Sands Alive Busy Box

Morning Lovelies! I don't know about you, but sometimes this Mama has a hard time getting up in the morning. There are some mornings where all I want to do is hit that snooze button for the third......ok let's be real.....the fifth time. When mornings like that happen and I get myself an extra twenty minutes of sleep, I usually wake up to red heads grumbling at each other or whining. Aren't those the sounds every mother wants to wake up to? oh yeah that's right. No one really wants to wake up to the sound of grumbling, whining kids. It kind of makes you cringe.

Recently Joann Fabric and Craft Store sent me a few packages of Sands Alive to review. I was super excited about this review. My children had seen this at the craft store and had been begging me to get it. When I told them we were going to get some in the mail, they were all kinds of giddy. When the package arrived in the mail, the giddiness went up to a whole new level. They couldn't wait to try this stuff out!

It is super cool people! It is so fun to squish, mix, and create with this stuff. After I was finished playing with it, I let the littles try it out...haha...no joke:) It reminds me of moon dough, but way better. It doesn't crumble into tiny pieces, which makes this mama happy. Less crumbling, means less sweeping for me afterwards. Sands Alive has a soft texture like cookie dough, but is dry to the touch. You can literally bring the beach inside with this stuff!

Mold it into hard, durable shapes, and with a soft touch, it breaks apart and appears to move, almost as if it were alive! Super cool!

For my package of Sands Alive, I wanted to put something together that was simple and easy...oh and that the kids would enjoy. I have seen many fun projects on Pinterest using Sands Alive. I love all the sensory and motor skill ideas I've seen on there. Going off of this idea, I decided to make a busy box for my red heads.

I looked around my house at what could go in my busy box. I came up with some fun cookies cutters, plastic spoons and knifes for cutting and scooping, and I had two Sands Alive trays for creating in. To make your own busy box, just look around your house at what your kids could use to create with. Rollers, molds, cookie cutters, plastic utensils, bowls, and mini toys are all great things to create with. You can also write in the sand, which is great for practicing letters and words for school play.

I like to keep the busy box simple, so it allows them to really use their imagination. Right now I hear sound affects and little descriptions of the great things the are creating (they are playing with it as I type)!

We have our busy box out on the table, so when littles get up in the morning they have something to keep their hands busy. It is so neat seeing their little minds create and pretend!

Have you guys tried Sands Alive? How do you make it fun for your littles?


XO Danielle

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The Big Bling: Blinging Out Your Fridge

This is a sponsored post.  I was compensated to create this tutorial, but the opinions are 100% my own.

Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores asked me to be part of The Big Bling going on the entire month of June.  Each week of the month has a different theme to inspire you.  This week’s theme is neons and brights, and my blinged out fridge has a bit of both!

My fridge has been looking like a hot mess lately. Random papers and children's art work was displayed everywhere. Things were constantly getting knocked down when little feet ran by the fridge. This mama was getting pretty frustrated with the whole thing. 

When Joann Fabric and Craft Store asked me to be a part of their Big Bling Campaign, I knew I needed to make my fridge the item I was blinging out. I went to Joann, with my coupons in hand, and was immediately inspired. They had a whole aisle of Lockerlookz goodies, wooden frames, and a lot of chalkboard stuff (remember I love all things chalkboard). I was in crafting heaven.

These are the items I snagged to bling out my fridge:

2 DIY wooden frames

2 lockerlookz magnet flowers

1 bottle neon green acrylic paint

1 bottle neon pink acrylic paint

paint brushes *

chalkboard vinyl *

1 repurposed file folder *

1 sheet of rhinestone stick-on gems *

1 sheet of  silver studs

1 sheet of stick-on pearls *

1 lockerlookz bin

*already had in my craft stash

I started by giving my wooden frames two coats of neon paint. I kept my third wooden frame for another project I'll share next week :)

I love the scalloped edges on these frames! Too fun! They are each under $3 this week too! Wooden frames are my favorite, since you can customize them to your own decor :)

Once my frames were dried, I added my bling. I am in love with the rhinestone and pearl mixture on the pink frame. Too fun! I did two frames, one for each munchkin.

I kept the cardboard inserts in when I was painting. This helps me not get paint everywhere. Once the paint was dry, I removed the cardboard insert and replaced it with cheetah scrapbook paper I had in my stash. Once the littles create some little works of art, they will be able to fill their frames with their own masterpieces.

Next, I hot glued heavy duty magnets to the back of my frames.

Another thing I wanted on my fridge was a folder to keep all those papers hubby and I get from church and such. I didn't want a boring old file folder, so I decided to bling it out with some chalkboard vinyl.

I used my file folder as a pattern and traced around it. I adhered the vinyl to the folder and glued it closed on the ends. I also added magnets to the back of my folder as well.

This was a simple craft, that only took an afternoon to do. Here is the before of my hot mess of a fridge.

Now the after.....

I added a vinyl square for my menu plan, some buttons glued onto magnets, and all my other lockerlookz goodies. 

The boy told me this was one of my best crafts. That little man makes me laugh!

These work great for your teens locker as well! All LockerLookz coordinate with each other and will take either your fridge or teens locker from drab to fab! They are also easy on the wallet too!

Jo-ann Craft and Fabric Store is also having an Instagram Sweepstakes.
Find out about how to enter here.

XO Danielle

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National Craft Month With Joann Fabric -- Radiant Orchid Wreath

The following review is part of the Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores® National Craft Month campaign.  
I received compensation for this review; however, this is my personal, honest opinion based on my experience.

It's National Craft Month!  That means that we need to stop what we are doing, and get our craft on! Jo-Ann makes spring crafting easy peasy during National Craft Month with a $5 off $25 or more purchase coupon and a spring crafting inspiration website.

To celebrate National Craft Month, I decided to focus on this seasons hottest new color? Have you all heard what it is? It's radiant orchid and I have been seeing it all over Pinterest lately. Whether its a flowing skirt, wall color, or a fabulous new wreath, I am in love! That deep purple is on my gorgeous radar right now. 

After drooling over this rich purple hue, I knew I needed to make a wreath in that color. I had a simple vision of a yarn wrapped wreath, with yellow floral accents. I love wreaths. They're kind of my crafting kryptonite.  I have at least four in my house right now and one on my front door...I know I know...a bit much, but I love them. They're easy to make and beautiful to look at.....not to mention I once found 20 wreath forms at a thrift store for $15. Now I can make a wreath anytime I want...I mean those wreath forms aren't going to beautify themselves!  

With my wreath image in mind, I needed supplies, but the thought of bringing my littles into Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Store did not sound fun. I had been having a crazy week of homeschool, spring cleaning, and many littles extra curricular lessons. Then the light bulb went off and I remembered I could get my supplies online. I ordered my goodies (using coupons from my Joann app) and the following week I was able to get my craft on. 

I put those littles to bed, got my supplies out, and watched Dancing With the Stars (I'm team DJ Tanner).

You can hot glue on your flowers, but I just pinned them in place. I also used ribbon to hang my wreath up. The yellow and purple just makes me smile! What have you been creating this month?

You can get all the items listed above to make your own Radiant Orchid Wreath at your local JoAnn Fabric and Craft Store or online~

Here is a fantastic coupon from JoAnn Fabric and Craft Store so you can 

make something fun too!

XO Danielle

DIY Glitter + Chalkboard Pumpkins

I love creating something new to add to our holiday decorations each year. Whether its Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas I love creating things that will bring the joy of the season into my home. With Halloween and Thanksgiving falling in back to back months, I try to keep my decor versatile. I love it when some of my Halloween goodies can roll over into November to help celebrate turkey day.

I've been seeing chalkboard pumpkins all over the place, so I knew I needed to jump on the band wagon. You know how much I love chalkboard paint. I've used it on my walls, my coffee table, and basically anywhere else I can work it in. Its just too fun! So how could Halloween be any different?

I purchased some fake pumpkins from Joann Fabric and Craft Store. They were 60% off. I shouted "Yippe!" in the store when I saw that sale sign and then people stared at me doing a happy dance in the Halloween Aisle. I have no shame when it comes to sales. I get way too excited. It's always a good time when you get to embarrass your kids at the craft store :)

I busted out my fabulous chalkboard paint and painted my large pumpkin. Once it completely dried, I adding a fun Halloween Phrase. I love the fact that this can be changed throughout the season. "Boo", "Happy Halloween", "Spooky", "Fall", to name a few. Get the littles involved and let them come up with some wordy fun too!

Once my chalkboard pumpkin was finished, I decided to add a little bit of glitter to my other two pumpkins. I used Elmer's Glue and basically "drew" with my glue to create my design. I then added my glitter. (I did this over the sink. This made the clean up a breeze). I then sprayed both of my glitter pumpkins with a clear coat of spray sealer. This helps the glitter to stay exactly where it should be..on the pumpkin.

These pumpkins are simple, yet classically fun. Oh and when Thanksgiving comes around, change out your "Boo!" for a hand print turkey. You can never go wrong with an old school hand print turkey :)

Here is a fantastic coupon from JoAnn Fabrics so you

 can make something fun too!

XO Danielle

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