small + friendly

Spreading Good Cheer

Every year at Christmas my family tries to do something nice for a family in need.  This year I partnered with GoFundMe to take that kind gesture to the next level.  

In October our neighboring county suffered one of the most devastating wildfires in California's history.  I found one family who had suffered incredible loss at the hands of the Valley Fire and I set out to make their Christmas more merry.  I set up a GoFundMe campaign, which is really easy to do, and in one week I raised over $500 to help a family attempting to rebuild.  Each notification of my friends' and family's generosity filled me with so much joy.  With the magic of crowdfunding I was able to take my small idea and make it something more.  It was about showing our neighbors that we hadn't forgotten that they had suffered. It was about kindness for kindness' sake.    

Once I had collected the funds I got to play Santa!  For the father I used the balance from GoFundMe to get a gift card to the hardware store where he can get tools and supplies, his only request.  He hopes to help his neighbors and others still struggling in his community.  I couldn't resist some work gloves, everyone needs little something to open on Christmas.  

I couldn't stop there, I knew he had two daughters and I wanted to be sure they had something special as well.  I got them each a crafty book, a game, and something to keep them warm.  (Actually my mom donated that super cute white vest.)  

Christmas isn't the same without stockings, I filled them with my family's traditional stuffers: cozy socks, candy, and tangerines.  

In all honesty, the family I gave all of this to wasn't expecting such an outpouring of support and I think they may have been a little overwhelmed by the generosity of those who gave.  But they were so very appreciative, in fact they even gave my family very kind gifts in return.  In this crazy world it can be difficult to trust in the kindness of strangers, but in this instance I feel very grateful to have made a difference in one family's life.  Spreading hope, love, and good cheer is what this season is all about.

Wishing you and yours a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!   

A huge thanks to GoFundMe for sponsoring this post.  I encourage you to share the causes you care deeply about this holiday season and to check out GoFundMe as an avenue to help make those dreams a reality.

Simple Busy Box For Toddlers

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group®, Rubbermaid® fasten + go, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #FastenNGo http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

As I've mentioned before, I bring Ronan to work with me.  I feel very fortunate to work for the family business, which makes bringing my little one to work possible.  However, it is an office setting and I must actually get work done, including making phone calls.  It wasn't too hard to manage this when Ronan was a baby, but now that he is a very busy toddler, I've had to get creative.  

I put together is simple, open-ended busy box and it has been a big hit.  Although in all honesty I'm pretty sure half the fun lies in the nifty NEW Rubbermaid® fasten + go Sandwich Kit I packaged it in.  This sleek kit snaps together in a perfectly organized bundle and even has a removable carrying strap.  Ronan loves snapping the smaller containers together like a little puzzle. I love that it is BPA free and nests together for compact storage.        

This fun busy box is a great toddler activity.  It keeps them occupied and learning without a huge mess.  Plus, you can put it together quickly with just a few simple supplies.  This kit has everything you toddler needs to create bracelets made by stringing straw beads onto pipe cleaners, an excellent fine motor activity.  As well as a color matching game, where pom poms can be matched up with felt shapes; a wonderful lesson in colors and pre-math skills.  Finally, all of the supplies lend themselves to imaginative exploration.  Perhaps your toddler will enjoy pouring the straw beads from one container to another or trying to find other matching shapes and colors from around the room.    

To Create A Toddler Busy Box You'll Need:

• Rubbermaid® fasten + go Sandwich Kit
• Felt in several colors
• Pom Poms in colors to match the felt
• Pipe cleaners
• Plastic straws (preferably large ones)

How To Assemble a Toddler Activity Kit:

1.  Cut felt into shapes and place them in the sandwich container.
2. Top those with pipe cleaners.
3. Cut straws into 1" pieces and fill the two smallest containers.
4. Fill the last container with pom poms.
5. Wrap it all up and prepare for fun on the run. 

I hope this fun kit helps you keep your little one busy!  Starting on 12/27/15 head to your local Target store to purchase the NEW Rubbermaid® fasten + go kits! Available in Entree, Sandwich, and Soup Kits!  If you're looking for more simple toddler ideas, check out this DIY Travel Felt Board and ever popular Homemade Playdough!

 

Free Printable Gift Tags For Your Handmades - Plus My New Favorite Handmade Gift

I love giving handmade gifts.  I decided special free printable handmade gift tags were in order, lest someone thinks I simply bought them a present.  Or worse still, dares to give a less than thrilled reaction.  

These pretty tags have a great sense of humor.  I think my favorite one is "Made especially for you - No returns."  Click here to download and print: Free Printable Gift Tags for Handmades. The free printable gift tags come in many different color options including: black and white, red and green, earth tones, and brights.  Why the big variety? I didn't know what style wrapping you were going with and I wanted them to work year round, plus Illustrator is fun!  

But not as fun as arm knitting!  How's that for a segue?  I got the idea for these gift tags when I was creating this gorgeous squishy cowl for my sister.  The pattern is from my dear friend Anne Weil's AMAZING book Knitting Without Needles.  

I have never been more impressed with a craft book, I want to create every single project!  After feeling how soft and snuggly this cowl is I plan to try my arm at the cable knit blanket next.  And my next door mat with be made of rope for sure!  Jude already loves to finger knit, know we've got tons of fun ideas for all that chain!  Not only are the projects beautiful, they are also totally do able.  

The instructions are extremely detailed and clear.  And arm knitting is so so quick!  There are so many great items from this book that you can create in less than an hour.  It's a handmade gifters dream!  And the perfect gift for every crafty person on your list.  In fact, be sure you add Knitting Without Needles to your own wish list too! Want to win a copy of your own?  Head over to Instagram for all the details.         

Arm knit all your gifts this year and don't forget to top them with a special gift tag!  

Note: As always, all free printables are copyrighted and for personal use only.  This post contains affiliate links, learn more here.  

Free Pattern: Simple Ribbed Knit Hat

I got such wonderful response from my first knit hat pattern, I decided to write another one!  This hat starts the same way, but the ribbing goes all the way to the top.  It is super stretching and can be worn cuffed or slouchy.  This pattern is written for a child's size, it fits my five year old perfectly, but it should fit him for a very long time, because it fits me too!  

UPDATE: Here's another fun version of this hat!

One cool thing about this pattern is that the ribbing doesn't swirl at the crown, it is eaten up in more of a star shape (you'll find a photo towards the end of the post).  This hat is slightly more advanced than this super simple knit hat, but not much.  I still managed to knit the whole thing on a 16" circular needle, no need to switch to double points.  As you'll see from the pictures the pattern lends itself to color blocking, but also looks great in a solid.  I love how it looks with a giant pom pom, but it would look nice unadorned or with a more reasonable poof as well.  If you're looking for a fun and easy go to hat pattern, this is it!  

Note some of these photos are from our trip to Tahoe last winter!  Talk about taking my time sharing a tutorial, better late than never right? I swear they loved the snow although you wouldn't know it from the photo, ha!  I made both boys red caps, Jude's is this ribbed version and Ronan's is the Basic Knit Hat with a folded brim (to modify the pattern simply knit an extra two inches of ribbing).