday, over veggie pizza and big mugs of hot chocolate, we built LEGO-made machines that zipped, bumped and spun all over the cottage!

Playground Pop-Up Shop (with Face Painting from Klutz)

When the sun is shining and summer is in full swing, even not-so-great days can turn out to be pretty wonderful!

A few weeks ago, I had a play date with my little friend, Ben, and his mama and papa too. We were meeting at the park on Saturday morning to laugh and play the day away, and I couldn't wait! Unfortunately, when our date came around, poor Ben wasn't feeling very well. But he put on a brave face and asked to go the park anyway, so we decided to downgrade our playground play to something a little more low key. Luckily, I'd just received this big box of goodness from my Klutz fairy godmother, so I picked out some favourites and we planned a Klutz party in the park.

You’ve already seen the hilarious results of our Cat’s Cradle play, but we also had some fun with Face Painting that day. Back when this blog began, I did one of my first posts about painting pumpkins with these great paints, and I was really excited to use them again.

We parked ourselves on a bench by the playground, spread out our supplies and opened up a fun little temporary tattoo shop. We painted bees and bears and some decidedly abstract art pieces all up and down our arms and pranced around the sandbox sharing and showing off our cool arm art. Our pop-up shop was the hit of the playground and Ben’s spirits began to brighten! Soon, we were galloping through the grass, planting flowers in the sandbox and snacking on sandwiches, and our quiet park day had turned into quite the adventure!

Back to Basics (with Cat's Cradle from Klutz)

Something about summer always makes me go back to the simple fun of my childhood, whether it’s skipping rope down the sidewalk, drawing on driveways or blowing bubbles in the backyard. Maybe it’s because, when it comes to outdoor play, simplicity rules. Or maybe I get nostalgic because, I think we can all agree, summer vacation is one of the best things about being a kid.

With a long weekend at the cottage ahead, I was reminded of the fun my little sis and I had playing car games on the drive up a couple of years back. So, I decided to break out Cat’s Cradle, the most classic kids game of all, for another spin this past weekend.

I know it seems simple--just a piece of string and some instructions--but with this little book you can have a whole lot of fun! Whether you are teaching little hands how to play (when all they want to do it gallop like a pony), racing against the clock for Cat’s Cradle mastery or using leftover Pom Pom Puppies yarn to stage a giant-sized game, this summer game will always be among the best!

Summer Sticker Celebration (with Washi Tape Stickers from Klutz)

If you haven’t heard of washi tape yet, then get thee to the nearest craft store, STAT! This multi-tasking tape, which hails from Japan, is easy to stick on and peel off and comes in tons of fun patterns and prints, making it a crafting must-have.

I’ve used it to recover old notebooks, add flair to my phone and iPod, decorate vases and so much more. But Klutz’s take on the washi tape craze is my favourite by far! With Make Your Own Washi Tape Stickers, you can shape this colourful tape into completely customized sticker designs that are perfect for any occasion!

With the sun shining up in the sky and the great outdoors calling my name, I pulled my copy out onto the deck at the cottage and washi-ed the summer sights all around me. I mixed and matched the tape in six fun colours and patterns, chose from a ton of easy-to-trace designs, and snipped out seascapes, beach scenes, and sweet treats! Now I’m sending my postcards to some friends so that they can peel-and-stick washi stickers and share in the summer love.  

Get Outside and Happy Canada Day! (with Chalk the Block by Klutz)

In my free time, you're most likely to find me hunched over my desk, crafting up a storm, scissors and glue in hand. But when the weather turns sunny and summer is here, it's all about being outside! 

This Canada Day weekend, I grabbed a copy of Chalk the Block and took my creativity outdoors, to spend some time in the sun, doing what I do best.

With some great ideas from Klutz on how to maximize my sidewalk chalk play, no crack or crevice was safe from my mad doodling! This weekend, everyone will feel the spirit of summer and some Canada Day pride when they pass by my house.

Looking for more great ways to play? Why not throw a Sidewalk Chalking, Balloon-Twisting front yard carnival, like I did one Canada Day past. Hopscotch and skill tests, balloon animals and a roaring chalk rollercoaster, our crafty little carnival was a total blast!

Whatever you do, hope you have a very happy (and hopefully crafty) Canada day!

Bubbles and BBQs (with How to Make Monstrous, Huge, Unbelievably Big Bubbles)

The best things about summer is the world of outdoor space that it opens up. Picnics at the park, playing at the beach, lunch on a patio and a stroll around the neighborhood are a few of my favourites. But the ultimate outdoor fun of summer is definitely the backyard barbecue.

Now, I don’t have a backyard, but this sunny Saturday we were headed to a friend's BBQ party, so I took a peek into my cabinet of Klutz curiosities for a way to make our day extra fun.

How to Make Monstrous, Huge, Unbelievably Big Bubbles is the brainchild of bubble master David Stein and the editors of Klutz. Stein’s invention, the "Bubble Thing," is the magic wand that makes your bubbles big, and inside the book you’ll find the recipe for the perfect bubble mix.

As the ribs and carrots sizzled on the grill, we set up with a bucket of suds and our Bubble Thing and took turns blowing super-sized bubbles out in the sun.

Straight On to Summer (with Scoubidou)

This week we got our first glimpses of the warm weather we’ve been waiting for. Sure, it was short lived, but I soaked that little bit of sun right into my soul and now I'm filled with summer dreams of swimming in lakes, bunking at summer camp, and roasting marshmallows over a campfire. I'm choosing to ignore the warnings of hail(!) ahead and am hunkering down with some Klutz that was made for summer fun.

Whether you know it as gimp, lacing or boondoggle, Klutz give new life to this summer-camp fave with its original name, Scoubidou. (Fun fact: it was a fad in France in the 1950s!) Sure, there are instructions for the classic bracelets we all know and love, but it doesn’t stop there... Pretty ponytail holders, cool Celtic knots, flip flops, and more all get the scoubidou- treatment too! And with enough cord to make all 12 projects, you’ll have plenty to keep you busy till those sunny summer days actually arrive!

Three Cheers for March Break (with Fancy Friendship Bracelets)

Once the magic of Valentine's Day is gone, winter kind of gives me the blues. I’m not a skier or snowboarder, and I don’t like making snow angels or having snowball fights. Skating is fun, but only once or twice a season... Basically, to me, winter is a months-long excuse to hide under the covers and read. But then March rolls around and this wonderful thing called March Break comes along to give us a taste of the free spirit of spring.

My March Breaks were usually spent in daycare, along with the other poor saps whose parents weren’t crazy enough to brave the hordes of families descending upon Disney World. The six or eight of us extra kids would be stuck playing baby games with the preschoolers while our friends basked in the sun and ate turkey legs the size of their heads.

But it wasn’t all bad... Sometimes, after some theatrical sighing, my mom would pack a big-kid activity to keep me entertained. Finding that treat in my bag was like a one-day ticket to my very own Magic Kingdom. I would pick a special friend, set up camp in a corner (away from the babies), and go to town!

This year, when I found a copy of Fancy Friendship Bracelets in my bag, I tore into it with the enthusiasm of my younger, daycare-stranded self. These colourful bracelets are miles ahead of those embroidery floss, summer camp faves and totally updated with bright, spring-coloured cord, tons of tiny seed beads, and six cute charms to finish them off! 

If you’re looking for a fun, big-kid-approved way to spend your week of freedom, try out this cold weather craft with a ton of spring fling!

Merry Christmas Mischief (with Gotcha Gadgets)

Dear Santa,

I have been such a good girl this year — doing all my work, keeping my room sparkling clean, even being extra-nice to my little sister — that I think I’ve earned myself a place on the nice list. So I hope you’ll forgive me this wee bit of naughtiness in the last weeks of December, because I've got a Christmas gift that's sure to get me into some mischief!

Gotcha Gadgets is a practical joker’s dream. This boxy beauty comes complete with four customizable electronic gizmos and a book filled with tons of mischievous ways to put them to use. Make a door alarm, motion sensor, sound machine and more to play pranks and jokes or catch people in the act! And with four hilarious sounds to choose from, like a bloodcurdling scream or a silly sound from the bathroom, the opportunities for hilarity and hijinks are pretty much endless! I’ve safeguarded my diary with a light sensor, planted a gaseous sound machine under my Lil sis’s dinner chair, and watched and waited for the mischief to go down, laughing all the way (ha! ha! ha!). And, hey, I even learned a little bit about the science of electronic circuitry along the way!

If you catch a glimpse of me setting a sound trap or playing whoopee cushion pranks, please try to remember the angelic Lynn of the last 11 months, and not the prank master that I’ve become.

Thanks and Merry Christmas!

Sincerely,

Lynn.

Paper Flying Dragons Photo Diary

I must admit, when Paper Flying Dragons first landed (no pun intended) on my Klutz radar, I couldn’t really get into it. I mean, I love fantasy as much as the next nerd girl; I just wasn’t sure that would translate to paper-dragon play.

On a weekend trip to the cottage with all of my family around, it seemed like the best time to break out the book and rope some cousins into playing with me. My aunt and her two boys seemed totally on board, so we set up at the coffee table and got started. As we flipped through the pages of paper pop-out dragons, I started to feel some excitement. I picked out a purple hatchling, folded her up, then headed outside to put her in flight.

We hopped up on the deck to give us some height, then launched our dragons clear across the beach. These little beauties flew like a dream! As we watched our jewel-toned dragons soar through the sky, I started to feel a chill, so I popped inside to grab a sweater. And what did I find but a few more players at the coffee table, whipping up some paper dragons of their own.

Turns out our whirling, swirling spectacle had sparked some serious interest, and it wasn’t long before the whole family was outside, playing paper dragon battles, target practice, and racing up and down the beach. I wondered to myself how I ever doubted the power of flying paper dragons!

Disney Princes Purses - Handmade for Halloween

Halloween can be a great time to get crafty, from carving pumpkins to making decorations and baking spooky treats! But when it comes to costumes, especially when you're young and this Halloween business is serious stuff, sometimes a homemade costume just won’t cut it. I remember the horror on a school friend's face when she walked in to class in a mom-made Raggedy Ann, only to find herself in a sea of store bought fairies, pirates, and princesses. I thought her costume was the coolest, but I could tell that she was silently wishing her mom had hit up the store instead of the sewing machine.

When I heard that super-cute little Miss Emilia was going as Cinderella this Halloween, I jumped at the chance to add a little craftiness to her costume. I shared my copy of the brand new and boxy Make Your Own Disney Princess Paper Purses and we gave this little princess some accessories worthy of her namesake!

Little Cinder-Emilia got down to business, donning her royal gown and breaking out her fabulous zebra print scissors to cut out accessories.  She decked out her royal purse in pom poms, sequins, and stickers, and laced the purses up all by herself! She was even kind enough to make two more purses to share with her friends!

If you need more ideas for Klutz-made Halloween fun, check out what I got up to last year! Stop by my One-Stop Halloween Shop for tons of fun, 100% Klutz decorating and costume ideas, or check out how I made my pumpkins pop!