I recently received a copy of an adorable book called Hayseed’s First Race. I knew immediately that I had to give it to P2.  She LOVES it.  Of course, it IS about a horse after all
Written and illustrated by Sally Schrock for children PreK through 2nd Grade. Sally has even listed print out activity sheets for those ages as well.
In Hayseed’s First Race, Hayseed and your child remember to love themselves for who they are and to never, ever let anyone tell them they don’t don’t belong. …

Fashion Playtes is an online site that allows you or your daughter to design clothing for her to wear. If you have a daughter like one of mine who is very picky about what she wears, this is a dream come true! For me, was a great adventure and opportunity for my daughter to choose exactly what she wanted and open the door to discuss modesty and style as well.

On Fashion Playtes you can use the virtual sketchbook to create their own shirts, skirts, dresses, pants, …

It’s almost time to celebrate our nation’s birth yet we are having some hum-drum rainy days lately.  What to do to keep the kiddos entertained?? Here are the latest July 4 ideas from Disney FamilyFun magazine – all new this year and in their June/July issue.

Confetti Launcher: Fireworks happen only after dark, but this craft creates a pop of color any time of day. Kids pull back on the string to release a shower of tissue paper confetti, then gather …

Family Fun Magazine is one of my favorite spots to get great ideas for fun with my family.  We do not have a ‘tradition’ regarding St. Patrick’s Day but this year I totally aim to start one!!  Here are the ideas they have presented this year:
Crafts and Games
Wee Leprechaun: Make-your-own leprechaun! http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/wee-leprechaun-667671/
Make a Festive Bowl-er: Create leprechaun hats by painting and embellishing paper bowls. (p. 34)
St. Patrick’s Day Scavenger Hunt: Follow fun all the way to a faux pot of gold. http://familyfun.go.com/playtime/st-patricks-day-scavenger-hunt-708446/
To Catch A Leprechaun: Three clever traps for taking …

Tweet this

This contest has closed and the winners are announced HERE.
Thanks to everyone whoo enjoyed our great giveaway!  Watch for our Mother’s Day Event in April!

You Can Make This thought it would be fun to showcase some quick and easy gift ideas you can give to friends, neighbors, co-workers, and oh yes…even your family! You can enter to win an eBooks from  www.YouCanMakeThis.com and learn some fun new techniques, tips, and ideas not only for the people on your list, but also creative ways to …

Last year, Mom came up and we girls made Graham Cracker Houses. The girls LOVED it and it was super fun and easy with minimal stress for all involved.

We used empty Whipping Cream containers and ‘glued’ graham crackers on with frosting.

Then we gave them their ’supplies’ and let them go to town!  Supplies for us included Hershey’s Kisses, Animal Crackers, Goldfish, Gummie Bears, sprinkles of various colors, squirty frosting and icing of various colors….all things I had on hand and wanted to use up.:)

Mom and I helped from time …

And while this video was actually made for the cool Lands’ End FeelGood Campaign , you can actually benefit so many others in the same or similar manner.  Knitting for Charity,  Crocheting and More, Crafting for Charity, and Provident Living are all great sites for ideas on how to use your talents to help others.  Happy crafting!

And while this video was actually made for the cool Lands’ End FeelGood Campaign , you can actually benefit so many others in the same or similar manner.  Knitting for Charity,  Crocheting and More, …

While I am a crafty person, quilting is not something I have loads of experience in.  While by P3 has been home from China for almost 2 years, I do still have her 100 Good Wishes Quilt to put together so anything helpful and encouraging catches my attention.

This caught my attention.
You Can Make This.com, a fantastic creative website and blog from the talented Kris & Kim is a wonderful site.  This month they are opening www.YouCanQuiltThis.com!  They are so excited to share projects, tutorials, and patterns brought together by a …

And a happy Sunday to you! Since Sunday is the beginning of a new week, it seems like a perfect time to share the things I have found throughout the past week. So here we go…some of my favorites!
Hot Date – Yep, those Deep South Moms are at it again, sharing some of their pearls of wisdom with us…this time to help us ol’ married folk with our dates with our spouse.  It made me smile.
Mommy Bloggers Liability for Product Reviews – This one did not make me smile – …

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED AND COMMENTS ARE CLOSED
Since this was a joint giveaway with What’s That Smell?, we pulled a finalist from each site and then a winner from those 2.
The winner is:
#132 from the entries on 3 P’s: Teresha
This past weekend was crazy busy in our house as we did our version of Spring Cleaning – overhauling and changing the girls’ rooms around.  P1 and P2 have decide to become roommates, something we have our doubts about to some degree but know, as semi-wise parents that it is …

And a happy Sunday to you! Since Sunday is the beginning of a new week, it seems like the perfect time to share the things I have found throughout this past week. So here we go…some of this week’s favorites:

10 Twitter Tools to Help You Work Smarter
I figure I am not the only one who needs to work smarter rather than more. Check out these ideas for Twitter.
Dear PR Reps:
Yep, Trisha as her finest, making a few points that are helpful to both the PR reps and …

Do still have some last minute Valentine shopping
to do?  *laughter* That’s okay, normally my hubby would be right there with you.  Instead, this year, it is me.
Go ahead and laugh. [superemotions file="icon_mrgreen.gif" title="Green with Envy"]
Well, my sweetheart really would not want any of these pretties but you might know a man you want to send over to Boutique Flair to check out Krista’s suggestions.  Krista’s impeccable taste is sure to put any man at the top of your lovable list!
What about your kiddos?  This has become such a fun Holiday …

I love to create.  I really do.  Weather here on the blog or with my crafts or in about a zillion other ways, creating is a huge outlet for me. Thankfully, while I can be a perfectista about somethings, I have learned the the very essence of art is creativity and that some of the very best creations in our world evolved via an ‘oops’. Once I realized this, it was extremely freeing to me.  My Mom gave me a sign that hangs in my office that says, “Be BOLD …

Well , hot off the press we have a letter from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission regarding my concerns on the pending legislation I talked about here.
In a nutshell, they now say…
The new safety law does not require resellers to test children’s products in inventory for compliance with the lead limit before they are sold. However, resellers cannot sell children’s products that exceed the lead limit and therefore should avoid products that are likely to have lead content, unless they have testing or other information to indicate the products …

“Barring a reprieve, regulations set to take effect next month [Feb. 10] could force thousands of clothing retailers and thrift stores to throw away trunkloads of children’s clothing.”

Read the rest of the L.A. Times article, “New safety rules for children’s clothes have stores in a fit”,

Talk about shooting ourselves in the foot!! Come on people!!
So what will be next – the Yard Sale police? the Thrift store guardian? the arrest of innocent ebay retailers?
Let’s back up. Have you heard about the CPSIA? The Consumer …

HOLIDAY HINTS & TIPS TO MAKE ENTERTAINING A BREEZE
Inshell nuts are an elegant accompaniment to holiday cooking and entertaining. Here are a few fresh ways to entertain stylishly while giving a nod to holiday customs, courtesy of Diamond Foods and cookbook author and culinary producer, Tina Salter.
A. For a festive burst of color, set a candle in the center of a large glass vase or hurricane lamp and surround it with a mixture of inshell nuts, small citrus fruits and leaves. Or glue inshell …

When my favorite season Fall rolls around, there is something else that often rolls around on peoples porches, tables and mantles – Pumpkins! And since they can be used from the beginning of September until the end of November, they are an imaginative soul’s dream since they can be used in Carving, Crafting and Creating the look you want. Today’s challenge? Take a peek at the ideas below and see how many of them you have seen before!
Carving
Carving pumpkins is often a traditional October activity but these …

Image by galopagosfinch

With Halloween just around the corner, we are running short on time for creating a masterpiece of a costume for ourselves and our loved ones. I guess we will just have to resort to a store-bought….
WAIT JUST ONE MINUTE! There is still p-l-e-n-t-y of time! Let me see if I can give you a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

A Little Fairy Dust…
What little girl does want to be a Fairy Princess at one time or another? Well the folks over at …

I am in awe…
This most gorgeous of gowns was created by a very loving mama for her daughter. Can you imagine the time and the cost and the effort????
I am even more in awe that she is being kind and gracious enough that, now that her daughter has grown out of it, she is willing to bequeath it to another lucky little girl. Can you not see my little French belle herself, P2 decked out and ready for the royal ball? Followed by the most adorable Asian …

We’re all feeling the squeeze from the economic downturn but that doesn’t have to mean cutting corners on family fun this Halloween. Craft magazine illustrates how to make fun and funky costumes for your kids with a visit to your recycling bin, sewing box or local craft store – much easier than standing in line at a crowded costume shop and a bit easier on the wallet, as well.

You can quickly and easily whip up these five amazing kiddy costumes using …

I just realized I am quite behind on showing off my scrapbook plages!
The ladybug page was a sweet gift from a good friend for my birthday who knows how much I love ladybugs these days. Way too cute!
This is great page was from my Halloween swap partner at Ladybug Hunters and I love it! He cracked me up when he said his 4 yo daughter swiped the stickers he intended to use. Personally, I like it just fine as is. Boo!

This is what I dreamt up for the partner I …

Well, the next layout for my swaps I participate in with LadyBug Hunters is completed and en route the recipient…sure hope she likes it as much as I do!

The theme this month was ‘BathTime’ but I just could not bring myself to create one with the usual color theme of blue, white, and yellow with bathroom stuff and duckies. Thus, we have my Bubbletime rendition.

I sure had fun making it and look forward to putting my girls pictures in it!

Trying to look on the bright side, one of the good things about the delay in going to get P3 are some of the fun groups I am involved in. LadyBug Hunters Scrapbooking Club is one of them. Basically it is a group of Moms and Moms-to-be involved in China adoption who create a 2-page layout each month as per the designated theme then swap it with someone else in the group. We are finishing our second swap. I was lucky enough to receive this fabulous page from Elise. Thanks …

Bad Sherry Stamps
Inky Paws
Jennifer’s Creative Corner
Katie the Scrapbook Lady
Mom & Me Scrapbooking
My Inner Martha
My Jiangxi Girl – Lifebook Resource
Quilt Taffy
Red Thread Maps – Scrapbooking
Treasures to Scrap
Pardon Our Dust….Page Under Construction