Showing posts with label crafts

Happy Friday dear readers. If you’ve followed this blog for long, you know I adore gardening and share lots of nature photos here and on social media.  However,  for today’s review and giveaway, lets go inside out of the sweltering August heat and have a house party! A Houseplant party by Lisa Steinkopf is a perfect book for houseplant lovers and those that want to be. Plus, there’s easy to make DIY projects to help you display your houseplants.


It’s time to Party!

Houseplant Party Book Review and Giveaway

Take time to be creative this month

in , , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Wednesday, January 03, 2018
I adore January for a multitude of reasons. My youngest daughter was born this month.  Linens and home goods are on sale this month. I get to plan and organize a lot of things in January. Filling out new calendars and planners for the year is time well spent in my opinion. As I was organizing my stack of planners and notebooks, I noticed I had several craft and hobby books I needed to find a home for as well. That’s when I realized that unless I made time to be creative this month (and every month of the year), I would need to block out time to allow myself to enjoy hobbies and creative endeavors.  January is the perfect time to be creative! Dust off one of your hobbies, or start a new one. Read on for some creative ideas.


take time to be creative this month

March is a perfect time to start a new hobby as the days get longer and warmer. For me, nothing soothes the soul quite like making something with your hands. Whether your craft style leads you to the kitchen to cook, the kitchen table to craft,  or to the garden to work in the soil, everybody can be crafty. Yes! Even you! 

This post contains affiliate links and I may receive compensation depending on your actions.

Some of my friends don’t think they have the time or skills to do a craft properly, so I wanted to share some amazing free mini-courses offered online at Craftsy. 


DIY Chalkboard supplies crafts, supplies, fun
Easy Chalkboard Craft

At Craftsy you can:

“Explore DIY classes with hours of professionally-produced content for free! Learn a new skill in art, cooking, photography, knitting, crochet, quilting, sewing, woodworking, gardening, cake decorating and much more.


For instance, in March my thoughts turn to gardening and sprucing up our outdoor space. I logged on to Craftsy, went to gardening and found this great free class on transforming your garden design, something I really want to do this year since my front flowerbeds have grown and matured since we moved here years ago and need help.


Free gardening design class online



If gardening isn’t your thing, you’ll find over 40 different free classes available. I found a beginner cooking class that will help any beginning cook feel better in the kitchen. Some of us seasoned cooks could probably find helpful tips from this lesson as well.


Free cooking class fix cooking mistakes



I love all that Craftsy offers, from their helpful FAQ’s, instructors who are so willing to go the extra mile to help you, to their Guarantee.



Craftsy class guarantee, never expries



Win It: National Craft Month Giveaway at Craftsy!


National Craft Month Giveaway


In honor of all of us who love to make things with our hands, Craftsy is giving away a special mystery box full of craft supplies, valued at $700! Entering is easy when you join and there is no purchase necessary. 

Head on over to Craftsy.com now and follow their instructions.  


Good luck and happy crafting! 




Please share in comments: What is your favorite craft and have you started on a project this month?

On a recent mild Saturday afternoon, a group of happy tweens arrived at our home to help my daughter celebrate her 12th birthday.  They were full of energy and giggles right from the start!

The hostess ready to greet her guests #Disneyside #celebration


The birthday “Princess” was ready to greet her guests and make them feel welcome. For twenty minutes, we met girls and parents and exchanged pleasantries as one should. All went according to plan. That would be the last time I could say that with any real confidence! The great thing about tweens is their spontaneity!  So my first tip to hosting an epic tween birthday party is: Plan to not follow your plan exactly.


Show your #Disneyside #celebration MyWAHMPlan.com
My next tip is to pick a theme that has a lot of wiggle room. While my daughter liked the “idea” of a Disney Villain style party, she didn’t want it to be over the top with decorations.  We went with simple purple, green, gray and black pieces and accessories. The clear favorite was the villain banner! Hello Ursula, Maleficent and Darth Vader!


#Disneyside Villain themed #party banner


After the girls had played outside for a while they came in ready for a snack. We had lots of on hand, but before I could get a photo to share- these girls descended upon the table with an appetite only a tween boy could rival! Which leads me to my next tween party tip: don’t take too many photos and never snap a picture of a girl with her mouth full of food! So, not cool Mom!

#Disneyside #party snack time MyWAHMPlan.com


After the girls hung out listening to music and taking selfies (yes, the irony isn’t lost on me) they went totally off plan and asked to do hair, nails and makeup instead of the crafts and games we had planned. Tip number 3: Roll with it, when at all possible. 


Here's my girls take on Maleficent nails.  We used black, green and purple nail polish- but you could use whatever darker colors you have on hand. I think they turned out nice!

#Maleficent style nails #Disneyside #Villains


Want to create your own Maleficent Villain style nails? Here’s a quick tutorial for you to follow.

Maleficent inspired nail art #Disneyside


After dinner, which included lots of pizza and veggies, the girls were ready to be frightened by playing flashlight tag! Living out in the country like we do, Mother Nature provided us with a very dark and mysterious landscape, perfect to frighten and amaze city dwellers! Maleficent would approve!


girls playing flashlight tag #Disneyside #tween party fun!


While down at our pond, these girls got themselves so scared, they ran back to the house and got us parents involved! It was a perfect, crisp, clear night on our land for flashlight tag. Even with all the flood lights on there was much screaming and laughter.


The hubby and myself have fun playing flashlight tag #Disneyside

I must confess- this older Princess had a lot of fun outside with her Prince.


Tip number 4: Let your tweens explore and push the boundaries just a bit. Their party is the perfect time to allow ghost stories and playing outside after dark (weather permitting) as long as you establish safety guidelines first. Parents, even if you don’t want to be seen- stay close where you can hear and see the kids. 


Later that evening, the girls decided to get to the games and crafts part of our party plan. The clear favorite was the jar painting craft!

Girls just want to have fun! #Disneyside craft time

They laughed and talked and joked and ate and laughed some more until it was movie time.

I cleaned up the happy mess as best I could and left the living room to them. Which leads me to tip number 5: let your child host, but set ground rules before guests arrive. Chat with your son or daughter about snacks and drinks allowed, which movies are approved for watching and what time the party must wind down so kids can go to sleep if you are hosting a sleepover party like we did.


As I was preparing breakfast the next morning, the girls naturally gravitated back to the craft area to finish up their jars before pick up time arrived. That's when I knew this craft project was a winner

morning craft time #Disneyside MyWAHMPlan.com


Even though this was a bit of a messy endeavor, I think all the jars turned out as pretty and as individual as the girls who painted them.


painted keepsake jar #Disneyside party craft


My last tip on throwing an epic tween birthday party, one in which your child and their friends tell you how much fun they had and how Epic! the party was. It's simple- sprinkle your party liberally with laughter and a healthy dose of pixie dust style patience and you too can pull off a great tween party!


Pixie Dust for goodie bags #Disneyside



Disney wants you to show your #Disneyside by being happy and sharing what you love about Disney! Showing your Disneyside will look different for every family and that’s what makes life fun.


#Disneyside #birthday party fun


If you’d like to throw your own #Disneyside at home celebration, head on over to DisneySide Celebrations and check out all the amazing themes, tips, activities and recipes they have. I'm betting you'll be able to pull of an epic party too!



Please share in comments: What is your favorite Disney Villain character and why?


Disclosure: My thanks to Disneyside for providing us with a box of Villain worthy goodies to use how we chose to show our Disneyside. No compensation was given or wanted. We are happy to show our Disneyside as often as possible.

Thank you to Family Christian for sponsoring today’s review and giveaway. All opinions and love of crafting are my own.

Rain, sleet, snow, ice.  Four words nobody wants to hear, but much of the south has been hit by a winter storm the likes of which we haven’t seen in many years. And those words are still in our weather outlook for at least 24 hours.  Thankfully, we had ample notice of our impending snow days, so we stocked up on necessities.  One of the necessities for this work-at-home mom is craft supplies! Nothing keeps my girls happy and engaged more than a new bunch of craft supplies.


Thank you card #craft #paper #stamps #pens


We’d had the opportunity to shop at FamilyChristian.com a couple of weeks ago and I’d made a point of putting up the order for just such an occasion, and I’m really glad I did. Like me, you might think of Family Christian book stores for Christian based books, like the newest Max Lucado book, Before Amen (which I highly recommend), or their awesome selection of Willow Tree figurines; but their craft section shouldn’t be missed! 

 Bright Card stock MyWAHMPlan.com



My youngest recently celebrated her birthday, so she decided to make personalized thank-you cards with the cool card stock and stamp set she got from our online shopping trip.

The great thing about the card stock we chose, besides its vibrant color choices, is the way the pad form keeps the sheets inside from getting damaged. Plus, the edge around the top cover shows the assortment of colors for you to easily find the color family you want. The texture of the card stock has a woven linen look, which makes it perfect for cards.


Princess stamp set MyWAHMPlan.com


After my daughter chose her paper, she got out all the stamps and pencils from this awesome princess stamping set from Melissa & Doug and set to work making her own unique thank-you cards. 


stamping craft time MyWAHMPlan.com



I love how each one turned out a bit different and how much fun my birthday girl had making her own cards. Clean-up and storage was a breeze, because all the stamps and pencils fit right back in their wooden tray. 

sew cute owl kit MyWAHMPlan.com



My oldest daughter had picked out an owl sewing craft kit that is beyond cute! The Sew Cute kit includes everything you need to make two fun and easy owl projects!  She set to work by familiarizing herself with all the supplies provided in her kit. 


owl craft kit supplies MyWAHMPlan.com


This is an easy and fun craft she can do in an afternoon. I think she’s going to give one of the cute owl friends to one of her friends for an upcoming birthday gift too. 

I love how our snow day craft projects not only made my girls’ day happy, but how they will be spreading that happiness to their friends as well. That’s the great thing about doing crafts and D.I.Y. projects; you usually wind up sharing that love with others. 


How about I share some crafting love with you by giving you a chance to win a $10.00 gift certificate to shop at FamilyChristian.com


#FamilyChristian logo MyWAHMPlan.com

Win it!


Thanks to Family Christian, one lucky reader will win a $10.00 gift certificate to use at any Family Christian store or online! Entering is easy using the Rafflecopter form below. 


Terms:

Open to U.S. residents 18+. No purchase necessary to enter. My WAHM Plan is not responsible for prize fulfillment. One winner will be randomly selected using the Raffle Copter tools random selector and notified via email. Once notified, the winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or Google. Void where prohibited.


Fall Crafts Inspiration

in , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Thursday, September 26, 2013

It's fall and that means time for decorating! My daughters and I love, love, love this time of year.


MyWAHMPlan.com



We finally got our Fall/Halloween stuff down from the attic (thanks hubby!) and while we were digging through the boxes, each of us trying to find our favorite piece, I noticed something. 

I haven't really made time for crafting lately. Oh, don't get me wrong, I've baked and cooked up a storm, I've glued and colored a few things too, but nothing like I used to.

I think I'm in a crafting rut. 

So to break out of my craft funk, I turn to the mother of all creativeness: Pinterest.


Here are some ideas that sparked my interest:



1. Autumn Leaves Wreath- We have lots of trees with leaves starting to change color, so this is a project I can do with the girls in afternoon. Pretty!

MyWAHMPlan.com
Source


2. No pin time would be complete if I didn't visit my perennial favorite Better Home and Gardens. Just look at these cutie patootie owls! Another craft I can do with my daughters~ win!


MyWAHMPlan.com
Source

3. Here's another cute Owl project. Now we're getting those creative juices flowing!


MyWAHMPlan.com
Source


And just like that, I know what my theme will be for my fall crafts this year: Leaves and Owls! I may even do an owl themed carved pumpkin, you never know. Whatever I decide on. I'll be sure to share it here.

Thank you Pinterest and all the crafty people who pin! I invite you to follow me on Pinterest and please leave your account link in a comment so I can follow you back.

What crafting/decor project are you working on right now? Please share!

Getting Crafty with Colortime Review

in , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Wednesday, January 23, 2013

We were first introduced to Colortime last November and I shared them as one of our Winter break boredom busters.



crafts,markers,fun
courtesy: Colortime.com



As a thank you for sharing their information, Colortime sent me a pillowcase and marker set to review.



Ms. M. was all over it upon arrival.  

markers,pillowcase,fun,
Ms. M Creates

She liked how smoothly the markers worked on the pillowcase and that it didn’t take a lot of time to color in a spot.  Since most sleep overs and play dates are time sensitive, that is a big plus for this Mom.


We invite you to discover your inner crafty person with Colortime! They have everything to make you look like super Mom at your kid’s next sleep over, birthday party, play date, Girl Scout troop meeting and rainy day boredom buster. Plus, these crafts are easy on the wallet with most items priced at $5.95 or under. 

Right now you can save 15% off any project by using the code: 15USG or by clicking HERE.


I hope you found this review helpful. 


How do you get crafty with your kids? I'd love to hear about your projects.



Disclosure: I received the pillow case and marker set to review for Colortime as part of the US Family Guide Mom Bloggers. All opinions are my own. 





Holidays- Winter Break Boredom Buster

in , , , , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, November 30, 2012


The countdowns have begun; we are decorating, baking and making things merry and bright.

This truly is The Most Wonderful Time of the year, full of hope and peace and goodwill toward men and boredom. Wait, boredom shouldn’t be in my happy moment, but we Moms know once the novelty of new gizmos wears off we had better have some boredom busters up our sleeves to get us through school break and bad weather days.

Here is a product sure to please your elves and you’ll have some fun too! Check out Colortime Crafts and Markers.
 


Here is more about Colortime:
Since 1990, over 5 million children and adults have loved creating t-shirts, pillowcases, backpacks, tote bags, bandanas, and more for parties, slumber parties, and scout meetings with our permanent fabric markers. We have provided our customers the opportunity to entertain their guests with a creative activity that becomes a permanent keepsake. Also, we are a licensed vendor of the Girl Scouts of America. Check out our wholesale program, great for your organizations.

We also offer free downloadable coloring pages (
http://www.colortime.com/Free-Coloring-Pages-c64.html) and a "Birthday Club" (http://www.colortime.com/Birthday-Club-c85.html) with special incentives. 
 
 
 
 Want to save? Sure you do!
 
Get 15% off all orders Promo Code: 15USFG when you check out at colortime.com
 
I think we will do some tote bags. If you take advantage of this offer, please stop back by and tell me what you picked.
 
Happy, Merry Holidays to you and yours!
 

 


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