Coloring the Disney Box

Posted in activities for kids by Rosemary Lynn

coloring disney box

The best part of the Disney Store box? What’s inside, of course!

What was inside were Christmas presents… and another surprise.

I opened the box that came in the mail when the girls weren’t around, expecting just the things I ordered awaiting me. But, much to my delight, the inside of the box was a present in itself: it was decorated with Disney characters.

The plain, brown cardboard part of the box was on the outside when it was packaged and delivered, with the fun stuff hidden inside.

So, after storing away the Christmas gifts in the closet, I opened up the box into a flat piece of cardboard, and invited my girls to draw on it, much like they did their gingerbread house.

There was an outline of Tinker Bell and Pluto all ready for their designs, plus a trail of pixie dust and plenty of white space to fill in.

A great way to keep my little artists entertained. :)

15Dec2013

Felt Fashion Christmas Tree

Posted in activities for kids, holidays by Rosemary Lynn

Felt Fashion Christmas Tree

Our next Christmas craft this year was a felt Christmas tree that was bigger than my girls.

It’s a similar concept to our Halloween felt board, but much, much bigger.

And more fashionable.

I had actually intended on doing a more traditional-looking felt Christmas tree, kind of like this tree that I saw last year.

But then I came across these amazing felt sheets:

Felt Fashion Christmas Tree

Score!

With these printed felt pieces I could make a delightfully girly Christmas tree instead! :)

Found them at Walmart, of all places. And I bought a yard of dark green felt from their fabric department, for the tree. I thought about getting some dark purple or a paisley patterned piece heavy with lime green (they sell precut pieces like these at Michaels), but I decided to stick with the green. I liked how it looked.

And I was going to cut a star from one of the pieces I had, but then I came across those adorable pink felt star ornaments on sale at Michaels. For forty cents, I couldn’t pass them up. Especially since they matched the felt I already had.

Felt Fashion Christmas Tree

Because I didn’t want to screw up the tree while cutting, I folded my yard of fabric in half, lengthwise, and drew a tree pattern on it with chalk, instead of just cutting it out by hand, like I do most things.

Then I cut out the ornaments. I cut rough squares and then cut circles out of them. I cut a dozen ornaments from the two with zebra stripes, but only six from the other two patterns, to give them some variation of size.

Felt Fashion Christmas Tree

Then I had to decide where to hang it. I tried using tape, even packing tape, but it was kind of heavy, so I didn’t consider the tape sturdy enough.

I tried sticking the felt directly to the stucco wall on the porch, thinking it would stick like felt does to brick, but the stucco was too smooth because of the paint.

I wound up going with Command Strips (pictured above). The picture hanging ones come with a texture similar to Velcro, so, instead of using the 8 pieces as a set of 4 hangers, I stuck the rough side of the strips right on the felt tree. Then I peeled off the sticky backing and stuck it on the wall.

The main reason I used the Strips is because I can adjust the tree. With a gentle pull, the felt comes right off of the rough side of the strips. And, when it’s time to pack up the Christmas decorations, I can gently pull the Strips off the wall. (But always follow the directions – if you do, they won’t harm your wall, but if you don’t, they’ll take the paint right off.)

Although, if you prefer, you could just leave the tree on the floor and let your kids play with it that way. But I think they have more fun with it if it’s hanging up. Like this:

Felt Fashion Christmas Tree

I love the felt for playing. It’s great for both my preschooler and my toddler. They can put the ornaments on the tree, take them off, rearrange them, make patterns, and then do it all over again.

And I love that I found these fancy felt sheets. I was prepared to do the tree in traditional colors, but I love this concept. It’s so easy to change up the colors. Like, you could do a white Christmas tree instead. Or blue. Or green, but with just gold ornaments. Or whatever colors you’ve used to decorate your home for Christmas. What a great way to personalize an interactive toy for your kids!

Felt Fashion Christmas Tree

Have fun with it!

And please share if you’ve made your own! :)

And don’t forget to check out these other Christmas crafts:

DIY Lifesize Cardboard Gingerbread House

Easy Christmas Craft: Paper Cone Christmas Trees

Easy Christmas Craft: Toilet Paper Roll Ornament Painting

Crystal Snowmen

Roaming Rosie Signature

13Dec2013

My BuzzFeed Adventure and The (Disturbingly) Popular Ants

Posted in wanderings in the world & web, writing by Rosemary Lynn

I recently decided to join BuzzFeed.

I read their stuff all the time – why not try my hand at writing a few posts? (As it mentions in my About page, this blog isn’t my first foray into the online world.)

So… why not?

I started with food, something with which I am intimately familiar:

25 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Cook On A Waffle Iron

That’s actually something I’ve been wanting to write about for awhile. Instead, I turned it into a visual post for BuzzFeed.

Then, I did a couple of posts about cute animals. Mostly because the pics all make me happy:

The 25 Cutest Animal Kisses

15 Animals That Are More Excited About The Snow Than You

I wasn’t really sure what to write about next.

Then this video popped up in my Facebook feed. What is this thing about ants and anthills and art? I watched the video.

DUDE.

Dude: they were pouring molten aluminum into ant hills, digging it up, and calling it art.

Art has long been controversial. I get that. I’m an artist, but I’ve still found myself disgusted by what some people will try to pass off as artistic expression.

But I couldn’t take my eyes off of these sculptures.

They were disturbing. A little nauseating. But… striking and organic and fluid and mystifying.

And disturbing. Did I mention disturbing? Just in case, let me mention it again: disturbing.

I had to share these images. They were amazing, astounding, filled with the beauty of the earth. (And disturbing.) I thought people should see them. So I wrote a picture-heavy post on BuzzFeed.

And then I was surprised, because BuzzFeed featured my post. Within eight hours of its publication, it had 20,000 views. The next day: 79,000.

Seventy-nine THOUSAND. In just over 24 hours.

That’s not exactly the amount of traffic I’m accustomed to with my other blogs, Squidoo lenses, etc.

Some of the comments were not terribly happy. There was talk of ecosystem destruction and all those “poor” ants. Of course, I’m a Floridian, and I’ve been bitten by fire ants before.

It’s a traumatic experience.

So I have very little sympathy for what appears to be an abandoned colony. Besides, as one commenter pointed out, tons of chemicals are poured into the earth in an attempt to kill ants, so, really, how bad is a little aluminum in a probably-abandoned hole? Not great, but not as bad as buckets of pesticides. And waaaaaaaaaaay better than ants.

Anyway, check out the video and artwork at 6 Anthill Art Sculptures That Will Blow Your Mind and let me know what you think. Is it art? Is it disturbing?

Is it both?

12Dec2013

Writing at Night

Posted in quotes, writing by Rosemary Lynn

lovecraft writing at night quote

Well, I guess that means I’m officially a writer.

I mean, really, I write best at night.

Maybe because it’s so quiet. There are no distractions. The world is silent, which allows me to slip more thoroughly into my own universe of thought.

The night is more magical. I am more alive at night.

My writing is more alive at night.

Hell, most of my blogs are written after midnight, even if I don’t post them until the next morning.

The night is for dreamers. The night is for writers.

The night is my time to dream, to write. The night is mine and I am the night’s.

And mornings suck.

Roaming Rosie Signature

(source)

9Dec2013

Chocolate Christmas Tree Brownies

Posted in food & flavor & recipes, holidays by Rosemary Lynn

Chocolate Christmas Tree Brownies

December can be dangerous.

Especially when I find myself inspired to make things like chocolate Christmas trees that perch on sprinkle-coated brownies.

And it all started because I was hungry when I walked past the candy melts in the grocery store. Never shop hungry.

Anyway, the result was these adorable chocolate Christmas trees, which I placed on top of little, square brownies that represent crunchy Christmas presents. :)

Making Chocolate Christmas Trees

Before baking the brownies, I coated the top with nonpareils. While the brownies were baking, I melted the green candy in a baggy in the microwave (at 50% power).

Once the chocolate was melted, I snipped off a very small point on the corner of the baggy, and squeezed out the chocolate onto waxed paper in the pattern of a Christmas tree.

To make the trees, I went back and forth, tracing out a triangle shape. Make sure the lines are thick enough and enough of them are touching each other. If the lines are too thin and too far apart, the trees will probably break. Also, be sure to draw a “trunk” at the bottom of the tree, so that you can stick it into the brownies.

As soon as you draw a tree, stick a flower or star-shaped large sprinkle at the top, preferably in yellow to represent the tree star, and sprinkle nonpareils over the rest of the tree, to represent the ornaments.

I used Christmas colored nonpareils, but you could also use the normal multicolored ones. I used the same nonpareils for the brownies and trees. And for the tree star, I used flower sprinkles that are available year round. Those are easy to reuse for other holidays, since all I needed were a handful of the yellow ones.

Chocolate Christmas Trees

Let the trees completely cool and harden. A couple hours is best. You could also draw them on a cookie sheet that you place in the fridge if you’re in a hurry.

Once the brownies and trees are both completely cooled, cut the brownies into squares. In the center of each brownie, use your knife or a toothpick to break through the shell of sprinkles and make a little hole for the trees.

The chocolate trees are fragile, so you don’t want to have to put much pressure on them to get them into the brownie. Gently, but securely, insert the trunk of the tree into the hole in the brownie while holding the tree as close to the bottom of the “branches” as possible, instead of pushing it from the top.

Chocolate Christmas Tree Brownies

You don’t need a whole bag of candy melts to make trees for one tray of brownies. About half should do it.

But I made extras because these chocolate trees will keep fresh in a container for, well, at least the rest of the season. I’m saving my extras for the cookie trays. :)

9Dec2013

Honey Granola with Quinoa

Posted in food & flavor & recipes by Rosemary Lynn

Honey Granola with Quinoa

I know many people eat granola all by its lonesome, just in a bowl with milk, but I prefer it with yogurt.

The first time I saw someone eat it this way was when I was at a hotel breakfast buffet in Germany. Someone spooned yogurt into a dish and sprinkled granola over the top.

I was intrigued.

And then I was addicted.

The silky smooth, fruity yogurt intensified the sweet and crunchy granola. It seemed an ideal breakfast, indeed.

But I hadn’t made my own from scratch yet. That needed to change.

Honey Granola with Quinoa

I began with a recipe by David Lebovitz that was based off a recipe by Nigella Lawson. Then I made some changes.

I knew I wanted to increase the amount of honey, and I wanted to incorporate quinoa. Plus, I love walnuts, so I swapped out the almonds for them.

You can see these changes in the photo above, which shows the dry ingredients, minus the spices and sugar. Incidentally, I used dark brown sugar, although light brown sugar would work as well. I prefer the stronger flavor. And I used honey-roasted sunflower seeds instead of plain sunflower seeds – again, to increase the honey-ness of the granola.

Honey Granola with Quinoa

The long list of ingredients can appear a little intimidating at first, but the process is incredibly simple.

You mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl and the wet ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat the wet ingredients, then pour them over the dry ingredients, and mix well.

Honey Granola with Quinoa

Spread the granola over two cookie sheets lined with parchment paper, and bake for an hour, stirring occasionally.

That’s it: you’ve got homemade granola!

Honey Granola with Quinoa

And, of course, I suggest serving it over yogurt for breakfast. Strawberry yogurt, specifically. But feel free to play with it. Perhaps you’d prefer it over vanilla ice cream? Leave a comment to let me know how you enjoy it best!

Honey Granola with Quinoa

Here’s the recipe, and scroll down for the printable version:

Honey Granola with Quinoa

5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
3 cups chopped walnuts
1 cup honey roasted sunflower seeds
1 cup quinoa
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 300ºF (150ºC).

In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients: oats, walnuts, sunflower seeds, quinoa, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.

In a small saucepan, mix the applesauce, honey, and oil. Stir over low heat until just warmed and combined.

Pour the applesauce mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until well combined and all the dry ingredients are coated.

Pour granola evenly over two cookie sheets. Bake for one hour, stirring every 10-15 minutes.

Cool completely. Store covered for up to one month.

**********

Get the free printable PDF of the recipe:

Honey Granola with Quinoa

Enjoy!

Roaming Rosie Signature

8Dec2013

Personalized Santa Christmas Photo Ornament and Plate

Posted in holidays, wanderings in the world & web by Rosemary Lynn

This Santa-inspired personalized Christmas photo ornament has long been one of my favorites. I created a couple of different ones for my Zazzle stores (like this and this), but this one pictured here is the most popular.

The reason I’m posting about it today is because I’m excited that people have been saying such great things about it!

Some of the comments left on Zazzle include:

“This was my first time ordering a product from Zazzle and I was extremely pleased with the outcome. The product was well made and the order was executed very efficiently. I received the product quicker than expected.”

“This is a nice ceramic ornament. The ribbon hanging cord is an added touch. Not flimsy at all. Good quality.”

Okay, not raving I-must-have-this-right-now-type comments, but still nice. Nice enough to share. :)

Actually, the matching plate:

got a slightly better-sounding review:

“This plate can be a gift for any occasion. The process of ordering was very simple, and the delivery was fast. While the colors suggest a Christmas gift, I gave this as a shower gift. The colors came out beautifully, the font choices were great and the recipient loved it!”

So, either way, I’m pretty excited about this design. If you like it, too, please leave me a comment to let me know!

8Dec2013

Leather and Crystal Owl Cuff Bracelet at 70% Off

Posted in wanderings in the world & web by Rosemary Lynn

Dude.

This. Cuff. Is. Awesome.

I mean, if you follow my blog at all, you’ve probably noticed that I’m ~~obsessed with~~ a fan of owls.

And today I noticed that this Leather and Crystal Owl Cuff Bracelet is 70% off.

I’ve ordered quite a few piece of jewelry from Amazon, so I’m no stranger to their sales. I love it when I find things like this, and I just had to share this one.

Can’t keep awesome owl things (like this) to myself, after all. :)

7Dec2013

Custom Sand Heart Ornament for “Our First Christmas”

Posted in wanderings in the world & web by Rosemary Lynn

I’ve always loved this ornament.

I created it from a photo I took a couple of years ago of a heart I drew in the sand of the shore of one of my favorite beaches.

And I just love the way it looks when it’s customized. This is something I’ve given to family members as gifts, and it’s just so beautiful in person!

Here is the back of the ceramic heart:

But the best part? It’s fully customizable. So it doesn’t have to read “Our First Christmas.” It could say “Our Second Christmas,” “50th wedding anniversary,” or anything else that makes you smile.

It doesn’t even have to be about couples. You could make one for your kid instead, with their name in the heart and “My First Christmas” on the back. The possibilities are endless.

Plus, Zazzle has their awesome 100% satisfaction guarantee, so it’s a great place to personalize things.

Interested? Click on the photos above to see the heart ornament, or check out Zazzle’s latest coupons!

3Dec2013

Our Colorful Backyard: Color Matching Activity for Kids

Posted in activities for kids by Rosemary Lynn

Our Colorful Backyard: Color Matching Activity for Kids

Today we spent some time exploring the colors in our backyard.

A bit of a colorful treasure hunt, really.

We collected items in various colors and placed them in matching paper boxes. We gathered leaves, grass, flowers, mulch, moss, and rocks. But the photos don’t even show everything we found, because we got distracted by a friendly ladybug, and when we went back out to get more flowers, I forgot my camera. :)

Either way, here are some of the things we found:

Our Colorful Backyard: Color Matching Activity for Kids

All of these boxes were made from construction paper and tape.

I picked out construction paper in brown, orange, green, purple, red, and white. Then I took my scissors and cut a slit in towards the center at each corner. Then I folded up the sides, wrapping the edges of the short ends on the outside of the long ends, and taping them together.

Kinda like this:

colorful backyard buckets

It’s not sturdy for long-term play, or to hold heavy items, but it worked perfectly for this activity.

Our Colorful Backyard: Color Matching Activity for Kids

And here is our little ladybug friend, hanging out on my daughter’s fingers:

Our Colorful Backyard: Color Matching Activity for Kids

You can still do this color identifying activity even if you don’t have a backyard. Bring the paper buckets to the park instead, or use heavy-duty beach buckets in different colors to collect toys around the house. Or just wrap some pieces of colored construction paper around existing buckets.

Not crafty at all? Just lay the construction paper on the ground (on a non-windy day) and let your kids place their collections right on top of the paper in piles.

Either way, the point is to have fun exploring the backyard (garden/park/etc) and not fussing about the container in which they’ll collect their treasures. :)