Crafts and DIY

There are some crafts that stand the test of time. Friendship bracelets have been rocking the world of pre-teens for well over 30 years. Every mom in the country has a recipe for homemade play dough tucked away that was likely passed down from their own mom. At some point in your life, I guarantee …

There are certain skills all mothers of boys need to have. We need to learn to always check the toilet seat before sitting down, ANYTHING long or pointy is fair game to be used as a sword (or light saber), and no matter how much you lecture, beg, and plead with them- they will tear …

Oh, little boys! I adore them so. Especially mine 🙂 But, I’m sure you say the same thing about yours. They are full of snuggles and belly laughs, run a million miles a minute and make their mamas gasp more than once each day. In those early impressionable years, we, as parents, are blessed with …

If you’re anything like me, the thought of artsy stuff and preschool crafts make you shudder. Sometimes I want to tell my 3 year old “I taught math to high school kids- I don’t know anything about drawing a horse!” But I do it anyway, because she loves it. Even if it does look like …

“Mama, tell me a story!” I hear this phrase often … when we’re driving, washing hair and sitting at a restaurant waiting for our food. Stories are apparently the “cool thing” and although I credit myself with a decent imagination, sometimes, I run out of ideas. My daughter will pitch in with character requests and …

A little girl’s room is a place to imagine — to explore — to dream big dreams. Often, it’s where she dresses up and chats with dolls, reads books and of course, where she falls asleep. Whether your sweet girl is still in your womb or prancing about, decorating her room is one of those …

This month we kicked off homeschool preschool with my 3 year old. Mostly we’re doing some directed practice of basic skills like writing, cutting and gluing with a sprinkling of field trips and fun activities. It’s been quite fun so far, more than I imagined. And just yesterday, my daughter announced to the checker at …

This year my daughter started preschool. Two afternoons each week she skips into her class and sings, learns and crafts her little heart out for 2 1/2 hours. At pick-up she is always thrilled to show off her day’s work. I’m equally as thrilled to see her creativity 🙂 Sometimes her projects are small and …

We’ve been trying to move for 3 1/2 years (darn you, housing market!!) so I’m super excited that the time has finally come! I’ve been house hunting lately and seen the most amazing rooms that I just had to share with you. No these photos aren’t from my house or a house that I’ve bought …

It’s officially considered last minute for holiday gift shopping, right?!? With Christmas next week, you are probably scrambling to get those last few gifts. It shouldn’t always be about what you buy or how much you spend, but the thought that you put into the gift. If you give a gift (whether you make it …

This morning I was on FOX Good Day Chicago doing a “Kid Crafts to Use as Gifts” segment. Since TV segments are short, we couldn’t do full tutorials on how to make each craft. If you’d like to make one of the featured crafts this holiday, all the crafts are listed below with  links to full, in-depth …

If your kids are like mine, they want to give gifts to EVERYONE during the holidays. I love their kindness, but my budget can’t handle that much gifting. To save money but still encourage the kids’ thoughtfulness, we try to make some presents each year. Depending on how much time we have, we do everything …