Kirby Perler Bead project

This is an "Ice Kirby" we made out of perler beads. I found a pattern on pinterest and then modified it some to match the colors I had in my bead tray. They are so easy to make. You just place the beads copying a pattern or use your own design and then iron them (under a thin ironing paper that comes with the bead kits) and then iron the other side and you have a cute little figure.

Some tips we found are to make sure not to iron a crease in the paper or you will get line indentions on your figure (you can see in the second photo on the right foot there are some diagonal lines).

Also, when you first iron the beads just get them melted a small bit, enough to stay together while to take them off the plastic peg board. If you keep ironing while the beads are on the peg board you may cause it to warp. We had a couple that got a large raised part in the middle because of the heat of the iron and didn't realize it would happen.

You can then complete ironing both sides through the paper on the ironing board after you move the pegboard to the side.

Our kids love playing with these and they are kind of like instant custom toys because they can pick out a design online with us and then help us make the figure and play with it right away (after it cools off from the iron).

We buy our Perler Beads at Michael's when they have their 40% off coupons and also on Amazon because we can get really fast shipping and get points on our Amazon credit card, not to mention they are competitively priced.  I like to buy the beads in the bags by single color for some of our most used colors like black, white, gray and red. You can also by trays already organized by colors, but with less beads of each color.  We use the Perler Bead pen to help save our hands when placing the beads on the pegboard and also my husband likes to use a mechanical pencil to tip the beads into place. 

(This was not a sponsored post however the link to perler beads and Amazon goes to my Amazon Affiliate link for a search I did on Perler Beads that shows some of our favorite products. We get a small comission if you purchase through our Amazon link. The proceeds go to support our blog and our children's Montessori education as we are currently living on one income.)

Swimming Lessons in Chandler, Arizona

Hamilton Pool Little Kids area - notice all the parents huddled in the one shade spot under the umbrella on the right

Arrowhead Pool - Lap pool - where they hold the lessons

There are some beautiful pools in Arizona for swimming lessons during the summer and into the Fall. We live in Chandler, AZ and have been very impressed with the city pools.
Many of them have large waterslides, beach entry, lazy rivers, vortex pools and sprinkler wet playgrounds inside the pools.

This summer our boys are on their second session of swimming lessons. The first session was four mornings in a row and the session they are in now is two weeks of four evening classes in a row (25 minutes each) running from Monday - Thursday.

This was the first summer they had taken lessons since they were very small. They are 4 and 6 and are in the Tadpole and Duck levels. Our oldest was able to learn enough in the first session to progress from Shrimp to Duck. The class size is small (5 kids each) which helps the kids get a decent amount of time with the instructor and also some socializing with other children.

The price for the lessons really can't be beat for Chandler residents but is very reasonable compared to private lessons for non-residents also. It was around $10 a child for the 4 day session and $19 a child for the 8-day session. When they were really little we had taken them to a swim school in Tucson and it was over $100 a session. They were quality lessons but we have been as impressed with the city lessons if not more impressed with the amazing aquatic facilities.

Having the lessons multiple days in a row really seems to help the kids master the skills quickly because the repetition is there and they are excited to show off their moves to the other kids in the class and get the thumbs up from the instructor when they learn a task.

It was definitely a workout for our schedule to go to the classes everyday for these stretches of time but we came up with a system for keeping the swim gear ready for the next day. Every evening I make sure the swim bag is packed up and by the front door to grab on our way out the next day. Some nights we have Karate class first so have to pack that bag also and plan in changing into suits before the swim lesson and also a snack on the way to the pool.

Swim Bag: 
2 swim trunks
2 swim shirts (AZ sun is brutal, saves time not having to apply as much sunscreen)
2 towels
1 toy for our 4 yr old
Chewing gum to keep them occupied watching each other's lessons (really works for our youngest)
1 Water Spray bottle with fan (for me and Dad to stay cool watching the lessons)
1 Street shorts (for our 6 year old because he has the first lesson and likes to change while waiting for his brother to be done)
1 set of clothes in the car for both boys to change into
Water for everyone
Camera/phone to take photos of them

This is our swim bag. I picked it up at Target a few weeks ago for around $9.99 but they had a few bright colors on sale for around $5.00.

We have been pretty lucky grabbing chairs in the shade at the lessons but it is a good idea to bring a hat and sunglasses just in case.

We are getting used to the schedule and I honestly miss it the days we don't have class. There is something relaxing about sitting by a pool watching the kids have fun and learn.

Also, if you didn't know, it only costs $1 for kids and $2.25 for parents to go to free swim at the pools. It really is like a mini-water park at Hamilton and Mesquite Groves pools. We really enjoy them and there are different options for every level of swimmer in the family.

You can read more about the City of Chandler Aquatics pools here (with photos) -http://www.chandleraz.gov/default.aspx?pageid=301

and find out about signing up for swimming lessons here:
https://www.chandleraz.gov/default.aspx?pageid=293


(This was not a sponsored post)

Fourth of Zooly at the Phoenix Zoo

This year we attended the 4th of Zooly at the Phoenix Zoo for the first time and had a great time.

Some of our kids' favorite highlights were the free carousel rides, the splash pads, the cookies and the music during the fireworks and dinner.

The area of the zoo you can explore is limited to the front and by the lake on the lawn with the 4D Theater and the Splash Pad by the Pirate Ship play area.

They had the buffet dinner set up upon opening and also had the Carousel, Stingray Bay and 4D Theater open. There was a bit of a line to wait in upon opening of the event so be aware even if you arrive early you will have to wait for the gates to open. The line moved quickly at 6pm when they opened and they used scanners to quickly verify everyone's tickets. These had sold out by the time we left home to go so we were glad we purchased tickets a week ahead of time. The kids tickets were $35 each for ages 3-12 and the adult tickets were $45 each for ages 13+, ages 2 and under were free. This included the meal and all the rides and events inside.

The tables were all decorated with animal print tablecloths and a DJ group was playing music and coordinating activities for the kids like dancing and musical chairs. There were raffles for some great giveaways including Disney's Teen Beach Movie 2 Posters, Star Wars Puzzles, and Spiderman small sandwich containers for the lunch box.

The buffet dinner was barbecue pork and chicken that you could build your own BBQ sandwich with as well as salad, sides, chips and cookies for dessert. They also had veggie burgers.

It was pretty humid so the splash pad came in handy, even for the parents.

The music was fun, the food tasted great and the kids could just run around and be kids. There were no inflatable slides or bouncy houses but we have seen they are offered at some of the Phoenix Zoo Prowl and Play events. They had a small bar open but none of the snack bars or Starbucks were open for purchasing extra treats. (Did you know they now have a Starbucks window at the zoo! It is great. Such a treat!)

At around 8:30pm they started running the zoo train to a location back in the loading dock area of the zoo that was positioned so we could see the fireworks display at the Tempe Town Lake. They had chairs set up for everyone and moved the DJ team over there.

We had a large double stroller with us. Our kids are 6 and 4 but still use the stroller for large events like Disneyland trips or the Zoo just to take a break for long distances. It also comes in handy to store our gear and food.  The stroller wouldn't fit on the zoo train without emptying it and folding it so we chose to take the guided flashlight trail with the Zoo staff who were very nice and helped us find our way back through a secret staff only path to the fireworks viewing area.

We bought glowsticks for the kids from the $1 bin at Target and a couple of our own flashlights which helped them feel safe on the dark walk through the secret zoo pathway.

At the fireworks viewing area they had complimentary popsicles for everyone and the music changed to patriotic songs for the fireworks show. We could see the fireworks well but you should know that you can't see the actual lake from the zoo. The music from the DJs with the fireworks was just right for a nice, uncrowded, safe family friendly fireworks show.

Since they sell a limited number of tickets at a moderate investment the people attending all had an attitude of wanting to be there and share in a peaceful and fun evening. We and our kids all felt safe and there was nobody smoking or overindulging in alcohol to make us feel uncomfortable.

We would recommend grabbing a few extra bottles of water from the dinner area before you make the trek over to the fireworks viewing area and also bring a small motorized fan to stay cool. We have those squirt bottle/fans we bought at Disneyland a few years back and they really come in handy.

You can learn more about events at the Phoenix Zoo here: http://phoenixzoo.org/events/events-calendar/

Some events are discounted for members or have special member only nights like Zoolights.

(This was not a sponsored post)

Chandler Morning Clouds

This morning the clouds are looking a bit promising to get some rain later today in Chandler, Arizona.

Here's a few pics from around our area in Mid Chandler. This year has been light on the monsoons but we are ready for a few good storms.

(This was not a sponsored post.)