Monday, June 1, 2009

Tuesday's Tips for Summer Survival - Plastic Bag Paratroopers

Life In The Car Pool Lane

Tuesday's Tips for Summer Survival (TTSS) is a weekly carnival to help mamas survive the long summer days. The goal is to share kid-friendly tips so we can end up on the other side of this summer with what little sanity we had when we started.
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Plastic Bag Paratroopers:

This is a cheap easy idea that kept my boys entertained four different times for about an hour each time.

Take a plastic shopping bag (this was actually the hardest part as I've switched over to reusable bags!), lay it flat and upside down and cut the handles deeper on the front, back and both sides.

Attach pipe cleaners, garbage bag ties or rubber bands to the now long handles. Attach a figure (i.e., Army man, small plastic doll) to the pipe cleaners, garbage ties or rubber bands. (We used a construction worker and a fireman with pipe cleaners around their waists.)

Fold the bag in half, hold on the the crease and whip it around several times before letting go.

Geronimo!

I got quite the arm workout trying to get these pictures.

Jack and Logan (because they are younger) seemed to get much better results tossing them from the top of a jungle gym (either in our backyard or at the park). They couldn't get enough speed when they tried whipping the parachutes around.
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Here's how you can participate in TTSS (and please do):
Grab the code for my button (over there on the left) and write your own post about a kid-friendly idea that might help a mama keep her sanity this summer. (Feel free to include the obligatory cute kid photo!)

Then come back here and add your link to the widget built by my wonderful and geeky talented husband. (Pays to be married to a geek!) Simply add your new (or even an old) post's link to the form below.

Then, most importantly, visit the other blogs that have linked and leave comments, hopefully encouraging them to give us more good ideas next week.



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One last little really big thing:
I mentioned awhile back that I'd love to do a giveaway to encourage participation in the carnival. Unfortunately, that's not in the cards for me (or you) right now. But I do want to mention an amazing giveaway on SITS (to help promote Fishful Thinking). This would absolutely help save your sanity...they are giving away a full size bouncy house with a few other great gifts. I would kill for a full size bouncy house!

24 comments:

  1. Hey Carey!! I'm really liking the new look!! Love the parachuting dudes. Very creative!

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  2. My boys were thrilled with the parachutes!! We live in a condo and watched them fly all the way down to the ground floor. Thanks for the great tip, as always and did I mention I love your new look ?

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  3. Love this new look. It's easier to read. I'll have to see if tying a Barbie to the bottom will work, but will need a much bigger bag. :)

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  4. Oh awesome, I will try this sometime. I know my kids would love it.

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  5. This parachutes idea is definitely going into my idea book for future reference! Thank you!!

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  6. LOL...my boys used to play w/ those things until the string would get too tangled up!!

    That's a great idea w/ the grocery bag though!

    Oh..and I see you're using a different link box! I'll have to check that out for mine!

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  7. You are very clever. I know my wee ones would love this idea. Thanks! Oh and I love your blog make over. Cool Beans!

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  8. oh that is so clever! my boys would love that! As for the cocktails... not every night... yes on weekends and Birthdays... but hey, it's someone's birthday somewhere!

    and, truth be told, the cocktial is Mama's Summer Vacation Survival Tip!

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  9. Very good idea! I think Alex and Emily would both love that! And a great workout for me as well! ha ha!

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  10. How fun! Stunt Man will love this. THanks

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  11. I'm shocked you have plastic bags!!! LOL We happen to have a few laying around so we'll have to give this a try. Of course, you'll have to try mine too!

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  12. I love it! Monsoon will have such a good time trying this out - if he doesn't cry about plastic bags being unhealthy for the earf. ;)

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  13. oooh! My boys will love this!! Such a fun and creative idea! I'm going to have to start making a list of these ideas, I'm sure we'll have plenty of days when we need them!

    Carey, I just LOVE your new blog look!! Really, it's so cute and I grabbed your new blog button too!

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  14. My boys love to do this!! We have an landing upstairs and they love to through their parachute guys over the railing. Thanks for reminding me of this.

    I love your new look!

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  15. This looks like fun, my boys loved this when they were little.

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  16. Love the parachute idea! Wonder if it works for polly pockets?

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  17. i love your new look. i'm sorry it's been a while since i stopped by. wait. i think i stopped by yesterday. well, maybe not, but i LOVE your new look!

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  18. Hi Carey . . . sorry I didn't read the directions! Left another link on the linky thing with a kid tip!

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  19. This looks like so much fun!! My boys would LOVE this!

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  20. What a great idea!! My boys will love this! Now, if the rain would just move on out. :)

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  21. THis is such a cute idea. Maybe this will be the idea for next Tuesday. Two of the 7 kids have counseling every Tuesday morning..so I am thinking about fun things we can do for that hour that we have to kill while there.
    This week all of the kids had a ball rolling down the hill and playing duck duck goose. I had fun taking pictures :)

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  22. Love it! How cool are they????

    :)

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Yeah! I love comments! Feel free to leave me one (or two or three).
But remember what your mama said..."If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."
Thanks!