Friday, April 2,2010

I recently saw an intriguing tweet from @DawnSandomeno on Twitter. (She and Elizabeth have a fantastic blog with great ideas and info on a variety of topics for home entertaining.)

The tweet that I saw from Dawn involved using silk neckties to "tie dye" Easter eggs.

EXACTLY.

After scrounging in my husband's tie drawer and then making a trip to the thrift store for 100% silk ties, we finally got around to making them tonight. And I have to tell you:

It was a huge hit!

It was so great that I had to stay up and blog about it tonight so you can try it by Easter!




You cut up silk ties, wrap them around uncooked eggs, and then cover that with another piece of cloth--like a cut-up pillow case or sheet. After boiling the eggs (in the cloth), you take off the cloth and TA-DA, you have some of the most beautifully and uniquely colored eggs you'll ever see. (Head over to Party Blu Prints Blog for the full instructions.)









Our tie-dyeing session turned into an impromptu friend/pizza/egg coloring party. Everyone not only enjoyed the process, but they were also extremely excited with the results. We're already planning another tie-dyeing session! We've determined that these will be great for summer parties and barbecues, too.

Here are our eggs all together:

Looking for tips? Here are some things that we'll do again, or differently, next time:

• The blog was right, the uglier the tie, the better. Something you think no one would (or should) wear will make the best eggs.


• In places where the material doesn't stay against the egg, the egg will be white. Next time, we are going to try cutting 4 slits into the tie material (one cut in the middle of each side of the square) so that it folds more smoothly over the egg. (One of our friends said, "Think upholstery.")


• Consider the time. The 20-25 minutes of simmering time is after the eggs come to a boil. With the eggs and the cloth, the water took quite some time to come to a boil. (We got a late start and found ourselves with sleepy kids waiting for their eggs.)


• Stick with ties that say 100% silk. We had one tie that claimed "all silk" -- none of the color transferred to the egg.
• We had multiple adults and children participating, so we wrote our names on the outer edge of the white (outside) cloth with a permanent marker prior to boiling. Then, we took turns going around and "unveiling" ours. This was definitely part of the fun.


• DEFINITELY use the blog tip about "shining" the eggs after. We used vegetable oil and it made the colors even more vibrant.


• The boiled egg smell along with cooking fabric isn't pleasant. Open a window or two before you start.

HAVE FUN! Come back and post a link to pictures of your eggs so we can see how they turn out!

Friday, February 19, 2010

If you're like us, you'll take every chance you can to save money in this economy.

This even means shopping after-holiday sales for upcoming gifts.

For a brief time, stores will still have clearanced Valentine Day gifts available--many listed at 50 to 90% off the retail price.

I can just hear you asking, "What am I supposed to do with clearanced Valentine items?"

Did you forget that Easter is right around the corner?

Believe it or not, you can find plenty of Valentine items for your upcoming Easter basket at a fraction of the cost.

Shop Valentine clearance aisles not for the candy, but for the other items--cute cards, cups, games and stuffed animals.

Today, I shopped for my toddler and found a pre-packaged gift tin with a cute leopard (trust me, she won't even care that it's not a bunny).

I also found some peel-and-stick "make-a-face" Valentine cards (that really didn't look like Valentine cards, just stickers).

The total after the clearance discount for both?
$3.75.

For Easter, we'll fill the tin with a few pieces of Easter candy, some fun eggs and I'll wrap it in Easter cellophane.

When all is said and done, she'll have a cool Easter gift that cost us less than $10.

Worried that this won't work for the older ones on your Easter list? I also saw some cute mugs (that were love-related, but didn't look like Valentines), and some cool drink shakers--both of which would be lots of fun filled with Easter candy.

Use your imagination and don't be fooled into thinking that you can't use an item for another holiday just because it has a heart or the word "love" on it.

Now, go on. You won't have much longer until these deals are gone.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

If you have a toddler that goes to school, daycare or play groups, you probably have an entire bag of Valentine cards scattered around your home.

Us, too.

Have you ever thought of using them for "mail time" play?

Mail time play allows you not only to teach toddlers about mail, but also provides an opportunity for them to practice coordination and motor skills (along with a little strategy).

Mail time play is easy, especially since tots love to put things in and take things out.

All you need to do is create a mailbox, and the construction is pretty simple.

Toddler Mailbox

Materials:

• A shoebox (or a box with a removable lid)
• Wrapping or craft paper
• Tape
• Scissors
• Old Valentine cards (works just as well with leftover birthday cards, Christmas cards, or just plain envelopes)

Directions:

1. Cut two slots of varying sizes into the shoebox top. (The two sizes helps with coordination and motor skills as the child will need to figure out that the big ones only fit in the big slot, etc.)

2. Cover the top and the bottom of the box with wrapping or craft paper.

3. Cut through the paper on the box top to expose the slots. Tape the edges down on the inside of the slots to make a smooth surface through the slot.

4. Write on or decorate the "mailbox."

Helpful Hints:

• Be sure to use a shoebox or other box with a removable lid. The toddler needs an easy way to get the "mail" out so they can start over again!
• Test that the cards fit into the slots before wrapping the lid. You don't want to have a frustrated toddler when they can't get the cards into the slots.
• Toddlers love to color and work with stickers. This project is easy enough that the toddler can help with the entire process, but especially the decorating!

When you are finished, not only do you have a new "mailbox" game, but you also have a place to house those cards and "mail" when they're not being played with (sneaky, huh?).

My two-year-old spends time throughout the day putting her "mail" into the slots, taking them out and then starting all over again.