Toddler Tupperware and Ball painting

This past weekend, Hubby, Chuck, and I spent a lot of time in the apartment.  To help pass the time, we read lots of books, played lots of games, watched lots of movies, and did a lot of painting. 

This week I thought I'd share four different ways that we painted with Chuck

(Who knows?  Maybe these posts will come in handy if you're ever stuck at home with a toddler too...)

Today we'll start off with method 1:  Tupperware and ball painting 

Materials:
- Tupperware
- Piece of paper cut to fit inside the Tupperware
- Masking tape
- Tempera paint
- Small ball 

Directions:
1.  Tape your piece of paper onto the bottom of the Tupperware
2.  Drip drops of paint inside of your container
3.  Add a ball into the container
4.  Close the lid
5.  Shake your container!

6.  That's it!  Open your container and reveal your toddler's Jackson Pollock-esque work of art.

I definitely give this activity a thumbs up.  It wasn't very messy (hooray!) and Chuck enjoyed squeezing the paint and shaking the container.  (Personally, I found shaking the container to be very therapeutic.)

Happy toddler crafting!

Using crafts to encourage others: A look at a Crafting Ezine

It shouldn't come as a shock to you... but I love crafting.

Oy.  How I love crafting.

I love making stuff and I love the idea that my stuff can bring a small smile to other peoples' faces. 

And that's why I'm super thankful that talented bloggers Amy (AmySullivan1) and Lisa (AboutProximity) included my galaxy umbrella in the first issue of their new ezine, Impact.  This is a quarterly magazine that will focus on different ways that we can positively influence others' lives.

Their first issue shares some great ideas for encouraging others through crafts.  You can check it out below!

(Ooh.. those cute winter gloves and foot scrub recipes are calling my name.  Happy crafting and have a great weekend.)

Note:  If you're having problems viewing the embedded magazine, you can also click here too.

Perler Bead Safety Pin Bracelet

And so the Perler bead craze continues!

(You know how they have "Shark Week" on tv?   Maybe I should have called this "Perler Week..."  Hmm...)

Last night while watching tv, I strung a whole bunch of black and white Perler beads onto some safety pins.  Why?  Well, because I wanted to make this bracelet...

The black and white design makes it quite graphic, the Perler beads make it fun, and the silver safety pin bits make it a bit edgy.  When I wear it, I imagine that I'm a hip preschool teacher going out to a club.  (Wow.  I really need to get out more....)

Perler Bead Statement Necklace

Yes.  I'm still on a Perler Bead kick.  I'm sorry.  I can't help it.  I'm the kind of person that likes to finish things off... and so far I've been thwarted from doing just that.  Boo.  Even after all this crafting, I still have like a billion beads left.

A billion!  Ack!  What do people do with all these beads anyway?

So today I'm going to share how I made this statement necklace using Perler beads.  But, full disclaimer here... honestly, I'm on the fence over the results.  Cute?  Or kind of crappy?  I'll let you decide....

Materials:
- 1/8" wide ribbon, cut at 72 inches
- Scissors
- Masking Tape
- Perler beads
- Ruler

What's up, Chuck?

How was your weekend?  Ours flew by way too quickly. A college friend came up from Maryland to visit us.  We hung out at home on Friday and Sunday, but on Saturday I put on my non-mommy clothes and explored Manhattan with her.

Ooh la la.  I felt like I was in college again.  It was so nice having her around....
 and I miss her a whole bunch already. 

Here are some photos from our weekend:

Chuck and I attended a friend's birthday party.  As you can see, he kept the party going as we walked home.

My friend's a pretty good storyteller....

and artistic to boot.  (Can you believe that she doodled this shirt freehand with fabric markers? Whoa.)

We tried Xi'an Famous Foods' hand-pulled noodles... Yummy oxtail...

and watched a Broadway show...

 and toured Soho (which, by the way, is really just way too glamorous for me....)

I also found out that Topshop teamed up with Project CANVAS to raise funds for art programs in the city.  If you're interested in supporting art programs (and getting a pair of one-of-a-kind kicks), visit Topshop's Soho store.  Local artists will personally decorate your purchased shoes until 8/8.

Happy Monday!