DIY Dominoes Project

Image: Patent Pending Projects

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

Of course we all know that Ferris Bueller quote but lets just take a look at the first part of the sentence.
Life moves pretty fast.

When I started this blog in 2011, I wrote 70 posts. In 2012, I wrote 54. Last year there was a meager 13 and so far, in 2014, if I manage to finish this one...it'll be a grand total of 3 and March is almost over.
Yes, life is moving pretty fast, with not much time for personal projects anymore like this blog - and even more so now, with a 3 and a half year old and a 10 week old puppy, who can be both found running around my ankles on a daily basis.

There's also that game we all have to play each day called 'Earning Money and Paying Bills'. A game we must unpack every morning, check that all the pieces are there, explain the rules to existing and new players before rolling the dice and either winning everything or losing it all. At the end of each day, we must pack every little card and token back into the box and put it away for the next morning when we get to play it all over again. Yipee!


So.....

.....now that I've 'elbowed' that metaphor into this post, I can get on with what I'm really here to talk about.

Games.

Now that my son is learning about team games and playing gently with the puppy - I think it's time he got to grips with the complexities of 'games with rules'.
Of course, one can easily be suckered into handing out big bucks and buying expensive 'themed versions' of old family favourites like 'Mickey Mouse Monopoly', 'Peppa Pig Pursuit' or even 'Toy Story Tiddlywinks' and lose sight of what's really important.

(Important note to self: need to check delivery date on that 'Superman Snakes and Ladders' game that I ordered on eBay - it's been 2 weeks!)

So, what is the cheaper - or even FREE alternative?

Well, how about Painted Stone Dominoes?

Image: Martha Stewart

Image: Happy Hooligans

Really, this is just the greatest idea ever.

First of all, you get to have a day out at the beach with the kids collecting stones.

Second, if it's a bit of a rainy day out - stay in doors and you can spend the afternoon painting the designs on the stones and you don't even have to stick to a traditional design.

Image: Love From Ginger

Image: Giochi Di Carta

You don't even have to stick with Dominoes!

Image: eighteen25

Third, you get to create your own game and it's all free.


This is all that I've been trying to say in 70 posts in 2011, 54 posts in 2012, 13 posts in 2014 and the same thing again in my third post this year.
We are always throwing away things that we think are useless. We use things up and fail to see that they could be transformed into something new but most of all, we disregard a lot of what the world offers us in favour of a conveniently, neatly packaged product - instead of wondering what we can do with the resources around us.

Which brings me back to the second part of that Ferris Buellers quote.

"If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."


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