When Readers Try Your Crafts…

May 8, 2013
Posted by critters and crayons

Do you know what bloggers love?

They love when they throw an idea out there and some busy person reads it.

They love to see comments and shares, because most bloggers are also busy people who barely have time to even write the stuff they’re blogging about!

But, more than anything, bloggers love to hear about how people not only read something they put out, but that they tried it.

Back in September 2011, Critters And Crayons ran a post about making Fresh Strawberry Cream Cheese Cake Pops.

Some readers gave them a go. Here’s what happened.

And a lot of factors can affect whether or not the outcome works out for a reader-tester.

Is the tutorial sound?
Is it too brief?
Is it too long?
Is it descriptive enough?
Are the photos accurate?
Does the reader have any innate crafting or cooking skills?

So, please imagine my surprise and thrill when I happen upon something like this after Critters And Crayons has been tagged on Facebook by someone who read a craft post and then tried it:

Critters And Crayons ran a post a few days ago about the school supply cake the kids helped to make for our daughter’s Kindergarten teacher.

And, look at what Local Laredo Rotarian, Catalina Zaragoza, DID!

Catalina’s Supply Cake: Getting All The Supplies Together!

The “Cake” Assembly!

Um….Can you say GORGEOUS???!!!

Classy And Beautiful!

Bam!

The Tutorial Worked!

(Bloggy Brow-Wipe)

But, none of this is to say I don’t love reader submissions of crafts and recipes that have gone wrong, either.

I mean, let’s look at that sorry cake pop, again.

Critters And Crayons is not, after all, solely a crafting blog.

I like to think it’s about making us all laugh.

Sometimes, I’m the only one laughing at my own jokes.

Loudly.

But, that is not the point.

I happen to know that no one laughed harder than the awesome reader who submitted that failed cake pop to the Critters And Crayons Facebook Page two years ago.

Bravo, Woman!

Keep on baking those Pin-Tastrophes and broadcasting it to the world! It’s a mood-booster for the rest of us!

And it brightens a blogger’s day, ESPECIALLY, because the thought that anyone might even LOOK at something that we put out and then think,

“Hmmm….of all the ideas out in the Insta-Pinterest-o-Gram-Twitter-a-Faceb0ok-&-Google-Plussed-Up E-Verse, I think I’ll give THAT idea a try” is simply AWESOME.

And, in closing, I want to just leave this one last bit about how great it is to hear that a recipe or a tutorial actually worked for a reader.

Recently, I posted the accidental recipe for “Battered Candied Bacon” on The Critters And Crayons Facebook Page

You can find that recipe HERE.

On that post, I received one of my favorite comments ever from a reader, and fellow blogger, Tyuana of The Fuzzie Chronicles.

It went like this.

She made it.

She ate it.

She liked it.

BLOGGY SCORE!

SO……Lastly Lastly…. ( I meant to put two “Lastly’s…..I said, “in closing” up there and then didn’t close anything up.)

Things have moved so fast this year that I nearly forgot to wish The Critters And Crayons Blog, which is now part of the newly formed Critters And Crayons, LLC, a Very Happy 2-Year Blirthday!

So, Thank You!

Thank You for reading and supporting Critters And Crayons since it started two years ago.

Thank You for trying any of the ideas that get thrown out there!

And, THANK YOU for sending in the photos of your Successes and….. Other Things.

Oh!

Lastly Lastly Lastly!

There are still a couple of days left of Teacher Appreciation Week….if you need some more ideas, you can always check out the Critters And Crayons Teacher Appreciation Ideas Pinterest Board!

So…..Feel free to send photos!

PINNABLES AND PIN-STROSITIES WELCOME!!!

AND. FINALLY.

(Because 4 “Lastly”s would be excessive.)

HAVE YOU ENTERED THE GIVE-AWAY THAT ENDS IN LESS THAN 2 DAYS FOR THE 21-Business-Sponsored Make-Over Worth $3,000????

Please enter.

Just Press The Button, Already. :)

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A School Supply Cake For Teacher Appreciation Week!

May 6, 2013
Posted by critters and crayons

Teacher Appreciation Week is May 6th through May 10th this year!

I’m happy that we’ll be on time for it.

Last year, for some odd reason, I thought it was the week following the actual celebration period.

Thankfully, the teachers were gracious and happy nontheless. :)

This year, I asked for some ideas on The Critters And Crayons Facebook Page and received some really great responses from moms and teachers!

Click Image To Go To someecards To See The Original Image!

Many of the comments on the Critters And Crayons Facebook Page from teachers who liked receiving supplies they could use throughout the year reminded me of the School Supply Cake made by The Outlaw Mom a couple of years ago.

Since, I saw that someecard about teachers not wanting crayon wreaths, I figured we’d try the School Supply Cake, instead. :)

Here’s how we did it together with the kids!

To make this School Supply Cake, we used the following:

1 Paper Plate Holder (4 for $1 at the Dollar Store)
1 Paper Plate
1 Container of Disinfecting Wipes
24 Mechanical Pencils
26 Pens
12 Highlighter Markers
2 Large Rubber Bands
1 Large Roll of Colored Duck Tape
1 Smaller Roll of Colored Duck Tape
1 Small Stackable Container of Thumbtacks, Clamps and Paper Clips
Ribbon
Small Chocolates

(*Note: There were a few leftover pens and markers which went into our office supply/craft drawer….)

The kids enjoyed separating out the supplies!

They sorted them by supply type (pencils, pens, markers) and then by color.

This made keeping a color pattern much quicker to do and it also gave opportunities for the kids to practice pattern-making themselves.

Just place one of the large rubber bands around the Disinfecting Wipes Container.

Insert the school supplies into the rubber band until you have them arranged in the way you want them!

The kids both enjoyed this part of the activity!

To make the Supply Cake larger, simply put another rubber band on top of a completed layer!

We only did two outward layers, but you could continue to build to make a thicker “cake”.

To build up, we simply added the two rolls of Duck Tape!

Our daughter wanted to add a surprise to her teacher’s gift!

And add the cake topper of stacked paper clips, thumbtacks and clamps!

The Supply Cake for Teacher Appreciation Week is finished!

Some people bring something small each day of Teacher Appreciation Week, but we are opting to give just one gift this year to our daughter’s primary teacher.

For the other teachers and staff who help our children, we plan to send in some share-able treats to go around on one of the days!

I’m glad there is a week set aside to recognize schools, teachers, staff and administrators for what they do for our children.

It is such important work.

We should be thankful every day for what they do, but it’s nice that for one week of the year, we all get to make crayon wreaths, beaded bracelets, school supply cakes and handmade cards with phonetically incorrect messages from our new readers to thank them, isn’t it?

And there’s always Happy Hour.

And Chocolate.

Or Both At The Same Time.

HOW ARE YOU AND YOUR KIDS CELEBRATING TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK?

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Upcycling Your Kid’s Happy Meal: The Hen Craft Challenge

April 26, 2013
Posted by critters and crayons

Upcycling Your Kid's Happy Meal Critters And Crayons is participating in Mollymoo’s Hen Craft Challenge!

Mollymoo made some incredibly cute paper mache hen handbags back in February in her country of Ireland.

They were super popular and sparked a call for parent bloggers in The Kid Blogger Network to make a hen that represented where they live, their quirky sense of humor, or any hen-related craft….

The kids and I “upcycled” Happy Meal boxes to make our hens.

WHY A HAPPY MEAL BOX?

Because my pre-school son believes that THE HAMBURGER is the NATIONAL FOOD of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

Seriously.

It’s what he told his pre-school teachers.

And, they told me.

…but also, and most importantly, because paper mache looks like an awful lot of work.

So, I made a Funny Happy Meal Hen.

(…well, I think it’s funny.)

And, our daughter made a Piñata Hen because we live in South Texas.

Here’s a slideshow that shows what we did!

Make sure the sound is on….

For the tutorial, check below the slideshow!

Upcycling Your Kid’s Happy Meal – slideshows

HERE IS HOW WE MADE THEM!

For the Funny Upcycled Hen:

1) Fold to one side the “M” handles which may or may not represent brand arches for a reknowned fast food eatery.

2) Use masking tape to secure the meal box with folded handles.

3) To make the head, take out the french fry box which may or may not bear a potentially recognizable fast food brand. :)

4) Cut down both sides to open the fry box.

5) Draw this guy. Or draw a better hen face. However, be sure you draw the comb upside down on top of the chicken’s head. Bear with me, there is a reason for this.

6) Trim around the hen’s face like you see in this photo.

7) Cut the folded part of the hen’s head off. This will become the comb.

8) Now, fold the oval you just cut off the hen’s head so that the red side shows instead of the striped yellow side.

9) And, cut little triangles out to form a comb.

10) Place a strip of tape on the back of the fry boxes…

11) Fold the box so that the yellow/white side stands up like this….

12) And slide the red comb down between the two sides of the hen’s face so that it sticks to the tape.

13) Color in the hen’s face, add some googly eyes and attach to the Meal Box. I think that the smile on the side of the box looks like a chicken wing. So, I didn’t bother decorating any further. :)

I DID try to engage our 4-year old son in the hen craft challenge. He used his Happy Meal box to draw what he called a “Batman Chicken”.

I can totally see it.

Our kindergarten daughter wanted to make a piñata hen since we see so many piñatas here in South Texas.

(Speaking of piñatas, have you read Critters And Crayon’s post about How To Avoid Being A Piñata Event Failure? You’ll thank me.)

To Make The Piñata Hen:

1) Tape down the box so the handles are folded to one side.

2) Make a head. I asked our daughter if this was a turkey head- but she is committed that it IS a HEN. Our daughter glued this hen head to the end of a popsicle stick.

3) Fill the box with candy.

4) Cut strips of tissue paper (enough to cover a Happy Meal Box). Ours already had scallops in it. If yours doesn’t, you can cut the paper so that it has a fringe look.

5) Use a gluestick to glue along the top edge of each strip of paper.

6) Wrap the tissue paper around the box and layer strips of paper up until the box is covered in different layers of tissue paper.

7) Insert the popsicle stick with the hen head into the box and you’re done

8) We don’t actually intend to hit this thing, by the way. It’s a piñata hen decoration that represents where we live, but you COULD string it up if you cut small holes in opposing sides of the box and ran yarn or string through them. It wouldn’t take much force for it to break open.

AND THAT’S THAT!

Critters And Crayons will be linking up to Mollymoo’s Hen Craft Round-Up when it goes live HERE.

I WONDER…..

HOW DO YOU UPCYCLE EVERYDAY ITEMS THAT MIGHT NORMALLY END UP IN THE TRASH OR RECYCLING BIN?

LET US KNOW!

(Oh! And, if you’re in Laredo and haven’t entered

The Ladies of Laredo Ultimate Give-Away that is live until May 10th, 2013….

please click HERE and enter! It’s free, easy and quick.

You won’t believe what you can win. I mean, really. It’s awesome.)

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The Opportunity Learner’s Series: Our Montessori-Style Kitchen Corner

April 10, 2013
Posted by critters and crayons

This post is an introduction to a new series on Critters And Crayons that will explain how we made a couple of corners in our kitchen into Montessori-inspired learning stations.

The Critters And Crayons Opportunity Learner’s Series is about:

Easy, Affordable, DIY Montessori-Inspired Learning Materials

that you can incorporate into your most frequently used family spaces

(even if those spaces are relatively small).

It wasn’t on purpose! We have a pretty traditional play space, full of toys and books and learning materials…upstairs.

But, it seems like we spend the vast majority of our time downstairs IN THE KITCHEN.

Materials and activities seemed to migrate down to the table because I was cooking or cleaning, we were eating or snacking, the kids were doing art or building legos…

I realized one day that if I made some of the fun learning materials available to the kids, that they would play with them.

But, I needed the space to stay organized and to be visually-appealing.

The kitchen is not only where our family hangs out, it’s also where our friends come over…so I bought a 20 dollar shoe rack I liked at the local bulk warehouse and our Kitchen Montessori Corner was born.

I need to state that I am not a Montessori Guide or Teacher. I’m a mom who has enjoyed watching her children learn some pretty nifty things in their pre-school years using some of the non-traditional learning materials you’ll find in a Montessori environment.

Our kids do a lot of playing, building, pretending, arts & crafts, and nature exploration in their daily activities, but they also seem to enjoy the hands-on, sensorial method of learning inherent in Montessori Materials that reinforce learning of concepts through experience.

I use the term “Montessori-Style” because some of the materials in our “Kitchen Corner” are actual Montessori materials and others are INSPIRED ( in concept or similarity of function) BY authentic Montessori materials you can purchase through places like The Montessori Outlet. (A good example of this would be our twist on doing Math Sums using blue glass beads in a tray and strips of paper with written sums on them instead of the traditional numerical counting rods you’ll find in a Montessori classroom.)

In many cases, we use recylables (like empty spice jars), re-purposed items (like ice cube trays), or inexpensive options (like dollar store metal napkin holders to hold boards and paper tablets or muffin tins) in order to compose the learning materials to make them more affordable.

It’s never mandatory that the kids “play” or “use” any of the materials in the kitchen.

We don’t force them to sit to do work. The items are there for when they want to use them.

Days or weeks may go by and nothing is picked up.

And, then, for some reason, a tray with a map and little replicas of world monuments catches our pre-school son’s eye and he’s “playing” with the geography tray.

Critters And Crayons Montessori-Inspired Geography Tray

In the coming weeks, I’ll be posting about how we made

some of the materials you see below.

I hope you find the information helpful!

Our Kitchen Corner Shoe Rack With Montessori-Inspired Materials

Tong & Chopstick Transfer Activity

Pattern Rubbing Plates & Writing Pads

Chopstick Transfer & Creative Pattern-Making

Assorted Flash Card Basket

DIY Sensory Letters

The Prism

Sensory Sand-Writing

Tangrams

The 100 Board Number Tiles

Homemade Flash Cards Supporting School Curriculum

Hands-On Sums Activity With Glass Beads

Water Transfer Activity & Color Mixing

Popsicle Stick Shape-Making

Bead Counting & Snake Game

10 Wooden Squares of 100

DIY Snack Station

Art & Creativity Station

Sensory Whole Wheat Coconut Oil Cloud Dough In A Craft Box

Flower Arrangement Station

You can find Critters And Crayons posts about Montessori-Inspired Activities, Lessons and Materials (often with some humor) HERE.

Also, some of my favorite Montessori Blogs and Resources are listed below!

Living Montessori Now

Confessions Of A Montessori Mom

Montessori Tidbits

Carrots Are Orange

The Montessori Outlet

The Montessori Print Shop

HOW DO YOU ENCOURAGE LEARNING AND DISCOVERY AT HOME?

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The Ladies of Laredo Ultimate Make-Over Event Give-Away!

April 5, 2013
Posted by critters and crayons

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of La Posada Hotel; Vivace Music Academy & Learning Center, LLC; Transformations: Health & Beauty Coaching; Susana Photography; trueBRITT Make-Up & Photography; Stacey’s Hair ; Fresh Cleaning Services; Casa Yoga; Chick-fil-A North Laredo; Voir; Arbonne Independent Consultant Malorie Thompson; Guy And Eva Independent Representative Eliana Marroquin; Sara Boutique; La Bota Ranch Realty; Primped The Style Bar LLC, Pure Romance By Donna Allenburg; Texadelphia Laredo, Patria International Office Supply, Venus Salon, and Crafts By Felicia.

All opinions are 100% mine.

**********

CONGRATULATIONS TO….

KATHERINE C.

YOU HAVE WON!!!

The Ladies of Laredo Ultimate Make-Over Event Give-Away is FINALLY HERE!

This Give-Away Runs From Noon April 5th (noon CDT: GMT-5:00)

Until Noon May 10th ( CDT:GMT-5:00).

AND HERE IS THE BOTTOM LINE ON WHAT TO EXPECT!

On May 10th, a random winner will be selected.
I’ll contact you if your name is selected to make sure you can still participate in the 2-day event which will occur over 2 consecutive weekdays between May 21st and May 24th.
We’re going to present a couple of itinerary and date options to you to try to work with your schedule as much as possible while still providing all of the sponsored services.
Once we confirm that you can fully participate in the event, you’ll be deemed THE WINNER!
On the first day of the Make-Over Event, you’re going to meet Our Make-Over Team, check into La Posada Hotel (and you can drop your kids off at Vivace if you need to), and we’ll be off to start picking out an outfit and doing the make-over services! You’ll also get your awesome gift basket full of pretty awesome prizes. (See the list below!)
On the second day of the Make-Over Event, we’ll finish up the Make-Over services before you get TWO separate photo sessions with your family.
And, you’ll also be featured in a Critters And Crayons “After” Post.
More details can be found by clicking on The Terms And Conditions within the Entry Form.

THE ENTRY FORM IS JUST BELOW!!!

(Please “Refresh” this page if it takes too long to load…)

OTHER PLACES TO FIND THE ENTRY FORM TO SHARE THE GIVE-AWAY

(For those 10 extra optional entries!):

1) FROM YOUR COMPUTER: Click the Blue Give-Away Window on

The Critters And Crayons Facebook Page.

2) FROM YOUR MOBILE DEVICE: Click on this link for the Facebook Entry Form:

(Some have reported difficulty accessing the form via mobile device)

http://bit.ly/10AR9Dk

3) FROM ANY DEVICE: Share the actual link to the blog post:

http://crittersandcrayons.com/2013/04/05/the-ladies-of-laredo-ultimate-make-over-event-give-away/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

AND THE PRIZE PACKAGE???

It’s worth $3,000 thanks to Laredo’s VERY generous Sponsors!

PLEASE CLICK TO ENLARGE

We also have a few close-ups of some of the gift basket items for you!

Please help spread the word!

Thanks To The Sponsors Of This Event!

La Posada Hotel; Vivace Music Academy & Learning Center, LLC; Transformations: Health & Beauty Coaching; Susana Photography; trueBRITT Make-Up & Photography; Stacey’s Hair ; Fresh Cleaning Services; Casa Yoga; Chick-fil-A North Laredo; Voir; Arbonne Independent Consultant Malorie Thompson; Guy And Eva Independent Representative Eliana Marroquin; Sara Boutique; La Bota Ranch Realty; Primped The Style Bar LLC; Pure Romance By Donna Allenburg; Texadelphia Laredo, Patria International Office Supply, Venus Salon, and Crafts By Felicia.

And Many Thanks To The Event’s Promoters!

Listen in to Jay St. John’s morning show on Thursday, April 11th,

Some Event Team members will be on 99.3 FM to talk about This Event!

And A HUGE Thank You To Our Marketing Sponsors!

Check For Our Event Promo On The Digital Billboard By The Bowling Alley Thanks To La Bota Ranch Realty!

We Owe Thanks To Patria International Office Supply For Sponsoring Event Flyers!

AND Many Thanks to All of You Who Entered And Shared!!!

Good Luck!

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The Ladies of Laredo Ultimate Make-Over Event: Meet The Sponsors & The Prize!

April 3, 2013
Posted by critters and crayons

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of La Posada Hotel; Vivace Music Academy & Learning Center, LLC; Transformations: Health & Beauty Coaching; Susana Photography; trueBRITT Make-Up & Photography; Stacey’s Hair ; Fresh Cleaning Services; Casa Yoga; Chick-fil-A North Laredo; Voir; Arbonne Independent Consultant Malorie Thompson; Guy And Eva Independent Representative Eliana Marroquin; Sara Boutique; La Bota Ranch Realty; Pure Romance By Donna Allenburg; and Crafts By Felicia.

All opinions are 100% mine.

I hope everyone is getting ready to enter the give-away that’s coming on April 5th!

If you missed the announcement with details about what it’s about and why we’re doing it, you can go HERE!

This post introduces you to the FABULOUS Sponsors who are making this Event HAPPEN for the Laredo Community!

Check them all out, please consider sending some “Follow & Like” Love so you’ll know what other great things they are offering, and then check out the Crazy-Awesome Prize Package that is in store for one lucky Laredo Woman!

When we began collaboration in support of this event, we wanted to be sure that a Winner with even the busiest schedule could find a way to receive The Prize Package:

Working Women, Women With Small Kids Who Work In The Home (Whether Paid In Money Or Paid In Hugs), Women in School, Women In School Who Work With Children In School & Ballet & Soccer, Women Who Need A Break, And Women Who Won’t Even Dream About One….

That’s why fantastic sponsors in the fields of lodging and childcare are on The Core Team! We are going to do our very best to make this event work for you.

If your name is randomly selected on May 10th, you’ll be provided TWO sets of dates and TWO itineraries to choose the best dates and best itinerary that works for you!

You have absolutely NOTHING to lose by entering the Give-Away.

BUT, you COULD GAIN a comprehensive Make-Over Prize Package equipped with some unbelievable bells and whistles WORTH OVER $3,000!

We hope you’ll help spread the word to share this real and rare opportunity with all the women in your Laredo circles to win something spectacular in celebration of YOU, and US, and WOMEN.

And now, let’s meet our robust team of generous sponsors who are making this all possible!

Here are The Ladies of Laredo Ultimate Make-Over Event Core Team Members, Business Sponsors And Promoters!

Tricia authors The Critters And Crayons Blog, a website about humor in parenting, crafting, play, education, and Family Activities in Laredo, Texas! Her articles have been featured on What To Expect .com, BlogHer, Apartment Therapy and iVillage.com! Laredoans can find what’s happening around town for families and kids by checking out C&C’s monthly updated Community Round-Up or The Annual Summer Camp Listings!

You Can Connect With Critters And Crayons Via: Website, Facebook, Twitter, & Pinterest!

LA POSADA HOTEL HAS BEEN NAMED #1 IN THE TOP HOTELS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS BY THE TEXAS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. For 50 years, people have been falling in love with our legendary boutique hotel in the Historic Business District of Laredo. Built around four historic buildings, La Posada Hotel has recently completed a $17 million renovation that has helped transcend La Posada as Laredo’s Premiere and Finest Hotel.

You Can Connect With La Posada Hotel Via: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Google+ & YouTube!

Marissa is the owner of Vivace Music Academy and Learning Center, LLC, a State-Licensed Child Day Care Center for infants and children through 5 years of age. Vivace uses Pre-K curriculum with Music Enrichment to enhance child learning. Vivace also offers after-school instrumental music classes for ages 4 – adult. The learning center’s goal is to provide quality music education to young children and their families in the Laredo area.

You Can Connect With Vivace Music Academy & Learning Center Via: Website & Facebook!

Susana owns and operates Susana Photography. She is a native of the Deep South who has recently transferred her Wedding& Portrait Photography business to the Laredo area. She is taking the opportunity of living in this historic city to further work on her fine art photography projects as a way to draw her closer to her Spanish roots. Susana specializes in Wedding & Portrait Photography specializing in Natural Light & Lifestyle Photography.

Ladies of Laredo Ultimate Make-Over Event Susana Photography

Did you see Susana’s photo in the March 31st edition of
Laredo Morning Times’ Antesala Magazine?

You Can Connect With Susana Photography Via: Website & Facebook, & Pinterest!

Britt runs trueBRITT Make-Up & Photography! She has worked with an impressive number of celebrity and top-tier organizations including: George Strait, Manu Ginoboli, Tim Duncan, WNBA Silver Stars: Becky Hammond & Sophia Young, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, Spurs Silver Dancers, CNN,ESPN,HGTV,FOX,Lifetime Television, DirectTV, Taco Bell, Valero, HEB, and in support of New York Fashion Week!

You Can Connect With trueBRITT Make-Up & Photography Via: Website & Facebook!

Kristen is a licensed Esthetician, Beauty & Wellness Coach, It Works! Global Distributor and soon to be Certified Personal Trainer. She has a passion for Health & Fitness and helping women feel beautiful both inside and out. Transformations: Beauty & Wellness Coaching provides services to women to aid in matters of health and fitness, skin care, fashion and figure consulting, body contouring and personal well-being.

You Can Connect With Transformations: Beauty & Wellness Coaching Via: Website & Facebook & Facebook!

Meet Jenee! Jenee owns Fresh Cleaning Services, service that I specialize in cleaning and organization. She performs full house cleanings (excluding ironing and laundry unless otherwise specified). She also performs move in/out cleanings post-event cleanings!

Jenee operates Fresh Cleaning Services, a service that specializes in cleaning and organization. She performs full house cleanings (excluding ironing and laundry unless otherwise specified). She also performs move in/out cleanings and post-event cleanings.

You Can Connect With Fresh Cleaning Services Via: Facebook!

Meet Marci! Marci earned her cosmetology license in 2004 and has worked at Super Cuts, Great Clips and for Gino Moreno Inc. Barber Shops! Marci loves doing hair and helping to make people feel pretty through her work. She is providing the Winner a hair cut and style!

Marci earned her cosmetology license in 2004 and has worked at Super Cuts, Great Clips and for Gino Moreno Inc. Barber Shops! She has also enjoyed serving (and beautifying!) Veterans and their families on U.S. military installations! Marci loves styling hair and helping to make people feel pretty through her work.

You Can Connect With La Bota Ranch Realty Via: Facebook!

You Can Connect With Casa Yoga Via: Website, Facebook, Twitter, & YouTube!

You Can Connect With PRIMPED The Style Bar LLC (Formerly Known As Pout Apothetique) Via: Website, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Google +

You Can Connect With Sara Boutique Via: Facebook & Twitter!

You Can Connect With Chick-fil-A North LaredoVia: Facebook & Twitter!

You can connect with Voir Via Facebook!

You Can Connect With Malorie of Arbonne Via: Facebook & Twitter!

You Can Connect With Pure Romance By Donna Allenburg Via: Website & Facebook!

You Can Connect With Crafts By Felicia Via: Facebook!

You Can Connect With Eliana of Guy & Eva Via: Website and Facebook!

You Can Connect With Texadelphia in Laredo Via: Website and Facebook!

Here It Is!

You’re SITTING, Right?

BECAUSE IT IS SMASHING AWESOME THANKS TO THE SPONSORS ABOVE!!!

PLEASE CLICK TO ENLARGE!

We MUST THANK the many wonderful SPONSORS who are making this Event possible and,

also the many PROMOTERS who are helping us to spread the word!

La Bota Ranch Realty Virginia Cookie Muller

Event Marketing Sponsor

SOOOOOOOO……………………

BE SURE TO CHECK BACK ON APRIL 5th, 2013.

ENTER ! ENTER! ENTER!

GOOD LUCK!

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The Creepiest Easter Bunny Ever

March 31, 2013
Posted by critters and crayons

We waited in line playing “I-Spy” for 45 minutes to sit on the Easter Bunny’s lap at our local mall.

We opted to pay the $35 by choosing the cheapest package that gave us a CD.

They take your order BEFORE you get up to sit in his lap.

Smart Strategy.

Our photos were terrible.

So terrible, I won’t even post them here.

But, it could have been worse.

I felt for the hopeful parents whose daughters were in the prettiest pastel pink ruffled dresses, with meticulously twisted, pinned and braided hair, secured with specially matched fabric hair bows.

I felt for the parents because they not only stood in line for more than an hour to find out that their children were terrified of the bunny, but now they weren’t even going to get a good photo after all that ornamental work!

The little faces of their daughters were gruesomely contorted, tears were running down their faces, drool was now blending into all the shiny sequins on the front of those little Easter cardigans.

A little boy did the “wet noodle” and used the Easter Bunny’s face as leverage to kick off in an attempted somersault over his persistent father’s head.

One determined father attempted to preserve this mandatory family photo by restraining his 3 year old daughter in a strait jacket grip using his biceps to hold her still. She took the photo screaming and looking in horror at the Easter Bunny to her right while her daddy smiled that cheesy smile.

I wonder if they paid the $35 I did.

Ah, well. It’s a sort of right of passage, I suppose.

Take this photo for instance:

That’s my little sister more than a couple of decades ago.

And is that NOT the creepiest bunny you’ve ever seen? I mean, really.

REALLY?!!?!!

Really, Dad?!!!

But, then again.

I think, perhaps, my dad is pretty smart.

Ugly, Deranged Zombie Bunny or not.

I’m pretty sure he snapped this shot for free.

And, he didn’t stand in any lines.

And he didn’t force us to smile.

Although, it’s troublesome that my little sis was so willing to stand next to that thing.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

WOULD YOU STAND NEXT TO THAT THING?

HAPPY EASTER!

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Critters And Crayons Announcement: The Ladies of Laredo Ultimate Make-Over Event Is Coming Soon!!!

March 29, 2013
Posted by critters and crayons

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of La Posada Hotel; Vivace Music Academy & Learning Center, LLC; Transformations: Health & Beauty Coaching; Susana Photography; trueBRITT Make-Up & Photography; Stacey’s Hair and Fresh Cleaning Services. All opinions are 100% mine.

Photo Provided By TrueBritt Photography (http://www.truebrittphotography.com/)

and Susana Photography (http://www.susanaphotography.com/)

*****

Critters And Crayons is excited to announce a fantastic partnership with some fabulous local businesses to bring our community

The Ladies of Laredo Ultimate Make-Over Event !

The Event Give-Away will launch in a Critters And Crayons Give-Away post on April 5^th and will run until May 10^th, 2013.

A random Winner will be chosen on May 10th, 2013 via Rafflecopter.com.

Specific entry details, and official rules and regulations will be published in The Ladies of Laredo Ultimate Make-Over Event Give-Away post on The Critters And Crayons Blog on April 5^th, 2013.

But, here are some details about WHY the sponsors are behind this Event and WHAT one lucky Laredo Woman is going to win on May 10th, 2013!

The sponsors who compose The Event Team have collaborated on The Ladies of Laredo Ultimate Make-Over Event to celebrate the STRENGTH, BEAUTY and EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN!

The Event is designed to give a Laredo woman a unique experience in an event that is exclusively ABOUT WOMEN AND FOR WOMEN.

The Winner of this event will receive the following from The Event Team over two consecutive weekdays in May 2013 (dates to be coordinated between the Winner and The Event Team. Details will be included in the upcoming give-away post on April 5th.):

La Posada Hotel: 2 Days+2 Nights At La Posada (During Event)
Vivace Music Academy & Learning Center LLC: 2 Days of Childcare (During Event)
trueBRITT Make-Up & Photography: Make-Up Services And A Family Photo Session
Susana Photography: A Family Photo Session
Stacey’s Hair: Hair Cut & Style
Fresh Cleaning Service: A Housekeeping Session
Transformations: Beauty & Wellness Coaching: Fashion Styling, Skin Care Consultation and It Works! Ultimate Body Applicators and Products
AND…. A gift basket of accessories, beauty products and gift cards from local businesses!

Please send media or other inquiries to Laredo.Ladies.Makeover@gmail.com.

MANY MORE DETAILS AND OFFICIAL RULES AND REGS FOR ENTRY WILL BE POSTED SOON!

So……Be Sure To Check Back and Spread The Word To All Your Laredo Lady Friends!

How Often Does A Chance To Experience Something Like This Come Along For Most Of Us?

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Why Rollerblades And Training Wheels Do Not Mix

March 21, 2013
Posted by critters and crayons

Tonight, our nighttime book was Fancy Nancy’s The Show Must Go On!

In it, Fancy Nancy and a lion-obsessed boy named Lionel must prepare for a talent show.

This sparked conversation with our pre-schooler and kindergartener about what a talent show actually entails.

So, I asked our daughter what her talent would be if she were in a talent show.

“Well, I really like art. I would do art,” she said.

“And I’m good at Batman stuff! I’m gonna be Batman!” our son added.

It had been decades since I thought about the first talent show I’d ever been in, and this seemed like a good time to talk about when mommy was in a talent show once- and the telling went like this:

” So. I was in the 2nd grade. Pretty much your age, a little older….

and back then, kids did things like square dance, or play chopsticks on the piano,

and I thought I was a really good roller skater so that’s what I did.

I remember practicing in our garage for weeks leading up to the talent show!

Way back then, we wore roller skates…and there were four wheels on each foot, but they weren’t in a straight line like the rollerblades you see today!

I totally did figure eights to that tape recorded song “It’s A Small World After All!” and roller-skated backward like this!”

The kids watched me as I moonwalked like a mildly suffering epileptic across their bedroom floor.

My husband laughed. So did the kids.

“BUT things didn’t go like I planned for them to!

On the day of the talent show, the whole auditorium was full of all the students in the school, the teachers and all the parents of the kids performing in the talent show!”

The kids were excited to hear the rest, and our daughter asked me what went wrong.

“Well, there was a part of the routine where I was supposed to skate on one foot with the other foot lifted up behind me as I skated across the stage…”

And, I did that motion (for the kids’ visual benefit) with my arms outstretched to my sides with my left leg lifted to the back as I looked at the audience of my family.

I was standing in front of them like a ballerina dancer but without the grace or flexibility.

“And, I remember skating across the stage like that, and looking out at the audience, and it was a sea of people! And, I saw my dad, your papa!

And, then I didn’t see anything anymore.”

The kids asked me why.

“Because I wasn’t paying attention and I skated behind the drawn curtain and unceremoniously crashed into the piano on the other side of the stage.”

I made crashing sounds to replicate the sound.

“What did you do, Momma?” our daughter asked.

“Well, I got up and skated out across the stage on my other leg, smiling like nothing happened.”

We laughed.

My hubby asked what my father did when I did that, and I told him that I remember asking him about it in my twenties and he said he just put his hand up to his face, like, “Oh My Gawd. That’s MY kid.”

That was second grade. Now, fast forward nearly 30 years.

About a year ago, I saw a photo in a parenting magazine of a couple of roller-blading parents pushing their kids on bicycles equipped with training wheels.

I can’t find the photo or the article now, but the point of the snippet was to convey that parents and kids should get out together and be active despite varying motor abilities.

And, I remember looking at that picture and thinking, “THAT IS JUST A HORRIBLE IDEA”.

I thought that because about a month before seeing that photo, my hubby and I had the exact same stupid idea, and we actually tried it, to the detriment of many things.

On the day that we thought we were going to be innovative, adventurous and fun-loving parents, at least one of us ended up in the Emergency Room. (uh- that would be ME), and at least two of us ended up with some cross between PTSD and an irrational fear of anything wheeled for the next year and a half (and those would be OUR CHILDREN).

The bottom line is that it all started well.

Our kids were on their little baby-bikes with baby training wheels.

My husband and I were on our roller-blades which we had not strapped on in at least 5 years.

He and I were equipped with the hubris that either one of us remembered how to roller-blade.

And, it turned out the rollerblading was the easy part and our arrogance was warranted because we were proficient at that.

However, I soon found that MY pride was misplaced because I could definitely GO, but I had completely forgotten how to STOP.

This became apparent as our family approached a slope that is mild in appearance from the vantage point of the mini-van driver’s wheel- but that greatly increased the momentum of two training-wheeled bicycles that were angling into each other, each dangling an incompetent roller-blader behind it.

I bit it.

Hard.

But, not before I took out the entire family in the middle of that residential road.

I remember trying to stop and realizing that it wasn’t working.

Our daughter’s bike was accelerating dangerously down, down, down that slope like a bowling ball.

I tried to steer our daughter away from our son when impact appeared imminent.

Then, my rollerblade caught her rear tire and we were history.

I tripped over our daughter who crashed her bike as I landed a few feet in front of her on my wrists.

Her now rider-less, rogue bike careened into her younger brother who fell over and then skidded a foot or two on the pavement.

My husband, seeing the carnage in front of him and with the quick wits to know that he might flatten our wailing son literally did an airborne Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle forward roll into someone’s lawn.

And, when the bells stopped ringing in my head, I looked up, and saw all four of us splayed across that sloped road, bicycles upside-down and wheels spinning.

There was a lot of groaning.

I had piercing pains up my forearms. I was pretty sure my right wrist was broken. (The ER x-rays showed it was just a bad sprain.) Our son’s chin was bloody and scraped. Our daughter’s knees and palms had road rash. And, my husband jammed his neck doing that commando roll.

Other than that, we were totally fine.

My husband just looked at me in disbelief.

We were a mile from home and the kids refused to get back on their bicycles.

Speechless and limping, our kiddos walked those bicycles home.

Our 3 and 4 year old would not get back on those things for another year.

Seriously.

A YEAR.

The brilliant plan my husband and I had to roller-blade with our training-wheeled kids totally back-fired on us.

So, if you come across that article in a parenting magazine I saw, or any future suggestions like it, consider this your Public Safety Announcement and just DON’T.

Just Don’t.

And since I’m giving out handy advice about roller-skating and such, should you ever find yourself balancing on one leg while skating on the other in front of a large audience, and you’re a beat or two ahead of the routine to “It’s A Small World”, do NOT take your eyes off the edge of the stage.

Because, it only takes a second to crash into a piano.

Or a kid.

Or two.

Take it from a woman who knows.

But, remember. If you DO crash, just get up and act like nothing happened.

There’s a small chance no one noticed.

Right?

HAVE YOU EVER HAD A FAMILY ACTIVITY BACK-FIRE?
DO TELL!

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Saint Patrick’s Day Origami Sun Catchers With Kids: Shamrocks, Rainbow Stars And…Batman {Shamrock Tutorial)

March 13, 2013
Posted by critters and crayons

It’s Spring Break and Saint Patrick’s Day is right around the corner!

I was looking forward to spending some time with the kids in the morning doing something creative and remembered we still had the origami sun catcher kit full of translucent origami paper that we could use to make Saint Patrick’s Day Shamrock Sun Catchers.

What I learned, again, is that craft-time with kids, like most things with children, doesn’t always go as planned.

Here’s our St. Patty’s Day Sun-Catcher window. :)

I had a vision of us decorating a window with a bunch of green four-leaf clover “shamrocks” like the one you see below.

By modifying a star-pattern, I figured we could just make a bunch together for a festive, green, Irish window.

Our son was much more interested in building a Bat-Plane!

So, I helped him make one.

And, he wanted help making a Batman Symbol Sun Catcher…

So, I obliged.

The symbol came out pretty cool, I think.

Not very festive, but it made our son happy, and that was the point of this crafty session, anyway, right?

The mind of a child is quite amazing, though.

Where I saw a sort of failed holiday crafting session and lots of unused origami sun catcher paper, our son saw an opportunity to build something for his blue Bat-Plane….

A GARAGE, of course! (Techically, it would be a HANGAR, but our son calls it a garage, and he’s in charge of his own imaginative play, so I’m going with it).

I would have never thought to do that with that square piece of paper.

Our daughter was more interested in doing her own rainbow star using a simple fold in the origami sun catcher book that came with the kit.

To do this, just fold the square in half so that it forms a triangle (not a rectangle). Then, fold the sides into the center so that it looks like a kite!

This is about the most simple fold for a child, probably best for pre-schoolers and kindergarteners, if they really want to do this on their own.

She glued the pieces together in the center after making 8 “kites”.

An adult might be inclined to intervene and make sure that the colors are balanced or that the lines are glued together perfectly, but I think it is important to let the kids do what they will (unless they ask for help in making things line up perfectly).

And here is the result of our kindergarten daughter’s individual effort.

She, like her brother, had no interest in making Shamrocks with mom.

They wanted to do what they wanted to do with the materials in front of them.

Our son’s innovative “Bat-Plane Garage” and our daughter’s rainbow star with an imperfect “octagon” in the center show their little minds and hands at work.

So, I made my own four-leaf clover….all by myself.

If you think that your kids want to ever make a sun catcher shamrock for St. Patrick’s Day, I’m going to go ahead an include the tutorial below:

How to make suncatcher shamrock for st patrick's day

Step 1) Start with the square green piece of paper. You’ll need 4 of them and a glue stick to finish the origami sun catcher shamrock.

How to make suncatcher shamrock for st patrick's day 2

Step 2: Fold the square in half. And then fold each of the ends into the center so your paper looks like this

How to make suncatcher shamrock for st patrick's day 3

Step 3. Fold ends of the paper into the center. Then, fold the top corners into the center so that it looks like a very tall house. (That’s how our kids refer to shape that results). Do the same folds at the other end so your paper looks like this.