Children

I can’t believe it’s time to start thinking about a new year with new possibilities. New Year’s resolutions can be hard to maintain, so this year I came up with a fun idea for my family. We each contributed four resolutions so that at the beginning of each month we can draw one and help each other complete our resolutions throughout the year. This way we hold each other accountable and spend time together in the process.

Here are the steps to create a family New Year’s Resolutions box:

Happy holidays! Christmas is just around the corner and this year I was inspired to create a special tree for my son to decorate. He loves to help decorate the Christmas tree, but he doesn’t get to hang as many ornaments as he would like because they are so fragile. I decided to make a tree just for him out of durable, kid-proof materials at FedEx Office®.

My son is four years old and currently my husband and I are trying to teach him responsibility. We want him to learn the value of being rewarded for hard work and to take pride in his accomplishments. He heard the word "chore" for the first time a couple of weeks ago, but it has been difficult for him to truly understand what we are trying to teach him. Since time management can be a difficult concept (even for adults!)  I created a chart with daily and weekly activities so he can see what needs to be done around the house and we can track his progress daily. At this point, the actual tasks are limited but I can easily modify this as he grows, even into a teenager! (With slight alterations this can also work for the entire family.)
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Halloween is just around the corner and this year I want to throw a kid-friendly Halloween party since so many of my friends are parents – like I am!

I was inspired to make this a kid-sized face cutout for the children to have their photos taken with when we received our fall stationery at the FedEx Office® where I work. All the cute pumpkins and ghosts got me into the Halloween spirit. Since it's for children, I wanted to create something festive but not too scary for the little ones. This cutout would also work well for a school carnival or neighborhood event, since it can easily be used year after year.

Here's how I created this one-of-a-kind photo prop: ...read more

Now that my son is toddling around, I'm looking for activities that keep him busy but don't make our house look like a toy store showroom.

That's when I got the idea to make a play mat I can roll up to store in a closet or under a bed. The vinyl used to make banners is the ideal material for this craft. It's durable, it's easily wiped clean, and you can make a custom design. Win, win and win!

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The end of summer is near, and soon students will be heading back to the classroom. While they may be groaning all the way to the school bus, many parents are breathing a sigh of relief as the long days of “I’m bored” draw to a close. ...read more

It’s back to school time again (gasp – where DID summer go, anyway?).  ...read more

I remember how much fun stencils were when I was a kid. They helped you be creative while teaching you how to draw. I created a craft project to do with your kids, or even to advertise your business. The possibilities – and fun - are endless!  ...read more

It almost seems counterintuitive but summer at our house requires more attention to a family schedule than any other time of the year. Unlike the school year, where my kids have a fairly consistent routine, summer is a jumble of fun activities like going to the lake, parties, mini vacations and camping. It can be hard to keep track of what is happening from week to week. This year, I thought it would be a great idea to implement a large calendar the whole family could add to and check on a regular basis. Rather than rely on a traditional paper calendar, I wanted something large that we could write on with dry erase markers while still having room for additional notes. ...read more