The Slockin Mystery Has Been Solved

I have solved the mystery of the Slockin.  I feel so smart now.  really.

About a year ago, the kids and I discovered some really cool little movies.  One was about this tiny dinosaur who goes to audition for a rock band.  He ends up dueling (using electric guitars) with this really big ugly guy.  The big ugly guy is the Slockin.  Why the Youngest named him the Slockin?  That's a mystery for another day.

Another little movie that the kids have had me play over and over and over etc. is about two robots.  Everyone in my extended family knows about the robot movie now.  It's even infected my Dad. He and the Youngest now argue over who is going to be the tank "wobot" and the airplane "wobot". 

You should really take a look at both of these.  They're very short, just a couple of minutes each and were done really well.  Like Pixar well.  The movies were done by graduates of the University of Hertfordshire and are absolutely marvelous.  I hope these guys got a job working somewhere really prestigious, they deserve it.

I Don't Understand!

The Youngest came up to me a few minutes ago and graciously told me that I "could be his servant."  That's funny, I thought I already was...

Then he handed me a drum stick and told me that I could be a Slockin.  "What is a Slockin?" I asked.  I was told it's a man that says (in a bad guy voice of course) "I want my guitar!"    Well.  That explains that, doesn't it?

Christmas Photo Frame

I've been so frustrated this Christmas.  I've been trying to find a 5 x 7 Christmas photo frame and I don't know if I'm looking in all the wrong places or if there just aren't as many as there used to be.  I've looked in every store and dollar store that I can find and haven't seen one.

So I decided to take things in my own hands and make one.  Very cheap, cause I'm like that ya know.

1 Frame found at the Dollar Tree, for a dollar of course.  Add one gold leafing pen from Walmart for a couple of bucks (this one i consider to be an investment since I will use this in future projects), for a couple of dollars:

After using them together?  One almost instant Christmas photo frame for 3 bucks. 

Just what I was looking for.  Now if I only had better hand writing...

Clever Little Shawl 2.0

I'm not sure why, but I'm not enamored with the Pretty Thing Cowl that I've not been working on.  Yep, you read that correctly, I'm not working on it.    I have put it down and instead picked up a project that my Mom requested.  This one is Carol's Clever Little Shawl:

Actually this is the Clever Little Shawl 2.0 since I've already made this one once before out of my own handspun yarn:

The 2.0 is being worked up in Paton's Wool in color Jade Heather.  It's an incredibly fast knit and really is clever.  No shawl pins or buttons needed and it keeps me sooooo warm.  I use the burgundy one constantly around the house, it's one of my favorite knits.  It's also a fairly mindless knit too, great for tv watching. 

A Gingerbread House for Preschoolers!

On Saturday the Youngest had a birthday party to go to.  That was one brave mom.  She had around fifteen 4 year olds to contend with.  That's way too many at one party for me.  When the Youngest has his in January, he might get two friends.  maybe.

I would be so panicked to have a party right before Christmas.  Can you imagine getting duplicates of the toys that you already bought and have hidden in the closet? 

The reason I'm telling you all this is that I wanted to share a really cute Christmas idea for little hands that the kids made at the party:

A Gingerbread House for Preschoolers!

Here's what you need to make it:

1 empty and washed carton of milk or half and half.  This is the 16 oz size.

Graham Crackers - 6 cracker sheets - do not separate them!

4 Old fashioned soft candy canes

13 chocolate teddy grahams

2 Reeses Peanut Butter Cups - the fatter bite size ones, not the thin large ones

1 Pack LifeSavers Candy

1 bag M & M's

1 bag tiny M & M's

Hershey Bar - fun size

Pretzel sticks

2 Large Marshmallows

Assorted other candies

Polyester Fiberfill

1 can white frosting

Craft or Popsicle stick for the kids to use to spread the frosting

1 toothpick

Plate

Instructions:

Have the kids cover the sides of the carton with frosting.  As each side is frosted place 1 sheet of the graham crackers against the frosting.  The frosting acts as your glue.  The four sides will be taller than the top of the carton and will also not go all the way to the corners of the carton.

Next frost your roof, both sides.  Take 1 sheet of graham crackers and divide it in two and place on top of the roof.  You will need to break off the top edges of both to get them the right size to make your A frame roof.  Don't worry if the edges are rough, it will be filled in.

Next fill in the four exposed corners of the carton with frosting and then press in the candy canes.  (See the above picture for details)

Then you're going to fill in your roof edges with frosting and press in your M & M's (larger sized) into it.  The Teddy grahams are used for windows.  There are four on the back and sides and there are two teddies on top and two on bottom.  You frost the back of them before applying to the house.

Chimney - frost one of the peanut butter cups and apply to the roof.

Gum drops - Apply frosting on the plate around the bottom of the house and press the gum drops into that.  You can make a walkway if you want.

Door - Take the fun size Hershey Bar and frost the back of it and apply it to the house.  4 life savers were frosted and used as decoration above the door.

You can use any other assorted candies and apply them as you want.  The kids loved putting all the candy on.

Snowman - Yes, there is a snowman in the photo, it's just difficult to see him.  He's to the right of the house and is leaning over a little.  Use a toothpick to hold the three large marshmallows together.  Frost the front of the top one and then using the tiny M & M's, make a face.  Two pretzel sticks are used for the arms.  Frost the other peanut butter cup next and use as the snowman's hat.

Finish with using some Fiberfill as snow.  It doesn't take much, a little goes a long way!

That's it!  A super cute idea for little hands at Christmas!  I wish I had thought of it.