Unicorn Mini Canvases

Looking for a fun craft to do with the kids? These Unicorn Mini Canvases are so stinking cute and they're super simple to make too! Whether you're on the hunt for an easy party craft (that also doubles as a DIY party favor) or something fun to make with the kids, teens / tweens on a rainy day, this easy DIY Unicorn wall décor is sure to occupy and delight kids of all ages!

These DIY Unicorns are made using a 4"x4" mini canvas and other simple supplies that we found at our local craft store. You can make each Unicorn Mini Canvas for about $3 each (which is a pretty fab price-point if you plan on crafting many of these up, at a party!)

Read on for a full supply list and our tutorial + step-by-step imagery, to make your own Unicorn Mini Canvases.

Diorama Easter Eggs + Check Out My NYC Diorama Easter Egg In Food Network Magazine!

Diorama Easter Eggs! Looking for a fun new way to decorate Easter eggs with the kids? These Diorama Easter Eggs are so fun and simple to make. And my favorite part? They're made using REAL eggs! Today, I'm so excited to share with you all how you can make your very own diorama Easter eggs with the kids this holiday.  PLUS,  my NYC themed Diorama Easter Egg, that was featured in the April 2018 issue of Food Network Magazine!

Friends, I can't even express how much gratitude I feel for this fun feature in Food Network Magazine. My mom was a die-hard fan of Food Network since its inception in the early 90's {now I enjoy watching with my kids!} She loved watching and making all of the delicious recipes featured on Food Network; she was a fabulous cook and a bit of a food artist {way before it was on-trend.} Though she is no longer with us, when I walked into the book store to pick up my issue of the magazine, I had an overwhelming sense that she was with me in that moment. So incredibly thankful to the folks at Food Network Magazine for including me in the "United States of Easter Eggs" feature, and for allowing me to represent the great state of New York.

My NYC Diorama Easter Egg features a black and white silhouette of the NYC skyline on the outside, and was finished in sugar, to resemble an old fashioned sugared Easter egg. On the inside of my Diorama Easter egg,  I included a fun cartoon drawing of The Plaza Hotel, as seen from the path inside Central Park in Spring. For me, the Plaza Hotel and Central Park are the embodiment of what NYC is all about. New York City is such a glorious mixture of classiness and {beautiful} quirkiness.  Seriously friends, there's a surprise around every corner in this city! It kinda' gives you the sense  that anything's possible. It's pure magic!

Read on for a full supply list and my tutorial on how you can make your own Diorama Easter Eggs with the kids this holiday  {including an adorable mini "Fairy Garden in a real Easter egg." So adorable, and so simple!

DIY Mini Embroidery Hoop Necklaces + Super Simple Embroidered Rose How-To

These DIY Mini Embroidery Hoop Necklaces are so stinking cute! They really are so simple to make, and they make absolutely adorable embroidered handmade gifts too {think Mother's Day, birthdays, Christmas, etc. etc. etc). I'm also going to show you how to embroider a super simple rose, today (see step-by-step imagery below ). So even if you've never embroidered before, you'll be able to make these sweet DIY Embroidery Hoop Necklaces!


Read on for the simple supply list and tutorial, to make your own DIY Mini Embroidery Hoop Necklaces + a Super Simple Embroidered Rose How-to.

Easy Fairy Garden Wreath

This easy fairy garden wreath is magical, friends. So simple. So sweet. And just what the doctor ordered to help me shake off the fact that it's still frigid outside, and it's already mid March! Since planting our outdoor fairy garden is currently out of the question, I decided to bring a little bit of spring whimsy indoors, with this quick {and fairly inexpensive} DIY.  If you're looking for an easy spring DIY craft project OR if you've never tried you're hand at fairy gardening, this easy fairy garden wreath, is PERFECT!

Ready to make your own lighted fairy garden wreath? Read on for the full supply list and tutorial, below.

Easter Egg Bunnies - A Cute {and Fairly Mess-Free} Way To Decorate Easter Eggs with Kids

Looking for a super simple and CUTE mess-free way to decorate Easter Eggs with the kids? These Easter Egg Bunnies are perfect! They only require a few fairly mess-free supplies, and of course, hard boiled eggs. These Easter Egg Bunnies come together quickly, and clean-up is a cinch. When your DIY Easter Egg Bunnies are complete, your can display them on your Easter table in a bowl filled with paper Easter Grass OR right in an egg carton filled with paper Easter grass. Both would make adorable kid-made centerpieces, this Easter!

Grab the simple supply list and our easy image tutorial, below.

Irish Potato Candy

Have you ever tried Irish Potato Candy? It's SO good! It's also super simple to make, so it's the perfect St. Patrick's Day recipe to make with the kids. As an added bonus, Irish Potato Candy is also gluten-free. 

Did you know that Irish Potato candy is a bit of an Irish- American tradition? These small no-bake hand-rolled sweet candies are made to resemble potatoes and are comprised of a simple list of ingredients [not including actual potatoes!] After you mix your ingredients together, you simple roll them, dip them in cinnamon mixture, refrigerate and serve! Like I said, super simple!  

Grab the simple ingredient list and recipe for the BEST Irish Potato Candy recipe, below.

The Best Random Acts Of Kindness Ideas For National Random Acts of Kindness Day! #ShowLoveWithPampers

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Pampers at Sam's Club. The opinions and text are all mine.

Friends, today I would like to talk about kindness. Did you know that National Random Act of Kindness Day is coming up? Well, it is! It's February 17th. If you are looking for the best random acts of kindness ideas, we have more than a few great ideas for you, below. I also want to share my own story with you today, about when I was recently on the receiving end of a random act of kindness.

This past summer, my oldest son was injured pretty badly at Taekwondo. My husband wound up taking him to the ER, while I tended to our other three kids and waited. After they had been at the hospital for a while and they were waiting for the results, my son asked if I could bring him something to eat. I loaded all of the kids into the car, and swung through the drive-through. While I was sitting in line my thought process wasn't positive, friends. I was still very upset by how my son had been injured. All I could think was "what is happening to people?" and "what is happening to our country / world?" When I reached the window, and I went to pay our $30+ balance, the woman simply handed me a receipt and my money back. I was admittedly confused. She then went on to explain that a man that had went through the drive-through a few cars ahead of me, had left enough money to cover the balance of the 10+ cars behind him. While I had heard of people doing this, I had never experienced it first-hand. After I retrieved our food at the next window, I pulled over for a moment because I was overcome with emotion. I know. Yes, I was overcome by fast food. Think about it though. This was something so simple. A random kind act from a total stranger. This person didn't know who would be on the receiving-end of his gesture. He wasn't looking for thanks. He wasn't in it for the praise. He just did it, without expectation, and kept on with his day. He surely didn't know that I was sitting in line behind him questioning all that was wrong with the world at that very moment. He didn't know that this small act of kindness would leave a very large impact on my heart, but it did. What are the odds?

This random act of kindness in a fast food drive-through (such an unlikely place!) has forever-changed the way that I think about certain things. It gave me a broader view and some much-needed perspective. I know, I know. I got all this from a spin through the drive-through? Really though, think about it. Aside from myself, every person going through that drive-through that day, had their own set of challenges that they were dealing with. Because folks, we're all dealing with something. Whether they're small mundane challenges or large mountainous problems. That's just life. So how much better would life be, if we all took the time and made small efforts each day, to be kinder to each other? It certainly couldn't hurt, right? It doesn't have to cost a ton either. Really! Spreading kindness doesn't have to cost a single penny.

February 17th is National Random Acts of Kindness Day. This is such a perfect day to start making a conscious effort to be kind to others. Think outside of your own box for a few minutes. Think outside of your own set of challenges, and make someone else's day a bit brighter.

Read on for some simple ideas and ways that you can help spread kindness in your community. Not just on this one day but, EVERYDAY!

Moms, Be Kind To Yourselves - Just Use Walmart's Grocery Pickup #GroceryHero + Grab Your $10 Off Coupon Code!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Walmart. The opinions and text are all mine.

Hi friends, how have you been? Moment of honesty? While I love a great picture, in reality, things aren't always picture-perfect and Instagram worthy. This is especially true if you're a parent. Because, seriously? Parenthood can be downright messy at times. It just can. It's apart of the job description!

Before I had kids, I'd hear a kid screaming at the top of their lungs in the store, and I'd throw side-eye in the direction of the parent, without giving it a second thought. Like, why can't you control your kid? Now that I am a mom? I've learned all too well, that sometimes, most of the time really, control is relative when it comes to kids. And sometimes friends, control is a mere illusion. Of course, we teach our tiny toddler {tyrants} that laying down in the middle of a grocery store aisle in general protest is wrong! Does it mean they won't do it? No. I assure you, it does not. These tiny humans have minds of their own, folks! And sometimes, despite our very best parenting efforts, they throw us a curve ball to keep us on our toes. It just is what it is.

With four kids, I've certainly experienced my fair share of moments where my kid was "that kid" over the years. Probably more times than I can count at this point. My all-time most mortifying public moment where my kid was "that kid?"  Hands-down ... when my oldest daughter was four. We took her to see Santa. Of course, she was dressed to impress; not a hair out of place. We stood in line and waited our turn. When the time came, she walked up to him with a big smile plastered on her face, both hands still firmly tucked into the pockets of her holiday trench coat. When she got to him, she started by refusing (albeit, politely) to sit in his lap. She shook her head at him and said, "no, thank you!" He went along with it and asked her what she wanted for Christmas. She responded gleefully with her list. He then asked her if she had been good all year. Her response, while still smiling? "No, not really." So, he asked her if she intended to try to be better. Still smiling, she said "maybe, I'll have to think about it!" Friends, she was still in that lovely stage of toddlerhood where she was painfully honest about E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. Totally unfiltered.