Back to School Tees…on the Cheap

...back to school tees - on the cheap. Check out what we made today using fabric pens and these really fun "doodle-pop" embellishments at Michaels.

http://www.michaels.com/art/online/displayArticle?articleNum=as0293

So simple - yet so cute.

The bright colored embelishments were actually iron-on embroidered art doodles.  I just used one white, and one black fabric pen and added some of the backfround designs.  (Swirls, stars, hearts, little buildings...honestly - anyone can do it!)

They also have some "flocked" matching iron ons that you can use to add detail (see the octopus photo).

Everything, including the transfers, tees, and pens cost me less than $20!

Click the link above for more information...and don't forget to grab your online Michaels coupon!

Crazy Crayons: A Fun, Inexpensive & Creative Classroom Gift Idea

It has been insanely cold here this week so instead of sending the kids outside to play, we've been creating gifts for our neighbors and their teachers & friends.  Yesterday, we made cookies & pumpkin bread...today is "crazy crayon" day.

I found this "recipe" on Martha Stewart and thought it would be a really great "rainy day"...(or just plain bitterly cold day) craft for the kids and I to try.  Once they were completed (see photos) the kids decided that they would make a great gift for their friends at school.  I couldn't agree more.

Here's how we made ours....

• We gathered up all of our crayon scraps (we used about 40 crayons and parts to make 10 crazy crayons).
• Then, I put the kids in charge of peeling.  (This takes awhile so you may want to pop in a movie or turn on some holiday music while they peel).  If you plan ahead, you may want to soak the crayons overnight or for a few hours so they are easier to peel.
• Next, I sliced the crayons (using an old chopping knife) into pea-sized pieces and sorted the chopped crayons into small bowls by colors - (reds & oranges, blues & greens, blacks & greys, etc...)
• After that, I let the kids sort the pieces into muffin tins.  We talked about "earth tones", primary colors, holiday colors etc...as they put the pieces into the muffin holes.
• Finally, I baked the crayon pieces in a 200 degree oven for 15 minutes.  You may need to bake them longer or shorter...they will look like liquid when they are completely melted.
• It takes an hour or so for the crazy crayons to become solid so I put mine in the freezer when the kids started getting impatient.

That's it!  Wa-la...a fun, educational & "green" craft project & gift idea.

We are going to make more later this week and put them into cute baggies for a little gift for the kids' classmates.

Frugal Living: Vintage Inspired Kids T-Shirts on a Budget

Ironically - I was in the process of saving some money by making my own shrinky dink necklace pendants (I'll share soon

) when I came across these awesome vintage inspired free iron-on transfers from HP.

I frequently save money by making my own iron-on kids shirts...but these are above and beyond anythi

ng I've ever created on my own.

Here's a sample...and here's the link. Enjoy!

PS - Wouldn't these make great Christmas gifts?

Simple & Fun Kids Activity – Milk & Dishsoap”Fireworks”

Ever since the Fourth of July...my kids have been begging to see a fireworks show again.  I remembered seeing a little note that was sent home from my daughter's summer camp showing how to make safe & fun "fireworks" from home.

It was a lot of fun..and a wonderful learning experience for the kids.  Y

You simply take 2 or three cups of milk...put it in a pan and let the kids add drops of food coloring randomly in the milk.

Then, allow the kids to put droplets of dishsoap on top of the drops of food coloring.  The reaction(caused by the milk-fat mixing with soap) looks like a mini fireworks show.

Our favorite part of this activity was watching the colors blend together.

Here are some photos of our fireworks show.  (The colors aren't nearly as vibrant as they are "live". =) )

Enjoy!

Simple Child Journaling & Letter Writing Tool

What a great night.   I am in the middle of creating a digital album for my daughter who turned five last week.  The "drag & dropping" of photographs is going fine...but the journaling part - not so much.

So...I threw in the towel for the evening and started "stumbling" (a great firefox tool that lets you click through random websites in topics that you are interested in). 

And..."wa-la" I found this.   A simple "fill in the blank" tool to help you create a treasured journal for your child. 

Here is a highlight...

Dear _____________,
You are now _____ years old. This has been a year of __________________.
Over the past few months you have learned to __________________.
You spend much of your time doing __________. We have lots of fun together, but the thing I like to do with you most is _______.
Your favorite thing to eat is ___________ and you love to play with ____________.
You say and do some of the sweetest and silliest things, such as ________________________________.

My writers block has been cured...back to scrapping!  =)  

 

I am in Gingerbread House Hell

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My name is Traci and I am a sugar addict.

For the past two days I've had two basketball sized cookie houses topped with frosting and crack candy sitting on my kitchen table. 

I am losing it.

So, I am left with two choices. 

Flush the crack gingerbread down the toilet or just pick at it. 

All day...everyday. 

Just pick...pick...pick it apart until it is gone. 

I've chosen option #2...

I am slowly, but surely picking it apart.  

....and then, I get busted.

"Mommy, what happened to the gumballs?"  "Oh...honey, they just roll off". 

"What happened to the candy cane tree?"  "Oh...sweetie, we didn't water it enough". 

"What about gingerbread man's nose"...."Oh, hun...maybe the frosting wasn't sticky enough".

I am the biggest jerk-mom ever.

Serenity NOW...Serenity NOW....Serenity NOW!  

How to Video: Make a Christmas Keepsake Board

The holidays are upon us! No matter what your religion, or what you're celebrating, this is one time of year that is stressful for just about everyone! But this is also supposed to be a time of celebration! So, how can you ditch some of the stress and increase the fun?

Let Madeline show you How-To!
This week, Madeline's making a seasonally festive memento/keepsake board that will capture the season, and the hearts of those you give it to!

Family Fun 101

* Almost * 101 Simple Ways To Have Fun With Your Family

1. Design a Door Hanger With Them
2. Make Smoothies (Don’t Forget the Mini Umbrellas!)
3. Create Tie Die Cupcakes together
4. Make Cookies
5. Make Breakfast With Them
6. Eat Some Ants on a Log
7. Make Flavored Popcorn and Watch a Movie
8. Create a “Lights Out” Box
9. Play the Scooper Challenge With Them Online
10. Make a Felt Board With Them
11. Build a Basic Craft Kit Together
12. Make Sushi for Them
13. Create a Bathtub Whale
14. Make A Button Bracelet Gift for Someone
15. Draw Pictures Upside Down
16. Make Some Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes
17. Let Them Throw Some Indoor Snowballs
18. Try Some Playdough Printing
19. Create Some Crazy Crayons Together
20. Play Family Flag Football
21. Bake Some Homemade Pretzels
22. Make an Instant Journal With Them
23. Create Rock Frogs Together
24. Hold a Family Game Night
25. Play Food for Talk at the Dinner Table
26. Use a Deck of Cards and Create a Sculpture Together
27. Have a Party...Just Because
28. Play Hopscotch With Them
29. Make a Personalized Memo Pad
30. Make Coffee Filter Butterflies
31. Invite a Surprise Guest to Dinner
32. Create a Pet Rock
33. Build a Hideout
34. Race Cucumber Boats Together
35. Go on a Treasure Hunt
36. Make Homemade Mac & Cheese
37. Try Rain Painting Together
38. Hold a Magazine Night
39. Let the Kids Run the Show
40. Make Pixy Sticks Sand Art
41. Make Some Cracker Castles
42. Make Some Crazy Spaghetti Lasagna
43. Play “Gigglebelly” and Crack Up
44. Enjoy Some Banana Bonkers Together
45. Make a Cardboard Palace
46. Wake Up Early and Make Cinnamon Rolls
47. Make Some Nacho Popcorn
48. Play “Mother May I”?
49. Make a No-Sew Pillowcase Skirt
50. Make Them a Banana Dog on a Bun for Lunch
51. Make Vanilla Yogurt Fruit Dip Together
52. Play Cold Potato Together
53. Make Car Fresheners Together
54. Create a Story With Your Whole Family
55. Try an Inventors Night
56. Go Outside and Play Tic Tac Toss
57. Have an Appetizer Night
58. Create Your Own Jazzy Jean
    s
59. Try a “Switcheroo” Night
60. Go On a Flashlight Hike
61. Make Some Quick and Easy Bagel Pizzas
62. Hot Outside? Play the Sprinkler Race
63. Create a Conversation Jar
64. Play the Name Game
65. Make Art Together
66. Make Simple Monkey Bread
67. Play Crazy 8’s Together
68. Play Hide and Seek...by Candlelight
69. Make Donut Holes
70. Create and Eat Some Crunchy Critters Together
71. Make Some Funny Hats
72. Make Tie Die Pops

Add your family fun link in the comments section!  Help us get to 101!

Picasso Pumpkins

Thought I'd share my children's contemporary twist on the classic Halloween pumpkin.  Personally - I love a little added color on my front porch and being able to avoid pumpkin "goop" altogether.

We simply used acrylic paints, big fat brushes...and LOTS of newspaper to cover the table.

101 Gift Basket Ideas

This is a fantastic resource just in time for the holidays!  =)

101 Gift Basket Ideas! Great for giving as upcoming Christmas gifts, or for any occasion! Enjoy!
You can find a gift idea for almost anyone in our list of 101 Gift Baskets. These are innovative ideas and get away from the usual fruit basket arrangement. Many of the baskets are designed around themes and some don't even use baskets at all!

1. Use a large terra cotta plant pot for a "basket". If you like, you can personalize the pot by painting it with acrylic paints. When the paint is dry, spray a light coat of polyurethane over the pot to add a shine. Fill the pot with:
?gardening gloves
?hand trowel
?hand rake
?bottle of liquid fertilizer
?a selection of vegetable and/or flower seeds (go for something unusual)
?a gardening book
?a subscription for a gardening magazine

2. Use a large pasta bowl for a "basket". Fill the bowl with:
?a package or two of gourmet pasta
?tongs
?a package of sun-dried tomatoes
?extra-virgin olive oil
?spices: oregano, basil, garlic powder
?a collection of your favorite pasta recipes hand-printed on recipe cards
?and/or a pasta cookbook

3. For the golfer, fill a basket or a golf bag with:
?golf tees
?golf balls
?personalized baseball cap
?sunscreen
?score cards
?a small towel
?a can cooler to keep a can of pop or beer cold

4. Wine appreciation basket. Fill a basket with:
?two bottles of quality wine (red or white)
?corkscrew
?2 or more wine glasses
?wine appreciation book
?tickets or an invitation to a wine tasting (often held at wineries) Extras: add snacks to go with the wine - fine cheese, fruit, crackers.

Only 97 to go!  =) Continue Reading: 101 Gift Basket Ideas-great ideas 4 holiday gifts! - Scrapbook.com - Powered by Scrapbook.com

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