baby shower idea.

A baby shower worth taking note of. Very well thought out, simple yet beautiful.

job chart.

The girls are currently interested in helping with dishes, laundry and a few other small cleaning tasks. I'm thinking it may be time to start a job chart. I thought this one looked like a good one, but would love to hear advice, what has worked for you, what hasn't, when you started, how you like it and any other tips you have.

holiday wreath.

I am completely taken with this wreath. I wish I'd seen it sooner and made one myself. It's made entirely from plastic bags, I can't wait for next year!

last minute gift ideas from kids.

My girls are working on these to give to their grandparents for Christmas. I am having them color pictures at the top. The calendar is a free download that you can print at home, mount on cardstock and use a jewel tone cd case turned inside out as a stand. The perfect desk calendar. Pattern found here.

I love this version of the handprint. Perfect for grandparents, aunts and uncles or yourself to document where they are this year. Instructions found here.

Or make your own custom silhouette. They are timeless and I can't think of anyone who wouldn't fall in love with these. Directions found here.

All these ideas and a great list of others found on the lovely craftpad blog.

Happy gift giving...

Making Leaves.

With our lives currently in a state of chaos, the holidays are upon us and we are in the middle of a big move. As stressful as everything has been, our main goal has been to keep the girls happy and stress free and try to make the adjustment as smooth as possible. This responsibility lies pretty heavily on me as I am the one home with them, so we've been trying to come up with fun activities, some baking (watch for a giveaway tomorrow featuring some of our favorite mixes), crafts and outings. I happened upon this fun craft and have added it to the list of Thanksgiving crafts for this week. Supplies on hand, relatively easy and so many possibilities. Sounds perfect!

What things are you planning to keep Thanksgiving kid friendly and stress-free?

spooky treats.

If you've never browsed the bakerella blog, it's definitely worth a look. I think these would be so fun to make. Maybe I'll try them out with the girls this week.

bob's your uncle.

I have been waiting and waiting for these alphabet cards to come out, and they were well worth the wait. Illustrated by Mark Fisher they cover everything from Anteaters to Zebras. They don't show you the typical parts of the animals but rather the details. I've always believed the best is found in the details. The backs of the cards not only show a silhouette of the full animal, but also an interesting fact about each animals unique feature. Perfect for learning and for fun!

wooden wagon.

Colored Geo Blocks $32

One of my absolute favorite toys growing up was a plain set of wooden blocks. I remember spending hours with my brothers and sister building imaginary villages, buildings and more. Today it is more difficult to find wooden toys, rubber and plastic are readily available along with character toys that are functional but not always satisfying.

The Wooden Wagon offers a wide variety of creative toys not found in America. They are a family owned and operated business and choose manufacturers that are also family-run and have been for generations. 

Our method of selecting our toys and folk art reflects these family values: We offer nothing that we would not want in our own home, whether it is a child's toy or an ornament that is brought out on special family occasions.

Wooden blocks and toys are safer, inspire more imaginative play, promote spatial awareness, encourage manual dexterity, but most importantly they are fun for children of all ages.

Browsing The Wooden Wagon, I'm wishing I could replace all the girls toys, do a little Christmas shopping and preparing to spend some serious time playing with them too.

What was your favorite toy as a child?

pumpkin carving.

Show your support in a more creative way this time around. Download patterns here, also available in Vice Presidential candidates.

treat bag.

Loving these halloween treat bags I saw on Ohdeedoh. Tutorial here.

halloween pancakes.

Happy October! I can't believe it's already here. We've been enjoying somewhat of an Indian summer which makes it that much harder to believe that it's October! Browsing through the Williams-Sonoma website I came across these pancake molds and think they would make a fun tradition for years to come.

f is for frank.

Some may think it's a little early to start talking about Christmas, and while I agree I may be jumping the gun here, it is on the horizon, and I couldn't pass this up.

F is for frank has recently launched an exciting new product. The pewter ornament making kit.

How it works: purchase the kit from their etsy shop. Once you've received the kit, make and bake a clay creation of your liking, then send the clay creation back to them and they will turn your creation into 4 pewter ornaments...

You like what you hear (and see), it gets better. If four is not enough feel free to add on as many as you like ($13 each). You also have the option of including a personal hand stamped message on the back. Turn around time is about 2-3 weeks to receive your pewter ornaments.

Kit includes: 3 sculpting tools, 1 wooden rolling pin, polymer clay (non-toxic), plastic work surface, bubble wrap bag, order form and instruction booklet with 6 patters to get you started.

Perfect for all ages (well 6-100 they say). It's the perfect gift for friends and family, it's truly unique and a handmade ornament that will last forever. 

kids crafts.

Having been on bedrest for the last 5 weeks has left my girls stir crazy and me out of ideas. I am on the lookout for easy (toddler friendly) crafts and activities to keep them occupied and not feeling like they are missing out on summer fun. Ideas and tips are greatly appreciated.

Lifesaver craft jar available here. It's worth every penny.

been around the world?

i love all things travel related... mini suitcases, vintage luggage labels, old travel postcards & posters. (i think you get the idea.) but most of all, i love maps. big or small, flat or round, i love them all. so it's no surprise to me, that while watching one of my favorite guilty pleasures, the wall map totally caught my eye. (click on the picture to enlarge it.) i've always loved the idea of having a huge wall map... either in the kid's room or perhaps in a game room or office. i've toyed with the idea of "sticking pins" in the places we've visited, but this idea is so much better. instead of your basic push pin, they've used postcards & pictures to signify special locations. i loved it when the little boy was asked "do you remember where england is?" & he replied "it's the one with the big clock". i seriously LOVE this idea, it goes way behind your basic geography lesson. i found a similar map HERE, unfortunately they are all sold out, although i did spy a few on ebay. obviously there are probably hundreds of map options out there, but i kinda like THIS one, or THIS one. oh, & THIS one too.

xoxo, K

mom, i'm bored.

i think every mom dreads that sentence. over at our blog Just Spotted, my girlfriend coleen & i are trying to helping moms answer this question. we are moms who seek adventure in the everyday. & Just Spotted is the place where we highlight those adventures. we seek to find the creative, fun, helpful, tasty & stylish offerings of the world around us, which is usually in sunny california. but just because you don't live near us, doesn't mean you can't visit. with recipes, product features & tons of other ideas and tips it's the perfect blog for just about everyone & anyone. that being said, here are some ideas that will jump start your own summer adventures:

visit your local farmer's market... find the nearest location HERE.

make home-made ice-cream. instructions HERE.

check with your city & local parks and recreation for activities and events. my city is offering FREE concerts and movies in the park all summer long.

get crafty. check out projects & ideas HERE.

have a water balloon fight, break out the slip 'n slide, blow up pool, or sprinkler attachments, or use cheap, store bought spray bottles to have fun & keep cool.

beat the heat & head indoors for a movie. check with your local theater regarding FREE of $1 movies. i know AMC theaters is offering $1 G and PG movies every wednesday at 10am through august. find locations & movie selections HERE. & regal theaters has FREE G & PG movies at 10 am, every tuesday & wednesday in july & august. find locations & movies HERE.

make home-made ice cream sandwiches. recipes HERE.

sign-up for apple camp... learn the ins & outs of itunes, make a movie, or learn the tricks of iphoto, all for free.

or how about story time? your local library probably has one. If not, pottery barn kids and barnes & noble both do.

check out the free kids workshops at the home depot. or if wood working isn't your thing, join one of the free craft classes offered at michaels.

play kick the can, capture the flag, ghosts in the graveyard. for game ideas, rules & so much more, check out HERE.

so, what are your favorite things to do in the summertime?

xoxo, K

skuut.

Summer was a long time in the waiting this year, so when it finally showed up (just 2 weeks ago for us), we've taken full advantage. We can't get enough sunshine and outdoors which has loads of advantages. Instead of stickers, forts and storytime (how we survived a long winter!), we're kicking balls, jumping sprinklers and riding bikes.

Let's talk bikes because that's one of the first big purchases in the world of toddler and I found the perfect one. It's eco-friendly and the ideal starter bike for ages 2-5. Skuut teaches balance, steering and coordination making that transition to "regular bike" when the time is right so simple and nearly fearless.

It's wooden, simple and modern without all the bells and whistles. No pedals, no training wheels.. just a lot of "skuuting" on a fully adjustable seat for easy transitions. "Walk it; ride it; skuut it; glide it." (We're still practicing indoors.) Available here for only $89.99.

Extra Goodness: Tangled and True readers receive 10% off using code tnt081 in the promotional code box at checkout.

can-do crafts.

I'm trying to be a better mother, and in doing so I've been dreaming up fun and easy projects to work on with my girls, a new kid friendly recipe, making play-do, finger painting, sidewalk chalk.. you get the idea. 

The sense of accomplishment they feel upon completion is one of the joys of motherhood in my opinion. I'm always on the hunt for fun, easy things when the "dreaming up" isn't cutting it and I often turn to Martha Stewart to keep me moving in the right direction. 

Tomorrows list of to-do's includes the can-feet above. I can hardly wait. Instructions available here.

kid dates.

Ryan and I spend a lot of time discussing the best ways to spend quality time with our girls. I came up with an idea a couple weeks ago, that I hope to implement with our children for years to come. 

There have been more than a few times when Ryan has planned and executed a "daddy-daughter" date and there is nothing the girls would rather do. They anticipate it, they love it and they talk about it non-stop. This so to speak "dating" your children is the perfect opportunity to have one-on-one time with your child and there's no reason a mom shouldn't be included too.

I came across this article, and decided twice a month on the same day, we would alternate girls and each have our very own kid dates. It sounds perfect in theory and I'm hoping the reality is just as perfect.

My favorite kid date from the article: Take a walk.

Kids of any age enjoy fresh air and a nice walk with the folks. If you employ enough adjectives (magic! fairy! adventure!), even the most television-addicted kid, will easily be lured out of doors. My kids and I go on "nature walks which is really just a slow meander around a small forested area near our house.

While these five ideas are great, I'd love to hear from all of you! What are your favorite "kid dates" or ways to spend quality time with your children?

bembo's zoo.

Without trying, we have an animal theme happening today, but I couldn't wait to share the greatest kids website I've found in a long time, bembo's zoo. I guarantee it will not disappoint even the toughest critics. My girls are mesmerized by it so be prepared to fight them for the best seat, you'll be surprised how much you love it too.

animal cards.

DIY Animal Card Kit $14.50 each

Paper Source encourages you to do something creative every day and I think their animal card kits are a perfect way to spend an afternoon with kids. They'll be proud of what they accomplished, you'll have something on hand for them to do, and the recipient of the cards will be impressed. It's a win - win - win.