This post contains affiliate links.  All opinions are my own.

We got our newest Kiwi Crate shipment a couple of weeks ago, and we have really been enjoying it. For those of you haven’t heard of it, Kiwi Crate is a subscription box full of great, ready-to-go crafts for your kids. This month’s was dealing with water, which is right up our alley!

Both Charlie and Maddie loved the first craft: watercolor fish.  The crate included a set of markers, some coffee-filter-like paper cut in the shape of fish, and a spray bottle.  They colored the fish, then sprayed away.  The colors spread out and mixed together into a really beautiful pattern.  Kiwi Crate included several full pieces of the paper, also, so we’re going to make some other watercolor masterpieces later this week.

Another craft included in the box was a sailboat.  The kids decorated the sails with some fabric puff paint, and the next morning we assembled their boat, which they have played with every night in the tub.  The rudder can be turned so the boat floats in different directions.

There were also a couple of extra science experiments in the kit.  Charlie loved flattening out modeling clay to see if he could make it float, and we also saw how many drops of water could fit onto a penny.

So far, I am really enjoying our Kiwi Crate subscription.  Every kit comes with plenty of extras, like markers, scissors, paint, and paper, that you can keep and use on other projects.  Also, for a busy mom, it is so convenient.  I love having these great crafts coming right to our mailbox.  No trips to the store required!

If you are interested in trying Kiwi Crate, click here!  You will love it as much as I do.  I just saw that the next few months is the time traveler series, and in our next shipment we get to build a castle.  Can’t wait.

We have finished up our first week of homeschooling and I am really pleased with how things are going.  Charlie seems to like school so far, and it is so rewarding to me to see him learning and to get to experience this with him.  I know every parent says this about their child, but I am pretty sure he is the smartest kid out there! 🙂

If there is anything that I know I need to improve upon, it is what Maddie does while I am teaching Charlie.  She is not ready to start school yet (“Im not old enough,” she says.), and I honestly don’t know how I could concentrate my efforts on both of them.  She spends a little time playing on her own, but is also spending a lot of that time watching television, which I don’t really like.

I was talking to my sister-in-law about this, and she suggested that I make a box for Maddie, a box that she can only play with while Charlie and I are having school.  She made one for my nephew to play with while she is talking on the phone.

I thought that was a great idea, and when I mentioned it to my mom this morning as we were on our way to do some shopping, I knew that it was going to happen!

Mama bought this cute container:

Then we walked through the clearance aisle at Hobby Lobby and scored some really good deals to fill it up for the Madster:

Some of these things I already had at home, and I plan to also go through her toys and pick out some of the things she hasn’t played with in awhile and forgotten about.

The “Busy Box” looks so cute sitting on my fridge, and I can’t wait to show it to Maddie later today.  My hope is that it will keep her occupied while I need to concentrate on Charlie, and cut down on her TV time a little bit.

I would love to hear some other ideas for keeping a younger sibling occupied while you are having school with your older children.

*My drawing for  set of toilet targets ends tonight, so go enter now!  Just click here and enter!*

This post contains affiliate links.  Please know that any opinions are my own.

I was so excited when the kids and I checked the mail today because we had 3 packages, plus the kids had gotten a letter from their Papa in Mt. Airy.  He writes them about once a week and puts a little money in there for them, which they love.

I really like getting packages because usually by the time I get something, I have forgotten that I ordered it, so it’s a complete surprise!

While one of my boxes didn’t hold anything too exciting (a new battery for our camera), I was glad that some business cards came in that I ordered for the new MOPS group that my church is chartering.  Our meeting dates are listed on them, and we’re going to add some magnets to the back so all of the moms (the forgetful bunch that we are) can stick them on their fridges.

We also received our free craft from Kiwi crate, and we got right to work on it when we got home!  Kiwi crate is an organization that sends out boxes of ready-to-go craft projects for you to do with your kids.  I have been hearing about them for awhile now, but haven’t tried them out until this opportunity arose to get a free trial.  I’m really glad I decided to give them a try.

The free craft they are offering is the My Starlight Lantern.  I was really impressed with the quality of the products they sent, including a star-punch that we’ll be able to use for other projects.  They also included a book with other craft ideas and suggestions.

Here’s what the box was like when we opened it.

Once I got the box unpacked, I had to stop what I was doing and lay Ms. Fussy-Bussy here down. Naptime.

Charlie loved punching out the stars, I love the fact that we have an awesome new star-punch!

Charlie concentrating on assembling the lantern.

Proud of his finished product!

Charlie immediately took the lantern into a dark closet to test it out, and we very happy with the results.  The light actually shines through in the shape of stars.

Last night, he and Maddie had a “sleepover.”  We recently put another twin bed up in Maddie’s room, and they have been wanting to sleep together since then.  Last night was the night, and they had so much fun.  They told me that at some point in the night they got up and played.  I’m not sure how much sleep they got, because they are both obviously tired today, but it was worth it for the good time they both had!

Now Charlie wants Maddie to sleep in his room, so he’s saving the lantern for when that happens.  I just love the friendship they are forming!

If you want to try out this free craft, click here.  You will just have to pay the $3.95 shipping, which is a great deal!  This does only last until July 31, so you just have a couple of days to order.

I hope you have as much fun with your crate as we did with ours!

I had to have Maddie in Cary for a dentist appointment at 8:00 this morning, which was totally CRAZY for us. I can’t remember the last time I was dressed and out and about that early in the morning, and I didn’t like it one bit! When my alarm went off before 6, Jason said, “Do you remember when you used to get up at 5:30 every morning to go to work?” I do, and I don’t miss it!

The pediatric dentist was amazing, and Maddie acted just as she predicted.  Yesterday, I asked her if she was going to be a good girl at the dentist.  She responded, “After I’m bad.”  I thought at the time that was pretty funny, but that is exactly what she did this morning!  At least she follows through….

One plus side to going to Cary this morning was that we got to go to Target.  We live a little ways from any good stores, so going to Target is pretty eventful for us.  I was finally able to buy some supplies to do something I have been wanting to do for awhile (since the beginning of January, actually).

When we took down our decorations after Christmas, Charlie got pretty depressed.  He was upset it was over, he missed Martin (our Elf on the Shelf), and he didn’t want me to take down our decorations.  I agreed to leave the little trees in his and Maddie’s rooms, and we decided after a few weeks that we would transform them into Valentine’s trees, then Easter trees, then summer trees.

Valentine’s Day and Easter are now over, and the kids still have Christmas trees in their rooms.

Christmas trees-minus some ornaments because the kids have been slowly been picking them off and playing with or breaking them.

I found several bags of summer-themed foam stickers in the $1 section of Target. I peeled the backs off of 2 matching stickers, then stuck them back-to-back around a pipe cleaner. They made really cute ornaments!

This is the finished sunshine ornament. I wrapped the pipe cleaner around a branch, then twisted the ends of the pipe cleaner into little curls.

Charlie working on a snail for Maddie’s tree.

…and his masterpiece!

We used pinwheels (also found in Target’s $1 section) for our tree toppers. I just removed the sticks and the wheels fit perfectly on the tops of the trees.

A little frog ornament for Charlie’s tree.

And a football ornament for Charlie’s tree. These were actually on his Christmas tree, but he wanted to keep them for his summer tree, too.

Maddie and her finished tree! I found some great globe lights in Target, and we wrapped some yellow streamers around the tree as a finishing touch.

…and here’s Charlie with his tree. We hung some balls on his tree, too. A little burlap around the bottom covers the cords.

I am so glad we finally got this done.  The kids love them, and I can finally check “take down Christmas decorations” off my to-do list!

If you remember, last year the kids and I dyed Easter eggs the old-fashioned way, and I promised myself that this year we would try something new.  Today, we made these gorgeous Easter eggs using Mod Podge and scraps of magazine paper.

All you need are some old magazines, scissors, sponges or paint brushes, Mod Podge, and some eggs. I had these white plastic eggs, but you could use any plastic eggs or even real eggs.

Cut colorful paper out of your magazine into small squares and triangles, then “paint” the paper scraps onto the eggs with the Mod Podge.

Some of our finished eggs.

I love how they turned out. The Mod Podge makes them shiny. I would advise that you use plastic eggs so you can save them to use for decorations next year.

Even though we had a great time making these and I think they are just beautiful, I do think we will also spend a morning dying eggs.  The kids love it, and it’s just a tradition that I want to keep alive!