Hosting a Pink Party

 

Last year for my birthday I made myself a Barbie doll cake. The Barbie Movie was all the rage last summer and what can I say, I'm a Barbie girl. This year we ordered a cake from a family run bakery that I frequent. But I wanted to do something for me. This summer has been all about Hazel. Our vacation to the Cape included her friends. Then she decided to apply to an arts school for theater. After several weeks of doing the application, then interview and audition, she got in. July was a busy month with a lot of focus on Hazel. Now we are in the process of figuring out financing and gathering everything she will need for dorm life. I'm sending my baby away, but I know she is ready and so am I. Therefore, I wanted to do something for me around my birthday and I haven't had much time with friends, so I thought a girls' night at home was perfect. Since pink is my favorite color, I decided to do a pink themed party. I went to Greetings Island and made an invitation. (I shared about Greetings Island here.) I downloaded the invitation and texted it to my friends. I used the Inside Flower template, and it is a free one!!

Jane Escapes to the Jungle of Individuality -- Book Review with Craft & Giveaway

 

Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am working with Jennifer Nestor and The Children's Book Review to bring you this post and giveaway. All opinions are my own.

Do you know a child who struggles to fit in? They have their own styles and perhaps are smarter than other kids. It can be very hard for them at school. I know, I have one. She often struggled to feel like she fit in or really had friends. There were times where she was bullied at almost every school she has attended. Today I get to share a book for this type of kid. It is all about accepting one's own individuality and I am sharing a craft activity to go with it. Plus, there is a giveaway at the end!! The book is Jane Escapes to the Jungle of Individuality by Jennifer Nestor and illustrated by Victoria Mikki. It is being released on July 29, 2024.

Else B. in the Sea -- Book Review & Giveaway with Under the Sea Craft Round-Up

 

Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Jeanne Walker Harvey to bring you this post and giveaway. All opinions are my own.

I love books that share about people you may not have heard of. Today I get to share a nonfiction picture book about a woman who explored colors and paints of under water to share what a scientist saw on his underwater exploration. The woman is Else Bostelmann. The book is Else B. in the Sea The Woman Who Painted the Wonders of the Deep by Jeanne Walker Harvey and illustrated by Melodie Stacey.

Anything But Pink -- a fun picture book about accepting one's own true colors

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am working with The Children's Book Review and J.C. Benthin and will receive a small stipend for this review. All opinions are my own.

What is your favorite color? Mine is pink. Would you want everything in your world to be your favorite color? I know I wouldn't. I don't even dress completely in pink ever. Today's book is about being a different color from everyone else. I will admit when I heard the title of the book, the first thought I had was of a baby girl. I remember getting a shower gift that was white with ladybugs. My friend who gave it to me said she got it so I would have something nonpink to put on my baby girl since everything for a baby girl is always pink. I figured the book would be about a girl who didn't like pink. I was very pleasantly surprised. This book is so much better than anything I was imagining. The book is Anything but Pink by J.C. Benthin and illustrated by Andy Catling. 

True Colors -- The colors of the world

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

One of the best things of a coloring book is that you can use whatever color you want for any part of the picture. You can make the sky yellow or purple. You can make a tree pink. Your creativity can go wherever you want it to go. Today I'm going to share a book about an illustrator who went a bit crazy. The book is True Colors by Gonçalo Viana. It is recommended for ages 4 to 9.

Favorite Colors--Mine is Pink! -- Activity Book Review & Fun Facts

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

What is your favorite color? It is a question we often ask children and occasionally adults. My favorite color is pink, in case you couldn't guess. It always has been pink. Growing up my favorite flavors of ice cream were strawberry and bubble gum. I still love strawberry ice cream and strawberry cake. I believe Hazel's obsession with flamingos when she was little was because they are pink. It is her favorite color as well. Today I get to share one of the books in the My Favorite Color Activity Book Series. And, yes, I get to share My Favorite Color Is Pink illustrated by Mei Støyva.

Board Book Round-Up

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for honest reviews. All opinions are my own.

Today I am sharing some six board books for through preschool. These books range in what they cover from fun stories to educational to Halloween. Plus one of our favorite bedtime stories from when Hazel was young. The first book is for babies. It is Look! Babies Head to Toe by Robie H. Harris and illustrated by Anoosha Syed. 

Picture Books Review

Disclosure: I was sent these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Do you have a child who loves picture books? Or maybe you are looking for something to spark his or her imagination this summer. I have a picture book for every child and they are full of creativity and imagination as well as other fun ideas. Our first book is An Atlas of Imaginary Places by Mia Cassany and illustrated by Ana de Lima. 

Books Involving Color and Art

Disclosure: I was sent these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Some of the links (Target ones) are affiliate links where I will receive a small percentage of any purchases made through them at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Crafty Moms Share!

I love art and want Hazel to love art. My love for art came from having an amazing elementary school art teacher. In fifth grade the special field trip was to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In order to go you had to pass a test on art and artists as well as complete a packet of projects and more. I am always looking for ways to bring art into our lives and I love doing it with books. Plus of course taking her to museums, but this is not always possible, so books at home definitely help. Today I am going to share five books that involve art or color. Some are about color and some are about art and others are based on art. All of them help you have conversations with kids about color and art. We will start with the two about color. The first is Pink Is for Boys by Robb Pearlman and illustrated by Eda Kaban. This book is coming out in June!

Author Inspired Books

Disclosure: I was sent these books free of charge in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Are you trying to get your child to read this summer? We all know about the summer slide and how much learning they lose with the two plus months off. Most schools now assign summer reading and even summer work to help stop this. Do your kids do it? I find it is important for kids to find books they want to read. They need something that inspires them and you know what--I am the same. If I cannot get into a book I will not finish it. I have always been that way. I am a slow reader and if I am going to take the time and effort to read a book, it has to be a good book. Today I am going to share some books about what inspires authors and one that is a John Keats poem presented in a new way. I hope some of these might inspire your kids to read more!!

Colored Pencil Pocket Palette & Pop of Color Colored Pencils -- A Relaxing Friday Review

Disclosure: I was sent these products to review free of charge from Quarto Books USA. All opinions in this post are my own. I did not receive any other compensation for this review. I am including links to each item for your convenience but do not receive anything if you purchase them.

I have been so busy with back to school that I haven't done a Relaxing Friday review in quite awhile!! And I have quite the collection of coloring books and supplies to review with you! Today we are focusing on colored pencils. Now I will admit these are not my favorite tool to use when coloring, but they have many benefits that markers and gel pens do not have. I was interested in seeing what Colored Pencil Pocket Palette by Jane Strother explained with using colored pencils. 

The Curious Nature Guide -- Summertime Fun Review

Be sure to check out my on-line Thirty-One Review & Party!! Get all your summer organizing essentials!!

Disclosure: I was sent this book to review free of charge from Storey Publishing. All opinions in this post are my own. I did not receive any other compensation for this review. I am including links  for your convenience but do not receive anything if you purchase from  them.

This summer I feel like all I want to do is spend time with Hazel. Perhaps it is the fact that she just completed her first year of full time school and I missed my time with her. It also helps that we have had beautiful weather so we have been getting outdoors a lot. Or perhaps it is the combination of those two things and this great book as our guide. The book is The Curious Nature Guide by Clare Walker Leslie. 

Chalk Ola Markers -- Product Review

Disclosure: ChalkOla sent me these products free of charge. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation. As always I am providing links to the book for your convenience.

I am sure by now you have noticed the chalkboard craze going on. Everywhere I look I see chalkboard products on sale. Whether it is chalkboard paint, chalkboard stickers or actual chalkboards they are everywhere. As a former teacher who hated chalkboards, I just didn't get it. When I taught with a chalk board (which wasn't most of the years I taught thankfully), my hands were so dry and messy. I hated it. I already have issues with dry skin and did not need chalk making it worse. Thankfully the invention of chalk markers has happened. My first exposure to them was at work. They are used to make signs as well as to label boxes. One of the best things about them are they require a wet cloth to clean them so the chalk does not just rub off (once it is dry). Plus the colors are great!

The Day the Crayons Came Home Book Review

Disclosure: Penguin Kids gave me a copy of these books & promotional items free of charge for this review. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation.  As in all my reviews I am providing links for your ease, but receive no compensation.
 

Poster

Have you read The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers? If you have you will be excited to know that the companion book, The Day the Crayons Came Home, is coming out next week!! If you have not been introduced to these amazingly funny books, let me tell you a bit about them.

Color Exploration: Art, Quilts, Music and Color

Congratulations to Cindy R for winning the latest giveaway!!

We have been rather busy with our color explorations. Awhile ago we discovered some fun color music. I made a CD of songs from the following CD's having to do with colors or a color. It is one of our favorites to listen to besides maybe the Frozen Soundtrack. One of the songs on it is The Purple People Eater. (We found it on the Kidz Bop Halloween Party CD.)

Since Hazel has been loving the song, I made her a purple people eater peg doll. So here is our "One-eyed, one horned, flying purple people eater."

His horn and arms are from pipe cleaners and his wings are a piece of felt with a pipe cleaner to form them. 

We also had a big adventure yesterday. We headed into Boston to go to the Museum of Fine Arts. I went to meet my mother back in April to see the Quilts and Color Exhibit. Hazel really wanted to go see it, so I took her before it ended. We have also been reading books about artists some are shared below. Hazel wanted to see some of the paintings by the artists we read about. She really wanted to see something by Pablo Picasso. She has decided her favorite artists are Pablo Picasso and Georgia O'Keeffe.

When we first got to the museum we were told to go to the customer service area and ask for an art bag for Hazel. They give you a little tote bag full of scavenger hunts, questions about artwork and a sketchpad and colored pencils. Most of the things were for exhibits we were not planning on viewing, but she loved the sketchpad and tried to sketch some of her favorite quilts. After not finding all the colors she needed she decided I should take pictures and she would sketch them at home. 

In preparation for the visit to see the quilt exhibit, we have been reading books having to do with quilts. Above are the ones we have enjoyed. We loved reading about each state in A Quilt of States by Adrienne Yorinks and fifty librarians from across the United States. Another great one that teaches some American history as well as information about quilt squares is The Quilt-Block History of Pioneer Days with Projects Kids Can Make by Mary Cobb. We have done a few of the activities in it. The first is making a paper nine-patch square. For the paper you cut out color squares from magazines. We did this at my parents and cut up two of my mother's old magazines. Hazel had so many squares and so much fun, she made three paper nine-patches.

While at my parents, my mother offered us some five-inch squares she already had cut. Hazel picked out nine and began to hand sew them together. Then she picked out another nine to sew. Neither is completely finished, but she is close. She wants to make a reversible quilt for Ducky.

For more on color and quilts, check out:

• Exploring Intermediate Colors and Shades  
• Exploring Hues and Secondary Colors 
• Color Wheel and Mixing Colors
• Color Explorations: Painting
• Luka's Quilt
• Book Inspired Painting
• A Baby Quilt
• The Colors of Us
• The Colors in Nature
• Dying Yarn with Fruit and Vegetables Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
• Outside Water Play
• Square It Up! Quilts
• Picture a Tree
• Mixing Colors
• Brown at the Zoo
• Color Experiment Pinterest Board
• Quilt Pinterest Board

Color Experiments: Exploring Shades and Intermediate Colors

Have you entered my current giveaway yet?

We continued our color experiments. This time we looked at shades of a color and the intermediate colors. We started with violet. We added blue to make blue violet, red to make red violet, white to make it lighter and black to make it darker. We also mixed some red and blue to make a violet. Our set up was simple, violet, blue, red, white and black paint, an empty plastic egg carton, brushes and paper.

We started with the violet out of the bottle. Then we had fun mixing.

The first color is what I got mixing blue and red. The second color is straight from the bottle. The third color is violet with a little blue. The fourth color is the violet with lots of blue (Hazel kept adding it). The fifth color is violet with a good amount of white. The sixth color is violet with some black. The seventh color is violet with some red. The eighth color is color four with some white. I painted this guide so we could see all the colors we created.

Hazel on the other hand started to make a picture.


For more color explorations and crafts check out:

• Exploring Hues and Secondary Colors 
• Color Wheel and Mixing Colors
• Color Explorations: Painting
• Book Inspired Painting
• The Colors of Us
• The Colors in Nature
• Luka's Quilt
• Dying Yarn with Fruit and Vegetables Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
• Outside Water Play
• Picture a Tree
• Mixing Colors
• Brown at the Zoo
• Color Experiment Pinterest Board

Color Experiments

Have you entered my current giveaway yet?

One of my goals for this summer is to do some explorations with colors. We have been having fun with this goal. The other day we pulled out some paints and eye droppers. We were going to experiment with secondary colors and hues. Then we went to our local library for their color exploration program. Here are some of the things we did.

Our set up was simple. The three primary colors and black and white paint in a plastic egg carton. Each has an eye dropper except we only could find four, so we used a medicine syringe as well. Then of course some brushes and paper. The idea was to keep track of how much of each color, but it didn't work out that way. We just kept experimenting with colors to try to get ones we liked.

I tried to make a pretty pink and teal, but was not very successful. Hazel played with greens and browns.

My painting to see colors

Then at the library we were read a book and looked at making secondary colors with color paddles and a flashlight. Then they explored how black markers are made by drawing black line on a coffee filter and putting an edge of the filter in water.

The children immediately saw blues and greens and some reds. We let them sit and at the end of the program they looked like this with reds and oranges showing.

The other experiment involved bowls of water and Skittles. You put three different color Skittles in each bowl spread apart. The colors come off of them, but do not mix unless the table is bumped or done intentionally.

After the experiment, the librarian had the kids mix up the water and add more Skittles. I like that you can see the "S" from the Skittles floating in the water. Whatever makes the "S" is lighter than the water and floats to the top.

For more color explorations and crafts check out:

• Color Wheel and Mixing Colors
• Color Explorations: Painting
• Book Inspired Painting
• The Colors of Us
• The Colors in Nature
• Luka's Quilt
• Dying Yarn with Fruit and Vegetables Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
• Outside Water Play
• Picture a Tree
• Mixing Colors
• Brown at the Zoo
• Color Experiment Pinterest Board

Color Explorations: Color Wheel, Color Mixing & More!

Our color explorations have continued. This time we used a wonderful DVD, Drawing for All: Volume 5: Exploring Colors by Tina Cintron , a great book of experiments, Color by Ellen Lawerence, and a fun musical CD, Color Wheel Cartwheel by Laura Freeman.

 

The DVD first begins with drawing a color wheel. Tina Cintron gives simple steps to make your own.You start with a circle (we traced ours) and then number the circle like a clock. Then you connect the numbers 12 and 6, 2 and 8, and 4 and 10. Then you start making the first wedge yellow, skip one and make it red and then skip one and make it blue. She explains these are the primary colors.

Next she adds the secondary colors. She does an excellent job explaining secondary as well as intermediate or tertiary colors.

Hazel and I each made one and then I made a second one to discuss the warm and cool colors only because we had previewed the DVD earlier and I knew it was coming up.

Hazel's Color Wheel

My Color Wheel

In the second color wheel, she discusses complementary colors and what makes them complementary and what it means. Then she goes into warm and cool colors. I did the writing on all the color wheels since Hazel is still learning to write and read.  She also talked about the colors mixing together to make what is called neutral grey, but what she refers to as icky brown.

She also discusses the difference between photography and light colors versus paint, pencil or crayon colors. The primary colors in lights and photography being magenta, cyan and yellow (think of your printer). If these three lights combine they make white. She also talked about a prism and the spectrum (rainbow).  Next she drew pictures with warm colors only. We attempted this picture as well. Our leaves did not look nearly as good.

Hazel's Warm Color Drawing

My Warm Color Drawing

Next she made a picture of mountains and water with only cool colors. We tried this as well.

The next day we looked at the experiments in Color by Ellen Lawrence. The first one we did was to make a rainbow by shining a flashlight through a glass of water. I did not get any pictures of this since we had trouble getting the rainbow. The next experiment was about mixing colors and I have seen it on-line recently including being shared by From ABCs to ACTs: Preschool Science: A Color Mixing Experiment at a recent Sharing Saturday.

The book said to watch closely, but Hazel did not have the patience for this. It takes quite awhile for it to happen, so we let it sit and did some more experiments. The next one involved paper towels as well. You cut a paper towel so it will fit in a baking sheet and then draw dots of color on one end. Tape the paper towel to pan and then slowly add water so it just touches the bottom of the paper towel.

The colors spread out and the ones that have multiple colors in them separate, so you can see some of the colors that make them up.

Our final experiment involved a walk outside. We had to gather leaves of different shades of green. Then we looked at the shades and tried to mix green paint with white and black to make the shade. We found we had to add yellow for some.

 
Then Hazel wanted to paint the leaves that we tried to match with the color we made. Finally she wanted to make a shades of green painting. We have a few more experiments from this book to try still, but we have been loving it. Plus we have more books with color experiments. Stay tuned!!

We have also been loving the music on Laura Freeman's Color Wheel Cartwheel CD. It includes ways to say rainbow and the colors in many different languages and then a song about each color and finally a song about the rainbow of colors. It is very fun!!

For more on color explorations, check out:

• Color Explorations: Painting
• Book Inspired Painting
• The Colors of Us
• The Colors in Nature
• Luka's Quilt
• Dying Yarn with Fruit and Vegetables Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
• Outside Water Play
• Picture a Tree
• Mixing Colors
• Brown at the Zoo
• Color Experiment Pinterest Board