Handmade Valentine Limited Edition Kiwi Crate

We have been fans of Kiwi Crate for years.  So much so that I became an affiliate. I have really been enjoying the seasonal mini-crates they have been releasing.  Noodlebug and I did a Halloween and a Holiday one.  Now, Kiwi Crate is releasing a special crate for Valentine's Day!

The set contains everything you need to make 24 handmade pop-up cards.  In my experience, Kiwi Crate is serious when they says EVERYTHING you need is included. That is one of the things I love about them!  As a busy mom, I don't have time to run around and gather a bunch of supplies.

This limited edition crate is available now for $14.95.  Go here and find it under "Shop" and "Mini-Crates." 

TINY PRINTS Deals! : Day Five

Every year, I get my Christmas cards from TINY PRINTS because I think they have the best selection of cards. I also use them for Noodlebug's birthday invites.

This week, TINY PRINTS is having Five Days of Deals in preparation for the holidays!

Today's Deal:

50% OFF ALL TRIM OPTIONS!

I love how the special die-cut edges on these cards make them stand out!!! So pretty!
This offer is good until midnight tonight. No code needed!!!

Go here to order.

 (I am a Tiny Prints affiliate and customer!)

TINY PRINTS Deals! : Day Four

Every year, I get my Christmas cards from TINY PRINTS because I think they have the best selection of cards. I also use them for Noodlebug's birthday invites.

This week, TINY PRINTS is having Five Days of Deals in preparation for the holidays!

Today's Deal:

50% OFF PREMIUM DOUBLETHICK MATTE PAPER UPGRADE

OR
 

FREE PEARL WHITE SHIMMER PAPER UPGRADE

I love the nice thick DOUBLETHICK paper. So durable!

This deal is good until midnight and you don't need a special code!

Go here to order.

(I am a Tiny Prints affiliate and customer!)

TINY PRINTS Deals! : Day Three

Every year, I get my Christmas cards from TINY PRINTS because I think they have the best selection of cards. I also use them for Noodlebug's birthday invites.

This week, TINY PRINTS is having Five Days of Deals in preparation for the holidays!

Today's Deal:

25% OFF CIRCLE CARDS!

I especially love these because they turn into ornaments!!!  I'm seriously tempted to order these for MY Christmas cards.

This deal is good until midnight tonight. Use Code: DEAL1023

Go here to order.

(I am a Tiny Prints affiliate and customer!)

TINY PRINTS DEALS: Day Two

This week only, TINY PRINTS is offering one-day flash sales on a variety of products. I use TINY PRINTS for our Christmas cards every year and for Noodlebug's birthday party invitations.

Today's Deal:

 

These tri-fold cards are so pretty and perfect if you have a lot of photos you want to include.  This deal ends today at midnight!!! Use code DEAL1022 to get the discount.

Go here to order!

(I am a Tiny Prints affiliate and customer!)

TINY PRINTS Five Days of Deals!!!

Every year, I get my Christmas cards from TINY PRINTS because I think they have the best selection of cards. I also use them for Noodlebug's birthday invites.

This week, TINY PRINTS is having Five Days of Deals in preparation for the holidays!

Today's deal is all about their new clear holiday cards:

I think these cards look so cool!  They will definitely stand out from everyone else's.  Now through midnight TONIGHT PST, you can get 25% off these cards if you use the code: DEAL1021

Go here to start shopping!

(I am a TINY PRINTS affiliate and use them for all my card needs!)

KIWI CRATE Sneak Preview and a Sale!

If you are regular reader of this blog, you know that we have been fans of Kiwi Crate for several years now.  It is one of the cheaper subscription boxes for kids that I have found, the projects are great and almost all the materials are included in every box.  (so wonderful for a busy parent!)

In our last box, we got a little sneak preview of the excitement to come!

SEPTEMBER

Noodlebug has REALLY been into art lately so this should be a fun crate!

OCTOBER

We love all things glow-in-the-dark. Can't wait for this one!

NOVEMBER

When the weather gets colder, it's the perfect time for a little fireside storytelling!

I am an affiliate for KIWI CRATE and they are offering a special promotion right now.  If you order a monthly subscription, 6 month subscription or 12 month subscription, you can get $5-$20 off plus free shipping depending on what package you order:

Save up to $20 on a new Kiwi Crate subscription (that's 2 months free) plus free shipping!

It's going to be a fun Autumn!!!

Plein Air Painting

I was ill over Labor Day weekend and needed to find a way to keep Noodlebug occupied. We have had some fantastic weather so I thought it might be fun to set up an outdoor art station.  We pulled out the tabletop easel that I had gotten from Discount School Supply:



I filled up a recycled tin can with brushes and set out a bunch of washable Crayola paints.  Since I know how fun texture can be, I also put out some textured rollers and brushes that I found at Discount School Supply:



I grabbed an old disposable food tin and filled it with paint for the rollers.

I started stocking up on products from Discount School Supply after we took some art classes at the Bay Area Discovery Museum. I asked the teachers where they found all the cool supplies and paints that they used and they always said "Discount School Supply!"

Noodlebug has always loved to paint and he has rediscovered that love since starting Kindergarten.  He has currently been working on a series of tiger paintings.  With a gnome thrown in for good measure.  I think he really enjoyed being outside in the fresh air.  And it didn't really matter if he made a big mess with the paint.  I'm tempted to just leave the whole setup outside for when inspiration strikes him.  Maybe next time, I'll join him.

(There are a few affiliate links inside this post to direct you to the exact products that we used.)

Lisa Leonard Grateful Necklace---ONE DAY ONLY!!!

It is not secret that I love Lisa Leonard.  I own a bunch of her jewelry including the year-long build-a-charm-bracelet.  I love her products so much that I decided to become an affiliate.

Today, Lisa Leonard has a special promotion for one day only.

EXCLUSIVE necklace by Lisa Leonard. TODAY ONLY!

This beautiful limited edition necklace is available for $44. But only today!

It has never been in the shop and won't be offered again. I'm going to snatch one for myself right now!  Follow the link above to purchase.

Citrus Lane Review: July 2013

It always feels like Christmas when we receive our Citrus Lane box!  We subscribe to the 5-yr-old boy box.  You can tailor your subscription by age and gender or even choose a gender-neutral box.  There are boxes for ages 0-5.  I enjoy this particular subscription box because it introduces us to fun new products every month.  And I love the emphasis on natural products.  This month, I decide to do an add-on and bought this wet/dry bag. I had been wanting to get one for awhile to put wet swimsuits in and thought this was a good opportunity.

I paid $16 for this Bumkins wet/dry bag.  I had looked at ones for $19-$20 online.  I didn't get any special deal with this one but I didn't have to pay for shipping.

Then, we got a credit for ten free Postagrams with the Sincerely Inc app.

As far as I can tell, this is worth about $9.90.  But it's something new and fun that I didn't know about before.

Next up, Me4Kidz Cool It Buddy.  I wish I had had this when Noodlebug hit his head on concrete last week!

This item retails for about $3.00 but it is something I think we'll really use.

Next, we have a Melissa and Doug Decorate-Your-Own Race Car.  Noodlebug is really excited to try this one!

This item retails for about $5.  It is definitely something we'll have fun making.

Next, freeze-dried banana snack from Just Tomatoes.

This item retails for about $1.50 and will be perfect for Noodlebug's lunches or a snack on the go.

Next, a bento "Bynto" box from Goodbyn!

I am always looking for more sustainable ways to do lunches so I was really excited about this one!  It has a great little handle on top so the whole thing doubles as its own lunchbox. It retails for about $9.50.

Along with the "bynto" box, we got some Goodbyn dishwasher-safe stickers to decorate the box with.

Noodlebug will have so much fun decorating the box with these stickers! These retail for about $3.50.

All in all, I thought it was a really fun box full of things we will definitely use.  Especially with school coming up.  The retail value of this box was about $32.40.  We pay $26.81 per month for the box but I still think it was worth it.  Some months you come out ahead on the value of the box and sometimes you break even.  But we ALWAYS enjoy the surprise.  If you would like to try Citrus Lane and receive $10 off your first box, follow this affiliate link. Already looking forward to next month's box! Hope it has a "back to school" theme!

Keeping Busy this Summer!

(Noodlebug---2009)

I am going to start compiling a list of my very favorite resources for activities for kids. There are so many things I would like to do with Noodlebug! Of course, I will still be working full-time over the Summer.  But I work ten-hour days in June and July so I can have Fridays off.

1.  A great group of bloggers put together the CAMP MOM ACTIVITY PACK and I ordered my copy right away.  It has printable planning pages, activity ideas and more for kids ages 3-9.


2. I have been stockpiling ACTION PACK e-zines and ALPHABET GLUE e-zines for years.  I can't wait to start using them this Summer now that Noodlebug is old enough. Sadly, we lost ACTION PACK founder, Kathleen Ricketson, but you can still get all thirteen issues of her amazing e-zines.

3. I have been buying each of THE ARTFUL PARENT'S ebook series and can't wait for her to come out with the Summer edition.  Hopefully soon!!!!

4. Kiwi Crate!  We have been members of Kiwi Crate for a few years now and love it.  Although there are other subscription craft boxes for kids, I love this one because it is fairly inexpensive and comes with almost everything you need for each craft.  They are very flexible with subscriptions so you could order just for the Summer or you can join and then suspend your account as needed.

5. The Natural Nester's AT HOME SUMMER NATURE CAMP ECURRICULUM.  I am so intrigued by this 8 week curriculum. At $39.95, it isn't cheap but it has been put together by some quality bloggers.  And I can use all the inspiration I can get!

6. Here's a free downloadable PDF of ways to entertain your kids from Quirk Books!

7. Get inspiration from blogs!  Some of my very favorite blogs post amazing activities for kids almost every single day.  My favorites (which you can find in my sidebar) are:

All for the Boys
Artful Parent
Imagination Tree
Little Acorn Learning
Nurturestore
Tinkerlab

8. Michael's is doing a Passport to Imagination event with three 2-hour events per week for only $2.  Lots of really fun-looking crafts!!!!

9. Classic Play is doing Camp Classic Play with all kinds of activities. You can download a free certificate and badges that the kids can earn throughout the Summer.
 

More to come.....


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PICK YOUR PLUM is Turning 2!!!!

On Monday, April 29, beginning at 7am MDT,  PICK YOUR PLUM will be hosting an all-day 2nd birthday party!!!  There will be all kinds of special prizes and games all day long on their Facebook page.  One of the best treats will be a 20% off coupon code that you can find on the Facebook page. Go grab the code now so you can be ready when the special sales go live tomorrow morning!!!  There will be SIX different products to choose from. I've seen a sneaky peeky of a few of them and they are going to be great!!!

Once you have your coupon code in hand, make sure you to be at PICK YOUR PLUM starting at 7am MDT.  I'll be there!  Can't wait to see all the surprises they have in store!!!



(I have found so many wonderful deals at PYP over the years that I decided to become an affiliate)

Playing with Our New Book

I have had so much fun exploring Jean Van't Hul's ARTFUL PARENT book.  Noodlebug and I finally sat down yesterday to try a project out of the book.

We decided to start with Salty Watercolors:

Noodlebug took the whole project very seriously:

The finished product:

He had so much fun with this project that we ended up doing two more!!!  Noodlebug often gets frustrated with the traditional cake watercolors because the color never comes out the way he wants. So, I invested in some liquid watercolors from Discount School Supply:

 I'm so glad I did. He loves them!!! I have found some great deals through Discount School Supply and I am now an affiliate for them. We are already planning our next creative project.

I am completely blocked creatively. I can't seem to get myself to get caught up with LIFE BOOK and I'm getting more and more behind. It's nice to be able to sit down with my son and just do something creative. Thanks to THE ARTFUL PARENT for the inspiration!

Action Pack: WATER

This year, ACTION PACK is exploring the elements.  The latest ACTION PACK is all about water.  Perfect for this time of year as the days get warmer.  I have been stockpiling ACTION PACK ezines (and ALPHABET GLUE ezines) for quite some time. They are terrific resources for activities for kids and I plan on using them all Summer long for ideas for things to do.  In ACTION PACK ezines, you can find ideas for arts and crafts, science experiments, adventure, cooking, and play. I'm looking forward to trying out the water rocket.

In this issue, you will find:

1. :: Jo Newman  and her children make natural watercolour paints & salt from the sea
2. :: Susan Schwake & her students show us some water colour techniques
3. :: Vicki Smith makes paper mache bowls with her students
4. :: Joanie Gorman and a bunch of kids make a fleet of boats & cork sailors
5. :: Marcie Cuff and her daughter send a message in a bottle
6. :: Kathreen Ricketson & family [that’s me] investigate ocean flotsam & jetsam, make some ephemeral beach collections & experiment with sea jellies
7. :: Gina Vida and her children make two ice projects
8. :: Helen Bird shows us a fun wet felted project
9. :: Natalie Kramer  experiments with water tension four different ways
10. :: Jo Ebisujima and her son experiment with water density & quiz us on water usage
11. :: Alex Kelly and her kids go fishing & learn a lot about fish while using a Japanese printing technique
12. :: Melissa Wastney bakes water crackers 
13. :: Lucy Hordern and her daughter create a water bottle rainbow 
14. :: Dawn & Wesley Smith make a water rocket 
15. :: and Jackie Boucher has designed a water themed word search & colouring page

Find all these projects and more in the ezine for only $6.00.  While you are there, check out the back issues including the PRESCHOOL COMPILATION ISSUE filled with preschool projects from the first two years of ACTION PACK.  60 pages of projects for $10.00. After purchase, you will receive a link to the PDF of the ezines.  Go here to buy your own copies!!!


(I love ACTION PACK so much that I am now an affiliate)

Tea Collection for Spring

Over the Christmas Break, my mother took my son and me to see the LION KING in San Francisco.  It was such an amazing production!!! I am a musical theatre fan and I think this may be my favorite musical production ever.  It was so visually amazing. I feel like I need to see it several more times in order to take in all the details.

So, I was thrilled to see that the new Tea Collection for Spring includes inspiration from Africa.  I really want to get Noodlebug this shirt:


Tea Collection Lion Mask Layered Tee - $29.00
Retail Price: $39.00
You Save: $10.00
from: Tea Collection

Blue is his color and I love the graphic lion mask.

If I had a little girl, I would pick this adorable dress:


Tea Collection Rosebank Mini Dress - $35.00
Retail Price: $45.00
You Save: $10.00
from: Tea Collection

Don't you just love the color?

Unfortunately, Tea Collection doesn't make clothing in my size.  (another incentive to lose weight)  If they did, I would choose this bright tunic for myself:


Tea Collection Protea Floral Hi-Lo Tunic
from: Tea Collection

It's so fun to see all the great clothing coming out for Spring!!!  What do you have YOUR eye on?


I am a Tea Collection affiliate.

Subscription Boxes and Why I Love Them

I have become addicted to subscription boxes.  I don't get to go to shopping at physical retail stores very often and I love surprises so getting these subscription boxes in the mail each month is so much fun!!!

Since everyone is looking for holiday gift ideas, I thought I'd share a few of my favorites with you.

1. KIWI CRATES

(image source)

I have mentioned Kiwi Crates before and I just love them!!!  For $19.95 a month, you get a lovely box in the mail that contains two projects for kids that go with a particular theme.  Everything is included.  You don't need to hunt down a bunch of materials. Usually just a pair of scissors.  And they even include a child's pair of scissors in your first box!  The themes are always really creative and you can go online to get additional ideas for projects and activities surrounding a particular theme.  Noodlebug gets so excited when our box arrives each month.  We sit down and do the activities together (there are usually enough materials to do two of each activity) and it provides us with much-needed bonding time. I love Kiwi Crates so much that I am an affiliate.  I don't do this often. Only with the few products I really believe in.  Kiwi Crates now offers holiday crates, party favor crates and imaginative play crates that you can buy in addition to their subscription boxes. Go here to learn more about Kiwi Crates. They would make an amazing holiday gift!!!

2. CRAVEBOX

I have been with Cravebox since they were in their beta-testing phases. They have changed a bit since then.  It used to be a regular subscription service but now you enter drawings for boxes that interest you.  You never know what will be included but they do reveal the themes of the boxes. The last box I received was a Holiday Spruce-Up Box that included both full-size and sample sizes of cleaning products as well as two high-value coupons. Boxes vary in price from $10-$15.  One thing I really like about Cravebox is that they do offer full-size items in their boxes.  The desirability of the items themselves can be hit or miss but I have enjoyed the program so far.  Go here for more info.

3. FOOD WITH LOVE

I am new to the FOOD WITH LOVE subscription service. I have only received one box so far.  These boxes are $12 a month. ($10 for the box and $2 for shipping)  The box is small and contains mostly sample sizes of gourmet food items.  What I love about these boxes is that the food isn't "fake."  The offerings are interesting and tasty and I have already bought several items from the last box after I enjoyed the samples so much.   These aren't necessarily item you would find in your local grocery store.  Except maybe Whole Foods. With each box purchased, a meal goes to a hungry child. I can't wait to see what yummy items my next box will hold!!!  Find out more about FOOD WITH LOVE here!

4. FOR THE MAKERS

This is a new one and I haven't even received my first box yet.  But I'm already excited!!!  I figured Noodlebug has his own subscription craft box....why not me?  I saw this one in COUNTRY LIVING magazine and knew I had to try it out.  It's a bit more expensive ($29 a month with free shipping) but include four high-end crafty projects.  The founders have worked with companies like Anthropologie and Kate Spade so the projects reflect those types of aesthetics.  As soon as I get my first box, I'll do a review post and let you know how I like it.  In the meantime, you can learn more here.


Do YOU subscribe to any subscription boxes that you love? I'd love to hear about it!!!

Action Pack: Family Apothecary

The new Action Pack is here!!!

I have been so excited for this issue to arrive because I have been really interested in making my own products at home lately.  This particular issue has 50+ pages of salves, lotions, balms and crafty projects for the whole family!!!

Find the following recipes in this issue [all using herbs and commonly found simple ingredients like beeswax, olive oil and bicarb soda (plus a few special products too -- like coconut oil and kaolin clay)] :

• Home herbal medicinal recipes (salves and cold remedies)
• Eco-home cleaning and freshening ideas (natural cleaning products and washing recipes)
• Eco beauty treatments (lip balms, creams and hair tonics)
• Natural personal products (toothpaste and deodorant)

Buy this e-magazine for only $10 and start making your own products at home. I think they will also make lovely holiday gifts.

Get your issue here.

(I really believe in this product and I am an affiliate for it)

A MODERN FAMILY Red Carpet Hit!

I just love "Modern Family" and I am so thrilled that it will be coming back tonight!  Such a great show that manages to be both hilarious and heartwarming. (I have to admit that Cam is my favorite character)

I was so happy that "Modern Family" did so well at the Emmys.  Despite Sofia Vergara's wardrob malfunction, the whole cast looked great.  Especially Aubrey Anderson-Emmons! Wasn't she adorable?

I was thrilled to find out that her dress was custom-made by Tea Collection!  Tea has decided to make this limited edition dress available to the public. If I had a little girl, I'd snap it up for the holidays!  The little bubble skirt is adorable and age-appropriate.  If you are interested, the dress ships in November.  Just in time for all the holiday parties!!!

(I am a Tea affiliate and all opinions are my own)