My First Guest Post EVER!!!!!!!

My hands are shaking as I write this because my first guest post EVER just went live!  Remember Alissa & Rags to Stitches Boutique? This darling offered me the opportunity to write to her readers not only just a guest post, but her New Year's Eve post!! This is huge stuff to little ol' me so please, stop by and check it out! While you are there, check out her shop's new goodies, they are sooooooo cute!!!

While you're there, say hi and wish this doll a Happy New Year? Follow her Blog/ Twitter/ Facebook if you don't already, she is one sweet & skilled moma! I wish my readers nothing but the best for 2011.. This year's gonna be a great one, let's make each year the best year of our life! Also, if you choose to drink, please be wise about it. Make sure you have a Designated Driver and don't let anyone who has been consuming drive, no matter what. (Hide the keys if you gotta!) Let's take care of one another please!

Xoxo
Crystal

Inspirational Eye Candy

In the midst of brainstorming on how to reorganize and restructure my sewing/crafty area (I may be losing my unfinished room to separate quarreling siblings, I wanted to treat you all to my favorite eye candy studios and ideas. Working on super limited to no funds we've managed to decorate the house pretty nicely but of course there is always space for improvement. Show me yours?  Btw, none of these images are mine. They were collected from around the internet over time because I adore eye candy!

Heather Bailey's Studio, I heart her! Head on over, her whole site is eye candy!

Whoa! This is my kind of goodie..

found here

More of Ambers room (^^link above^^)

Haven't had enough? Trust me, I could go on forever... Sorry for the posts being few & far between , still working on this top secret stuff and boy! It's coming together!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *HAPPYDANCES!*

 Oh! Speaking of pretties & inspiration. I am hosting an online Scentsy party for my new lovey Bonnie.  You can find her special Scentsy button in the top right hand corner under our first bloggy sponsor (and one of my addictions!) RetroPlanet, you can also visit them by the banner on the top right hand corner. My party runs from today to January 10th so stop on by and check out the gorgeous smells and selections. Beautiful smells make comfy homes and memories! <3

Xoxo
Crystal

Happy Monday!!!!!!!

I hope all of your Christmas' were beautiful & filled with love!  After all, thats what Christmas is about.. love that surpasses all understanding (Jesus!).  I don't know about you but I'm just as stoked to welcome in the New Year that's ripe with possibilities, chances to start over, and change the world by showing kindness and working together to uplift one another.

This week I will be posting daily (if not more than one per day) about the top secret INCREDIBLE UPCOMING EVENT (yup, still under wraps until January 5th), the New Year, and whatever else pops into this little ol' mind!  (well, I couldn't possibly post everything at once, get ready because I have an "arsenal" of post ideas!) Please stay tuned and be sure to interact by Tweeting, commenting on posts, talking at me on Facebook, etc, your comments always make me =DDDDDDD

I know this upcoming year is going to be 200mph so I will do my best to keep up!! Somehow in order to fulfill my grant requirements I need to take *three* college courses beginning January 17th.  I will do my absolute best to keep posting daily and no go without posting for more than 2-3 days. I want to stay connected with the awesome Net peoples God has blessed me with!  Right now I'm busy trying to find these books for under $400! (Tried Chegg, Half.com, Amazon, & Alibiris).

Also on the next couple of week's list is doing my Beginning of the Year "Feathering the Nest/ early spring cleaning". Don't let last year's clutter & trouble spots create stress and pressure this year. Begin room by room solving them. I haven't decided yet but I may post pix of my personal progress monthly and I will add a Mr.Linky to allow us all to link up to do the same!  <3333 Well, back to the "grind" and loving it! God is good all the time!

Xoxo
Crystal

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Eve/Day & Happy Holidays to all of my darling readers. I hope that these days are beautiful and happy full of lots of blessings & memories!

This is a "sculpture" my daughter just made me.. it's us hugging <3 She's 7

(Thank you Jesus for coming this day many years ago to save our lives!)

Xoxo
Crystal

Forgive me!

For not posting as often, I've been a busy girl! (and on Twitter wayyyyy too much!) No really, As I posted before, something super exciting is happening. Something beautiful, wild, and awesome! Really... aren't you just a tiny bit curious? Want to be involved? I know you need details so shoot me a message at Crystal at DomesticButNotMartha dot com and I will write you back as soon as I receive it.

Virtual Goodies for my bloggy friends!

I can't believe tomorrow is Christmas Eve!! Wow, this month has flowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwn by! I think it has alot to do with everything amazing that has happened and I've been involved with as a result of this blog and the people I've connected with in the process. You guys! I can never ever quit talking about the sheer awesomeness of you and that *you* have brought into my life.

I wanted to open up this chance to hear from you guys because you know I love knowing what you are thinking, feeling, & needing.  Tell me what you would like to see go on at Domestic, But Not Martha throughout the New Year. Do you want to be featured? Write me! Know someone who should be, send them my way! This is an open place for you guys as well! I love Guest posting both on my blog and for others, I love getting your handmade items out into the blogosphere for others to connect with you. I want to Tweet with you and get to know you so don't be shy. You guys are phenomenal, remarkable people!

More goodies! YUMMMM

That being said, here's a little reminder of past posts that tell a little of what to expect for the New Year. Talk back to me! I love you!

Xoxoxo! Enjoy some Christmas goodies for me!
Crystal

Something super exciting is happening!

Do you want in?! Shoot me a message at Crystal at domesticbutnotmartha dot com.. I will deliver the details!!! It's a secret so no leaks please!

Xoxo *happy dance!*
Crystal

Remember Faster Than You? {Giveaway Closed}

**WINNER IS... JENNY!!!!!!!!!!!!! Congrats darlin!**

Remember when I featured Em and this amazing giveaway?  Winner of the cuff never wrote me and I couldn't find her so.. it's back on the market! Leave me a comment here (just one) including your email address telling me anything at all (Keep it clean peoples, there could be a little one in Mommy's lap reading while I pick! There usually is  when I'm on). You can tell me a joke, a funny pick up line, whatever pops in your head first! I will draw for this at midnight PST tonight. Spread the word!!!

Ashley Nicole Carter Designs Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations!!!!!!! Enjoy your pretty!

The Newest Addition to Our Family

An early Christmas gift <3

Why yes, I did get down poured on.. *all* day.. hehe

She is super hyper so this is the best I could get <3

Isn't she cute?!

A Christmas Wish

Today, I'm super honored and excited to have my VERY FIRST GUEST POST!!! Please welcome Gina from HiyaLuv!!

Hiya luv! My name is Gina and I blog over at Hiya Luv and am really excited to be visiting on Domestic but Not Martha today! I hope that you are enjoying this lovely holiday season and will take a moment to reflect on the season with me. Also, feel free to stop by my blog and visit me there as well! 

I want.

I want.

I want!

 

I often overhear this statement from children, teenagers, and even adults while out Christmas shopping.

 

 

When I was younger, I used to be like that. 

[I wanted everything.]

My wish list was a mile long and on Christmas morning I would make a mental note of all the things I didn't get.

{yea, huge brat I was.}

Good heavens, I spent so much time worried about what my cousins got or why I didn't get as much as my sister. 

"Well they must be the favorite!"

{sulk.}

I'm embarrassed to admit that I was like this; but at the same time I proud that I am able to boast that I am no longer like that.

{Where do we learn behaviors such as this?} 

My parents never gave me the impression that I would get everything {or even anywhere close} that was on my wish list. They always taught me to say please and thank you and to give to others. Is it human nature that teaches greed? Did I learn it from my classmates in school? Society? Commercials on television? 

{Or was it the enemy trying to ruin what Christmas is all about?}

Society entices us to put a price tag on the holiday.

To go in debt to buy presents for loved ones.

Sometimes I have even felt that I needed to spend a lot of money so my family would know that I loved them.

{foolishness.}

Now, I fret that I haven't spent enough but I know that my gifts are heartfelt and took precious time to make. 

{Gifts that are expensive and rich with love.} 

***

and that is of God's word.

How do you celebrate the season with your family? 

How do you teach your children the true meaning of Christmas?

Thanks Crystal for letting me blog in your community today! 

I hope that you will leave a comment and come visit me at Hiya Luv! 

Happy Holidays to you and yours!

luv and smiles,

gina

Keeping the Littles Busy (And off the ceiling..)

We've all been there. The little ones have massive amounts of freakish energy and you just don't.. You'd try just about anything to get them quietly busy and off of one another. Here are some of my ways of keeping my monkeys from climbing the ceiling or tearing down the house.

Yea, I know sugar doesn't make kids hyper but it was sooo cute!

1. Breakout the B. toys YouHue or other non-toxic markers.. instant temporary tattoos. They're non-toxic so I don't worry about them having some kind of crazy reaction and they wash off.
2. Take step 1 and create instant living canvas.. I let them color in my back piece that isn't finished yet. It's like mommy is one big coloring page.
3. Play the statue game, taking turns modeling whatever pose they choose and they can't make a sound.
4. Turn a deep plastic container and soft rope into a pull car (oh yea!)
5. Pull out every pot & pan and several cooking utensils. Even my 7 year old still wants to play "restaurant".
6. Take food boxes from mac n' cheese, cereal, etc and glue all the ends shut.. cooler than the average "play food" from the store.. and it's recyclable! (High five for being green!)

All of these things are in addition to the normal toys, games, and other stuff we randomly do and there is more but you get the idea.  More than anything, take a moment to just be with them. Even f you're super tired. Let them color on you (I promise they will be interested), style your hair, or just snuggled with a book. Now tell me.. what are your ways? I love hearing from you!!

Ashley Carter Designs

Please meet Ashley Carter, a fellow USAF Wifey (mhmm!) and owner of AshleyNicoleCarterDesigns and  My Sunshine Fabric.

Ashley's shop caught my eye because of her notable skill and because of her bold, fashion forward fabric choices (she uses Anna Marie Horner! *squeal!*) and on many of her items you can choose the fabric used. Who doesn't love that?! If money wasn't an issue I would be doing some serious "damage" in her shop filled with Aprons, Throw pillows, Clutches, Hobo satchels, Hip/messenger bags, Market bags, & Hair Accessories. Besides that, she's a major sweetie and you just have to get to know her! She has a Blogspot,  Twitter, and you can Heart her Etsy shops here and here. 

Hip/Messenger bag (Customizable)

 To optimize feature eye candy viewing, I will be featuring mouth watering collages like this more often from here on out!

ANC Designs Clutches

Sweet Love Half Apron

Darcy Lanterns Rosette Throw Pillow

ANC Designs Hair Accessories

Being a fellow fabric addict (seriously.) I cannot end this post without showing you some of her stash available for sale.

Fabrics available in her shop, My Sunshine Fabric

 Okay, do you need some Ashley Nicole Carter? Ashley is gifting one of the DBNM readers with this irresistible Cranberry Rosette Headband

Gorgeous! You want it? Enter to win by leaving a comment below telling me your favorite item from her shop. Contest ends Monday, December 20th at noon PST. Include your email please so I can contact you if you are the winner.

Want extra entries?! Do these things and leave me a comment for each:

1. Follow her Blog
2. Follow my blog <3 (Not required but would be super sweet of ya!)
3. Become her Tweep
4. Become my Tweep
5. Tweet, Facebook, or Blog about this Giveaway. Leave me a comment w/ a link. If you Tweet, do it @LoveandSparrows and/or @sunshinefabric.

That's all Folks! Xoxo!
Crystal

Handmade that Gives back

Happy Friday! Ya'll know that I *love* me some handmade but better yet, I LOVE me some handmade that gives back.  Tracy at Sweet Harper shares this love with me and has done some features on shops that are using their talents to give back, please check that out here.  Featured shops include Stitches by Sara!! Congrats darling! Ya'll deserve it!

8 Days left until we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ (I love you Lord!) who is The Reason.  Let's all take some time out of our day, thank Him, and bless someone with the blessings that He has given us.

Xoxo
Crystal

Mandipidy

Today's handmade sweetheart is Mandy of Mandipidy.

Mandy, Her Hubs, & furry baby

I connected first with Mandy on Twitter and I love her bubbly personality and her sweet demeanor. She's also tech savvy and is a big part of my blog design because I used her DIY Blog Makeover page to help me in the design of this one. (Thanks doll!) Mandy is also in pursuit of and is in my opinion, a Proverbs 31 woman. In addition to being an all around great person, with awesome bloggy skills, she has amazing crochet skills! Just look at this eyecandy!

Itty Lovies

MandyBand Adult Size

Crochet Circle Necklace

MandyBand Baby size

Crochet Flower Necklace

Crocheted Flower cuff

Wow! I can only crocheting straight simple lines so her intricate flowers and circles are completely amazing to me!  She just closed her shop for the Holidays but will re-open in January so please bookmark her. Want to be Mandy's newest friend? Follow her on her Blog, Twitter, and Facebook I promise it's worth it!Scootch your booties right on over and check it out for yourselves <3

Xoxo
Crystal

Sally's Fruits From Faith

We're in the downhill slide to Christmas with only a few shopping days left and I've been discussing giving gifts that truly mean something here, here, and here and this post is definitely no different. I'm thoroughly excited today to introduce one of my dearest friends for the past five years to some of my newest close friends, my readers.

I met Sally while I was working, she was a client.  I was immediately drawn to this lovely, Godly woman who came to visit and discuss the books that she was having published.  To make a long, drama filled story short, I separated myself from the firm as did she, once discovering the company was being very unethical and not holding up their end of the contract and honestly, ripping clients off. It was a very negative experience that ultimately lead to a very precious thing, my friendship with Sally.  Sally is a true Proverbs 31 woman, hard working, raising her five children and her eight grandchildren (and 1 great grand!) on her own overcoming every obstacle thrown in her way.  She has over 30 years of custom dressmaking and seamstress experience, even designing costumes for Radio City Music Hall, the Michael Jackson tribute band Who's Bad?, and Busch Gardens through her in home business, Sally's Sew Amazing (please Like her on Facebook? Pretty please? xoxo)  When God lead her to create her series of Christian children's books, she faithfully wrote them and sought to publish them relying only on His providence for funding.

Fruits From Faith is the first book in this series and was written and inspired by Galatians 5:22 & 23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" and teaches children the Fruits of The Spirit in a fun, colorful, rhyming way that was written to be memorable by characters such as Angie Apple, Cassie Cantaloupe, and Nadine Nectarine. (Characters were named after her children and grandchildren <3) Because of the separation from the publishing company, she has about 3,000 of these high color, glossy paperbacks left and is selling them to fund the self publishing of the additional books in the series, Armor Of Light and O Your Love for Me.  Sally has developed several handmade items to go along with her book and characters such as stuffed fruit character dolls, t-shirts, and educational matching game/decorative wall hangings (which are handmade and hand painted).

Sally's Fruits From Faith wall hanging/matching game

She also offers churches, Christian schools, and organizations the opportunity to use the books as a 50% fundraiser where the books are purchased for $10 and that is split evenly between her ministry and the organization doing the fund raising.  As I wrote before, her ministry is a one woman operation, funded by her also one woman in home sewing business, so unless she can raise funds for her additional books to be self published, she cannot proceed further. 

If you're interested in purchasing a book or a wall hanging (or the gift set with both an autographed book and a wall hanging) please email her at stone.sally at gmail dot com or leave a comment on this post with the quantity and items that you would like to order. She will email you back promptly. Or you can simply contact me and I will pass the information on.  Items will be shipped by USPS with tracking numbers emailed to you after payment has cleared and the item has shipped (within 1-2 days of payment).  She is also creating children's embroidered totes with the FFF characters! If demand is great enough she will be opening an online store like Zibbet. Let's all reach out, plant some seeds and reap and share the Fruits From Faith. Youth is a time for teaching and this is the perfect tool.


Xoxo
Crystal

A New Year, New Bloggy Happenings!

I just wanted to thank you all again for what will be two amazing months of bloggyness in 2010. I have been blessed beyond measure by ya'll and my cup truly runneth over!! I wanted to quickly give you some ideas of what 2011 will hold in store for Domestic, But Not Martha readers. Knowing me, this list will change frequently, but here it is as of now <3

found here

I Heart Handmade- Continuing from my 25 Days of Handmade Holiday series, I will regularly feature Handmade shops & artists. I support passions and dreams and handmade shops are just that. They are someone's dreams in the works and I will do anything I can to help make those dreams a reality.

Birthday Blogroll- If it's your birthday, I want to make you smile! You are a magnificent individual and I'm so blessed to know you! Follow my blog through Google Friend Connect, Like the DBNM fanpage on Facebook and/or Tweet with me and send me a message in any of those places and I will add you to the list. On your birthday I will leave you a Birthday shout out in that day's posting.. Just a little something to give back to the readers who've given me so much.

My Readers are Heroes- My readers continually amaze me by the obstacles they are overcoming and the causes they are working for. Routinely I will feature these lovely people and their stories, because we are all friends here, we all face obstacles, and we all need to be uplifting one another.


Don't forget to also expect a mish mash of things I love, homeschooling related things, all things domestic, my random thoughts, music, and whatever else comes to mind! But for now...

that, that, that's all folks!  (You know I had to!) Stay tuned and visit often <3 Feel free to comment, leave me feedback, tell me what you want to see, if you'd like to or know someone who wants to be considered for a feature don't be shy! just write. (No Spam please! I am a SAHM, home schooling, college student/military wife & mommy, hehe it's already hard enough to squeeze in everything without rooting through false spam/links).

Xoxo
Crystal

Faster Than You Giveaway Winners!!!

I'm pleased to announce the winners of the Faster Than You giveaway! (And oh so jealous hahahah)

The winner of the Necklace is:

And the bracelet/cuff goes to: #10 Zesmerelda:

Hi Darling, I don't have contact information for you so please write me within 48 hours or I will have to pick another winner :( I feel awful doing that!

Congratulations ladies!

 XOXO
Crystal

BitzofBling Designz Giveaway Winner!!

 

SALLY!!!! You have won yourself $20 in shop credit for some pretties! Congratulations! I will be contacting you shortly!

I love my Dinosaur.. RIP Mommys

Tonight we had to have Brittany, my boxer put to sleep. She was suffering and had been unable to walk for about two weeks (I literally had to carry her out to go potty). She had a stroke and a huge mass inside of her organs no one could see from the outside.

I know it's for the best but I'll definitely miss her. She was pretty old for a boxer but smart, loving, and had a huge personality.  I had her for nearly a year, but it felt like forever. She had the wildest habit of using her paws like a cat and was a second mommy (or so she thought) to my children. Have fun w/ JC til I join you one day and we can scuffle and snuggle together again. I know God sent you to keep me going and keep me company when Mr. Gorgeous got deployed and you left just a couple of months after he got back, just like you sweetie, to make sure everything was fine before you left. I'll never forget you darling (or your huge slobbery spit bubbles, crazy the things you learn to love).

How A Toy Company Can Teach Life Lessons (B.)

As a Mommy there are a few things that I want to teach my children and I have dedicated my life to passing on to them as well as others I've met along the way.

•  Faith and Hope (in God, community, and in positive change)
• Compassion, Philanthropy, Sympathy
• Social & Environmental Responsibility
• Creativity, Color, & Imagination
• Don't share bodily bi-products (aka boogies), impress others with your flatulence skills, or burp your ABC's in public (oh yes, my kids have skills :) & :\  <~~ Okay, I added this for fun but really..

 I feel that these things are necessary, beautiful, and that leaving a legacy of this is my life's work (or a goal that I truly want to achieve).  I do fail, sometimes I say or do things that aren't perfect, because believe me, I'm not. When I find something, anything that aligns, parallels, or speaks this message I immediately love it, cherish it, and most of all want to share it.  That being said, you know that I have mentioned the B. brand to you guys before and today, I wanted to ask you to share a cup of coffee with me

(oh yea! Home brewed Starbucks Latin America Breakfast blend w Mint Truffle cream and yes, I already drank most of it in this picture <3)

and get to know B. toys (B.) the way I do. This is not a promotion to get you to buy these toys and I haven't been bribed or compensated into writing this, I want you to really just sit a spell and think with me about what I'm going to share with you. I feel compelled to tell you this on a deeper level, Mommy to mommy, gf to gf, basically, one person to another.  I will continue over the lifespan of this blog to tell you about companies, products, etc that radiate these values in order to provide you with resources if this is also a priority in your life.(**NOTE: I did contact B. in order to obtain the images used in this review and for permission to speak about them, you could never meet kinder people! Really!)

If you are like me you both love & dread Christmas time because of gift giving. Before you get frazzled on that comment, I LOVE giving gifts and I tend to lean towards handmade because so few commercial companies seem to be producing thoughtful & thought provoking, imaginative gifts that are environmentally responsible, give back to society, and are interesting.  I hate just buying a toy to have a box under the tree that is probably going to be abandoned or donated to Goodwill in a month or so (Don't get me wrong, I love donating & shopping at Goodwill).  We are a one income (which is a low one) family of 5 and I need every cent to count.  I want things to be loved, carried around, shared, and most of all to contribute to their lives in a positive way. I want things to last because I believe in passing things down both to my other children and other families (only if they're in great shape).

When I discovered B. I was just window shopping the toy aisles of Target to kill some time between appointments. I was first drawn to the colors because I absolutely love rich, vibrant, bright & bold colors (lead free by the way!!). So I picked up the box of the Hellophone and checked it out. I was immediately impressed for a few reasons (To get the "hard facts" on all of these, I've included links, please check them out <3):

Hellophone

1. The packaging easily folded out to an adorable gift box with mod/retro type printing in gorgeous colors  that you can purchase and immediately "wrap" on the way out of the store to the car (saved me buying those bags I just can't get into and the tissue paper I have 17 packs of but can never find!)
2. All of the packaging is printed with soy based inks and 100% recycled & recyclable. Some of the toys even come in pretty reusable bags that are compostable.
3. The phone itself was attractive, had fun buttons and sounds and I could record personal messages on it.
4. Each purchase of a B. product donates 10 cents of every toy purchased to Free The Children. These days I know ten cents seems like a ridiculous amount to make a change, but dimes add up quickly and with dedication and resourcefulness, dimes become opportunities, dreams, & miracles.  
5. The B. company itself believes highly in creativity and individuality, encouraging anyone reading packaging to B. generous, B. powerful, B. curious, B. poetic, B. open, B. free, B. you (What more could you wish for your child?!)

 That day, I walked out of Target with a You Hue Desk, a Fish & Splish, two Hellophones (upcoming birthday party gifts), and a Times Square.  Remember how I said we have to stretch every penny? I didn't feel one bit wasteful. Instead, felt justified in all of my purchases because I had donated 50 cents to Free The Children, taken care of birthday gifts I needed to buy, bought an art desk perfect for homeschooling and traveling that came with markers, color pencils, a sketchbook with colorful paper, and crayons that also had excellent storage, and I had things that I knew that all of my children would use and love. They just about exploded on the 45 minute drive home waiting to bust them out.  I know this post is getting long, but please bear with me and allow me to explain further. I'll break it up by toy to make it more organized.

YouHue

You Hue: Not only was the desk perfect for any size lap (my big ol' hips fit it too!) it has a three deep storage "nooks" perfect for art supplies, wrapped snacks, a small book, even a sippy cup fit in.  Being a military family that travels 2,800 miles across country just to visit family, this was invaluable.  It was also the perfect desk to make homeschooling that much more fun. B. never ceases to amaze me with their creativity. The art supplies were all packaged nicely in recyclable boxes with the same gorgeous internationally inspired prints and the non-toxic markers thrilled me beyond all reason with the colors being named things like B. sunny, B. fiery, B. rosy, B. bright, B. deep, and B. sublime.

Fish & Splish: Hands down, the most creative and practical bath toy I have ever saw.  The boat with a fisherman acts as a storage for all the goodies inside. This toy is sooooo good for helping little ones develop motor skills because it comes with a little fishing pole that helps catch fish (great when you're distracting them from the fact that you are washing their hair) and the toys have purposes like the Octopus nail brush and the nesting cups that can be used to rinse hair and just have bath time fun.

 

Hellophone

Hellophone: I purchased this toy for my friend's baby's 1st birthday but also for the baby girl 2,800 miles away that we were going through the process to adopt (more on that story later). I wanted her to recognize my & my husband's voice from the recordable feature on the phone I knew that if she played with it, it would become familiar to her and we would bond in that way. Unfortunately, after I recorded messages and packaged it to send, it never reached her, the post office informed me later they lost my package and never recovered it. All in all, we chose to let her remain with her Foster family, the ones who had her since birth and the family we had grown to love as our own, so I know now the phone was never meant to reach her, because she was already home. (I love you guys!) Later, I realized that on my husband's next deployment, this will be used as a way for the kids to always carry Daddy's words with them.

Times Square

Times Square: This toy I bought because the kids had a fit over it immediately grasping the beads on top and sliding them around the beautiful plastic tubes that lit up, but also because I had a sneaky ulterior motive, this toy is an excellent homeschooling tool.  Having two young boys (4 & 19 months) I saw the way I could use this for Letter & Number recognition and motor skills as well as entertainment.  This toy is a serious multitasker with a phone that makes noises, a mini keyboard, twisty wheel, a clock (YES! A fun way to teach my 1st grader to tell time on standard clocks!), and all of the pieces store inside.

Yes, I was in love and feeling excellent. These toys are constantly played with and every time there is a playmate over, they are a topic of discussion and a favorite.  Since then, I have purchased the Pop-Arty for the kids and I (Yes, I do wear the jewelry out that we've made with it, it's totalllllllly incredible and trendy!) and I can honestly say that every cent I've spent with B. has been rewarded back to me more than once.

See what I mean?! Don't you want to be trending Pop-Arty too?

My daughter has saved every little "pretty" she saw on the packaging and they still play with it. What they allowed me to recycle, I threw in the recyclables bin feeling awesome that it wasn't ending up in the landfill.  I got the chance to talk to my kids about Free The Children and compassion for others, about how God has blessed us and why every day, I pray that He will continue to bless us so that we may in turn, bless others, not for self-gain.  We talked about how we have responsibilities to recycle and be good to our planet so that those after us can enjoy a healthier, cleaner life and how by purchasing things from places and companies with the philosophies of B. and sharing that with others that we are making a positive change, planting seeds of purpose within those we meet who hopefully, will also plant seeds within others they meet branching into a beautiful chain reaction. I always, always say, it only takes one person to start a revolution, one kindness, one understanding at a time, an action that is like a pebble in the water, makes a splash and ripples out to the world, sharing with all it reaches. Be that person, take responsibility for that random kindness, you are more powerful than you realize.

Don't get me wrong here, my kids are 7, 4, & 21 months now.  I didn't explain these things in the exact words that I am using with you, but in ways that they could understand and they did.  When they get birthday gifts or have a little spending money, they often want to donate it to a mission and buy something small for themselves. They ask if every scrap of everything is recyclable and if it isn't, they want to make something interesting out of it to prolong it's lifespan.

They understand that there are children out there who were not born with the same opportunities, the same situation, and my 7 y/o daughter wants to do mission work and uplift these children, showing them love.  I could go on forever (bless your hearts LOL I bet some of you feel I have already!) about B. and everything they are and stand for. I plan on sharing more about them routinely in the future because this company is constantly doing something beautiful, producing more interesting toys, and making waves.

Whacky Ball

Please stop by their website and spend time on their Toys page, the B.log, the Quotes page (you can design & make your own but you will LOVE reading them! It's one of my favorite parts of the packaging and the website), and the Story of how it all began. I promise you, you will close out the page feeling inspired, ready to make the world a more colorful, positive, and creative place.  Want to know more? Drop by the FAQ page where everything is readily available and written out, or even contact them.  B. also have a Facebook and a Twitter. No robotic machines or form letters with this company.

Parum Pum Pum (Look familiar? B. used to produce toys licensed by Parents magazine,

)

Thank you so much for sitting with me and reading this mile long post, I hope that you walk away from it with something deeper, richer, and intoxicating: a sense of Faith and Hope, Compassion and Social/Environmental Responsibility, Creativity, Color and Imagination because these things are what legacies are made of. Of joy, purpose, and beauty, all of which can be taught with a few words or even a toy purchased or received because sometimes, even tangible items may possess the most valuable intangible gifts.