Our Halloween Traditions

Madeline's Butterfly by Cola Smith

It seems like this month flew by! Can you believe today is Halloween day!? Are you ready for trick-or-treating and the sugar highs? Over the years my family has developed several Halloween traditions that make this holiday even that much more memorable for us. Aside from enjoying an evening filled with of costumes, pumpkin carving, [...]

You’ve Been BOO’d Free Printable! {Plus A DIY Halloween Wreath}

BOO FLYER 2 - the tomkat studio

 Start with cute and sneaky little goblins on a mission to BOO! 2. Assemble a treat or goodie bag along with this free printable (by The TomKat Studio) to deliver. 3. Quiet as a ghost, sneak up to your friend’s door to deliver the goodies and the free printable. Then, ring the doorbell and RUN!!     4. Finally, [...]

KidsArt & *GIVEAWAY!!*

Kids Art

{This giveaway is  now closed. Congratulations to our winner, Melissa!!}  “Of course your can draw, you were just never taught!” That’s how KidsArt Redondo Beach owner Anjale Perrault responded when I told her that I can’t draw. Well maybe it’s just me, but I always assumed that being able to draw or paint was a [...]

Backyard Campout Birthday Party!

Backyard Campout Birthday Party

Five years ago today, my husband and I welcomed our very first child. A healthy 8lbs. 8oz. beautiful little girl named Ella. Words truly can not express the amount of love and pure joy I have as her mother. On this day each year, I get overwhelmed with emotions remebering every minute of this day she [...]

Creating Books to Explain Life Changes to Children

behavior books, explaining difficult topics to children, DIY books for children

Trying to explain to your small child that you will be moving to a new home or that they will soon be a big brother/sister is not always simple. Sometimes this is because your child is not yet verbal or other times it may be because the topic at hand is complicated. This article shares [...]

Stila Spokeswoman & Celebrity ProArtist Sarah Lucero!

ProArtist Sarah Lucero!

Recently, I had the privilege of visiting the Stila Cosmetic headquarters in Glendale to interview Stila’s spokeswomen and celebrity ProArtist, Sarah Lucero! My good friend Ashley made this all happen and I was very lucky because I even got to have a private makeup lesson from her! Sarah has made quite a name for herself in the fashion and beauty industry. She has worked on fashion [...]

“Must Have” Art Supplies For Kids and Kids at Heart!

art supplies, art supplies for kids, crafting for kids, art for kids

Confession: I am a hoarder. I don’t hoard things like newspapers clippings, unicorn figurines, or model airplanes; I hoard all types of art supplies. I have so many different art supplies in my collection that I have outgrown the cabinet in our kitchen and have taken over my husband’s maximizer tool cabinet in our garage [...]

Saint Patrick’s Day Traditions & Treats

March2011 176

I’m not Irish and I really don’t like corned beef and cabbage, but who doesn’t love celebrating St. Patrick’s Day? My kids think that the idea of a little green leprechaun coming into their classroom or bedroom at night is about as good as a visit from the Easter Bunny – so I indulge them! [...]

Rainy Day Activities!

Puddle Jumping

For those of us who live in “sunny” Southern California, dealing with winter weather is somewhat foreign. My wardrobe consists of a variety of tank tops and I only want to wear boots for style, not to keep my feet dry! I have one jacket with a hood and when it is wet outside I [...]

To the Moon…And Beyond!

To the Moon...AND BEYOND!!!

Last weekend we were sitting at home having a lazy Sunday morning watching Bubble Guppies on Nick Jr. It’s the kids’ new favorite show and I secretly like it too! It meets all my mother-approved TV criteria – it has valuable educational content, it contains messages that promote positive social development and, most importantly, it’s [...]