Here Comes Peter Cottontail!

Last year, the kids seemed to drop lots of their Easter eggs from their baskets. Plus I hate that the baskets are put away in attic not to be seen until next year or in some cases even thrown away! I decided to try a new approach to the Easter basket this year. After Easter they can be repurposed into a purse, lunch tote, library bag, or catch all : )

Springtime is so inspiring!

All of the beautiful springtime sights, sounds and smells have been SO inspiring these last few weeks. My 3 year old son has been full of incredible questions about the life awakening around us. I couldn't help but design some new wildlife creations : )
Here's a peek of a few new designs-

Beautiful Leaf Printed Easter Eggs

Aren't these eggs beautiful??? I cant wait to try them with the kids and grandma this week. I've read that the leaves you pick must be very tender and delicate. Some suggest they had best success with herb leaves such as parsley, mint, cilantro, etc. Thicker tree type leaves will allow the dye to leak behind the leaf and create a solid colored egg. Here's one version of the directions.

1. Lay a leaf on an egg, then cover it with a section of nylon stocking to hold it in place.

2. Pull together both open ends of the stocking, then twist the ends together and secure them with a rubber band.

3. Carefully submerge the nylon-wrapped egg in the dye and let it soak for about 4 minutes.

4. Use a spoon to remove the egg from the dye Carefully remove the rubber band, nylon, and leaf. Allow the egg to dry completely.


Photo and modified directions thanks to Family Fun Magazine. You can find similar instructions on Martha Stewart's website as well.

Earth Day Every Day!

It's less than one month until the 40th anniversary of Earth Day! Celebrate Mother Earth April 22, 2010 and EVERY DAY! My Earth Day Resolution is to get the family using all cloth napkins. I hate how much paper we waste at meal time and washing up. Does anyone else have an Earth Day Resolution to share?

Live Barn Owl and Owlet Cam!

We live right next to a state park and have hoped a nice owl family might nest in the owl box we put up a few years ago. So far no luck! Here's a great opportunity to see an owl family up close. Absolutly Beautiful! During the day its usually the mom and her owlets that recently hatched. I've read that the male tends to come around at night. Here's the link
http://www.sportsmansparadiseonline.com/Live_Owl_Nest_Box_Cam.html

They've also created a page for other animal cams... I can't wait to check some of them out with the kids. Here's the link for other cams http://www.sportsmansparadiseonline.com/Live_Webcams.html

Enjoy!

Nothing Says Spring Like Ladybugs, Bees and Butterflies!

I was so happy to see the bumble bees and Lady bugs out this weekend! Spring is officially here Hooray! Here are some fun insect (well I guess technically one is an aracnid but still fun) clips to help celebrate : )

Every Little Girl Loves Animals!

When my daughter was born I was really frustrated by all the pink frilly girl merchandise I found in the stores. When I was little I was obsessed with animals (I guess I still am..lol). I thought there must be some fun, not so girly, hair accessories out there but I could not find any. After much research on how to make clips I decided to make some of my own (that's how my shop Celtic Tide Creations was developed!). Here are some clips for all the little animal lovers out there.