DIY Valentine's Day Glitter Crayons

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Hi, my name is Sara, and I'm addicted to crayons.

Two years ago, my mother gifted me a 64-pack of Crayola crayons in my stocking. I still hoard them in my dresser, don't allow my children to touch them, and open them to smell their crayon-y goodness after a long day. Few things in this world are as pure and delightful as a box of brand new pointy crayons. Who wants to give me an "amen sister"?

Okay, so now that we've established that I have an unnatural love for school supplies, I'm going to show you how to make your own homemade heart shaped crayons. Because it's Valentine's Day. Who doesn't want heart shaped crayons for Valentine's Day?? And, they're super duper easy.

You only need two things. A heart shaped silicone mold and crayons. The heart shaped mold was at Michael's for $9.99, but I found a 50% off coupon, so it was only $4.99. The crayon bag is filled with all the broken/partially melted/restaurant freebie/Dollar Store crayons I hold onto for this very reason.

First thing you want to do is heat your oven to 325 degrees. Then, sort out your crayons. For this project, I used all shades of red, pink, purple, and white.

Next, you have to get those pesky little papers off. Either you can be smart and use a knife to slice the papers off, or you can be like me. It's possible I have purple crayon permanently lodged under my fingernail. It was a labor of love. How fitting.

Once all the pesky papers are off, snap your crayons into pieces and place inside the molds randomly.

Now comes the glitter. Glitter, glitter everywhere, on my floor and in my hair. True Story. Sprinkle your desired color (or colors) onto the broken crayon pieces. Tater chose the glitter, and she chose pink, purple, silver, white, and red.

Now, it's time to melt these babies! Stick them into the 325 degree oven (put the mold on a cookie sheet so it doesn't bend on the rack and give you uneven crayons), and allow to melt, about 15 minutes.

After about 15 minutes, they'll look like this...hot liquid.

Pull the cookie sheet with the mold on top out of the oven and let sit, undisturbed, until completely cool. This is crucial! Completely cooled I tell you...you can't rush love.

Or else you'll end up with a broken heart

So please, for the love of the crayons, don't release them from their heart shaped home until they're completely cooled. It should take about an hour.

Slip them out of the molds once cooled, and feel the love.

These are going to make a great Valentine's treat for Tater's friends. If she weren't homeschooled, I would totally make them for her class instead of giving candy. I'd tape them to pink card stock and write something witty like:

"I'm drawn to be your Valentine"
                                  
                                     OR
"I'm Cray-zy for you"
                                   
                                      OR
"You're Crayontastic"

So, that's it. That's how you make crayons...Cray-zy easy, right? (Sorry, couldn't resist.) Think of the possibilities for other holidays (I have a Christmas tree mold for Christmas, and a Star mold for 4th of July), and inexpensive party favors...you may become a crayon addict too. Not that that's a bad thing, though...

Non-Clutter Ideas for Stocking Stuffers

I love Christmas. It's possible that Christmas music begins at or around Halloween in my home. I love the Christmas cookies, the Christmas trees, and the family time we spend together to make precious memories. One thing I do not, however, love about Christmas, is the clutter.

I don't mind the kitschy clutter of Christmas joy...the glittery everything, the tinsely everything, the snowman candle that has been sitting on top of our fireplace since December 2011...but there's one kind of clutter that makes my skin crawl. The Stocking Clutter.

Stockings are one of my family's favorite tradition, and it seems to be more about quantity than quality for the kids, but after a few years of sticking 90% of stocking stuffers into the junk toy bin the day after Christmas, I decided to take a hard look at how I could save money by not buying junk, but still make stockings fun and enjoyable.

1. Give Experiences
-We try to give our children experience gifts when we can, such as Zoo Passes or amusement park tickets, and you can use the same principle, obviously scaled down, for stockings. These can be some of the most meaningful, yet inexpensive gifts you can give. Some ideas:

• A sprinkle shaker, with a homemade coupon for making and decorating cookies together.
• A homemade coupon book, including such privileges as staying up 30 minutes past bedtime, or going out for ice cream, or having a family game night.
• An inexpensive DVD (Target often has family/children's movies for under $5) and your child's favorite sweet treat with a plan to have a family movie night. 

2. Useful Doesn't Have To Be Boring
-I know, I know. You're going to read: "give socks" and immediately go to the next idea. But, useful and practical gifts don't have to be depressing. And you'll save yourself some money buying something you'd probably have to buy anyway.

• Fuzzy, cozy socks in fun colors (slipper socks are always a hit)
• A toothbrush in a fun color/shape/size
• Band-Aids with your child's favorite character
• Brightly colored hair clips or hair ties
• A hat, scarf, or mittens
• A flashlight (kids love flashlights, and they're always good to have on hand in case of emergency!)
• School supplies (maybe something you picked up for free with coupons during school supply season.)
• A festive holiday plate, cup or utensils
• Books

3. Consumable Gifts
 -Food is always fun for little ones to get in their stockings. At least mine. Junior's nickname is "Beast" for a reason. The boy can eat! His whole stocking will probably be snacks this year.

• Sweet treats your child doesn't normally get
• Mini cereal boxes for breakfasts
• Fruit with a hard peel such as an orange or tangerine
• Art and Craft supplies (considered consumable since they get used pretty quickly!)
• Hot cocoa packets
• Fruit snacks or other favorite snack items

4. Moderation is Key
-I still like a add a couple silly little toys, such as a mini My Little Pony figurine for my daughter or a Hot Wheels car for my son, or a little light up ball or wands, but those are the exception rather than the rule. And, since there are only a few, it makes the clutter more tolerable.

Tell Me!
What kind of stocking stuffers do you like to add? How do you manage the clutter?

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Art Project--Paper Easter Eggs

My daughter and I decorated foam Easter Eggs last year, but I had forgotten about it until I saw this post from Motherhood On a Dime the other day. This project is kind of made up from a bunch of scrap art supplies, which makes it even easier!

First, clean off the art table. Optional, but recommended. Especially if having things all cattywampus stresses you out. But, it may not. I'll leave my organizational issues at the door...

Ahhh, much better. (We won't discuss the paint that won't come off the tablecloth.) You can use any supplies you want for this project. I have foam Easter Egg cutouts, but you can use construction paper instead of the foam. Just cut out an egg shape. We also used glitter (glitter makes me happy), tissue paper squares, pom-poms. and sequins.

Put the glue and all the decorations out and let your kids do their thing. My daughter started out with the colored tissue paper squares.

Then she moved on to sequins.

The floor didn't look nearly as messy as I thought it would. My baby is growing up. (Sniffle, sniffle.)

After a couple healthy doses of glitter, here are the finished products. Mine is on the left. I once got a "C" in art. How on earth does one get a "C" in art? But, then again, how does a 20 year old receive a "B" in a course that included using 3-D glasses and foam puzzle pieces? So much for celebrating creativity. Pshawwww.

Anyway, I love this project because it's kind of like the "Leftover Night" of art projects. You can use whatever you have on hand to decorate, and it's fun and easy. And tell me, what better combination is there on earth that fun, easy, and glittery? (Hint: The answer is NONE!)

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Saving Money During the Holidays...Online Shopping

When searching for the best deals on that perfect gift, the internet seems to muddle things a little. It is sometimes hard to determine whether nearby stores or online merchants have the best price, when taking into account shipping vs. gas costs, tax, and possible impulse buys at local stores. (I'm notorious for going into Target for one thing and come out with three bags!)

Shopping via internet has several major benefits that shopping at physical stores do not: you can compare prices from hundreds of vendors, find online exclusive coupons, and even get cash back for your purchases!

On the other hand, online shopping doesn't have the same charm as going into the stores and hearing Christmas music, you often have to take into account shipping prices, and it can be harder to "browse" online than in the stores.

Should you decide to do some or all of your holiday shopping online, here are some tips and sites I like to use.

Ebates. Before you shop, check out Ebates. Ebates has partnered with over 1200 retailers to provide you cash back when you click through their site. of In two years of purchasing normal items and Christmas items online, I have received almost $500 cash back in the form of a check every three months. In addition, Ebates will credit your account with a $5 bonus if you are new to sign-up and make a purchase. My husband loves receiving photo books and photo calendars of our family as Christmas gifts, and right now Ebates is offering 20% cash back for all your purchases on Snapfish!

Retailmenot. Retailmenot.com is a wonderful site that lists every active coupon code for over 130,000 online stores! When you are ready to purchase, simply go to Retailmenot and type in the store you are shopping at. They will list all active coupons for that store, including a "Success Rate" for each coupon code.

FreeShipping. FreeShipping.org is a great site, which I found through Consumer Reports, that provides coupon codes for free shipping at almost 4,000 online stores.

Shopzilla. If you know what you're looking for, you will want to comparison shop to make sure you are getting the best possible price. Shopzilla is a reputable site that will compare identical items at many different online retailers.

What are your best online shopping tips?

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