Will this be another Father's Day of receiving ties of questionable taste?  Doesn't have to be.

I am a sucka for anything incorporating handprints into the design. So, this next project included, you guessed it: handprints. Simple to create & takes nothing more than a little embroidery skill & time.. A cool gift for dad, but an equally awesome piece of art for any occasion: Mother's Day, Grandma's Birthday, Anniversaries, etc...

Ingredients:
White Fabric
Paper & Pencil
Embroidery Needle
Embroidery Floss [a different color for each person]
Large Embroidery Hoop [pictured above is a vintage hoop of my mother's- now they are bamboo]
Time

Trace the hand of every member of your family. Cut out hands. Place on white fabric, trace hand onto fabric. Embroider away! Leave attached to hoop or place in frame upon completion. Find a spot & & hang.

June is National Aquarium Month. Take the day to explore local aquariums in your area. The Association of Zoos & Aquariums has created a search to make locating one easy. 

They're baaaack... Fireflies are back in a major way this summer. In the grand tradition of summertime fun: find a jar and punch some holes in the lid. Choose a location and wait for the fireflies [aka Lightning Bugs] to glow.

Grab them gently and throw them into your jar. By the end of your session- you should have a flickering firefly lantern to accompany you to bed or on your camp out. Twilight is the optimal time; it is dark enough that they glow, but light enough to see their little bodies floating while they aren't lit up.

When morning comes, step outside and let them fly away in a shaded, lush garden area. It's a sweet way to say goodbye... until you hunt them down again later that night!

Monkeys and Mayhem is pleased to introduce... Buntings! Our exclusive bunting line is now available. Buntings are for carrying your newborn in style. The modern fabrics, heirloom quality, and European design guarantee buntings are destined to be the show stopper at the baby shower.

Remember playing telephone when you were little? A rainy day is a great time to create these nostalgic gems. They are durable & can be played with indoors or outside. Great for covert ops in the treetops.

Ingredients:
2 Tin Cans
Hammer & Nail
String [Kite String or Fishing Line = optimal]

Have your helper rescue two cans from the recycling bin. Puncture the end of the cans by driving the nail through the bottom of the can with a hammer. Grab some string from the kite you flew last week. Determine the desired length & cut. Push the string through the bottom of one can, knot the string. Pull the remainder through. Now on to the next one. Pull the string through the second can, knotting the end. Now like Ma Bell- you got the Ill Communication.