Measuring up!

This is a super cute way to keep track of your kids' height! A giant ruler! You can make your own really easily, or you can probably find one on Etsy, or another site that sells hand made items.

 Just go to your local lumber store and grab a board (the thickness and width of your choosing)- but the length should be at least 6 feet. Stain the board any color you like- I LOVE the colored stains for wood! Once the stain is dry, measure out your board and print off the numbers in whatever font you like. Once the board is measured, simply lay your printed paper with numbers on it and use a ball point pen to trace the number onto the board in the corresponding spot. Tracing the paper on top of the board will leave an indent in the wood- this will be your guide to paint your numbers and measuring lines on to the board. Now, fill in the lines left on the board with paint to make your numbers and lines. Once your measuring lines and numbers are dry, coat with a sealer. You can either put a picture hanger on the back to hang it on the wall, or drill holes in the corners to hang. Now pick a great spot to hang it, and get measuring!

I have a permanent marker resting on the top ledge of my ruler, so I can grab it and measure the kids without having to find a pen first! I chose to write their heights on the opposite side from the numbers, but you can do it however you like. The nice thing about this growth chart is it can go with you when you move, and it won't get crumpled up like the paper ones. A great idea is to do one to match each child's room and record that child on their own chart- when they are grown and have their own children, you can pass this chart to them to add their children to their chart- it can become a family heirloom- hand made by you!

It's all fun and games!

I came up with this fun solution to a problem we were having. We have too many people in our family for the traditional 4 person game pieces that come with most games. Along with having too many people, there was also the issue of too many people wanting the same color game piece. Welcome Squinkies!!! That's right, those little rubbery, cute, perfectly sized toys that are all the rage right now.

 These little guys are just the right size for almost all of our games. Each kid gets to pick a Squinkie and use it for that game. We throw them all back in a glass jar for safe keeping. I bought a set of 16, so we have plenty of pieces for everyone to play the game. The kids love this solution, and so do I!

So, if you lost your game markers, you have a big family, or you just want really cute game pieces, go buy some Squinkies!