Pipe Cleaner Lollipop

Did you know that the lollipop (originally Lolly Pop) was invented in Connecticut? This beloved treat was first produced in 1908 by George Smith of the Bradley Smith Company of New Haven. Connecticut named the lollipop its official state candy in 2024. Celebrate this sweet treat with a quick and easy pipe cleaner craft. Affiliate links below. 

Pipe Cleaner Lollipop

Materials:

• pipe cleaners (orange, yellow, green, blue)
• 4" lollipop stick
• glue gun

Steps: 

Stack the four pipe cleaners and begin to twist them together. You can twist them loosely at first and then go back and tighten them, or twist them tightly from the beginning. Either way, you want a tight twist. 

When you've twisted the pipe cleaners together all the way to the end, begin coiling the twist. Keep the coil tight as you twist. It should hold on its own, but you can also add a drop of hot glue occasionally to keep it totally secure. 

Use hot glue to attach the lollipop stick to the finished coil. 

Quick and easy! Now go enjoy a lollipop in honor of George Smith, the Bradley Smith Company, and the great state of Connecticut. 

Pop Art Hockey Craft

I was looking through my Sports Crafts for Kids page recently. I have tutorials for 30 crafts representing 14 different sports. None of those is hockey, so it was time to add a hockey craft to the collection. I decided to do my twist on a popular project inspired by the pop art movement of the 50's to 70's. Affiliate links below. 

 

 

Pop Art Hockey Craft

Materials: 

• printed image or photograph of a hockey player
• microtip scissors
• colored cardstock
• binder clips
• craft glue

Steps: 

Carefully cut out the image of the hockey player. Layer three colors of cardstock together and use a binder clip to secure them together. 

Turn the hockey player upside down and clip it to the cardstock. Trace around the shape, then cut out all three layers at once. 

Arrange the cut images onto a piece of cardstock, with the hockey player in the foreground. Each piece should be evenly spaced and should be lined up with the direction that the athlete is moving. Glue everything in place. 

Mini Keepsake Quilt #3

I've finished my third mini keepsake quilt, using (most of) the fabric from Quilt #3. I love how the three mini quilts look hanging on the line together!

 

Since I give away all the quilts I make, these mini keepsakes are the best record I have of the fabrics I used for each. Unfortunately, there were absolutely no scraps of my favorite fabric from Quilt #3 (the leaf green) so I wasn't able to include it in the mini. It's disappointing, but it is what it is. 

Not only are these mini quilts a fun keepsake, but they're good practice for me.... and I still need a LOT of sewing practice. I was exceptionally careful when I cut out my 2" squares and tried my best to maintain the 1/4" seam allowance as I sewed them together. The top looked pretty good - the corners (mostly) matched and the lines were (mostly) straight. After I sewed the completed front to the back and turned it inside out, the mini quilt was (mostly) square. (Well, rectangular.) But when I actually quilted it, things got distorted a bit. I didn't think I needed to pin the layers with such a small project, but apparently I do. I'll try that next time and see if it makes a difference. Always learning = always improving!

Where I've Been: National Monuments

This is my third post in what's turning out to be a series about the National Park units I've visited. Read about the National Historical Parks and National Historic Sites I've explored, then check out the National Parks I've checked off the list. Today I'm focusing on National Monuments. 

A National Park (NP) usually has a large amount of land (or water) and protects a variety of natural resources. A National Monument (NM) is typically smaller than an NP and less diverse, protecting at least one significant resource. A National Monument can be upgraded to a National Park, as happened with White Sands. There are currently 87 NM units in the National Park System. As before, I've added a star if I've been there. If I've visited since I started blogging about travel, I've added a link. 

 

Where I've Been: National Monuments

African Burial Ground National Monument, New York

Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, Nebraska

Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument, Texas

Aniakchak National Monument, Alaska

Aztec Ruins National Monument, New Mexico

Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico

Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument, District of Columbia

*Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument, Alabama

Booker T. Washington National Monument, Virginia

Buck Island Reef National Monument, Virgin Islands

Cabrillo National Monument, California

Camp Nelson National Monument, Kentucky

Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Arizona

Cape Krusenstern National Monument, Alaska

Capulin Volcano National Monument, New Mexico

Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument, Pennsylvania

*Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, Arizona

Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, Florida

Castle Clinton National Monument, New York

Castle Mountains National Monument, California

Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah

César E. Chávez National Monument, California

Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument, Ohio

Chiricahua National Monument, Arizona

Colorado National Monument, Colorado

*Craters of the Moon National Monument, Idaho

Devils Postpile National Monument, California

Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming

Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado and Utah

Effigy Mounds National Monument, Iowa

*El Malpais National Monument, New Mexico

El Morro National Monument, New Mexico

Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument, Illinois and Mississippi

Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, Colorado

Fort Frederica National Monument, Georgia

Fort Matanzas National Monument, Florida

*Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, Maryland

Fort Monroe National Monument, Virginia

Fort Pulaski National Monument, Georgia

Fort Stanwix National Monument, New York

Fort Union National Monument, New Mexico

Fossil Butte National Monument, Wyoming

Frances Perkins National Monument, Maine

Freedom Riders National Monument, Alabama

George Washington Birthplace National Monument, Virginia

George Washington Carver National Monument, Missouri

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, New Mexico

Governors Island National Monument, New York

Grand Portage National Monument, Minnesota

Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument, Idaho

Hohokam Pima National Monument, Arizona

Hovenweep National Monument, Colorado and Utah

Jewel Cave National Monument, South Dakota

John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon

Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, Maine

Lava Beds National Monument, California

Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, Montana

Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument, Mississippi

Mill Springs Battlefield National Monument, Kentucky

*Montezuma Castle National Monument, Arizona

*Muir Woods National Monument, California

Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah

Navajo National Monument, Arizona

Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve, Oregon

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona

*Petroglyph National Monument, New Mexico

Pipe Spring National Monument, Arizona

Pipestone National Monument, Minnesota

Poverty Point National Monument, Louisiana

Rainbow Bridge National Monument, Utah

Russell Cave National Monument, Alabama

Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, New Mexico

Scotts Bluff National Monument, Nebraska

Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument, Illinois

*Statue of Liberty National Monument, New Jersey and New York

Stonewall National Monument, New York

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, Arizona

Timpanogos Cave National Monument, Utah

Tonto National Monument, Arizona

Tule Lake National Monument, California

Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument, Nevada

Tuzigoot National Monument, Arizona

Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument, Virgin Islands

Waco Mammoth National Monument, Texas

Walnut Canyon National Monument, Arizona

Wupatki National Monument, Arizona

Yucca House National Monument, Colorado

To the best of my knowledge, I've been to 9 of the 87 National Monuments. That leaves a lot of places yet to visit! There are a handful that were already on my must-visit list, but I've added quite a few others while writing this post. 

Four New Eagles

On May 3, 2026 we attended an Eagle Court of Honor for four Scouts from our troop: Bryan, Spencer, Logan, and Brandon. All Eagle Courts of Honor are special, but this one was particularly meaningful for me. I was there when each boy joined our troop for the first time. I watched all four progress through all seven ranks and I sat on at least one Board of Review for each of them. I taught them skills as a merit badge counselor and camped with them. And, perhaps most significantly, Steve and I planned the 2021 COVID-replacement summer camp at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, which all four loved so much that they chose that location for their Eagle ceremony. 

Four New Eagles (affiliate link)

As if this Court of Honor weren't already so meaningful, the new Eagles chose Trevor to be the Master of Ceremonies. Trevor was the Senior Patrol Leader when three of the four joined the troop, so from the beginning they saw him as a role model. Trevor is 2 years older than Bryan, Spencer, and Logan, and 3 years older than Brandon, so it's no surprise that they relied on him for guidance during their paths to Eagle. And it was a huge compliment that they selected him as MC. 

The whole day was full of Proud Mom moments, but none so much as when Logan and Bryan each named Trevor as a mentor and awarded him a mentor pin. And then I had a Proud Wife moment, when Logan and Spencer each named Steve as a mentor! What a day. Huge congrats to Bryan, Spencer, Logan, and Brandon for their accomplishment. We're all so proud of you.