On Sunday night we also host Crafty Weekends for all your crafts (done by any age), patterns, and craft product reviews! It is the perfect place to share your creative side!! And for all of your cultural posts come share them at the monthly Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop.
Sharing Saturday 17-46 Continues...
On Sunday night we also host Crafty Weekends for all your crafts (done by any age), patterns, and craft product reviews! It is the perfect place to share your creative side!! And for all of your cultural posts come share them at the monthly Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop.
Sharing Saturday 15-46
Sorry for the delay. Both my Linky Tools subscription and Blogger were giving me issues yesterday. But everything seems to be working today!!
Anyway, thank you to everyone who shared with us last week!! There were many fun ideas shared!! Our features are just a sampling of the wonderful things shared, so if you haven't checked out the rest you should!! The features for this week include Thanksgiving, Educational and Crafts and Gift Ideas. I have also started a new craft link party (the crafts just have to be family appropriate and not kid related) and it is a place to share crafts, reviews of patterns, craft books, etc. and patterns. I hope you will come check it out tomorrow. This past week we also began the new month for Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop--so be sure to stop by to share your multicultural posts and ideas and recipes there.
Happy Thanksgiving -- Easy Craft and Free Printables!
Sharing Saturday 17-46 - Two Week Party
On Sunday night we also host Crafty Weekends for all your crafts (done by any age), patterns, and craft product reviews! It is the perfect place to share your creative side!! And for all of your cultural posts come share them at the monthly Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop.
Happy Thanksgiving!! Time to Express Gratitude
In the United States, today is Thanksgiving. Although I have become extremely busy in my nonblog life, I wanted to take time to talk about what I am thankful for this year. I will admit it has been a year full of frustration, sadness as well as growth and happiness. The past couple of months have been very hard on my family.
Decorations and Gift Crafts & More from Oriental Trading -- a Crafty Weekends Review & Link Party
Are you getting ready for Thanksgiving this week? Have you started to look towards Christmas? We have gone a bit Christmas crazy here and have been loving it. Today we are going to share some crafts and other things that are great for gifts and Christmas decor. All of it came from Oriental Trading and their amazing Christmas items. Earlier this month we shared crafts and items that focus on the nativity. Today's are more non-secular. Hazel LOVES Peanuts right now so several of them will be Peanuts themed including this fun Peanuts® Christmas Wreath Craft Kit.
Fun Facts & Crafts about Pilgrims
Have you been following our Fun Facts series? Yesterday we looked at the Mayflower. Today we are looking at the Pilgrims in general, but we will be looking at some of them individually over the next couple weeks. I hope you will join us for all the fun!!
Sharing Saturday 16-47 a 2 week party!!
Thank you to everyone who shared with us last week! I always love seeing what everyone has been up to and your creative ideas!! Our features are just a sampling of them so if you haven't checked them all out, you should! This week we have two groups of features: November Features and Every Day Features.
Autumn Pumpkin Crafts & More -- a Crafty Weekends Review & Link Party
Who Was at the First Thanksgiving? John Billington and Family Fun Facts
Gift Boxes to Decorate and Make: Christmas -- a Crafty Weekends Review & Link Party
Looking for a fun way to present gifts instead of the usual wrapping paper or gift bags? Check out this amazing book--Gift Boxes to Decorate and Make: Christmas illustrated by Sarah Walsh. This book has 24 pages that turn into a gift box and sticker tags to seal them.
Sharing Saturday 13-44
Thank you to everyone who shared with us last week!! If you have not had a chance to check them out, I hope you do. There are some amazing ideas there. I hopefully will find time to do some more visiting once I get my big projects done in the next few weeks! This week we finally did not have a tie for the most clicked!!
Our most clicked last week came from Bible Fun for Kids: Moses: Tabernacle Worship in the Wilderness.
1) From Afterschool for Smarty Pants: Gratitude Game to Promote Writing and Math
2) From Enchanted Homeschooling Mom: Thanks for Giving Gift
3) From Homegrown Friends: Pine Cone Turkey Place Cards
4) From The House of Hendrix: Our Thanksgiving Advent to get the full effect of this one, you need another picture as well.
5) From Helena Haakt: Elk Paper Mache
6) From Doodle Buddies: Pizza Box to Canvas for Mixed Media 2
This week we shared two Native American Cinderella tales, a wonderful Christmas story for Virtual Book Club for Kids, what we are using to teach Spanish to Hazel, the Little Pim Giveaway, an easy Thanksgiving craft plus a round-up of the Thanksgiving crafts we have shared in the past and our jingle bell fun with Daria's Jingle Bells e-book!
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Goodbye, Thanksgiving, Hello Christmas Season
We started working on more Christmas ornaments. Usually we put our trees up this weekend and decorate. I pulled out our new smaller Christmas trees for the front window. Last year our small one got to the point of being unusable, so at the post Christmas sales I bought two small prelight trees that are meant to go on a front porch. After pulling them out, we decided to put both in the window with some Santa decorations inbetween them. I'm not allowed to put lights outside so the windows are all I get. My dear husband (who is an electrical engineer) is a bit paranoid about fire.
Hazel wanted to make a mushroom ornament. We found the pattern over at Echinops and Aster. She picked out the colors and I cut and sewed. Then while checking out the mushroom pattern we followed the link to the owl at Juicy Bits. I did the owl while Hazel was sleeping, but will let her choose colors for one as well.
Then for our child made ornaments, we did some gluing. I bought some star buttons in Christmas colors at one of the craft stores and Hazel wanted to color and glue, so she made a picture. I think it might make a nice card for one of her grandmothers.
We also made the popsicle stick Christmas trees. I cut the sticks and we glued them together and then we decorated them with the buttons. I finished them up since she got bored with it yesterday.
This morning Hazel wanted to make a scarecrow. For our last fall activity we made one. I'm thinking I might put a ribbon on it and hang it on the tree as well. I got the idea and pattern for the clothes from Thanksgiving Day Crafts by Arlene and Herbert Erlbach. It is the craft book I took out of the library that I really liked.
Now I need to go add ribbons to all the ornaments we have been making and finish cleaning up the clutter of the fall decorations so we can decorate for Christmas.
Hope you are having a lovely day!!
What I Am Thankful For This Year -- Happy Thanksgiving!
The first thing I am thankful for this year is my family. We have had a tough year with the choice to pull Hazel from her school in April and homeschool her for the rest of the school year. Then finding a new school for this year. Can I just tell you what a difference finding the right school makes? She wants to go to school now. It is not a fight every morning to get her moving and to school. In fact she gets upset if we are running late.
Within this great choice also came new friends for Hazel. This has been huge for her. Her classmates are supportive and caring. They are not competing and putting her down like her previous ones. The entire school is full of people who are more down to earth and caring. The environment is homier. It is a wonderful place for her and I love visiting the school and helping out there.
The next thing I am thankful for is my family and how we made the choice for me to quit my job at Paper Source. I loved my job there. It was truly my happy place, however due to a staff shortage my hours increased to a level I could not keep up with my family responsibilities. I have worked almost every weekend since June and I just couldn't continue that and be the mother and wife I want to be. I am thankful that I can stay at home and be the mother and wife I want to be without really worrying about finances. Let's face it everyone tends to have some struggle, but I know we will be fine without me working. I feel so blessed because of knowing that.
I am also thankful for my sisters, parents and mother-in-law. I love how close they are with Hazel. Hazel's favorite thing is to be with family. She truly loves them all and wishes she could see them more. I love how excited she gets to see each of them.
I am also thankful for you, my readers. I love having this place to share our activities, favorite books and products and ideas. I hope you enjoy them as well. And for now I wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving!!
Fall Crafts Capturing the Beauty of Autumn Leaves
Last week I shared some autumn crafts including leaf embroidery. I promised another fall craft if it worked and it mostly did. So today I am sharing how to make a leaf bowl. Now I saw photographs all over the place like this one for inspiration. I went outside and picked some beautiful fall leaves. Then I wiped them and let them dry for a few hours. I gathered a plastic cup, a balloon, a paintbrush, and my ModPodge. When I was ready I blew up the balloon and put it in the plastic cup. The cup works as a stand so you do not have to hold the balloon in place. Put the knotted side down into the cup. Then I spread some ModPodge on my first leaf and stuck it on to the balloon. I then spread more ModPodge on the other side of the leaf to get it really stuck. I continued doing this trying to overlap the leaves.
Thanksgiving Decorations
Today's post will be quick as I'm having one of those crazy days. I'm sure by now you have all heard about the crazy October snowstorm. Although it didn't affect my town too much, unfortunately, I'm a storm widow since my poor husband works for the power company. He has been assigned the overnight shift again so I get to find ways to entertain Hazel and try to keep her quiet so he can sleep when he gets home. It has also meant no naps all week since he is waking up around her nap time and she of course wants to see Daddy. The nice part is that they do get to see each other whereas if he was working days they probably wouldn't. Then on top of it last night I received a frantic email about tutoring today so I had to find someone to watch her so I could actually go to work this evening. Luckily Steve's mother is happy to do it for us. So now, I have to get ready to go tutor, but wanted to share this little craft with you before I go.
In preparation for Thanksgiving we (well mostly I since Hazel couldn't focus that day) made some wooden bead and pipe cleaner napkin rings. Very easy and she actually did help with a few of them. String some large beads on half a pipe cleaner and then close it to make a loop. Beading works on Hazel's fine motor skills so it is a plus every way you look at it.
I played around with letter beads as well and considered personalizing them for all of our guests (and possibly making some for Christmas gifts from Hazel), but I didn't have enough letter beads to spell all the names or words I wanted. I did get one "Thanks" done and figured I would buy more at some point and have her make them.
I think it will add a little more of a personal touch to your Thanksgiving table. What are you doing for yours?
Native American Biographies Round-Up
The other day I did a round-up of Native American stories and picture books. Today I thought I would share some biographies I found on Native Americans. For the most part I only took one biography for each person but many have more than one out there.
Books about Multiple Native Americans
- Extraordinary American Indians by Susan Avery discusses the lives and accomplishments of Native Americans from the eighteenth century to present
- Native American Heroes: Osceola, Tecumseh & Cochise by Ann McGovern
- Famous Native North Americans by Bobbie Kalman profiles Native Americans who had a large influence on their tribes as well as the United States and Canada.
- Native American Chiefs and Warriors by Stuart A. Kallen
- Native American Scientists: Fred Begay, Wilfred F. Denetclaw Jr., Frank C. Dukepoo, Clifton Poodry, Jerrel Yakel by Jetty St. John
- Native American Women by Suzanne Clores
Books Donated by Lee & Low Books with
Reviews for Blog Hop
Links take you to book at Lee & Low Books and there is a link to each review!
Fun Facts about Pie with Pie Recipes & Crafts Round-Up
What are you serving or having for Thanksgiving? Some of the traditional things are turkey (although there probably was not turkey at the "first" Thanksgiving) and pie. Since we have shared fun facts about turkeys and apples I thought we would share today a bit about pies. What is your favorite pie? I love blueberry!! Steve and Hazel love apple.
Today...
This morning we spent the morning painting. We painted some wooden objects, noodles, toilet paper rolls, and did handprints. None of our projects are finished yet, but we have lots in the works right now. Plus we have all of them spread all over the kitchen. It was hard to make space to eat lunch, but we managed.
We had to run to church to meet with the Christian Ed Director. We are planning a Breakfast with Santa and are trying to work out the details since it is our first one. Hazel wanted to go home for most of the meeting, but when I was ready, she didn't want to leave. Isn't that always the way? The Christian Ed Director gave Hazel her extra copy of The Big Pumpkin, Hazel's favorite Halloween book which we found out about from the Christian Ed Director. We had to come home and read it before quiet time.
One craft that I just finished was inspired by Rhythm of the Home. It is a wooden playset of pilgrims and Native Americans. Theirs is to go with the book, Stone Soup. We haven't read this book, so I didn't stick completely to what they did. I also did not make a teepee since New England Native Americans have never lived in teepees. However, I thought it would be fun for Hazel to have some figures to reenact the first Thanksgiving and get a better sense of it. I was lazy and used markers instead of paint (except for the white since I don't have a white marker). I figured I could use the markers neater than I could paint. Rhythm of the Home also shares a simplified version of the Thanksgiving story and a recipe for stone soup here: Thanksgiving Story . Enjoy!!
Some projects I'm working on: Knitted Owl for School's Holiday Fair
Martinmas Lantern Bunting for our Martinmas celebration tomorrow! Hazel and I cut them yesterday, but now I have to sew them.
We are also making some turkeys, pilgrims, and Native Americans out of toilet paper rolls and are working on our angels for the angel swap. Hazel and I are both participating in the angel swap so we have to make ones from her as well as three from me.
What are you working on?