The retail value of some of these pieces is upwards of $900.  You’ll definitely be saving money if you are a collector or simply want something chic and memorable adorning your walls.  You can check out the sale here.

My friend Piera from Jolly Mom is hosting a twitter party with Totsy tomorrow. The deets are below!

When: Wednesday, June 1st at 9 PM EST

Where: On Twitter. Just follow @TotsyMom, @JollyMom, @TotsyFan and @MyTotsy

Why? To learn about Totsy and interact with other members.

No compensation was received for this post. I am a member of the Totsy Mom Committee and receive site credit as part of my participation in the program.

Photo Credit: flaivoloka

With the weather warming up, my children and I are excited about exploring the museums, parks, and family-centered venues here in Southern California.  We love to be out learning and discovering, but sometimes, we all need a bit of down time.  Unique, interesting inside activities are a struggle since I have be creative with what we already have.  I typically resort to crayons and crafts when we’ve read all of my son’s favorite books and played his favorite board games three times through.

I’ve never thought too much about how eco-friendly crafting is, but I’m certain their is a greener way to glue, paint, and use stickers to create original projects. Here are some tips on making your crafts more sustainable:

1. Take inventory of what you already have.  Egg cartons, milk containers, empty toilet paper rolls, and the like can all be used for crafting.

2. Opt for recycled paper. Check out the tree-free paper made from 100% recycled paper at Kidbean.com.

3. Opt for eco-friendly art supplies. Check out P’kolino’s non-toxic, water-based finger and poster paints, Clementine Art’s natural glue, paint, markers, and crayons, Eco-Kids’ eco-paste, eco-dough, and eco-paint and Glob’s natural, botanical watercolor pigments and bamboo brushes.

4. Take your project outside. As a child, I remember picking up fallen leaves, placing them under a piece of paper, and coloring on the paper (over the leaf).

5. Utilize craft time to educate your child on green topics.

In the spirit of reducing, reusing, and recycling, this is week four of the Scott Naturals Test Drive!   Making the switch to recycled paper products for four weeks can help save up to 2 million trees.  Through their partnership with the National Wildlife Federation, Scott Naturals will donate $1 per unique click up to $25,000.

Win It! One of you will win a Scott Naturals Kit. Simply leave me a comment with your best tip for eco-crafting with your kids.  Comments will close on May 15th, 2011 at 11:59 PM PST.

US Residents only.  Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.

Want an extra entry? Do any or all of the following and receive an extra entry for each one. Be sure to leave me a separate comment for each additional entry.

Follow me on Twitter AND tweet about the contest.

Like me on Facebook

Subscribe to my feed via email or reader.

Blog about this giveaway. It doesn’t have to be a separate post. Just include a blurb about it when you blog about other giveaways.

Click on one of the very cute buttons below and digg, stumble, fav, etc. Just let me know what you did in the comments!

This is part of a compensated campaign with Scott Naturals and The Motherhood.

Whenever I’m in the kitchen, my son wants to be my little assistant.  Most of my ventures include baking, however, slowly I’ve been involving him more in simple meal preparation.  Last week, we spent a few hours with Maite Gomez-Rejón, who combines her love of fine art and culinary history into a series of classes called Artbites.  Maite, who is an art historian and trained chef, founded Artbites “to  satisfy the senses of the young and young-at-heart by combining art and culinary history with fun, hands-on cooking instruction.”  Her classes are held in museums, schools, and a variety of artistic venues across Los Angeles and include everything from reading a children’s food-inspired book and baking to learning about a museum exhibit and cooking dishes from that time period.

Introducing my children to a variety of diverse activities is important and the combination of art and food intrigued me.  The class begins with a children’s story, read aloud while children sit on funky retro-patterned cushions.  Maite is lively and animated and engages and captivates children.  The story we read, Caps For Sale, was unfamiliar to us, which meant the entire experience was new and exciting for both of us.  The storytime was appropriate in length and short enough to hold a my son’s attention without boring him.

We talked about the story and then proceeded to work on cooking a meal based on the theme of the story.  Caps For Sale is clever little tale about a mustached cap salesman who wears his entire stock of caps on his head.  Naturally, he goes around the towns and villages attempting to sell his caps (hence the title of the book).  One particular day, the peddler sits down under a tree to rest only to awaken and find that his caps have been taken by a troop of monkeys.  The takeaway from the story is Monkey See, Monkey Do.  It seemed fitting that we would create a Peddler’s Salad and Monkey Business Bread Pudding, recipes that were developed by Maite.

The recipes were simple enough for a child to help prepare.  She obtains fresh, wholesome ingredients for use in the recipes and enables children to engage as much as possible.  The tables the children prepare the meals on are low and she makes it easy for children to “chop,” pour, and mix in the ingredients.  For example, she uses colorful plastic cutting boards, plastic knives, and small bowls filled with ingredients to make it easy for children to measure out.   While Maite leads and facilitates the class, she also engages parents to help participate with their children.  I was right alongside my son helping to prepare the meal.  My son, who enjoys helping me out in the kitchen, was completely engaged in the meal prep.  He would have completed every step if he was able to.

One of the things I failed to discuss with Maite ahead of time was my son’s food allergies.  If you’re planning on attending the classes, she will work with parents of children with food allergies to create or alter meals accordingly.  My son obviously was not able to eat the Monkey Business Bread Pudding as we prepared it.  However, she creatively whipped up a dairy, egg free version by adding mashed bananas, to the bread and including brown sugar, vanilla, and the spices.  After it was warmed, my son did not even realize that he was getting the allergy-free version.  I wish I would have taken a picture because it very much resembled the original.

After we prepped the meals, Maite assisted in demonstrating a craft that she thought up based on the theme of the book.  Naturally, he made a colorful cap.  Because the bread pudding had to bake, this was the perfect time to work on the craft.  What was interesting about the craft is that Maite put an eco-spin on it by using food containers as the caps and then had my son decorate them with feathers, beads, paper, pastels, and more.

After the craft was complete, we sat down together to eat.  I honestly didn’t think my son would touch some of those vegetables.  Surprisingly, he ate 2 servings.  Maite explained that when children have an integral role in preparing a meal, they are more likely to consume it (lesson learned!).  My son tried vegetables he’d never tasted before and I was reminded of how important it is to a. involve my son whenever possible and b. continually introduce both of my children to new foods.  At the end of the class, each mother/child receives a small book with the recipes showcased in the class. I’ll be referring back to those recipes  for meal ideas (with a Vegan twist, of course).

Thanks to Maite, we had a unique culinary art experience that my son didn’t want to end.  If we lived closer, I would have signed him up that day.  Maite’s Mommy & Me Mondays are from 11 am to 1 pm in Los Angeles.  A single class is $55 or you can attend the entire 6 week series for $300.  The classes target children ages 3-6 and include one adult. Here is the schedule for April and May.

4/4 Olivia

4/11 The Velveteen Rabbit

5/16 Are You My Mother?

5/23 If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

5/30 Pinkalicious

For more information about Maite’s culinary art classes for adults and children, just visit the site.

No compensation was received for this post.  We were invited to attend a class which helped facilitate this review.

One of the things I’d like to do with my son is cook.  If you’ve read my blog for any amount of time, you know how much I don’t enjoy cooking. Perhaps it’s the fact that to this day, my mother doesn’t cook…or the fact that I’ve had several unfortunate recipe mishaps including a Fettucini Alfredo gone wrong.  But I have been trying…mostly with our crockpot.

Because I don’t want my son to be culinarily illiterate, I’ve decided to begin introducing him to the fine art of cooking.  How am I going to do this? Through kid’s cooking classes!

I recently found out about two different programs with classes geared towards children in the Los Angeles area.

Club EATalian:

This city-wide program is aimed at raising awareness among kids their parents about the health benefits of authentic Italian food.  Italy is joining educators, health professionals, chefs and First Lady Michelle Obama to promote nutritious organic vegetables and fruits, extra virgin olive oil, lean meat and fish, low-fat cheeses and multi-grain breads, pastas, and healthy pizza.

Piccolo Chef offers free cooking classes for kids of all ages at some of the top Italian Restaurants in Los Angeles.  The culinary academy is committed to teaching moms and their children how to cook and eat in a fun, healthy way.  Parents and children will learn how to cook simple, healthy meals on a budget using quality, organic ingredients, the history of foods and cooking, world cultures, and table etiquette.

Here are just a few of the upcoming events:

PICCOLO CHEF KIDS’ DAYS

Toscanova
March 27, 2011 / 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Class Structure: 12+ years old, approx. 15 kids

Da Pasquale Trattoria
April 3, 2011 / 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Class Structure: 9-10 years old , approx. 20 kids

Artbites

ArtBites was founded by art historian and trained chef Maite Gomez Rejón, seeks to offer enjoyment of art and food through the unique combination of history and culinary classes.  ArtBites combines art and culinary history with fun, hands-on cooking instruction in museum settings, at schools, or in the comfort of private homes.  Classes can vary to include reading a children’s food-inspired book, baking, learning about a museum exhibit and cooking dishes from that time period.

Classes are $55 each or $300 for the series and the price includes admission for one child (ages 3-6) and one accompanying adult, art and cooking activities, and a take-home copy of the featured book.

Here is a list of the upcoming classes:

Mommy & Me Mondays!
Mondays from 11:00am to 1:00pm

3/28 Caps for Sale
4/4 Olivia
4/11 The Velveteen Rabbit
5/16 Are You My Mother?
5/23 If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
5/30 Pinkalicious

No compensation was received for this post.

Milk & Cookies will debut on Saturday, March 12th from 1-5 pm at Irvine Spectrum Center.  All of the artwork on display was created by children and will be available for purchase, with proceeds benefiting Seeds Art and Education, Inc. and the JLA Project.  Musical guests Summer Watson and the Hindu Pirates will perform and refreshments of milk and cookies, of course, will be served.

During the event, TOMS will launch their Kids for Kids collection through a Style Your Sole and you will have the opportunity to design your very own pair of TOMS. For every pair of shoes purchased, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need.

TOMS will also be launching their Kids for Kids collection at the event, through a Style Your Sole, where people will be able to design their own pair of TOMS. As always, with every pair purchased, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need.

The Gallery space will be open March 4th, 2011 to March 6th, 2011 from 5pm-8pm and the event will take place on March 12th, 2011 from 1pm – 5pm at the Irvine Spectrum Center.

Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Twitter because I’ve *heard* a very special guest from TOMS will be present on Saturday.  I’ll also share with you a special preview time before the doors open to the public on March 12th so stay tuned!

No compensation was received for this post. I was invited to a media preview of the event.

Calvin Coolidge

I keep a memory of all the places I’ve traveled to by way of postcards, photographs I’ve taken, and prints I’ve purchased along the way.  If you were to step into our home, you’d see pictures of us intermingled with those that tell a story of where we’ve been.  Photographs, paintings, and art in general inspire me.  I could spend many hours at the Museum of Contemporary Photography (among many other museums around the world).

If you’re looking for an inspirational gift with lasting meaning, do check out Successories DYI (Design Your Inspiration).  The company combines incredible photographs with moving quotes.  There are a number of options available for personalization and I think their framed pieces make an incredible gift idea.  You simply select from their stunning images, choose a quote (or even better, add your own), personalize the piece with a message and pick out a museum quality mat and frame (size options include wall or desktop).

Successories DYI has taken time to ensure their collection includes “unique, awe-inspiring images from the most impressive photographers across the globe” (and I agree!).  They’ve paired these images with carefully selected quotes that truly add depth to each image.  I have already spent a lot of time browsing through the site because the images are breathtaking.  I’m following them on Twitter because they link to one of their inspiring photographs daily.  And if you’re looking for a lift, be sure to check out the quotes they put on Twitter!

I was given the option of creating a piece myself, or having one created by an artisan from the company (which is the route I chose).  For me, the most difficult part was choosing the photograph I wanted (I can be so indecisive!).  I did opt for a Christmas-themed piece and was sent The Small Christmas Tree by Photographer Quang-Tuan Luong.  The contrast of this tree against those towering above it is magnificent.  I was highly impressed with both the quality of the piece (the photo, frame, and matting) and it’s pairing with the quote I opened with above.

I’ve featured a ton of companies this season and I have to say Successories DYI is one of my favorites.  I think their framed pieces make a wonderful gift for friends, family members, co-workers…just about anyone!  Prices are as follows:

Desk size framed & matted print:  $45

Wall size framed & matted print:  $119

I’ll leave you with some of the most amazing images I found on the site…enjoy!

For more fabulous Holiday Gift Ideas, visit The Mommy-Files

Disclosure: I did not receive compensation for this review. I did receive a product, courtesy of the company in order to facilitate my review.

During my Back to School series, I introduced you to Clementine Art, an eco-friendly company that offers quality art supplies.  My son loves to color, paint, and play with dough, and I like the fact the downtime it gives us.  He is a very active two year old who loves to run, ride his scooter, and play outside.  But sometimes, we both need some quiet indoor time. I believe children need diverse experiences and developing their fine motor skills is just as important as developing their gross motor skills.

New out for the holidays is the company’s Holiday Eco-Art Gift Set.  The set is nicely displayed in a re-usable box and includes their scented,  crumble-free modeling dough, creamy soy crayons and crayon rocks, and multi-purpose glue.  I reviewed the soy crayons a few months ago and like the rich, creamy color displayed on my son’s “projects.”  My son just loves the crayon rocks (he does more than just color with them…like sorting and “playing” with them).  I should note that because they’re soy, they break a little easier than conventional crayons (in my experience).  But that doesn’t deter my son from coloring with them.  My son’s favorite product is the modeling dough (hehe).  Each color has it’s own fantastic scent, my favorite being the two citrus scents.  The dough is soft and malleable, and according to the company, will last for 12 months if you keep it stored in the airtight container it comes in. Glue is the final product in the gift set, but it’s something we haven’t introduced to my son yet.  The glue dries clear and washes off most surfaces.

As a parent, I worry about the chemicals my son is being exposed to in the products he comes in contact with.  I appreciate the fact that the company is transparent with the ingredients they use.  Clementine Art strives to recycled, reusable materials not only in their products but in their packaging. They even use soy inks for printing. The company uses plant and mineral pigments as opposed to artificial dyes.  I like the fact that their dough is colored with spinach and tumeric.  You won’t find preservatives, animal byproducts, or petroleum bases.

Exposing children to art is a great way to encourage creativity and imagination.  The Natural Gift Set retails for $27 and is available for purchase online.

Win It! One of you will win a Natural Gift Set.  Entering is just a bit different for this giveaway.  Simply follow Clementine Art on Twitter and send a tweet with what you like best about Clementine Art (easy right?).  Comments will close on  December December 12, 2009 at 10 PM PST.  One comment per person, please (unless you do the extra credit). US residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.

Want an extra entry? Do any or all of the following and receive an extra entry for each one.

Be sure to leave me a separate comment for each additional entry.

Add the “Holiday Gift Guide” button to your sidebar and leave me a comment (be sure it’s up for the duration of the gift guide!)

Leave me a comment with something you liked or learned on the site.

Check out my Holiday Gift Guide and leave a comment on that site about a product you like! (Maximum of 1 Comment for this).

Follow me on Twitter AND tweet about the contest. Be sure to use the hashtag #holidaysurvivalguide

Enter Shannon’s giveaways (Maximum of 1 Comment for this).

Subscribe to my feed via email or reader.

Blog about this giveaway. It doesn’t have to be a separate post. Just include a blurb about it when you blog about other giveaways.

Click on one of the very cute buttons below and digg, stumble, fav, etc. Just let me know what you did in the comments!

For more fabulous Holiday Gift Ideas, visit The Mommy-Files

Disclosure: I did not receive compensation for this review. I did receive a product, courtesy of the company in order to facilitate my review.

The crunchy part of me loves natural alternatives to conventional products.  I know crayons are non-toxic.  But what about paint, markers, and play dough?  Don’t get me wrong.  We do have all of these products in our home.  But how exciting that Clementine Art is going the extra mile to ensure it’s art products are all-natural, certified non-toxic, AND environmentally friendly.  They also use recycled and reusable materials in their packaging.

The company offers soy crayons, natural modeling dough, natural paint, natural markers, and natural glue.  My son likes his soy crayons but he’d much rather have mommy draw a fish and a car.  His latest is that he wants daddy to draw a pirate on the Wonder Pets Flyboat (where does he come up with this stuff?).  You can purchase Clementine Art’s products at a Whole Foods near you!  Check out their podcast here.

For more fabulous Back to School Ideas, visit Mommy Mandy & Mommy Goggles!

This is a photograph of the canvas on my wall.  The actual piece looks richer in color and texture.

I was so impressed with the canvas I received.  I chose the Deep Sponge Painting Style and it looks like it was hand-painted.  They deepened the colors and made them richer, giving the photo texture, just like a piece of art.  I highly recommend transforming your photo to canvas for a professional, artistic piece.  There are several options for personalizing your piece, my favorites being Metropolitan, Impasto Painting, Charcoal Sketch.  You can crop it, preview it on a wall, and add a border if you desire. Photofiddle can also add a photographic tint to any photograph including sepia, blue, red, or green if you want a simpler look.

Ordering is as simple as uploading a photo, choosing your style, and choosing your display (canvas, framed, etc.).  In four days your photo will be fiddled and available for preview before shipment.  There are numerous pricing options varying from $9.95 all the way to $3499.95 and the price really depends on the type of display you prefer and how large you want your photo.  Along with the 15% off you will receive when ordering with the code “rockin 15,” the company has a special where you $20 off of an “18 by “18 Gallery Wrapped Canvas by using the code 1818 (but the two cannot be combined).

This giveaway is now closed.  Thanks so much for stopping by.  The winner is Sara.  Congratulations and Happy Easter!

My little Picasso has recently discovered the fine art of coloring.  While his canvas has been more tables than paintings, it’s an activity that we enjoy doing together.  Whether you have a crawling infant or a hip teen, art is something children of all ages enjoy.  It allows for creative expression, use of imagination, and teaches children to “think outside the box.”  With the dawn of spring comes a new line of Crayola products designed to inspire children to “explore, discover, and create everything imaginable.”  What’s great about these products is that they’re all under $25.00.  I will be reviewing products from this new line very soon so be sure to come back to “read all about it.”  Here is a little description of each product from the site:

• Crayola Beginnings Baby Slide & See is a magical way to introduce babies to their first coloring experience. There are six pictures, each representing a different color, and by simply pulling the tab, baby can “color” the black and white images. For children 6 months and up; suggested retail price is $9.99.
• · Crayola Beginnings TaDoodles Ta-Doodler is a soft and cuddly bear buddy that becomes a canvas for your child’s imagination. It comes with three TaDoodles Crayon Buddies, allowing toddlers to scribble away on the light-up tummy or anywhere else on the washable bear. With one quick swipe of a damp cloth, the scribbles disappear and the “TaDoodling” fun can start again!  Two different musical modes set the tone for different activities — a lively tempo for coloring and creating, and a slower, soothing melody for quiet time. For children 18 months and up; suggested retail price is $29.99.
• · Crayola Beginnings Tub Time Tracers bring colorful, creative fun to toddler’s bath time. These nontoxic washable crayons wash away from walls when bath time is done. Washable stencils can be used for tracing or play. Tub Crayons and stencils float for even more colorful bath time fun! For children 18 months and up; suggested retail price is $7.99.
• · Color Surge Camp Rock gives fans of the hit Disney movie a chance to put their favorite stars in a spotlight of brilliant colors with colors like “amped-up apricot” and “high voltage violet” when Color Surge markers meet the super bright paper.  For children 6 and up; suggested retail price is $7.99.
• · Crayola Sidewalk Crayons offer kids more than pretty pastels to create outdoor masterpieces. Once reserved for bringing coloring books to life, this new technology offers the richest, brightest, boldest colors for creating extraordinary outdoor artwork. The difference is striking, as the smooth, creamy colors lay down on driveways and sidewalks with unmatched brightness.  For children 4 and up, suggested retail price is $4.99 for a set of 15 colors.
• · Pip-Squeaks Colored pencils may be smaller than their full-size Crayola counterparts, but they pack a big punch of bold color that inspires kids to travel wherever their creativity takes them. Whimsical color names like “blue suede shoes,” “goldfish” and “wacky watermelon” give children the opportunity to put their huge imaginations to paper. For children 4 and up; suggested retail price is $4.99 for the 18-ct. Pip-Squeaks Colored Pencils.
• · Pip-Squeaks Glitter Glue is the perfect compact size for jazzing up art projects with bright, bold shimmering colors. With 16 whimsical shades, there’s always a hue that will do.  For children 4 and up; suggested retail price is $4.99 for a set of 16-ct. Pip-Squeaks Glitter Glue.
• · Crayola Color Switchers are dual-ended markers that allow kids to magically change the colors of their drawings with a swoosh of the “color switch” tip. Each Color Switcher features a broadline marker on one side and a clear-ink tip marker on the other. The clear ends reveal their true colors when kids color over the marks they’ve made. Kids can draw a red house with one end of the marker and then switch sides to add yellow windows.  For children 6 and up; suggested retail price is $4.99 for a set of 6 dual-ended Color Switchers markers.
• · Crayola Window Crayons are creamy, colorful drawing tools that let kids transform car windows, mirrors and other glass surfaces into instant decorations. Their bright, bold colors lay down smoothly and dry quickly without smudging. And when it’s time to redecorate, colors wipe clean with a damp cloth. Crayola Window crayons will keep kids’ creativity flowing with endless options for coloring and drawing on any glass surface. For children 6 and up; suggested retail price is $5.99.

Win It! One of you will win a Crayola prize pack valued at $80.oo which will include products from the new line (listed above).  Simply head on over to the site and take a look around.  Come back here and leave me a comment with your favorite from the site and an indoor activity you like to do with your child.  Comments will close on April 7 at 10 PM PST (this is in time to ship before Easter).  One comment per person, please (unless you do the extra credit). US residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.

Want an extra entry? Do any or all of the following and receive an extra entry for each one.

Be sure to leave me a separate comment for each additional entry.

Follow me on Twitter AND tweet about the contest.

Subscribe to my feed via email or reader.

Blog about this giveaway. It doesn’t have to be a separate post. Just include a blurb about it when you blog about other giveaways.

Place my button on your site. If you have difficulty, please let me know.

Click on one of the very cute buttons below and digg, stumble, fav, etc. Just let me know what you did in the comments!