July 1, 2015

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Design your own tote bag project by Seedling

So how are things going at my in-laws? Well, we’re in our 3rd week and so far it’s going really well. We’ve been in and out of the house a lot since summer began last week, but when we are home I am trying my best to keep things as calm and collected as possible so as not to be too much of a burden. Keeping 3 young kids calm and collected though, can be a “challenge” to say the least. Taylor’s 10 and suddenly finds everything Syd does annoying. Syd is 8, and of course likes to annoy his sister. Hayden is almost 3 and is taking his role as the cute cuddly baby boy very seriously, pushing his limits on aggression and yelling as far as he can. Combine all this with parenting under a microscope, and things can get a little tiring. Needless to say, I’m sleeping pretty well, falling into bed exhausted each day.

But I promise there are plenty of bright spots each and every day, as we watch the kids bond even more closely with nana and papa, getting free reign to practice on the piano and play in their backyard, and I’m so happy that Art is getting to spend so much time with his dad each night, watching the baseball game or news. I really think papa Howe is enjoying the extra company, and doesn’t seem to mind the noise too much. Art even gave me a gem of a confidence boost when he told me last week how happy he was that after 20 years together his parents could finally witness first hand how great his wife is. Ummm, I didn’t delve too much further with that statement, not wanting to know what their current opinion of me is 😉

Since my role these days is to keep everyone happy and the volume at a reasonable pitch (while also limiting screen time so their brains don’t melt into a puddle of goo from inactivity), we’ve been spending lots of time outside, and the other day we spent all morning working on some crafts. I was thrilled beyond belief to partner with Seedling to try out some of their beautifully curated craft kits and share the results with you all.

Seedling originally began in New Zealand, they are now sold in over 20 countries, and they offer a beautiful selection of craft kits, toys and party supplies. The kits are thoughtfully put together and help to take a lot of the prep and planning work out of the crafting process, and allow you and your kiddos to spend more time doing the fun stuff. We picked out a few kits that I knew each kiddo would love, including the design your own tote bag for Taylor, wooden peg pirate guys for Syd, the modeling clay for Hayden, and a superhero max I thought any of the kids could do.

Hayden played with the modeling clay for awhile, but then when he saw the tubes of glitter glue which came with the masks, he was all in. I didn’t bring a single craft project with me to my in-laws because I didn’t want to overtake their house with unnecessary stuff, so aside from some colored pencils and paper, the entire contents of the Craft Cabinet are sitting at home unused. It was so nice to just grab a couple of pairs of scissors and we were on our way. It’s worth mentioning that these kits are great not just for middle aged parents living with their in-laws, but for any busy or non-Pinteresty mom who wants to inspire artistic expression and creativity with their kids, but crafting in general is overwhelming or even intimidating. Not to mention an investment (oh, all the money spent at Michael’s). Honestly, in the last year I haven’t had much longing to break out the crafts on the daily like I used to, and I know Taylor misses it and Hayden is missing out on experiences I gave the other 2 on a regular basis. But even for me, someone who isn’t the least bit intimidated by any level of craftiness, I just haven’t had the energy. Even more reason why I was so happy to try out these kits. Everything you need for your craft, with the exception of scissors, is included in each kit, and the quality and design aesthetic of the supplies were quite impressive. Beautiful and funky prints, and nice thick pieces of felt. The tubes of glue and paint all worked well too, because goodness knows I’ve seen my fair share of faulty tubes of glitter glue. Complete instructions and an inspiration picture is included for each project, as well as some tips on getting your creative mojo going. Taylor never seems to need much inspiration though and dives head first into each project, a trait I greatly admire in her. The boys finished up each of their respective projects in about 45 minutes, and after piling on loads of glue to his mask, Hayden determined it was too messy and wouldn’t wear it. Syd however, thought it was awesome and wore it the rest of the morning.  Taylor continued to work on her tote bag off and on throughout the day and finally finished before dinner time. She was over the moon excited about it. Seedling is having a great Independence Day promotion through July 6th, and the entire site is 40% off using the code FOURFUN! After the 6th, you can continue to receive 30% off your order site wide through July 17th, using the code seedling30. You’ll also receive free shipping on orders over $50.

Build, imagine, play! Seedling helps bring kids’ ideas to life with beautifully designed, all-in-one projects that encourage children to follow their own creative initiative. Enjoy 30% off at Seedling when you choose your own adventure using the code Seedling30. Offer valid one per customer; discount does not apply to past purchases, packaging, applicable taxes, or shipping and handling. Expires July 17, 2015

This post was in partnership with Seedling, however all views expressed are my own. Thank you for supporting the companies and brands, which help support this site.