DIY Haute Couture Eco-Friendly Bag & Scotch Tape Craft GIVEAWAY Contest

Thanks to Scotch(R) Double Sided Tape for sponsoring my writing about crafts.  Add your comment below to be entered for a chance to win free sample rolls to help with your upcoming holiday needs.

I love arts and crafts as a hobby, but unfortunately I haven't had much time to do it since I had four children, all born within a year, including triplets plus one more.

Recycled Shopping Bag - Before
Photo by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert.com


In fact, I haven't spent more than 15 minutes here and there to unleash my artistic side since I started mommy blogging full-time, while also homeschooling my four teens (including three 13 year-olds).  I guess you could say that I'm just slightly busy all the time.  Really -- what mom with kids isn't?

Now, I must confess.  Last week I played hooky from blogging for several hours to have some fun and make something beautiful out of an assortment of odds and ends I happen to have on hand at home.  At first, I actually felt guilty for taking time away from MommyBlogExpert to work on this DIY craft project, but shortly after beginning to create what I'd thought of in my mind over the several weeks prior, I'd completely forgotten about my blog!

Recycled Shopping Bag - After It's Been Accessorized
Photo by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert.com

Since I enjoy sharing creative ideas with this blog's readers, I had to pass this on to you.  Here are the easy directions so that you too can steal away for a few hours to make a beautiful eco-friendly fashion statement kind of bag either for yourself or for someone else as a gift bag or as a gift in itself.  My teen girls went wild over this bag, so now I'm working on another one because like most siblings, they're not very good at sharing and each must have their own.

Eco Designer Original

Embellished Bag

All The Odds & Ends Used to Make This Gorgeous Bag
Photo by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert

Materials Needed:

• Shopping Bag from your favorite store
• Assorted, already read fashion magazines
• A store catalog or two that you received in the mail
• Odds & ends such as broken costume jewelry & baubles
• Your choice of recycled ribbons, lace edgings, and/or trims

Tools Needed:

• Scotch Double Sided Tape
• Glue Dots
• Scissors

Easy Directions:

1.  First choose a color scheme, either several complementary colors or monochromatic ones (different shades of one color); neutral colors, black and white will look good with either

2.  Choose a shopping bag from your favorite story, any size you want but in good condition

3.  Gather a few old fashion magazines and store catalogs and from these use scissors to cut out an assortment of fashion accessories, brand labels, cosmetics, models, or whatever you like that looks pretty and fits the color scheme you selected in step #1

4.  Next, go into your jewelry box or junk drawer and look for light weight pretty items such broken pieces of costume jewelry in your colors as well as in gold and/or silver that you've been saving for years for no reason

Detail showing magazine/catalog cutouts, ribbon & jewels on bag
Photo by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert.com

5.  Lastly -- again, keeping your main color scheme in mind -- check your daughter's hair ribbon box, Grandma's old button tin, and look inside your closet (and your kids') for clothes that are no longer worn that might have some fun lace, edging, or some other accents that you can steal from it to use for this craft

6.  Lay everything out on your the front of your bag without attaching anything so you can move things around till you're happy with the arrangement

7.  Then, use Scotch Double Sided Tape to attach larger pieces such as wide ribbons and bigger cutout pictures to the bag and Glue Dots to attach smaller pieces and tiny rhinestones and faux jewels

8.  That's it. Your bag is done, ready for you to add to your own accessories collection or to use as a one-of-a-kind gift or gift bag for a fashionable family member or friend

So, go ahead and take a break from whatever you have to do and get crafty.  If anyone asks, say that MommyBlogExpert encouraged you to take a little time off to create something eco-friendly, inexpensive, and fun.  

I hope you enjoy making this fun project as much as enjoyed developing the idea.  I look forward to hearing how your own bags turns out.  In fact, I'd love to add your projects to this post, so if you have a JPG to send, leave me a comment with your Twitter or email info so I can contact you.

Eco Designer Original Embellished Bag

Finished Project

3M's Scotch Tape
Crafty GIVEAWAY Contest 
Scroll down for Easy Entry Details

10 winners will each receive a roll of Double-Sided Scotch Tape

ENTER this Giveaway NOW by leaving one or more comments below this post.

Contest ends November 21, 2010 at 12 midnite PST and is open to legal residents of the U.S. only.  One prize per person.

For the Required (Mandatory) Entry

Simply leave a comment below this blog post with your email address, Facebook or Twitter contact info so we may contact the winner.  In the event that you are one of the 10 winners of this prize, MommyBlogExpert will contact you via DM or email for your shipping address.

Optional Extra Entries

Get extra entries for following MommyBlogExpert on Twitter and/or Facebook.  Remember: Be sure to return to MommyBlogExpert to leave an additional comment after each individual action you do to confirm them so we can record all your extra chances to win.

Follow MommyBlogExpert (2 extra entries)

• on Twitter
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Subscribe to MommyBlogExpert Feed by clicking on button on right side above (1 extra entry)

 

In ADDITION to doing any or all of the extra entries above, you can also earn one extra entry each time you Tweet the message exactly in the paragraph immediately below (Tweets are unlimited, so Tweet as much as you like).  Don't forget to return to leave a comment on MommyBlogExpert with the direct link to each Tweet right after every Tweet you do so you'll receive credit for the extra entries from all your RTs.

Haute Couture Craft + @ScotchProducts GIVEAWAY http://tinyurl.com/2dtt7fu #clevercrafts #kids #craft #contest #eco #fashion RT 2 WIN

Remember, for each of the above entries to count, be sure to return to MommyBlogExpert to leave an additional comment after each of the above actions to confirm them so your extra chances to win will be tabulated.

About Scotch Brands
Please learn more about Scotch Double Sided Tape and other Scotch Products and join the conversation on the Scotch Brand Facebook Page and via Twitter. 

FTC Disclosure:  I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.  See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.

Live Ustream Event TODAY With Q&A by actor Noah Ringer - Marks DVD Release of The Last Airbender

In a little more than 2 hours (4 pm PST) my 13 year-old son, a purple belt Karate student here in L.A., and I will be arriving to cover a special event that celebrates the DVD release of the film The Last Airbender from Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies.

The Last Airbender with 13 year-old star Noah Ringer

Photo from Paramount via MNRWire.com

Fans of all ages around the globe are invited to attend this event virtually as it happens via http://www.ustream.tv/lastairbender live from Hollywood.  On the off chance that you miss the live stream, not to worry -- you'll be able to access the recorded version of this later at your leisure at the same link through 2/16/2011.

The Last Airbender star Noah Ringer, now 13, will address Los Angeles American Taekwondo Association (ATA) students in person, while connecting online with ATA schools across the country in Dallas, Chicago, Philadelphia and Miami Areas.  Special cameras and monitors set up with Ustream will enable ATA schools in these major cities to link up with Noah directly to ask questions about his martial arts background and his action-packed role in The Last Airbender.  Additionally, ATA schools across the country will be setting up themed “watch parties” for the online event to mark the film’s home entertainment debut.   

The Last Airbender Now Available on DVD

Photo from Paramount via MNRWire.com 

 
More About the Event, the Movie and Noah Ringer

The Last Airbender actor Noah Ringer, who stars as Aang, the lone Avatar, will team up with the American Taekwondo Association (ATA) and Paramount Home Entertainment to participate in this live streaming video event.  From Los Angeles, joined by distinguished event moderators Taekwon Lee and Mike Chat along with local ATA students, Noah will connect with ATA schools nationwide to talk about his experience on the film as well as demo some of his favorite Taekwondo moves.

Two years after he began studying Taekwondo at age 10, Noah earned his 1st degree black belt, and utilized his martial arts experience to land the lead role in the live-action family adventure The Last Airbender, now on DVD.  Ringer is a 2nd degree black belt instructor and holds the 2009–2010 title of Texas State Champion in his age group in five different categories.

Highlights and other content from today's The Last Airbender Ustream event -- including a VNR and featurette previews of the film -- will be available for viewing and downloading on Wednesday, November 17th at www.MNRwire.com/lastairbender.

Watch for another blogpost on MommyBlogExpert.com after the event with a photographic and written report of the event today.

FTC Disclosure:  At the invitation of Paramount Studios, MommyBlogExpert and her son are attending and covering this event in person.  I did not receive any payment for this blogpost. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.

Some Novel Ideas for Fighting Cabin Fever With Preschoolers and School Age Kids This Winter

Kids

This is a sponsored post

Even before the holidays -- it always seems -- cabin fever begins setting in for just about everyone who has kids.  As a mom of four born within a year, including triplets, I can definitely relate to that.  

It's getting dark outside a lot earlier, so the days are noticeably shorter and the weather is cooler.  This all adds up to our children spending much more time indoors in late fall and winter than during the rest of the year.   This couldn't be truer than in places like Minnesota and other northernly states that have already had quite a bit of snow this year.

Parents: have no fear because this blog post has been written specifically to help you and your children make the best of the chilly months ahead.  With hope, you'll find a few ideas here for creatively carving out family quality time by looking at such basic quiet indoor pastimes as reading books and playing games together as a family in a whole new way.

Winter Reading

Can you imagine anything better than reading together with your child?  I know I can't.  My kids may all be teens now, but each still looks forward to the required hour before bedtime at our house called "Free Read" on school nights where each kid much be in their bed quietly reading the book of their choice. 

Without a doubt, whether you read to your child or he/she reads to you, the rewards will always be the same.  You'll not only be maximizing the chances that your kid will build strong verbal reading skills that will serve him/her well as she moves into the school years, you will also be fueling their growth as a full-fledged reader who will always love books.

It's not difficult to get children excited about books if you start when your kids are babies and always remember to

• Choose books that appeal to your child and that are age-appropriate, such as board books and sturdy pop-up books for babies and, for older toddlers and preschoolers, illustrated picture books with increasing amounts of text as they reach school-age 
• Encourage your child to answer and ask questions about the pictures in the books they read as this is a great way to build both vocabulary and verbal skills, even with children who are not ready to read by themselves
• Stimulate your soon-to-be kindergartner's imagination by asking them not only why they think things happened in a book, but by encouraging them to create their own sequel ideas if they were writing a new book

Certainly, infants, toddlers and preschoolers all have different reading abilities and needs and as parents we need to pay attention to these.  To get started download and read this FREE Comprehensive Reading Guide, courtesy of Kindercare.com, which outlines these variables and how you as a parent can help your child blossom through exposure to reading books at every stage.

Family Game Night

Set aside one night per week to get together and play games as a family.  This may be easier said than done unless you follow a few ground rules.  To make it work make sure you

• Require all family members (dads and older siblings included) to plan ahead so they can always participate each week
• Turn on the phone answering machine and turn off all electronic distractions in the house (except for appropriate music), including cell phones, computers, video game devices, television, battery-operated games and toys, etc.
• Select games for younger children that are age appropriate and that are naturals for you to play along with them, such as building with blocks or large Legos side by side with your child for toddlers or playing a game like I Spy with letters and sounds for preschoolers
• Play simple, but fun board games with school age children that are fun for everyone such as classics like Monopoly or Scrabble

About KinderCare

Kindercare Learning Centers operates year-round and is currently accepting registrations for their Winter Science Camp that runs from Dec. 20-23 and Dec 27-30.  During these sessions fun and educational activities will include learning about gravity, creating balloon rockets and simulating volcanic eruptions, among other fun things to do that teach through doing about science.  With approximately 1,600 centers located in 39 states and the District of Columbia, KinderCare Learning Centers, an accredited early childhood provider, offer a range of educational programs and after-school care for infants as young as six weeks old to school aged children through age 12.  For general information about childcare and educational programs visit Kindercare.com  or to sign up for this year's Winter Science Camp here.

What are your favorite ways of spending quality time with your children during the long winter months?  Please leave a comment below and share.

FTC Disclosure:  This story featuring KinderCare makes MommyBlogExpert eligible to receive a gift card.  However, this did not influence the content of this post.  See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.