It isn’t very often that I find a brand that I brag about this much. Sorry for the lengthy post…you may wanna grab a cup of coffee.

A few months ago I grabbed a deal at Plum District for Kiwi Crate.  Kiwi Crate is a company that will send a box of craft supplies to your house each month for your child.  I bought it because it sounded interesting and I have a 4 year old that needed entertained (And loves mail).

When the first box arrived I intercepted it.  When I opened the package I was shocked.  This is no ordinary box of craft supplies.  These are high quality art supplies with a purpose.  They come with detailed instructions with 4-5 projects in the box all related to a theme.  This was a homeschooling moms dream.

A lovely added bonus was that these supplies could be reused for other projects, and there are more theme related activities online! SWEET!

When my daily deal subscription ended, I quickly went to KiwiCrate and resubscribed…again, I don’t do this often.  The cost is a bit more than I would typically pay, but when I weighed what I would pay for these supplies at the store with the fact that the projects are spelled out with educational information, I couldn’t say no.

So for $19.95 a month you can get one of these KiwiCrate Boxes delivered to your door.  Don’t worry if you have more than one child ages 3-7 you can pay just $7.95 for each additional childs supplies.

Right now new KiwiCrate Members can get $10 off by using this exclusive link.  That makes the first box just $9.95 and I can guarantee you will be hooked.

My daughter has loved these! It is her special “project” while her guys are at school.  My older kids come home and want to do them too! So it is really a win win!

If you have tried kiwi crate I would love to hear what you think!

We love the Lowes Build & Grow Free Clinics! I always post each one once the project is announced however I wanted to share the schedule for 2012Lowe’s Build and Grow Free Kids’ Clinics are:

• Apr 28, 2012 Saturday Terrarium 10:00 – 11:00
• May 12, 2012 Saturday Picture Frame Planter 10:00 – 11:00
• May 26, 2012 Saturday Ice Cream Truck 10:00 – 11:00
• June 09, 2012 – Monkey-Powered Plane
• June 10, 2012 – Monkey Powered Plane (Madagascar 3)
• June 23, 2012 – Luxury Assault Vehicle (Madagascar 3)
• June 2, 2012 – Luxury Assault Vehicle (Madagascar 3)
• July 14, 2012 – Kung Fu Panda Spinning Attack
• July 15, 2012 – Kung Fu Panda Spinning Attack
• July 28, 2012 – Kung Fu Panda Stacking Friends
• July 29, 2012 – Kung Fu Panda Stacking Friends
• August 11, 2012 – Shrek Dragon Ride
• August 12, 2012 – Shrek Dragon Ride
• August 25, 2012 – Shrek Onion Carriage
• August 26, 2012 – Shrek Onion Carriage

All classes are on Saturday and start at 10:00 AM

Visit Lowes.com/BuildAndGrow to register.  The classes are available to register monthly. These are great to keep the kids busy this summer!

Get your Mother’s Day Shopping started! Head to Vera Bradley for another great sale!  Now through Friday, April 6th, get 50% off everything in the patterns of Folkloric or Blue Lagoon!  This means the famous duffel bag is just $42.5o instead of $85!

Shipping is FREE with $100 purchase or $5.95.

We are always looking for fun ways to entertain and educate our kids.  I love finding fun new projects that we can all do together that aren’t too messy, and if I do make a mess.  I clean it up with Clorox Clean Up Cleaner.

Clorox® Clean-Up® Cleaner has launched an exciting Web site where you can find and share recipes for fun activities to do with your kids. At cloroxrecipesforfun.com, you and your kids can get ideas for science experiments, cooking recipes and arts and crafts projects.

In honor of Clorox’s Recipes for Fun I thought I would share this super fun recipe for homemade slime.  This is great if you homeschool, or you are just looking for a rainy day project to do with the kids.  It only needs 3 ingredients and you probably already have everything you need in the house. We make it around Halloween every year but it is fun year round.  It has such a fun consistency when it is done.  Just be careful because it can stick to fabrics.

Go now to see the full instructions and recipe

While this slime is fun to make it can make a mess.  That is why we always make it in the kitchen since the surfaces are easier to clean! Every Recipe For Fun needs a Recipe For Clean. That’s why Clorox® Clean-Up® Cleaner with the combination of cleaner and the disinfecting power of Clorox Bleach lets you spray away messy play.  Then you can cook dinner, or make a snack and not worry that your kitchen counter may be dirty.

Do you have a great recipe for fun?  It can be anything from science, to food, to arts and crafts.  If you do head over to CloroxRecipesForFun.com! Just by registering, you’ll receive one sweepstakes entry into the grand prize for a chance to win $10,000 toward an Ultimate Mess Party. With $10,000, you and your family could get everything you need to enjoy the wettest, sudsiest, paintiest, muddiest party of all time.

Plus when you Share your Recipe For Fun you will receive 10 extra grand prize entries! And as a “thanks” for sharing, you can get a $1.00 Clorox Clean-Up Cleaner Coupon for your first recipe. With a sale you should be able to snag a great deal!

If you want to see more fun recipes, and enter your own visit: cloroxrecipesforfun.com ! Don’t forget to like Clorox on Facebook and Follow @Clorox on Twitter

This is a sponsored post but all opinions and recipe are my own.

This is one of those things that you can make yourself for pennies and never knew it! I am guilty of spending full price for a bottle of fabric odor remover.  I have kids, I have a dog, and that means…I have odors. I can’t help it.  They are messy little creatures.  But they are so cute!

How am I supposed to make him find another nap spot?

Or tell her she has to eat her pretzels away from Sesame Street?

So instead I gathered these ingredients.

• Large Spray Bottle 32oz  or reuse an old spray bottle
• 4 TBSP Baking Soda
• 1/4 Cup Fabric Softener (your favorite smell)
• Hot water to fill the rest of the bottle.

Shake or stir all of these together in the bottle and voila!

If you use a smaller bottle you will of course want to adjust the ingredients down.  I have already had many questions about this staining.  I haven’t had any problems with staining, because the fabric softener is so watered down in this mix.  If you are concerned you could use less fabric softener in your febreze mix.

That is it! Seriously! It is that easy.  This works so well, that I am shocked.  We have used it for awhile now!  You can spray the couch, curtains, carpets, beds, any fabric surface in the house and it smells so good.  And it lasts.  I sprayed the kids rooms yesterday morning as a test to see just how long it lasts.  I walked in there this morning and I could still smell the fresh fabric softener scent.  LOVE IT!

It’s that time of year when I am looking for Homemade Christmas gifts for friends and family! While the traditional fruit cake isn’t horrible, I like to give something a little….nicer!

I was able to find these wine glasses in a 4 pack at walmart for $5, the Dollar Tree also sells them.  I got this jar also at walmart for about $3.  The chalkboard paint was a little pricey at $8 but I barely put a dent in the can and I painted 4 glasses and 2 jars.  I now have it for future projects.  This is very affordable and makes incredibly cute, personalizable gifts!

You could fill the jar with your favorite cookies, cookie mix, homemade cocoa mix and more! Watch this video about how it was done!

I got creative the other weekend with the burlap.  My daughter and I were busy making Fall Decorations for the house.  I decided to dress up our Hurricane Glasses for the season.

We just cut 1 –2 inch wide strips of burlap.  There was some paint on ours because of a previous project, but it added to the character of the burlap.

I just grabbed a string from the center of the burlap and gave a gentle tug.  This causes the burlap to ruffle.

I continued to pull and let the burlap ruffle.  I just curled the ruffle around and hot glued it. into the rosette.  I hot glued a button to the center to add character.

I took a strip of burlap and wrapped it around the hurricane glass.  I glued it in place, then I hot glued the rosette to the center.

Quick, easy and inexpensive.  My mantle now looks complete for the fall!

These days every specialty store and daily deal site is selling eco friendly lunch products.  From reusable snack bags to reusable sandwich wraps.  These are great but the colors are usually limited and they are EXPENSIVE.   I got a small set for my kids from a daily deal site a few weeks ago, and was shocked at how simple the design was.

Knowing me, I hit the fabric store.  I saw that there was only straight line sewing involved and that this was a project I could tackle.  Here is what you will need.

• 1 Yard of Outdoor or Heavy Fabric of your choice
• 1 1/2 inch Velcro
• Iron & ironing board
• Thread & Sewing Machine

Start out by cutting an 18 inch square piece of your fabric.

Fold the fabric in even thirds and press with a hot iron so that the fabric is creased.

Unfold and fold in thirds the other way and press again.

Now that your fabric is creased you should see squares.  We want the finish product to be octagon shaped. You need to fold up the corner to make a triangle like this.  Press with the iron. Repeat this on all four corners.  Cut the fabric right on the fold leaving an octagon shape.

Now, here comes the part that I hate, but is necessary for a nice finished product.   Take each edge and iron a hem into it.  Fold it 1/4 inch and iron.  Then Fold it another 1/4 inch and press.  This is so when you sew it you have a nice finished edge.

Now sew all 8 sides of the octagon. This is just straight line sewing (My favorite). It only takes a minute.

This is what it should look like when you have finished. Now we are going to attach the velcro.

Cut a 3 inch strip of the loop side of the velcro.  We are going to sew it in the center of the patterned side, like this.

Now cut a 1 1/2 inch piece of the hook side of the velcro.  We are going to sew it to the center of the back side.  This picture gives you the best idea of the placement of both.

Once both pieces of velcro is attached you are done.

Here is how this sandwich bag works.

Place your childs sandwich in the center of the fabric.  This is also How it looks as a placemat.  When they open it they can just eat right off of it so their food does not touch the table.

Now Just fold both sides over like this.

Fold the Bottom up..like so.

And fold the top down to secure the velcro.

There you have a handy dandy sandwich bag/placemat that your kids will love!

These are machine washable however since it is coming in contact with your food you will want to avoid fabric softeners and fragrances.  You wouldn’t want to have those chemicals rub off.

Find more great craft projects on the craft page!

I was so excited to find this idea, and I took it and ran with it!  These are great for so many things.

• Chore Charts
• Menus
• Grocery Lists
• Calendars
• To Do Lists
• and More

All you need is scrapbook paper and a picture frame…that is it!  Well, and a dry erase marker.

Just frame the paper of your choice.  You could even frame a calendar and wipe it clean every month. The glass acts as the dry erase surface.  It works fantastically.  So far we have made the chore charts for each of the kids, and the menu and grocery list for the kitchen.

The best part is, it is so easy to change when their interests change…favorite color is purple instead of pink this week..no problem.

You can snag some really inexpensive frames from a thrift store or a yard sale, and paint the frame to match very easily.

This would even be a fun project for a girls birthday party.  Get smaller frames and let them decorate them before they pic out their paper background.  The possibilities are endless!

Hope you enjoy this great idea as much as we have!

You can find more easy craft projects here!

Did you print this weeks Hobby Lobby printable coupon for 40% off any One Regular Priced Item. Coupon expires 8/20/11. If you are heading out for craft supplies today or tomorrow take it with you!

Hurry on over here and print this Michaels 25% off coupon. Coupon is valid on Sunday (8/14) from 4 P.M. to 8 P.M. ONLY! Please read coupon for any restrictions.

Thanks, Moms by Heart!

Get a printable Michaels Coupon for 40% a regularly priced item.  This coupon is valid August 7th  -August 15th, 2011.

There are a total of four coupons available to print.

I love these because they make projects so affordable!

Hobby Lobby has Youth & Adult Short Sleeved T-Shirts on sale for 50% off!

• Youth T-Shirts are priced at just $3.49! Just $1.75 with the sale!
• Adult shirts start at just $3.99 – or $1.99 with the sale!!

These are great for back to school time, summer crafts, or just play clothes for around the house!  You can’t beat these prices!  Keep in mind that these do run a bit small.

Thanks Spectacular Savings

Here is this weeks 40% off Hobby Lobby regular priced item coupon.  It is valid through 7/9/11.

I love these coupons to stock up on craft supplies for the kids!

Here is a great printable coupon for 40% Off one (1) Regular Price Item at Michaels! Coupons expire 7/2/11

This is super for Summer Craft projects!

Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 11 am to 2 pm, you can stop by your local Michael’s store for a Passport to Fun event. Each session will feature a different country and crafts for the kids to make that represent that country. It is a FREE event!

• June 21:  Sweden – Swedish Paper dolls & flag
• June 23:  Germany – Loden Hat & Cowbell
• June 25:  Egypt – Mummy & Hieroglyphics
• June 28:  Bahamas – Flower lei & festive tropical can hug.  Make-It Take-It with purchase of can hug.
• June 30:  Canada – Maple leaf & Moose
• July 2:  USA – Bead Flag & Log Cabin Caddy
• July 5:  Italy - Foam Pizza & Suncatchers
• July 7:  Australia – Koala Bear & Boomerang
• July 9:  India – Elephant & Henna Hand
• July 12:  Russia – Bear & Nesting Doll puppets
• July 14:  France - Frenchman & Wood Eiffel Tower
• July 16:  United Kingdom – Shamrock & Foam Crowns
• July 19:  Japan – Origami Dog & Foam Printing Block
• July 21:  Greece – Olympic torch & Greek pot
• July 23:  Mexico – Flower & Sun
• July 26:  China - Tangram & Chinese Lantern
• July 28:  South Africa – Lion & Friendship Bracelet
• July 30:  Brazil - Snake & Mask

*Some crafts require a purchase.  All crafts are while supplies last and are for ages 3 and up.

Looking for more Frugal Fun? Check out these Summer Savings Shortcuts!

Sure as anything, as soon as the kids are out of school for Summer they get brave.  They are outside on the playground, bicycle, hiking, whatever the case may be.  They will come running to Mommy with bumps, bruises and scrapes.  Why not make your own Boo Boo Packs so you are prepared.  I make a ton of these and keep them in the freezer!

They are a life saver (not literally) for my accident prone kids. They are super easy to make too!  Head over and check out how easy they are!

Father’s Day is Sunday and if you are scrambling for a cute craft for the kids to make Dad, check this out!

Who would have thought that photo paper works with dry erase markers?  Seriously, it is so cool.  I supplied the kids with some craft foam pieces and we glued photo paper in the middle.  You can even put magnets on the back to hang it on the fridge.

Snag some Dry erase markers, and dad has a cool …Hand Made…Memo Board for his notes! The kids are so proud of them, I may end up with memo boards all over the house.

We love the Lowes Build & Grow Free Clinics! I always post each one once the project is announced however I wanted to share the schedule for 2011 Lowe’s Build and Grow Free Kids’ Clinics are:

• May 7th
• May 28th
• June 11th
• June 25th
• July 9th
• July 23rd
• August 13th
• August 27th
• September 10th

All classes are on Saturday and start at 10:00 AM

Visit Lowes.com/BuildAndGrow to register.  The classes are available to register monthly. These are great to keep the kids busy this summer!

Looking for some Frugal Summer fun!? Check out these Summer Savings Shortcuts!

Hobby Lobby has released a 40% off any one item of regular price coupon once again this week!  You may even find some killer sales as they make room for Holiday items!

Great way to stock up on craft supplies for the summer!

Thanks Spectacular Savings