Last night on my way home from work I hit the local Walmart for Easter props for my Etsy shop photo's.
As I was meandering through the fake grass and plastic egg aisle (BTW they have a great choice of eggs...spotty, floral, animal print, tie dye etc etc) I overheard a conversation between a little boy, probably no older than 5 or 6 years old and his parents that stopped me in my tracks....it went a little something like this...
Mum: "Who hit you?"
Boy: "A boy in my class"
Mum: "Why did he hit you?"
Boy: "I don't know"
Mum: "Did you hit him back?"
Boy: "No"
Mum: "Why didn't you hit him back? Didn't Daddy and I tell you if someone hits you, you hit them back"
Boy: "But the teacher said we are not allowed to hit, it's not nice"
Mum: "Well I'm going to have to have a word with your teacher, if someone hit's you, you hit them right back do you understand? If someone loves you they don't hit you do they?
Boy: "No"
It was a conversation the poor boy couldn't win. I have to say I was a little shocked that a parent of such a young boy would advise and encourage her son to get into a fight. I'd love to be a fly on the wall when the Mother has that conversation with the teacher.
I came home and told my boyfriend the story who wasn't shocked at all. He said that when he was a child his father told him he had to defend himself and if that meant fighting back then that's what he had to do, you don't just stand there and take getting punched. Meanwhile I was told if anyone gave me any bother when I was in school I had to tell a teacher.
I wonder what makes parents advise the way they do. If I had a child I would probably tell them the same as my parents told me, to run and get a teacher, and then I'd have to sign them up for Tae Kwon Do.
That situation did get me wondering though what natural instincts are within a child, and at what age they may or may not change, maybe some children just don't have the desire in them to fight, as much as they may have been instructed to. I think at 5 years old if someone hit me I'd probably burst into tears and run and tell a teacher but at 11 years old it may have been a different story, I don't think I would have stood there and taken being punched and not retaliated.....after all my brother (who is 2 years younger than me) and I used to fight all the time at home.....which of course always ended in more trouble than was worth.
I'm sure there is a lot more to this topic...probably a whole books worth somewhere but I'll close now and leave you with one saying from my Mother that's ringing in my ears as I write this......
"two wrongs don't make a right"...how true!
From Norland Nanny to small business owner
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Monday, February 25, 2013
Book Review: How to Babysit a Grandpa by Jean Reagan
How to Babysit a Grandpa
by Jean Reagan,
illustrated be Lee Wildish.
What a great book!
This is such a lovely story. Instructions for a child on how to take care of their Grandpa when he comes to babysit.
This book is filled with comical lines that will make everyone smile such as
"When your Grandpa rings the doorbell, what should you do? Hide!"
I would recommend this book to any child aged 3 years to 6 years or any Grandpa going to babysit his grandchildren. Both the story and the illustrations are delightful.
Friday, February 22, 2013
My first craft fair
O.K. I did it....
I signed up for my very first craft fair and I'm in a complete whirlwind. What a rush of emotions.....I'm excited and scared to death at the same time as well as panicking that I won't have enough to sell and panicking that I won't sell anything!
I've been busy reading up on ways to go about it all and looking at table set ups ...there are some very creative people out there!
Pinterest has been an amazing source for this.
I've made a couple of prototypes for the cheaper end of the spectrum (apparently that's a good way to pull the crowds in).
A quilted bookmark and a Matryoshka doll key chain.
I'll work on maybe a couple more small items and then focus on my usual stuff. Whatever doesn't sell will be on Etsy after April 13th LOL but trying to be positive. :o)
Anyhooo if anyone is local and feels like stopping by here's the link.....
http://countrybeacon.com/April_Peddler_s_Market__.html
I signed up for my very first craft fair and I'm in a complete whirlwind. What a rush of emotions.....I'm excited and scared to death at the same time as well as panicking that I won't have enough to sell and panicking that I won't sell anything!
I've been busy reading up on ways to go about it all and looking at table set ups ...there are some very creative people out there!Pinterest has been an amazing source for this.
I've made a couple of prototypes for the cheaper end of the spectrum (apparently that's a good way to pull the crowds in).
A quilted bookmark and a Matryoshka doll key chain.
I'll work on maybe a couple more small items and then focus on my usual stuff. Whatever doesn't sell will be on Etsy after April 13th LOL but trying to be positive. :o)
Anyhooo if anyone is local and feels like stopping by here's the link.....
http://countrybeacon.com/April_Peddler_s_Market__.html
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Warning for Brits living overseas!
So every year there's one occasion that all of a sudden just creeps up on me....BAM....before you know it it's MOTHERING SUNDAY in the U.K. and I usually have about 5 days to get a card overseas!
This year it falls on Sunday, March 10th (also daylight savings time for us in the U.S. F.Y.I.)
A big thank you to my friend Rachel who reminded me early enough this year and asked if I was going to make any cards to sell in my shop because she would like to buy one. So I got to work and made a few to choose from.....I figure when MOTHERING SUNDAY approaches here in the U.S. I can switch MUM to MOM if need be.
So all you Brits don't forget your Mother's this March....make their day and send a card
If you are having trouble finding any check out these in my shop.
On the last card I am offering buyers to be able to choose hair colour on the 2 dolls so you are able to represent you and your mother, I know I know it's a little goofy LOL
And seeing as though my Mum reads my blog I'm going to have to come up with another card! :o)
This year it falls on Sunday, March 10th (also daylight savings time for us in the U.S. F.Y.I.)
A big thank you to my friend Rachel who reminded me early enough this year and asked if I was going to make any cards to sell in my shop because she would like to buy one. So I got to work and made a few to choose from.....I figure when MOTHERING SUNDAY approaches here in the U.S. I can switch MUM to MOM if need be.
So all you Brits don't forget your Mother's this March....make their day and send a card
If you are having trouble finding any check out these in my shop.
 |
| https://www.etsy.com/listing/124026234/mothers-day-card-flower-card-mothers-day |
 |
| https://www.etsy.com/listing/123910420/mothers-day-card-bird-card-mothers-day |
 |
| https://www.etsy.com/listing/124195411/mothers-day-card-mum-card-mothers-day-uk |
 |
| https://www.etsy.com/listing/123906715/customize-your-own-happy-mothers-day |
On the last card I am offering buyers to be able to choose hair colour on the 2 dolls so you are able to represent you and your mother, I know I know it's a little goofy LOL
And seeing as though my Mum reads my blog I'm going to have to come up with another card! :o)
Monday, February 18, 2013
President's Day
A day off for me today.....for those not in the U.S. it's President's Day here.....basically a day off to commemorate the great Presidents of the U.S.A.
I scoured the internet for a craft to give to you today to keep your children occupied but nothing really leaped out at me and I couldn't come up with anything out of the ordinary myself.
I did stumble across this website that reads children's books and they just happened to have 'Arthur Meets the President. So if you have children running around and need to take a break for 5 mins click on this link
http://kids.aol.com/KOL/2/koljrstories/flashholder/arthur-meets-the-president
I scoured the internet for a craft to give to you today to keep your children occupied but nothing really leaped out at me and I couldn't come up with anything out of the ordinary myself.
I did stumble across this website that reads children's books and they just happened to have 'Arthur Meets the President. So if you have children running around and need to take a break for 5 mins click on this link
http://kids.aol.com/KOL/2/koljrstories/flashholder/arthur-meets-the-president
Friday, February 15, 2013
A post Valentine's Day vent!
Hi all....hope you had a lovely Valentine's Day.....and for those of you that couldn't care less....aren't you glad all the hype is over?
So this morning I went through all my 'Valentine's items' in my Etsy Shop! HOLY MOLY....what a lot of work going through them all and editing! Basically most of the items I can sell all year round as long as I take the 'Valentine's title and tag off them. Of course there are cards that say 'Happy Valentine's Day' which I can't do anything with and will have to store them away for next year. But... for my bibs instead of listing them as 'Valentine's Bibs' I can re list them as a 'Heart' bib!
It's not like Christmas where I really can't get away with listing a bib with Santa and Rudolph as a 'year round bib' so I kind of just pushed those to the back of the shop and I am waiting for them to expire (listings last 4 months on Etsy).....but I have come up with a cunning plan when they do! I'll let you in on that later.
Anyway.....that was a lot of work....almost 2 hours worth and 2 large coffees later I think I'm done.
But I'm wondering if there is any way around all this? I wonder what everyone else does? Is this something I just have to go along with for the rest of the seasons?
Well I will wish you all a happy Friday....that's enough computer time for me. I hope you all have a great weekend.
So this morning I went through all my 'Valentine's items' in my Etsy Shop! HOLY MOLY....what a lot of work going through them all and editing! Basically most of the items I can sell all year round as long as I take the 'Valentine's title and tag off them. Of course there are cards that say 'Happy Valentine's Day' which I can't do anything with and will have to store them away for next year. But... for my bibs instead of listing them as 'Valentine's Bibs' I can re list them as a 'Heart' bib!
It's not like Christmas where I really can't get away with listing a bib with Santa and Rudolph as a 'year round bib' so I kind of just pushed those to the back of the shop and I am waiting for them to expire (listings last 4 months on Etsy).....but I have come up with a cunning plan when they do! I'll let you in on that later.
Anyway.....that was a lot of work....almost 2 hours worth and 2 large coffees later I think I'm done.
But I'm wondering if there is any way around all this? I wonder what everyone else does? Is this something I just have to go along with for the rest of the seasons?
Well I will wish you all a happy Friday....that's enough computer time for me. I hope you all have a great weekend.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Easy Craft for Children: Paper Bunting
Hi guys....I'm making my final Valentine's decorations. My 6 year old and I plan to decorate the dinner table for Valentine's dinner for the family. She's very excited about surprising her mum who has been away on a business trip and comes back just in time for Valentine's day. So I thought we would start by making some paper bunting.
Here's what you'll need. I got my paper pad from Michaels....good ol' Martha Stewart had a perfect sized pad of double sided paper so this bunting will look great from both sides if we choose to hang it across a room .
I started by tearing all the papers out of the booklet. They had a white border with a hole in each sheet at the top so I used my paper cutter to chop them all off. Then I measured where the half way mark was on the long side of the paper and chopped each sheet in half.
And here's a sample of what you end up with...
To get the flag shape I used some scrap card to make a template and traced around a few of the cards.
I then stacked 3 cards together and cut 3 at once. The one with the template on on top the other two were blank. After I had cut the triangle shape out at the bottom I rested the template over each flag and punched the holes out.
You should end up with flags all ready to be strung.
Next simply thread your ribbon through the holes and string them all together! You can make a loop at each end to hook the garland on to where ever you would like it.
Of course you can use any kind of paper to decorate any holiday!
Have a go...it's fun and inexpensive....especially as everything Valentine is on sale right now....my paper was 50% off.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Chinese New Year - 2013 Year of the black snake
Happy Chinese New Year everyone.
Yesterday, Sunday 10th was the beginning of the Chinese New Year.
2013 is the year of the black snake.
All babies born from this point on for the rest of the year until January 31st 2014 will be baby snakes....that just creates a bad image for me.
Anyway, to commemorate the year of the snake I decided to make a bib with a snake on it. I guess this one is more directed towards a boy....I'll work on the girl version later on.
It's quite interesting if you follow horoscopes....not that I do really but they are fun to read once in a while.
People born in the year of the snake are thought to be wise and thoughtful and to approach problems rationally and logically. Often stingy, sometimes egoistic and conceited but an active friend.
Snake people tend to have a sixth sense and are said to have exceptional taste but also a tendency to spend money.
I myself am a pig! LOL Or should I say I was born in the year of the Pig.
Yesterday, Sunday 10th was the beginning of the Chinese New Year.
2013 is the year of the black snake.
All babies born from this point on for the rest of the year until January 31st 2014 will be baby snakes....that just creates a bad image for me.
Anyway, to commemorate the year of the snake I decided to make a bib with a snake on it. I guess this one is more directed towards a boy....I'll work on the girl version later on.
It's quite interesting if you follow horoscopes....not that I do really but they are fun to read once in a while.
People born in the year of the snake are thought to be wise and thoughtful and to approach problems rationally and logically. Often stingy, sometimes egoistic and conceited but an active friend.
Snake people tend to have a sixth sense and are said to have exceptional taste but also a tendency to spend money.
I myself am a pig! LOL Or should I say I was born in the year of the Pig.
Friday, February 8, 2013
My favourite Etsy shops for Valentine's Gifts for Children and Babies
Well I can't believe Valentine's Day is less than a week away! I mean seriously.....I think I lost a week somewhere!
I've been browsing all the wonderful Valentine items for sale on Etsy and felt I just had to share some of these amazing shops with you.
Go check them out, you'll find the link underneath the photo's....and don't forget to let them know who sent you their way.
I've been browsing all the wonderful Valentine items for sale on Etsy and felt I just had to share some of these amazing shops with you.
Go check them out, you'll find the link underneath the photo's....and don't forget to let them know who sent you their way.
Wonderful mobiles and banners from the Gold Coast, Australia
So many different pendants for children and adults at Rainnua
I LOVE this mixed media art by Jennifer Allevato. Check out her beautiful embroidery hoops too.
What are cuter than kissing fish? Great for imaginative play.
Who could resist these shoes for your little one. Up cycled wool and non-slip soles.
And for imaginative play and cleaning all in one in the bathtub visit Daisy Kays soap shop.
This family would make a great gift. Small enough to travel in pockets too ;o)
This print from Marut Design totally appeals to me. I think it would look great in any nursery or playroom.
Such a cool idea....painted baseballs....not just for Valentines...check out Unforgettaballs unique items.
One of my favourite ideas and built to last...the board is also the bag to store all the hearts! Too cute!
I always wondered what "rawr' meant. Cute prints at Lia Dia Designs
These birdhouses are 10 times better than any one that I've ever painted. I love how Pam adds all sorts of unique items to decorate them.
What a perfect little bag for little hands....great all year round.
Beautiful hand stitched and knitted items. Check out the Easter decorations too....so beautiful.
What child doesn't need a napkin? These will cheer up any table and let's put a stop to all those paper napkins!
This little hat just makes me smile. Sold mostly for photo props I would imagine.
Check out this cute little bear from Gingiber.....the shop also has some great prints and T-shirts.
Yeah I know, I sneaked my own in at the end! You can't blame me.
Have a great weekend everyone.....I'm waiting for this big snow storm to attack.....we have a ground covering as I type...supposed to get anywhere from 10"-18"
WHOOOO-HOOOOOOO!
SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES!
Louise
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
A Book Review: Love, Splat by Rob Scotton
This is a review of his Valentine book 'Love, Splat'. I picked mine up in Target for $8.99 and it's hardback!
It's Valentine's Day and Splat has made cards for everyone in his class and one very special card for a very special Kitten Splat has a crush on.... "he likes her more than fish sticks and ice-cream"
She gave him all the classic signs that she liked him in the way of physical and verbal abuse.
But Splat can't see that she likes him and is extremely nervous to give his card to Kitten.
To make matter worse, during the course of the day Splat realizes he's not the only one that likes Kitten, he has some competition.
But like all good stories....it has a happy ending....
It's a really cute book with fun illustrations....you'll enjoy reading it as much as your child enjoys listening to it. And when you're done with that check out the other Splat books and Russell the Sheep.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Melted Crayon Craft
Happy Monday morning to you all!
I hope everyone has recovered from their Superbowl celebrations.....what a long game.
I have to say I am less of a fan of American football today than I was yesterday. I took part in the pool at the party I was at and lost $25 in the last 3 seconds of the first half and $50 in the last 4 seconds of the second half! What a rip off!
Anyway.....on with today's project.
What can you do with all your old crayons?
Here's what we did.....we turned them into these....multi-coloured heart shaped crayons!
A perfect alternative to candy as a Valentine gift.
And here's how we did it.
First of all remove all the paper from the crayons.....yes this is a very tedious task. I thought they would peel off pretty easily.....and they did once I figured out that I had to score the paper from top to bottom with the tip of a sharp knife. So I set to work doing that and my little friend unpeeled them all.
While she was at school I chopped up all the crayons with a knife.....broke them into thirds and divided them into separate colours (you don't need to do this).
If nothing else they make for a pretty post!
Then we put our chopped up crayons into heart shaped cupcake moulds. We used silicone moulds ....they popped out easily but I also have read that a metal tray once placed in the freezer has easy removal too.
We filled them a little above the half way mark as there are so many nooks and crannies for the melted crayons to fill and we didn't want our final crayon too thin.
We put them in a 275 degrees F oven for 15 mins.
And after a few minutes they started to melt.
We let them cool in place for a few hours.
Then popped them out and they looked like this.
Pretty cool huh? We are going to bag them, tie them with ribbon and add a homemade gift card for her friends at school. Maybe I'll even include instructions on how to make your own!
Give it a try....it's really a fun project.
I hope everyone has recovered from their Superbowl celebrations.....what a long game.
I have to say I am less of a fan of American football today than I was yesterday. I took part in the pool at the party I was at and lost $25 in the last 3 seconds of the first half and $50 in the last 4 seconds of the second half! What a rip off!
Anyway.....on with today's project.
What can you do with all your old crayons?
Here's what we did.....we turned them into these....multi-coloured heart shaped crayons!
A perfect alternative to candy as a Valentine gift.
And here's how we did it.
First of all remove all the paper from the crayons.....yes this is a very tedious task. I thought they would peel off pretty easily.....and they did once I figured out that I had to score the paper from top to bottom with the tip of a sharp knife. So I set to work doing that and my little friend unpeeled them all.
While she was at school I chopped up all the crayons with a knife.....broke them into thirds and divided them into separate colours (you don't need to do this).
If nothing else they make for a pretty post!
Then we put our chopped up crayons into heart shaped cupcake moulds. We used silicone moulds ....they popped out easily but I also have read that a metal tray once placed in the freezer has easy removal too.
We filled them a little above the half way mark as there are so many nooks and crannies for the melted crayons to fill and we didn't want our final crayon too thin.
We put them in a 275 degrees F oven for 15 mins.
And after a few minutes they started to melt.
We let them cool in place for a few hours.
Then popped them out and they looked like this.
Pretty cool huh? We are going to bag them, tie them with ribbon and add a homemade gift card for her friends at school. Maybe I'll even include instructions on how to make your own!
Give it a try....it's really a fun project.
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