Kiwi Crate- crafts delivered to your door

http://www.kiwicrate.com/

This is such a great idea! Instead of going overboard buying the Christmas gifts this year we simplified. The kids got a pair of shoes, books, and one dress-up outfit each.

Then we decided to get the Kiwi Crate - craft projects delivered to your door each month. We have received two months and the kids have loved them! Both boxes come with enough supplies for both kids (an option we added on) and each box has two projects. Last months theme was "Family Game Night' with a board game, they colored and put together (we weren't very good at playing, but had fun creating!) The second was ring toss- That was a BIG winner! This month is "Playful Pets". Create a "pompom" pet (they loved this) then build a playground for it - we haven't done this part yet. So far the projects have needed a lot of parent help, (cutting, gluing or taping things together so that they stay and work) but I love helping and watching them be creative! And they LOVE doing the projects, too!

It's a little expensive upfront, but we used Christmas gift money to help pay for it and love that we don't have to hunt around the house or at a store for all the pieces needed to do the crafts. 

She's Crafty!

http://seevanessacraft.com/2011/02/diy-tutorial-felt-ruffle-wreath-2/

So I stumbled upon a SUPER cute wreath on Pinterest in Sept or so, site crashed, couldn't pin it. No biggie, I thought, I can find it again- WRONG! I still haven't found it, but I found one close. The wreath in the pic above is made with 3 inch circles which makes for a tighter more ruffled look. I wanted the smushed together calla lily look. So I bought all the stuff (way too much) and got started...in Nov. Today I busted out the supplies and knocked out the remaining majority in 30 min- seriously! I used 5 1/2 in circles and think it turned out really cute!

Miracle Laundry Cleaner

http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2011/11/goodbye-to-yellow-armpit-stains.html

I tried this months ago on the hubs under shirts, after trying Oxy Clean and even bleach (EEK!) on the underarms of the shirts and nothing worked, this did!!!

I mixed the cleaner just like suggested (1 part blue dawn to 2 parts Hydrogen peroxide) in a spray bottle. For the hubs shirts:
1- sprayed the cleaner on
2- sprinkled on a little baking soda, and scrub, scrub, scrubbed with a short bristled laundry brush
3- walked away and let it sit (about an hour),
4- laundered as usual
RESULT:  AMAZING- they weren't 100% white, but they were close enough!!!

***WARNING*** this cleaner does have a strong smell and caused me to get a little dry cough in the back of my throat. However, I love it anyway! I keep some made up to spray on stains on anyone's clothes that need it! I have used it on a ton of my kids clothes (light and dark colors) and have not seen any bleaching or fading, but I can't promise that it won't discolor or bleach- you have been forewarned :)

For the kids clothes I just spray on the stain give it a little scrub then wash. I do check the stain before drying to see if it needs another round, but it usually doesn't.

Cleaning Machine- glass cleaner

http://www.crunchybetty.com/battle-of-the-homemade-glass-cleaners

Alvin Corn Homemade Glass Cleaner

• 1/4 c. rubbing alcohol
• 1/4 c. white vinegar
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 2 c. warm water

All I have to say it watch out for the glass doors at our house! They are so clean you'll walk right into them!!! Smells clean and fresh. It cut through the sticky hand-prints and whatever goop two little toddlers leave behind.