Sewing Station Organization (she: Lisa)
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Sewing Station Organization (she: Lisa)

ByMariel

I recently moved into this really cool loft apartment and I’m now looking for all kinds of fun ideas on how to make my workspace prettier and organize my slightly chaotic sewing station (yes I have to admit it, there is yarn everywhere, spools of thread just leisurely laying around or crammed into their little boxes and all other essentials are probably in another box somewhere in that box chaos).

I love for my workspace to be a place of inspiration and not just a nice collection of small boxes so I came up with an easy solution for sewing station chaos and created a fun make over. It’s simple and easy, a quick DIY.

Educational BINGO ~ The Kids BEG to Play!
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Educational BINGO ~ The Kids BEG to Play!

ByMariel

I know school is almost over for most of you, and although I intended this activity to be for homeschool, I can see us playing it all year long. It’s nothing fancy, just BINGO…awesome BINGO. I’ve always got my eye out for really great educational products for kids, and while browsing the daily Zulily deals, I saw these really neat BINGO sets for half off. They’re from Lucy Hammett Games and each set is based around a certain theme, like: birds, weather, wildflowers, oceans, body, butterfly, art, and soooo many more! You play it like you would any other BINGO game, but the kids are actually learning with these. Yay! Not only can they learn from the pictures alone, but on the back of each card is a little description/facts about what is on front.

The first time we played, we used jelly beans as the markers. Mistake. Nobody could keep them on the board and out of their mouths!

The Humble Chair ~ Building Kid’s Self-Esteem (she: Veronica)
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The Humble Chair ~ Building Kid’s Self-Esteem (she: Veronica)

ByVeronica

Recently, we’ve had some kids struggle with a few different things. They haven’t been major things, but to THEM, they have felt HUGE. I’ve watched as these struggles have worn away at their self worth. I started looking at each of my children and realized that there are many things that tend to whittle away at their feelings of worth and value. So, I decided it was time to do “The Humble Chair”.

WHAT is the “Humble Chair”?

It’s a simple activity that allows you to focus on building someone up.

Slow Cooker Ranch Pork Chops and Potatoes by www.whatscookingwithruthie.com
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Slow Cooker Ranch Pork Chops and Potatoes (she: Ruthie)

Byruthie

Hi again… it’s Ruthie from Whats Cooking with Ruthie and I’m so glad to be here again to share another fabulous recipe with you! I just started back to College last week- yes, I know that’s pretty brave, but I love it so far and I’m really looking forward to starting Culinary School this fall 🙂 Anyways, with a hectic schedule comes the need for some good tasting Crock Pot meals that are ready when we all walk in the door. This recipe for Slow Cooker Ranch Pork Chops and Potatoes is perfect, just for that!

Chocolate Raspberry Ricotta Muffins (she: Kate)
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Chocolate Raspberry Ricotta Muffins (she: Kate)

Bykate

Every year, I get so excited when the summer fruit starts to come in. There isn’t much that’s better than fresh berries. Except for fresh berries and chocolate. For breakfast. And the best part is that they have no butter or oil in them (so please don’t use fat-free ricotta, or you’ll end up with tough little muffins).

Children & The Comparing Syndrome ~ “I Can…” Can (she: Brooke)

Children & The Comparing Syndrome ~ “I Can…” Can (she: Brooke)

ByBrooke

Right now the big issue I’m dealing with at our house is the comparing/competition syndrome. I have twins, and it’s probably something I’ll constantly be dealing with with these two boys. They are best buddies, and get along amazingly well, but there are those moments. All you mothers out there know these moments. Moments when one of your twins (or any child) scores three goals at Saturday’s soccer game, and the other scores none. Moments when one twin notices the letter (reading level) on the back of brother’s home reading book is higher than his. Moments when one twin gets invited to play at a friend’s house and the other doesn’t. Moments when the younger (not quite 5) cousin from out of state comes to visit and can read chapter books when your kindergarten twins can’t. I could go on and on, but I’m sure you get the idea.

A few months ago I was at my parents’ house and ran across a little book that had simple ideas for nurturing your child’s self esteem. There was an idea in the book I loved. It was called the “I Can…” Can. It’s as easy as it’s name suggests.

Lemon Ricotta Gems (she: Jana)
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Lemon Ricotta Gems (she: Jana)

ByJana

It’s the 10th of the month! Guess what that means!?!? I’ll tell you, it’s pretty fun… Each month on the 10th, TEN of my creative friends will will share a project on their blog around the same theme. You can hop to their blogs to see what they created and save their projects after viewing mine. Pin this collage below, and make sure you come back on the 10th each month! In May, the theme is CITRUS.

These little “gems” are worth their weight in gold (or a few pounds on the scale, at least!) Even though I’m on this diet I talked about last month I just had to taste these cookies to make sure they were good enough to share…well, they most definitely are!! So much so, I have to confess I think I ate 7 of them. I just couldn’t stop. I’m weak. Very weak.

Don’t be hesitant about this recipe because of the ricotta. It makes the cookies soft and delicious…trust me, I would never lead you astray! And once the glaze hardens, they are perfect for packing up and taking to a friend, neighbor or teacher. Just think how these would brighten someones day!

Come check out the recipe and all the other creative CITRUS ideas!

DIY Glass Vase Cover ~ Spruce Up That Mother’s Day Vase! (she: Amy)
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DIY Glass Vase Cover ~ Spruce Up That Mother’s Day Vase! (she: Amy)

ByAmy of while wearing heels

A blogger girl by heart, I feel as if I was just invited to the grown-up table for Thanksgiving dinner, by sharing my latest post on “Or so she says…”, after Mariel’s successful migration to WordPress.

So, wearing my finest heels, I proudly share my latest DIY with all of you. With Mother’s Day a few days away, whether on the giving end of the receiving end of flowers, this quick and easy project will make any bouquet of flowers even more beautiful.

Come check it out!

Family Gathering Vacations – THE Travel Trend for 2013 (she: Kim)

Family Gathering Vacations – THE Travel Trend for 2013 (she: Kim)

ByKimberly w/Get Away Today

It’s hard to imagine, but summer is right around the corner. With the season, a lot of things come to mind, but let’s not forget the most important – family vacation! I firmly believe that the most fun way to strengthen a family is through vacationing together. Luckily, I’m not the only one who thinks so. In fact, one of the hottest travel trends of 2013 is what’s coming to be known as family gathering vacations.

When I say family gathering vacations, I’m not talking about traditional family reunions where you have over 100 people and can’t possibly connect with everyone—although those can be fun too. Family gathering vacations are right in between the extended family reunion and a standard family vacation, where just grandparents, their adult children and their kids (the grandchildren), or similar family groupings get together for an unforgettable vacation together.
My husband and I have been lucky enough to do a few of these vacations with both sides of our families and I can honestly say that everything is more fun with the ones you love – especially vacations! We have made so many memories that we simply wouldn’t have made otherwise. But, perfect family gatherings don’t just happen. Since Get Away Today is an expert on family vacations, I’ve compiled our best travel tips for planning a successful, stress-free family gathering vacation: