Crafty-Do Session 1

Crafty-Do has officially begun!  

We had our first craft class today and experienced the serenity of mandala-making.  

Not so serene, but definitely fun!

The kids and moms did fabulously, and it really got me thinking that mamas taking their kids to school would really benefit from this type of organized event to get creative and messy with their kids after school (messy in my house, not yours, that's a bonus!).  Since I will not be letting go of my little kinder just yet (homeschool bitches!)*, I will not have to deal with the feelings I imagine I'd feel having my child be away from me, experiencing life apart from me, for the school day.  I understand the potential need there for connecting with ones child after the school day is through and what better way to do that then creating something with them.

*I do understand that homeschooling is not for everyone, and I hope everyone understands that regular schooling is not for I...I mean me...at least not now.  I am able to stay home with my kids because this is what we choose.  I could go back to teaching and put my kids in school and preschool, and we could have a much more comfortable life, but I choose this life--all together in a 1000 sq feet of familial bliss.  Now if we could just get my husband a stay at home job we'd really be living the dream.  Our dream, that is!

Back to Crafty-Do...

One way I am working to add income to our household is this wonderful gift of a craft class.  Today's session went so smoothly.  Teaching the craft step by step was so fun and having moms help out was perfect.  I'm so grateful.  We saw some new faces, and I can't wait to see what next week brings!

MOPS Crafts

For the past two years I served as the official Craft Coordinator for the MOPS group I am a part of here in Phoenix.  The group is wonderful and welcoming and has been a life saver for me as a new (newish now) mom.  I loved being the Craft Queen, and doing this definitely lead to my new love "Crafty-Do" Craft Classes.  I wanted to share a few of the crafts we have done over the past could years.  I wish I took more pics, but these are a good enough to get the general idea.  In no particular order:

These were a pinterest find.  They were given to the child care workers who blessed and loved on our kids while we had some much needed mom-time.  Spray painted mason jars, floral foam filing, some tinsel to cover it, painted kabob skewers and hot glued dove chocolates.  The leaves are made from paper plates and the scrapbook paper envelope holds a little gift card to the best place on earth...Dunkin' Donuts.

Next is another pinterest idea.  We used Hobby Lobby glass blocks which have a hole in the bottom (wait for the sale) and sprayed them with frosting spray. Then glued on a black paper cut out the silouette.  Some used black felt some put the image inside for more "effect" and some on the outside for a sharper image.  They turned out beautifully.  We lit them up with dollar store mini light strands.

This next was my own vision.  I wanted to do it so badly for my first year as Craft Leader.  The theme was "A Beautiful Mess" Which was perfect for me as craft leader because I am no perfectionist and hodge- podge, mess-cat, fake-it-til-you-make-it kind of crafts are right up my alley.  I must say all the posts I read on this "easy" project, did not indicate the immense amount of time it took to melt those little freakers, nor how hard it is to keep babies away from you while you are making so much noise and looking like you are having so much so much fun while you are "ruining" their crayons.

Here is another Christmas craft.  This was very fun.  Great for those who are not crafters and more enjoy the keeping your hands busy while chatting aspect of crafting.  Styrofoam cones and wrap away.  We use multicolored yarn for fun.  The bases needed some weight though.  If I had a do-over I'd add some kind of wooden base to keep it more stable.

Same concept.  Wrap away!  I think this was just a craft potential, not an official choice.

This is the only picture I have of this craft though I think it was a favorite.  The painted bowl vase on the left was the craft.  It is another one of those fun messy crafts that is good for non-crafters (it's really surprising how many non-crafters there are in a MOPS group.  Just pour in the paint and swirl.  Super fun!  I have yet to discover a good sealing mechanism though, so feel free to comment if you know of a good enough water proofer.

These beauties were Oh so fun.  Coffee filter flowers dipped in water with food coloring. The filters are cut in various sized tear drop shaped and wrapped around, adhered with floral tape to a bit of floral wire. Some of the internet versions of flowers like these are outrageously realistic looking.  They let them dry then add watercolor paint to the edges and it is amazing.  Mine were pretty gorgeous though, if I do say so.  I was making them for weeks after just for fun!

This one was a lot of fun, and I wish I had pics of everyone's because people got so creative!  It was good for the messies, like me.  Fun for the more precise and particular personalities as well.  I bought wood blocks for cheap from hobby lobby (wait for the sale), nails from the hardware store, and bright colored thin embroidery floss (on spools not the little bits I bought as a girl to make friendship bracelets).  The ladies went off.  I was so impressed.  Names, states, hearts, and mine...a feather to represent the theme for that year: Be You Bravely (MOPS decides the themes and the icon not sure why feather means brave, but I rolled with it).

So those were a few of our MOPS craft projects.  If you attend MOPS and are looking for ideas for this new year (2015-16) "A Fierce Flourishing" is the theme.  I am not the craft leader, but I can't wait to see what celebratory, fiery, bold, and creativity sparking projects we come up with.

Keepin' Them Busy

Keeping kids busy on the cheap is not always easy.  The pool is good, but sometimes enough is enough of that hot hot summer heat,  For summer fun we use these ideas and others to keep us busy indoors or out:

• Bath Time Fun time:

My kids use bathtime as fun time.  Long ago I thought it'd be fun to introduce popsicles into the tub time (a bit Gummo-ish, yes).  I get two packs of Bolis for a dollar at the 99 cents store and they only eat half at a time.                               

This idea was super fun at first, but now my kids are popsicle obsessed and do not take a bath without them.  I've tempered the sugar with juice pops...I like these ikea molds because they are cheap and you don't have to run the whole set under water to loosen it.  

I use smoothies or sometimes (when it's on sale) the V8 Juice Fusions with fruit and veggie juice.  I know its still sugary but helps me feel better. 

 Then I started to just use water for the same fun effect when they've reached their popsicle quota for the day.  This keeps my fun baths going strong.

I also add things to the bath:  

1. Popsicle sticks are fun because they float and can be stuck to the wall the make letters and shapes.
2. Glow sticks are fun for play in the dark bath fun, just toss them in (I haven't gotten into the whole breaking them open fad yet (still scaredy).
3. Food Coloring!  My kids call it Blue bath because that's my littlest's favorite color.  Itdoesn't stain and it's so fun for them and me. I used to buy those color tabs at the grocery store, but food coloring is just as good and I always have it on hand.
4. Bubbles...actual bubbles to blow.  They end up dumping it in, but it's always fun to start.  I've used a bubble machine as well, which is better, but batteries are always running out.  Am I right?

• Easy forts:

There are so many build your own fort types of products as well as tents (which we have but are a pain to set up and take down each and every time in a small house.  We have resorted to using clamps (you can buy a pack at the dollar tree for...surprise 1$!) or just get the super strong ones at the hardware store and use fewer.  With a light weight sheet you can make a perfect fort with easy pick up.

  The kids have so much fun building forts indoors and out and for some fun reason doing things in forts is always more fun (for them and me!)

• Don't be afraid to let them paint!

My kids paint all the time.  I know some moms shy away from the mess, but I keep it contained outdoors or at the table and then of course...bath time after!  We use aprons and old food containers and tempera paints (which mix colors well for color blending lessons.   I prefer regular tempera paint to the washable kind which is just a bit watered down in color brilliance.  Acrylic paint is no good because it hardens when it dries and it inevitably will dry on a brush some time and ruin the brush for you.  We use construction paper most times, but when I have a spare slab of wood I like to let them make masterpieces.  I had my girls work for a week on one painting (trying out the layering process art discussed in these awesome blogs: (http://www.lilblueboo.com/category/painting-with-children) layered painting/process painting (http://www.mericherry.com/2014/04/08/evolving-canvas-process-art-painting-for-kids/).  It really turned out amazing I think and is on display in our bedroom.  I like that I can control the colors by giving them set colors for each layer.  It teaches kids that more work and effort=more quality and special-ness.  My oldest loved that she was making a "masterpiece" for her daddy, not just one of her daily paintings.

We have also experimented with face/body painting...which could open up a can of worms, but still worth it for the fun factor.  We just used non toxic tempera paint, but watercolors would be fine too.

That is a dancer on my face and a unicorn on her belly...in case you couldn't tell.

• Puppet Shows

I love the concept of puppets and the creative outcomes they promote, so I buy them secondhand whenever I find them.  We have an odd collection so far (rabbit, armadillo, walrus, pelican, deer...).  I find that when I perform a puppet show first it helps them to mimic and get the concept so they don't just fight the whole time over who gets to hide behind the screen and who gets to watch.  Plus, making my kids laugh is the best!  

Speaking of screen...my best find!  I found an old fabric lined shutter outside of my friend's neighbor's house.  They were remodeling and just going to throw them out, so I snagged one (no shame in dumpster diving).  I ripped out the staples and used Velcro instead, so the puppets can peak through the curtain. And that's all I did!  It still needs some securing chains, so that it doesn't fall over so easily, but as long as the sides are squared out it's perfect!  Of course you could just use a sheet over a chair back too, but this is Oh so fun and free. 

Keeping kids busy on the cheap is really not too complicated.  Some of these ideas serve as a mom-breaks while the kids are busy playing, but mostly playing with your kids is all it takes.  

The sillier the better!

Introducing ... Crafty-Do!!!

I have shared my intention of making some extra money to help my girls and I to remain at home together--this is especially important to me as my eldest starts kindergarten (homeschool style) in about a month! (More on that later). 

I have always been crafty...not necessarily super artistic, although I've been exploring that over the past few years with some painting: 

...(I'll show you my "gallery" later). 

For the last two years, I was the Craft Coordinator for the North Phoenix Baptist Church MOPS group.  It was a job I really wanted and had so much fun with; however, starting school this year, I didn't want to tackle that responsibility and the new life of homeschooling.  I had been encouraged by many MOPS friends and others to teach craft classes, and now I am finally doing it.  

Introducing ...Crafty-Do!  

I will be teaching little ones to do crafts, such as the ones found in the Pinterest collage above, and  I am giddy!  It is a chance for me to teach (which I love), craft (which I double love), and hopefully add a little something to our household income.  I will be documenting our crafting adventures here, so stay tuned!

Also, I am available for crafting parties--for kids' birthdays and for adult fun too.  I'll be setting up a schedule of adult crafting parties (with adult beverages of course) in the near future as well.  We'll call it Crafts & Carafes, or maybe Pins and Gins or Crafts on the Rocks? Mojito Craftito? Margarita Craftita? Crafte' Soiree?  We shall see.  It's all exciting!

If you are in the Phoenix area Wednesdays from 3-4 pm come on over with your littles and Craft it Up with us!

Our first craft is this beauty on Wednesday, August 5, 2015:

BTW...Thank you to all you friends who have encouraged me in this endeavor.  You gave me the push I needed.  Oh what dear friends you are!

A Quickie on Coconut Oil

I know the benefits of coconut oil are all the rage and have been buzzing for some time now, but I wanted to share a few of my own personal favorite uses as a frugal-freak.

Let me set the scene here with a little story at story time.  I took my girls to a library story time about two months ago and kept meeting eyes with this one mother...you know how it goes.  During the bubble blowing time at the end, she came up to me and started chatting.  I told her her daughter was adorable, and we started talking about our work situations--mine being that I don't work and hers... well, she had me watch a video on her iphone.  It turns out she, like many other mothers desiring to stay home with their children, works as a representative for a multi-level marketing company.  Hers sells beauty products.  Once I figured out the scheme of the scene, I was able to tell her, "Sorry, I just use coconut oil". And just like that she was shut down.  It was amazing and true.  I don't like to be sold things; and I don't think I would be very good at selling any of these multi-level marketing products, because I myself would not spend the money on any one of them (not that they are not fine for those interested and willing to spend money).  I have friends selling Isagenix, Nerium, Jamberry, Rodan+Fields, DO-Terra essential oils,  Juice Plus, and a slimming body wrap thingy.  It is a way to make extra income, and while I considered it and wish I could bring myself to do it... Nope.  I will figure another way (more posts to come on this!).

That being said, let's get back to the point, and that is that I am coo-coo for coconut oil.  I buy the two pack at Costco.  It is not cheap, but it lasts--I have been working on one of these jars since Christmas.  At first, I just baked with it (I know it is good for cooking other things, but I don't like coconut fragranced meat, personally).  Then I expanded my coconut tree-lined horizons.  

First I tried it on my hair.  I have curly hair and I like to use products like:
Curls Rock  and Shine Spray 

However, I can rarely bring myself to buy these good smelling awesome products.  Thus!  Coconut oil! I wash my hair, towel dry, add less than a tablespoon of coconut oil, and scrunchy scrunchy, air dry, good to go!  It's amazing on my curls, and so cheap, considering how long the jug lasts.

Next, I tried it to take off my makeup.  I put it in a cute little mason jar and just cotton pad the make- up off in seconds.  Works amazingly well and gently too!  Then I started just putting it all over my face, which felt weird like I'd be clogging some pores, but no.  It's awesome, and my skin looks and feels great.  Especially since I'm at that thirty something marker when one realizes "Sh#@ when I pull my face I look younger!"  

Now I use it on my lips, nails, hair, as a sugar scrub, a lotion, a moisturizer, and the best curl cream money can buy.  I bake (especially pancakes and banana bread...more on that later), make granola, and will be trying it for my daughters' next diaper rash and for my next yeast infection as well (TMI!).  

I am a true believer! 

So there you have it.  Just a little promotion of something I value, that is an excellent value for you fugal freaks out there.  Have at it...go COCO-NUTS!