Wow, I was scared to give this a try even though I really wanted to. I was overthinking it and watching too many videos. I finally decided to just do it as Nike says. I was sent a 24 piece pre-mixed pourable paint set by Hippie Crafter. I grabbed a couple of canvases and got to work. Check out my video below to see it all as it actually unfolded. I highly recommend this kit. Check out all the creative Hippie Crafter products at HippieCrafter.com.
Filed under Art, Craft Tutorials, Crafts
I love decoupaging with napkins. I hope you like this tutorial. I will list my favorite supplies below the video. Let me know if you try it.
Products I use:
Filed under Art, Craft Tutorials, Crafts, Home & Garden
Known as the city that never sleeps, New York City is a fast-paced, exciting place that offers attractions for every interest. Whether you are planning a family trip or a weekend getaway for two, you can check items off your bucket list and enjoy everything the city has to offer. During your visit to this exciting city, here are five places everyone should visit to get the full experience. I know I’d like to!
Got an itch to hit the big city but stay kinda local? If you are looking for a place to stay in the city that is close to the hustle and bustle of Grand Central Station, the Westgate Hotel NYC is the place to go. Not only will you have access to luxurious rooms and plentiful amenities to make your stay as relaxing and comfortable as possible, but you will also get to experience majestic, grandiose architecture that combines modern renovations with elegant gothic revival elements. A true Midtown East hotel, the Westgate Resort overlooks majestic Tudor City and offers spectacular views of the bustling nightlife from its balconies.
Everyone has heard of the iconic Times Square, which makes the place a must-see for anyone visiting New York City. The square has something to offer everyone. Enjoy musical performances, attend Broadway musicals, shop in giant department stores and dine in iconic restaurants all located in the square. Whether you choose to visit the square during the day or at night, the experience is sure to be memorable.
With its diverse plethora of fun attractions, Rockefeller Center can keep you entertained all day. Adventure lovers can visit the iconic skating rink located on top of the building, while music enthusiasts will enjoy the Radio City Music Hall of Fame. Stop by the Observation Deck to take in breathtaking views of the city below or take a peaceful stroll through the Channel Gardens. You can also take a tour to learn about the history of the attraction.
When you get hungry, Rockefeller Center has several restaurants on site so you can enjoy a delicious dining experience without leaving the building. From casual meals to fine-dining experiences, you are sure to find something that will satisfy your taste buds. With numerous shops located throughout the building as well, you can browse unique inventories in between snacks and meals.
This museum is on every art enthusiast’s New York itinerary. Known for creative exhibitions and inspiring live performances, this attraction showcases audio and visual art from thousands of artists from all over the world. Because the museum is constantly cycling artists in and out, you will never visit the exact same attraction twice, allowing you to experience more with every trip.
No visit to New York is complete without experiencing the spectacular views offered by the 102nd floor of the Empire State Building. While the observation decks located on the 86th ad 102nd floors are the main attraction for this world-famous building, it also houses a variety of shops, exhibits and restaurants to cater to every interest. The Dare To Dream Exhibit allows you to explore the building’s rich history in an immersive way, while both fine dining and casual restaurants wait in the main lobby to treat you to a delicious meal. To complete your experience at the Empire State Building, make sure you take a stroll past it at night to view the breathtaking tower lights.
Because the city is home to so many amazing attractions, it may be difficult to choose which ones to visit on your trip. These five places are exciting and iconic, making them must-see destinations that will keep you coming back to this beautiful city.
This is a collaborative guest post.
Filed under Art, Attractions, Travel
If you are looking for a fun St. Patrick’s Day craft or delicious snack to make with your kids, you might like these ideas. To help little leprechauns get in the spirit for classroom parties or family celebrations, Juicy Juice has a selection of green-themed crafts that can be completed in 4 steps or less and recipes, including a better-for-you Green Goodness Smoothie made with Juicy Juice Organic Splashers.
Find these recipes and crafts in the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow – or on JuicyJuice.com – for St. Patty’s day inspiration:
Little ones love cool drinks, and this beverage fits that bill. Juicy Juice Green Goodness Smoothie tastes so good they’ll be asking for seconds before their last slurp!
Estimated Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 2
Ingredients
2 cups blueberries
2 cups pineapple
1 cup spinach
1 cup ice
2 cups almond milk
2 pouches Juicy Juice™ Splashers™ Tropical Twist
Directions
Gather your ingredients. Add blueberries, pineapples, spinach, ice and almond milk together in a blender. Pour in Juicy Juice Splashers Tropical Twist. Blend until smooth (add more juice for your desired consistency). Pour into a chilled glass and toast to all things delicious and nutritious!
As we know all too well, it’s always a challenge to get the little ones to eat their greens. Juicy Juice has a strategy? Get them to drink their greens! Easier said than done, right? With this Juicy Shamrock Smoothie, I bet that you will hear slurping sounds in no time, not to mention requests for seconds!
Try it using Apple Juicy Juice™ 100% juice!
2 Fresh Kiwis
1 Peeled Orange
1 Cup Green Grapes
1 Cup Baby Spinach
1 Cup Apple Juicy Juice 100% Juice
Spotting leprechauns is a demanding job, and it takes the right equipment to get the best results. Juicy Juice developed these precise leprechaun binoculars made of materials you have right at home. We hope this craft helps you find leprechauns, and we wish you the best of luck!
Materials
2 Juicy Juice boxes or toilet paper rolls
Green construction paper
Pipe Cleaners (we chose green)
String (we chose orange)
Tape
Glitter Glue or paint
Step One
Gather your materials.
Take your empty Juicy Juice boxes and unfold the tabs on the bottom and top. Then, shape the Juicy Juice box into a cylinder. You may need to cut any tabs that poke out. After that, measure the length of construction paper you will need to cover the tubes. Next, cut the length of construction paper you will need, making sure to leave some paper to tuck into the ends of the tubes. Tape the ends down inside the tubes and tape down the long edges.
Next, decorate your tube with glitter glue or paint. You’re going on a magical quest, so have a lot of fun with your designs. Next, get some pipe cleaners and cut them to the circumference of the tube’s ends. Shape the pipe cleaners to the ends of the tubes and tape them into place, making sure to cover the ends of the wires.
Once you’ve finished decorating the tubes, tape them together side by side. So your binoculars don’t get too far from you, we suggest creating a neck strap with a piece of string. We measured the length we needed to comfortably fit around our necks, and then we punched holes in the binoculars and tied the string to keep it secure. Once you have completed this step, you are done! Go out there and find some leprechauns.
Trying to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? This leprechaun Juicy Juice box craft is pure gold! This craft will be a great treat at any party!
Materials
Construction paper (black, green and yellow)
Scissors
Juicy Juice box
Step 1
Gather your materials.
Step 2
With your green construction paper, measure how much paper you need to cover the face of your juice box. Then, cut the construction paper along those measurements. Tape the construction paper on.
Step 3
Next, take your black paper and cut it into a belt shape.
Step 4
After cutting your belt, cut your buckle out of your yellow construction paper. Then, cut another square from the inside of your square.
Step 5
Once you’ve cut both the belt and buckle, glue the buckle on top of the belt. Finally, glue your belt onto the front of the juice box. Enjoy your leprechaun Juicy Juice and have a happy St Patrick’s Day! Please share your crafts with Juicy Juice on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
St Patrick’s Day can be a fun holiday for you and your little ones. Juicy Juice has put together an interactive craft that will have kids jumping for joy, clicking their heels and smiling for the camera. Take photos of your little ones dressed up as festive Lucky Leprechauns and share them with Juicy Juice on Facebook!
Step 1: Gather your materials. You will need colored construction paper, a washable glue stick, a pen or washable marker, tape and wooden craft sticks. You can also replace the wooden craft sticks with popsicle sticks or wooden drink stirrers.
Step 2: Begin by sketching the basic shapes of your Lucky Leprechaun kit. Your shapes do not need to be perfect and feel free to use whichever colors you wish. Who ever said that Leprechauns only have orange beards? Cut out your shapes after sketching and place the shapes that go together nearby each other. Glue the gold coins to the back of the black pot, the rainbow arches to the clouds and the buckle and band to the green top hat.
Step 3: Once you have glued all the right pieces together. It’s now time to attach the stick so that the little ones can hold their new creations. Lay a wooden stick on the back of each creation and tape it well at the top and at the bottom. You can add a third piece of tape for extra sturdiness.
Now the fun really begins! Grab different combinations of the props you just made and have a Lucky Leprechaun photo shoot! Encourage silliness and share your little Lucky Leprechauns with Juicy Juice on Facebook. They can’t wait to see!
I received product samples to facilitate my post.
I enjoy working with clay and so do my kids. I have made many things since I was a child up to now, but I have never used a pottery wheel. Recently, I checked out the Faber Castell Pottery Studio, I thought my kids would love to try it out and frankly, so would I.
Check out my video unboxing and demo of the Faber Castell Pottery Studio
There is so much included and several types of clay techniques outlined in the booklet. You can make pinch pots, coil pots, clay ornaments, clay beads and so much more, as well as, using the pottery wheel.
In addition to the Pottery Studio, we also received a refill of the clay. It is nice to know you can order additional clay.
We have added the Faber Castell Pottery Studio to our 2018 Holiday Gift Guide at Mommy Ramblings.
Faber Castell is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings. One lucky winner will win their own Faber Castell Pottery Studio and Clay Refill Pack. Thank you to Faber Castell for the review Pottery Studio and Clay Refill and for sponsoring this very creative giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! Open to US Residents.
Faber Castell Pottery Studio and Refill Clay Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:
Please enter for your chance to win using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good Luck!!!
Filed under Art, Crafts, Holiday Gift Guide
I am so blessed to live in the gorgeous Catskill Mountains of Upstate New York. The Hudson Valley Region has so much to offer in breathtaking beauty and diverse culture. We love living only 90 minutes from NYC, so we can attend shows and events, and still live surrounded by trees, meadows, lakes and rivers.
As a hobby photographer, I rarely take a walk where I don’t have my camera around my neck. With the advances in technology, smartphones provide us with a camera we have with us everywhere. I am forever snapping photos and recording video of my amazing surroundings. I love sharing my photos and videos, so others can experience the pristine beauty.
Picturing America: Thomas Cole And The Birth of American Art by Hudson Talbott, is a stunning biographical picture book and an excellent tool to introduce children to Thomas Cole. This book is so beautiful and filled with fascinating information about the life of Thomas Cole.
Picturing America gives us a bird’s-eye look into Thomas Cole’s life. From his humble beginnings and immigration from England to America, to his development of a new painting style that became America’s first formal art movement: the Hudson River School of painting. The pages of Picturing America are peppered with some of Cole’s most beloved paintings, beautifully framed by Hudson Talbott’s watercolor illustrations.
You can see more in my video review and reading of Picturing America below:
As a resident of the beautiful Hudson Valley, I am thrilled to announce that Penguin Young Readers is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! One lucky blog reader will win their own hardcover copy of Picturing America! Thank you to Penguin Random House for the review book and for sponsoring this amazing giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! Open to US Residents.
Picturing American Hardcover Book Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:
Please enter for your chance to win using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good Luck!!!
We love drawing, painting and sketching. My kids always have too! Our 10-year-old will draw his favorite super heroes for hours. His drawings are quite good, and we encourage our childrens’ creativity by providing them with all kinds of paper, easels, paint, pencils and more. That is why I was thrilled to check out some art kits and watercolor pencil sets from Creativity For Kids by Faber Castell.
The pencils colored so effortlessly and smoothly while the GRIP-Zone provided secure handling which worked especially well, when coloring in narrow lines, and other small detail areas. Using a bit of water on the paint brush, we could create a watercolor paint effect to our designs.
This set is ideal for beginning artists. The kit includes quality art materials and step-by-step illustrated project instructions.
The four Graphite Pencils vary in lead density and the book explains when to use each one. Kit also contains 2 Black Ink pens with varying point sizes, a 24 page Sketchbook, Colored Paper, Tracing Paper, a 20-Page Instruction Booklet, Copy Grid, Pencil Sharpener, Eraser and Clear Zippered Pencil Pouch.
The booklet is very easy to follow and explains art concepts and techniques in terms and images that kids can easily see and understand.
The Watercolor Pencil Art Kit is another beginning art kit with quality art materials and step-by-step illustrated instruction booklet. This kit teaches children to paint with Watercolor EcoPencils and explains the techniques in words and images they can clearly understand and see.
The kit includes 10 Watercolor Pencils, Clear Zippered Pouch, 24 Page Watercolor Paper Pad, 20-Page Instruction Booklet, Pencil Sharpener and Paintbrush.
We love these products so much, you will find them on Mommy Ramblings’ Holiday Gift Guide.
Creativity For Kids is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings. One lucky blog reader will win All Three Creativity For Kids Products and Kits Shown Above! Thank you to Creativity For Kids for the review art kits and products and for sponsoring this amazing giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!! Open to US residents.
Creativity For Kids Art Kits & GRIP Watercolor Pencil Set Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:
Enter for your chance to win using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good Luck!!!
Filed under Art, Creative Activities, Gift, Giveaway, Holiday Gift Guide, Review
I like to keep things natural as possible in my home. Did you know that Himalayan Salt Lamps are all-natural air purifiers? These pristine pink Himalayan salt crystal lamps clean the air in your home while providing a warm, stunning glow that enhances any decor.
These unique health and wellness lamps are available from the Himalayan Salt Shop. Himalayan Salt Lamps have been popular in Europe for decades, but have only recently become known in the United States. Visit www.HimalayanSaltshop.com to learn more. If you decide to order one of these unique, natural lamps use code USFAMILY for 20% off.
Filed under Art, Discount Code, Health, Home, Home & Garden, Natural, USFG
Do you love taking photos like I do? Do you have an awesome shot from a recent trip? If you do, you might be happy to learn that AdoramaPix has these amazing Hexagon Metal Prints that are so different and really make your photos pop! Just take a look.
AdoramaPix helps people turn their digital photographs from abstract computer files into beautiful keepsakes designed to last a lifetime. Their contemporary metal prints capture memories in rich color and vibrant detail. Because your images are infused right into the metal, and not painted on the surface, their metal prints are extremely durable. Not only will your metal image be water and weather proof, but scratch resistant as well. You can even clean it with glass cleaner. Your memories deserve to live in true, archival luxury with AdoramaPix metal prints.
With Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Graduation Time coming up, these would make a great gift! Mommy Ramblings’ readers can take 25% OFF Hexagon Metal Prints by using promo code PXHEXMTL25 when they check out. Offer expires June 15, 2016.
You can find more fun gift ideas HERE.
Filed under Art, Family, Gift, Gifts, Home, Home & Garden, Life, Photography, Sale, USFG
I guess I would consider myself a pretty creative person. I love trying my hand at new things, enjoy art projects, crafts, DIY and more. I would say it has rubbed off on just about all of my 5 kids in some way, shape or form. We love painting river rocks, making ornaments, tackling a new DIY project together and making all kids of things. My daughter is a champion knitter as well. My husband joins in too and so I think all 7 of us are a creative bunch.
If you have a creative child or maybe you want to do your best to inspire some creativity, I have something great to share. Smart Art Box is a month subscription art box. Every month it arrives filled with the instruments and supplies to inspire the artist in us all!
Each month, your box will feature a range of top-shelf FULL SIZED art supplies – from acrylic paint to polymer clay – plus a project to go along with it to help teach and inspire your inner artist.
The project’s are unique and cultural. We create projects that give a quick step by step to help those who are new, and guide those that are seasoned. We also provide tips to help new and old artists gain invaluable new skills.
With each medium come the tools to manipulate it and bring out the strength that each style can achieve.
Smart Art was created by a small group of friends, driven by the desire to see the world and experience the culture created by historical visionaries. Along the way, they found inspiration in the many mediums found everywhere, from the poorest of villages, to the most prestigious of cities. Each medium expressed the artist’s individual communities, heritage and personality. For this reason, inspired by the passion portrayed in their art, a new determination was born to pursue and discover the many exciting art mediums across the world.
Together, they are committed to ensuring artists understand art and it’s many mediums throughout time in order to create a better understanding of the world around us. Their mission is to deliver products that kindle creativity, stimulate exciting new techniques and establish a deeper connection with art for everyone.
We received our Smart Art Box and were so impressed with everything inside, full size products, everything we need and instruction to guide and inspire us. I will be updating very soon with our masterpieces. This is certainly “Happy Mail“ for a family like ours and I would bet it would be for yours too!
You can visit Smart Art on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. Let me know if you do try Smart Art Box of if you are already receiving monthly creativity delivered to your doorstep.
I was provided with a Smart Art Box to facilitate this post as a blogger working with @SocialBttrflyCo. As always my words and views are always 100% my own.
