This movie got me thinking about how my sweet little 10 year old is growing up and how those awkward teen years are on their way. As I remember how it was being a teen, I want to try to do my best to help my own kids through the transition into adulthood. Here are a few things we’re doing to help stay connected with our kids, helping them get through those rough teen years!...
Criss-Cross Pillow Cover: With some fabric paint and painters tape you can create this adorable pillow cover! Put it on your couch and admire your work! We love this bright yellow during a dreary winter, but you can always vary the color or pattern to suit your tastes and decor. The Granny Square: There’s no crochet pattern quite as classic as the granny square! Could anything be more beloved or adorable?...
Don’t be intimidated by these gorgeous pictures of pies. These pretty pie crusts are not as difficult as they look. They are actually quite simple and fun to try. Your friends and family will be so impressed if you take them one of these pies. Bake a Pretty Pie Crust Spiced Bourbon Cherry Pie: I am LOVING this star cut out pie crust. Such a pretty and easy design. All you need is a star shaped cookie cutter....
These are all pretty easy crafts that you can make to bring new life to spaces in your home. Gather those tree branches around the outside of your house and get started on one or more of these ideas. Check out more ideas and projects in our 9 NOW Idea Series! Rustic DIY Branch Shelves: Learn how to build these really cool branch shelves for any room in your home....
DIY Domino Set: make a set of these to surprise your little one with a fun game set of dominoes all their own! They can play it all summer long. Make a Simple Skirt: We’re sharing 16 sweet and simple skirts to sew for your tiny graduate to wear on their graduation day! Whether you’re a beginning sewer or an experienced sewer looking for a simple project, sewing skirts might be just the thing for you to make next!...
I don’t know about you, but I can’t leave the house without a pair of sunglasses. And not just any, they have to be super stylish glam up sunglasses. I have a problem with buying too many sunglasses. I can’t help it- there are so many cute ones out there. I am loving the trend of crazy and different styles of sunnies. Glam Up Sunglasses for Summer Daisy Sunglasses: Okay, how cute are these?...
Warm Winter Casserole Recipes: Comforting Meals for Cold Days There’s truly nothing better than enjoying a steaming casserole on a chilly winter day. Beyond their amazing flavors, casseroles are incredibly easy to prepare—often requiring minimal prep time and letting the oven do all the heavy lifting. They’re also perfect for sneaking in nutritious veggies that even the pickiest eaters won’t notice! Top 9 Winter Casserole Recipes You’ll Love Chicken Alfredo Casserole: This creamy, cheesy pasta casserole can easily be prepped ahead for a stress-free weeknight meal that’s loved by the whole family....
So, since misery loves company, why not teach my kids to have nice, legible handwriting? We have a handwriting curriculum that is somewhat cool, I guess. But, I’m always looking for anything that would be more fun, thus resulting in less complaints. Ahhh….don’t you love the sound of no complaints?? I savor every moment of it that I can get. While bumming around in my office, I noticed a silly book that I bought a long time ago, when I obviously had more free time....
This DIY snow day survival kit makes a fantastic gift for families, college kids, and neighbors who might be snowed in over the holidays. Make your own basket to take on winter vacation with you too. This is what we included in our snow day activities basket: A tie-dye kit for making fun shirts in cool winter colors. Melty snowflake ornament kit. Mini macrame kit. An unfinished wood magnetic puzzle piece kit....
I’m partnering with Johnsonville and their upcoming holiday… BRATSGIVING! Oh ya! National Bratwurst day is August 16th and we’re helping kick off the celebration in my hometown of Seattle with Carl the Bratsgiver and Johnsonville at the Seattle Seafair on July 29th! Will you be nearby Seattle this weekend for the fun? Here’s what’s happening: Fans can swing by the Albert Lee Appliances booth during Fan Fest to get their hands on delicious grilled Brats served by prominent Seattle chef Atop a custom-made Bratsgiving bicycle, Carl will lead the pack of runners participating in the 2017 Torchlight Run, officially starting the race before safely exiting a few blocks from the starting line Carl will bring the Bratsgiving celebrations to the annual Seafair parade, biking the route alongside his crew of helpers, the “Brat Angels” – one part oompa loompa, one part North Pole elf, and 100% amazing grill masters Throughout the day on Saturday Seafair and Johnsonville will partner for a “Where’s Carl” competition, announcing his whereabouts at Seattle landmarks and Seafair events on social media and challenging fans to find him in exchange for Bratsgiving swag and free Seafair tickets...
Supplies for Chalkboard Count Down: square wooden base wooden dowel mini chalk board paint super glue “days until” printed vinyl embellishments – ribbon, buttons chalk Drill a hole into the wooden base (try to match the drill bit size to the wooden dowel). 2. Remove vinyl sticker and place in center of chalk board. I cut out the vinyl sticker with my cameo, however you could always use a stencil or write in “days until....
Supplies for Watercolor Snowflakes: tray coffee filters scissors watercolor paints water in a cup paint brush or liquid dropper Fold your coffee filter a few times and cut out some holes. Place the snowflake into a tray with sides. I’m using an old cake pan that’s had it’s day and is now used for crafts. Then place 1, 2, or up to 5 snowflakes together onto the tray. Coffee filters are really thin and a few can be colored at a time....
I’ve teamed up with Lion Brand Yarn to share how to make Yarn Art with the kids. I’ve always wanted to make yarn art, but never have until today. It was so much fun. I got really into it, even though I intended it just to be for my kids, ha. We all loved gluing the yarn on our white boards to create a festive holiday scene. You could really make any image you’d like with your yarn....
You can add any of your favorite essential oils to the mix, but my fave is citrus fresh. It makes for a perfect homemade salt scrub combination, ahhh! Supplies: yields 1 cup scrub (affiliate links) 1 cup coconut oil – I prefer the refined coconut oil, it has less of a coconut smell. 1 cup epsom salts 15-20 drops of essential oils jar – I love these plastic jars for the bathtub...
I had been looking for the perfect way to display some of our LEGO sets that have items that should be in the air, such as helicopters, a hot air balloon, and airplanes. While I was wandering around one of my favorite thrift stores on my lunch break I stumbled upon a new booth that uses old drawers as shelves to display items. This particular drawer was only $10 and the perfect size for making small LEGO scenes to put on display....
They great handmade gifts for the holidays! Fine chains and small charms are super popular right now, and what better way than encouraging kids to make their own pendants instead of buying another one! I love DIY projects – remember friendship bracelets and the kid-made jewelry dish? So when I saw these Block Monogram Pendant Necklaces around, I knew we had to make the kiddie version of the same. I feel like this is almost a cheat to call this jewelry project a “tutorial” because it’s as simple as stringing a few beads on a pipe cleaner and adding a clasp to a fine chain!...
Even better than plain ole “movie night,” is “dinner and movie THEME night.” Oh, yeah. It’s really simple…come up with a movie, a dinner menu to match, and gather the family around the coffee table (or set up some tv tables) and grub away while you enjoy some great entertainment. I have a few ideas for you: 1. Napoleon Dynamite – Serve a variety of quesadillas! But, make sure you say it the Napoleon way, “quesadiLLa”, instead of the ‘y’ sound....
I’m partnering with my local Safeway store and Old El Paso ingredients to make this game winning lasagna. You bake it like an italian lasagna, but it’s got a little more mexican flavor to spice things up. I went shopping at Safeway to grab all my ingredients and headed to the ethnic foods isle where I could find some Old El Paso Traditional Refried Beans. For a little extra spice, pick up some Old El Paso Taco Seasoning to add to your cooked ground beef as well....
Whether the kids just head outdoors with a few cans of Testors Spray Chalk to get creative, or they make stencils first to create fabulous outdoor art, there is hours of fun to be had outside this season. I’m going to show you just how easy it is to create stencils to take outdoors to make these flowers. Supplies: Testors Spray Chalk Cardboard box Box cutter Marker Instructions: Using the marker, sketch a flower and leaves onto an old cardboard box, and then cut them out using the box cutter....
Here in California they have banned plastic bags at grocery stores, so now we take our own to the store (when I don’t accidentally leave them in the car that is), and although I love the fundraiser ones I purchased from the twins’ elementary school, I don’t like advertising where my kids’ go to school. So my daughter and I painted a few together that I can now roll up and keep in my handbag....
