Grand Opening THIS Weekend!

Hello! Sorry for the blog silence. So much has been going on, but I have to share some exciting news. If you haven't already heard, Unglued is opening a bigger and permanent location in Sioux Falls SD! Their pop up shop in November and December went so well that they decided to run two locations full time, in Fargo, ND and now SD! Yay! This will be a great spot to find unique handmade gifts for family and friends all year round and they also offer several fun workshops. Be sure to check out Unglued on facebook for more updates and information on future workshops as well as the fun they have planned for their Grand Opening!

In other news, our daughter decided to take a creative venture selling her artwork. Her dad and her made the stand last fall and she decided to get it out last weekend.

How has it gone? She loves it and wants to be open 6 days a week! She's enjoying telling people she has a job.

She's been doing pretty good with it too. She even thinks I should serve her food out at the stand because she doesn't want to miss a customer. Maybe when she is bigger she will run a creative business like Unglued... will be fun to see what she comes up with! :)

And a sidenote~ thank you to those who have mentioned they like reading my health/food posts. I promise I will eventually get back to sharing a lot more on those topics. I currently have about a month left on my strict Candida cleanse/detox. So excited about the health improvements I have seen so far and I look forward to seeing even more and then sharing my journey with you!

Have a wonderful weekend! God Bless!

Outdoor Fun

A little fun we've been having lately...

What age doesn't like to fly kites?!?

Kaelyn is so excited for the kite festival that is coming up in June. Hopefully the weather will be good for it.

With Kaelyn out of school for the summer she was able to go with me to my doctor's appointment. We made a mother/daughter date out of the day and it was so much fun. We both love being out in nature...

She got into posing! Ha, ha!

Such a peaceful place to be. ♥

Oh and I wanted to mention, these are such fun outings that require very little to no money. Kites ~ a dollar each, nature hike ~ free, fun time spent with the kiddo ~ priceless!

Hope your week has been off to a good start.

Friday Fun {keeping kids busy}

Happy Friday! I don't know how another week flew by so quick. Before I get going on another project I wanted to share a picture of the mixed media K and I created this week. We started doing an art day once a week. Kaelyn has a night of painting with her dad and part of an afternoon of creating a mixed media with me. On this one she came up with the scene she wanted to create (inspired by one of her books). The idea was to take turns drawing different parts, but she was so excited she took over most of it. :)
It's definitely a fun project to do with a kiddo. Start drawing/painting something and have them finish it. I look forward to seeing all the creations that will be made. A book might have to be made at the end of the year.

Hope you have a fun weekend!

Keeping Kids Busy {gift idea}

Animal doodle activity cards are awesome for keeping kids entertained! I love projects that push their creative imagination. Kaelyn got these doodle cards for her birthday and we love them so much I thought I'd share them with you in case you are looking for a fun, creative gift for a kiddo. There are 50 wipe-clean cards (activity on front and back) with pen.

 

I found that you can get them through Usborne Books & More or even on Amazon.

The Usborne site says they are for children ages 6 and up, but I would say

they are great for 4 and 5 yr olds as well.

 

Do you have a kid favorite activity that doesn't involve electronics?

I would love to hear about it.

Handmade Toys Part 1

Being a work from home mom is even more challenging when you have kid(s) at home. Keeping them entertained while you are working can be quite a job on its own. In our household we aren't big on TV shows/video games. We do not have cable... one because it is an unnecessary cost and two we keep plenty busy with other jobs that we don't have time for it. We also like to have our daughter use her imagination as much as possible with creative play. I must admit, some days it is easier to let her sit in front of PBS watching kid shows or pop in a movie. But I've noticed the more TV she watches the worse her attitude is which equals an unhappy mama. So I sometimes have to be creative on keeping her busy with other toys and crafts. Luckily my mom kept a few of my favorite toys I had when I was a small child and passed them on to me when I had my daughter. Here is one...

Meet the bunny family. Made out of felt, fabric and thread. My aunt/godmother Colleen made this set for me some 30+ years ago and it is still in great condition! I loved playing with it and now K gets to enjoy it as well. Such a treasure!
The details are amazing! To get an idea for size, the mama bunny measures 6 inches from the tip of her hear to the bottom of her foot. The small twin babies are 2.5 inches tall. So not very big. The dresses on the mom and daughter can be taken off.

The bunny family has plenty of room to live in the carrot which makes for easy travel. Great for car rides and in church.

I hope this handmade treasure will last for several more decades to come! :)

I would love to hear what your favorite childhood toy was.