Planner Addiction

Goodies from Happy Scrappie!

Michael's Loot

How I plan my days.

I thought this was a passing phase.... the planner/scrapbooking/organizing thing.  I have opened up a whole world that I didn't even know existed!  As I posted here, I jazzed up my 3 year old Russell and Hazel planner.  That wasn't good enough.  I wanted the weekly view on a bigger page, and all of the "Plan With Me" videos use a different format.

What is a "Plan with Me" video??  Search in youtube... you will be addicted within the hour.  Usually, it is a very cute and bubbly and creative girl that sits down with a bunch of stickers and washi tape and colorful pens, and plans and organizes her week.  I love them.  I have discovered there are lots of these "Life Planners" out there that make this even more fun.  Erin Condren is the big one, Kikki K, Happy 365, Filofax, and even Mead has a great family planner.  As a result of this, there are wonderful etsy shops that have been created that feature all sorts of unique stickers/tools to use on your planners.  The stickers are color themed, and it makes me want to have a ton of appointments.

I have ordered from Happie Scrappie, and I have also been led to do a Swap from Oh, Hello Stationary Company.  If you don't know, a swap is where you are paired up with another person who signs up, you send them a package of items specified in the swap.  This one was great, in the sense that they gave you the email, and you could chat with your person first.  The idea is to find out what kinds of things that they like and tailor the package to that.  You send your swap partner (brand new) things from your stash, as well as items you have purchased--ideally items that they cannot find locally.  I can't wait to get my package, yet making the one to send out was really fun as well!!

Also, I now have a pen pal that I plan to send things to in the future.  I often buy paper craft supplies that say, have 6 sheets of the same sticker.  I get sick of that design, and then am stuck with those items that I am "over".  I plan to send her these as time goes on:)

Preschool Activities #Obsessed

"Mom! Please play with me!!"  We play together all the time, but sometimes... Mama needs a moment.  I set up little activities for Tate all the time when he was little, but that was 5 years ago.  I have forgotten what they were!  For this reason, I went to the almighty Pinterest for inspiration.

I fell down the "Kids Activities" "Busy Boxes" "Quiet Time Activities" worm hole on the Pinterest, and became obsessed.  Most of the stuff for these activities, I already had on hand (but that was after I convinced myself that I didn't need every sensory bin pictured!)   This is a good way to clean out your kid craft stuff, while presenting it in a new way.  We also made a few activities to share with Soleil's friend.  

Beads and Pipe Cleaners

Kinetic Sand+Table Cloth+Sand Table

Homemade Playdough (SOOOO Many recipes online!)

**In case you were wondering, homemade playdoh will turn totally to mold if you leave it sealed in a rubbermaid container for a few weeks.  Don't put it on a bookshelf and forget about it like I did!

Travel Sticker Kit inspired by THIS POST

This was a travel hit!

Fairy Garden using most things found in the yard.

Melissa and Doug reusable Stickers

Other activities include:

Mandala using little bits of fabric and yardstick cut into pieces.

PlayMais

Beads+Pipecleaners labelled with numbers

Tiny Clay Kit

We went to Meijers today (kind of like a Walmart, but better) and found a few things that would be fun.  I like when the activities are surprises, so I took photos of things to get on a visit when the kiddos were not with me.

These are pool LED lights that float.  These would be fun in the tub or in a water table.  These were only 2.99, and you can also wait for them to go on sale at the end of the season.  The animals below are the also floating LED lights.

 I saw a tutorial for turning a baby pool into a ball pit, and for turning into a giant Easter Nest using paper bags.  I won't have time before Easter, but maybe I'll do it over the summer during Animal Week.

 And you can't go wrong with some of the Melissa & Doug activity books.   These are a few that Soleil does not have.  They have them at Michaels craft store as well.

When you don't know how to be creative

Recently, I went to this amazing art space in Pontiac, MI with my one of my dearest, Gerri.  I had every craft supply at my disposal, and had absolutely ZERO crafting mojo within me.  One reason, was that I wanted to chat and catch up with my friend, and some times I have to get deep into "the zone" to start a new creation.

I walked over, took this sunshine sign off that wall, and started to copy the illustration.  It was a wonderful exercise, as it allowed me to relax, chat, and create. 

Another dear friend, Kat K, had spoken to me months ago about doing a "study" on art techniques.  In that same conversation, she used one of my favorite quotes: "I am allowing myself to suck right now".

Being an artist isn't always about making great things, it is about not forcing things.  I highly encourage taking another piece of art/craft that someone else has made, and copy it, to learn from it.
(Don't sell, steal or pass off as your own, mind you, but use it as a study:) 

Frozen Fractals

This is someone else's idea, probably off of pinterest, but I don't remember where I got it!  In any case, it was a hit with Soleil.  The official title is Frozen Fractal Soup, and in case you have been living under a rock, is inspired by Frozen the movies reference to "Frozen Fractals" in the song "Let it Go".  

You start by making the Fractals.   I used one drop of food coloring and water, and the idea was to let her fill the ice cube trays before popping them in the freezer.  She was NOT interested in this part, so I quickly filled the trays for her. 

After the Fractals have frozen, I popped them out, and put them in a bowl.  I placed it in her sand table with tongs, ladle, and different colored water in squeeze bottles and little pourable containers.

I later added a little bowl of baking soda, just to have another ingredient to play with.  (It also cleans the sand table before coming inside for the winter.)

This is a super simple activity, but my little one loved it.  We have already done this twice:)

Christmas Break Fun Time

I like to set an activity for the kiddos on a regular basis because:

1.  They love it. 

2.  It makes life easier on me.

3.  It's fun.

3.  It prevents them from being on TV, which reinforces #2. 

 Mostly, I steal ideas off pinterest, or I just put out what I have in season colors and themes.  Here are some ideas to make your Christmas Break just a little more fun.

Styrofoam balls+toothpicks+buttons+mini marshmallows

 Prebaked Gingerbread House.  I like Wilton's brand better than the other brands out there.

 Tate rolling fondant.  It was like Cake Wars in my house. 

Gel pastels+watercolor+stickers+thick paper.

It is unseasonably warm here, so when Tate asked to go play in the rain, I said yes.  Notice the sled, even though it is 75F.

Easiest Lunch Ever:  Get a cute little stand (this one is from Ikea) and fill it with fruit, veg, carbs & Protein.  They love that is like a big snack.

And a Christmas tradition, we had the kids get ready for bed, and then we surprised them with going to see the Christmas Lights (at Norfolk Botanical Gardens).  

I packed cookies and cocoa and had it waiting in the car. 

I Left this World for a Bit.

Something came over me after I returned from Nashville.

 Crafting with my people.

In the airport.

Maybe was that it was that I finally had a moment to be in my own thoughts, maybe it was the Oprah/Brene Brown ecourse that I started, maybe it was because it was Halloween (my favorite!) and Dia de los Muertos week...

In any case, I turned on this music:

Agnel Obel Aventine

Started reading (& finished) this book: 

Wildwood by Colin Meloy

And felt like I was in another, very creative, very peaceful world.  I retreated in the evening to work on papercrafting, which I haven't done in a really long time.  

The music kept going, and so did the creating.  I was quiet during this week, and I really loved it.  There was something that allowed me to NOT do all the stuff I usually do (you should see my laundry pile!) and take some time to leave the every day.  I want to live here more often, as I was truly at peace.