It was the first day of Winter break, and I had a to do list that was a mile long. There were gifts to be wrapped, goodies to bake, and lots of decorating to be done. Inspired by the lovely Katherine Marie, I planned our own version of Elf Bootcamp and the kids were excited […]
A New Holiday Tradition
December 30, 2014 by
For the holidays this year, we thought it would be fun to start a new family tradition of visiting our local Build-A-Bear Workshop! The kids enjoyed building a toy to donate to Toys For Tots and another to keep for themselves. For the past few years, Build-A-Bear Workshop has partnered with the Toys For Tots Foundation […]
Valentine’s Day Montessori Trays
February 10, 2014 by
Valentine’s day is a time of giving and a time of love. Getting our kids into the spirit of the holiday is often hard without a moose-sized dose of sugar. But we can easily turn the things they normally do into special holiday crafts that create adorable keepsakes (and even better memories) with a […]
Simple Ways to Slow Down and Enjoy the Holidays
November 25, 2013 by
The holidays can be overwhelming for all of us, children and adults alike. We often find ourselves rushing around from one holiday event to the next. And it’s easy to become exhausted from flitting from one store to the next shopping for gifts. It’s so important to remember to take time to simply slow…down…! The […]
Adventures in Soap Making!
November 16, 2012 by
With the Thanksgiving holiday right around the corner, the kids and I wanted to make some special handmade hostess gifts for my mom, who will be hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year. ((Thanks, Mom!)) These pumpkin spice hand soaps fit the bill perfectly! They would be lovely gifts for teachers, neighbors, or friends too! First, you […]
Father’s Day Gifts Kids Can Make — Circuit Board Pencil Holder
June 17, 2010 by
This was a fun stamping project Clara enjoyed, and we made a Father’s Day gift from it as well! We used some Mega blocks as stampers with white paint on green paper (to mimic the look of a circuit board). She had so much fun!! Stamp, stamp, stamp!! I cut up some pieces of masking […]
Father’s Day Gifts Kids Can Make — Fish Magnets
June 14, 2010 by
For some reason, I tend to associate fish with dads. I think it’s because of Mark’s fish tank, and also my own father’s love of fishing. Emily and I had so much fun with this simple and frugal project — fish magnets! They are made using handles of old paintbrushes. In mind was this cute […]
Father’s Day Gifts Kids Can Make — Fish Card
June 7, 2010 by
This Father’s Day card was inspired by Mark’s fish tank! To make your own, fold a sheet of construction paper in half as shown. I cut some blue construction paper and made waves for water on the top edge. Emily used some masking tape to adhere it to the paper. Lookin’ good! Next, we used […]
Father’s Day Gifts Kids Can Make — Colorful Coaster Set
June 3, 2010 by
Emily and I had a great time making these colorful coasters for a Father’s Day gift for Mark — and they are super-frugal to make!! We used plain bathroom tiles from the hardware store, some Mod Podge, and tissue paper to make the set. I found the tiles at Home Depot for just $0.16 each, […]
Last Minute Mother’s Day Gifts Round Up
May 8, 2010 by
In case you missed some of our FUN Mother’s Day gift idea posts, here’s a quick round up! From Left to Right:1. Super-Fun Tea Tags2. Lavender Scented Bath Salts3. Chocolate Nut Bark From Left to Right:1. Hand-Painted Pendants2. Ceramic Trivets3. Flower Printed Wrapping Paper From Left to Right:1. Reusable To Do List2. Laminate Bookmarks3. Recipe […]
Mother’s Day Gifts Kids Can Make — Personalized Pendants
May 7, 2010 by
Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and we have been crafting up a storm in our household! Emily made a whole tray of these personalized initial pendants for her grandmothers and several friends, and I made a bunch too. They are lots of fun to make! First smooth out some oven bake clay to […]
Feliz Cinco de Mayo
May 5, 2010 by
Clara’s Top 3 Frugal Fashion Tips for Cinco de Mayo: 1. Cinco de Mayo is the perfect excuse to dress up in bright colors and fancy shoes! Yellow is very hip this season. Be confident — Walk that catwalk and strut your stuff. 2. A smile is the best way to dress up any outfit, and […]
Quick Craft — Piñata Suncatchers
May 4, 2010 by
It’s almost time for Cinco de Mayo — one of my favorite holidays! I love the food, the music, and all the bright beautiful colors! We made fun pinata suncatchers today to make our kitchen look a little more festive. I drew an outline of a donkey onto some construction paper, and Emily cut out […]
Mother’s Day Gifts Kids Can Make — To Do List
May 3, 2010 by
These To Do Lists are such a useful gift for Mom — plus they are reusable! The girls had so much fun making these, and you only need a few materials to make one of your own. I took an ordinary sheet of construction paper, folded it in half, and drew a 1 inch margin […]
Mother’s Day Gifts Kids Can Make — 2 Ideas for Laminate Samples
April 26, 2010 by
Here’s another fun post for our series of Inexpensive Mother’s Day Gifts Kids Can Make (using items found at the hardware store)!! Mark doesn’t know it yet, but I’m secretly plotting to have our kitchen countertops re-done. I picked up some samples, and a few price quotes the last time I was at the hardware […]
Crafting with Recyclables – Design a Robot Kit
April 22, 2010 by
In honor of Earth Day, I thought we would do another fun craft with recyclables — a kit to design your own robot! Of course, we craft with recyclables year round, since it’s better for the environment, plus I consider them to be free art supplies. Emily has been on a robot kick lately, as […]
Mother’s Day Gifts Kids Can Make — Recipe Journal
April 20, 2010 by
While Clara was napping, Emily and I made this very special recipe journal for Grandma. Emily thought this would be a particularly useful gift, and I had to agree! Added bonus — We recycled some beautiful paper that was FREE!! Not many people seem to know about this, but if you’re looking for some gorgeous […]
