While we were shopping for her couch at a very cute and very expensive local boutique, we saw the most gorgeous things at sky high prices. But then we laughed at the idea of sneaking in a TJ Maxx find with a modified price tag and seeing if it could sell. I’m telling you….a tea light candle was $15….I’m pretty sure I could pull of this stunt. Too bad I am not gonna try. Ya know. I like not being thrown out of local trendy shops….and I’ve recognized in my old age that not everyone shares my twisted sense of humor.

ANYHOO….I did this self-inflicted challenge anyway. Find the things at TJ Maxx that are priced right and absolutely beautiful. You can imagine the prices in a boutique vs the actual price online.

Wanna play the guessing game?

Let’s see….here is what I would think the price would be in a trendy boutique….

What do you think? Am I close? It’s been a hot minute since I played the Price is Right. Of course I am right….but also so wrong because the actual prices on these items are quite different!

Here are the actual prices followed with the links to each item! Run! These things will sell out soon

The post Neutral Home Finds at TJ Maxx appeared first on Bower Power.

All I want for Christmas is to twin my favorite little girl! Ella is all about twinning with me lately and it is truly a dream come true! I absolutely love being able to match our outfits together. Plus, she has great style so shopping has never been more fun.

Recently, we went to Walmart and came up with three different coordinated holiday outfit options to share with you. Here are our favorite looks…

Pink and Plaid

I love the “anything goes” trend for jeans! Ella is rocking the cutest baggy leg jeans in black and I love my cropped wide leg jeans (WITH STRETCH).

She is looking like the littlest fashionista with her shacket and pink slides.

I paired my wide leg jeans with stacked sneakers (yes, they are super comfortable with memory foam) and a christmas tee with plaid flannel.

We both rocked the plaid and the pink making us a coordinated duo.

Double Trouble

These scarf and hat sets are the buy of the year! Seriously RUN.

They are crazy soft, so stinking cute and in the best patterns. Plus, the price is spectacular. I highly, HIGHLY recommend buying one for each friend and then a few for yourself.

I am so impressed with them and they totally made our all-black outfits look luxe and adorable!

And yes – Ella absolutely loves her combat boots and you can bet your bottom dollar I love mine too.

Miss & Mrs Christmas

Christmas time is here and I LOVED these festive coordinated holiday finds. Ella is rocking the Merry & Bright sweatshirt and Walmart has options for the bottom – cute glittery leggings or a glitzy sheer skirt or BOTH

I love them together and to mix and match! My skirt is ribbed sweater material and flares to compliment. I paired it with a thin red fitted turtleneck for the ultimate Mrs Claus look. I love how classic and flirty this is for Christmas parties.

The best part about both of my items is that they will work all season long. I can pair the red turtleneck with skinny jeans and riding boots or with flares and a cropped cardigan.

I hope you were inspired by these looks and to check out the holiday selection at Walmart! I absolutely love shopping there and the prices are incredible so my dollar goes farther!

Much love from Mrs and Miss Christmas Happy shopping!

The post Christmas Twinning is Winning appeared first on Bower Power.

My newest obsession is in the pajama section of Walmart. No surprise there. I’ve been rocking the Walmart loungewear and pajamas all year long (yes in public) and they never fail to be comfortable, flattering and priced right. Even this past summer, while at the beach, a group of us baseball moms made a late night run to Gulf Shores Walmart to just see if they had any new pajama sets. It did not disappoint. #momsgonewild

Recently, Walmart had the launch of Joyspun – a line of all things comfortable – and it might as well been Christmas in the Bower house. Cue the cherubs.

The word obsessed doesn’t come close. They are everything I want in pajamas. Furry robes that feel like blankets. Winter pajamas in jogger styles and cute prints. Loose pajama tops that are comfortable enough to wear to bed and cute enough to work with jeans.

This winter season you need to go check them out. I rounded up some of my favorites and tried them all on. They are true to size.

I absolutely love that you can mix and match too! They coordinate really well for those special family pajama photos!

Happy shopping!

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Anyhoo – I was able to sneak away and get some really cute pictures of Max in his new uniform for fall. He stayed with the same group of amazing kids and we rebranded the team so now it’s called Bulldogs Elite Baseball. Here is a photo dump from our latest shoot. And yes – he is the cutest, toothless kiddo I’ve ever seen

The post Baseball Photos appeared first on Bower Power.

This year we decided to do a photoshoot with Santa. We were ready to go. Pajamas were on. The hair was combed. And each child was prepped with “Make sure you know what is your number one thing on your list for Santa!”. One of my sweet, innocent children loudly announced “I am asking for a baby goat! It’s the only thing I want!” Of course, I knew that a baby goat WOULD NOT be under our tree this year….so I tried to guide him to ask for something else……anything else. To which he said “I already have everything”. Cue the alligator tears.

That very day our newest crates arrived from KiwiCo and his tears were turned into bursts of joy. This was the gift.

The gift that gives us time. The gift that gives us silence (it might be weird but our kids are literally silent as they put their engineering and problem-solving activities together). The gift of joy. And this year we asked for activities for the kids from grandparents – and the KiwiCo subscription would fit the bill and fill their stockings with utter happiness. It literally is the gift that keeps giving!

For those new to the show, KiwiCo was created to challenge kids and adults to create, build, think, and LOVE the progress of learning. Honestly – it is like joy in a box! We have done them for years now and the kids absolutely love every single one. They are for all ages, and you can do a subscription for as low as $17.50 a month with free shipping in the US. There is also an option for shopping for individual crates on their webpage. We have done them since 2014 and there is nothing my kids like more than seeing a new KiwiCo crate in the kitchen.

Yes, that is baby William flipping out over his first crate seven years ago!

The most exciting thing is they now have a crate for kids who love to create in the kitchen.

The Yummy Crate is one of their newest additions and my kids had a BLAST creating their own food.

The ingredients are not included in the crate which means we could modify it to our diet and our favorite items.

The boys got the Smashed Potatoes and the Browned Burger which was labeled as “the best burger everrrrr”. They even cooked it and everything!

Will now thinks he is ready for college since he can cook his own meat

If you are looking for the ultimate Christmas gift for your own family member, then this is the way to go! I can not recommend it enough. Head on over to their site and check out all the fun activities that they can be creating.

And right now is the time to order so you can get it by the Christmas! You need to just MOVE FAST on this fun! It’s WELL WORTH IT to have them make the holiday season last all.year.long.

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Disclaimer – This is a sponsored post brought to you by Walmart.  All opinions are 100% my own.

The holiday season is here and I’m gonna own the next couple weeks with one word – ifloor.  So let’s rewind for a second and let me explain some things.  Errr….wooo…spizzz….that’s me rewinding.  First – holidays are all about entertaining, holiday gift giving and finding the balance between feeling the holiday spirit and completely losing your mind from stress.  Well GUESS WHAT!!  This one product can touch on every single aspect and is pretty amazing.  I went on Walmart’s site and within a couple days I had the iFloor cordless wet/dry vaccuum and hard floor cleaner in my hands.  Ok, so let me share why I call it the ultimate home gift.

First – this bad boy is two for one.  It vaccuums and mops at the same time.  Did you hear me?!  VACUUMS.  MOPS.  SAME TIME.  That’s like the holy grail of cleaning.  That means you can literally say “I mop everyday” and even your mother-in-law will be wowed.  Using the iFloor cordless wet/dry vacuum will save you energy but also the much needed time this holiday season.  Now you can use that time for better things.  You could even take a nap.  Imagine.  A NAP.

Entertaining will be easier than ever with the ifloor too.  Last minute Friendsgiving?  No problem.  Floors look good.  Someone spilled the gravy?  I got you.  Floors look good.  Folks dropping by in five with neighbors gifts?  Invite them to stay for coffee after blitzing with ifloor.

Secondly – need a gift for your parents or loved one and they absolutely have everything?  I bet they would like the gift of time.  That’s this!  I bet they would be impressed with a home tool that makes things easier.  That’s this!  I bet if they received it, they would probably think….wow, what a generous person you are.

Third – balance.  The ifloor makes it a super easy task to get your floors done and when I say easy – it’s very lightweight, it’s cordless and it can even clean up spills.  So there isn’t extra stress of ‘keeping things clean’ when you know you have the tool to address it.  Plus – it’s super quiet so you can still listen to your christmas music.  You can bust out like Mariah and sing “All I want for Christmas is You!!!” to your ifloor all season long.

And last but not least – it’s available at Walmart.  Now it’s easier than ever to get this gift.

I also put together some other items at Walmart that are great gift ideas for your home or home-lover.

There are a variety of price points so I’m sure you could find something for anyone!  And I have almost everything pictured so I vouch for them.  Walmart is the best for gifting finds. Just click on any of the photos below for a direct shopping link. First up – kitchen accessories…

Next – cleaning and crafting!

Can’t miss cooking appliances! These are must haves!

And lastly – Walmart has great decor and all at great prices.  

HAPPY SHOPPING! 

The post The Ultimate Home Gift appeared first on Bower Power.

2021 is the year for delivery drama, am I right?!  And we all know Santa can NOT be late on delivering the goods!  So I’m here today to share TOYS.  And not just any toys…..these are some of my favorite toys that make my must-have list at Walmart. Yup. I’m sharing my short list of toys of the year from Walmart and these will get here in time to give the man in the red suit ALL the credit.  Now you can have reactions on Christmas morning that look like this….

You can hear the squeals, can’t you?!  That is right….all the joy and now is the time to order!

The greatest thing about this list is that every single toy on Walmart’s Top Rated Toy list was chosen by KIDS.  Not us parents.  It was the kids picking out their favorites!  And I picked directly from that list so you know it is kid-loved and parent-approved! 

This Play-doh Kitchen Creations was absolute hit!  It was great for both boys and girls and even my eight year old had a blast decorating his cake.  Ella had her friend over and both of them played for the longest time! 

The kids loved that it molded the Play-Doh into a different “cake” shape.  

Plus we know that Play-Doh kits are all about tools – which this one has plenty of fun gadgets to create the cutest creations! 

My younger boys saw a friend with one of these vtech KidiZoom PrintCam‘s and have been asking for their own EVERY.DAY.

Look at that face!  It’s such a cute toy – it even prints your pictures!  I linked the beginner version of this camera too…as well as one that is the next step for little creators. 

The next gift is such a fun little toy that is perfect for kiddos that can’t quite ride a bike yet.  These are battery powered bumper cars!  

These are great for ages 2-4.  

They are easy to control with two little joysticks and they have seatbelts and lights!  

My favorite part was that they spin and bump into each other.  Every single time, the kids would laugh so hard! 

And did I mention they were good inside and out?  Yeah.  Perfect Christmas gift!  

There are so many others too!  I picked out my top choices for my crew from the Walmart list of Top Rated toys.  These are sure-fire crowd pleasers! 

And you can click any of the pictures below to get shopping links and more details!  And as always – happy shopping and may you get everything you need early! 

The post Walmart Toys Must-Haves appeared first on Bower Power.

Who else is super excited to get back to school?!  I feel like summer 2021 flew by!  Between getting ready for our football adventures and recovering from our baseball adventures – we barely had any time to summer it up!  In the few weeks we did have, we managed to squeeze in tons of fun – tubing, kayaking, fishing, beach time and more!  I can’t wait to give you the details on all of that!  One exciting email arrived midway through the summer – we got notified that our schools were providing all the supplies for this year!  As a parent of five – that thrilled me to no end!  No more scrambling trying to get the right three hole binder!  And it left more in the budget for getting back to school clothing and shoes….plus all the gear we needed for a brand new season of sports.

Wills shirt

My kids absolutely love athletic wear and Academy Sports+Outdoors is my go-to place to score the best gear at great prices.  Also it should be noted that OF COURSE my boys wear hand-me-downs (and Ella too!) so I always make sure to shop at Academy because my boys LOVE their items year after year after year.  And I love the prices.  It’s a win-win.  

The boys actually call their athletic wear items “awesome clothes” and don’t mind one bit to get their big brothers shoes, cleats and clothing.  This season all four boys are going to play tackle football.  It’s definitely a first for my older two.  Last year their little brothers paved the way and it was a blast!  So this year the big boys want to prove what they are made of!  They needed all new gear and Academy was our place to score big.  

The favorite find was these gloves that Weston called dibs on.  Let’s hope the Beast comes out when he gets the ball for the first time!   

So many of our friends have been asking what we think is necessary for the kids to get for football since our rec department provides helmets and shoulder pads.  Our list includes the following must-haves:

• padded pants
• practice jersey
• gloves 
• mouth guards
• water jugs
• cleats

Of course – splurging for their own helmet and pads would be a great way to get practice in all year long.  These are the ones we have! 

We got new cleats for the boys and my personal favorites were these Nikes.  

The little boys already had their gear from last year but their growing feet definitely needed more space.  New Under Armour shoes were just the ticket!  Also – if you are looking for large water jugs – we absolutely love these ones at Academy.  This is our fourth one we bought and it hangs on fences and has a flip lid to prevent leaks.  

Of course the boys also got a number of new things for school.  Ready to see these cuties on their first day?! 

I just can’t believe I have such handsome boys!  How did this even happen?!  They were infants yesterday!  Now they look ready to shave and drive sedans to work.  Ha! 

Nike backpack – Under Armour backpack

Will and Weston got new backpacks – theirs were pretty beat up so they picked out these show stoppers.  

All the boys got new water bottles for school.  Apparently the hottest new water bottle is the Gx from Gatorade.  It has a flip lid so they refill super easily at our schools water stations.  You don’t unscrew the lid – you just flip the clip.  The other fancy thing is that you can buy separate pods to make your water into an electrolyte drink.  It’s super boujee and the kids LOVE it.  Max also told me that he loves that you can “spray” the drink if you squeeze hard enough.  It pops a mist into your face….just enough to cool you down….or startle your brother  

My shopping wouldn’t be complete without picking up a few things for myself.  I got a pair of shorts and a sports bra and top – maybe I will start working out while the kids are at school.  Who knows?!  Anything is possible! ha!  

All that to say – I am so excited for this new season and I am really very happy with my purchases.  I honestly can’t believe I got to partner with Academy again – this has been such a dream brand to work with because I spend so much time shopping there anyway.  If you know me in real life, you have probably already heard me talking about the store and all my best finds.  So thank you Academy for making this post come to life but really – thank you for having things that all my kids love.  They love the way they look and how they feel in their things and I’m super excited to see those things play a role in this next big season!  

The post Back To School & Back To Sport with Academy appeared first on Bower Power.

Seriously – I did a lot of shopping (after midnight fueled by Cheezits and Coke Zero) and found myself adding things to the cart over and over on JCPenney dot com.  Yes, I typed that out.  Felt right.

Here is what I bought…

ITEMS I BOUGHT

Mom jeans.  Yep.  Roomy in the hips and butt….just the way I like it on the way to carpool.  And a little distressing because I ain’t dead yet.

The cutest tank with a high neck and the slightest muscle cut.  I love the modesty…and the price.  Especially the price.

And a perfect fall cardigan with subtle details and hits slightly below half thigh…we call that the safe zone! .

I also paired this outfit with this cropped cardigan and even with the shorter length – it feels like it hides the mom-tummy.  I really love the detail on the seams – they are very Free People-ish to me!

I also snagged a tank that is a great dupe for the Madewell tanks but at a crazy good price.

Pairing it with a ribbed sweater and I feel like I turned into Pumpkin Spice in human form!

Also bought these comfy shoes that honestly are SO good in person…like they go with everything and I don’t have to worry about fixing my jacked up pedicure!

Last but not least is this cute chambray tank with tie detail.  I love the dot texture and the color and the fit was perfect!

Here are some other outfits for moms.

OUTFIT IDEAS

Here are some outfit ideas – a capsule wardrobe of sorts! Happy shopping!

p.s. click any of the photos below to get the direct link

The post JCPenney Finds appeared first on Bower Power.

Do your kids eat all their holiday candy?  Mine NEITHER.  It drives me bonkers! I figured it was a real problem and I would like to be part of the solution.  So instead of giving something sweet this year I am giving something salty.  It’s my kids favorite thing – CHIPS.  Today I am sharing our Valentines Day Chip bag thanks to PIXMA Crafting printers! 

Valentines day chip bags are a very easy printable that you simply print at home with your Canon PIXMA printer and wrap around a prepackaged snack.  You absolutely can do these in mass or individually so print one for your own valentine or play cupid and make tons! 

The first step is to download the printable here….

CLICK HERE FOR THE VALENTINES DAY CHIP BAG PDF FILE

Then using your Canon PIXMA printer (I use the PIXMA TS9521C and LOVE the back feed feature).  My biggest tip is to print on the Canon Matte Photo Paper.  I’ve shown the difference before compared to printing on regular paper and it’s crazy how vibrant and clean the Matte Photo Paper makes your prints.  It’s a huge improvement and makes your crafts look super professional.  

So print how many chip bag wrappers on your printer and then grab your hot glue gun.  

First you want to put your prepackaged chip bag on BACK the center of the print.  You can pop a tiny glob of glue on the bag of the bag and bend one side of the print over and around the back.  Add a line of glue along the edge of the paper and then bend the opposite around and attach to itself.  

Right now you have a piece of paper wrapped like a tube around the chip bag.  Time to finish this!  

Pinch one end together with a bit of glue….make sure you align the edges and I kept mine in place till they dried with clothespins.  

Then repeat for the other side.

Allow to dry!  Reshape the bag by squeezing the new chip bag in the center gently.  

BOOM!  You have a Valentines Day chip bag!   

My favorite feature is the nacho chips shaped like hearts (thank you Photoshop!)….

And of course – the puns all over the bag – front and back  

So I hope you have fun celebrating Valentines Day FRIENDCHIP with Canon and Bower Power with these adorable chip bags! 

The post Valentines Day Chip Bag appeared first on Bower Power.

Also I should say….we have only ever dined in this dining room when we were refinishing the floors upstairs.  I don’t actually think I even moved the things off the sideboard and it looked exactly like this but with more chairs. Needless to say – I will be putting a lot of these items on Marketplace and hopefully I can offset the cost of buckets of paint this space will need

In the past I shared the space but I wanted to put all the photos together in one place….so here we go….

The plans I have for the space are fresh, clean and yet still warm.  I want to eliminate 90% of the things in the room….basically the only thing I want to keep is the walls.  Ha!  Fresh paint.  New flooring.  Storage.  Lighting.  Art.  Here’s the vibe that I was thinking….

Of course the biggest change will be the flooring and the paint.  Everything else is just new items (with plenty of DIY!).  I hope that the end result is a calm and comfortable space.

I plan on tackling the table and sideboard myself.  Hoping my building skills get better overnight.  I must admit I may be out of my league here with these lofty dreams but the promise of storage is pretty motivating.  Also I have never built a round table before so it feels very exciting.  I am an enneagram 7 so new things are my jam….but I get intimidated easily…so who knows….I might chicken out.

Here are the links for the basement dining room plans –

• Flooring
• Paint – Classic Gray by Benjamin Moore
• Chairs
• Dining Table
• Sideboard
• chandelier
• picture frames
• sconces 

Follow me on Instagram to get updates on how I transform the space.  And remember – life is short.  eat the chocolate first.

The post Basement Dining Room Plans appeared first on Bower Power.

One of my all time favorite treats are Oreo balls.  I actually shared the recipe for them on my blog over ten years ago (!!!) and they are one of the easiest and most delicious treats in all the land.  Seriously.  You may gain five pounds just reading this post.  Consider yourself warned.

I REALLY wanted to try them with the mint Oreo’s that are crazy addicting….and I figured out how to make them EVEN easier….with the help of Walmart+.

For those of you that don’t know – I started trying out Walmart+ this year and it’s been such an amazing help for our busy family that I can’t rave about it enough.  I’m gonna guess that most of you have ventured into a Walmart before….but now they have made it even easier to get your hands on items from their store.  Walmart+ is a membership with amazing benefits – like free delivery from your store on orders $35+ (restrictions apply), same everyday prices you know and love!  I have found I save money and time using my Walmart+ membership to get my groceries delivered to my door!  And we can definitely all use those two things a little more

PLUS – Walmart+ now includes Walmart+ free shipping, no order minimum (excludes oversized/freight & Marketplace items) on items from Walmart.com!  Yup.  Things are looking way up!

sherpa top – slippers – leggings

So here is me – craving some Oreo balls – late one night – jumping onto my computer to order everything I need to make them the next day!  Plus – I did quite a bit of grocery shopping while I was at it….because apparently these kids gotta eat!  Also – I stocked up on my favorite gummy vitamins.

sherpa top – slippers – leggings

My groceries were delivered while I ate treats in my comfies.  And I could just play with the kiddos while everything I need for Oreo balls was delivered right to my door.  I also got a new food processor so that I can make a bigger batch for my bigger crew.  ALSO – I tackled the mint ones – and yes….they are just as delicious as we imagined.

So I know that you are all wondering how I made them and how to get that Walmart + membership.  Here is the link to more information for finally making life a little sweeter in your world…..

CLICK HERE FOR WALMART+ MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

And strap on your Spanx – here is the step by step process for Oreo Balls.

First – Gather your needed items.  I used the following:

• Oreos
• Cream cheese
• mixing bowl
• cookie sheet
• parchment paper
• microwave safe bowls
• food processor/chopper
• spatula
• candy melts
• cake ball sticks
• sprinkles
• fork/spoon
• treat bags (optional)

Prep your cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Then grind up your Oreos in the food processor.

Ella loved helping.

Pour the crumbs from an entire package of Oreos into a bowl and add one package of cream cheese to the crumbs.

Mix REALLY well.

You can use your hands to make small balls of the oreo mixture but I used a cookie scoop this time and it worked great.

If you are wanting to make them into a hands-free dessert, then place a cake-pop stick into the center.  I like both versions.

I put my uncoated oreo balls into the fridge at this point so they firm up.

Once they are chilled, you can melt your candy melts (chocolate and vanilla) into bowls.  I do it in the microwave 30 seconds at a time….stirring in-between.

Then dip your oreo balls into the melted candy coating and place on the cookie sheet again to harden.

You can decorate with drizzled candy coating and sprinkles!

This is my favorite part of the process because I can pretend that I am on Food Network.

The ones with the sticks work really well for the treat bags!

But nothing beats placing them all out for loved ones to enjoy!

The best part is that I could guarantee smiles and happy kiddos and didn’t even need to leave the house!  I would say that’s a win!

The post Walmart + and my Favorite Treat appeared first on Bower Power.

Man, that sounds crazy.

I guess if I could think of anything to say it would be….

I’ve been there.

2020 was more than a year.  And it did a number on us, didn’t it?!  We were there.

But the crazy thing is – I felt like 2020 was just a introduction into a sliver of my life.  I had been living 2020 for a lot longer.  And this might sound random to some of you….but close friends and family understand.

I’ve felt washed up.  I felt disconnected.  I felt rejected.  I felt broken and bruised and battered and yet….here I am.  Still breathing.  Still scared.  Still alive.  Still wanting more.  Still hoping for better.

I know that some of you really intuitive folks understand.  Some of you get it.  2020 wasn’t just a year.  It was more.  It was almost like a feeling.  It was a time stamp on things some people have felt for a long time.  Fear.  Suppression.  Depression.  Grief.  Anger.  Paranoia.  Abuse.  Insecurity.  Voicelessness.  Etc.  Etc.  Etc.  Some of you probably are a lot like me…hoping that this new year brings big changes and big healing.  We want more.  We even feel guilty for wanting more when we know how vast our blessings are.  But it’s a thousand single wounds.  And to those of you that are still in the thick of it….under the thick blanket and feeling suffocated….I see you.  I know this isn’t my normal message of joviality and DIY and whatever….but it’s important and helpful all the same.  I see you and I’m praying with you.

May 2021 be our year.

The post 2021 appeared first on Bower Power.

It’s that season! Time to eat too much, give generously and celebrate all the goodness this last year has held. I know 2020 has had it’s moments that absolutely nobody would consider “good” but finding the glimpses of joy, of happiness and of bliss are exactly what fuels the Christmas spirit. After all, its a season that celebrates not what we get but what we already have! And this Christmas I wanted to make photo ornaments that celebrate the happiest moments of my 2020 year. And of course, I will walk you through all the details on how to make your own rustic DIY photo ornament!

GATHER SUPPLIES

For this project you will need some really simple supplies….

• PIXMA Crafting Printers
• Canon 4×6 semi-gloss Photo Paper
• Mod Podge
• Wood slices
• paint brushes
• hot glue gun with hot glue
• scissors
• twine or ribbon
• clear epoxy
• mixing cup and stir stick
• heat gun
• drying rack

PICK PHOTOS

Like I said, I was looking to celebrate the best parts of 2020 with my ornaments. So being together with my family was a huge part of that. Sometimes shifting our perspective is all we need in order to see the beauty right in front of us! So I picked moments that were special – Weston catching a fish, LJ making all-stars, the little boys playing football, our family going to the beach, etc. I printed every single photo with my PIXMA TS9521C on 4×6’s so that I would have a variety to choose from.

TRACE AND CUT

The next step is tracing the wood slice onto the front of the photo. You want to cut the photo smaller than the wood so keep in mind you don’t want to cut off any important parts of the photo.

ADHERE PHOTO TO WOOD SLICE

Generously put Mod Podge on the wood slice and adhere the photo. It will need some time to dry so allow it a few hours.

I highly recommend making sure the wood slices are very dry before gluing. I popped my slices in the oven with low heat for a while to get them extra dry.

MIX EPOXY

This was my absolute first time working with epoxy and it was so fun! I loved it! You mix equal parts of the resin (Part A) and the hardener (Part B) and stir VERY thoroughly. The tongue depressor works GREAT for this!

APPLY EPOXY

Set your wood slices up on a spot where they can dry before pouring epoxy.

I made a handy-dandy rack for my wood out of some skewer sticks and a shoe box.

Another option would be some scrap paper/cardboard and some upside-down-cups work equally well.

Then pour a small amount of epoxy on the face of the ornament. It will not spread to the edges without some encouragement so use your stir stick to make sure it covers the entire face and goes slightly down the sides.

GET OUT THE BUBBLES

After a few minutes (or as long as it takes you to change a diaper, refill your coffee cup, put a load of laundry in and flip through a home decor catalog), it’s time to get out the bubbles in the epoxy!

With a heat gun, you want to do small back and forth motions (circular motions also work amazingly!). The tiny bubbles will pop up to the surface and the result will be a super smooth and glass like epoxy photo ornament.

ATTACH RIBBON

Wahoo! You are in the home stretch! After the epoxy is hardened and dried (this may take 24 hours) it’s time to put the ribbon or twine on the back. I just used a liberal amount of hot glue and put on the ribbon.

ENJOY

Wow! These are honestly just a sweet way to remember the best of 2020 and all that it held! I love the rustic edge which makes it feel very homemade and yet the epoxy adds a finish that feels richer.

I love the mix of the two textures together. Plus – any ornament that puts a smile on your face is the way to really celebrate the christmas spirit!

The post Rustic DIY Photo Ornaments appeared first on Bower Power.

I am absolutely one of those parents that LOVES seeing my kids having hands on fun.  I mean…I literally went to school for science education and am now a passionate DIYer.  And if you are anything like me….ya know, likes your kids, likes them learning, likes them being occupied….then you are gonna love hearing about the hands on fun we had with Kiwi Co.  

I started talking about Kiwi Co subscription service years ago and with each passing year it gets even better.  The kids are getting to be the age where they can do the activities almost entirely by themselves.  Usually the only time I get involved is when a little sister wants to steal their instructions

But before I get ahead of myself – let me explain super exciting news!  Kiwi Co has launched a new way to shop their DIY activities that will be even more personalized.  

Now Kiwi Co has a store where you can shop single crates – no subscription required!  

That means YOU get to pick out fun, engaging and educational gifts based around individual interests, personalities, and events for everyone in your life.   Kiwi Co knows that nobody knows your family and friends better than YOU.  That’s why the store is a perfect addition to their subscriptions.  Now you can pick from individual activity crates, to party packs, to chemistry sets, to seasonal holiday projects and more!  Plus, it’s a great way to give their DIY projects a test-run of fun before subscribing….which I know you will want to do!      

Speaking of subscriptions – you may already be part of Kiwi Co subscription family.  But in case you aren’t, it’s an amazing way to spark creativity and curiosity with hands on projects.  You sign up, pick out a line of activity boxes for your kiddos and an entire crate full of supplies shows up with instructions, information, and everything you need for a really fun activity.  I like to imagine that retired elves are creating these boxes in true magical form just to make kids brains grow!  And yes, all ages….including teens and adults…can have fun doing these amazing activities! 

They have other crates (Koala Crates are for ages 2-4, Kiwi Crates are for ages 5-8, etc.) so you get to pick the type of crate you want and it ships in 2 days!  You can change your subscription at any time so if your kids are wanting more activities – you can absolutely increase the number you receive!  Or you can go straight to the store and supplement your subscription with individual crates.  

But enough about the details!  I want to get to the fun stuff.  Let me show you exactly what you can get in the Kiwi Co Store.  

My older boys that can read absolutely do the entire thing by themselves and then later teach me a thing or two!  Most of the projects are science or art related (YAY STEAM-based learning!) and everyone feels more inspired later! 

This past time, Weston made soap that looked like geodes and the kids could not stop talking about how they made “REAL SOAP”.  I loved how excited they got!  I also love that his kit had everything in perfect proportions which made it super easy.  

You may think that your little one is just too young for something like this but I can assure you….even my little kiddos can do a full activity with very little assistance.  That means I can do other things – like make dinner  Eating is also a family favorite! 

Max made a crystal chemistry tree and right now it’s the only tree that is decorated in our house  

I mean – how cute is this!?

William built an entire cannonball launcher and then promptly proclaimed that he would one day build a life sized version to launch his brothers.  And that is exactly what I want for my children.  No, not them wanting to create human-cannonballs.  I want them to imagine a world where they get to be passionate about something for the rest of their life.  And science and art can be life long interests that change the world!  

Fun fact – Will doesn’t even let me touch his project materials anymore!  He said that it’s because he wants to tell everyone that he built it all by himself!  I love that he is so proud of himself.  

LJ is all about basketball right now so I picked him do the basketball catapult. He did that engineering masterpiece all by himself too!  First time building it start to finish!  Woot woot! 

He shoots!  He scores! 

These would make great Christmas gifts too!  I know most moms would love to have their kiddos learning all year long!  That way this unique gift doesn’t get overshadowed on Christmas morning.  Just imagine how happy your favorite kid would be every time a Kiwi Co box shows up at their house!    

Kiwi Co and all the activity crates are amazing and I hope you guys go check it out!  Here is the link for you to check out Kiwi Co Store and remember…if you feed those brains – they will grow!  PLUS – Good news – Kiwi Co is offering Bower Power readers an awesome code….

CLICK HERE TO AUTOMATICALLY GET 20% off! 

Happy DIYing my friends

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