Search Results for: hearts and flowers

Simple and Affordable Valentine’s Day Fun

    Why say it with fancy flowers, expensive jewelry or extravagant five-star dinners when you can show love this Valentine’s Day with affordable gifts from the heart? Whether you are celebrating the holiday with your child or a significant other, these simple crafts will go a long way to show your special someone how much they mean to you: I LOVE YOU HEART BANNER Materials: 12×12 scrapbook paper in Valentine’s Day colors or prints Red, white or pink cardstock Scissors Ribbon Hole punch Directions: Cut-out heart shapes from the 12×12 scrapbook paper. Make one heart for each letter of … Continue reading →

See Them, Eat Them: Gardening With Edible Flowers

Do you love the idea of edible flowers? Me too, but it can be hard to know where to begin. Of course, we eat flowers all of the time. Broccoli is a floret. We eat sunflower seeds. However, when it comes to petals, they can all seem rather esoteric. What flower petals can you eat? There are a surprising number of edible flower petals. Borage is often considered to be a weed because it grows so profusely. However, you can moderate its growth and get some good-looking salad fixings by eating its cucumber-flavored flowers. They’re a little hairy, but they’re … Continue reading →

Love and Valentine’s Day

Still a few days to go and I have absolutely had it with Valentine’s Day and all the hype. Hasn’t it all got out of hand that Valentine’s Day is now such a major production? Everywhere you look are advertisements for buying lingerie and chocolates and jewelry and, and, and… the list goes on. But the ones that really annoy me most are the catalogues that keep arriving in multiples in our letter box suggesting men show their love by buying their wives or sweethearts a diamond ring. Well, I know one thing Mick won’t be buying me for Valentine’s … Continue reading →

Make Basic Valentine’s Day Cookies and Cupcakes With Your Preschooler

Yes, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. It’s the wonderful day that encourages all of us to show just how much we love each other with cards, chocolates, flowers and cookies. Of course, for some of us, this means that we just want to flee into the snowbanks and hide out until the requisite holiday baking and crafting is done and we can have some peace until Easter. If you’re still getting over Christmas and want little to do with Valentine’s Day, I hear you. But it’s all right, really it is. White sugar cookies are a parent and … Continue reading →

Easy and Affordable Easter Decorations

Why empty your wallet purchasing expensive Easter decorations when you can make adorable holiday decor on your own without breaking a sweat or the bank. The following simple Easter activities are ideal for festive families living on a budget: BUNNY PRINTS Once your kids are in bed grab an old shoebox lid and cut out big bunny paw prints and use them as stencils. Next, strategically place the stencils in various spots in and around your house and sprinkle baking soda in each. Lift up the stencils to reveal cute white bunny paw prints. (Note: The baking soda vacuums up … Continue reading →

Adoption Books with Beautiful Art: Over Land and Sea: a Story of International Adoption

Books showing children of color are becoming more common, but books showing multiracial families are still relatively rare. So books that show multiracial adoptive families with gorgeous artwork, while giving a sensitive and accurate portrayal of adoption, are a real find. Many families will find themselves reflected in Over Land and Sea: a Story of International Adoption. This book is one of my new “absolutely favorite things”. This book is one of my new “absolutely favorite things”, largely because of its stunning artwork. Author Steven Layne is a father of three children who were internationally adopted. The simple story—“hey, I … Continue reading →

What Celebrities Are Giving and Getting This Valentine’s Day

I image it would be pretty tough dating a Hollywood A-lister on a day like today. After all, what do you get someone who has everything? (Or, at least can afford to buy whatever they desire without consulting their bank account first?) Apparently, that’s where creativity comes in. The following gift ideas may not be ones you would choose for your mate, but it made me smile knowing that some big name celebrity became the recipient of one of these unique Valentine’s Day presents. The gift of song was a big hit in Tinseltown today (at least according to several … Continue reading →

Celebrity Inspired Valentine’s Gifts—-How To Get Your Hands On A $10,000 Sharpie

Still looking for the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for your special someone? If your sweetheart is on a diet (so much for that 5-pound box of chocolates) or is allergic to flowers (nix the cactus idea), then consider consulting a celebrity. The following items stray from the traditional “Love Day” gift ideas. They are unique trinkets and the money from their sales go to help various celebrity-backed charities. Talk about the gift that keeps giving… Celebrity Edition Sharpie What has 66 Hearts on Fire diamonds, 1,300 Swarovski crystals, and writes upside down? Why a celebrity edition Sharpie, of course. The … Continue reading →

Friday Fun: What Is Your Scrapbook Style? Take The Quiz and Find Out!

Finding your scrapbook style is not as easy at it sounds. First, there are many factors that go into finding your style. And sometimes, a scrapbooker is still trying to find their style, so they model their pages off of many different styles. Sometimes we like many different styles, and other times we are drawn to only one specific style. So how can you go about finding out your scrapbook style? Take the quiz below to find out. 1. You are standing in the paper aisle at the scrapbook store. Which paper type are you most drawn to? a. I … Continue reading →

Judy Collins: A Voice Still Lovely and Strong

Judith Marjorie Collins was born on May 1, 1939, in Seattle, Washington. She studied classical piano as a child with Antonio Brico, and made her public debut at the age of 13, performing Mozart’s “Concerto for Two Pianos.” Three years later, she was playing the guitar, drawn to the folk revival sounds of the early 1960s and the music particularly of Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. She performed in Greenwich Village, New York, busking and playing in clubs until she landed a contract with Elektra records with whom she was associated for thirty-five years. In 1961, at the age of … Continue reading →