Pilgrim Hat Thanksgiving Cupcakes

November 17, 2014

Written by Corri McFadden of Glitter & Bubbles

It’s time to gather up the family and embrace the season and spirit of Thanksgiving! I’m capturing the essence of the season by creating these charming Pilgrim Hat Thanksgiving Cupcakes. You’ll need cake mix in your favorite flavor (and the ingredients listed on the box), white frosting , orange and yellow sprinkles, mini Reese’s peanut butter cups, and fudge stripes.

First, prepare the cake mix according to the directions on the box. Line the cupcake tins with liners of your choice, festive or simple! Fill each liner about 2/3 full and bake according to the directions on your cake mix box. After the cupcakes have finished baking, let them cool for 10-15 minutes.

While the cupcakes cool, use frosting to “glue” a mini Reese’s peanut butter cup to the center of the bottom of a fudge stripe. Create your own frosting bag by using a plastic baggie and scooping a small amount of the white frosting into the bag, then snip small section off of the corner. Squeeze the frosting out of the hole and pipe around the base of the mini Reese’s cup to add the finishing touch on the hat.

After the cupcakes have completely cooled, frost each and add sprinkles to the tops. Place the pilgrim hat on the cupcake to your liking (we angled ours on the side!) With a season meant for being thankful, your friends and family will definitely be thankful for these delicious and festive treats!

Corri McFadden is the owner and founder of eDrop-Off Luxury Consignment. As a Style Expert and successful blogger, she hosts a weekly fashion segment on Chicago’s “You and Me This Morning”, and features “Style Recipes”, videos and Fashion “Must Haves” on her self-titled lifestyle website Corri McFadden. Most recently, she launched Glitter and Bubbles, a modern day moms guide for those looking for inspiration through fashion, food and décor.

Nod Family Photo Book – A Blurb Partnership

November 14, 2014

From our pals at Blurb

Join our friends from Blurb for a webinar Tuesday, Dec. 9 from 1 pm to 1:30 pm CST on how to make your own beautiful photo album, exclusively designed by Nod: Register For This Free Event Today

Make a high quality, beautifully designed, photobook in an hour with Blurb. Please have your photos organized ahead of time to follow along with Blurb creatives during this free webinar

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Blurb brings you absolutely everything you need to make your very own one-of-a-kind book. Use our free book-making tools, choose from a range of sizes, papers, and cover types, and get bookstore-quality printing. Make photo albums, custom cookbooks of family recipes, children’s books, and so much more. You can even create ebooks and magazines—and you can publish one copy of your book or thousands.

And that’s just the beginning….

We’re so happy to be partnering with The Land of Nod to bring you gorgeous custom photo book templates. If you’re looking to make a truly thoughtful and original gift for anyone on your list this holiday season, create a custom book with Blurb.

Getting started is easy.

First, go to blurb.com to download BookWright (our book design layout tool).

Next, click www.blurb.com/land-of-nod/how-to to download the Land of Nod template (LandofNodBook2014.blurb), as well as a simple, step-by-step guide to help you get started. You’ll find all of the guidance and inspiration you’ll need in this handy PDF guide.

If you want a little extra help, check out the short video below that walks you through the book-making process.

Just remember, you’ll need to download BookWright before you can start using your Land of Nod templates.

Nod Family Photo Book – A Blurb Partnership from The Land of Nod on Vimeo.

If you’re wondering how the process of making your book looks, check out these photos of the process:

Have fun and happy book-making!

Join our friends from Blurb for a webinar Tuesday, Dec. 9 from 1 pm to 1:30 pm CST on how to make your own beautiful photo album, exclusively designed by Nod: Register For This Free Event Today

Make a high quality, beautifully designed, photobook in an hour with Blurb. Please have your photos organized ahead of time to follow along with Blurb creatives during this free webinar

Post by Blurb.com. Blurb is a self-publishing platform that enables their users to create, self-publish, promote, share, and sell their own print and ebooks. Blurb offers book-making tools catering to diverse digital skills.

Saturday Morning Playtime in Plushville

November 13, 2014

Post by Michelle of Avery and Augustine

If you’re looking for a quiet playtime activity for your toddler or preschooler for Saturday morning playtime when you want to sleep in just a little longer, or for when they’ve woken up from their afternoon nap and need something to play with while you finish up a few things on your to-do list, the Plushville On the Go Play Set is the perfect thing.

It’s soft and plush (which automatically means no noisy parts) and is a standout in clever and lighthearted design, something we’ve all come to expect from the artists and folks at Nod. Part of Plushville’s brilliant design is the built-in storage in the play mat for all of the vehicles and buildings. Definitely a way to make cleanup more fun!

(In the last photos: Avery and Nate having a Godzilla moment.)

You can see Michelle’s work and read about her two young children and their first forays in cooking, art and everything in between at Avery and Augustine.

Create A Kids Hanukkah Table

November 12, 2014

Post Written by Rebecca of Not-So-SAHM

We celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas in our home, so it’s very easy to quickly get holiday decor overload. But it’s important to our family to have all the basics of each, so I try to do that in a simple and kid-accessible way. Next to playing dreidel, lighting the menorah is by far our kids’ favorite part of Hanukkah. We have a family menorah and the kids always help out with that, but I thought it would be fun to set up a special kids Hanukkah table by a window just for them this year.

The Land of Nod’s Whale Menorah was perfect! It’s such a fun shape and the the design also happens to catch all those little drips of wax as the candles burn. The kids were super excited to get a jump start on the holiday as we pretended to light the candles as if it was the last night of the holiday. I think the rainbow-colored candles also help balance the Hanukkah decorations with the Christmas ones that will go up soon. The plush oversized Drediel kept it super fun and Nod’s Festive Felt Garland is the perfect addition of texture. I also hung a block letter garland (one of my favorite party go-to decorations), which you can download for free over at Not-So-SAHM! And I’m a firm believer that confetti makes everything better, so we sprinkled some holiday colors on the table as well.

We’re ready to celebrate!

Rebecca is a mom to two young kiddos and, in her spare time (ha!), likes to pretend she’s a back-up dancer, craft cocktails, and run long distances. A relatively recent SAHM, she blogs family-friendly activities, DIYs and celebration fun at Not-So-SAHM.

Holiday Trend – Merry & Bright

November 11, 2014

Post by Anna Passadori, Nod’s resident trend expert

Getting the kids involved in Holiday decorating can be a fun bonding experience for the family. The challenge though can be creating décor that both you and the kids love. For our Merry and Bright Holiday trend, we went with bright and fun colors that will fill your home with a happy, festive feeling. The products are influenced by Scandinavian design, a modern and fun way to celebrate the Holidays.

The colors can range from a brights and metallics to more traditional red and green, but updated in a more modern way:

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A rainbow palette looks best paired in a neutral setting. This clean, Nordic room is a perfect backdrop for some Merry and Bright décor:

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In addition to white, tan or beige look great paired with a rainbow palette:

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Look for modern Fair Isle and Otomi patterns that are bold and graphic for an unexpected twist:

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Try it yourself!

Urban Pine Advent Calendar / Feathered Palette Bird Ornaments / Fair Isle Flannel Pillowcase / Bird on Bike Ornament / Star Tree Topper / Hit the Town Flannel Sheet Set / Pink Ombre Canopy & Cushion / Green Triangle Stocking / Polygon Ornaments

For more inspiration, click here!

Anna develops and designs exclusive product for The Land of Nod. She hails from the west coast and has traveled the world to source product. She loves anything Marc Jacobs, Sofia Coppola or stripes! (So, if anyone can get a photo of Sofia Coppola wearing a striped outfit by Marc Jacobs, please send it along.)

Kid Friendly Thanksgiving Table Decor

November 10, 2014

Post written by Paging Supermom

Hosting Thanksgiving is so much fun, but it’s also a crazy bunch of work. We are here to help get the kid friendly Thanksgiving table decor checked off your to-do list, and also to convince you to use our favorite Pumpkin Pie shortcut. Shortcuts not for you? Then don’t miss this killer recipe for the easiest, homemade Pecan Pie.

We have been known to cringe at store-bought decorations but count on Land of Nod to provide the kind of details you’d expect from something homemade, like those real string bows on the pilgrim’s bonnet in this Thanksgiving Cupcake Kit. We used the liners and toppers to make our Cornbread Muffins more festive (click here for our favorite Cornbread Muffin Recipe).

We adore all the details of the Land of Nod Thanksgiving Decor Collection, including the foil-stamped, gold accents.

The Thanksgiving Mini Garland looks adorable strung together with a couple of Orange Circle garlands. Land of Nod offers these geometric felt garlands in a variety of colors, and they are super handy to have tucked away in your party box.

Set the kid’s table with our free printable Graph Paper Tablecloth and the Chalk Around the World Globe is the perfect, interactive centerpiece for your kid friendly Thanksgiving table decor. Get the free download of these Atlantic Ocean Placemats then add sails to straws (using this free template) to turn cups into boats. There is also a spot on the placemats where children can write what they are thankful for.

It’s always a good idea to have a few activities to keep little hands busy on Thanksgiving Day. These Pilgrim Cookie Cutters and a set of playdough will do the job quite nicely.

Your little ones will also get a kick out of taking turns being the chef as they assemble this pretend turkey. Be sure to snag this adorable Pull Apart Poultry toy, and download our free printable Turkey Platter and Garnish.

Before or after dessert, serve up a little educational fun with a homemade Fraction Pie. Print our free Fraction Pie templates on cardstock and cut out the pieces. You may wish to laminate for added durability. We used a recycled pie tin to hold our pie pieces.

Want more? Head here for more free printables and family-friendly Thanksgiving ideas.

Paging Supermom is written by “Sometimes Supermoms” Aimée and Bettijo, and came to be after many discussions with each other sharing their best insights on homemaking, parenting, party planning, teaching, playing and sometimes simply surviving. They soon discovered that although they can’t claim to be super all the time, each had their own moments. By sharing successes (and some of the funny moments when they fell flat on their faces), they hope to inspire others to find their inner superhero a little more often.

DIY Teepee Shelf

November 7, 2014

Post by Lidy of Hello Lidy

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I thought it would be fun to create a little DIY in honor of the season! And why not something a little more unique, like a super sweet diy teepee shelf?!

DIY Teepee Shelf Materials

Piece of oak 1×3
Black floral wire
Wire cutters
Hammer
Nails
Directions

Directions

Simply start by taking a section of your wire and wrapping it around the end of your oak wood three to four times.
Repeat on other side.
Take the tops of both of your wire ends and twist together – making sure that your shelf hangs straight for when you want to hang it.
Clip the top of your connected wires with your wire cutters so they look neat and even.
Hang and enjoy!

This diy teepee shelf is one of those projects you don’t have to take down once the holidays pass – it would look so cute in any room! Whether your toddlers space or your living area! It’s a super fun way to display your cute decor and something that is sure to make your space one-of-a-kind!

Lidy is the face behind Hello Lidy: a blog focusing on creating and cultivating unique spaces that integrate original handmade designs and vintage pieces while keeping up on current trends and designs. Lidy and her husband have three adopted toddlers.

Creating A Thanksgiving Kids Table

November 6, 2014

Post by Suzanne, a contributor to Not So SAHM

Now that Halloween has passed and we’ve entered the month of November (how did that happen so quickly?), it’s time to start thinking about Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving happens to be one of my favorite holidays — getting family together, focusing on all the things in my life for which I’m thankful, and the food, the amazing food! — all of it just makes me so happy. While this holiday is one of my favorites, it doesn’t really capture the kids’ excitement the same way Halloween, Christmas or Easter do. I’m sure the lack of candy and gifts have something to do with it. But, I think it’s so important for them to realize that they don’t need all of those things to make this a fun and wonderful holiday. So, with a little help from the Meri Meri Thanksgiving party collection, I created a simple and fun Thanksgiving kids table that anyone can put together in a snap.

My favorite item from the collection is the “Be Thankful” garland. Not only does it reiterate the message I want my kids to get out of the day, but it comes with enough leaves and string to make a nice long garland. In fact, there were so many leaves that I decided to make mini garlands on the back of the kids’ chairs with the extra.

Because I think the key to creating a good Thanksgiving kids table is to provide entertainment, I also made some cinnamon-scented playdough to keep the kids entertained after dinner. I set out some of the Meri Meri Thanksgiving Cookie Cutters for the kids to use with playdough and continue imaginary play while the adults linger at the table talking. I hope to use them at some point to make cookies as well, but I have yet to master cookie decorating, so I’ll keep them in the playdough category for now!

In addition to the Meri Meri Thanksgiving products, I hand stamped white paper napkins and then folded them into little pockets to hold the disposable bamboo cutlery. Stamping napkins has quickly become one of my favorite ways to do quick and inexpensive personalization. Stamp them with a symbol, initials, or a phrase. Any way you stamp them, it looks cute and it’s so easy!

Happy Turkey Day prep!

Suzanne is a mother of two little boys and loves celebrating the little things in life. When she’s not chasing after said boys, she enjoys pursuing her passion for interior design, graphic design, and photography. She contributes to our pal Rebecca’s kid-friendly project blog Not-So-SAHM.

Win Your Holiday Pinterest Wishlist

November 5, 2014

Contest alert! Pin for a chance to Win Your Holiday Pinterest List through next Monday, 11/10! One winner will receive $2500 from their Pinterest wishlist.

How it Works

Create a Pinterest board with your favorite Nod products (use the hashtag #NodWishlistSweeps on your product pins!)
Enter your board URL by 11/10 HERE.
One winner will receive up to $2500 worth of Nod items from their board on 11/11!

DIY Gold Foil Pillow

November 4, 2014

Written by Dina of Honey & Fitz

Whenever I design a kid’s bedroom, I try to include a personalized element. Kid’s love things with their names on them right? This super easy DIY gold foil pillow (no sewing involved!) combines 2 things I love – a hint of metallic sparkle and a personalization.

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 pillow cover – Pick a size and color that works for your room. A solid color works great but this could be fun on a pattern too. Etsy is a great spot for finding inexpensive, solid colored, linen pillows. If you want to do a full name, I recommend a 12″x20″ pillow like I used. If you want to do just a monogram or initial, a simple square would be perfect.
Iron-on gold metallic vinyl
Scissors
Template

Starting with your selected pillow, determine the right size for your letters. This will vary based on the name you’re working with. For my pillow I needed 4 letters and I ended up making each 750pt in Microsoft Word. I put the ‘e’ and ‘a’ on their own pages and the two l’s on 1 page and printed them all out on card stock.

Cut out all your letters and trace them IN REVERSE on the back side (the silver side) of your vinyl.

Once you have all your letters cut out, play around with the position of them on the pillow. I like to hold a tape measure along the bottom of the pillow and then hold a straight edge along the bottom edge to line up my letters.

Once you’re satisfied with your layout, iron on the first and last letter. This will give you a nice line to work within for the middle letters.

Before you iron on your first letter, iron the pillow cover itself and warm up the fabric. This will let the vinyl adhere more uniformly. Then, holding your letter firmly in place, begin to move your iron over the letter in quick, circular motions. It doesn’t take much to make the transfer and you’ll immediately see the letter change from smooth to more textured. Keep the iron moving so as not to scorch the vinyl. It’s probably a good idea to use a pressing fabric (an old plain white t-shirt, for example)

Let your letter cool completely and then go back and peel off the clear protective layer. It’s not immediately clear that this exists but run your nail around the edge and give it a little tug. Peel it back to reveal your sparkly work!

(If at any point while you’re peeling the protective layer away you notice the vinyl itself pulling up, don’t panic! Place the protective layer back down and hit it with the iron for another second or two. Let it cool and try again.)

Stuff your pillow with a down insert 2″ larger in length and width that your cover. Fluff and enjoy!

Now that you’re armed with the basics, get creative. Don’t restrict yourself to a name – you could do anything! A great big heart, a star, an anchor…even create your own pattern with a few smaller pieces ironed on in a grid. These would make great baby shower gifts right?

I recently shared a sweet little girl’s room I designed where I used one of these pillows on the bed. Check it out here.

Dina Holland is a blogger and interior designer. She lives in Boston, MA with her husband and two young sons, Knox and Reed. She shares her adventures in DIY, interior design work and the renovation of her century old home on her blog Honey & Fitz.

Kids Thanksgiving Day Craft Table

November 3, 2014

Written by Barbara Rucci of Art Bar Blog

In our family, Thanksgivings are massive. I married into a wild and wonderful Italian family where it’s not unusual for fifty (or more) relatives to gather in one place. My kids love getting together with their cousins. Their football games are legendary, as is the amount of apple pie they can eat!

Every year, I set up a Thanksgiving day craft table for anyone who wants to get creative. My idea is always to let the materials invite the kids in, and to have the craft be something that is completely do-able without any adult help (or very little). Oh, and no mess!

Beaded Leaf Necklaces Supplies:

Pony Beads
Wooden beads
Yarn
Markers (green & pink)
Watercolor paints
Brushes
Glass of water + damp sponge or paper towel
Leaf template (download HERE)
Hold punch (1/8”)
Scotch tape

Directions for making the necklaces:

Print out the leaf template on watercolor paper. Cut out the circles and punch a hole at the top.
Cut your strings into 28” pieces. Fold the string in half and push the loop through the hole. Bring the ends through the loop and pull tight.
I taped the ends of the string like shoelaces to make them easier to string the beads.

The rest of the necklace making is all up to the kids! Some painted, some used markers. Some beaded first, some didn’t bead at all. Some made just one necklace while another made three! That is the beauty of craft like this one. It is open-ended enough to appeal to all ages. It is simple without any frustration.

The Land of Nod markers were a big hit. They have this painterly tip that the kids loved. So vibrant and colorful. And fun for every age…even the teens!

Hopefully, at the end of the day, the kids will leave with a little bit of gratefulness in their hearts for the beauty of nature.

Barbara Rucci is passionate about two things: Kids + Art. As a graphic designer and mom to three whippersnappers, she gets to explore her passions every day. Art Bar Blog is a place where she cultivates her love of beautiful things and creative people, and shares simple tips and ideas to bring art and beauty into our everyday lives.

Boy’s Bedroom Makover

October 31, 2014

Post by Donna of Motherburg

I have always loved changing up my son’s room. However at 5 years of age I have to tread a bit more carefully on the design process when it comes to his space. When he was younger I styled his room according to my taste level but at almost five years of age he knows what he loves and with two creative parents he has inherited a love for decor.

When my husband decided to change up our apartment he took what was my son’s room and playroom and made this into our new living room space, and what was our living room (confused yet?) into a part kid’s room/part office for my work. This is typical of New Yorkers, we often have to either move out for more space or re-work what we have. This meant we have a somewhat shared space and I wanted both areas to feel cohesive.

This meant for my boy’s bedroom makeover I wanted pieces that were stylish yet went with my taste level. This is where The Land of Nod comes in. I found the perfect pieces that not only work with my son’s personality they melded perfectly with his established favorites that he has had since he was a baby.

The items we added, such as the gold dot sheet set, have just the right about of whimsical, as my son loves shiny metallic things. He has quite the superhero collection and I felt that the sheets are a great balance to having all these characters to a room.

The grey chambray bedding and honeycomb wall shelf have been a stylish way to tone down a busy boy’s room. Since we live in railroad apartment having these neutral (but not boring!) pieces help the apartment flow together style wise rather then cut off with different decor scenarios.

The pièce de résistance is the pillows. I have always incorporated horses into his décor and the equestrian horse throw pillow will one-day end up in my office. The shield throw pillow is just the right amount of blue I wanted to bring onto his bed. My boy absolutely adores them and he loves to snuggle into them when I read him his favorite bedtime books. This little nook is exactly what I envisioned. A space that felt like it belongs to an energetic boy yet will grow right along with my little dreamer and his satisfied mama.

Donna Duarte Ladd is a style editor and editor of Motherburg, a parenting site for Brooklyn-based moms. She resides with her young son and artist husband in Brooklyn. She is a native of California but loves her adopted hometown NYC.

DIY Halloween Spider Straws

October 30, 2014

Written by Aleah and Nick of Valley & Co.

Halloween really brings out the kid in us and each year we get so excited to pull out all of the stops to decorate for the festivities. Pumpkins galore, dried corn stalks, creepy bats, aged scary silhouettes, and freshly made apple cider and home-baked goods are some of our Halloween must-haves for entertaining. This year will be our first Halloween as parents so now we can truly justify decking the halls with fun! To add the perfect dose of eeriness to a Halloween meal, surprise the kiddos with these Spooky Halloween Spider Straws. It’s a simple project that yields scary results!

MATERIALS YOU’LL NEED:
For the straws: paper straws || plastic spiders || faux spiderwebs || hot glue gun
For the glass: orange sprinkles {or rimming sugar} || water || tall glass

Step 1. warm up your hot glue gun and dab a bead of glue towards the top of the straw

Step 2. gently press a spider onto the glue, holding into place while the glue dries
Step 3: prepare a small piece of the spiderweb and turn the spider over. Place a few dabs of hot glue on several of the legs and secure the spiderweb onto each bead, stretching it as you go and pulling over the top of the spider.

Ta-da!

Serve up these spooky straws in a big glass of milk on Halloween morning and make it extra festive by adding a pop of edible orange fun! Pour a mound of orange sprinkles into a small plate. Rub the rim of a glass with water and turn the glass upside down, rolling the rim in the sprinkles until it’s coated. Then carefully pour the milk into the glass.

Party planning tip: If you’re hosting a Halloween gathering, set out a side table welcoming your guests with pre-rimmed glasses with straws at the ready. Let guests garnish drinks {whether it’s milk or other libations} with all sorts of fun elements like edible red flowers, frozen spiders {simply place plastic spiders in an ice cube tray and fill with water to freeze}, or raspberries {use them frozen if you want them to attain a dripping red look as they melt}.

Who else is as excited for Halloween as we are?

Nick and Aleah Valley, of Valley & Co., began planning and designing utterly fantastic celebrations in 2003. They also pen Valley & Co. Lifestyle, an entertaining blog, where they share their pro party planner tips, effortless entertaining ideas, recipes, and tips on how they balance family life with running a business. Their entertaining and party tips are frequently sought after for publications like Better Homes and Gardens, Sunset Magazine, BRIDES Magazine, Occasions Magazine, and many more. You can find them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram

DIY Sock Monsters

October 29, 2014

Post by Christina of Christina Williams Blog

A couple years ago, I threw a monster-themed birthday party for my daughter, whose birthday is on Halloween. As party favors, I made some super-simple monster toys out of colorful socks. Those monsters have made the rounds on Pinterest, and I’ve had several emails from readers asking for me to make sock monsters for their parties! I wish I could make sock monsters for everyone; but I think it’s high time for a tutorial for this great kids craft, DIY sock monsters!

If you don’t have any monster-themed parties in your immediate future, don’t let that hold you back! On my blog today, I’m sharing a way you can make a whole bunch of these buddies for a great cause, so stop by and join in the fun!

With a quick raid of your craft stash, and a trip to Target or Michaels, you’ll have everything you need to make a whole pack of monsters. Here’s what you’ll need:

Colorful socks – look for long ones from the dollar section
Assorted felt scraps
Wiggly eyes – the sew-on kind
Thread – any color
Scissors
Embroidery floss – any color
White felt with an adhesive back
Polyfill, or any other filling material

Let’s get to work!

First, you’ll need to cut the sock roughly in half. I usually cut right above the heel, so I’ve got a straight line. Save the other half of the sock…usually you can get two monsters out of one sock.

Next, sew on the eye and embroider a mouth. Don’t be too neat, monsters are not neat and tidy creatures, after all.

After you’ve got your mouth and eye in place, it’s time to add the hair. Cut some scraps of felt to make horns/spikes/hair, etc. Then fold the top of the sock inward about 1/4″, and sandwich the felt scraps in between. Hand-sew along the edge, making sure to get all the felt scraps and and the top of the sock in with each stitch.

Fill the body with the polyfill, and tie off the bottom with some embroidery floss. You could also sew along the bottom for more of a square body shape.

Then add the finishing touch: fangs. Cut some small triangles with the adhesive felt and stick them on near the mouth. If you have adhesive felt in other colors, you could add an eye patch, or heart or anything else you want.

Now that you’ve got the basics, it’s time to get creative! Make boy monsters and girl monsters, add hair or accessories. These guys usually cost about 25¢ – 50¢ each if you can find socks in the dollar section…so make a bunch! And if you get out of control and make too many – you can send these to my friend Julie for her Monster Project, to help brighten the day of kiddos in the hospital.

Christina Williams is a blogger and graphic designer living in Salt Lake City, Utah. She’s a night owl and a bookworm, as well as a mother to three children ranging in age from two to eight. She shares her latest DIY and design projects along with her adventures in parenting on self-named blog, Christina Williams.

Quick & Fun Halloween Snacks

October 28, 2014

Written by Corri McFadden of Glitter & Bubbles

Trick or Treat I have something good to eat! Halloween is one of my favorite times of year and in celebration of this spooky month long holiday, I have included some simple and delicious Halloween snacks for you and your family to enjoy.

Ghost Bananas & Clementine Pumpkins

Check out these festive ideas to create ghost bananas and clementine pumpkins and marshmallow monster guts. Not only are they absolutely darling but also are yummy snacks that will have your family screaming for more.

To get started you will need bananas, clementine, celery, regular and mini chocolate chips.

First, remove the skin from the clementine and cut a small hole to stick in your celery stem.

Next, for the ghosts, cut a banana in half and place two mini chocolate chips at the top for eyes and a regular chocolate chip for the mouth. Place them on a tray and serve as a great after-school snack!

Monster Guts Cup Recipe

I have also included step-by-step instructions for my Halloween snacks monster guts cup recipe. Its one of the easiest desserts I’ve come across and it’s to die for!

You will need Oreos, Cool- Whip, marshmallows, gummy worms, gel icing, sprinkles and green food dye.

First, crush the Oreos and mix the pieces with Cool-Whip and marshmallows. Add the green food dye to the marshmallow blend; this will give your monster guts some ghoulish color!

Next, take your cups and rim them with gel icing. Dip the icing side into any desired sprinkles.

Spoon your monster gut into the cups and add gummy worms for the finishing touch. Enjoy! Corri McFadden is the owner and founder of eDrop-Off Luxury Consignment. As a Style Expert and successful blogger, she hosts a weekly fashion segment on Chicago’s “You and Me This Morning”, and features “Style Recipes”, videos and Fashion “Must Haves” on her self-titled lifestyle website Corri McFadden. Most recently, she launched Glitter and Bubbles, a modern day moms guide for those looking for inspiration through fashion, food and décor.

DIY Lego Storage Box

October 27, 2014

Post by Rebecca of Not So SAHM

My son, Kane, has always loved to build, but has recently developed a total obsession with legos. The thing is that he begs for the pre-designed kits, because they look super cool, but never ever keeps them in the original configuration (and frequently asks for help building them back after he inevitably breaks them apart). So I’m a big fan of the general building block sets, where he can use his imagination to make whatever he wants.

He just had a big lego birthday party and helped me make travel lego kits for all the kids to take as favors. And that got me thinking about making a bigger version for him, a DIY Lego storage box. I love the idea of containing those little plastic blocks, and, if you’ve ever stepped on one, I’m sure you are too! Enter The Land of Nod’s Letter Box. Super sturdy and big enough to hold almost an entire 600+ piece set of lego blocks. With the initial of our last name on the front, and a few logic puzzles I designed (download your own from the link at the bottom of this post!), it was the perfect birthday gift for our awesome dude.

And here’s how to make your own DIY Lego storage box! You’ll need:

A Letter Box
One, large baseplate (10″ X 10″)
Reclosable fastener strips (you can find smaller and less expensive ones at a hardware store – I just needed a bunch for the party favors)
Sturdy scissors
Ruler
Permanent marker
Legos!

1. Measure and mark a 6″ X 6″ piece of base plate on the back of the larger sheet. Cut it out and then slightly angle the corners to avoid a sharp point.

2. Cut four or five pairs of recloseable fastener strip and adhere one side of each strip to the back of the base plate. I started with four and added one to the middle for stability.

3. Peel the backing from the fastener strips and center it to the inside top lid of the Letter Box. Press firmly. Fill the bottom of Letter Box with legos!

4. Print and cut out Not-So-SAHM’s logic puzzles {click here to download}! I left these in black and white so they’d go easily with whatever lego set you have, but if you want to make it more challenging, you can color in each brick to correspond with what’s in your set.

Girls’ Shared Space Design Ideas – Nursery & Bedroom

October 24, 2014

Design by Sara Polacek of The Land of Nod’s Design Services Team

Amanda was looking for ideas around a shared space design for her girls, giving a fun update for their combined nursery and bedroom. She was looking for a functional space with lots of girly elements and wanted to use a bed she already owned. To balance the pink, we incorporated grey and black accents. The flokati rug, pillows and grey pouf add texture and interest to the room. The best part about this space is it will be easy to update as the girls grow. Accessories and artwork are the most cost-effective way to switch up a room!

Pink abstract bowtie print / Pineapple print / Owl love print / House wall shelf, similar / Heart garland / Vintage Bed / Pink Velvet Sham / Triangle Pillow, Ferm Living / Flokati Rug / Aqua Woven Hamper / Star Pillow / Grey Drop Sheets / Bear Pillow, Ferm Living / Grey & Pink Blanket / Green Heart Pillow / Grey Petal Pouf

Our Design Services team offers free one-on-one design advice, mood boards and space planning. You have a room to decorate? They’d love to hear from you.

Halloween Decorating DIY Projects

October 23, 2014

Written by Corri McFadden of Glitter & Bubbles

The best part about this time of year is that Halloween festivities span the entire month of October. From hosting ghoulish kids parties to making creepy Halloween treats, what would be a better way to celebrate the spirit of Fall than with kid-friendly Halloween decorating DIY projects.

If you are looking for easy Halloween DIYs to do with your little ones, look no further than Spooky Eye Halloween Cards and Milk Jar Mummies. Both DIYs require little instruction and your little one can make them all by themselves.

Spooky Eye Halloween Cards

For Spooky Eye Halloween Cards you will need black cardstock, glue, googly eyes, a ruler, scissors, and a metallic pen.

First, using your ruler, trace a 6 x 8 inch rectangle onto the black cardstock and cut out with scissors. Next, fold in half.

Write your spooky Halloween message on the inside of the card.

Place a small drop of glue on the back of your googly eyes and secure them to your card. Add as many as you would like and help your little one deliver these to all their friends!

Milk Jar Mummies

To make Milk Jar Mummies you will need mini milk jars, gauze, googly eyes and glue.

Begin by putting a small dot of glue at the top of the milk jar and place one end of the gauze over it.

Next, wrap the gauze around the milk jar until it is completely covered. To keep the gauze secure, rip off excess gauze and glue the edge down in place.

For the finishing touch, glue the googly eye on the front and place them around the house for ghoulish décor!

Corri McFadden is the owner and founder of eDrop-Off Luxury Consignment. As a Style Expert and successful blogger, she hosts a weekly fashion segment on Chicago’s “You and Me This Morning”, and features “Style Recipes”, videos and Fashion “Must Haves” on her self-titled lifestyle website Corri McFadden. Most recently, she launched Glitter and Bubbles, a modern day moms guide for those looking for inspiration through fashion, food and décor.

Beeswax Crayon Fall Leaves Kids Craft

October 22, 2014

Blog post by Rebecca of Not-So-SAHM

We are in full-on fall decorating mode around our house and now that the kids are a bit older I thought it would be fun to tackle an arts and crafts project making some beeswax crayon fall leaves (a favorite of mine from when I was young). The Land of Nod’s Beeswax Crayons were the absolute perfect fit for this art project — the colors are gorgeous and the larger, triangular shape lends itself to easy use for young fingers (particularly during the grating process!). We loved how they turned out. A little abstract and a whole lot of bright fall color. Here’s how to make them yourself!

You’ll need:

Beeswax crayons
Wax paper
Leaf templates (you can purchase these at an arts/crafts store or even print an outline out to trace)
An old kitchen grater or oversized pencil/crayon sharpener
Old dish towels and paper towels
An iron (to be used with adult supervision)

Once you have your supplies:

Grate the crayons into small pieces (this gets messy, so plan for a good work spot ahead of time!)
Place a dish towel onto an ironing board, and then a piece of wax paper on top
Sprinkle grated crayons on one half of the wax paper — spreading the colors out and keeping the layer thin
Fold the other half of wax paper over the grated crayon and cover with a piece of paper towel
Using an iron set on the lowest setting, iron over the wax paper, melting the crayon shavings sandwiched inside
Trace a leaf outline and cut out. If necessary, repress the leaf with the iron to fuse the edges again

It’s fun to experiment with amount and placement of the shavings as well as how long to iron each one. My favorites are those with a thin layer of melted wax and some spottiness — I love how the light shines through each one a bit differently. Happy fall, all and enjoy this fall kids craft!

Halloween Kids Craft: Skeleton Necklace

October 21, 2014

Written by Darcy of No Monsters In My Bed

When I saw skull necklaces in Martha Stewart Living I realized that the kids could probably make these on their own (yay! for easy). So we spent an afternoon making LOTS of skulls (and other silly face). And now my son never wants to take his necklace off. Below are the steps for this easy Halloween kids craft; DIY skeleton necklaces.

Here’s the scoop:

Materials: Air Dry Clay (similar to this), brown or black cord (similar to this), a kabob stick for the eyes and the hole in the back, and a needle for the teeth.

1. Roll clay into a quarter sized ball (or slightly larger, depending on the look you want).

2. Pinch the sides of the ball in and then use your thumb to create a forehead-type indent.

3. Use the kabob stick to make the eyes and to make a hole in the back for the cord.

4. Use a needle to draw in “scary” teeth and a nose.

Easy! HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!

Darcy blogs at No Monsters In My Bed and is a mother of three children (8, 7, and 5 years old) located in Arlington, VA. She likes: sleeping in, Alice Munro, cheap red wine, old rocking chairs, shoes without heels, mix tapes, balloons, the color grey, & discovering new things.