Dazzling duct tape bracelets

I made these cute bracelets following the step-by-step instructions from the Dazzling Duct Tape Designs book by Tamara Boykins. This book has lots of ideas with colourful pictures for us to make cool things using duct tape and other easy to find material. I was surprised to see the duct tape sandals, which can be worn. The other ideas in the book include handbags, wallets, wall art, fashionable accessories, party banners, and many more.

Using colourful patterned Duck Tape to pack gifts

Using colourful duct tape in creative ways is the newest craft trend.  Since "ductivities" are becoming popular there are a lot of coloured and patterned duct tapes available in craft stores, home hardware stores and online.  

I have been using grey duct tape to make crafts such as this rattle and to fix things around the home.  When I saw the beautiful varieties of duct tape Duck Brand has I felt very excited as it helps us become more creative.  

Duct tape crafts are durable, no mess and wonderful to do on our own or as a group.  Although, there are so many things we can do with these creative Duck Tapes the project doesn't have to be complicated.  For starters we can use it to do small creative things such as using it to decorate holiday gift bags.  For this "eco-friendly activity" :) you will need...

Paper shopping bags

colourful Duck Tape

scissors

permanent marker

I reused paper shopping bags that I had.  

Use colourful Duck Tape and paste it over the area you want to cover.  Then personalize each bag by writing a message with a permanent marker over the tape. 

Using a roll of decorative duct tape is only limited by our imagination and these types of colourful duct tape help us get started and become creative.

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Photo Guide to Beading

I am always fascinated by the fabulous things we can do with beads and have bought lots of beads for no reason :)  When I buy the beads I am full of ideas on how I can use them, but never really end up using it because of time, short of materials and tools to finish the project.  

When I saw this fabulous Complete Photo Guide to Beading by Robin Atkins, I was excited to see the creative ideas on how I can use the beads that I have been collecting :)
This book is an ultimate reference to beadwork for novice and expert beaders.  The detailed instructions in the book are separated into three parts; stringing, weaving and embroidery.  There are about 28 projects with colourful clear pictures that teach beading techniques.  
Some beading work shown in the book include

• stringing beads on elastic thread and wire to make beautiful jewelry
• peyote stitch, brick stitch, net weaving and many different stitches
• crochet and knitting with beads
• stitching beads to fabric and embroidery
• using beads in fringes, bezels and for edge stitches
• explains about other tools and materials we need for the bead projects.

A little bit about beading and beads...
Beading has always been a human fascination and used for adornments.  Beads are and have been a part of every culture and land.  They were once used for barter and trade because of their portability and durability.  The value of the bead was based on age, uniqueness and material.

The author explains the variety of beads in detail and on how to care for them.  To test if beads will fade leave it under direct sunlight, and test it by washing with water and detergent to see if the colour stays the same compared to the original.  
Don't leave pearls in plastic bags, as it will release chemicals causing pearls to loose their luster.  To store the pearls leave it in a soft cloth bag or glass jar.
I would recommend this book if you are into beads or want to learn the skills.  This book is available in bookstores and amazon.  

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Duct tape activities and Tape it & Make it book giveaways

Making creative things using duct tape is a fun hobby for all ages.  My daughter likes using duct tape to do activities and she made this hair tie and gave it as a gift for my birthday.

Duct tape has been around since the 1940s and was originally used as an adhesive for ammunition cases during World War II because of it water resistant qualities.  The military used it for quick fixes on jeeps etc.  Eventually duct tape became available in hardware stores where plumbers and builders gave its current name "Duct tape".  

Now craft stores have a variety of colourful duct tape.    

I made this decorative bow following the instructions from Tape it & Make it book by Richela Fabian Morgan.  This bow would be wonderful handmade touch to put on gifts or to decorate the home/class etc.

This book has over 100 creative project ideas...

• Duct Tape Accessories- wallets, sandals, watch strap and more
• Duct Tape Clothing- apron, necktie, mini skirt, tool belt, and more
• Duct Tape Flowers- roses, iris, water lilies, and more
• Duct Tape Animals- turtle, duck, lion's head, puppy, and more
• Megativities- skyscraper, Rubik's Cube, and more

When doing activities with duct tape...

• First clean a formica or melamine table top with a damp cloth to remove dust before starting to work.  
• Clean the craft knife or scissors right after the project is finished, use a little bit of mineral oil or petroleum jelly to clean easily.  
• Keep the tapes dust-free in a transparent bin so you can see the different coloured tape without opening/closing the box.

This book is available in bookstores and Amazon.  We can follow the author on Facebook to see more creative activities.
Giveaway
2 people in Canada can win this book Tape it & Make it book by entering through the rafflecopter below.  This giveaway ends on Dec 1st.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Architecture book with Green living ideas

Architecture Laid Bare is a book by architect Robert Brown Butler.  This book educates and inspires home builders and remodellers.  The practical ways explained in the book will help us achieve comfort and understanding about the design and simple green architecture improvements for our homes and offices.  

The book explains new and best ideas for modern building's design and construction.  Here are some of the things the author talks about

1. When working with contractors it is better for us to know the vocabulary, which will allow us to negotiate successfully.  When on construction site, he advises that if we wear safe hard hat and work boots we will be treated like an overseer and not an intruder by the builders.

2. CFL (Compact fluorescent lights) are not better that incandescent lights, when it is less than 60 degrees outdoors and are turned on/off a lot.  He suggests that we use luminous escape route trim by adding photoluminescent tape to our baseboards that doesn't use any energy.

3.  Don't be tempted by people who promote solar panels if there isn't enough sunshine on your roof because of trees, building etc.

4.  For those rare occasions when the power fails we don't need expensive generators rather a power-outage kit that includes a dozen candles with holders, flashlights with extra batteries, a bucket to fill water and canned food will be helpful.

5.  A fireplace insert that burns logs and paper trash that has an operable damper and glass doors is 50 to 75 percent efficient and easier to operate than conventional fireplaces.

6.  Locate a house on a convex terrain that has a ridge slope, which will descend 1/2" per foot for 10 feet.

7. Mold that appears on the exterior walls or sidings is caused by airtight vapour barriers that keep moisture laden air from migrating through the wood frame that rots the wood.  Stripping the siding and replacing the Tyvek with tarpaper and installing new siding would thicken the exterior and insulate more.

8.  Replace "fat" furniture with compact items so it takes less space.

9.  Make indoor space efficient by converting wasted spaces such as bottom of stairs into hallway library or shelving.

10.  Install smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, fire exit signs, fit a sink faucet on each floor with spigot thread so the hose can be screwed in.

There are black and white pictures and diagrams in the book, here is a link to the index of the book.  This is a good book for anyone thinking of renovating, building or buying a home or solving or eliminating architectural problems.  This book is available on amazon. 

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It's raining fish and spiders

It's Raining Fish and Spiders is a fun, informative exploration of the wonderful world of weather by meteorologist Bill Evans.  The book is good for children over 7 years, although I found it is helpful to answer all the curious questions of younger children.  The collection of facts, stories, experiments and explanations in the book is a good teaching tool for the kids.  

This video will give a good insight to the book. The book covers everything from tornadoes, hurricanes, lightning, kinds of snowflakes and many more. 
I liked reading the weather myths, stories and facts to my kids, and learned a lot of interesting things I didn't know before.  
The book includes some experiments and links to websites that have cool experiments, so we can try at home without expensive equipment. The author has used entertaining funny titles that will make everyone want to read. 
I liked the research, facts, charts, tables, illustrations and photographs (not coloured).  The author has given precautions on what we should do in a situation i.e. when there is an earthquake, tsunami, tornado etc (God forbid). 


Did you know...

• that no two snowflakes look a like, each one is unique.  Snowflakes are made from pure simple ice crystals.  In cold weather or winter when it rains it is called sleet not hail.  
• The lowest temperature recorded on the planet was -89.2C in Antarctica.  It gets slightly more rainfall than the Sahara desert.  Despite the snow and ice, Antarctica is the largest desert on Earth.
• When a tornado passes over a lake or small body of water it can sweep up objects of all shapes and sizes and drop it off some distance away; that is the reason the book was named It's raining fish and spiders.

This educational entertaining book is sold on amazon and bookstores.
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Lovable labels back to school package review and giveaway

Lovable labels was launched in 2003 by a mom who found the need for durable, tough labels that will test time and everything children put labels through. The product line is influenced by customer suggestions and feedback. The labels are available online to make it convenient to order from anywhere in the world.

As a parent or guardian, we know daycares, schools and camps require us to label everything we send with our children.  Lovable labels offer a unique choice of colour and designs that children and adults will like.  I liked that the labels come in a convenient booklet so it would be easy to find when we need to use it.  The tabs on the booklet makes it easy to know the intended use. 

When we personalize belongings, I find children tend to take better care of it and not loose it; this in turns saves us money. 
These labels grow with the child so it is a good investment to get the back to school package with over 165 labels.  In a household of multiple children it helps to keep things organized and personal where children will feel unique.
These labels were personalized for my daughter.  She was really happy to see the cool package of printed labels with her name on it.  She helped me choose the design on the net :)  
The cool mini metal bag tags will be treasured :)  We already put the bag tags on her school and sunday school bag for September.  My daughter has placed many of the labels on all her belongings.

Loveable labels

• are waterproof and bleach safe; therefore the labels can go in the dishwasher, microwave, washer and dryer. 
• will not fade as it is UV and temperature resistant.
• are safe from tiny fingers trying to pick it as the labels are made with good quality 3M scotch marking film. 
• The labels stick on all products with smooth surfaces, shoes, clothing etc. 
• Clothing labels come in 3 sizes and aren't meant for sticking on material.  Peel n' label on garment tags, care labels or nylon lining found in jackets and snow pants without the need to iron.
• The multipurpose sticker labels, slimline, square, fun stickers stay well on flat, clean and dry surfaces. 
• The shoe labels are perfect for inside the non-shiny insole of the footwear.  

The lunch box "lil'love" messages are cute.  Children will like to see these messages in their lunch box.  I pasted the stickers on little cards and transparent plastic paper so I could place different messages inside the lunch box and bag.  This way I could change it up and reuse the stickers to make a special moment during lunch.
There are many other unique products on the Loveable label site, do check it out for yourself.  Get the labels now so you can prepare and be ready for school in September.

Use this coupon code: BTS201213 during checkout to get $5 off on your $25 or more purchase until September 30, 2012.

Giveaway: If you would like to win this back to school package of unique labels in your style with your child's name then leave a comment on this post.  Giveaway is open to Canadian and US readers. It ends on August 10th.

Follow Loveable labels and createwithmom on twitter so it is easy to let you know if you win.

Like Loveable labels and createwithmom on Facebook so you know about special deals, contests and offers (not mandatory but would be nice)

Share the love of this giveaway by tweeting or posting on your site.
Update: The winner is sweet panda

Disclosure: This product was provided for me to conduct a honest review All opinion and rights reserved on written content and photographs Createwithmom © 2012. Please Ask First

Reading with children

As parents we can help our children read without tears by making reading a part of their everyday life and fun.  It is important to talk and discuss with children about what they read by asking related questions, to see if they have comprehended what they read or listened to.
Reading something fun everyday with the children brings lots of satisfaction that will become good memories.  Choose a book like this 365 Animal stories and rhymes or another book from the 365 stories and enjoy with your little ones.  This book has a variety of reading media such as folk stories, exciting long and short stories and poetry that will keep children entertained.  My children enjoyed listening to many of the stories and want to listen to some of them over and over.
I liked reading it with my children and was happy to see some stories I remember listening to as a child from my grandmas and mom.  

Another note on reading: Every summer Toronto Public library has a reading program that encourages children to have fun and read.  They provide posters and stickers free of charge; so do join this fun learning program.


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Arizona way out west wacky

My children enjoy fascinating stories about interesting places and this book, Arizona way out west wacky or AZWOWW was really fun for them.  The book is full of geography, history, nature and cultural stories.  This book is appealing for children and adults.    
My children enjoyed colouring the book, reading about the fun facts and all the lovely activities in the book.  To keep children entertained the book has facts, recipes, activities etc.
This book is available on Amazon and at Five Star Publication.
If you are in the state of Arizona and you would like the author's to attend your school, conventions or bookstores then checkout the site.  They are also on Facebook.

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Doodlepedia

Doodlepedia is a workbook full of fascinating facts and interesting things for children to do over the summer and during their "spare" time.  
There are lots of different activities to colour, design and draw.  The mazes, colouring activities, fun facts and drawings of a variety of things will keep the children interested as they learn about animals, sea world, robots, dinosaurs, science, light, reflections, planets, space, facial feelings, weather, technology, ancient civilization and many more.
Did you know...?

• White is a combination of colours.
• Tigers hide in shadows of trees to camouflage.
• Toucan's bill or beak is 8" long.  It is useful for reaching and catching tasty fruit and bugs.  The beak that looks intimidating to predators isn't very strong because it is made out of keratin, the same substance our nails and hair are made of.

The book opens lots of interactive conversations and children's imaginations has they doodle away. 
Doodlepedia is available here and Amazon.

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From the Family Kitchen

Every ingredient and recipe in our kitchen has a story, and many of us know this because we blog about it :).  We eat what we eat because of where we came from.  The evolution of your personal food history is directly related to our upbringing, everyday food, holiday traditions and special occasions.  Food has played an integral role in the formation of our social traditions.

Gena Philibert-Ortega's book From the Family Kitchen is a book for anyone interested in the intersection of cooking, food origins and family traditions.  She explores the cultural, economic and physical factors that influence our food choice.  The book inspires us to dig into our family food histories and preserve it for our future generations. In addition to historical guidance and practical genealogical resources, the book also includes a beautiful recipe journal to encourage readers to record their own family traditions. 

We can discover what food has got to do with our genealogy as food differs depending on factors such as place, taste, ethnicity, religion and family influence.  People hold food memories to food they eat on holidays and special occasions.  The recipes passed through generations hold value. 

What families eat often reflects on their financial resources, events that occur such as war, depression, scarcity and diets.  Personality traits, preferences, religious beliefs, health movements and attitudes during the time also influences the choices families make.  We know a little about a person by what they eat.  

The book is separated into 3 parts.  Food heritage, look back at historical recipes and recipe journal.

The author writes about how people gather and share their family heritage through scrapbooks, cookbooks, blogs, wikis and more.   

I liked the part when the author writes about true origin of ethnic food. We usually make presumption about food thinking that they were eaten in that ethnicity. Although, the people in that ethnic group haven't even heard of that food :)

• Pizza evolved from the tomato pie that is served in Italy with cheese and crust.  Lasagna and pizza with lots of cheese and tomato sauce is the commonly known Italian food, although in Italy people eat a variety of healthy food because of the availability of fresh vegetables, seafood and olive oil.  Italian immigrants in America adapted the ingredients and cooking methods to American ways because of availability.  
• The popular Chinese food in American culture is fortune cookies and chop suey, which didn't come from China.
• There are lots of interesting stories about Jewish delis and Mexican salsa.

US is known to be a melting pot of cultures, so the food has lots of influences.  There are lots of stories about the type of food early Americans ate that we probably won't eat now.  The change in the way of cooking and technology i.e refrigerators and railroads influence what we eat.  Even what is written in cookbooks is different because in the 20th century cookbooks gave wisdom and household tips to women.

If you enjoy reading books about social history, sociology, cultural anthropology or other social sciences, then this book will be interesting to read. 

Giveaway:

If you like to win this book please leave a comment on this post.  Open to Canada and USA.  Giveaway ends on July 20th.

Update: Winner is Marina

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On My Honor Girl Scouts

Shannon Henry Kleiber, the author of the book On My Honor wrote this novel like biography, which I enjoyed reading and learned many things.  After reading the book, I do Honor the Girls Scouts and its concept more.  Many of us have heard of, seen or been part of Girl Scouts, but we know little of how girl scouts came to exist.  The author has written lots of stories, funny incidents and information about Juliette Gordon Low, the leader and founder of Girl Scouts.  


The author, Shannon is the Girl Scouts leader of her daughter's troop.  She wrote this book because of her curiosity to find out about Daisy; the person that started this "sisterhood" or "girl guides".  Shannon found out lots of interesting things about Daisy from many sources and wrote this book to bring light to this leader.  


Juliette Gordon Low, well known as Daisy started the Girl Scouts determined to teach young girls and women to self rely.  Daisy was inspired by the Boy Scouts that was formed and led by Robert Borden Powell.  Daisy has influenced many thousands of young girls and women for hundreds of years.  Her wisdom has helped many women to become leaders.  


Over the years Girl Scouts have gone through lots of controversies and changes.  The famous Girl Scout cookies changed their ingredients to make it more healthy, the packaging has become more environmentally friendly as they use paperboard.  
The principles of Girl Guides have been debated if it is religious or not religious.  Daisy wanted to make sure the principles and way of life was being taught by family, friends and community and not by the Girl Scout leaders because everyone from all walks of life is accepted to be part of Girl Scouts.
The famous Girls Scouts badges show accomplishment as the girls learn the skill such as cooking, ironing, swimming etc and earn the badges.

I enjoyed learning many things and started to think of strategies that are important to me as a parent. 

Sharron shares her research of lots of funny jokes, stories and incidents that happen in Daisy's life.  Sharron also shares her experience as a mother and talks about challenges such as technology and how it has impacted the decisions we make.  Some points I learned from the book that I like to share are below.

• We need to help out our children to become independent, even if it means they will be messy.
• Guiding the children will help, not lecturing them.
• Connecting with the community and begin part of it; seeing beyond people, being eco friendly.
• Looking at how things are done in the past, adapting to the present and learning the skills from previous generations.
• Knowing we aren't perfect, and that we all have different strengths.
• Recognizing people are different and accepting that it is good to be different.
• Teaching children to be themselves and explaining that if we are all alike it is not a good thing.
• Becoming self reliant, learning gardening, cooking, needlework that will keep us calm, appreciate nature and become pioneers.
• Financial security by saving money to take care of ourselves.  
• Being physically strong by taking care of our health, eating a balance diet and water, getting involved in sports and being active.  
• Becoming strong emotionally by helping ourselves.  
• Helping those who are poor, less fortunate, sick, the animals and loving all living things.
• Recognitions by saying Thank you is more appreciated than financial compensation.  Contributing our time, thoughts, talent is helpful and valuable.

On January 1917 Borden Powell mentioned in his letter to Daisy agreeing, that the girls are mothers of the future who will influence our future generations.  

Shannon mentions the Whip it 2009 movie, which is about Girl Scouts and I am planning to watch it.

Everyone should know the Girl Scout's law; this is from Shannon's book:

I will do my best to be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, courageous and storing, and responsible for what I say and do, and to respect myself and others, respect authority, use resources wisely, make the world a better place, and be a sister to every Girl Scout.

The book is available at Indigo chapters, amazon and bookstores.

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Memorable book made using My publisher

We made this storyline themed photo book using the free My publisher program.  It was easy and simple to follow.  Every step is prompted so it was fun to make this book. Each page from cover to cover will be flipped through many times to look at the colourful pictures and to read the unique quotes.  Everyone especially the recipient will enjoy this personalized high quality photo book, as it will bring back memories. Get started on your book so there is enough time to get it for the day you want to give it.

My advice is that try to get the pictures you like into a folder to make the process smooth and simple.  The time it takes to upload was a little longer than I expected about 10 minutes, other than that everything was quick and easy.  I am happy that we can change the size and style of the book anytime, while and after making the book. Make sure to add a variety of pictures that has the most memories :) and do put it in fun quotes and jokes.  

The program is free to download into the computer (PC or Mac), just follow the instruction and you are set :)

I really liked their service and quality.  I received emails from MyPublisher to let me know the order status and when it was en route.  There are lots of features and discount on their site.

Our book turned out wonderful and I encourage you to try this program to make your own.  

I made this book to give it as a gift to my husband.  My daughter helped me pick some pictures.  We were happy with the results and outcome of the book and enjoyed looking through it many times.  

I wanted to share this with all of you soon and can't wait to show it to everyone in the family :)   

My husband loved this surprise as he was laughing and felt emotional :) at the same time, it is definitely a unique gift.  He loved everything about it and how professional it looked.  We think this is the perfect gift that we can make.

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Learning French

Language learner French published by DK publishing is all that is needed for a beginner to start learning and talking in French. It has activities, pictures, a wordbook, 200 word dictionary, basic grammar, useful phrases, CD and flashcards.

The table of content is in English and French. The activities are organized by themes and are linked to the CD which helps improve pronunciation. There are also listening activities and games on the CD.

The picture dictionary is colourful and has 26 topics. It is organized by place and similar things. The dictionary encourages to think and converse, which in turn will increase vocabulary.

It has examples of simple questions and sentence answers that relates to each topic. The french words have the translation in english and transliteration underneath each word.

There are 5 sets of 12 cards with vocabulary and pictures. Each section of the book has fun games and puzzles to practice which uses these flashcards and dice.

There is a tip section throughout the book, which explains useful grammar. There are photographed images with speech bubbles that introduces key words and sentences with english translation. This package also has a reference section with useful vocabulary, grammar and phrases.

The learning strategies in this book will be enjoyed by children and adults who are learning the language for the first time or refreshing their French. It is reasonably priced around $20 so do check it out.

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Using books with young children and making a toy

Books are the best way to introduce children to new aspects in life, such as welcoming a new baby into the family.

I used this book "Our new baby," when I was expecting my son, to make my daughter feel comfortable and to talk to her about the baby. It made it easier to talk about what we should expect and things that she can do to help... such as playing with the baby, helping out when we change the baby's clothes.

These types of books make older siblings feel happy and proud on what role they will be playing as a family. They won't feel isolated when they are involved in choosing toys and clothes for the baby, instead it will be exciting for them to want a baby in the house.

This book is available here. Here is an activity to go with the book.

My daughter and I made this rattle using recyclable material, I would suggest this activity for 3+ just to be in the safe side.

Even older children can make this to learn about musical instruments and sound.

1 paper towel or toilet paper roll

crayola paint or any paint

stickers or markers to decorate

grey duct tape

to fill

pasta

different types of dried beans, rice

beads

Cover one side of the paper roll with duct tape, make sure it is secure. Then allow your child to fill the roll with whatever they prefer; let them experiment with the sounds they like to hear when they shake the rattle.

And then cover the other end with duct tape.

Decorate with paint, markers and stickers. Let it dry and then play with it as a rattle or a musical instrument to learn about sounds.

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