Easy DIY Unicorn Notebook Back to School Craft

It's back to school time! Kind of hard to believe because I think the summer just started, but alas, we are back to another school year. I remember sending back some of my kids but not all of them and the ones left behind were always looking for school-like things to do while their siblings did their homework at the table in the afternoon. This DIY unicorn notebook would be the perfect thing for that! Or, maybe your kiddo needs a little journal to help jot down their thoughts after school. There is a lot that happens during the day, maybe they want to write it down and process it. Whatever you are using this unicorn notebook for, it's not only fun to put it together, but it's fun to use. I'm not sure I have met a kid right now who doesn't love unicorns, so give this fun little craft a try. I've got everything you need and a step-by-step tutorial on how to do it.

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Sneaky Ways to Get Your Kids Outside

disclaimer: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Culturelle® Kids. All opinions are 100% my own. 

I have fond memories of spending most of my childhood outside. We would spend hours with neighborhood kids making up games to play and wandering from yard to yard. I even found this old newspaper article from our local town paper when I was only 5 playing with some of our best friends.

Things have changed over the years and there are lots of fun shiny things that grab kids attention indoors but the desire to get outside and explore nature is still something that is innate in growing bodies. As parents of children in this generation, we have to put a little more effort into getting our kids outside. We may even have to be a little sneaky about it. Outdoor play and recess offers so many benefits to a child's development.  Kids need to be outside {or as I like to say to my kids "get the stink blown off of ya"} to receive the cognitive, health, emotional, social and physical benefits and I've got some ideas for you to help you do that.

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Create a Reading Nook for Kids Using What You Have

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Activate. I have read to my kids since they were young in an attempt to create life-long readers. It's getting harder and harder now that books have to compete with hand-held screens but I'm doing my best to try! Summer is the perfect time to encourage reading since study after study has shown that children who don't read over the summer decline or stagnate in their reading abilities. You don't want all that hard work during the school year to be undone during those dog days of summer now do you? So I'm sharing how I created a reading nook in my home that is encouraging my kids to pick up a good book and curl up for the afternoon. There is nothing fancy about it and I'm showing you how!

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Summer Books for Kids Ages 8-14

I'm a HUGE fan of books. I love nothing more than escaping with a good book for a bit. I remember as a kid spending summer days swinging in the hammock that was tied between two trees in our backyard reading every Babysitters Club book in order and then moving on to Sweet Valley High. I love seeing my kids pick up books to read for fun too. When I was substitute teaching, I always loved recommending books for kids and getting them excited to read. It really is the best. Maybe I should have been a librarian...Anyway, as the summer starts and kids begin their chorus of "I'm bored," here is a list of good books that I would recommend for kids from about the age of 8-14. 

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8 Things Moms Should Know Before Their Child Get Braces

When my oldest son got braces, I had no idea what I was doing. I didn't have braces when I was a kid so the whole process was new to me. Now after having three kids in braces and then going through a treatment of Invisalign myself, I feel like an old pro! I'm sharing 8 things that moms should know before their children get braces so that you can feel more prepared. If you had braces yourself, this may be a refresher, and if you didn't, this post will be a huge help for you to be as prepared as you can be.

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Why You Should Pray for your Children's Future Mates

I knew before I even met him that I was meeting someone special.  A sorority sister of mine had just broken up with a guy that was too nice to not be snatched up she said.  She wanted me to meet him, to scout him out for a friend on our floor.  I knew I was meeting him for a friend, but for some reason I took out my curling iron and spent just a few minutes on my hair.  
I saw him sitting there, on a friends bed turned couch as most dorm rooms happen to function. He had a maroon hat with a curved bill pulled down low.  His cheeks were red and flushed as if he had just run a sprint, though he had only just been sitting there for the past hour.  I was privy to a conversation that he was having about an upcoming fraternity function, though I said not one word to him.  I was taken by him.

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21 Camping tips, tricks and hacks

These pictures make it seem like we are a camping family. We are not. We call this faux camping. 

On two different occasions we have worked with local photographer Stephen Matera on two separate campaigns for Kelty camping gear. The funny thing is, we don't camp. We only "camp" with the safety of a photographer nearby and we NEVER spend the night. What are you crazy?! 

We have heard though that there are families that enjoy camping. I know that summer is a popular time to pitch that tent and spend the weekend in nature, so if that's your thing, I have gathered 21 camping tips, tricks and hacks just for you. 

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20 Patriotic Crafts for Kids

The Fourth of July is just around the corner. Now is the perfect time to start crafting those patriotic crafts with the kids. I've gathered 20 fun crafts that you can make in the next few weeks to help you celebrate the Fourth of July.

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15 Easy Crafts to Make for Father's Day

Father's Day is right around the corner. When my kids were little, my husband always complained that he never got any sweet handmade gifts from the kids. School was usually out by the time Father's Day rolled around, and while the moms were usually gifted some handmade sentiment, the dad's got left out in the dark. Don't leave that special dad or grandpa out in the dark! Spend some time making these 15 easy crafts for Father's Day.

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Summer Fun! Summer Activities for Kids

I used to break out in cold sweats when I would think about the last day of school. The kids were going to be home for weeks straight and unless I wanted our home to turn into The Hunger Games where only the strongest survived {and I'm fairly certain that wouldn't have been me}, then I needed to come up with a plan. I needed activities, I needed play dates, I needed things on the calendar that we could look forward to.

Those activities didn't have to be elaborate, they just needed to be something I could break out of my secret stash of mom goodies if I heard the words "I'm bored" or if I started to hear the rumblings of fighting between siblings. 

I've collected a few of those activities that you can have on hand to put in your back pocket to help you stay sane and to give your kids some fun activities this summer.

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How to Know if Your Child is Ready for a Pet

This post was sponsored by PetSmart through their partnership with POPSUGAR Select. While I was compensated to write a post about PetSmart, all opinions are my own.
I don't know what it is, but there is a certain age that kids hit that they just start begging for pets. Maybe there is a class in school that they teach called "you need a pet or your childhood will be ruined" or maybe it's just something that is innate, but whatever it is, I think every child at some point in their childhood asks for some kind of animal. For my youngest son it was a fish. Which really is quite fitting because we joke that Owen is part fish anyway. Owen is drawn to the water. He just seems to find comfort there. 

Last summer we couldn't deny his desire to have an aquarium and after promising that he would take care of the tank himself, we realized that he did indeed seem like he would stand true to his promise and we allowed him to get a fish tank. Not one to be excluded, my daughter set up her own much smaller tank with a Betta fish. 

So how will you know if your child is ready for a pet? I have a few questions that you can ask yourself that might help you decide if your child is ready for the responsibility of a pet.

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Kids hand painted watercolor cards made into gifts for friends and family members

I know Christmas is over, but we didn't want to spoil the surprise for our friends and family members, so I'm just now sharing them with you. These watercolors are winter heavy, but the same idea can be used anytime of the year to make a special gift for friends and family members.

My 13 year old daughter painted them and I think she did a great job.

Come see what each of them looks like and find out how you can make your own.

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Comparing Two Catalogs

This time of year I get a ton of catalogs.  Well, not really a ton because to be honest I rarely buy anything from them so I usually get taken off lists rather quickly, but I do get some catalogs.  I picked up a few of them and started flipping through while I was eating breakfast one morning.  

These are the two I picked up. The World Vision gift catalog and the American Girl catalog. I must say, that was an interesting start to the morning that really got me thinking about a few things.

Let me start with the American Girl catalog.  I have a 13 year old daughter who has a few American Girl dolls thanks to garage sales. I have never purchased anything from the actual American Girl store other than lunch one afternoon a few years ago when my mom and I took my daughter on a girls day and enjoyed a little after Christmas shopping.  My daughter realized that the $50 gift card that she had received for Christmas could purchase her barely one outfit for her 18" doll. 

Don't get me wrong. I love American Girl. I remember wanting one when they came out when I was a kid and I picked one up as quickly as I could when I found one for $5 at a garage sale. I tucked that garage sale find away one year and it appeared under the Christmas tree for my daughter. I love that the American Girl dolls encourage girls to be girls and provide an opportunity for them to maintain their childhood in the most wholesome way.

However, I don't love their price tag and like I said, I've been lucky enough to score a fair amount of American Girl dolls and their accessories used and at a fraction of the price over the years. While we could afford to buy American Girl doll at retail prices {the average doll will set you back around $120}, we have chosen not to because we would rather use that money so that we can be more generous in other areas of our life. More on that later. 

While perusing the American Girl catalog, the last page has the American Girl promise which says:

We promise to never stop believing in the unlimited potential in all girls.  We're dedicated to creating products, services and experiences that help boost confidence, ignite creativity, and fuel connections. It's our job to remind the world--and girls--how strong, brilliant, and brave they can be.

I couldn't agree more! Especially with that last line.  Let's take a second to break down that promise and see how it is that American Girl is fulfilling that promise with their products.

You can purchase accessories for your American Girl doll that will help normalize life events that an everyday girl has that will hopefully boost her confidence. If your daughter wears orthodontic head gear, you can buy a healthy smile set for $14. If your child is in a wheelchair, your doll can be too for $38. A hearing aid can be added to any doll for $14 and if your child has food allergies, you can buy an allergy-free lunch with safe {plastic} foods and a faux allergy shot for $28. Boosting confidence? Check.

I used to play pretend school all the time when I was a kid. One summer, my best friend and I charged the neighborhood kids $5 a day to go to our school. We even had a field trip to the fire station on our block.

If your daughter loves school like I did, you can buy Mary Ellen's classroom set for $40. It includes a two sided map, chalkboard, stand, pointer and a set of flashcards. You can even get a school supply set with a backpack filled with paper, pencils and a book for only $30.

I'm a big fan of encouraging music and the arts. You can purchase a music and entertainment set for $85. Or purchase a painting set just for your doll for $36! Ignite creativity? Check.

Does your daughter have an entrepreneurial spirit? Maybe she loves to bake and dreams of one day owning a cupcake shop.  You can get a complete pastry set and cart for $150. The pastry set has a cart with pretend treats and business supplies. If a gourmet kitchen set is something she dreams of, you can buy one for $225. Fuel connections? Check.

There are so many fun creative products available in the American Girl catalog and on their website that every girl is sure to find something that she will love. 

But I couldn't help but notice that while I could buy doll sized accessories that will help "boost confidence, ignite creativity and fuel connections," I could also do the same thing for real actual people purchasing real actual items that would create a lasting impact. 

You know that last line in the American Girl promise statement about reminding the world--and girls, how strong, brilliant and brave they are?  Well friends, I want to remind the world that there are real girls facing real issues that are strong and brilliant and brave. Whose lives could be changed if you swapped out buying a dolls bike with faux leather seat for a real bike for a girl in need so that she can attend school. 

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Creative Gift Ideas for Kids Under $20!

I don't know about you, but some of my favorite gifts for kids are the ones that keep them occupied for hours and inspire them to use their imagination.  I have a bachelors degree in child development and I could go on and on and about how important it is for you to give your children toys that teach, but I know you already know that already! While your kids are busy fine tuning their fine motor skills and beefing up their hand eye coordination, they are also using the creative side of their brains and engaging in learning. I have hand picked eight creative gift ideas that I promise you will engage kids of all ages and might encourage a skill or two that can become a lifelong passion.

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Benefits of buying used gifts for your kids

It's hard to believe, but Christmas isn't that far off.  Some years it sneaks up on me.  Other years, I'm totally prepared.  The one thing that is consistent is that we really like to give more than we get. We started out as a very young family and early on set a $50 Christmas gift limit for our kids.  We didn't want our kids getting consumed by wish lists and having Christmas be all about them.  We wanted them to be thinking of others.

Because we have set this limit on Christmas gifts, I've had to get creative.  Especially as they get older.  There are things that they have really desired, but that haven't been in the budget. I wanted to share some of the benefits that we have found because we have bought used gifts for our kids.

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How to shop smart for your kids Halloween costume

Halloween is my favorite holiday behind Christmas. I love free stuff and candy, so there isn't much better in life than combining those two loves.  

I've also always been a big fan of dressing up. I actually don't know too many kids who don't love pretending they are someone or something else and expressing that with some fun costume and accessories. 

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How to pack the perfect college care package

My husband and I still reminisce about the days when we were in college.  We lived in the same dorm {boys on one side, girls on the other} and would often run into one another at the common mailboxes that were shared in the center of our H-hall.  Both of us had OMCH--Obsessive mail checking habit for those less informed.  We loved getting mail even if it was just a catalog and because it was the campus mail system, sometimes mail would get delivered more than once a day. 

We've been involved in children's ministry at our church for years so when our first set of "kids" went off to college four years ago, I got in the habit of sending out care packages. I thought if we loved getting mail so much, other people probably like getting mail a lot too. Over the course of the years, I've gotten pretty good about my college care packing abilities.  So much so that I have the goods on how to pack the perfect college care package.

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Three different ways to create the perfect pair of jeans. Tutorial on how to make skinny jeans, dye your jeans and hem jeans with the original hem

Jeans are a staple in my kids wardrobe {as well as mine!} so finding the right pair is important. Getting the right color of dye for a jean is of utmost importance.   The skinny jean has to be just skinny enough, but not too skinny {and no saggy knees}. The jeans have to be long enough to cover the back of the shoe, but not too long that they puddle. So do you see where we are getting with this? I have found over the years, several tips and tricks to CREATING the perfect pair of jeans. Most of the time I'm working with garage sale finds that we have on hand in drawers, or future donated goodwill items that the kids have turned their noses up to. I've got three different methods even the most novice seamstress can tackle!

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Easy painted tribal driftwood for your summer treasures

We live just minutes from the beaches of the Puget Sound in the Pacific Northwest.  As an Indiana girl that's been transplanted, I can't get enough of the beach, but our beaches are just a little bit different than some.

We have an abundance of rocks and driftwood at our beaches.  Which means on our beach combing, we usually pick up sand dollars and shells but also cool pieces of driftwood and uniquely shaped rocks.

 I'm always wondering what to do with all of our beach treasures, and perhaps you are too.  Or maybe you are visiting the beach this summer and want to create a treasure from your time there, either way, this easy painted driftwood is a fun summer camp activity for kids of all ages!

 

Start by picking out your favorite pieces of driftwood. One of my kiddos gravitates to the smooth round pieces, another goes for the rough thick pieces.

 

 Pick out your paint colors and start painting! I did one color at a time.  You really can't mess it up!

 

Once the wood was dry {it doesn't take long!} I let my kids go to town with sharpies. They drew all kinds of designs and markings on their driftwood and had their best time!

 

Your new painted driftwood makes a fun keepsake from your trip to the beach.

 

I've made a few other driftwood crafts on my blog.  You can find the full tutorials for them here.

 

Do you make anything with the treasures you find on the beach?




This post originally appeared on Design Dazzle as part of the Summer Camp series.

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Introducing the new We Made It line from Jennifer Garner and Joann's

As a mom, one of my favorite things to do with my kids is to craft and create.  Which is why I love this new line of creative kits and projects called We Made It from Jennifer Garner exclusively available at Joann's stores.

We are barely into our summer already and I am already getting the reports of how bored my children are, so I was happy to be able to take out this fairy princess craft kit with my daughter and spend the afternoon creating together for my three year old niece.  

Bri obviously loved the tutu and wand her big cousin made her and I can't wait to introduce you to the line of more than 100 creative kits and projects designed for kids ages 4-11.

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