Bitsy's Brainfood ~ Smart Snacks for Kids

Bitsy’s Brainfood introduces the world’s first smart snacks for kids!  These smart snacks are designed as delicious treats that nurture kids’ bodies, minds and imaginations.  Not only are Bitsy's Brainfood a tasty and nutritious snack, but they also provide healthy and wholesome ingredients in fun flavor combinations that every little one is sure to like!  

Bitsy’s Brainfood encourages children to crave the right foods and makes learning fun with letter shaped cookies and a collectible sticker from Bitsy’s wacky superfood alphabet characters included in each box.  Boxes have fun suggestions on how to make snack time learning time by encouraging creative play with the letters and stickers.

 

Each tasty bite of Bitsy's Brainfood contains a "bitsy" of nutrients to help support kids' growing bodies and brains.  Fun combinations of kid favorite flavors include Zucchini Gingerbread Carrot, Orange Chocolate Beet, Lemon Broccoli andSweet Potato Oatmeal Raisin.  

Key Benefits

·         Excellent source of Omega 3 DHA, Vitamins A, B 12, B6, D3 and Folic Acid

·         Good source of iron and calcium

·         No GMO’s

About EduFoods, LLC

EduFoods, LLC. was founded by Alexandra Buckley Voris and Maggie Jones Patton, two new moms who shared a simple belief —healthy bodies and healthy minds are connected, and learning to eat smart should be fun.  Bitsy’s Brainfood is EduFoods’ first product to market, a mega delicious and ultra-nutritious line of Smart Snacks.  Whimsical and relatable characters Bitsy, Buck and Baxter know that eating smart and actually being smart go hand in hand.  With Bitsy’s Brainfood, snack time is smart time and more nourishing than ever!

Bitsy’s Brainfood products are available for just $2.49 at retailers nationwide.

For additional information on Bitsy’s Brainfood, please visit www.bitsysbrainfood.com

Kidorable Bath Towels & A Discount Code for You

As you know, we just love the Kidorable line of children's accessories.  We have featured them in the past, showing off the great collection of rain jackets, boots, and umbrellas in a variety of fun themes.  Now we are happy to share with you Kidorable's wonderful line of hooded bath towels.  There is a variety of styles to choose from, many of those that our children are already familiar with.

The Kidorable towels are a MUST for any little girl or boy.  They are so soft, and super absorbent.  Kidorable went the extra step to include a luxurious layer of velour with the terry cloth.  The hood is one of our FAVORITE features, especially with the winter months quickly approaching us.  The hood helps keep your little warm while all bundled up.  The front has a snap closure, which is easy for little fingers to button.

The towels come in two sizes, newborn - two years old, and three - six years old, and cost just $38 each.

If you haven't already considered getting a jump start on your holiday shopping, now is a great time!  We are happy to be able to extend a 20% discount off your entire order, between September 15 - 30th when your purchase includes a cotton hooded towel.  Just use code DRYOFF33 at checkout on www.kidorable.com to take advantage of this great offer.

#WordlessWednesday

9.11.01 - A day we will never forget

 

Make It Monday ~ Easy Peasy Pumpkin Decoration

This week I am proud to share with you a neat little pumpkin you can make in about 15 minutes.  My mother-in-law taught me how to make this, so I would like to give credit where credit is due. This project is so quick to make, you could make several to share with friends and family.  Or make a few and display them around your house.  

Supplies

22 x 22 inch piece of orange fabric (or other color of choice)
8 x 11 inch piece of brown fabric for the stem
Roll of Toilet Paper
Embellishments - Buttons, Felt, Crochet/Knit leaves, etc.

Instructions

1.  Cut each piece of fabric to the desired size.  I have listed my dimensions above, but you can certainly alter them however you choose.

2.  Lay out the 22x22 inch fabric piece, and center the toilet paper roll in the middle. Begin by tucking in one end of fabric into the pumpkin. Continue tucking in the ends until you have covered the toilet paper roll.

3.  Fold the fabric for the stem in half. Fold the top corner down slightly, and then continue rolling the fabric until you have a cylinder shape.  Now add this to the top of your pumpkin.

Adding embellishments would make this even more fun.  Simply decorate by adding leaves to the top, buttons, or felt for the face.  The littles had a great idea to use a stick they found in the woods for the stem.  Love them!  I was  also thinking you could make a tall pumpkin by using a larger piece of fabric and covering a paper towel roll.  The possibilities are endless!

Once the fall season is over, simply unwrap the toilet paper roll and store the fabric pieces in a bag.  I keep mine stored with all of my fall decor so that I can easily find it when it's time to reuse them.

Please be sure to come back and share your version of the Easy Peasy Pumpkin!  I just love seeing how other people create!

This Make It Monday Feature has been posted on Get Your Craft On Tuesday on Today's Creative Blog.

Spring 2013 Nail Looks by butter LONDON

Earlier this week I shared with you a feature on Color Inspiration, and showed you where to look for the next season's color trends.  Today I am happy to share with you the Spring 2013 nail looks, created by butter LONDON's Global Colour Ambassador, Katie Hughes, and how you can achieve these looks at home.

ERIN FETHERSTON 

Overall Look: The designer's signature feminine style had a bit of an edge.  The collection consisted of flirty, feminine silhouettes with zippers, studs and texture.  

Nail Design: The models weren't wearing bracelets or rings because Erin wanted the nails to be the accessory for the hands.  Metallic nails mimicked the look of jewelry, lending itself to the ultimate eye-catching accessory. We used Lillibet's Jubilee, a silver metallic colour with a lilac finish that adds a feminine touch to the rock & roll vintage feel.

  

Details: The nails were naturally rounded for a feminine finish.

butter LONDON 3-Free Nail Lacquer Colours: Lillibet's Jubilee and The Full Monty

VEDA 

Overall Look: The collection by this cool NYC label featured leather textures, psychedelic prints and tie-dye hues. 

Nail Design: The nails were inspired by the tie-dye pieces of the collection, which we complemented with a bespoke Cosmic Nail, including a mix of mauve and olive with celestial effects.  

Details: Knackered was used as a top coat to give the nails a holographic effect. To add an edge to the look, a glossy black stripe was added for an unexpected geometric element.

butter LONDON 3-Free Lacquer Colours: Toff, Sloane Ranger, Knackered, Union Jack Black

KAELEN

Overall Look: Kaelen showed a powerful collection featuring designs with a modern 80's vibe.  Sharp lines with rock prints, lucite accents and pops of sunny neon yellow rounded out a mainly black palette.  

Nail Design: For nails, we went for a high contrast “Distressed Nail” using black as the base, a bespoke nude khaki was then layered in jagged strokes towards the bed. 

Details: For added dimension, we matted out only the black section, creating a dual-textured look full of disheveled luxury.

butter LONDON 3-Free Lacquer Colours: Yummy Mummy, Union Jack Black, Matte Finish Shine-Free Topcoat

Color Inspiration - Where to Look Now

If you are crafting or creating for littles, a great place to look for color inspiration would be your local shopping mall or many of the retailers online!  Whether you are creating hair bows, knitting a cardigan, or sewing a skirt, check to see what colors companies are using for the season.  The photo's shown above are from different retailers. You will notice that many of the colors coordinate with each other.

I have also shared the Fall 2012 and Spring 2013 colors below.  Notice how these colors match up with the outfits shown above.  

From top right to bottom left:

1.  Gymboree - Berry Patch (www.gymboree.com)

2.  Tea Collection (www.teacollection.com)

3.  Hanna Andersson (www.hannaandersson.com)

4.  Gymboree - Woodland Friends

5.  Tea Collection

6.  Gap Kids (www.gap.com)

Everyone will just love how they can find garments and accessories that match some of the items they may have already purchased, and you will be sure to have the latest and greatest by consulting with sources first.

Another great place to find color inspiration is the Color Wheel.  The Color Wheel shows the relationship between primary colors, secondary colors, and complimentary colors.  There are a variety of ways to choose colors that create balance and harmony, or are visually appealing to the eye.  

• Choose colors within the same color family.  For example, a light, medium, and dark shade of red.  These colors would be next to each other on a color chart or wheel.

• Choose complimentary colors.  This would be choosing colors that are opposite of each other on the wheel.  For example, yellow and purple or red and green.

Want to get a jump start on the upcoming season and curious what the "IN" colors will be?  Hop over to Pantone, and discover the WONDERFUL world of color.  Pantone leads the way in featuring the "in colors" for the upcoming season and so much more.  Top fashion designers also share their "Must-Have" items for the season. 

Fall 2012 Color Trends

Spring 2013 Color Trends

Each year one color is chosen to be the "Color of the Year". This year's color is Tangerine Tango.  We just love, love, love this color.  It is so versatile for spring, summer, winter and fall.  Add this color to your wardrobe, or use it as an excellent choice for a pop-color in the home.

Make it Monday: Ballet Slipper Clippie

This week's Make It Monday feature is a Ballet Slipper inspired bow.  Mini-Me will be taking ballet classes in the coming weeks, and I thought it would be great if she had some special hair bows to add to her wardrobe.  

TOOLS & MATERIALS

3/8” wide Grosgrain Ribbon in White and Light Pink

1/8” wide Satin Ribbon in White

Alligator Clip

Glue Gun

Ruler

Scissors

PREPARATION

Cut (1) piece of ribbon 4.5” long to cover the alligator clip. 

Cut (2) pieces of Pink ribbon 3” long , (2) 2.5” long, and (2) 2” long.

Cut (4) pieces of White satin ribbon about 1" long for each piece.

Burn the ends of each piece of ribbon so that they won't fray in the future.

COVER THE CLIPPIE

Cover the alligator clip with the 4.5” length of ribbon. Start in the middle of the clip, between the top and bottom pieces.  Starting here makes it a little easier to center the ribbon, allowing the clip to hold the ribbon in place.  Add hot glue to the ribbon on the top side, and fold the long piece of the ribbon over the top.  Slowly continue adding glue and pressing down the ribbon to the clip until you have covered the clip with all of the ribbon.

Here is a picture of a clip done in a different color, showing how to continue covering the clip.   There is also a picture of the bottom of the clip to give you an idea where the fabric will end.  I find that it is best to leave part of the clip exposed, so that it grips the hair better.

MAKE THE SLIPPERS

Now lay down the 3” ribbon. Place a couple dots of glue on one end, and layer the 2.5” ribbon on top.  Place a couple more dots on the end of this ribbon, and set the 2” length of ribbon on top.  Now add some glue on the top of the smallest ribbon, and fold up the end. Continue until all three layers are glued together at the top.

Once both slippers are completed, glue them onto the clippie.  

The next step is to make a simple bow.  It is easiest to pull from the ribbon on the spool.  Simply make two loops, and tie them together. Just like you would teach a little how to tie their shoe.  We are just skipping the first step of tying here.  Adjust the loops as needed, then cut the other end from the spool. Burn the ends to seal them.

Glue the bow on top of the ballet slippers.

Now is the tricky part.  Take two pieces of the 1/8" wide ribbon, and create a cross (X) at the bottom end of the slipper. This gives the "laces" look.

Once the laces are added, the Ballet Slipper Bow is complete.  Hope you enjoyed the tutorial.  I always love to hear from you so please let me know how yours turn out, and if you have any questions!