just what I would expect to find in my flowers...

...Barbie. Tied up to the stake.

After standard interrogations

we learn she's in isolation, awaiting trial.

yup.

I dunno.

It's best not to ask questions.

Dani got an etch a sketch.

Coco Moke City.

Dani and I designed this lion for my nephew, Jaden, for Christmas. Dani wanted him to be a flying lion, but he ended up looking like a dead angel lion with the wings, so she left them off and he became just a normal lion without any superhero quirks. Jaden named him Coco Moke. but he already has a monkey named Coco Moke, so my brother suggested he pick another name so as to not confuse the two. Jaden agreed, and changed the lion's name to Coco Moke City. perfect.

I think this year I'd link to pretend "launch" a Coco Moke City line of animals in that Etsy shop I opened. But, you know, it's the year of little commitment. So who knows. But it's also the year of following through. And the year of simple projects. And the year of the cheesecake. Which has nothing to do with Coco Moke City, but I'm hungry.

oh the conflicts of a good craft!

Wouldn't it be great to have a cow, and a pig, and a hedgehog, and a flamingo (just kidding. tricky.) made with soft, washable, recycled, sentimental tee-shirts? My head is full of ideas.

hmm. I wanna.

don't let me forget.

because I'll get busy and I will.

you know it.

Charlie.

My boys are all about Go Go's these days. I love them too, so we encourage this.

You can submit Go Go videos on the website, which the boys have gotten super excited about.

So, taking cue from Lori's stop motion Sundays, we give you: Charlie.

Dani Land.

Never, no never, throw away a shoebox (or any such garbage). This is blasphemy in Dani Land.




In Dani Land, it is not enough to play. One must make a world. Then, and only then, play may commence.

balloon bean bags

I love these balloon bean bags from Flip Flops and Applesauce.

Find instructions here.

Very cool blog.

better than Christmas.

I cleaned so hard I moved the couches. Do you guys do that every time? Me, not so much.

Little did I know the festival of new discoveries this would unleash or I would've done it long ago.

Not only did the repositioned stinky sectional suddenly gain a whole new respect in its new temporary placement, but we're talking City of Lost Toys people! Better than Christmas, says Andy. And indeed it was. They jumped and squealed and cheered with every new inch of exposed carpet. It was like revealing a goody bag of sweet memories; over and over.

Andy found MarioPinball, his "motht favwitetht lotht thing...evoh!!", and a random green stretchy bracelet that suddenly had special meaning.

Joey found books, cars, the red connect four piece that has been haunting his empty space on the grid, darts, pokemons, and nasty half eaten snack bags galore. They're not allowed to have food in the bonus room; and there it was in its sneaky glory.

I am happy to have found 4 lost hair accessories. A good bleaching of these ouchless babies and I'm back to ponytails. Woohoo!

And finally, the one we're all real thrilled about....
The BurpMaster 2000.

Take it away Kacie.



Fabulous.

cranium giggle goggles

Some of the best laughs...ever.

smart toys

There's a school box in town. I took the little ones on Monday and encountered a new obstacle for my attempt at financial restraint. Educational toys. Goodness gracious.

We for real bought these:

BANANAGRAMS

SMART SQUARES by Scholastic

TANTRIX

POINTERS; which have proven to be the best real purchase of the day. Andy hasn't put it down, literally. He uses it to point emphatically at Joey when they fight, he uses it to point at what snack he wants from the cupboard, He uses it to pop bubbles, push things over, tap me on the shoulder...

We pretend bought these:

COOCOO THE ROCKING CLOWN game

SCOOTER

And ZOOMORPHS. These are interchangable. The boys wouldn't stop playing with them in the store, but they were out. Geesh. So it's off to Amazon for this one.

Check out these websites for more...

Educational Toys Planet
WonderBrains
Fat Brain Toys
Growing Tree Toys