If you’re like us, you’re a mom who loves crafting with kids who love crafting. Even if you’re not a super crafter, you might be wishing your kid(s) had some kind of fun little project to keep them occupied during these long days off of school before the holidays. (Did mine really NEED the entire week of Thanksgiving off? Come ON!). We joyfully recommend checking out Storybook Studio!

Aside from a really cute name, Storybook Studio also offers craft and creativity kits for the kiddos with lots of fun stuff to stencil and paint. We just love that their kits include everything you need for the project, come delightfully packaged and have varieties for several occasions. Need to entertain some girls at a birthday party? Check. Have extra kids to amuse during the holidays? Check. It almost makes ya want to throw a party!

We sure enjoyed our fabulously cute Sweet Shoppe Birthday Party Fabric Creativity Kit for a recent birthday and we think you’ll love it too! WIN IT HERE!

There are three ways to qualify for this Tres Fun prize:

• Visit Storybook Studio and peek around at their tres fun products. Then come back and tell us (That means leave a comment) which one you love best and which kiddo in your life will be doing the crafting.
• Blog about our giveaway (and post here letting us know you did!)
• Sign up for the Tres Fun mailing list. You can do that here!

Giveaway closes December 1st at midnight PST. One lucky Tres Funner will be chosen to get their kiddie craft on.

Be sure to sign up for Storybook Studio’s newsletter, too. They are always brimming with fun craft ideas for the family!

******Contest Closed*******

I’m always happy when I find a new something that blends my love of beauty products with my love of edible treats.  I was so darn excited when I heard Dylan’s Candy Bar was coming out with a line of bath and beauty products that I ordered something from Sephora right away! I settled on the Cake Batter scented Ice Cream Sugar Scrub:

Um yeah. It smelled So authentic that my 3 year old scooped some up with his fingers and tried to eat it (no harm done). He said, “Mommy, I found something with birthday cake on it in your bathroom!”… so props to the irresistible packaging, too (It really is fun… like a small plastic tub of ice cream)! Alas, although it is really yummy on the skin, it is not agreeable with the taste buds.

So now I’m trying to decide which delicious scent to try next. They offer goodies in Strawberry Licorice, Chocolate Cupcake, and Coconut BonBon and they even offer suggestions on how to mix your scents to smell like a candy store yourself. I’d love to try, but I’m kind of afraid my kids will be licking me.

Oh, I think I was probably about 8 years old. My dad had one of his many Rolling Stones records blasting on the stereo and we are dancing in the living room. He must have been awfully patient with me because I seriously had no (ok, still don’t have any) rhythm but he would still twirl me around that room. Every time I hear a Rolling Stones song it brings me back to those fun times. They will always be one of my favorites.

When I saw the Kaos Recycled Rolling Stones Spiral Tongue Hoodie from Lovebug Clothing Co, it did that same thing the songs do…brought me right back. And it also made my heart pound a little thinking of how freakin cute my daughter would look wearing it!

If the Rolling Stones don’t float your boat, they also have some Elvis, Beatles, Grateful Dead and more!

I’m not sure why smallish gifts are always placed in the “stocking stuffer” category. It makes them seem less important, ya know? I think any gal…young or old… would be quite pleased to find one of these amongst her gifts this year: the glitter resin heart pendant necklace from isewcute!

Glitter possibly not her thing (*gasp*)? We also love the Sugar Love sprinkles necklace, too!

You can find lots of fun, sparkly, whimsical designs from isewcute on etsy. Now, to pick a favorite…

Continuing on the holiday gift theme, let’s talk socks. Now, if you happen to be a 9 year old boy there’s probably nothing more sad than opening a gift on Christmas… and having that gift turn out to be a pack of tube socks. (I’ve seen it happen.)

But now that you’re older (and you know better than to gift someone with plain white tube socks, for pete’s sake), let’s look at socks in a new light. I bet you have a gal on your list who would L-O-V-E these fab Cashmere striped knee socks!

And since a lot of men seem to think they are some kind of super hero anyway, why not stuff their stocking with these stockings?

We found these tres fun socks at Joy of Socks. Free shipping on orders of $45 or more, so get shopping and know you won’t disappoint your giftee.

So, the Gap Holiday 2008 catalog came in the mail yesterday. It’s always full of fun bright stripey sweatery things… fun to look at. But then I got to the last page. and it was THIS:

Is that not the tres funnest grown up bike ever??? I’ll totally ride it over to Starbucks every day. Someday. When all my kids are in school.

As a side note, the catalog showed the bike in PINK, too, but it’s not anywhere to be found on the website. Boo hoo!

So Santa, if you can find one in pink, I prefer it over the blue. I’ve been very good this year, I think. Thanks!

Gasp! This sweet “I Can Save the World” necklace from Signals makes me giggle and inspires me all at the same time!

Remember the magnetic poetry kits? As I recall, they were sold in every college town “boutique” (Is it a boutique if it smells like incense?) in the 90s. You would put the individual words together to form a haiku, social statement, or deep thought. Or you could gather ’round the refrigerator with them, some friends and some libations and let literary zaniness ensue across your freezer door. I’ll admit, I had two sets. Mmmmm hmmmm.

All these memories of youth bubbled to the surface when I came across the Magnetic Poetry for Kids! Oh wow! Imagine the family fun to be had with them… the First Words Kit (brimming with our beloved sight words)  is perfect for the kindergarten set and the Spanish and French Words Kits will surely make first year foreign language a little more enticing.

We found the Magnetic Poety for Kids at Star Bright Kids Co. Save 5% on your entire purchase when you purchase 3 or more items from Star Bright Kids Company. Enter code 9KKDWL5E at checkout.

Don’t you just stumble across a website now and then that quite literally makes you let out a gasp? Here’s my latest gasp-tastic find: Foxpaw Shoes. Having a mild obsession with both (ahem…tasteful) animal prints and adorable shoes… say, mocs, boots, and ballet flats… please imagine my palpitating heart when I saw an assortment of these lovelies in the form of wee baby shoes ( Size 0-6)!

Those are the Zebra Peek-a-Boo (peep toe, even!). And no worries, all these are flat and comfort soled. No “heels for babies” here. *wink*

Currently we’ve only found them available on their website by email or phone orders but we predict they will be taking over the children’s boutique footwear world soon… And please, oh please, maybe the mommy footwear world, too.

We have 2 kiddos in Kindergarten this year. Anyone that has had a Kinder aged kid in the last few years you know it’s all about the sight words. We started out the school year with some plain-o sight word flash cards and my 5 year old was ok with them at first but now it’s like yawn city.

In comes Preschool Prep Company with THE coolest videos to bring those Sight Words to life. I mean like really, the words come to life. My 5 year old insists on watching the video everyday and I couldn’t be more thrilled! So, if you are looking for a fun way for your kiddo to learn those sight works, I highly recommend this video! They also have shapes, colors, letters and numbers for younger children.

*thanks to the Preschool Prep folks for giving me a sample at the ABC Kids Expo…we do love it!*