Art Lesson with Kids: Unity and Variation in Painting Seashells

I've been thinking a lot about how the similarities in the things God has made help to make the world beautiful.  Diversity is an important element too, but without unifying elements, the world would be aesthetically jarring.  

The kids and I were looking at seashells the other day...noticing how pretty they look together.  We talked about the ways they are different, but also the things that they have in common that make them look like they belong together.

3 Tips to Help You Save Money Gardening

I'm so excited to be sharing some of our best tips for gardening at my real-life friend Sarah's blog today! Sarah's blog The Orthodox Mama is fairly new, but already I've found some terrific book suggestions and life tips from her!  

Here's an excerpt from my guest post:

For the last eight years I have planted a garden, very excited about all the money I hoped to save by growing my food instead of buying it.  I’m a little embarrassed to admit though that at the beginning, not only did I not save money but I actually paid quite a bit for the privilege of gardening!

 Definitely,  gardening is about more than the money.  The time outdoors and experiences with my kids are worth a lot, but it’s nice when the garden contributes to our family in financial ways as well.  I’m still learning as I go, but I can now happily say that our garden is a help to our budget instead of a drain.

Here are three things I have learned that have changed my approach and made a big difference.

Read More Here>>

Succulents in Seashells: Kid's Craft

I never used to care much for succulents.  Deciduous leaves and lots of flowers just seemed more alive.  Ever since moving to drought-ridden Texas though, where dry weather plants reign, succulents have really grown on me. 

 Or maybe it's just because they have become trendy, and I'm more of malleable to popular opinion than I like to think.  

At any rate, they really are great, aren't they?  So many textures. So many fun names.  (baby toes!) So un-plant-like sometimes.  Not to mention the fact that they're adorably juicy...it makes you just want to squeeze their little leaves!  

Make Homemade Paper with Party Streamers

If your party storage bin is anything like mine, it includes a few crepe paper rolls that have gotten..ahem...a bit out of hand.

One glance at that sprawling monster with it's gnarly, multi-colored arms is enough to kill the party spirit in me every time.  I swear it must actually move around in the box between birthdays.  And of course, if any of that crumpled crepe paper actually made its way to my walls and ceilings for a party, it would likely make the poor, celebrated child weep at the bedraggled sight of it.

Best just to throw it all away, right?

Well, actually...not so fast.  Here's a terrific use for that colorful, fluffy mess.

Eliza's Cherry Trees: a Cotton Candy Craft

If you've ever been captivated by a flowering tree in the spring or wondered how the cherry trees ended up in Washinton D.C. you should run to go find this wonderful book.

Front and Back Photo Bookmarks

Mother's Day Card: Floating Hearts and Kisses

Outdoor Sightwords Activity: Dumptruck!

This is my third time to teach a child to read, and I still love it.  I love getting to be there when a child has that whole new world of literacy opened up to him.  But that's not to say it doesn't get tedious...a lot.

And of course, if it is tedious for me...how much more for a squirmbunctious little boy!  Here's one of the activities we've done lately to mix things up a little. It was a big hit!

Easter Transformation Tree

I've often thought that I would like to take more opportunity to prepare for Easter.  This year, I planned a project for my family that had the added benefit of allowing me to meditate on the truths of Easter in an artful way. 

(as a side note, I think having children is one of the best things that can happen to someone who loves to do art but isn't very skillful at it.  You don't have to produce masterpieces...just something good enough for you and your children to enjoy...it's so freeing!)

My project started a couple of months before Easter.  As I read the Bible each morning, I deliberately looked for phrases in three categories and jotted them down in my journal: 

Favorite Homeschool Resources

Oh my!  It has been a long time since I've written a post.  Mostly that's because  I have finally waded into the thick of homeschooling. I'm finding it's a murky (but delightful) bog...there's always more to do.  I know some people do a great job juggling homeschool life with blogging, but that's definitely not me yet.  

Doily Heart Stencil T-Shirts

I saw this Valentine's Day kids craft idea last year in Family Fun magazine, but we didn't get around to it in time.  That turned out for the best though because this year the girls had an opportunity to do it with their grandmother, and now they all have coordinating shirts they can wear together on Valentine's Day.
Here are some tips we found for making this project go smoothly with kids:

Heart Shaped Granola Bars {Healthy Valentines Treats}

You know what I recommend?  Trial runs for homemade Valentines Day treats!  Ha ha...why not- right?  We did that the other day with these heart-shaped granola bars as I wasn't sure how granola dough would work with cookie cutters.  I'm happy to report that it works just fine (said through tasty granola crumbs).

I vote for making these above actual heart-shaped sugar cookies for the following reasons:

Silhouettes on a Hill {Photo Tutorial}

I was able to make this grandparent gift last year  by accident, but I've since realized that the process is completely reproduce-able.  And who doesn't like silhouettes of children?  Especially children playing?

Here's what you do: