Tutus & Tea Parties

Crocheting for a Cause {The Fight Against Breast Cancer}

2012-02-25T20:00:00.002-08:00

The current cause I am crocheting for is:

The Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk for the Cure!

To the left is my cousin, Jen, who is doing this walk for the 3rd year!

Why she walks:

The picture above is of me with Fran, my Mom's best friend and my "otherMom." This picture was taken just months before Fran lost her battle with cancer. It is in her honor that I walk and also in honor of my Grandma Andrews who is a breast cancer survivor.

Thanks to all my shoppers I was able to donate 10% of my shop profits, a total of $58.02, to the Susan G.Komen Foundation last year. It is now time again to start making donations. Please consider donating to Lattes for the Cure for the price of your morning latte. No donation is too small.

How you can help:

Donate directly to my cousin's donation page for the Cure!

"Purchase" a crochet item for a donation to the cure. {this amount will be donated in your name on the donation page and a confirmation page will be sent to you after your purchase}

Donate so I can buy yarn to crochet for this cause. {one skein/ball of yarn is around $2 which can make many flowers for the cause!}

A Pinteresting Party - Week 28

2012-02-24T21:05:00.001-08:00

Thank you all for linking up last week! I love seeing all the great ideas you are sharing.There is so much talent!

Please spread the word about this Pinteresting Party! :)

Hosted by Tutus & Tea Parties & Here's to Handy Andy.

Hop on over to see what Here's to Handy Andy's faves are too!

My faves from last week that I pinned:

I just love these I Love You monsters by Shannon Makes Stuff! Bug is going to love these little guys. We sign lots here and it's such a perfect project for us.
{see the pin here - repin if you'd like}

I am dying to have an entryway & when I finally get one I am totally making it look like this! Meeha Meeha did such a great job on this Happy Entryway, don't you think?!
{see the pin here - repin if you'd like}

Just a little Creativity made this Scratch Art Effect Art. I just recently had Bug paint a canvas...I may just have to do this with it! It looks so cool!
{see the pin here - repin if you'd like}

Go ahead and grab the "I was featured" button for being so Pinspirational.
You deserve it!

&lt;a border="0" href="http://tutusandteaparties.blogspot.com/search/label/Link%20Party /" target="_blank">&lt;img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7150/6595270767_597436cb04_m.jpg" width="125" height="125" alt="Button" />&lt;/a>

Projects from your hosts this week:

{we'd love a pin too}

Tutus & Tea Parties did some body painting with her toddler.

Here's to Handy Andy gives us this Alice Springs Chicken copycat recipe.

Here are the rules:

Link up to 2 of your "pin worthy" projects, crafts or recipes {please, no shops or giveaways}
Visit at least 2 other links that you love and pin their post {Please don't just link and run! Lets all help each other out. That's what this party is here for.} Psst - I see the clicks on each link and you guys aren't clicking...which means you aren't pinning. :-/
I'd love for you to grab the party button and post it somewhere on your blog. The more participants, the more pinning we can all do {and the more people will possible pin you}!

If you want to learn more about Pinterest and how it can benefit your blog please read this.

Feel free to leave your Pinterest page link in the comments so we can all make some new Pinteresting friends. :)

You can find my Pinterest page here and my co-host
{Here's to Handy Andy} has a Pinterest page here.
{follow our boards to see what projects we pin each week}

Grab the party button!

&lt;a border="0" href="http://tutusandteaparties.blogspot.com/search/label/Link%20Party /" target="_blank">&lt;img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7162/6617115159_cbd068d4b0_m.jpg" width="125" height="125" alt="Button" />&lt;/a>

Thank you to Frayed Fuzzies for making this link party continue on this month!

Want to become a sponsor? Get more info here.

{Giveaway} Win a Custom Fleece Hat

2012-02-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday! {sorry this post is a little late...we were up with Bug 'til almost 2am last night!}

Today we have another great giveaway! Lets welcome Nicky from We Three Bees. She is giving you all a chance to win a custom made fleece hat from her shop {valued at $16}. I hope you will get to know her first, then fill out the rafflecopter form below to enter.

Tell us about yourself.
I'm wicked lucky. My name is Nicky and I'm a 28 year old stay at home mom with two sweet boys, Jack and Dexter and an adoring husband, Ben. We live in a very small town in central New York, near Lake Ontario so we spend a lot of time by the water in the warmer months. Our two golden retrievers, Odin and Ludo, love the water too! I'm inspired by nature and the bond that exists between a parent and child.

How did you get started in your craft and selling on Etsy?
I became enthusiastic about sewing when I was pregnant with my first son- I was frustrated at the lack of cute things for boys so I decided to make my own blankets and clothes! Take THAT mainstream retail! This is why I focus so heavily on items for boys. Sewing was always intriguing to me but I never thought I could do it because it always seemed so complicated. My mother-in-law actually is a great seamstress and she got me started by giving me fabric and her old sewing machine to play around with. When my sister-in-law told me about Etsy, I looked into it and was hooked!

What is your favorite item in your shop & why?
It's hard for me to pick a favorite because they're all so personal. I really do fall in love with each piece, especially the ones for boys. If I had to pick, I'd say the Fur Bomber Hat in green and cream plaid. It has a grown up look only miniaturized! For some reason, this combination of adult fabrics made for children gets me every time! It's a little piece of luxury for that special little man in your life.

Do you have a job outside of Etsy?
You mean other than changing diapers, cooking meals, getting everyone to stay on routine and trying to get chores done while constantly trying to think of new ways to make everything more efficient? I guess not :) I don't know how these super moms do it?!?

What is one thing you can not live without?
It's really a group effort but I turn into a super cranky lady if I don't get my sleep!

What is your guilty pleasure?
Twinkies and really bad reality TV... I know, shame on me (but you're secretly wanting a twinkie right now, aren't you?).

Tell us a joke {if you know one}.
A horse walks into a bar and the bartender says, "Why the long face?" I only just got this a couple years ago. I kept waiting for the rest of the joke! I'm generally not an idiot so I just have had a really big brain fart or something.

Nicky is giving you a chance to win any ready to ship or special order hat in any style {earflap, bomber or pixie} valued at $16!

Contest closes 3/9/12 at midnight. Open worldwide.

Keep up with Nicky:

Etsy Shop

Facebook

Twitter

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Multitasking: not my strong suite

2012-02-22T20:11:00.000-08:00

True that! I'll just take a day off from blogging then. ;)

See you all with a new giveaway tomorrow!

PS- I have been working on my next project for Round 2 of Creative Bloggers Got Talent but I can't post about it until after the voting has ended...which seems forever away since the voting didn't even start yet! Stay tuned for the tutorial...but until then I can't tell you what it is.

What's Hookin' Good Lookin'?

2012-02-21T20:29:00.000-08:00

After taking a fairly long break from making things for my Etsy shop and just crocheting in general, I am back to hooking! I just wanted to share with you this pom pom blanket I am making for Crissy {http://www.photographybycrissy.net/}, a photographer who I have worked with a few times before.

At first I didn't know what to do with this yarn, but after some searching around the web and a Youtube video or two I started on this blanket that is quickly working up!

It's super duper soft and fluffy!

The color is really off in this photo, but you get the idea.

My sister in law is having a baby girl this summer and while I was making this today I thought it would be cute for a nursery floor by the crib or a little tummy time rug. It's pretty heavy for a blanket and the 27"x27" square I'm making is taking about 9 skeins so a big blanket would be big moolah! Thank goodness for my 40% off coupon!

I had a hard time finding out how to crochet a blanket with this yarn so once I get some good photos I will be sharing how I made this one. I promise, it's super easy!

What's on your hook? I'd love to see.

Come by my Facebook wall and share away!

{or comment a link to a post of your work}

Body Painting

2012-02-21T06:14:00.000-08:00

What do you say when your child wants to use their body to paint? YES!

I taped 4 pieces of paper together, set out some finger paint and brushes, took her clothes off and let her go to town. She had a blast!
{Just be ready for bath time right after...it gets pretty messy.}

You may find me at some of these child centered link parties.

Hidden Veggie Pizza

2012-02-19T21:19:00.000-08:00

Bug is a pretty good eater. She loves her veggies and fruit but sometimes she goes through a stage where she doesn't eat much of anything and it's a struggle to make sure she is getting her veggies. While shopping at my favorite store, Target, I saw these frozen pizzas that had veggies made in the crust. My imediate thought was, yeah, I can do that! So I went home and did!

Grab your fave pizza dough recipe {here's mine if you want to use it} and all the ingredients.

Take about a cup of veggies {I used broccoli and cauliflower mix}

Cook your veggies, then puree them.

Mix them into the dough and follow the rest of the instructions.

I made Bug some mini pizzas.

That's all there is to it. Easy peasy and your kiddo never has to know! I ate a piece too and didn't even tase the difference. :)

A Pinteresting Party - Week 27

2012-02-17T19:02:00.000-08:00

Thank you all for linking up last week! I love seeing all the great ideas you are sharing.

Please spread the word about this Pinteresting Party! :)

Hosted by Tutus & Tea Parties & Here's to Handy Andy.

Hop on over to see what Here's to Handy Andy's faves are too!

My faves from last week that I pinned:

Bliss Images...and Beyond posted this cute No Stress Tooth Fairy Basket that I love!

Crystal & Co has a helpful tip for those of you who burn your cookies like I do.

Oh to have room for this reading nook! See how it was made over at Creatively Living.

Go ahead and grab the "I was featured" button for being so Pinspirational.
You deserve it!

Projects from your hosts this week:

{we'd love a pin too}

Tutus & Tea Parties made some Marshmallow Catapults.

Here are the rules:

Link up to 2 of your "pin worthy" projects, crafts or recipes {please, no shops or giveaways}
Visit at least 2 other links that you love and pin their post {Please don't just link and run! Lets all help each other out. That's what this party is here for.} Psst - I see the clicks on each link and you guys aren't clicking...which means you aren't pinning. :-/
I'd love for you to grab the party button and post it somewhere on your blog. The more participants, the more pinning we can all do {and the more people will possible pin you}!

If you want to learn more about Pinterest and how it can benefit your blog please read this.

Grab the party button!

&lt;a border="0" href="http://tutusandteaparties.blogspot.com/search/label/Link%20Party /" target="_blank">&lt;img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7162/6617115159_cbd068d4b0_m.jpg" width="125" height="125" alt="Button" />&lt;/a>

Thank you to Frayed Fuzzies for making this link party continue on this month!

Want to become a sponsor? Get more info here.

{Giveaway} Win an Easter Banner Decoration

2012-02-16T19:42:00.000-08:00

It's Friday! Hooray! This is an awesome Friday because we are back with a giveaway for you all. How fun! Lets welcome Kelly of Green Jazz Face. She makes gorgeous party banners {among some other things} so be sure to check out her shop then enter in the giveaway with the Rafflecopter form below.

Tell us aboutyourself.

I'm Kelly and I'm from Texas! Ihave three wild dogs and a husband, all boys....enough said. I thinkmy twitter tag line sums me up: very left handed, extremely rightbrained, and addicted to crafting!

How did you get started in yourcraft and selling on Etsy?

Iseem to have lots friends getting married, having babies, or takingpictures of people getting married! I started making banners for funto add to these important celebrations! I got enough compliments thatI decided to try and make some money with it! I opened my shop at thebeginning of December, and am very pleased with my shop'sperformance. I love it.

What is your favorite item inyour shop & why?

Myfavorite item is my St. Patrick's Day green burlap banner. I love itbecause I got the idea from a cookie cutter when I was walkingthrough a craft store. I just love when my ideas come together.Believe me, they don't always.

Do you have a joboutside of Etsy?

Outsideof Etsy, I'm a Speech Language Pathologist. I work with the pediatricpopulation in a home health setting. I treat children who havearticulation, language, and feeding disorders. Many of my patientsare diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. I love my day job, but Ialso love my crafting.

What is one thing {NOTperson} you can not live without?

CANDY!!!!It's a problem. I should probably work on that.

Whatis your guilty pleasure?

CANDY!!!!

Tell us a joke {ifyou know one- PG rated please}.

This is my favorite joke of all time!

What did the 0 say to the 8?

Nice belt.

Enter to win this lovely Easter Banner Decoration!

{shop Green Jazz Face during this giveaway and get 10% off your purchase before shipping by using code giveaway10 at checkout}

Contest ends 3/2/12 @ midnight. Open to US & Canada.

Keep up with Kelly here:

Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Green-Jazz-Face/284980924894329

Blog: www.galofalltrades.com

Twitter:https://twitter.com/#!/galofalltrades

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Save those plastic egg cartons! {quick tip}

2012-02-15T20:15:00.000-08:00

If you buy the eggs that come in the plastic cartons, don't throw them away! I have been saving them for crafts. They are great for holding small amounts of many colored paint and small crafty objects like beads, pom poms and such.

Is there anything you save and use for crafting? I'd love to know!

Marshmallow Catapults

2012-02-14T18:43:00.000-08:00

Did you see my guest post a while back over at Momma Mia's Heart to Heart? Well, just in case I am re-posting the full tutorial on these Marshmallow Catapults!

Some time ago I posted a tutorial on these DIY Picture Holders. Well I basically did the same thing with some additions to make the catapults.

What you will need for one catapult:

-1 wooden square

-1 clothespin

-1 popsicle stick

-1 soda or water bottle cap

-tacky glue

-paint {optional}

-mini marshmallows

-food coloring {optional}

How to make the catapult:

It's pretty self explanitory, but here's what I did-

paint all wooden pieces {optional}
using tacky glue, glue the clothespin to the middle of the wooden square & let dry
glue the popsicle stick to the top of the clothespin and let dry
glue the bottle cap to the end of the popsicle stick {on the side of the open end of the clothespin}and let dry
place a marshmallow in the bottle cap and fling away!

We made a game out of it by taking some Dixie cups and taping them togehter with the number of points each was worth.

I had the three kiddos playing with these so I colored the marshmallows so they could tell who scored. {I just evenly divided the marshmallows and put a drop of food coloring in and gave them a mix. I let them sit for a bit to dry so food coloring didn't come off while hitting the celing, floor and any other surface around. I'd test it out on a napkin or something to make sure the coloring doesn't come off though.}

They played for an hour! In toddler/kid time...that's like, forever!

Marshmallows were everywhere...one even landed down my shirt {hence the face}! I swear, a week later we were still finding them hidden in places.

Some even made it into the cups!

It was a ton of fun. I hope you make these and enjoy the play time!

Of course when the kiddos were asleep hubby and I tried catapulting them into eachother's mouths. That was fun too! {but not for the kiddos, it's a choaking hazzard - do it at your own risk with an adult} Sorry we had no photos of that good time.

You may find me at some of these lovely link parties.

Frozen Hot Cocoa Ice Pops

2012-02-12T21:07:00.000-08:00

When I saw this recipe for frozen hot cocoa on Pinterest I knew I had to turn these into ice pops for the munchkin. Glad I did! They are delish. {and there was enough left over for me to have a cup full}

What you will need:

milk
ice
hot cocoa mix
ice pop molds

Follow this recipe from Gluestiks and pour into your ice pop molds. Stick 'em in the freezer and eat them by the fire side {or just in the kitchen if your apartment is extremely hot all year round and can not be controlled!}

Get the kiddos involved! Bug loves helping in the kitchen. :)

{don't mind the pant-less kid...it's very warm in our apartment}

"One minute mom!"

You may find me at some of these lovely link parties.

A Pinteresting Party - Week 26

2012-02-10T18:43:00.000-08:00

Thank you all for linking up last week! I love seeing all the great ideas you are sharing.

Please spread the word about this Pinteresting Party! :)

Hosted by Tutus & Tea Parties & Here's to Handy Andy.

Hop on over to see what Here's to Handy Andy's faves are too!

My faves from last week that I pinned:

The SweetTalk Shop showed us some easy Ribbon Bookmarks. {we are giving these to the librarians for Valentine's Day on a card that says "You're tops in my book!"}
16 likes & 102 repins from my pin!

I am dying to make this Custom ABC Book from One Dog Woof. It's adorable!
4 repins from my pin!

I totally need to make this Crochet Clutch by Repeat Crafter Me. I am in love with it!
3 repins from my pin!

Stop on over to these links and show them some love and if you pinned them, I'm sure they would love to know! :)

Go ahead and grab the "I was featured" button for being so Pinspirational.
You deserve it!

Projects from your hosts this week:
{we'd love a pin too}

I made an Interchangeable Clip.

Here's to Handy Andy made some of Grandma Ruth's Cinnamon Bread

Here are the rules:

Link up to 2 of your "pin worthy" projects, crafts or recipes {please, no shops or giveaways}
Visit at least 2 other links that you love and pin their post {Please! Lets all help each other out. That's what this party is here for.}
I'd love for you to grab the party button and post it somewhere on your blog. The more participants, the more pinning we can all do {and the more people will possible pin you}!

If you want to learn more about Pinterest and how it can benefit your blog please read this.

Grab the party button!

&lt;a border="0" href="http://tutusandteaparties.blogspot.com/search/label/Link%20Party /" target="_blank">&lt;img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7162/6617115159_cbd068d4b0_m.jpg" width="125" height="125" alt="Button" />&lt;/a>

Thank you to Frayed Fuzzies for making this link party continue on this month!

Want to become a sponsor? Get more info here.

How Pinterest Helps Your Blog

2012-02-09T20:24:00.000-08:00

If you are a blogger and haven't heard of Pinterest you should really give it a look and sign up for an account. Why? Pinterest is a pretty hot site right now...not to mention it has been my number one referral site to my blog! I have made a collection of great tutorials if you are just getting started and some tips & tricks to use to get more traffic to your blog through Pinterest.

See that? #1 on the referral list via Google Analytics.

Pull up a seat, grab a cup of coffee and dive in!

Just getting started on Pinterest? Here are some helpful tutorials to explain it all:

What is Pinterest? A Tutorial {details on all the basics of Pinterest}

Pinterest: A Beginner's Guide {details on how to navigate around Pinterest}

Adding Pins & Repinning:

How to Use Pinterest {details on adding pins and repinning}

If you want to be able to pin things you see while surfing the web without being on the actual Pinterest site you can add a Pin It button to your bookmark bar on Firefox! {makes pinning a heck of a lot easier}

When you are on the Pinterest homepage click on About to pull down the menu. Select Pin It Button, then go to Goodies {if you aren't there already at this point}. Follow the instructions. When you come across something on a web page you want to pin simply hit the Pin It button on the bookmark bar. It will take you to a page to choose the image you would like to pin and let you choose the board to pin it to. Then it takes you right back to the site you were on in the first place. Easy Peasy!

When you are on a website and ready to pin using the Pin It bookmark button you can highlight the title or words you would like as the pin description and when you click the Pin It button whatever you highlighted will be in the pin description! No typing required. :)

Highlight text & click Pin It bookmark button.

Select the image you want to show for the pin.

Your highlighted text will be in the pin description section. Choose the board to pin it to and pin!

Blogging & Pinterest:

Adding the Follow Me On Pinterest button to your blog. This will direct people who visit your blog to your Pinterest page so they can follow your boards.

You can hop on over here to get the code.

Add it as an HTML- Copy this code and sign into blogger & go to your dashboard. Follow these photo instructions. {any questions just shoot me a comment}

{You can drag this to where you want it to be placed.}

Adding a Pin It button to the bottom of all your blog posts. This makes it easy for people to pin a specific post. Easy makes people happy and more likely to pin. Here's the tutorial on how to add it.

Create a board for your blog or pin your blog posts onto relevant boards. This will update the folks following you on what's going on over on your blog.

How to see if anything from your blog has been pinned. Type this URL into the web address bar, only with your info:

http://pinterest.com/source/yourblogURLhere

i.e.- mine would be http://pinterest.com/source/tutusandteaparties.blogspot.com

Pin Etiquette:

Please, pretty please, do not write out the instruction to a project, the full tip or anything that would make it unnecessary to visit the original site. Keep it simple and let people know what they will find on the site you pinned. {i.e. "turn your tee into a scarf" "great tip for carpet stain removal" "art with shaving cream"} Us bloggers work hard to give you tips, ideas, and tutorials. You can at least let us get the credit for it.
Use a title to describe what the pin is. Label your pin with a title of what you will find that way when people use the search on Pinterest they can find what they are looking for. When you label things "this is cool" it will not come up on a search for, lets say "science experiments for kids".
Be nice when pinning. Everyone is different. We all have our own opinions. Just keep in mind the whole "if you don't have something nice to say, don't say it at all" state of mind. No one wants to look at something from their blog/website that has been pinned, get all excited about it, and have to read the description of "I want to make this, only way better". Just kindly say "I want to make this, but use different fabric/different color/using different materials."

Alright, I think that's all I have for now. If you have any questions, need an invite or just want to share your Pinterest page feel free to comment.

You can also find me on pinterest here.

Come join my weekly Pinteresting Party.

Link up your blog posts and pin others {and get pinned in return}. This party gets everyone pinning different posts which can get your blog/post spread around the pinterest world. Yay!

Happy Pinning!

Exploring Paint {using differet utencils & canvases}

2012-02-08T19:51:00.000-08:00

Did you know using different art utencils & canvases to paint on not only enhances creativity, it improves motor skills and exposes your child to different sensory experiences? Well, it does! So get out of the paint brush funk and try these other options-

Painting Utencils:

q-tip

toothbrush

yarn

bubble wrap

pine needles

cotton balls

parts of their bodies
feather
apples/potatoes/lettuce/other fruits or veggies {great for stamping}
cookie cutters
corks
combs
sponges {cut into squares or shapes}
spray bottles
straws {blob paint on paper and blow with straw to spread it}
cars
blocks
toy animals
bingo markers
bottles {like condiment bottles to squeese out the paint}
balloons {fill with paint and pop over paper}
balls/marbles
toilet paper tubes
droppers {works great for liquid watercolors}
kitchen utencils {potato mashers are fun!}

fly swatters
spaghetti

Paints:
{check out my Pinterest board on DIY Art Recipes}

watercolors

finger paint

shaving cream

chalk
colored glue
mud

Canvases:

table {an art table or easy to clean table is great for exploring things like shaving cream}
windows

sand paper {great for chalk}

construction paper

card stock

side walk

rocks

bathtub

cardboard {boxes, tubes...}

body {using face paint is fun and easier to clean}
aluminum foil {great for markers}
egg cartons
plexi-glass
snow {use liquid watercolors in a spray bottle}
fabric {shirts, sheets...}
wood {unfinished pieces, scrap wood...}
coffee filters {watercolors work great on these}
mirrors
paper plates, cups...
bread/food {use milk & food coloring}

Do you use something that's not on the list?

I'd love to know!

Just some of our art experiences:

using droppers & oil

comb painting

snow paint

painting dowels to make rythem sticks

using her body to paint

using a dropper, liquid watercolors & coffee filters

kool-aid sprinkled on glue

You may find me at some of these child centered link parties.

Valentine's Day Can-dle Holder

2012-02-07T18:58:00.000-08:00

This candle holder is made from a can and it's a great project to work on together to give to someone special on Valentine's Day!

What you need:

an empty, washed out can with the label peeled and top off {make sure there are no sharp edges!!}
paints in your color choice {we used kids poster paint}& brushes
a hammer and a nail
a sharpie
heart stencil {I used the small heart from here}

What to do:

Place the can upside down {the closed bottom side up} so your child can hold it without touching the inside in case of sharp edges.

I can't stress enough to make sure there are no sharp edges. Be sure to supervise your child as they are painting so they do not touch the opening or inside of the can juuuust in case!

For the kids to do: Paint the whole outside of the can {you don't have to paint the bottom}.

For the parent to do: Cut out your small heart stencil out of sturdy paper or thin cardboard {like from a cereal box}. I used a file folder. Place it in the center and mark dots along the heart with a sharpie.

Now for the fun part! Take your hammer and nail and bang the nail into the can on each sharpie mark. {if you don't have a steady hand the nail might scratch off some of the paint. We just repainted around the heart where it scratched off. It's up to you if you want to let your child help or handle the hammer. It does take some force though.

{or you can save the painting for last}

Place a tea light candle inside {or one of those flameless ones} and enjoy the heart shaped glow!

{I have one of those long match holders so I didn't burn myself lighting it}

<3

Have a happy Valentine's Day!

You may find me at some of these lovely link parties.

Red Beet Heart Pancakes

2012-02-07T09:41:00.000-08:00

Have I told you how much I love the site Weelicious? Well, I do!

Catherine posts amazing child friendly recipes for the whole family! It is my go to site to find food to make for Bug. There is not one recipe we have made that Bug didn't gobble up...plus there are lots of recipes good for the whole family to eat. Most are even freezable and include instructions on freezing and re-heating.

We love to prep meals to throw in the freezer for the week/month and these Red Beet Pancakes seemed to be the perfect breakfast to make ahead for Valentine's Day! We followed the recipe from Weelicious to make the batter.

We poured it into a squeeze bottle we bought at Walmart in the kitchen utensil section. {we got some beet clumps in it and it was hard to squeeze when they got stuck so you might want to watch when you pour and make sure there are no clumps}

We used the squeeze bottle to make hearts and letters to say I <3 U.

Yup, she shoved the whole heart in her mouth! That's how yummy she thought these were.

Bug and I ate about half the batch as we were cooking. They were delicious! I never even thought I would like them too...but I did! We still had some extra to freeze for Valentine's Day week! Horray for easy morning breakfast!

Enjoy!

You may find me at some of these lovely link parties.

Interchangeable Flower Clip/Pin

2012-02-05T18:45:00.000-08:00

As I have mentioned before, I am taking part in the Show Us Your Plum Contest over at Cherished Bliss. I was so happy to be chosen by Ashley to receive an item from Pick Your Plum. I had no idea what I would be receiving. All I knew was it was a Pick Your Plum item which I was receiving to craft and blog about. {I just love a good surprise, don't you?}

My package soon arrived and I was so excited to find this set of lovelies to transform!

Interchangeable Flower Clip/Pin

What you will need:

metal clip/pin from Pick Your Plum {it's the silver one shown above}
small amount of yarn in your fave colors
some of your fave accessory patterns {I used the following: Mother's Day Flower (you have to sign up to Lionbrand to see it - it's the 2nd one), Rosette & Small Flower (I followed the pattern using an I hook)}
a button or other embellishment for the center of your flowers {optional}
round magnets {I got mine at Walmart}
hot glue and hot glue gun

What to do:

crochet some flowers/accessories from the pattern in a few of your fave colors
hot glue your embellishment in the middle

hot glue a round magnet to the back

repeat with all other flowers

choose one that matches your outfit and snap it into the center {not sure what it's called when a magnet attaches...snap seems appropriate}

change your flower as many times as you'd like
pin it to a jacket, scarf, bag or wear it in your hair!

{my beautiful sister was my model for this}

Put the clip in your hair and pick your flower!

It's a pin too!

How fun is that?!

Have you been crafty with a Pick Your Plum item? You join the contest too!

You may find me at some of these lovely link parties.

Want to see what I did with the other pins?
Click to see the Melted Crayon Brooch
Stay tuned for the last one {the blank flower brooch}

Guess what else?! I entered this project in the Creative Bloggers Got Talent contest! I'd love your vote if you have a sec. It's #73! Thanks a bunch!

Sponsor Spotlight

2012-02-04T07:31:00.000-08:00

Sponsor Saturday

This month I would like to welcome Mary from Frayed Fuzzies to Tutus & Tea Parties Sponsor Spot. I'd love for you to take a moment and visit her shop. There are lots of adorable rag quilts, security blankets and other lovelies. Mary is super talented, have a look and be sure to read more about her!

I am a 3rd (or possibly 4th) generation quilter born and raised in St. Louis, MO (go Cardinals!), and relocated to Cincinnati, OH. I learned how to sew at a young age, originally learning on my mother’s workhorse manual Singer, and later occasionally using my great-grandmother’s Singer treadle machine when my mother permitted it. I have also always had a passion for the performing arts, which is what led me to my “day job” as a theatrical technician. In college, I majored in technical theatre and emphasized in stage management and costume design. Like riding a bike, all the sewing skills my mom taught me way back when came flooding back in college and I expanded on them in the costume shop. I have spent a large amount of my professional career on tours with theatrical productions, travelling across the US and parts of Canada. I have worked in many amazing theatres with many amazing artists across the country. I started Frayed Fuzzies in 2010 as a way to pass the time between theatrical gigs. I’m the kind of person that will go bonkers if I’m not doing something! Since then, Frayed Fuzzies has grown tremendously, and I have loved every minute of it! I bring a mixture of my personal background and professional training as a theatrical designer to my work here. My items are all made in a traditional style of quilting called “rag quilt”. The story goes that when an article of clothing could no longer be mended, or made into another piece of clothing, fugal Pioneer women would turn them into quilts: literally making quilts out of rags!

Frayed Fuzzies is on Facebook!

Here are some of my personal faves from her shop:

Custom Keepsake Memory T-shirt Rag Quilt: 20 shirts Twin Sized

Rag Quilted Fabric Alphabet Set with Tote

Mother Goose Rag Quilt Baby Blanket

Would you like to sponsor Tutus & Tea Parties?

Check out my stats and get more info here.

A Pinteresting Party - Week 25

2012-02-03T19:36:00.000-08:00

Thank you all for linking up last week!

Please spread the word about this Pinteresting Party! :)

Hosted by Tutus & Tea Parties & Here's to Handy Andy.

Hop on over to see what Here's to Handy Andy's faves are too!

My faves from last week that I pinned:

This Burlap Valentine's Day Banner is just what I like: simple and cute! Hope on over to Little Birdie Secrets {one of my fave blogs} and get the tutorial.

If you haven't noticed, Bug and I love to cook together. She even got her very own apron and chef hat for Christmas. We are definately making these Valentine's Day Swirl Cupcakes from Mess for Less this Valentine's Day.

Shut the front door! This bench turned chalkboard table is the cutest {and so thrifty}! Life as a Thrifter tells you how it was made.

Stop on over to these links and show them some love and if you pinned them, I'm sure they would love to know! :)

Go ahead and grab the "I was featured" button for being so Pinspirational.
You deserve it!

Projects from your hosts this week:
{we'd love a pin too}

Melted Crayon Brooch

Clearance Storage Bins

Here are the rules:

Link up to 2 of your "pin worthy" projects, crafts or recipes {please, no shops or giveaways}
Visit at least 2 other links that you love and pin their post {I'm sure they would love it if you stopped by and said hello too}
I'd love for you to grab the party button and post it somewhere on your blog. The more participants, the more pinning we can all do!

Grab the party button!

&lt;a border="0" href="http://tutusandteaparties.blogspot.com/search/label/Link%20Party /" target="_blank">&lt;img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7162/6617115159_cbd068d4b0_m.jpg" width="125" height="125" alt="Button" />&lt;/a>

Thank you to Frayed Fuzzies for making this link party continue on this month!

Want to become a sponsor? Get more info here.

Valentine's Day Cupcake Magnets

2012-02-02T19:40:00.000-08:00

Happy Fridday! I don't have a giveaway for you all today BUT I do have a cute Valentine's Day craft to do with the kiddos this weekend. {if you are interested in sponsoring a giveaway please shoot me an email here}

We haven't really been doing a lot of Valentine's Day crafts but with the day soon approaching I guess we should start, huh?

What you need:

tacky glue
large pom poms
tiny pom poms/pipe cleaners
an old magnet {like the kind the pizza place gives you} or you can buy a pack of magnets
mini cupcake liners

What to do:

Glue the large pom pom in the cupcake liner.
Glue either a small pom pom or cut & swirled piece of pipe cleaner on top {for a cherry or frosting} You can also use colored glue as the swirl of frosting if you'd like}
Cut a magnet piece to fit on the bottom of your cupcake liner and glue in place after other pieces have dried.

There you have it! Some cute little cupcake magnets. :)

Here are some photos of Bug making them {and yes, we are pantless...again!}:

I would suggest cutting the magnet into a circle that fits the whole bottom of the liner.

Hang up some artwork or a love letter using your new cupcake magnet! <3

You might find me at some of these link parties here.

Come & Play Outside

2012-02-01T20:18:00.000-08:00

There is a new tab up top called Come & Play Outside. It is an ongoing link party to share your outdoor play ideas and inspire us all to be active and spend more time outside this year.

As I have mentioned before, I was recently reading one of my favorite blogs {I Can Teach My Child} when I read Jeane's post about The 15 Minutes Ouside Challenge. That's where I found out about the book "15 Minutes Ouside" by Rebecca P. Cohen.

The book is $10.19 on amazon.com and if you have a Kindle or a Kindle app on your desktop or phone you can get this e-book for only $1.99! Score!

This was one of our new years resolutions. We have been getting outside for 15 minutes each day and loving it! You can also check out my Come & Play Outside Pinterest Board for ideas! You can also visit my Facebook page to see our photos of our time outside {and feel free to post yours on the wall}.

I'd love to encourage you all to take this challenge and link up your
outside play ideas so we can all be inspired.
{link up as many posts as you'd like as long as they are about outdoor play}

This will be an ongoing link party. Grab a button and share with your friends.

Melted Crayon Brooch

2012-01-31T20:18:00.000-08:00

I am taking part in the Show Us Your Plum Contest over at Cherrished Bliss. I was so happy to be chosen by Ashley to receive an item from Pick Your Plum. I had no idea what I would be receiving. All I knew was it was a Pick Your Plum item which I was receiving to craft and blog about.{I just love a good surprise, don't you?}

My package soon arrived and I was so excited to find this set of lovelies to transform!

Today I will show you the first brooch I worked on:

Melted Crayon Brooch

What you'll need:

brooch {I reveived mine from Pick Your Plum}

crayons in your fave colors

a sharpener, knife, or grater

an oven set at 200 degrees F

Make some crayon shavings using a crayon sharpener, knife or grater. Pile your shavings into the center of the brooch. Make sure it's nice and full since the crayons will melt down.

Place your brooch on a cookie sheet {the one I use is specifically for crafts - you might want to line yours in case the crayon spills} and bake at 200 degrees F. I left my oven door slightly open to see when the crayon was all melted {it took all of about 3 minutes}

Once your crayon shavings have melted, remove the brooch with a pot holder {I don't know how hot it gets, but I wasn't going to touch it} and let it cool.

Doesn't it look cool? I think so!

{sorry for the bad photo}

Have you been crafty with a Pick Your Plum item? You join the contest too!

Want to see what I did with the other pins?

Click to see the Interchangeable Clip/Pin

Stay tuned for the last one {the blank flower brooch}

You may find me linking up to some of these lovely parties.

Comb Painting

2012-01-30T19:29:00.000-08:00

Did you all see me over at Mess for Less a couple weeks ago? I did a guest post on Comb Painting but just in case

you missed it...here it is!

I don't know if you have seen paint scrapers before. They are about $3 for a few different style scrapers. Problem is...I can't seem to find them in a store and paying the shipping doesn't make it worth it for me.

If you want to get the same look {of at least one of them} you can use some combs! I got a pack of 10 at my dollar store.

Grab some paint, paper and combs

{there was a mix of smaller and larger combs so we used one of each}

Make a strip {I had to make strips all down the paper since it didn't scrape down very much} of paint. You can also have your child drip paint all over. Bug wanted me to do it.

Start scraping!

If your child is anything like mine they will want to use their fingers to paint too.

You might find me at some of these child centered link parties here.

This post has been featured:

Valentine's Day Tea Party Invitations {Guest Post from Mama Mia's Heart2Heart}

2012-01-29T19:32:00.000-08:00

I'm so happy to introduce you all to Mia from Mama Mia's Heart2Heart. Today she is sharing with us how to make Valentine's Day invites {for a tea party}! How cute! We have plenty of tea parties here {hence the blog name}. We just might have to make these for her dolls and celebrate on Valentine's Day with our own little tea party.

I'm so excited to be guest posting over here at Tutus & Tea Parties. I'm Mia and I blog over at Mama Mia's Heart2Heart. I teach part time but a mom full time and I like to blog about my fun adventures as both.

My 3 year old and I love to read, learn, and do crafts together. So I thought I'd share a craft with you that is actually fitting for Lauren's blog because it's for a Valentine Tea Party that my daughter will be having soon. I wanted to make some invitations for her lovely day using candy canes that I had from Christmas.

This was very easy to make. I unwrapped the candy canes and glued the ends together using the glue gun to form a heart.

I then painted the popsicle sticks red and glued the candy cane hearts to it.

After that, I typed out an invitation for the tea party glued to a red scrapbook paper. And glued the whole thing onto the popsicle stick...

I put the invitation inside a sachet to give it an elegant look. And just like that, it's ready to be delivered to her friends. Easy isn't it??

She's so excited about this tea party and so am I :) Thank you Lauren for this opportunity to guest post on your wonderful blog. I hope that all of you will come and visit me over at Mama Mia's Heart2Heart. Have a happy day!!!

Be sure to hop on over and visit Mama Mia's Heart2Heart. She has great ideas for the kiddos {and some for us grown ups too}!

Connect with Mia on Facebook & Twitter.

A few of my faves from Mama Mia's Heart2Heart:

Egg Shell Snowman

Hot Dogs and Noodles

Crayon Monogram

A Pinteresting Party - Week 24

2012-01-27T21:25:00.000-08:00

Thank you all for linking up last week!

Please spread the word about this Pinteresting Party! :)

Hosted by Tutus & Tea Parties & Here's to Handy Andy.

Hop on over to see what Here's to Handy Andy's faves are too!

BTW- Pinterest is my #1 referring link this month as per Google Analytics!

My faves from last week that I pinned:

This Ruffled Lampshade is so pretty! Head on over to Putting Down Roots to get the how to.

I just love this Doily Stenciled Onesie from vixenMade! Isn't it just darling?!

Get the kiddos and make some sand paint. You can go over to Train Up a Child and see how much fun it is! It's a great sensory/art project.

And of course since Valentine's Day is fast approaching I had to include my faves for the day.

These Paper Clip and String Heart Earrings are adorable! See how to make them over at Pitter and Glink.

Loopy Loop Creations shows us how to make this lovely Valentine Crayon Art.

Aren't these the cutest Valentine's for boys ever?! See how they were made over at Randee's Organized Chaos.

Stop on over to these links and show them some love and if you pinned them, you can let them know. :)

Go ahead and grab the "I was featured" button for being so Pinspirational.
You deserve it!

Here are the rules:

Add a direct link to a blog post along with it's title {not the title of your blog}.
You can link up to two posts per blog. {no shops or giveaways please}
Visit at least 2 other links and pin their post on Pinterest. It would also be nice if you could comment and let them know you pinned their post. {we all love comments, right? :)}
I'd love for you to spread the word and post my Pinteresting Party Button somewhere on your blog. {& be sure to follow the hosting blogs to see when the next party is & if you were featured the following week} :)
By linking up you give me full permission to use one photo from your post if you are featured the following link.
Please, no Etsy shops or Giveaways.

Feel free to leave your Pinterest page link in the comments so we can all make some new Pinteresting friends. :)

Grab the party button!

&lt;a border="0" href="http://tutusandteaparties.blogspot.com/search/label/Link%20Party /" target="_blank">&lt;img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7162/6617115159_cbd068d4b0_m.jpg" width="125" height="125" alt="Button" />&lt;/a>

Want to know how to check if you were pinned?
Copy this link into your browser and add your blog URL {does not work for Etsy shops}:
http://pinterest.com/source/YOURURLHEREfor example, mine would be
http://pinterest.com/source/tutusandteaparties.blogspot.com

Need a reminder about this party?

Look to the right { that way ----> } You see that spot that says "Subscribe to our mailing list"? Type in your email and you will receive an email each week reminding you to link up! Hooray!

{Freebie Friday} Enter to win 10 assorted tags from puddingcups.

2012-01-26T21:00:00.000-08:00

Well, we made it through anothe week of no binky here with Bug. These late nights and no naps are starting to make us cranky but last night she finally put herself to sleep {after 2 hours of yelling for us}. It's a start!

I am so happy to introduce you all to Helen from puddingcups on Etsy. If you can remember back a bit I had reviewed one of her sticky note pads. You can see the review here. She has a lovely shop and today is giving away 10 assorted tags to one winner. Find out more about Helen and enter the giveaway via the Rafflecopter form below.

Tell us about yourself.
My name is Helen Nakamoto. I'm married wtih a 3 year old son. I live in Lihue, Hawaii, which is on the island of Kauai.

How did you get started in your craft and selling on Etsy?

My friend is a Stampin Up demonstrator and she's the one who got me started in paper crafts. I opened my Etsy shop to try to offset some of my craft expenditures.

What is your favorite item in your shop & why?
My favorite item in my shop are my Sticky notepad holders with mini-pens. I like useful, practical things and I think the notepads totally fit the bill, and the fact that they're cute too is a bonus.

Do you have a job outside of Etsy?
I am a seasonal, part-time tax preparer. I only work during tax season (Feb. to April 15) and what I call extension season (August to October 15), and only if my services are needed.

What is one thing {NOT person} you can not live without?
Oooh, that's a tough one. Either naps or Pepsi.

What is your guilty pleasure?
Haha. Naps and Pepsi. And watching reality tv shows like Keeping Up With the Kardashians or Tori and Dean.

Tell us a joke.
What did the taoist say to the hot dog vendor?
Make me one with everything.

Win this set of 10 assorted tags from puddingcups.

The tags are hand-stamped with different images and sayings such as "thank you" "happy birthday" "welcome baby".

Contest closes 2/10/12 at midnight EST. Open to US only.

Want to make a purchase? Use coupon code Tutu15 for 15% off while the giveaway is open.

{you get 10 entries for making a purchase so be sure to enter it in on the Rafflecopter form below}

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Marshmallow Catapults {I'm over at Mama Mia's Heart2Heart}

2012-01-26T05:27:00.000-08:00

I hope you are all ready for some fun today! I'm over at Mama Mia's Heart2Heart today to show you how to make these marshmallow catapults.

You won't want to miss it...they are so much fun!

Marshmallow Catapults

I hope you will stop on over and check out my guest post.

Bubble Wrap Heart Art {Guest Post from Mess For Less}

2012-01-24T17:28:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to have Vicky from Mess For Less guest posting here today! She has a super fun Valentine's Day art project to do with the kiddos that they will love. I know Bug will be all over this project...making me lots and lots of these hearts!

I am so excited to be posting here today at Tutus and Tea Parties! Thanks to Lauren for asking me over. My name is Vicky and I blog over at Mess For Less. I am a mom of 3 (3 year old twins and a 2 year old) and I write about kids activities, crafts and money saving tips. I hope you will stop by and visit us!

We love bubble wrap in my house. The kids love to pop it, play with it and have even painted with it in the past. I love that it's free. With Valentine's Day just around the corner, I thought we could incorporate bubble wrap and painting while creating some seasonal artwork.

Supplies you will need:

Bubble wrap (I used some with larger circles, but the smaller type would work as well)
Paint colors of your choosing
Tray
Paintbrush and cups for mixing
Easel paper
Marker
Scissors

Start by using your marker to trace some large hearts on the back of some bubble. I made a heart for each of the three colors I planned to use. You can also just trace and cut out one heart and use it in different colors to get more of a rainbow effect.

Pour some paint into a tray and spread it around. I mixed some pink and purple colors and used the plastic cups to combine the colors before spreading it on a tray.

Have your child dip the heart bubble wrap (circle side down) into the paint and then push their heart onto the paper to make a print.

My youngest, who just turned 2, really enjoyed this part.

I had three colors of paint and the kids wanted to try all the paint colors.

Here are some of our finished pieces. I am so excited to decorate with these. What a simple and fun way to add a touch of Valentine's Day to your home.

This last one was done by my youngest. As you can see, even when kids can't quite keep the hearts straight, the artwork is still eye-catching.

Vicky, thank you so much for sharing this fun art project with us today! I'm sure we will be making lots of these hearts over here. We just love bubble wrap!

Connect with Mess For Less on Facebook & Twitter.

My fave posts from Mess For Less {so hard to choose just a few}:

Valentine Swirl Cupcakes

Fruit Loop Towers

{FYI- I carry these materials out to eat and this totally entertains Bug while the grown ups eat & talk}

Chemical Reactions for Preschoolers

Oh Me, Oh My. What'll I Do? {Advice Please: losing the binky...and my mind}

2012-01-23T20:39:00.000-08:00

{source}

As I sit here writing this post my 2 1/2 year old, binky-less toddler is wide awake making me some peas in her play kitchen...at 11:30pm! I am in some serious need of advice! Here's the whole background shabang:

We live {and always have lived} in a one bedroom apartment. When Bug was a baby we used to rock her to sleep {for almost a year} before deciding we needed to suck it up and get her to learn how to fall asleep on her own. After a week of screaming crying every night she was finally able to go to sleep in her crib on her own {with her binky}. Ever since then she takes literally 5 minutes to fall asleep...sa-weet!

Our new years resolution {which I decided} was to get rid of the binky. Two weeks ago my sister in law mentioned throwing the binky away to Bug. She held the binky over the garbage for about 10 minutes deciding if she wanted to toss it or not. She did! Since she knew it was in the garbage and couldn't be saved, I threw out the only other spare binky we had so I had no chance of giving in! {although I could go to the store if I were that desperate...but I'm pretty lazy and probably wouldn't want to}

The first few nights went surprisingly well. She went to sleep, no crying. It took her more than 5 minutes, but she did it! It was all downhill after that. Now she is not napping {which isn't that big a deal} but on top of that she is not going to bed at night. We have thin walls and 3 apartments connected to us. I put Bug in her room at 8pm and she roams around for a while before starting her craziness of screaming and banging on the walls. I try ignoring her, but she is such a stubborn little toddler! She has screamed and banged for over an hour before and I just don't know what to do anymore. She won't even go to sleep when we are both in the room with her. Ugh! She has a bunny {like a security blankie} that she sleeps with but apparently that isn't enough to comfort her. I just don't want to get into the habit of rocking her to sleep again!

Any other moms {or dads} out there who get their tots to lose the binky and have sleep issues? I'd love to hear any advice!

Welcome Toddler Help {Resolution #3}

2012-01-22T20:45:00.000-08:00

After the New Year I had starting thinking about how I wanted this year to be different. I'm not too big into making resolutions but I did come up with 12 ways for me to be a better mommy in 2012. I will be talking about each and why I have set that goal for myself.

-The Third Resolution-

Welcome toddler help: Bug loves to help, but sometimes I am in a hurry or it would risk burning dinner {I can not multi-task well} that when she is trying to help me I don't always welcome it. No more!

I have to say I have been doing pretty well with this. I don't know why I haven't always let Bug help me. The only time I'm in a hurry is in the mornings before work. I guess I just fell into that whole lifestyle of doing everything quickly for no apparent reason. Who knows. All I know is I am so glad I am over it! Bug has been a great help with cooking and cleaning {vacuuming is her fave!} and other chores. Yes, it takes a while longer...especially when she wants to help with laundry and knocks over the pile of clothes I just folded. Ah well. We are loving the extra time spent together! :)

Trying to dress herself.

Cooking in the kitchen {with no pants on...as usual}

Doing the wash.

Guest Post on Tutus & Tea Parties and Other New Happenings

2012-01-21T21:32:00.000-08:00

Tutus & Tea Parties is oficially accepting guest bloggers! Hooray! If you have an idea you would like to submit please email me at lfrank1018@gmail.com with the subject "Guest Post".

Some things I am looking for:

-a crafty tutorial
-a project for the kiddos
-just about anything on parenting or learning through play
-cooking with kids in the kitchen
-fun meal ideas for kids

If you have a different idea that you think will fit in with this blog feel free to send it on over!

Some guidelines:
Please submit ideas written by you that have not been previously published anywhere online. You may publish the content on your own blog one week after being featured on Tutus & Tea Parties and I would love for you to let your readers know when you are guest posting here. If your submission is accepted I will reply with your feature date.

This could give you some extra exposure. I will be sharing each guest post on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. I will also write you an introduction and feature other posts of my choosing from your blog.

Some other happenings going on around here:

-I am also looking for giveaway sponsors. Shoot me an email if you are interested. You can check out my stats here.

-I just started an ongoing link party of outside play ideas so please stop by and link up!

-Did you know about the weekly Pinterest Party? Link up your crafts/recipes and get them pinned {and pin some others in exchange}! Pinterest is currently my #1 referring site! WOW!

-I am also accepting sponsors. I am only taking 4 per month and the order in which they are featured are first come first serve. I have 3 spots left for February. With the link party going on there are lots of new visitors which would mean lots more exposure. The spots are just $5 per month and includes a button on the top left sidebar along with a one time introduction post of all sponsors. {if you are a blog I'd love to swap buttons for free - this would not include a introduction post and you will be added below the paid sponsors} Read more about this here.

I am so happy I decided to start blogging just over a year ago and love where this blog has taken me. Thank you all for being so supportive and sticking with me! :)

A Pinteresting Party - Number Twenty Three

2012-01-20T19:02:00.000-08:00

Thank you all for linking up last week!

Please spread the word about this Pinteresting Party! :)

Hosted by Tutus & Tea Parties & Here's to Handy Andy.

Hop on over to see what Here's to Handy Andy's faves are too!

My faves from last week that I pinned:

Life as a Thrifter made this adorable paint splatter table. I am in love with it!

I've seen lots of crayon melting art around Pinterest but I think this one is my fave. Check out The Turquoise Piano for the tutorial.
{5 likes 7 repins}

Save your baby food jars y'all! I love this crayon organizer by Monkey See, Monkey Do!
{2 repins}

And of course since Valentine's Day is fast approaching I had to include my faves for the day.

I am in love with this wreath. Simple and beautiful from Country Baby Handmade.
{2 likes 5 repins}

Bug and I love cooking together. This heart loaf looks like just the thing to make to share this Valentine's Da. Hope on over to homemade to see how to make these heart loaves.
{1 like 4 repins}

Stop on over to these links and show them some love and if you pinned them, you can let them know. :)

Go ahead and grab the "I was featured" button for being so Pinspirational.
You deserve it!

Here are the rules:

Add a direct link to a blog post along with it's title {not the title of your blog}.
You can link up to two posts per blog. {no shops or giveaways please}
Visit at least 2 other links and pin their post on Pinterest. It would also be nice if you could comment and let them know you pinned their post. {we all love comments, right? :)}
I'd love for you to spread the word and post my Pinteresting Party Button on your blog. {& be sure to follow the hosting blogs to see when the next party is & if you were featured the following week} :)
By linking up you give me full permission to use one photo from your post if you are featured the following link.
Please, no Etsy shops or Giveaways.

Feel free to leave your Pinterest page link in the comments so we can all make some new Pinteresting friends. :)

Grab the party button!

Want to know how to check if you were pinned?
Copy this link into your browser and add your blog URL {does not work for Etsy shops}:
http://pinterest.com/source/YOURURLHEREfor example, mine would be http://pinterest.com/source/tutusandteaparties.blogspot.com

Need a reminder about this party?

Look to the right { that way ----> } You see that spot that says "Subscribe to our mailing list"? Type in your email and you will receive an email each week reminding you to link up! Hooray!

Miss this weeks party? No worries, another will start on Saturday!

Get your own linky tool here: InLinkz

{Freebie Friday} Win a Crocheted Clutch/Wristlet from cameronhomemade

2012-01-19T20:04:00.000-08:00

Happy Freebie Friday. It's been a long week here, still having trouble getting Bug to sleep with

no binky. Humph. Hope you're all getting more sleep than we are!

I'd like to welcome Cameron from cameronhomemade. Her shop has lovely sewing pattern as

well as completed pieces. I hope you will learn some more about her and enter for a chance to win

a crochet clutch/wristlet from her shop.

Tell us about yourself.
Hello! I'm Cameron from Homemade. I'm pretty new to the blogging world, but I am having a great time meeting new people - bloggers are such a terrific bunch! I love to create . . . just about anything. I sew, knit, crochet, paper craft, have a kiln that needs to be hooked up and a pottery wheel that needs to be dusted off. My two kids keep me grounded and remind me of what is MOST important in life, and my husband may be the most patient man on Earth. In between all this I work nights as an emergency room nurse. Sounds exciting, right? It is - I love my life, and I love blogging about the fun stuff I make, and hot tips I find, and occasionally personal stuff . . .

I'm very excited to be able to give away one of my fun homemade items - enjoy!

How did you get started in your craft and selling on Etsy?

I've pretty much been crafting as long as I can remember - I've always loved trying to make something I'd seen while shopping. I taught myself to knit and then crochet after my kids were born and pottery (my first love!) was no longer a feasible hobby. Alas, I am a bit of a crafting crazy, so I also sew, write patterns, create home decor in a variety of ways, and enjoy paper crafting! Whenever I get bored with something, I just move on to another one of my passions. Having kids has opened up a whole new world of fun project to do with little ones, and I hope I'm sharing my creative spirit with my little ones.

What is your favorite item in your shop & why?

It's so hard to pick - I love all my creations, so much so that sometimes it's hard to part with them! But, I'd have to say it is a tie between my crocheted clutches and the few items of pottery I have left. I'm a sucker for a clutch, and I think the crocheted exterior is such a cool feel and texture. And pottery has been my favorite craft all along - it's just not very kid-friendly! Hopefully, this spring I'll get back into it and get the kiln wired up & fired up again!

Do you have a job outside of Etsy?

I actually have two jobs - I work PRN (as needed) as both an emergency room nurse and a transfer center nurse. It keeps me busy and often reminds me just how blessed I am to be healthy, happy, and loved.

What is one thing {NOT person} you can not live without?

Hmmm...this is a hard one! At first I thought of my sewing machine, but in a pinch I really could hand sew. I think I'm going to have to say my computer - the internet has brought such growth to the homemade/handmade world - you are no longer limited by proximity! I was talking with someone in New Zealand and British Columbia today - how amazing is that? I used to go to shows for my pottery - but the travel and time had a pretty low return - Etsy is such a wonderful innovation for helping crafters get a better return on our investment.

What is your guilty pleasure?

Reading books - I kind of get lost in them, as in: all other areas of my life are neglected! So, I don't often read anymore now that I have kids, except on vacation, when I read a book a day. My favorite kinds of books are murder mysteries!

Tell us a joke.

Lucky for you, I've been opening Christmas poppers, which are just chock full of great, G-rated jokes! So here's one for you: Why would Snow White make such a good judge? Because she's the fairest of them all. Ha ha ha, ooh, that was a doozy.

Enter using the Rafflecopter form below to win this

beautiful crochet clutch/wristlet.

{Want to make a purchase {it gets you 10 entry points if you do!

Use 20% off using the code HMTUTU at checkout.}

Open Worldwide. Contest ends 2/3/12 at midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I'm looking for sponsors! If you would like to sponsor a giveaway

please see the contact me tab to get in touch with me.

Mug Cozy {Free Crochet Pattern}

2012-01-18T19:08:00.000-08:00

Crochet Mug Cozy {Free Pattern}

Materials:
Size H hook
Medium weight {4} yarn - I use Vanna's Choice
Finished size approximately 12 inches long

Abbreviations:
Chain (ch)
Stitch/Stitches (st/sts)
Slip Stitch (ss)

Foundation: Chain 11

Row 1: sc in first chain from hook and each chain across, turn. (10 sc)

Row 2: ch 1, sc in first sc and in each across, turn. (10 sc)

Repeat row 2 until piece measures approximately 10 inches long.

Do not chain 1 at end of row.

Starting on the “neck”:

ss in next 2 stitches, chain 1, sc in next 6 sc, leave last 2 sc stitches unworked, turn.

*Chain 1, sc in each sc across, turn.* (6 sc)

Repeat from * to * for one more row.

Button Hole:

Chain 1, sc in next 2 sts, chain 2, skip next 2 sts, sc in last 2 sts, turn.

Chain 1, sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in chain 2 space, sc in last 2 sts.

Finishing:

Continue to evenly single crochet around whole piece using 2 sc in each outside corner
stitch.

Join with a slip stitch and fasten off. Weave in ends.

Measure around mug and sew on button of your choice where it meets the button hole.

These would be cute for Valentines Day with a little crochet heart sewn on it. Here's a pattern for one if you need it.

Little Birdie Secrets: how to crochet a heart

If you have any questions please feel free to email me or leave a comment below.

You may use the final piece however you wish but I do ask that if you decide to sell online you please link up to this pattern in your listing.

Please do not copy any part of this pattern or claim this pattern as your own.

Can't crochet? I sell them in my shop if you'd like one. :)

Just click here for the listing.

You may find me at some of these link parties here.

Comb Painting {Guest Posting on Mess for Less}

2012-01-18T04:28:00.000-08:00

Today I am so excited to be guest posting over at Mess for Less! I just love Mess for Less. While you're there check out all the activities Vicky has for the kiddos.

You can check out my post on Comb Painting right here.

Play More {Resolution #2}

2012-01-15T20:53:00.000-08:00

-The Second Resolution-

Play more: No matter what I'm doing {with a couple exceptions} when Bug invites me to play with her, I will play! Not in 10 minutes, not in 5...right then.

Pretty self explanitory. The dishes can wait. The apartment can get vacuumed later. No, I don't like the apartment looking like a tornado hit it, but I can always get stuff done at nap time and after bed time. No biggie. The only exceptions I have are when I'm cooking {obviously we don't want our food to be unrecognizble and unedible} and when she has her quiet time play {when she is encouraged to play something alone...which I feel she needs to learn to do}.

I will have to have this sign hanging in the apartment from now on:

{source}

A Pinteresting Party - Week Twenty Two

2012-01-15T04:52:00.000-08:00

Thank you all for linking up last week!

Please spread the word about this Pinteresting Party! :)

Hosted by Tutus & Tea Parties & Here's to Handy Andy.

Hop on over to see what Here's to Handy Andy's faves are too!

My faves from last week that I pinned:

Little Baby Mama Bear made this cute doodle love light.
This would be great for Valentines Day!
5 likes 27 repins

Isn't this memo board cute? Check out Alyssabeth's blog for the how to.
6 likes 16 repins

I am so making these Candy Heart Earrings from Blue Skies Ahead! I love love love them!
1 like 3 repins

This Gap-Tastic Cowl is beautiful! Love the colors used by Jenn at A Jennuine Life.
1 like 2 repins

Stop on over to these links and show them some love and if you pinned them, you can let them know. :)

Here are the rules:

Add a direct link to a blog post along with it's title {not the title of your blog}.
You can link up to two posts per blog. {no shops or giveaways please}
Visit at least 2 other links and pin their post on pinterest.
I'd love for you to spread the word and post my Pinteresting Party Button on your blog. {& be sure to follow the hosting blogs to see when the next party is & if you were featured the following week} :)
By linking up you give me full permission to use one photo from your post if you are featured the following link.
Please, no Etsy shops or Giveaways.

Grab the party button!

Want to know how to check if you were pinned?
Copy this link into your browser and add your blog URL {does not work for Etsy shops}:
http://pinterest.com/source/YOURURLHEREfor example, mine would be http://pinterest.com/source/tutusandteaparties.blogspot.com

Need a reminder about this party?

Look to the right { that way ----> } You see that spot that says "Subscribe to our mailing list"? Type in your email and you will receive an email each week reminding you to link up! Hooray!

Miss this weeks link up?

No worries, there will be another one Saturday!

Get your own linky tool here.

{Freebie Friday} Win a Flower Headband from misszulala

2012-01-12T19:46:00.000-08:00

Happy Freebie Friday! I hope you all had a great week. :) Today you get the chance to win a custom ordered flower headband from misszulala! There are a new set of getting to know you questions this year. They are a little more personal so you can get to know each shop owner a little better. Get to know Caitlin of misszulala and enter in the Rafflecopter giveaway below.

Tell us about yourself.
I'm Caitlin, I dont have any kids, but I have a kitty that I spoil as if she were a kid (she even had a halloween costume this year... she went as a bat). I currently live in Missoula, Montana. I'm in my 3rd year at the University of Montana in the Elementary Ed department, with the goal of becoming the worlds best 2nd grade teacher.

How did you get started in your craft and selling on Etsy?
I was making a tutu for a girl I nanny and decided that I like making them and could probably sell them. From there I went to silk flowers and putting them on headbands and flipflops. Just recently I have begun to make children's clothing and can now make pants and halter tops.

What is your favorite item in your shop & why?
I would have to say my favorite items are my headbands. I really enjoy making them and wearing them. I fell that they add a little flair to any outfit.

Do you have a job outside of Etsy?
Yes I currently go to school full time and work full time as a nanny. I have been with the same family for about 2 years now and I love watching the kids grow. The oldest just turned 2 and I have just finished up potty training him.

What is one thing you can not live without?
Hmm, my cat, but I dont think she classifies as a thing, so I would have to say my laptop. I always have it with, for taking note during class or listing to music at work, I'm always on it.

What is your guilty pleasure?
I would have to say that my guilty pleasure would probably be watching the Steve Wilko show... its on when both kids are napping and is a nice break from my stressful days.

Tell us a joke.
Why was the momma strawberry crying? -------cuz her baby was in a JAM!

There's these two muffins baking in an oven and the first muffin looks over to the second one and says, "Man its sure hot in here." The second muffin replies, "AHHHHHHH a talking muffin"

You could win a custom order flower headband from misszulala!

Just follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter form below. Easy peasy!

{want to make a purchase from misszulala? Like her on Facebook and get 10% off}

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Colored Spaghetti Sensory Play

2012-01-11T19:36:00.000-08:00

I was making dinner the other night {spaghetti & meat sauce} and though how fun it would be to play with the spaghetti! I knew coloring it would make it even more fun so I did some browsing and found this video on how to color spaghetti. It's really easy...just take a look.

I didn't have any watercolos so I used food coloring. It worked just fine but didn't distribute the color evenly.

If you don't have a sensory table {I don't} then you can use a bowl, tupperware, one of those disposable lasagna pans {which we used}...pretty much anything your little heart desires. There are also tons of sensory table DIYs around the internet if you are handy enough to make one yourself. We also have a water table that we like to use.

Bug had so much fun playing in the spaghetti. In fact, it was all day project! Here are all the things we did with it:

First we played with it using our hands.

Then I broke out the toddler scissors.

She had some trouble with them so I showed her to lay it over a cup and use 2 hands to cut.

Then I held it and she used 2 hands to cut.

Bug served me some scoop-fulls!

I even dared to let her take it out by the carpet to cook in her kitchen.

She stepped in the tub and wiggled her toes. {I think she liked this best - be careful though, it's slippery}

We took the spaghetti to the floor and made some shapes with them too!

It was so much fun! How will you play with spaghetti?

Linking up to these child centered link parties.

Puffy Paint Letter Cards

2012-01-09T20:41:00.000-08:00

Bug is starting to learn her letters. She knows a good amount already and she can write an H {the first letter of her name}. I love having some hands on ways to learn so I came up with this for letter learning. Bug seems to like them and we have been working on one letter at a time each week. I have all the letters she knows in one pile and the ones to learn in another so she can play games with the letters she learned. I am thinking about gluing a photo of the letter sign on the back to help her with signing her letters when I'm not there to show her the sign.

What you will need:

-microwave puffy paint recipe {found here}

-microwave

-writing utensil {I used a Sharpie}

-cardboard {we used an old box}

-food coloring

-scissors/razor blade

-a squeese bottle or a spoon

-patience

What to do:

-cut 26 small-ish squares out of your cardboard {big enough to write a letter on}

-draw in marker a letter on each square

-make the microwave puffy paint {I doubled the recipe and had a little more than enough}

-using your squeese bottle {I used a spoon} trace the letter with your puffy paint

-micrawave according to instructions below the recipe {I think we did it for about 25 seconds}

Here are some things you can use these for:

Have your children trace along the letters with their fingers.
Do crayon rubbings with the letters. {not sure how well these would work...but it would be worth a shot}
Make words with the letter squares.
Spread them all out, mix 'em up and have a letter search.
Glue a photo of something that begins with that letter or a photo of the ASL sign for that letter.

See where I link up here.

Spend More Time Outside {Resolution #1}

2012-01-08T19:43:00.000-08:00

My first goal:

Spend more time outside: being that it's getting colder and colder I have been slacking outside time. I just downloaded the book "15 Minutes Outside" by Rebecca P. Cohen for my Kindle app. which I got for free on my desktop & phone. There are so many ideas to do outside with your kids.

I was recently reading one of my favorite blogs {I Can Teach My Child} when I read Jeane's post about The 15 Minutes Ouside Challenge. That's where I found out about the book "15 Minutes Ouside" by Rebecca P. Cohen.

The book is $10.19 on amazon.com and if you have a Kindle or a Kindle app on your desktop or phone you can get this e-book for only $1.99! Score!

I downloaded it and started reading it that night and I am loving what I have read so far. Although we have been creating our own ideas at times, there are a ton {365 to be exact} of ideas at your hand for all types of weather!

We got a little bit of a late start to this challenge since Bug was sick for the first few days of the new year, but we have been spending 15 minutes {usually more} outside each day. Bug has been enjoying it so much that last week she asked to play outside while the car was warming up before we left to start our day {this was at 7:45am}. Lucky for her I was ready early that morning and we went for a walk for 10 minutes until it was time to leave.

I have a Pinterest board just for things I see that would make outdoor play fun {and bareable in the winer} if you'd like to follow it. I'd love for you to join me on Facebook and share how you are playing outside {and you can also see our photos there}.

A Pinteresting Party - Week Twenty One

2012-01-07T06:52:00.000-08:00

Thank you all for linking up last week!

Please spread the word about this Pinteresting Party! :)

Hosted by Tutus & Tea Parties & Here's to Handy Andy.

Hop on over to see what Here's to Handy Andy's faves are too!

My faves from last week:

These Pomegranate-Champagne Cocktails are amazing! I know because my mom made them for us for New Years. Yum-my!
Was repinned 6 times after I pinned it.

Bug and I made these Pinecone Bird Feeders as part of our 15 minutes outside challenge. She wanted to watch it all day to see if any birds came to snack on it.
Was repinned 6 times after I pinned it.

I am loving this Inspiration Board for the New Year! How pretty is this reminder of your resolutions?! I would actually want to look at it and be reminded of my goals.
Was repinned 3 times after I pinned it.

How cute would these Gingerbread Hearts be for your valentine? They hook right onto your mug. Total awesome-ness if you ask me!
Was repinned 1 time after I repinned it.

Stop on over to these links and show them some love and if you pinned them, you can let them know. :)

Here are the rules:

Add a direct link to a blog post along with it's title {not the title of your blog}.
You can link up to two posts per blog. {no shops or giveaways please}
Visit at least 2 other links and pin their post on pinterest.
I'd love for you to spread the word and post my Pinteresting Party Button on your blog. {& be sure to follow the hosting blogs to see when the next party is & if you were featured the following week} :)
By linking up you give me full permission to use one photo from your post if you are featured the following link.
Please, no Etsy shops or Giveaways.

Grab the party button!

Want to know how to check if you were pinned?
Copy this link into your browser and add your blog URL {does not work for Etsy shops}:
http://pinterest.com/source/YOURURLHEREfor example, mine would be http://pinterest.com/source/tutusandteaparties.blogspot.com

Need a reminder about this party?

Look to the right { that way ----> } You see that spot that says "Subscribe to our mailing list"? Type in your email and you will receive an email each week reminding you to link up! Hooray!

Miss this weeks link up? No worries, there will be another one Saturday!

Help?! I'm on Google+

2012-01-05T21:04:00.000-08:00

Yay, I have a Google+ page! Now what do I do?

I thought I created a Google+ page for Tutus & Tea Parties when in fact it was a personal page. I then created a business one {you can find it here}but when I go to comment on any blogs it shows my personal name. I really would like my blog name to show up. Does anyone know how I can get this to happen?

I feel so lost on Google+ right now...but I will eventually figure it out just like I figured out Pinterest & Twitter!

I just have one other question, do I have to link each post or is there something I can do that will automatically update my posts? {wishful thinking maybe?}

Wanted: Giveaway Sponsors for the New Year!

2012-01-05T18:49:00.000-08:00

I was booked for months on giveaways but now this year is wide open {except 1/13/12}!

I love hosting giveaways! If you have something you think fits in with the theme of this blog {for kids or parents} please send me an email at totshop728@yahoo.com with the subject Blog Giveaway Sponsor and I will give you all the info. I use Rafflecopter.com for all my giveaways.

{if you would like me to write a review of your product along with a giveaway please let me know - In order to give a proper write up I will only review items that I find useful for me, Bug or our lifestyle}

I will send you back a list of "getting to know you" questions and once they are answered you will get a date assigned to you. Your giveaway will run for 2 weeks.

The mandatory entry is usually to visit your shop/website and comment their fave item {unless you would like something else to be done}.

Bonus entries are to heart your shop and follow/like any other pages you may have {facebook, twitter, blog, etc}. If you do not have FB, Twitter or a blog they are asked to subscribe to your shop feed and blog, tweet or post about the giveaway or pin one of your items on Pinterest. There are many possibilities and you are free to let me know if you have any other ideas about how to enter.

Here are examples of previous giveaways:
tutusandteaparties.blogspot.com/search/label/Giveaways

Benefits:
*exposure to your shop & other sites
*I promote the giveaways on my Facebook/Twitter

*I link up to giveaway parties & if on Etsy, send them to an Etsy giveaway site

I'd also love for you to promote when your giveaway is up to gain even more entries. Afterall, your fans are more likely to want to win!

Please keep in mind, the better the value of the item the more entries and exposure you are likely to get. {I'd love items with a minimum of $10}