I invited Clara to join me with a fun lantern project inspired by the art of Frank Lloyd Wright! These colorful votive holders were fun & easy to make — they would be perfect Mother’s Day gifts!! We cut up pieces of colorful tissue paper into 1 inch squares, and Clara attached them to the […]
Sweepin’ the Clouds Away
May 1, 2011 by
We were invited to Sesame Place for Opening Day! Here are some pictures that make me smile…. The look on Clara’s face when she watched the new Street Party Parade from Mark’s shoulders. Dancers in colorful tutus along side Zoe!! A NEW face to Sesame Place…. Murray! Super Grover!!!! Parents turned into kids again….. And […]
Invisible Graffiti
April 29, 2011 by
Love painting, but not a fan of the mess?? Ever have an overcoming urge to paint graffiti around your neighborhood, but don’t want to risk getting in trouble with the law?? Then invisible graffiti is for you!! It’s a piece of white cardboard cut into the shape of a palette with completely dried nail polish […]
Let’s Build a Word!
April 27, 2011 by
A very warm welcome to our newest sponsor, WordWorld!! You may recognize WordWorld from the hit PBS Kids television show, but did you know that they also have several free printables and free eBooks available on their website that are designed to promote early literacy skills? They even have a WordWorld iPhone app available for […]
Frugal Teaching Aids
April 26, 2011 by
Often times the most effective teaching aids can be the simplest ones. Here are some of our favorites! Added bonus — the kiddos had an active role in making them from very frugal materials!! The cost of workbooks can add up, especially for large families. Here’s an easy tip to reuse workbooks! Encourage early handwriting […]
Marbled Paper Journals
April 25, 2011 by
After our amazing encounter with the peacocks at the zoo, we were inspired to make some art!! Lots of marbled paper was made using this technique with beautiful peacock hues of tropical blue, cobalt blue, and apple green — so much fun!! What I love about this project is that each print is so unique — no […]
Giveaway – Mabel’s Labels!
April 23, 2011 by
I am so happy to have been given a set of these Colorful Sticky Labels and Colorful Bag Tags from Mabel’s Labels to review and giveaway because they are amazing! The sticky labels are perfect for dishes, sippy cups, or bottles because they are designed to be dishwasher safe. They really stay put! Added bonus […]
Happy Earth Day!!
April 22, 2011 by
Emily and I visited a local playground today to pick up some litter and be kind to the Earth. We brought along our friend “Bob”, the trash-eating dinosaur!! Hear him ROAR!!!! Long before we had kids, Bob lived in Mark’s dorm room in college, so he’s a long time friend of ours. Picking up trash […]
Fun Activities for Screen Free Week
April 20, 2011 by
Need a few fun activities to get you through the rest of Screen Free Week?? Here are some of our favorites to get you off the couch and outdoors! Basketballs are soooo over-rated. What you really want to do is play a game of Invisible Basketball — lots of fun!! One of our favorite outdoor […]
Super Easy Last-Minute Easter Card
April 19, 2011 by
Clara and I had lots of fun crafting up a few last-minute goodies for Easter, including this CUTE (and frugal) card using her fingerprints!! I drew a line to mark the soil with a brown marker, then Clara pressed about 1/2 of her index finger on an orange ink pad to make the carrots. She […]
Garden GROW Bunting
April 18, 2011 by
It’s no surprise that we are big fans of gardening, but this year we have a new addition to our usual rented garden plot — our first raised bed in our own backyard!! Mark has been hard at work with all the building, and I was SO excited that I could not WAIT for the […]
Sunday Snapshot — First Signs of Spring
April 17, 2011 by
Did ya hear the news?? Spring has SPRUNG!!!!!! We were SO excited and happy to see these first signs of the season!! Yay for Spring!!! Wishing you and your family a wonderful Spring-filled weekend!!
Giveaway: CUTE Apron from Shabby Apple
April 15, 2011 by
Yesterday I visited 69 News at Sunrise to share some tips for traveling with kids and some fun (and frugal) Spring crafts! Eve and I had so much fun getting crafty for Spring!! In case you missed the segment, you can view the clip here… Note how I was sporting a fun new apron from […]
Painting with Water
April 14, 2011 by
When I was a kid, I remember walking through the house with a clean, dry paintbrush in hand and in my mind I was totally painting the entire house in bright hues of sky blue, mandarin orange, cotton candy pink, and lime green. On my imaginary bedroom wall, hundreds of “masterpiece” murals were painted!! Fast […]
Tiny Easter Baskets
April 13, 2011 by
Know what’s cuter than Easter baskets?? Teensy Tiny Easter Baskets filled with little chocolate eggs!!! I know, right??? SO cute!!!! To make your own, cut up an empty cardboard egg carton and invite the kiddos over to paint the cups, forming the “basket”! We used washable paint, and it worked quite well. Clara wanted to […]
Sidewalk Butterfly Garden
April 12, 2011 by
Know what makes me very happy??? A brand-spankin’ new box of colorful chalk pastels!!!!! Honestly, I have been waiting ALL Winter to open them so we could…. …create a butterfly garden along our sidewalk!! Emily and I absolutely love sidewalk chalk art! Each section of sidewalk is like a huge canvas, and I would have […]
Mini Crayon Wallet
April 11, 2011 by
These mini wallet purses are super-frugal and lots of fun to make! Added bonus — no sewing is involved!! They are the perfect size for a few crayons, small toys, coins, or other tiny treasures. To make your own, you will need one 5″ x 7″ piece of craft foam, colored duct tape, ribbon, and […]
Zoo Inspired Crafts
April 9, 2011 by
This time of year we love to make several field trips to the local zoo, and get lots of mileage out of our annual family pass! Here are some zoo-inspired crafts to try: If you’re lucky enough to have a fun encounter with a peacock… … here’s an easy peacock craft using color-coding labels! Maybe […]
