Easter Baskets Big on Fun, Not Candy

Easter is a time for enjoying chocolate bunnies, peanut butter eggs, and other candies.  There has been a lot of talk about childhood obesity in America and many parents, including myself are looking for other options to fill up our little ones baskets.
I have gathered some ideas to share with everyone.  All of these are based around other fun suff with a bit of candy mixed in.

1. Movie basket.....Grab a movie, microwave popcorn, juice boxes, a comfy blanket, and a box of movie candy, place in a "popcorn" bucket.

2. Summer Fun.....Pick up an inexpensive beach bucket, add in a fun each towel, sand castle tools, floaties or a swim ring, blow up beach ball, sunglasses, and don't forget the sunscreen.

3. Little Diva Basket.....For the little "Diva" in your life, pick up bright colors of nail polish, nail stickers, lip gloss, hair accessories and a cute bin to keep it all in.  For a special touch, add her name in glitter.

Hope this helps make Easter a bit easier for everyone.  Be creative and have fun finding items that won't put your kids on a sugar high.

Many of us as parents are focusing on the upcoming Easter holiday.  Decorating eggs is great fun to do as a family and there are so many ideas other than the traditional color tablets.  Try using tape or stickers attached to the eggs before coloring and remove them after the eggs are dry.  You can leave those areas white or redip in another color.  Another idea I like is painting the eggs with calkboard paint and then writing and drawing on them with chalk.  Easter egg hunts provide excitement and fun for the whole family.  A friend of mine had an large Easter egg hunt every year and made it a community affair.  They had a minimum of 150 people every year.  The Easter bunny would make an appearance and every child got a prize after a large egg hunt.  My friend also had coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and donuts and other snacks.  It was always a TON of fun! You don't have to do an egg hunt on this large of a scale, smaller is fine and can be just as much fun. 

Pink and grey nursery with yellow accents.  This nursery creates an eclectic space for a litte girl.  We used pink, grey, and cream with accents of yellow to bring the nursery to life.  Balancing all the colors with fun pieces like floral chandeliers, a knitted pouf, and a cute owl pillow creates a one of a kind space.

Organizing for the New Year

The holidays are over! Now is the time to breathe a sigh of relief and get organized! No doubt, your children received more toys for the holidays than you know what to do with. Naturally, children tend to accumulate things and not want to let go. Now that the new year is upon us, it is the perfect time to clean out and organize. Get your children involved from the very beginning, explain to them that together, you will be sorting through toys, games, books and whatever else they have laying around. Talk to your children about donating toys that they no longer play with or perhaps selling the nicer things on craigslist or ebay. Books that are in good condition can sometimes be donated to you local school or public library. Toss out any broken items or toys that are missing pieces. When you have finished weeding through the chaos, you will assess the items left and decide how to best organize them.


There are so many organizational pieces on the market now, that you will more than likely be able to find something to hold everything. I have found a very easy way to organize young children is a large bookcase or shelf system and lots of attractive bins, boxes and baskets. Coloring books and drawing paper can be kept in flat boxes, while fabric bins can be used for action figures, barbies, trucks, etc. Art supplies like crayons and markers can be placed in jars for easy access. Larger trucks and stuffed animals can be sat on the shelves individually. Be sure to take your children along when shopping for containers and let them help you pick things out, this will help ensure that they will use the system being put into place. Organization is a learned behavior, so teaching your child at an early age will make life easier for years to come.

CHEERS TO 2013...

A new year is once again upon us (which makes me realize just how long it's been since my last post).  2012 was a stressful year for myself and many others but I am looking ahead with positivity and a focus on creating a fabulous design business focused on nurseries, kids rooms, and playrooms.  I would like to invite everyone to follow one or both of my blogs as my goal is to post great ideas for chidren and families at least twice a week in addition to any rooms that I complete.  I look forward to a happy and blessed new year for my family and yours...

Welcome 2012

Happy New Year Everyone!!!  We all make resolutions, but this is the year to make simple changes that will benefit your family and are easy to stick to.  It seems like not only parents, but kids are "plugged in" all the time.  Take time to recharge your entire family by following trying some of these simple ideas.

**UNPLUG - pick one night a week to declare a "NO TV or ELECTRONICS" night.  Take the kids outside and play, do a family art project, etc.  The idea is to focus on spending time as a family without cell phones, tv, computers, or video games.

**Declare a FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT.  Make popcorn and other munchies, put on your comfiest pajamas, and enjoy a great movie as a family.  You spend time together and its alot cheaper than going to the movies.

**Invite the kids to help you cook dinner.  I know sometimes it's easier to do everything yourself, but having the kids engage in cutting vegetables or helping prepare a meal will gain family time and may even get the kids to eat their veggies.

HALLOWEEN CRAFTS

I love this idea from Family Fun magazine for smaller children.  Another great TIP...spray paint the milk jug with glow in the dark paint before putting on the face for some extra GLOW!

Spirit Jugs

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Total Time Needed:

1 Hour

Stationed on a walkway or porch, these homemade lanterns will extend a ghostly greeting and good-bye to all your holiday visitors.

Materials

• Clean plastic gallon milk jugs
• Black permanent marker

• Craft knife
• String of 50 clear low-wattage holiday lights

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Instructions

1. Draw ghost eyes and mouths on the jugs. Tip: Leave the caps on while you do this, so the jugs don't dent.
   
2. Use the craft knife to cut a half-dollar-size hole in the back of each jug (a parent's job).
3. Arrange the ghosts near each other and string the lights between them, stuffing several bulbs into each of the jugs.