Everyday Mom Ideas

Create Their Own Comic Books (FREE PRINTABLE FOR KIDS)

2013-06-01T23:46:00.001-06:00

I created this one day for my boys when they were just driving me crazy asking me what they should do. I tried finding already made comic book printables and I just couldn't find any that I liked or that would work for my seven and eight year old boys.

This comic book printable is perfect for younger kids because there are no word bubbles already created so they don't feel frustrated trying to fill them in or make them work with their characters.

I also thought it would be fun to have a spot on the back where they could write their story summary and there is also an "About the author" area for them to tell about their self and draw their portrait as well. There has also been some upgrades to the printable that are not shown in the pictures. The front page is a lot nicer and has a few more features.

This is a perfect activity for kids this summer, they will love getting to be creative not only in drawing fun pictures but its also a great creative writing exercise. Plus it keeps them busy for hours! My sons love the idea of creating a series of comic books and continuing their characters adventures.

TIP: Print the second page twice to print on front and back of one paper. Also you can print the second page multiple times if you need the comic book to be longer. One page front and back is recommended for younger kids, any more than that may be too much for them.

Kids Having Hard Time Picking a Topic?

Head on over to scholastic story starter, they have the funnest interactive story topic picker for kids.

Create Their Own Comic Book Printable For Kids

Despite The Odds, Graduating The Heck Out Of College at 30!

2013-05-14T08:30:00.001-06:00

18 months ago I took a chance on myself (and my family) and enrolled into college. With two kids, a husband and not much spare time as it was I had more than major doubts but I also knew I would regret not trying. I also knew if I was going to go anywhere with my graphic design business I had to get competitive and gain skills that would put me at the top for any clients. Also, I had always worried that if anything happened to my husband, and I needed to go back to work, I had very few marketable skills, and that was unsettling.
My first day was so overwhelming for me, when I got home I just cried because I didn't think that I was smart enough to do it and I felt silly and old, that I didn't belong. But I owed it to myself and my family to at least give it my best. Plus I couldn't let my six and seven year old see me quit. They thought it was so exciting that Mom was going back to school. My goal was to just take it one day at a time, one homework assignment at a time and try not to think of how daunting it all was. And soon enough I starting feeling a lot more comfortable, finding a groove and balancing between school and home. Next thing I knew I was finished with my first set of classes with all A's! Now don't get me wrong... I knew early on there were things that would have to be compromised in order for this school thing to work out. This blog for one was put on the back burner, my husband had to help out a lot more with cooking(going out to eat) and helping the kids with their homework so mom can do hers and I wasn't able to volunteer in my boys class rooms this past year. I was feeling bad about this one day and my dentist told me it was good for the whole family to sacrifice a little for something as important as this and that we would all be better in the long run. And she was so right. And strangely enough it made us closer and we actually had more family time if you can believe it. Because I had this outside interest of school and my entire focus wasn't just on my family I didn't take them for granted as much and all of my spare time was focused on my family because I couldn't get enough of them.

Then by the time I was at my halfway mark at school I had gotten a real taste for A's and knew there was no excuse for me to not achieve an A in all my classes. This is strange because I almost failed out of high school. I was a terrible student growing up and I even failed out of collage the first time I went right out of high school. But going back to college was unexpectantly empowering. I really came to know just how capable I am after accomplishing one task after another and somehow excelling at each one because I had the mind set to do my own personal best.

Well I just graduated from College on Saturday Three months before my 30th birthday with a 4.0 and also picked up another degree along the way, so I graduated not only in Graphic and Web Design but also Web and Animation. I was also fortunate enough to be a Graduation Speaker which was a challenge all in itself, but by taking one step at a time (and a mental break down) I conquered that as well. I have been through a lot during my lifetime and never thought I would go to collage and I was encouraged by my teachers to share my journey to graduation. When I was writing my speech I was worried that it was a little to raw and a little to heavy for a graduation speech. I kept telling myself "I can't tell a room full of strangers that stuff, its too vulnerable, its too humiliating!" But this was my journey. I knew I had to be brave for myself. If nothing else I had to tell my story for me. This was my conquering moment. I hadn't got where I was by not giving it my all and I wasn't going to start now. So here is my crazy, scary, brave speech... that ended up being one of the most amazing moments of my life ending in a standing ovation that I never saw coming.

I am just full of so much gratitude for this amazing experience and the wonderful people who pulled me through it. I wouldn't have been able to do any of if without their support and encouragement. It took a village.

Skinny Philly Peppers (Just 310 calories)

2013-04-17T13:28:00.002-06:00

I love putting together light healthy recipes that my whole family loves to eat, because I just don't have the time to make a separate dinner for myself. Not only does it help the rest of my family used to more portion appropriate dishes early on in their lives but it helps me be more successful in the long run with controlling my weight if I can incorporate more convenient methods to getting fit.

This is a light take on Philly cheese steak stuffed peppers, and they are so good no one could guess they where so few in calories which is my favorite part. Plus there is cheese involved need I say more?!

Skinny Philly Peppers

(Serves 1) Just times everything to how many people you are feeding.

Need:

1 Large Green Pepper

4 slices Lunch Meat Roast Beef

1/2 C. of weight watchers shredded cheese

1/4 of an yellow onion sliced

1/2 can of mushrooms

1 TBS of Worcestershire Sauce

Pam cooking spray

1 tsp. Garlic Salt

Pepper

Preheat oven to 375 F.

1. In a large skillet on medium high spay PAM then add your sliced onions and mushrooms. Sauté for about three to five minutes just until they are lightly cooked.

2. Slice the lunch meat into strips than add the meat to the sautéing vegetables. Pour in the Worcestershire sauce to cook in with the meat and veggies. Then sprinkle garlic salt in. Stir occasionally, until most of the moisture and juices are cooked out. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

3. Cut your large green pepper in half length wise and scoop out the middle and seeds, plus the hard stem part. Lay on cookie sheet. Divide 1/4 c. up cheese between the two halves of peppers and stuff the cheese into the bottom of the pepper. Now you can scoop and stuff the meat mixture into the two peppers. Bake in oven for 25 minutes, then top with remaining 1/4 c. of cheese and bake for another 10 minutes.

Hope you enjoy!

A Tribute Music Video To My Kids ("Kids Ruin Everything")

2013-03-25T15:22:00.000-06:00

When it comes to making home movies my favorite is making music videos and this time Ive made a music video out of old home movies depicting our love for our children and the beautiful changes they have made in our lives that we never saw coming.

My husband and I watched the final cut together last night and we could not help but both cry. Its not that its sad but it really depicts the evolution and the shear beauty of our parenthood and how incredibly blessed we are. Talk about perspective!

Easter Treat Box Printable

2013-03-23T14:35:00.000-06:00

I saw some super cute Carrot treat boxes on pintrest the other day but you had to make them out of scrapbook paper and who has time to go out looking for scrapbook paper plus they didnt have a tutorial to show you how to make these. So I've made these fun treat boxes even easier to make for you ladies. These could be great friends and neighbor gifts but I also think they would go great in those easter baskets as well.

To get started Print this out on your home printer, card stock works best but I did mine on regular printer paper and it turned out fine.

Tutorial Instructions:

Need:

clear tape

stapler

scissors

1. For the carrot part, cut out the orange patterned rectangle. Fold it into a tube like shape lengthwise. Use the clear tape down the side to create the tube. Be careful not to crease the paper, you are going to want it round.

2. Tape the bottom end shut with the clear tape. Leaving the top open to put candy in it. Put candy in it ;) Later the top end is going to be stapled shut on the opposite side you sealed the bottom so it will poof out.

3. Cut up the green pattern rectangle into different length strips for the grassy top. Position the grassy top strips just inside the top of the carrot. Press both top sides of carrot together to make a sort of grassy top sandwich with the strips. Staple the three layers together to secure the grassy strips.

4. Cut out the label circles and tape the smaller bunny circle onto the bigger yellow circle. Tape this on the front of the carrot to cover up staples.

Modern Happy Easter Print (FREE)

2013-03-22T21:27:00.002-06:00

Here is another fun printable to help bring some extra spring colors in your Easter decor! These little love bunnies are just adorable, and you can sport them in your home as well. Just click on the image below to enlarge it and save it to your computer to print at home.

Hoppy Easter! ;)

Easter Chalkboard Typography Print (Free Printable)

2013-03-22T21:18:00.001-06:00

When we were decorating for Easter the week I wanted to bring a little more Christ into our Easter, and I thought some fun chalk art would do just the trick with my favorite Easter message quote from the first presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

“At thisEaster season as we contemplate our own mortality and remember loved ones who have passed from this life, our hearts turn to Him who promised: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. I am the light and the life of the world.’ ‘I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father.’ “This Easter season, as His witnesses, we testify that He lives and that through Him, we too shall live.”

You can have this lovely reminder of this message in your home, because I provided the image here for you to copy and download for your own printing. I printed mine small for a small frame that I had but this is a standard paper size that fit in more common frames. You can always mess with the size yourself to get the right size you need for the frame you have.

Happy Easter :)

FREE Chevron Easter Bunny Banner (printable PDF)

2013-03-19T23:47:00.000-06:00

I am definitely feeling the Spring Fever. Don't get me wrong I love the beautiful winter snow as well but I am definitely a sunny day kind of girl and when easter starts to approach and the spring decorations go up I start feeling like "PROJECT TIME". There is just something about spring that make me want to be productive like no other. Ive gotten very busy designing and making all sorts of easter decorations and treats and here is just one of the many eater printables.

After I designed the flags I just printed them out on my ink jet. To string them together I used some twine string, but you can use anything from ribbon, yarn, or even thin rope. These are best printed on card stock but they will do just fine on regular printing paper which I used. If you are having a hard time with the papers being to flimsy just use a little tape to secure them to the twine, it will help hold the papers straiter across. And this Chevron Easter Bunny Banner just turned out too cute not to share with my lovely EMI readers so here is the free PDF for you to print out your own.

Let me know what you think of the banner, and I hope you have a lovely Easter!

Chevron Easter Banner Printable

Kid resistant iPad Case Giveaway! (iGuy)

2013-03-11T07:00:00.000-06:00

One Everyday Mom Ideas reader will win their choice of an orange iGuy for your iPad or a purple iGuy for your iPad mini, a $40.00 value!

"Speck brings you the greatest accessory for your iPad Mini and the best companion for your family. iGuy is a gentle free-standing foam case who will stand at attention ready for you to play. Pick him up and squeeze his foam arms and legs or take him with you to ensure your iPad Mini is protected. Perfect for kids and grownups alike."

Enter to win here:

(Leave a comment and valid way of contact for each entry)

Mandatory Entry:

Just leave a comment below and share with us what your favorite thing to do on your iPad is.

Additional Entries: (you may do any or all of the following for more chances to win, as long as the mandatory entry is met.)

2. Sign up for the EMI Newsletter and get all the updates at EMI.

3. Follow EMI via Google Friend Connect

4. Follow EMI on Twitter and leave me your twitter ID (example: @everydaymom2005).

5. Tweet About this Giveaway and leave me your twitter ID.

6. Like Everyday Mom Ideas on Facebook.

7. Follow EMI on Pintrest.

8. Put the Everyday Mom Ideas Button on your Sidebar.

9. Add EMI to your blog roll

10. Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link to it

Open to US residents only, and must be 18 or older to enter to win
Giveaway Ends Sunday March 16th at midnight. (Mountain standard time)
Random winner will be selected through random.org

Good Luck!

CLOSED
Congratulations to Jennifer Davis!

Leprechaun Trap (Kids Craft)

2013-03-10T18:37:00.004-06:00

This is my second leprechaun trap I've helped my kids with last year we made one out of legos. This trap only took us about 45 minutes to think up and make so it should take you even less. ;) We just used a simple square box and reinforced one of the flaps with the other flaps we cut off, by gluing the flaps onto the back of the one remaining flap.

To make the crane we used a few pieces of scrap cardboard and to make them strong we hot glued a few pieces together so it could hold up the basket of gold. The basket is made from a green soda bottle cap and a strip of construction paper for the handle. To top it off we used my sons fools gold from a summer trip we took last year to trick the leprecaun. Hopefully it will work to catch him because we are tired of all the pranks he pulls every year at our house. I really didn't appreciate him dying our milk green last year or glueing quarters to our sidewalk.

iguy to the rescue on a sick day

2013-03-06T14:33:00.001-07:00

I am almost 99% sure I've had pneumonia for the last three weeks or according to web MD it could possibly be tumors. Also there is a slim possibility that I only have a chest cold and web MD brings out my psychosomatic side. Either way I only get about a day or two grace period until it is time for mom to just suck it up and get back to work. So what happens when mom is sick and the kids get sick too? Im not to proud to say it but TV is what happens... lots and lots of TV... and ice cream. And my new ipad could not have come more in handy than these last few weeks. Because of this handy contraption iGuy (iPad cases) I wasn't afraid to let my wiggly/sickly six year old play around with my new ipad. It was so nice I could dose off with my little inflicted companion next to me in bed while he kept busy watching cartoons on netflix and playing educational game. (Its so weird that when little kids get sick it doesn't look the same as when grown ups get sick. ) The great thing about the iGuy is that its drop tested approved plus it has these really cute little arms that double and perfect hand holders for little hands for a better grip. This cute little iguy can also stand up on his own as well. Ive already had a few of my friends ask me where I got the iGuy cover.

Somehow my son got better after about two days and Im still hacking up a lung in the mornings. But it was just Me, my little guy, and iGuy for two days strait. We really got to know each other and become friends. Now I just have to convince my son to stop faking sick so he can have more sick days in bed with mom and iGuy.

If you would like an iGuy for yourself... Good news... we are going to have a giveaway soon so keep an eye out for it and stop by and enter to win!

So stay well... but if the cold season get you to, may you have a wonderful TV day with lots of ice cream!

Going Tribal (Free Digital Scrapbooking Kit)

2013-03-04T16:28:00.000-07:00

"Going Tribal" is a fun play on all those trendy patterns coming out this spring. These fun patterns and embellishments are perfect for scrapping those upcoming spring and summer photos playing in the sun and being in nature.

I am launching my new esty store where I will be selling my digital scrapbooking kits. Here is a free mini kit for you EMI readers to enjoy.

You can purchase the full mega kit at my new etsy shop here at Designing Pixel Dust.

The Going Tribal Mega Kit includes 35 high quality embellishments with 33 matching 12x12 papers (3600x3600 ppi).

Embellishments:
4-Frames
6-Wordart
5- Ribbons
20- other coordinating embellishments

Papers: (not all papers shown in preview)
5-Obre styled papers
1- Bird Wing Paper
6- Chevron style papers
4- Dream Catcher papers
8-Tribal Pattern papers
1- Arrow Paper
4- Feather papers
4- Other coordination papers

You can download your FREE mini "Going Tribal" Kit Here.

For Personal Use Only:

You may use these kits and elements in part or in whole in your layouts that will be submitted to Scrapbooking and related magazines for publication, giving proper credit to Julia DeLeeuw and Designing Pixel Dust, including any graphic you have altered in any way. You may alter any graphics with respect to color, size or by adding to or removing from them.

YOU MAY NOT:
Use for templates or pre-made pages, cards, stationary, for publication or for sale on eBay, etsy or your own site or call them your own works. Do not redistribute kit or its images outside of your immediate family.

If you would like to use this kit for Scrap-For-Hire you can purchase the limited license kit.

If you download Please leave a comment and let me know what you think!

eshakti... the perfect place to find the perfect dress

2013-02-18T13:05:00.001-07:00

There is a reason I have been singing eshakti praises for years now. It still remains my favorite place to shop for modest custom dresses that are not only a great price but trendy and fun as well. Im about 5'10 and its hard to find knee length dresses that actually go to my knees. At eshakti I can either just put in my height or I can give them more in depth sizing to get this dress just right. I also like that you can add sleeves to just about any dress and you even get options on the kind of sleeves as well.

Dresses start at about $35.00 and go up to about $120.00 for the fancier stuff. Right now if you sign up for the first time you get a $25 off discount, FREE customizations and its only $5 to ship your fully custom dress in less than 7 days!!! Unbelievable!

Trust me... once you go eshakti you never go back. This is my third eshakti dress and I wish all my dresses where from them. There is one thing you should beware of... its hard to just pick one dress and you can spend hours being mesmerized at their huge beautiful selection and customizations.

Here is a special discount code EVERYDYMMD, exclusively created for you EMI readers to get 20% OFF when you shop at eShakti - valid from 02/26/13 thru 03/20/13.

eshakti is a great place to get cutsom dresses at great low prices! Giving you the gift of CUSTOMIZATION! :)

http://www.eshakti.com/

FREE Monkey Valentine's Printable

2013-02-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

I made these for my own two little monkeys for Valentines day for their class and I made some extra for you guys too!

I found these little sticky monkey's at Oriental Trading for $2.99 for 48 pieces! Thats enough for both boys valentines. This printable is also great for laffy taffy banana taffy, or hard banana candies. Also oriental trading has tons of stuff for real cheap that is monkey related and would go perfectly with this.

In case you didn't know I BLOG 4 Comments! If you like this leave a comment and feed my blogging soul... ;)

Star Wars Lego Birthday Party

2013-01-29T14:43:00.000-07:00

Both my sons are huge Lego Star Wars fans. For Halloween we made them homemade star wars lego costumes that were so awesome and we decided to keep within the theme of this year and go with Lego Star Wars. This was only a One hour Party (thank goodness). Instead of games and prizes we decided to do something a little different and more memorable... a Jedi Training Course!

While the kids were waiting for the rest of the guest to arrive we had my sons collection of star wars lego pieces out for the kids to stay busy and entertained. We also had a playlist of Star wars music playing in the background.

Then when we were ready to get started we told the kids that they this wasn't a birthday party and they all were so bummed out. Then I said "You each have been chosen to become jedi and must be trained in the ways of the force and prove you have what it takes to be a jedi and defeat the dark side!" Then my Husband took the kids into the family room where the furniture was moved out of the way so there was enough room. Then we had the Training lesson, than cake and ice cream, opened presents and let them loose outside with their new light sabers to go at it until their parent came and got them. What is really cool is that the kids were all talking about it at school the next day and I had parent coming up to me all week saying how much their kids keep talking about the party. My son has been going through some issues at school lately and he has been feeling like he doesn't have a lot of friends and so this party couldn't have come at a better time and did wonders for his self esteem. This was a lot of work but it was so worth it and so much fun and I know he is going to remember this for the rest of this life.

_________________________________________________________________

I've made it easy for you ;)

And Here Is Everything You Need For Your Own

Lego Star Wars Party

These cards were so fun to make. I loved getting to work with all this fun typography and challenging myself to come up with a modern design while still sticking to a Star Wars Lego theme. You can buy these Personalized Invitations at Designing Pixel Dust in sets of 8 for only $15.00 + S&h. They are fully customizable for no extra charge.

The Free printables for everything is at the bottom of this post in an easy to use pdf. These drink labels fit the mini Gatorade bottles and the super mini water bottles.

When you cadets have finished their Jedi training they can then receive their Badge. Just print and cut these out and then whole punch the top. Use ribbon so they can wear it around their necks.

I tried to look for lego star wars cake tutorials that were easy and I just couldn't find any at my low skill level, and without using yucky fondant. So I had to come up with my own. Here is my truly original cake tutorial... Im so glad it actually worked.

Lego Star Wars Cake

Need:

2 cake mixes of you choice

2 cans of frosting (White)

2-4 round cake pans

Black tube frosting

1. This is a three in a half layered cake. Bake both cakes as directed in the round cake pans. If you only have two cake pans like me you are going to half take turns getting all four baked.

2. Freeze one of the round cake pans for four hours or over night. This is so you can Carve the circle for the top without the cake falling apart.

3. Once the top little cake is carved using a knife, go ahead and layer and frost the cake.

4. Add the designs with black tube frosting and your done.

These light sabers are really easy to make out of swimming pool noodles, and make a great party favor. You can find them at the dollar store during the warmer months but if you have winter babies like me the best place to find them is Amazon. Cut the noodle in half and then dress them up with black a silver Duct tape at the handle.

Jedi Training:

To do the Jedi training check out this youtube video of the disney land version (be sure to check out part 2 as well). My husband and brother watched it a few times ant then practiced it once or twice before the party to kind of give them some ideas on what stuff to say. The Jedi Training is really fun and simple. It can get crazy so remember to just have fun with it and make it your own.

Lego Star Wars Birthday Party Printables by

I'd love to see your Star Wars Lego Party. Feel free to send me links and/or pics of your party and I will post them on my next "What you've been up to" post!

"What you've been up to" January 2013

2013-01-29T00:40:00.003-07:00

Squirly Girl Creations

You guys have been busy creating a sorts of fun things from my kits! Here is some of the latest projects you EMI readers have been so sweet to share with me!

Making Of A Mom

Sara's Creative Adventures

Amanda's Family

Sugar and Shimmer

By Amanda Bethard

I love getting to see this kind of stuff! Please send me pics and/or links to your creations with EMI kits and designs so I can share them with other EMI readers and we can all get inspired and motivated together. :)

Use Your Scrapbook Software to Design a Pillow

2013-01-21T16:53:00.001-07:00

Scrapbooking pages is just the tip of the iceberg. You can do so many projects with photo editing software/scrapbooking software. Scrapbooking is actually how I got me start in graphic design and now I am going to make business logos and web designs for a living. One of my latest projects is this fun pillow. I have been on the hunt for some cute pillows for my home and I have been having the hardest time finding anything I liked and the few that I did like where over a $100. So I was thrilled to discover Bags Of Love!

I used pieces from my Hello Foxy kit and just put them together in photoshop. This project took me only about an half an hour to do and upload to the pillow printing site Bags Of Love.

You can design more than just custom bags and pillows at Bags Of Love. Some of the coolest things include custom photo deck chairs, fabric, and wallpaper!

They really do have tons of products to be printed on, and its a scrapbookers heaven if you think about it. You can put anything together in your scarpbooking program and if you save it as a jpeg it can be used.

My pillow came out perfectly and even better than I thought. The quality was outstanding and I really liked how I could pick the stuffing inside the pillow, and all the other options. I chose the down feather stuffing and it is very luxurious. I was also impressed that the material my image was printed on was this soft sued like fabric that is so soft to the touch. Their site is also really easy to use and I even got to see a virtual preview of my pillow before it was created. I would definitely use their product again and again. Their stuff is just too much fun.

LDS Missionary Custom Blog Design

2013-01-11T15:39:00.000-07:00

I just finished designing this today. This is my first LDS Missionary themed blog design and I was thrilled to do it. My brother just got back home from serving two years in Tacoma WA and so this was a little near and dear to my heart. Also, a little something special about this design is that the background paper that looks like handwriting is actually Joseph Smiths handwriting from his actual journals.

If you would like for me to design a blog or website for you that is fully custom where you can control as much or as little of the design process as you want, and create custom art and imagery you can check out some of the design packages I have available here, and feel free to contact me if you have any questions at everydaymomideas at hotmail dot com.

Merry Christmas!

2012-12-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

Highlights from 2012

- I finally became an aunt and my boys became cousins with the arrival of our new nephew in July

-I have been on the presidential list every term.

-We’ve taken up a new love of family bike rides.

-My husband has read 35 book so far this year.

-At 29 years old I finally got my braces off.

-We went to Yellowstone National Park this summer and saw old faithful and broke down at Grand Teton Mountains.

-We celebrated Great Grandma and Grandpa's 50th Wedding anniversary at a beautiful cabin near Roosevelt Utah where we went rock climbing and Julia went Paintballing for the first time, it was both fun and painful.

-My youngest son lost his first tooth this year.

- Both my boys learned how to swim in the deep end of the pool.

-My six year old flew on a plane for the first time.

-We welcomed home My Brother from a serving a full time LDS mission in Seattle WA.

-For his 30th birthday My husband finally got to see his favorite NFL team play in person, the Miami Dolphins.

-We grew our first tomatos...ever! And they were good (it was a group effort)!

-We recently got back from a 2 week vacation in Florida where we got to go to Disney World, ate alligator, and snorkeled in Key Largo.

We are so grateful to have had the opportunity to experience these wonderful events this past year and hope that we can continue to experience such amazing blessings. We hope you have a Merry Christmas and may 2013 bring you some of your own amazing memories!

Creative Fun In A Box

2012-12-10T10:35:00.001-07:00

These fun packages are packed full or creative crafts that keep your kids busy having fun but also gets them thinking outside of the box with tons of fun projects and ideas. Kiwi crates lets you sign up to have these fantastic packages sent to your kids each month and they all have different themes. These are more than just a themed craft boxes they are centered around letting your kids truly use their imagination.

My sons received the music crates. First off I have to say that I was really impressed with the thoughtfulness that was put into the content of these kits. Its not just a box full of crafts its a box filled with interactive activities to help kids think outside of the box.

My favorite part was they included a way for kids to compose and write down their own music with color coded stickers and strips of paper. It takes it to a whole other level. So not only did they build their music instruments they got had their first exposure to how music is written.

These are my proud boys with their creattions. Also included in the box was a kit for jingle bell bracelets, their very own scissors and a booklet on music and a booklet with more creative musical crafts they can make at home.

I thinks these are such a fantastic idea. The next kit I get will definitely be this superhero crate my boys will just die over.

And just for a heads up... if you are interested in Kiwi Crates they still having giveaways. So if you stop by today or tomorrow you can enter to win some cool stuff!

Buttoned Monogram Art Tutorial (Featured Guest Blogger)

2012-12-03T21:17:00.004-07:00

Hi, I’m Sabrina from Sabby In Suburbia. It’s great to be here at Everyday Mom Ideas to share a new DIY project with you guys.
I’m a scientist that was thrown into the stay-a-home mom/homemaker roll kind of unexpectedly a few years back. This turned out to be one of my life’s greatest blessings, as I have thoroughly enjoyed everything that being at home has brought to my life. When I’m not running around with my two boys, I love fixing up our home on a budget, cooking the old fashioned way and pursuing my photography hobby. All of these things make it onto my blog, where I share my tips and tricks as I learn new things each week.
At Sabby In Suburbia, I tackle all kinds of projects and recipes. Here are some of my favorites:

Today, I’m sharing an inexpensive and easy to do art project that I completed last week. While tackling the laundry, I came across my “button jar”, my home for extra buttons. I’ve seen so many cute projects lately with button art and was inspired to make something myself.
To begin, I pulled out an old frame that I had in our storage area and removed the glass. FREE! Originally it was black, but I painted it a light grey color, leftover from sample that I bought for my son’s room redo. FREE!

This letter “P” was also found in my basement from a project gone wrong a few years ago.

I think it was from Hobby Lobby and maybe cost $2. This was painted grey from before so I just kept it that color.
Then, I began to sort through my buttons.

I decided to stay in a neutral palette since I didn’t have enough of my colorful buttons to make the piece look right.
Next, I arranged all of my buttons on the “P” to get the button colors distributed nicely. Once I was happy with that, I began gluing the buttons down using Tacky Glue.

One by one, until they were all in place.

Once I had all of the buttons in place, put the monogram on a flat surface to dry for a few hours.
While it was drying, I decided to add some textural interest to the frame. I wrapped the back of the frame in a cream cotton fabric that again, I found in my basement storage area. I promise you my basement is NOT code for Jo Ann Fabrics. I was truly trying to use up some of my crafting supplies.
To attach the fabric, I coated the back of the frame with Mod Podge and carefully smoothed out the fabric, using an old gift card to get rid of air bubbles.
After another hour, the fabric and monogram were both dry. To attach the “P” to the back of the fabric lined frame, I again used Tacky Glue. To be sure I got the monogram really glued down well, I placed a heavy book on top of it.

Sorry Martha!

And there you have it…

A simple project using things I already had in my home. I love the way all the different buttons look together.

Since I’m a photography nut, its nice to have a piece of art with some texture.
Thanks to Everyday Mom Ideas for inviting me here today! Hope you all enjoyed this art on the cheap project and that you’ll stop by and visit me at Sabby In Suburbia soon!

Free Nativity Gift Tags Printable

2012-12-02T23:06:00.002-07:00

Trying to bring more Christ into Christmas with these free nativity themed gift tags. Think of it as your Christmas present from me. ;)

Just click on the image to enlarge it then save it to your computer to print out as many times as you need.

Merry Christmas...

and don't forget to leave a comment.

10 Creative Christmas Gifts Under $10 (2012)

2012-11-29T04:11:00.001-07:00

AS a mom on a budget Im always on the lookout for those great gifts that really show that you care but goes easy on my wallet. So here are my top ten favorite I've been saving up all year to share with you guys....

Buy some cheap plates at the dollar store and a pen to write on porcelain and bake in the oven for 30 minutes and you've some customized plates! Here's the link to more detailed instructions.

Perfect for those long distant grandparents that are hard to shop for.

Super easy and fun Kisses Goodie!

"Just add ice cream" box!

Make Chalkboard Placemats!!! Instructions Here.

For a funny gift... give the gift of Snow man poop!

These DIY Nativity magnets would make perfect neighbor gifts.

Frame notebook paper, hot glue a bow, wrap with a dry erase marker ... viola!

A dry erase board Perfect for a To Do list for any desk or locker!

I think these little guys are so flippen cute! These Snowman Hot chocolate kits where what originally inspired me to create this post so I could share this fun christmas gift idea with my EMI readers. I just think these are the perfect cheerful gift for just about anyone.

And I saved the best for last. If you want to do something extra thoughtful for a special family in your life... putting together a collection of 24 of your favorite christmas short stories and poems couldn't be more perfect. I actually got one of these from a close family friend when I was pregnant with my first child and I loved reading the stories every night leading up Christmas Eve that it is now (seven years later) a wonderful family tradition we do with our kids every year. We love how it really brings so much meaning and togetherness at this special time of year. In our Christmas binder we are instructed to read the story of our saviors birth out of the scriptures on Christmas Eve. After all these years we each have our favorite stories and always look forward when our story comes up.

I truly believe that the best gifts are not the ones that cost the most but are the most thoughtful ones... the ones you can tell someone put time into it. So even if you aren't on a tight budget these ideas still make wonderful gifts that will be remember for years to come.

"Falling For You" An Autumn Outfit For Almost Anywhere

2012-10-18T17:59:00.002-06:00

I love combinations that you can wear to the office and/or out on a date... fun styles with a touch of romance and a whole lot of color! And I am definitely loving all of the printed shoes Im seeing out there.

The best thing about this outfit is that I found them all at just one stop... Ultimate Outlet! And everything there is discounted! Whoot! Whoot!

Signature Sweep High-Opulence Shadow: Available in 6 colors

-Was $19.00 now just $3.00!

Find it here.

Belted Canvas Warm-Weather Boot

-Was $119.00 Now $69.00.

Find it here.

Peacock Feather Dangle Earrings

-Was $89.00 Now $71.00

Find it here.

Silky Hi-Lo Tank by Spiegel

-Was $44.00 Now $19.00

Find it here.

Military-Inspired Corduroy Blazer

-Was 74.00 Now $49.00

Find it here.

Beaded Mini Bag with Fleur-de-Lys Design

Was $79.00 Now $49.00

Find it here.

Crinkled Cotton Pull-On Skirt

Was $49.00 Now$19.00

Find it here.

There are so many fun and unique designer finds at the Ultimate Outlet you are sure to always find something you love but If you see something you like, you better hurry fast because the items go fast and are limited. If you do miss out keep checking back often to catch the deals.

"Adventure Explorers" FREE scavenger hunt printable!

2012-10-16T05:24:00.000-06:00

I made this fun scavenger hunt check-list for my boys a few weeks ago when they had some days off school and I needed to come up with something quick for them to do so I could finish my homework but at the same time I wanted it to be fun and memorable. For the prize I got them each a small new lego set to win when they had successfully complete all the items and to-do's on the list. They easily could do all the tasks without any help and finished just under an hour each. It was cool seeing all the things they collected and accomplished on their own. They even ended up saving their bark rubbings and various nature specimens in sandwich baggies to keep and admire over for later.

This is a great activity to get your kids up and out being active and using their imaginations at the same time. This would also be great to print out for play-dates or just when they have a friend come over.

I changed a few things on the original list to make it less tailored to my six and seven year old boys and fancied it up a bit with some fun illustraition. I thought a fun "Up" theme would be perfect.

Adventure Explorers Unite!!!

Adventure Awaits Print Able

Remember that all EMI images and designs are for personal use only. Please do not redistribute this or any other EMI images without my expressed permission.

I love hearing from you, and reading all of your comments. Its why I do these for FREE so please leave a comment if you print this fun printable out.