Bear Mug and Scarf DIY's over at Design Sponge

If you are like me you relish the season of scarf wrapping, boot wearing and cocoa sipping. And if you have this cute little handmade bear mug greet you each morning with your favorite warm beverage, well 'tis the season to be jolly indeed!

So head on over to Design Sponge for this weeks DIY gift idea. This little guy is so super simple to make. I promise. You'll be able to mark off quite a few gifts on your list with this furry buddy!


And because we know you might still have a few last-minute gifts to check off that list, we are sharing not one, but two DIY's with you this week! This no-sew hand stamped scarf is the perfect thing to make in an afternoon.

And don't be afraid to let little hands help with the gift creating and giving. But be careful, they just might look so cute in your creation you'll have to keep one just for them.

For Baby: Stocking up on Statements and Staples Part 2

I can't believe it's less than two months before baby girl will be here! Where has the time gone to? I feel like I'm not even close to being ready, in so many ways. And for a while there, I felt like I had nothing for her to really wear when she finally did arrive!!
But thanks to some of my favorite clothing lines, I've been able to gradually stock up on a great selection of statements and staples for our little baby girl on the way. Polarn O Pyret, just happens to be one of those clothing lines that I just can't get enough of. Can I just say that I'm am slightly obsessed with their clothing? They are so darling and equally durable.

I really love the brightly colored and patterned scandinavian flair that they have to a lot of their clothing. I also love how so many of their uni clothing items can easily swap between boys and girls, making these that much easier for us moms. In fact, one of my all time favorite shirts that I have from Polarn was initially purchased for my boys. You can see it here in our Christmas book advent calendar post. I can't tell you how many inquiries I've received about this shirt. I'm so in love with it and now that neither of my boys really fit it anymore, I can't wait to pass it on down to my little lady someday!

My dear friend Meta (who shot these adorable pics) is also a big fan of Polarn O. Pyret and so we decided to pool together a selection of girl clothes from them for this little photo shoot. And of course kid's clothing is just so much more adorable on cute little bodies, so we pulled in a few of our little friends, including Meta's daughter, to show these fun and colorful staples off.

Another versatile aspect of Polarn clothing, is it's sizing. Just look at how this darling turquoise polka-dotted dress (worn by a four year old in the top pics) transitions right into a shirt for a six year old.

Perfectly brilliant.

And the last thing about Polarn that I'm super into is their really great sales! Who doesn't love a killer sale, right? I think I need a few more back-to-school items for the boys and this 70% off summer clearance sale looks like just the ticket.

And speaking of back-to-school...are you even ready yet? I took Little O to his preschool Meet-the-Teacher day today and I just about cried (both out of how big my little guys is getting and because the place is just so darn cute...and I'm sure being pregnant had something to do with it). I still feel like I have so much to do before school starts, but ready or not, it's coming!

(*photo credit Meta Coleman of One More Mushroom).

Kiwi Crate

Hi friends! Have you ever heard of Kiwi Crate? If you not you are in for a real kids crafting treat. Kiwi Crate contacted me and asked if they could send over a box of fun craft kit items for the boys. Well, being obsessed with this sort of thing, we of course said yes!

One of my favorite things that Kiwi Crate does is address the package out to the kids themselves. They boys absolutely loved this part and insisted that they open it all by themselves.
And what treasures they found inside once they did open it! Our box came complete with two fun bug crafts. Absolutely everything they needed to complete the craft was in the box. Real winner there.
Of the two crafts, the boys picked the fun lightening bugs craft first. They were outfiitted with two plastic bottles, multiple colorful transparent stickers, glow sticks and more! Instructions were simple and the boys loved creating their little bugs.
I think this concept behind Kiwi Crate is genius. I of course love recycling found objects around the house in my crafts but there is a time when something like this really would come in handy. Summer fun and after school crafts sent to your door step once a month that you don't have time to think about or implement on your own = awesome. Great activities to do with the grand kids, put together at parties, and more! Oh and they are filled with educational goodies that help your kids learn while creating and playing.

We love it! I already have my eye on a number of other crate options for the future. Thank you Kiwi Crate! We are big fans!