Crazy Crayons: A Fun, Inexpensive & Creative Classroom Gift Idea

It has been insanely cold here this week so instead of sending the kids outside to play, we’ve been creating gifts for our neighbors and their teachers & friends.  Yesterday, we made cookies & pumpkin bread…today is “crazy crayon” day.

I found this “recipe” on Martha Stewart and thought it would be a really great “rainy day”…(or just plain bitterly cold day) craft for the kids and I to try.  Once they were completed (see photos) the kids decided that they would make a great gift for their friends at school.  I couldn’t agree more. 

Here’s how we made ours….

• We gathered up all of our crayon scraps (we used about 40 crayons and parts to make 10 crazy crayons).
• Then, I put the kids in charge of peeling.  (This takes awhile so you may want to pop in a movie or turn on some holiday music while they peel).  If you plan ahead, you may want to soak the crayons overnight or for a few hours so they are easier to peel.
• Next, I sliced the crayons (using an old chopping knife) into pea-sized pieces and sorted the chopped crayons into small bowls by colors - (reds & oranges, blues & greens, blacks & greys, etc…)
• After that, I let the kids sort the pieces into muffin tins.  We talked about “earth tones”, primary colors, holiday colors etc…as they put the pieces into the muffin holes.
• Finally, I baked the crayon pieces in a 200 degree oven for 15 minutes.  You may need to bake them longer or shorter…they will look like liquid when they are completely melted. 
• It takes an hour or so for the crazy crayons to become solid so I put mine in the freezer when the kids started getting impatient. 

That’s it!  Wa-la…a fun, educational & “green” craft project & gift idea.  

We are going to make more later this week and put them into cute baggies for a little gift for the kids’ classmates. 

Frugal Living: Vintage Inspired Kids T-Shirts on a Budget

Ironically - I was in the process of saving some money by making my own shrinky dink necklace pendants (I’ll share soon) when I came across these awesome vintage inspired free iron-on transfers from HP. 

I frequently save money by making my own iron-on kids shirts…but these are above and beyond anything I’ve ever created on my own.

Here’s a sample…and here’s the link.  Enjoy!

PS - Wouldn’t these make great Christmas gifts? 

Do you Freecycle?

If not, you should. 

I heard about Freecycle.com about a year ago and assumed it was a glorified garage sale “free box”.  You know what I am talking about.  The box filled with crap like stuffed animals and broken Happy Meal toys that no one wants….

Boy was I wrong.   A friend reminded me of Freecycle the other day.  He loves to cook and wanted to purchase a pressure cooker but couldn’t afford it.  He joined Freecycle and posted a message…”Wanted: Pressure Cooker” - within two days he was trying out his brand new (to him) pressure cooker recipes.

I wasn’t completely sold, but joined anyway.  I am trying to downsize a bit so I figured I could at least use it to declutter a bit.  

Part of my downsizing plan means getting rid of the gym membership so I posted….”Wanted:treadmill”…”If it is collecting dust at your place, let it collect dust at mine instead”. =)   

Within 24 hours, three people responded.  This morning…instead of driving to the gym, I ran for 20 minutes on my new (to me at least)…and surprisingly nice treadmill.

This weekend someone was giving away a trampoline….

This morning, someone was giving away a plethora of baby items including a crib, bassinet and car seat. 

Tonight…I am going to give away a computer monitor, keyboard, kids’ games and mouse. 

It is an absolute blast.  I love reading the posts.  I am anxious to grant wishes…and I am really excited to share my pile of pre-pregnancy jeans with someone who may actually be able to squeeze into them!

Click here to get started….

How to Video: Make a Christmas Keepsake Board

The holidays are upon us! No matter what your religion, or what you’re celebrating, this is one time of year that is stressful for just about everyone! But this is also supposed to be a time of celebration! So, how can you ditch some of the stress and increase the fun?

Let Madeline show you How-To!
This week, Madeline’s making a seasonally festive memento/keepsake board that will capture the season, and the hearts of those you give it to!

Donate 10 Cents to a Childrens’ Charity…With Just One Click

I’ve always loved this website.   Tiny Prints.com makes the most adorable photo cards and greeting cards. 

Now…I love them twice as much. 

All you need to do is click here and choose your favorite children’s charity.  Click it…and they will donate 10 cents. 

Oh…and if you want to support a really cool site in return, grab a few holiday cards, photo cards or invitation.  (No obligation, of course…I just think you’ll fancy them as much as I do). =)

Click here to donate your ten cents.   (It all adds up!)

Technorati Tags: childrens charities , donate , tiny prints , photo greeting cards , holiday cards , unique holiday cards , christmas postcards , charity , christmas giving , christmas charity ideas

101 Gift Basket Ideas

This is a fantastic resource just in time for the holidays!  =)

101 Gift Basket Ideas! Great for giving as upcoming Christmas gifts, or for any occasion! Enjoy!
You can find a gift idea for almost anyone in our list of 101 Gift Baskets. These are innovative ideas and get away from the usual fruit basket arrangement. Many of the baskets are designed around themes and some don’t even use baskets at all!

1. Use a large terra cotta plant pot for a “basket”. If you like, you can personalize the pot by painting it with acrylic paints. When the paint is dry, spray a light coat of polyurethane over the pot to add a shine. Fill the pot with:
?gardening gloves
?hand trowel
?hand rake
?bottle of liquid fertilizer
?a selection of vegetable and/or flower seeds (go for something unusual)
?a gardening book
?a subscription for a gardening magazine

2. Use a large pasta bowl for a “basket”. Fill the bowl with:
?a package or two of gourmet pasta
?tongs
?a package of sun-dried tomatoes
?extra-virgin olive oil
?spices: oregano, basil, garlic powder
?a collection of your favorite pasta recipes hand-printed on recipe cards
?and/or a pasta cookbook

3. For the golfer, fill a basket or a golf bag with:
?golf tees
?golf balls
?personalized baseball cap
?sunscreen
?score cards
?a small towel
?a can cooler to keep a can of pop or beer cold

4. Wine appreciation basket. Fill a basket with:
?two bottles of quality wine (red or white)
?corkscrew
?2 or more wine glasses
?wine appreciation book
?tickets or an invitation to a wine tasting (often held at wineries) Extras: add snacks to go with the wine - fine cheese, fruit, crackers.

Only 97 to go!  =) Continue Reading: 101 Gift Basket Ideas-great ideas 4 holiday gifts! - Scrapbook.com - Powered by Scrapbook.com

Ladybug Toy Drive

Shortly after posting my last entry about little Janessa I learned of another little girl who has passed away from a cancerous brain tumor through a work at home message board forum.  I’d been reading the updates for months and was stunned and saddened by the news.  You can read Hannah’s story by clicking here. 

In lieu of donations the parents of this little angel are asking for toy donations for the Ladybug Toy Drive in Hannah’s memory (or the memory of another child).   Please help them meet their goal of donating 1000 toys to The Hospice of the Florida Suncoast Pediatrics’ Unit. It will help put a smile on a deserving child’s face.   Click here to donate and learn more. 

Super Simple "Shower Kits"

Hosting a baby shower or wedding shower is NOT simple.  In fact, my gut starts to turn a bit just thinking about it.   Trying to pick the right flowers, cake, plates, games & giveaways is enough to make even the most organized person’s head spin.

That’s why I love websites and stores where you can get everything you need for your party in one spot (or better yet…in a “kit”).   Check out PartyPail.com where you can get boy baby shower themes & decorating products like this darling Noah’s Ark Theme Shower Kit.

The kit contains matching invitations, plates, cutlery, drinking cups, balloons, ribbons and more.  Talk about making a shower simple….ish!  =)   Now you just need to come up with the cake and the goofy games!

Being Generous On a Budget - Part Three, Thirsty for Kindness

I live in Montana and one summer afternoon the temperature hit 105. Everyone was cranky and hot. I worked in a downtown office building and remember seeing countless numbers of homeless people laying against buildings and sitting under trees. They were clearly trying desperately to escape the scorching heat with whatever tiny piece of shade they could find amongst the hot, pavement parking lots.

Whether we consider ourselves broke or not, most of us are able to enjoy the comfort of home when the temperatures outside become unbearable. Most of us are able to enjoy a cold glass of iced-tea, while lounging in our air conditioned homes.

Some friends of mine (who wish to remain anonymous) decided that 105 was the perfect temperature for some kindness. They went to a local bulk foods warehouse and got a few cases of bottled water. Then, they walked downtown and handed ice-cold water bottles to every homeless person they encountered. Three cases of water probably cost them less than twenty dollars, yet they changed the days of dozens of people.

Continue Reading at Families.com

Random Acts of Kindness…for Kids (Free Printable)

We have a new family that just moved into our neighborhood. My four year old daughter loves to climb into the top of her play castle and yell over the fence. “Hey friends…..FRIENDS….WHERE ARE YOU?….I miss you friends!…. It’s ME…JENNA - ‘amemba’ me?”

I am struggling a bit with how to handle it. I want my daughter to be nice…but not annoying. =)

“Honey, let’s just call the neighbors and see if we can bring them some cookies, okay?”.

“…..and I’ll color them a picture too”, she replied excitedly.

Within moments, she was screaming through the fence again…”FRIENDS….I colored a picture for you”…”come and get it, kay?”

It warms my heart to see her show so much kindness…but we need to work on the screaming part.

I was reminded of a form I created at the beginning of the new year. My goal was to do one nice thing for someone every day for 365 days. While initially I planned to deliver daily batches of cookies to the homeless shelters and visit nursing homes with my kids…I am starting to realize that even the little things (like rubbing my husband’s feet or sharing ice-pops over the fence with new neighbors are worthwhile too.

I am challenging my four year old to talk with me everyday about some of the nice things she is doing. Today, we listed….”fed Gus”….and “didn’t kick my brother”…..it’s a start right?

I hope you’ll consider using this “Niceness Log” as a teaching tool for your kiddos too and share some of their “good-deeds” with us in the comments section.