We spent a little bit of time last Sunday visiting the botanical gardens at UNC Charlotte. It was absolutely gorgeous being surrounded by flora and fauna and being accompanied by my most favorite people in the world. I had been sick most of that weekend and was getting especially sick of being cooped up indoors while the weather was beach-like and California-like. My cold/illness/nasty bug let up just enough to get out and view some orchids, exotic succulents and peculiar plants. The boys loved the responsive ferns which are kind of like the plant version of fainting goats.

Our cardboard robots may be a little funny-looking but the boys had a blast putting them together! I cut out some strips and squares from cardboard boxes, then stacked the pieces together to drill holes through, added some duct-tape robot features (I used Mer’s method to easily cut out duct-tape shapes), and let the kids go at it with some metal brad fasteners (make sure you get the long kind, about 1/2″).

Chronicle Books recently published So Pretty! Felt, a DIY book by author Amy Palanjian and contributing crafters. I was sent a copy of this beautiful book to review and Chronicle kindly wants to offer a copy to one of my readers too!

If you love working with felt and are comfortable with sewing (or hand-stitching at a minimum) you would be excited to thumb through these fabulous projects with step-by-step instructions. Just last night, I put together an easy geometric felt bunting for the boys’ room and will be tackling the modern table runner above next!

You can purchase So Pretty! Felt from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound, or  Chronicle Books. To win a copy, leave a comment below. Giveaway ends next Thursday, May 16, after which I’ll contact the winner via email. Below are more reviews and book giveaways:

Thursday, May 9 – The Sweetest Occasion
Friday, May 10 – West Coast Crafty & One More Mushroom
Saturday, May 11 – Mod Podge Rocks

Monday, May 13 – Handmade Charlotte & Fabric Paper Glue
Tuesday, May 14 – MINT & A Spoonful of Sugar
Wednesday, May 15 – Positively Splendid & Hart and Sew
Thursday, May 16 – Rouge and Whimsy & So You Think You’re Crafty
Friday, May 17 – Aesthetic Nest & Dollar Store Crafts

A little after the fact, but Happy Earth Day! We’ve been enjoying our cooler-than-usual spring and feeling the sun our skin as we’ve finally retired our winter coats and are spending more and more time outdoors.

During spring break a couple weeks ago, we did a fun little exercise on the layers of the Earth using play dough, and on Earth Day, I let the kids have a run on my cardboard and container stash — or trash, as Dax put it!

This vibrant and enduring Mother Earth of ours has been sustaining and nurturing life for millennia but we’re learning more and more of its frailties and vulnerabilities. Being an insignificant cog in an impossibly complex system involving consumerism, capitalism and unsustainable practices, I wonder if the small (and rather passive) “eco-conscious” habits we’ve employed (bringing bags to stores, unplugging unused electronics, limiting beef consumption, etc.) really even matter. Especially when I live in a region where a car is a must and I *ahem* shop at Walmart occasionally. But collectively, we’ve made this planet what it is presently and perhaps collectively we can reverse, or in the very least, slow down the negative trend and damage done to our home. Awareness is a good start, and I hope I’m successfully passing that on to my children so they can pass it on to theirs!

I recently shared this quick kid’s DIY at Less Than Perfect Parents!

Check out a few of my Project Wedding DIYs!
Paper Monogram Wreath | Graphic Table Numbers | Metallic Gold Leaf Tray

The boys and I recently had the privilege of sampling a craft kit sent by the folks at Kiwi Crate. The boys are always impressed by packages addressed directly to them, and were even more impressed at the two colorful wind-powered projects inside! There were a few “ooohs!” and “whoas!” as spontaneously captured:

Each Kiwi Crate comes with all the supplies you need for a particular project. I had pulled out my tape and scissors from my own craft supplies, but there was no need because even those are included in each kit! The best part is, we were sent a sibling crate which has plenty of materials for each child. Because the boys had their own sets, there was no fighting, no squabbling, no whining-and-dining (as my mom likes to put it). This may very well have been one of the least stressful craft sessions we’ve ever done!

My five-year-old needed assistance, oh, maybe 50% of the time. But my 7-year-old was able to accomplish the projects mostly on his own. The materials are colorful, neatly packaged, and kid-friendly. Each project occupied the kids for about 25 minutes and they were completely engaged the entire time! Here are the finished wind cars:

Working on the wind sock:

Subscribers benefit from free shipping and recieve never before released crates. Single crates would be great for birthday gifts, rainy days, or nice to test run if you’re not ready to commit to a subscription.

We had such a great experience with our kit, I am thrilled that Kiwi Crate has offered to send a crate to one of my readers! To enter, please leave a comment mentioning which single crate you’d be interested in. Giveaway ends next Thursday, April 11 at midnight, and I will contact the winner directly.

Kiwi Crate also has a giveaway going on right now where you can win every item in their DIY Materials Pop-up Shop along with a table from Pottery Barn.

Good luck!!

Can’t possibly be any happier to find Easter eggs filled with candy and money.

Can’t possibly be any more thrilled to stop for a photo.

As Kai would put it, Easter weekend was epic (his word du jour). Grandma Kirk visited from California earlier this week, followed by a visit from Lola and Lolo who went all out with eggs and Easter baskets for the kids…leaving meeeee off the hook this year – sigh of relief! We’re dealing with some fallout though between the boys, one of which was not on board with splitting the money finds 50/50, but such is life and its tough (tough!) lessons.

We’re starting our full week of spring break tomorrow, kicking it off by going hog wild at a playdate, then running errands at Target, and possibly finishing it up with a chocolate milk bender.

Via Pinterest, I stumbled on a new favorite craft blog, Pysselbolaget, which has a tutorial on these fabulous cardboard shelves. After Kai made his mountain shelf from an old shoebox, I thought the boys might like some planet ones too.

After tracing a plate onto the flat backside (or bottom) of a box, I cut out the “planet” shape with a pair of scissors, keeping part of the sides attached for stability. Dax pointed out how it resembles a couch!

We then blended a bit of black and white acrylic paint together, but didn’t mix too thoroughly so that we’d have a marbled, textured gray to paint our moon with. Then I let Dax go to town with the paint. Finally, we added in some dark spots and craters to make it a little more realistic and familiar for our lunar astronaut (we had extras from Danyelle’s brilliant astronaut Valentines we put together for classmates this year).

When unused, the shelves nest together nicely for storage.

I have a fun giveaway for you! Harper Collins recently sent me a set of five Easter books and would like to offer a set to two of my readers as well! The range of titles has been perfect for us; Mara snuggles (per usual) with the little bunny that accompanies Goodnight Moon, Dax enjoys the pictures books, and The Velveteen Rabbit is a quick little chapter book for my oldest (all hardcovers except for Velveteen Rabbit).

Two simple ways to enter: leave a comment for one entry and for a second entry, pin a book from Harper Collins’ Easter books Pinterest page (make sure to leave a second comment if you choose to do this!)

Giveaway closes Friday, March 22 at midnight EST.

And speaking of Easter, how excited are your kids? I know mine are looking forward to yet another scavenger hunt left by the easter bunny!