We are SEW excited to LALABRATE the return of Lalaloopsy Dolls!!
Do you remember Lalaloopsy Dolls? My daughter absolutely loved them growing up, and had quite the collection. They haven't been around for a while, but guess what? They're back and we couldn't be more excited!! I'm thrilled to be giving you a sneak peek of the new Lalaloopsy dolls before they hit the stores, and to share the Lalaloopsy magic with moms who may not have heard about them yet!
The story of Lalaloopsy dolls is that they were once rag dolls who magically came to life when their last stitch was sewn. Cute and wholesome, Lalaloopsy offers a whimsical world of characters with unique personalities drawn from the fabric used to sew them, which inspires kids to develop their own creativity and imagination.
Surprise your friends with this Halloween Boo Gift Box with a Free Printable Tag!
Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I love spooky things, but I especially love all of the creative decor and Halloween toys out there! This Halloween, we are making Halloween "BOO" Boxes to share with friends, co-workers, and neighbors. I'm also sharing my "Boo to You!" printable tag so you can make some of these Boo Boxes yourself.
Surprise a My Little Pony fan with a My Little Pony-themed Easter Basket!
My daughter has always loved My Little Pony. She had so much fun with the My Little Pony: The Movie basket I put together for her last year, so I decided to do it again this year. There are so many fun My Little Pony products available for both new and long-time fans, which makes putting these baskets together so much fun!
This Animal Easter Basket is the perfect gift idea for kids who love animals!
Do you have a child who just LOVES animals? My daughter does, and even wants to become a veterinarian when she's older. This Easter Basket is filled with all kinds of animal figures and playsets that are great for both imaginative play and education. In fact, I'm going to be sharing some fun facts throughout this post that might teach you a thing or two about our furry friends!
Fill an Easter Basket with lots of fun surprise toys and mystery blind bags!
Right now my daughter is all about those mystery blind bags and surprise toys. You know the ones. She's constantly watching "unboxing" videos and even creating her own on our YouTube channel. If you have a child like mine who's heart has been stolen by these tiny collectibles and mystery toys, this Surprise Blind Bag Easter Basket is packed with some of the best blind bag surprises we could find!
Create a LEGO Easter Basket that any LEGO fan will love!
If you're looking for a unique gift idea, this LEGO Easter basket is filled with items that LEGO fanatics of any age are going to love! Because there are so many awesome LEGO products out there, you can go as minimal or as grand as you want to suit your needs and budget. I put a different LEGO basket together last year for my daughter and she absolutely loved it!
Count down to Christmas with the LEGO® Friends Advent Calendar and download Free Printable LEGO Gift Tags!
My daughter is a LEGO Friends fanatic, and loved opening up the 2017 LEGO Friends Advent Calendar last year. We can't wait to count down to Christmas again this year with the LEGO® Friends 2018 Advent Calendar, with 24 buildable surprises inspired by the 5 LEGO Friends!
Since this is also the season of giving, I've also designed some Free Printable LEGO Gift Tags for you to add to all of your holiday gifts this year! Happy holidays!!
Thanks to Zuru for making this post possible. As always, all opinions are my own.
What will you unbox? 5 Surprise combines the magic of unboxing with the thrill of collecting toys!
"Unboxing" surprise toys is all the rage right now. There's just something about opening up a mystery toy that has my daughter obsessed with them all. She even loves watching videos of other people opening toys! We just discovered ZURU’s 5 Surprise, one of the newest toys that combines the magic of unboxing with the thrill of collecting toys!
We found ZURU 5 Surprise capsules at Walmart for only $4.99 each. This is a great price to stock up and keep on hand for summer boredom, to give as birthday gifts, or even a fun party favor idea! My daughter loves these things, and the surprises from just one capsule kept her entertained all afternoon. I call that a win.
My daughter had the best time unboxing ZURU 5 Surprise capsules to share on our YouTube channel! It was a lot of fun watching her surprise every time she opened a package. If you enjoy the video, she would be thrilled if you left her a comment!
These capsules come in either blue or pink with 5 surprises in each. Since there are 150 different surprises per color, the chance of duplicates is pretty low. Combined, this series of ZURU 5 Surprise gives you the opportunity to collect 300 different toys! From dinosaurs to silly putty to mermaids, there is literally something for everyone!
Each 5 Surprise capsule "blooms" to reveal 5 sealed segments that are hiding an awesome and different toy, with the best part being the SURPRISE! The kids do not know what they are getting until they unwrap the segments, which means every capsule is a new experience.
The pink 5 Surprise capsules have over 150 toys to collect, including rings, glitter pens, hair clips, key rings, stamps, beads, cute pet figures, dress-up princesses, and more! The surprises are so fun for kids of all ages.
Peel the packaging away one section at a time to reveal the surprises. Each toy is individually wrapped, so younger kids will need some help getting them open.
Every capsule comes with a collector’s guide, so your kids can keep track of the surprises they have received. There are many possible variations of toys available, so it's a lot of fun to see what you're going to get!
The blue 5 Surprise capsules also have over 150 toys to collect, including action figure ninjas, glow-in-the-dark zombies, super sticky squishies, prank toys, stickers, and more!
I love how each of the sections are individually packaged, so that the surprises don’t all have to be opened at once. They can easily be split up to be incorporated into a reward system, to make a road trip more exciting, or just as a fun surprise!
With so many toy variations, you can build up quite a unique collection of toys! My daughter has had a ton of fun with the ninjas, bouncy balls, and squishies!
Celebrate National Best Friends Day with a DIY Friendship Bracelet tutorial inspired by LEGO Friends!
Today is National Best Friends Day, and what better way to celebrate than with the LEGO Friends group?! These girls are great examples of being a good friend and supporting each other. We've got some fun, new sets that you can get in the LEGO Friends line, as well as an awesome DIY Friendship Bracelet tutorial so that you can tell your own BFFs just how much you appreciate them!
This post is sponsored by Baby First. As always, all opinions are my own.
Easily make diapers for your baby dolls with this Free No-Sew Baby Doll Diaper Pattern!
My daughter was surprised with a Baby's First Air Baby doll, and it was very nostalgic for me to watch her open it up. The smell of the new plastic, the sweet little baby clothes, and how realistic baby dolls looked and felt brought back all the memories of my own baby dolls. Check out her full review, and her "unboxing" video below:
The Air Baby is the size of a newborn, but has an adjustable air pillow tummy that makes it lighter than other baby dolls. If you're expecting a human baby into your family soon, this is the perfect doll to prepare your child for their new sibling. We aren't expecting any babies (yet), so my daughter has just been caring for her baby doll like it's a real baby.
After a few hours of playing "mom", she told me that she needed some diapers for her baby. Since our other baby dolls are a lot smaller, we didn't have any doll diapers that fit. So, I decided to put together a No-Sew Baby Doll Diaper pattern that kids can make on their own for larger baby dolls like this one!
Download and print out the No-Sew Baby Doll Diaper Pattern. Cut it out, and tape the pieces together as directed. Use some fabric that won't fray (I prefer felt, fleece, or flannel), and fold it in half. Line the pattern up on the fold.
*Artsy-Fartsy Mama printables are for PERSONAL USE ONLY (home, school, libraries, etc).
*You may NOT modify, sell, redistribute, or claim the design as your own.
*Please do not remove the credits/watermarks.
*If you'd like to share this project, you may use ONE photo and credit must be given to Artsy-Fartsy Mama and linked back to this post.
Use a washable fabric pen to trace the pattern. If you'd like to make a diaper that you can sew, just add 1/4" all the way around for a seam allowance.
Grab some fabric scissors and carefully cut through both layers of fabric. Just don't cut through the fold!
Open up the diaper and lay it down with the longer edge at the top. Lay the baby down over it, and bring the bottom end up. If the tabs seem too long, you can trim them down.
We had some adhesive-backed Velcro circles on hand, and placed the soft sides on the front of the diaper, and the hooked sides on the outer tabs. If you don't have adhesive-backed, you can use some regular and stick it on the diaper with some fabric glue.
To close the diaper, bring the back tabs around to the front and press the Velcro pieces together. You can add more dots of Velcro along the front to make it adjustable, or use a strip of Velcro across the front instead.
These diapers are so quick to make, and there are so many fun fabrics out there! Kids will love being able to make them all on their own, and I think it will definitely help them to feel more independent and self confident.
My daughter is in love with this sweet baby (that she has finally named "Alex"). It was a lot of fun teaching her to make these diapers all on her own, and seeing her take care of her baby. For more baby dolls and information, be sure to visit the Baby's First website and on Facebook!
Did you have a favorite baby doll when you were growing up?
This post is sponsored by BSM Media and contains affiliate links. As always, all opinions are my own.
Circuit Cubes are a fun way to encourage STEM with kids at home!
As a homeschooler, we are always looking for more fun ways to incorporate STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math education) activities into our curriculum. My daughter loves putting things together and figuring out how things work. You can also find her right in the middle of all of our home renovations, asking questions and how she can help.
Tenka Labs designs STEM toys like Circuit Cubes for ages 8 and up with the help of STEM teachers. Circuit Cubes are electronic building blocks that are compatible with all major building block brands to encourage creative STEM play. This Whacky Wheels set comes with everything you need to build 5 cars!
The star of all of the Circuit Cubes sets are the cubes themselves. You've got the blue battery cube that is rechargeable, the motor cube, and an LED cube to light up your creations. The motor and LED cubes are semi-transparent for kids to see the technology behind the fun. By combining and mixing up the cubes, you can create all kinds of things that will move and light up to keep your kids entertained AND learning!
The set comes with everything you need, including easy-to-follow instructions, building blocks, wheels, wires, and cutout designs to transform your car into a Mars Rover, a Parade Float, a Deep Sea Explorer or a Monster Truck.
One of the first things we did was play with the cubes themselves to see just what they would do. The battery cube comes with a USB cord so you can charge it up. While it was plugged in, we figured out that a wheel fits perfectly onto one end of the motor cube.
We placed the LED cube on top of the motor cube and quickly twisted the wheel. That created a short burst of power strong enough to light up the bulb! My daughter thought it was SO cool that she could do that without the power of a battery and it lead to a good discussion about WHY it worked.
The easy-to-follow, illustrated instructions make it simple enough for kids to build the car with very minimal adult supervision. The car is built with LEGO-esque parts, which is great because my daughter LOVES building with bricks!
The next step is to connect the motor cube and gear to the frame, and attaching the wheels to the axles. By taking it one step at a time, it helped my daughter to better understand how the car is going to work in the end.
Make sure that the battery cube is charged, then connect it to the top of the motor cube. Turn the switch to "on" and test out the car! You can even add other LEGOs to the frame to create your own car design.
My daughter wanted to transform her car into a Deep Sea Explorer. Each design has easy-to-follow instructions printed on the page so kids can assemble it on their own. Smaller kids will definitely need help cutting out the designs and folding it into shape.
After assembling the Deep Sea Explorer shell, place it on top of the car. It fits perfectly and is so fun to watch it drive around with this new look! I'm sure we'll be assembling the rest of the designs here pretty soon.
Another fun feature of the Whacky Wheels set is that it includes wires so that you can change up car designs and learn more how circuits work. We kept the motor cube in place, but moved the battery over to see how we could get the car to run with the cubes farther apart.
Next, we added the LED cube to the top of the battery cube in hopes that we could get the three to work together. It took a few tries, but we finally got it to work. This was actually helpful, because it opened the opportunity for troubleshooting and figuring out a solution.
Circuit Cubes are available in three different sets, including Whacky Wheels, Bright Lights, and Smart Art. All provide an opportunity for curiosity, critical thinking, problem-solving, and innovation through engaging and imaginative STEM play. Circuit Cubes are available nationwide by most retailers in stores and online.
Thanks to LEGO for sponsoring this party! As always, all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.
Throw an awesome LEGO Minifigure Party with these simple tips and free printables!
Earlier this year, LEGO celebrated the 60th anniversary of their bricks with a handful of play sets, which we shared to go along with a LEGO Challenge Game. 2018 also marks 40th anniversary of the LEGO Minifigure! To celebrate the occasion, 16 new LEGO Minifigures were released in mystery bags on April 1. We decided to celebrate the occasion here at home by throwing a LEGO Minifigure Party with friends!
While "Pinterest-perfect" parties are the goal most of us strive to achieve, our budgets don't always agree with our party plans. I know I'm not the only one in this predicament, so I wanted to share some simple tips, FREE printables, and more about how we were able to throw an awesome party on a budget should you feel inspired to have your own LEGO Minifigure Party!
Officially called the Party Series, these new minifigures are dressed up in wild costumes! Each LEGO series set usually includes 16 minifigures, but this series is extra special because it includes the police officer minifigure that was the first ever created in 1978! You can find the LEGO Minifigures packaged in mystery bags available online or in stores for $3.99 each.
Want to see what we got in our 12 Party Series mystery bags? Watch the video my daughter made opening them all up to find out!
I started with my personal favorite, party favors, to begin my party prep. I created some free printable party favor bag toppers to attach to the top of the favor bags. Print out the toppers on regular copy paper, cut them out with a paper trimmer, and fold the toppers in half.
In each treat bag I added in one LEGO Minifigure mystery bag, and some adorable brick candy that your guests can build AND eat! After the bag has been filled, close the top of the bag and place the topper over the bag. Staple or tape the topper in place.
For a little more LEGO fun, I found these awesome mini popcorn boxes! The favor bags fit perfectly inside, and the box can hold any other goodies that your guests want to take home with them. I especially love how the favors looked on the party table and helped tie in the LEGO theme!
To place the toppers on the cupcakes with ease, I cut a paper straw into 1/4 and attached the pieces to the back of the cupcake toppers with tape. Stick the straw into the cupcakes, and just like that you've got LEGO-themed cupcakes!
For additional table decoration, we rounded up some of our favorite LEGO minifigures. Here in front of the decadent chocolate and vanilla cupcakes, we've got a Roman Gladiator, a Retro Spaceman, a Highwayman, and (my personal favorite) a Dance Instructor from Series 17!
My daughter got out her LEGO bricks and built this awesome napkin and utensil holder to put on our party table. It's VERY easy to build, and kids will be so proud to have one of their creations on display for all the guests to see!
My daughter built this little "cup" to hold markers so that the guests could find them easily. It's built the same way as the utensil holder, but smaller and taller! You could also keep this after the party to hold all of your pens and pencils on a desk!
Entertainment for party guests is one of the most important parts of the party. Not to worry, though. I've got you covered! This Free Printable Make a LEGO Minifigure activity is a ton of fun for kids of all ages. Print the page out and your guests can go wild customizing their own custom LEGO Minifigure!
Don't forget to download and print out Free Printable LEGO Minifigure Bingo to play with friends! It's a fun way to add some LEGO minifigure fun to your party! The bingo printable comes with 10 cards in a set, or you can download a blank set to can create your own cards. Kids of all ages will have a great time playing this game!
This party was a ton of fun to put together, and the kids had a wonderful time. If you haven't already, be sure to check out the latest LEGO Minifigures!
Some things you should know before downloading the free printables:
*Artsy-Fartsy Mama printables are for PERSONAL USE ONLY (home, school, libraries, etc).
*You may NOT modify, sell, redistribute, or claim the design as your own.
*Please do not remove the credits/watermarks.
*If you'd like to share this project, you may use ONE photo and credit must be given to Artsy-Fartsy Mama and linked back to this post.
Here at Artsy-Fartsy Mama, you'll find a little bit of everything: crafts (even ones for the kids), FREE printables and SVG cut files, easy recipes, educational ideas, travel tips, sewing tutorials, and so much more to add creativity to your life!
Join Our Newsletter!
Let's be friends! Get the latest DIY ideas, recipes and freebies delivered straight to your inbox!
