One of my goals is to get back to doing some crafts and nonreview posts. With all the stay at home orders and trying to flatten the curve it seems like the perfect time to do these kind of posts. We are all staying at our home. Many times a day the three of us are on our separate technology (my laptop, Steve's desktop or work laptop and Hazel's iPad) or on separate phone calls. I have been working on bringing some organization to my craft room with the hope of being able to actually use it for our crafts rather than just for storage. I am also really getting rid of craft supplies that we know we won't use. Hazel has outgrown so many that we never got to. I also have been making face masks. I donated about 40 of them to local hospitals. Now I'm making them for family and friends. I keep adjusting my pattern. Let me know if you would like me to share with you what I am doing. I know there are so many tutorials out there I wasn't going to unless someone asks. I have combined several things I have seen and have worked out what I think works the best. I am also sewing buttons on 2-inch and 3-inch pieces of ribbons for the healthcare workers. Apparently some of them are having issues with the elastics bothering their ears since they have to wear them so long now. It is an easy thing to make and a great way to give back. Have you found ways to give back and support the people going to work to support us? I would love to hear them. Hazel has one hour a day of lessons with her teacher and classmates using Google Classroom. Then she has her work to do and turn in. Her art teacher assigns a new project every week as well. The one due this week was to make two different watercolor resists. I thought it would be fun to do my own while she was doing hers and fun to share with you as an activity you can do with your kids. The teacher sent the kids videos of the two techniques and they had to make under the sea paintings using the techniques. To make all of them you need crayons and watercolors with a jar of water and various brushes as well as preferably watercolor paper (however printer paper will work). One of mine I also used salt.
Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book and the various packs of origami paper in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Yesterday I shared various chapter books for different ages (7-young adult). I saved this book to be in its own post for several reasons. First it is a true story. Second part of the story reminds me of what we are facing today. I felt I wanted to do more with this book than just review it. It has paper cranes in the title and provides a tutorial at the end of the book to make your own paper cranes. I figured I had to pull out the piles of origami paper I have and start making some cranes. While I sat there making the cranes I realized this was something families could do together. I'll explain more at the end of the post. The book is The Complete Story of Sadako Sasaki and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Sue DiCicco and Mashairo Sasaki (Sadako's brother). It is recommended for ages 7 to 12.
Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for honest reviews. All opinions are my own. How are you surviving this self-isolation/quarantine? How are your kids surviving? One thing that Hazel and I have been enjoying is reading. I decided it is time to finally share the stack of chapter books (or at least most of them) that I have on my review shelf. I'm hoping you might find something for your kids to read while stuck at home! We will go somewhat by age. The first book is for the younger chapter book reader. The suggested ages are 7-10 but I would say this series is good for 6-8. We reviewed the other two books in the Fairy Mom and Me Series previously.
Disclosure: I was sent the first chapter to reveal to you and read. All opinions are my own. So last year we got to share The Startup Squad by Brian Weisfeld and Nicole C. Kear. We loved this book about a group of four girls who were trying to start a lemonade business as a class project. They had to find ways to work together and put aside their differences to be successful. Well the sequel is due out on May 5th. It is Face the Music. We cannot wait to get our hands on it. However today we get to share with you the first chapter! (Yes, you can read it for yourself with that last link!) The sequel picks up with the same four lovable girls. Each of these girls have distinct personalities and their friendships have grown. Didi, Resa and Amelia cannot wait to share the big news with Harriet and expect a big Harriet-ish reaction but when they do not get it, they want to know why. Harriet explains to them her brothers' band, the Skinks, broke up and says it is her fault. Then the chapter ends. Now the Skinks played a role in The Startup Squad, so the reader of the first book knows they are a good band. The first chapter leaves the reader wanting to know what happened and what will happen. I personally cannot wait to read the sequel. I hope you will check it out!
Disclosure: I was sent this canvas for no charge in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. COVID-19 is scary. This week someone I knew died and his wife doesn't know because she is in the hospital fighting the disease as well. There is so much information and misinformation floating around and it can be hard to know what to believe and what not to. I keep turning to my faith to reassure me. But I also keep my family close. I also have been trying to focus on happier times. Hazel had a week off in February from school and the only thing she wanted for Christmas and her birthday was a family trip to Disney World. We went and had a wonderful family vacation. We spent two days going to the parks--Magic Kingdom and Epcot and two days by the pool and shopping. We stay at a wonderful time share down there that has a full kitchen and laundry facilities right in the unit. It is in Kissimmee so it is away from the park craze. Within a couple weeks of our return we were changing Hazel's school and going into social distancing. Plus I had to buy a new car in the mix. Talk about crazy!! Well now I want to hold on to our happy memories of our family trip and I was offered a product from Photowall. After talking it over with Steve and Hazel we decided to let Hazel pick a photo to make into a canvas. I liked the idea of a wall mural but didn't think Steve would go for it and Hazel thought it would be too much. We decided to upload our own photo for a canvas. After going back and forth between photos she decided on this one of her with Aurora (Sleeping Beauty). We uploaded it and chose a Photowall Canvas.
