Large Wooden Playpen for Multiple Children Build It

Camping with a large family of people of multiple ages can be challenging, unless you preplan. In the case of our family, we have multiple children who range from a few months old up to five who need constant supervision.

Therefore, our family began planning what to do with all these little ones, so that they were safe from the fire pits, grills, and of course the water at our private campground. We knew that a play pen or play area of sorts was needed, but there is not a wooden playpen big enough for these little children.

Our solution was to create a wooden playpen enclosure that was all-natural and looked as if it belonged in the campsite. It was made with standing young healthy trees to provide some shade, as well as some smaller trees we attached to it.

In the first photo, my brother in the blue and a nephew in the red shirt are working on this large wooden playpen. They are fixing a large sapling in place, as they did around the entire perimeter of the giant wooden playpen.

The wooden playpen resembles a large lopsided heart, a true testament of what these little children mean to us all. We simply let nature dictate the shape, and used the trees that were in that small grove as the sides. The enclosure is centrally located in the middle of the campsite, and these little ones are secure from any dangers.

The toys you see outside among the trees all will fit in this enclosure along with other ride on toys, doll houses and of course a few little tykes slides. The area was picked clean of rocks the little ones would eat, holes in the ground were filled, and green indoor and out door carpet was placed around the area. It makes a wonderful little place for the little ones to play.

Most of this work was done when there were no little children present, but you will see that my 9-month-old grandson crawled into playpen. The one side of the wooden playpen was still open when we visited one day and as we all stood around talking he crawled right in, my boyfriend could not resist taking a photograph.

Although the photographs do not show the final project, it gives the viewer a great idea to build their own. It is very important to note that we did even up the sides of the wood so there are no spikes on the saplings that are vertical around the perimeter.

These children are the new generation and they are safe in the large wooden playpen now that it is finished. Please click on the photos to see the beauty of this wooden playpen. It is important to note that this is a privately owned campground

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Cat Enclosure Build Your Own

Making a cat enclosure so your beloved cat can safely spend quality time outdoors brings forth many ideas. A cat enclosure can hold a cat or multiple cats and can be as big as your budget will allow. This article will focus on building a cat enclosure that will hold multiple cats in a private property setting, ensuring their safety and maximizing their playtime and sun time.

Two rolls of chicken wire 80 foot

Four 2 by 2 pressured treated wood, which are ten foot long

Four 2 by 4 pressured treated wood which are ten foot long

Eleven 2 by 2 pressured treated wood, which are six foot long

Four 2 by 8 pressured treated wood which are six foot long (corner posts)

5/8 all-purpose staples, stapler, two hinges, padlock, wire cutters, hammer, small nails, hand saw

Assorted branches or pieces of climbing wood, toys, and other things cats enjoy.

A few willing assistants

A ten by ten foot space for the cat enclosure

Clear out a 10 by 10 foot area of space where you wish the cat enclosure to be located. You can have wood stumps in here because the cats will enjoy it, but make sure the area is free of anything that will harm them in any way.

Lay out the wood pieces so you know exactly what the pieces are. Take one of the 2 by 2 pieces of wood and cut it into three pieces of wood, which are 3 feet long with the handsaw. This will be part of the door.

Lay out two of the 2 by 2 on a workbench or picnic table, and lay the three pieces of wood, which are 3 feet, long vertical between the 2 by 2's. One of these 3-foot long pieces goes on either end with the remaining piece in the middle of the doorframe. Use the hammer and nails to secure the doorframe together. Measure the chicken wire to fit the door. Using the wire cutters cut the chicken wire to the correct size. Secure it to the doorframe using the staples. Install the hinges to one edge of the door to hang later.

Place one of the 2 by 4 pieces of wood on the ground vertically, lay the next one at one end of that, and do the same with the others until they resemble the box in the area, which you want to build in. At the corner of where the cat enclosure comes together add on of the 2 by 8's nail it to a 2 by 4 piece of wood and lay it down on the ground. You will notice that the large piece of wood over hangs by about four inches and this is fine as another 2 by 4 will be there eventually.

Nail 2 by 2's into place on that 2 by 4, between the 2 by 8's at four and seven foot marks from the ends 2 by 8's. Nail 2 by 2 piece of the 10-foot wood across the top of these pieces of wood so you have a frame. Lay a 2 by 8 at the end of that 2 by 4 and attach it the same way with the nails. This creates a top to the side, making it resemble a wall.

Create steps four and five to form the opposite wall of the cat enclosure. Lay them down on the grass while you build the other two walls.

Nail the 2 by 2's at the four foot and seven foot marks on your remaining pieces of 2 by 4's. Nail the 2 by 4's to the top to create the walls of the cat enclosure. Call your helpers to hold sides upright so you can nail the sides together. When you are finished, nailing you should have a cat enclosure, which resembles the frame of a house.

Install the door on any side between to upright 2by2's with the hinges. Begin wrapping the chicken wire to the left of the hinges, staple it to the cat enclosure. Continue wrapping the chicken wire and stapling it around the entire outside of the cat enclosure until you reach the doorway. You can cover the roof with a tarp or chicken wire.

Add a padlock to protect the cats inside so they can play unattended in the sun. If you which to add a cat tunnel from a house window or pet door to the cat enclosure simply cut a hole in the chicken wire in the desired place.

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Birth Announcements You Can E-mail, Print or whatever

Are you expecting a baby or babies soon? Perhaps you are looking to send some free birth announcements that tell everyone your great news! Congratulations on the pending arrival of your precious gift from God. Let me help you by pointing you to the best free birth announcements on the Internet.

The web sites listed within this article will give you the ability to send online free birth announcements to any family and friends whom have an email account, some of these web sites have printable free birth announcements so you can save money for the important stuff like the endless supply of diapers and formula over the next year.

Babies online

When you register with this site, you can get free birth announcements for a single baby or twins plus birth calendars, plenty of articles on pregnancy.

Happy Greeting

This site has some very nice free birth announcements for babies that you can customize by adding a photograph of your precious baby. When you use this site, it creates a musical page, which is decorated with gender specific graphics.

Then you can email the web page free birth announcements to your friends and family in email, and share images of your precious baby with the world. .

Birth Village

This site requires registration but it is free as well, with some unique designs to help you welcome your baby into the world with free birth announcements.

The Paper Mill Store

Here on this site you will find free templates to make your own announcements, simply add your images and print off.

Miracle Munchkins

Here are some very nice free birth announcements, which you can personalize and send to online family and friends.

My Birth Care

On this site, there are some very nice animated free birth announcements to send to friends and family online, they are gender specific and you can add in the personal information surround the birth of your baby.

If you know how to create a web page, a wonderful idea is to create a page within your own web site announcing the birth of the baby. You could add in the usual information that comes on this type of announcement add more then one image, add a midi file and perhaps an outline of how the birth went in a non-descriptive way.

Then when your web page is complete and as perfect as you wish it to be open your email client and send family and friends your free birth announcement. You cannot get much more personalized then this.

If you have greeting card, software you can use this to create free birth announcements for family and friends who have an email address. The true beauty of greeting card software is that there are so many uses for it, and it is usually a wise investment for families of all types.

Funeral Announcement Cards, Create Your Own

Printable funeral announcements maybe just what you are looking for when the need arises. As any of us who have had a death in the family can testify, funerals are extremely expensive so when there is a need for printable funeral announcements, it is great to be able to save money in that area at least.

In doing research for this particular article, I did not find any suitable links where one could locate printable funeral announcements, that were done and ready to go, and this is because I was searching for the wrong terms. When I did find the right terms most of the web sites were for funeral homes only or expensive software your could download. Therefore, I scratched that idea and went a different way.

It truly is much easier then that to create a simple, personalized printable funeral announcements. If you have greeting card software, all you need is a religious symbol on the front, such as a lily or a dove, or an image of Jesus and the right quote.

First, when you are thinking about printable funeral announcements you need to realize that they will actually come as blank cards that you must use a suitable quote inside, they simply are note cards with the funeral quotes inside.

You will need to use some of these cards, along with the quotes and then you will have printable funeral announcements that show the respect your loved one deserves and you will make them personalized while saving money as well.

http://www.hooverwebdesign.com/free-printable-condolence-bereavement-cards.html

Yes, perhaps these are bereavement thank you cards, but they are blank and have wonderful images on the outside and a blank inside where you can type up your special personalized message thereby making printable funeral announcements.

There are plenty of places on line where one can locate printable funeral announcements quotes. I have collected those links here so you can easily locate them if they are needed.

http://www.verses4cards.co.uk/funeral-poems-verses-quotes.html

http://www.love-of-poems.com/funeral-poems.html

When my first grand daughter was still born almost six years ago, being creative I designed my own personalized printable funeral announcements for her services. This was an option for me because I had the software and ability to do so.

I used a wonderful image of God holding a sweet baby for the front and wrote about the service on the inside of my printable funeral announcements. Most of the commercial cards lack the personal touches and this one needed to be special, as that sweet innocent baby was so that is why I created my own. It was a work of art and I used the term born forever dreaming instead of death or still born, because this nearly full term baby looked as if she was born forever dreaming.

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Easy Paper Hats for Preschoolers

Easy paper hat for preschoolers are fun and exciting and these allow the children to be creative and develop those fine motor skills along with hand and eye coordination. Paper hat can be made to celebrate any occasion you can think of, and kids love to make them as well.

Easy paper hat for preschoolers idea #1

What a perfect way to celebrate spring or summer by making a paper flower cap, kids of all ages will love there paper hat.

The foundation of flower paper hat begins by using a strip of green construction paper, which is two inches wide and is as big as the child's head. Cut this from a piece of construction paper on the longer side and add to this with another 2-inch strip of paper if needed with tape, a stick of glue or staples once you have, the bottom created set it aside.

Strips of green construction paper need to be cut for the stems on the flower paper hat, but the petals can be cut from various colors of construction paper. Assemble the flowers to the stems by using the stick of glue and set it aside until dry. Once these are dry, the kids can color them if desired or add stickers of butterflies but the boys will enjoy the bug stickers instead.

Attach the flowers to the bottom of the paper hat, in a random fashion until the paper flower hat looks perfect.

Easy paper hat for preschoolers idea #2

Native American hat are perfect for the thing to celebrate Thanksgiving.

The foundation of Native American paper hat begins by using a strip of black construction paper, which is two inches wide and is as big as the child's head. Cut this from a piece of construction paper on the longer side and add to this with another 2-inch strip of paper if needed with tape, a stick of glue or staples once you have, the bottom created set it aside.

Cut feathers from different colors, but it looks more authentic if you use brown, orange, and red construction paper. Attach your feathers to the base of the hat and you have a Native American paper hat to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Easy paper hat for preschoolers idea #3

Santa Claus is the most popular paper Christmas craft, but the Elf paper hat are so much cuter these are perfect.

The foundation of Elf paper hat begins by using a strip of black construction paper, which is two inches wide and is as big as the child's head. Cut this from a piece of construction paper on the longer side and add to this with another 2-inch strip of paper if needed with tape, a stick of glue or staples once you have, the bottom created set it aside.

Cut a large triangle out of green construction paper, two smaller triangles of brown or yellow for the ears, a black stripe, and a yellow square for a buckle. Lay the green triangle down glue on the ears to let or right side with the stick of glue, making sure they sort of stick over the edge of the green paper. When the glue is dry, turn over the green triangle and near the bottom of the green piece glue the black stripe and in the center of this glue in the yellow square, which is the buckle.

When the top part of the paper hat is dry, go ahead, and fasten it to the bottom black ring of paper.

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Money Tree Gift Center

Perhaps money does not develop on trees but you surely can make it appear as if it does in fact grow on trees. This simply yet eye-catching tree is perfect for golden anniversary parties, even graduations or wedding receptions. It is a one of a kind gift that certainly makes a profound statement.

A unique idea is a money tree, and it brings new meaning to the phrase that money does not grow on trees. The money tree is easy to create and brings mother nature inside but you can also do this on a living tree outside.

If you are having an inside party simply get a fallen branch, which looks nice or even a small Christmas tree and use it as a money tree. You simply attach money to the branch with a paperclip and it will hang on the tree. If you choose to use an outdoor tree, you simply add the money in the same way, with a paper clip.

This idea is perfect for golden anniversary parties or other anniversary parties where the couple have been together for a long time and do not need the traditional gifts. Imagine the special couple's eyes when they behold this money tree.

Our family used a potted tree to create my great grandfather money tree for his hundredth birthday. Great Grandpa Pond lived in his own apartment, taking care of his own needs very well but struggled on social security so this money tree sure came in handy for him.

Can you imagine the presents this man would have gotten had we opted for traditional gifts instead of the money tree when he had nine children himself and those nine children had much more. There were almost 500 descendants at his party and so the money tree was perfect. I still remember seeing that money tree back in 1976 and I remember it vividly.

The money tree is also great at graduation parties when the senior is heading out to college, the military or into small apartment. The extra cash allows them to buy what they need, want, or desire.

There is much temptation among young children and thieves so when you create this money tree at your next special party, please be sure to have a few trusted people stand by the tree. These trusted few people can hang the dollar bills on the tree and I certainly recommend that any bill higher then a five be placed in a cash box that is watched. Of course the honoree gets all the cash, which is to be placed on the money tree or cash box.

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Craft Ideas for Preschoolers

Creating crafts for preschoolers can be fun, but it can be challenging as well but I have some tips, which may make it easier for you. Children at this age need simple crafts to entertain them, and to help develop those important skills, such as fine motor, cognitive and other developmental building skills they need.

Crafts for preschoolers #1

Finger painting allows them to have fun, and use fine motor skill and helps to develop their hand and eye coordination. Just make sure the finger paint is non-toxic and jell-o brand instant pudding is an excellent finger paint, which works and works well.

Crafts for preschoolers #2

Play dough is a fun filled activity, but preschoolers tend to want to eat it. There is a unique play dough recipe, which uses less salt and cool aide, and is eatable. The cool aide scents the play dough so it does not stink up the house, but it also colors it some very neat colors. Adults must make the play dough and knead it for the first five minutes or so, and then it gets very easy for kids to play with.

Crafts for preschoolers #3

Noodle necklaces can be made with string and noodles, which are big enough to drop a piece of string through one end. Rigatoni, and ziti works wonderfully as your young child can easy thread a string by hand through the noodle.

Crafts for preschoolers #4

Noodles of all sizes along with scraps of papers and fabric, along with a stick of glue can allow your child to have fun creating their own collages of many textures and colors.

Crafts for preschoolers #5

The older child, who is not yet in school, can accompany you to the cemetery for gravestone rubbings with crayons. Just take a box of crayons and stack of paper, and allow the creativity to begin.

Crafts for preschoolers #6

Set up and clean up tips for craft time, are also plentiful here with a recycled faded clean shower curtain.

Next time you change your shower curtain which is still in decent shape but it is faded, use it as a drop cloth for craft time, it will save you oodles of clean up after crafts for preschoolers time.

Clean up from finger painting with jell-o band instant pudding is a breeze when the craft table is on a faded clean shower curtain after crafts for preschoolers. Cut the faded clean shower curtain to use under the highchair when you feed your baby, and it will save your floor from yet another mopping.

Crafts for preschoolers time, clean up from any creative activity can be easy by adding the faded clean shower curtain under the table; this includes baking activities, and designs, which use little items such a confetti, macaroni, or scraps of material and paper.

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