Do you lie to your children?
I do.
I tell them things like, “No, I didn’t put onions in the casserole,” or “We have to leave the park NOW. They are closing it early today,” or “Sorry, I don’t have any money for a bag of M&Ms.”
Two years ago I told my kids that there really was a place called Candy Land. This isn’t a lie. Candy Land truly does exist as I mentioned in a previous post called Yes Dear, There Really is a Candy Land.
Thanks to my mom, I really got to take my children to Candy Land this past weekend.
My mom has spent the last 6 months creating Candy Land in her backyard for my kids and many more. She found almost everything at rummage sales or the thrift store and then went to work handpainting everything herself. She also made quite a few of the things with her saw and power tools. She is truly a remarkable lady who brought so much joy to kids and adults alike with this labor of love.
Enjoy the photos that I captured on that glorious day!
That’s my mom on the side of the tree who created all of this!
A clever sign above a mirror!
This chocolate area was really cool. The pots are filled with cocoa bean mulch which really smells like chocolate. The kids had fun digging in it!
All of the children’s furniture is stuff that my mom found for a couple of dollars and then fixed and painted! The treats on this cupboard were made by mom out of wax!
This is an old manger converted into a little house!
These decorations were bought at after Christmas clearance sales
This cupboard was full of dishes and the kids had a ton of fun playing tea party!
My mom made tons of little cakes and treats out of wax!
One of the doll houses my mom painted and decorated
The table of candy
ribbon candy
more doll houses in Candy Land for the kids to play with
My mom also cut boards and painted all kinds of signs
Inside the candy house. My mom decorated this. She used blocks to make the furniture
All of the kids playing a game of Four Corners to burn off all of the sugar they consumed!
My son was so sticky by the end of the day that all of the confetti on the candy table was sticking to him. My brother said he must have contracted a case of the “candy pox”!
This was truly a remarkable event and one that the kids and adults alike will never forget!
Motherhood Is An Art 
Oh wow, your children are so lucky! Your mom should make this into a business and charge entrance fee (to non-family members of course) and make tons of money! =)
This really looks like a magical place! Now I know you got your creativity from your mom =) My daughter and husband would love to go to Candy Land too.
I told my mom the same thing about making it into a permanent fixture! It’s tough with it being outside though and having to worry about rain ruining everything. I’ve been racking my brain the past few days trying to figure out how we could make it work! It truly was magical!
How about a tent? … especially like a circus tent? That would add to the ambiance =)
Are you serious??? This is amazing! Your mom is a special lady for doing that. I agree with the comment above that she could make this into a little business. So fun!
Thanks Christine! Wouldn’t it be a great thing for birthday parties? My mom and I were brainstorming yesterday trying to figure out how we would make it happen! We kept getting stumped about the whole outdoors thing. Part of the magic of the place was that it was outside but we would always have to worry about the weather ruining everything! We’ll have to keep thinking about it!
Hmmm…I really think people would hire he. I would!
This really could be a gold mine! It is just incredible!!!!
I know! I wish you and the boys could have made it up! It would have been worth the drive!!
Wow! Your mom is a goddess and your kids are very very lucky! Wish we had a backyard that big, or even just a backyard so we can make something similar!
My backyard is really small too! My kids are so lucky that they can go to grandma’s house and run around a big backyard…with or without Candy Land!
Amazing yard even without candyland!
The yard truly is amazing on it’s own! We moved there when I was a baby and there was nothing on the land. My dad planted hundreds and hundreds of trees and it has really turned into something beautiful!
WOW… What an amazing mom. No wonder your such an amazing mom Melissa. The kids must of had a blast. There imagination must of been infinite… My only question is where is she going to store all of this beautiful art work? One day I’d be honored to meet your mom!!! Just amazing…
Thanks Pamela! The storing is definitely an issue! Now that it is over with she has everything slid into the garage and a shed! She was just lamenting about this yesterday!
That is so fun! The kids have an amazing grandma. 🙂
Thank you! The kids are very lucky to have such a creative grandma!
Your mom made Candy Land??!!! What a great mom! I loved the last shot, too – “candy pox”! LOL
And the occasional lie… We all do it… down to the Tooth Fairy.
Thank you! The candy pox was pretty funny! He kept trying to get the confetti off of his hands and face and when we saw him struggling we just kept adding more to him (we are a terrible family). Luckily he was a good sport and was laughing hysterically so it kind of turned into a game!
Horrible, horrible, horrible! Lol. Now he will have pleasant dreams of never-ending skittles on his hands! 🙂
This is soooo cool! Your Mom is the grandma of the century. Tell her I am in awe. The only thing I might suggest is a coffee station. You know, for the kids that like caffeine to keep the sugar high going. Blessings.
You’re right! As a mother of young children there is nothing I want more than to keep that sugar high going! I am demanding the coffee station for next time! And as you know the kids would not find it odd at all to have a coffee station because it is one of the treats they get when they go to grandma’s house anyway!
WOW! Your mom rocks! What an amazing adventure she has created! Now I know where you get your creativity and artistic abilities from!
All of those kids will remember that for years to come. Give your mom a big hug from me–the neurotic girl from the Great White North.
Will do! I hope my kids go back to school and when asked, “What did you do this summer?” they respond with, “Oh, I just went to Candy Land.” I think it is something they will definitely always remember!
This is so cool. I can see where you get your creativity.
I don’t like to call it lying but I sometimes stretch the truth in the name of family peace and sanity.
Thank you and you’re right…it’s not really lying! Sometimes you just have to go to measures so the day doesn’t fall apart on you! Nothing wrong with that!
Pretty big and great measures there.
Always have been awestruck.with your Mom’s creativity! Even more amazing.that she can do all this with the pain she.has!!! Definitely earned a throne in Heaven!!!!
And the little white lies must be ok since they’ve been used in every generation!
XOXO
You’re right Wendy! The way she has been limping about even makes it more amazing that she pulled this off!
Holy moley!! That’s intense! Way to go to your mom!! I can’t believe she put all of that together!! What a great get together for the family, looks like everyone had a good time, too.
It really was amazing! I was even surprised even though I had seen her working on most of the projects. Seeing it all set up was mind blowing! She was even up on a ladder nailing all of that stuff into the trees!
I’m jealous… I want to go to Candy land! Lucky kids… and fab nana!
I can’t imagine what I would have thought if I was a kid! I always day dreamed about it when I was little!
Grandma of the year award!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am truly amazed!
Thanks Colleen! See….I told you my mom was like a big kid! I think this kind of proves it!
Yes it does. Does she know she has raised the grandma bar to incredible heights? 😉
That is amazing! How long does she leave it up?
Thanks Joyce! She has already taken most of it down. It was just a one day deal. With it being outside everything would get ruined. We just had a big storm the other night so it’s good that she already had everything moved into the garage and shed. Now we just have to figure out where to store it all permanently if she ever wants to do it again!
She’s welcome to store it in my back yard 🙂
Whoa! she is the best grandma ever! 🙂 It’s amazing that your mom put so much work into creating this for the kids! so many details, so much work, it’s very pretty, I kept looking at the pictures and love the little things. My son and nephew would a place like this, Okay so would I ha!ha! 🙂 I also love the mirror and sign above it and of course the cocoa beans idea 🙂 (you are very luck to have your mom Melissa, your kids must love her a lot! ) 🙂
Thank you Ingrid! The kids are pretty enamored with their grandma! I think they would live at her house if they could! She put a ton of work into this. Even though she didn’t spend a ton of money (she thinks around $50-$75) her time was immeasurable! Every where I turned there was some other little detail!
this is absolutely amazing!
Thank you Beth!
Oh crap! Hands down, your mom get’s grandma and neighbor of the year. Wow! All I did with Candy Land was stack the deck so the kids got all the jump ahead cards so the game could end!
haha!! Our lollipop and ice cream card have a tiny fold in them…so yes, I have done the same thing!
This is so so sweet! How fun for your kids and how wonderful of your mom to put so much work & love into creating this!
Thank you Cathy! I was pretty blown away by it all too! I think the adults had just as much fun as the kids!
so cool!
I am actually dumbfounded reading this post. WHAT WORLD OF MAGIC DO YOU PEOPLE LIVE IN? Seriously, between you and your mum, I just don’t even have the words to describe how impressed and amazed I am. You two are incredible!! I can only imagine how much your kidlets loved (and will continue to love!) this!
Thank you Vanessa! I love your comment! We do live in a pretty magical world (in our heads)!
That is AMAZING! Your mom should totally host birthday parties in Candy Lane!!!! So fun!
Thank you Courtney! I think birthday parties would be so fun here too! Now just to figure out a way to pull it off! This Wisconsin weather rarely cooperates so the thought of having to store all of this and then set it up each time would be a little too much…maybe we should move it to Florida!
It rains pretty much every day during the Summer (and then often into the “Fall” months) here in Florida so I totally get uncooperative weather! Sunshine state is accurate, but only in between the storms 🙂
Thank you …. Melissa’s Blogging Friends .. for all the nice compliments on Candy Land !! I do have a bit of creativity in my soul .. comes from still being a kid at heart , but a lot of my creativity comes from Melissa !! My poor children didn’t have this kind of Mom, mainly because i didn’t know I had it in me or probably the time. Having a child with true artistic talent was such a joy and oh so awesome ! I expected her to draw and paint wonderful things for me …. but it just didn’t happen in a timely fashion or at all !! So I took the plunge and tried doing for myself …. I’ve become a Jack of all trades … master of none … but as long as as I stick with Childhood Treasures & Simple Pleasures … I think I’m I’m okay !!
That is amazing! I wanna come! 🙂
Thank you! It’s a dream come true! I always wanted to go to Candy Land when I was a kid!
Holy Toledo Melissa! I wish I lived in your neck of the woods!! I bet that Candy Land is the best ever!!! What a remarkable grandmother your children have! Truly!! I’ve got to show this to my girls…
Thank you Lidia! If my mom ever does Candy Land again I’ll have to invite you…it might be worth the drive!!
What a truly amazing place! I wish I was that creative. I think nowadays with all the electronic entertainment parents (me in particular) don’t stretch themselves enough when it comes to inventing games and activities. Your blog inspires me to be a more creative mum! Thank you
Thank you so much! I really appreciate the compliment! I don’t know too many people who have the time and energy to pull off a Candy Land. I like to stick to smaller endeavors but maybe someday for my grandchildren I will make a Candy Land too!
you have got to find a way to preserve this, it is the ultimate children’s fantasy land. (not to mention it backs up your ‘white lie.’
Unbelievable! I have to admit, I usually get tired of posts with a million pictures of the same thing. Not this time. Every picture was cooler and cooler. I loved Candy Land when I was little, and I can only imagine how awesome I would have thought your mom’s creation was! What an amazing experience for your kids. On another note, I lie to my daughter all the time. I actually wrote a post about it too. It did not end with my mother making Candy Land! 😉
haha!!! Thanks Rachel! It’s nice to hear that other parents tell white lies too! I wish I didn’t have to but I must keep the peace. The ultimate feeling is when one of your lies isn’t actually a lie at all and you can pull a Candy Land out of your sleeve!
This is out of this world! l LOVE the furniture and want to steal it all for my home 🙂
I just found your comment in my spam file so sorry my response is delayed! Thank you so much! My mom loves painting children’s furniture but neither of us have any room to put anymore! Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a whole house filled with cute little children’s furniture?!
It would be so cool! But I think my 6 ft 3 in husband would struggle with the size of it all!
Perhaps this could be book #2–“Yes, There Really Is A Candyland.” I’m sure your illustrations would be just as amazing, Melissa!
That is an awesome idea! My mind is already swirling with ideas just thinking about it!
Love, love that your mum did this for her grandkids – so awesome!
Thank you! It really was quite a sight to behold! My mom said she had a million more ideas but ran out of time!
You have the best mother!! I see where you get your crafty gene from. It makes me so happy to see what your mom did. I can’t even imagine how much fun that was. I’m sure the kids wanted to stay forever!
Have a nice day! Love, L.
I know! My mom is really amazing! The kids really enjoyed themselves and I think a few wanted to live there!
Dearest Mellisa, I have nominated you for an award…but, I notice I hadnt seen any on here…please have a look and accept if you do…I mean every word I say on my post !!