Make and Takes

Every year I decide that I should probably be eating a little bit healthier overall. Maybe it has something to do with all of the cookies, candy, and pumpkin bread I ate over the holidays. Whatever the motivation, I think the new year is a great time to reassess and try some new healthy eating habits. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! So why not start there?...

1. Trust your instincts There were multiple times I should have trusted my instincts when thinking my older (still toddler) children were all too quiet off on their own, maybe reading or sleeping. Ya right! I’m on the couch feeding baby #3 and should have trusted my instincts when the thought crossed my mind “the house is a little TOO quiet”! They are almost always up to no-good! I’ve found an entire baby wipes pack emptied on the floor, every single book in the shelf all across the carpet, and here is video proof daddy caught of our sweet little Lucy having some fun with mommy’s makeup while I was making dinner....

This Easter basket might be tiny, but kids are going to love it. Not only is there a special treat to enjoy, but a craft, and gardening activity too. This Easter basket keeps on giving as kids can watch their seeds grow and enjoy the fresh produce they have grown with their own hands. Unique DIY Easter basket idea for kids This Easter basket idea is perfect for your kids, nieces and nephews, neighborhood kids, and kids at school....

I have put together my list of school goodies you or your child may need for this new school year. You can purchase these for you, OR give these items as a fun Teacher Goodie Bag for your child’s new teacher. Believe me, any help the teacher can get is MUCH appreciated. Glue Sticks – so cheap at Walmart right now. I stock up on these. For me, white glue is out....

I’ve had apples in baked crisps, crumble desserts, pies and almost any way you can think of, but it has never crossed my mind to combine of my 2 favorite desserts into one: cheesecakes and baked apples. Oh my goodness! This combination is just another level of deliciousness! One bite into these warm baked apples loaded with the most perfect cheesecake and warm caramel sauce pouring down and I am in heaven!...

How to Make Colorful Stained Glass Kites Watch our how-to video to make these fun and easy stained glass kites: You’ll need to do a little prep work to get this project ready for your young crafter. Cut a kite-shape from black construction paper. Then, cut out the center of the kite, leaving about a 1-inch frame. Gather up the rest of the materials for the project. Supplies: 1/2-inch strips of black construction paper scrap pieces of black construction paper (from cutting out the kites) assorted colors of tissue paper – you can cut it into squares or let your kids tear pieces clear Contact paper yarn or ribbon colored construction paper scraps...

I wrote a post for Baby Center all about a Snowman that “shreds” and I thought it might be fun extend the paper shredding to create a couple winter animals. Try to think of as many winter animals as you can and craft them all! We’re recycling our shredded paper, straight from our electronic shredder. I could even see a few old bills in pile. If you don’t have an electronic shredder, you can easily use scissors or a paper trimmer to slice up some old -ready to be recycled- paper....

We’re sharing how to outline our heart with more and more hearts to fill up our area. You can definitely make more lines than we show to create your heart to be even bigger. Possibilities are endless. Go where your crafty child takes you! Here are Lucy and I crafting Heart Yarn Art: We will be showcasing our Craftspiration videos all year long to celebrate holidays and events throughout the year....

Innovation is the introduction of something new. I really like this explanation from the Merriam-Webster dictionary. It describes innovation, but as separate from invention, which are both intertwined within creativity… Looking deeper into this process, we are creative in the way we innovate. Creativity comes from the thinking and when we innovate, we are doing/making/creating that thought into form. Most often innovation is taken from inspiration or an elaboration of a creative thought or invention....

I’ve always wanted to try crocheting with pipe cleaners and these Olympic rings seemed like the perfect opportunity to go for it. It was so fun, a lot easier than I thought it would be. The possibilities are endless. I think I’ll be crocheting letters, hearts, and all sorts of fun shapes. These rings can be a party display with ribbon for a banner, glued to paper for a framed picture or greeting card, or even let the kids toss them around for a few winter games!...

I absolutely love hanging plants. There’s something so peaceful about them swaying in the wind a little, and being able to see them hanging outside my office window. Plus, with the tiny backyard we have I like to keep as much of the ground as possible so the kids and dog have more space to run around and play. Macramé can seem a little daunting when you look at some of the elaborate designs, so I want to show you the basics, and have you creating a lovely macramé hanging plant holder in about 30 minutes....

DIY apron for kids We just switched our study unit over to gardening at school. It’s the perfect theme for spring and we’ve been incorporating really fun things into the classroom including a farmers market. We’ve included shopping bags, a cash register, and baskets full of fresh fruits and vegetables, along with grocery lists for the kids who are shopping. We also have a play kitchen for kids to cook the vegetables that they purchase at the market....

How to make a winter wall hanging for your home This is simply the prettiest wall hanging. If you want something a little different than the rustic vibe, buffalo print, or Christmas colors, then this is for you. If you do celebrate the holidays, you can absolutely pair it with soft pinks, blues, white, gold, and green. Supplies 10.5 inch embroidery hoop – although you can use any size you like Winter patterned fabric Assorted scrap fabric, ribbons, leather straps, lace, yarn, and hemp cord...

To get started you will need: a picture of your face(s) packing tape (to “laminate” the pictures) scissors magnets hot glue gun and glue sticks card stock paper (optional for making accessories) Step 1: Cut out pictures of your face (faces) making sure to cut out the face only. You can add accessories like bows and ties if you wish. Step 2: Laminate your faces. We used packing tape to laminate ours....

Supplies: poster board Download heart printable: Heart Healthy Exercise Game glue stick black crayon or marker 15 small 2-inch heart-shaped cards or red square cards 1-2 bean bags – you can make heart shaped bean bags Prep the Game: Cut out each heart exercise from the printable and glue them into a 3×3 grid on the poster board with 9 exercises. With your black marker, write the numbers 5,10, and 15 onto the cards – one number per card....

Be prepared, these are addicting. A few twists and you’ve got some quick bling. These would be perfect to add to Valentines. Supplies for Heart Pipe Cleaner Rings: 1 pipe cleaner, any color Decide how big you want your heart. If you want it to be petite like the above photo, cut your pipe cleaner in half first. See below for 3 different sizes. Wrap it around your finger from the center and twist it around....

Supplies for Zig-Zag Glitter Trees: white craft glue – school glue or tacky glue works best cardstock paper glitter tray for catching glitter Place your paper onto your tray. Add your glue to your paper, creating a zig-zag shape, ascending to create a tree. Sprinkle your glitter onto your glue where you’d like the green to go. I already had my tree trunk made of glue here, but for littler hands, I would only add glue to where you want your specific color of glitter....

I love it so much that I wanted to have it all the time. So I came up with this recipe that is almost better, and probably healthier, than the original. Homemade Filet-O-Fish: Buns, these are whole wheat, see… healthier. Cheese, melted in the microwave or oven for a short time. Fish Sticks, Costco’s frozen fish sticks are Yum. Cook per directions and layer 3 across the cheesy buns....

The first set of stitches you’ll need to learn are a Slip Knot, Chain stitch (ch), and the Single Crochet stitch (sc). There is also turning your yarn as you complete each row. You will usually chain one extra chain stitch to compensate for turning and the “bend” in your work. Sometimes you will chain more at the end before you turn depending on the project. Watch this video done by Naztazia, a YouTube crochet master....

Hello! I am very happy to be with you today sharing a Halloween project after my own heart. You see, I am a Mod Podge lover, and I try to incorporate it into most things that I do. This can be hard with everyday tasks such as cooking, dog walking and cleaning. . . but I manage to bring Mod Podge into a lot of projects! One of those projects is this No-Sew Boo!...