We all prefer to do things when its our idea, and not someone else telling us what to do.

An art invitation is just that, an invitation to create, left to be discovered and enjoyed whenever the recipient of the invitation deems it fit to do so!

For this particular invitation, I taped 4 x 6" index cards to a table using removable washi tape and paper letter stencils. I placed one paint stick by each letter. I gave no verbal instruction, I simply waited for my daughter to discover the invitation. Later that day, she accepted the invitation and colored each one with the coordinating paint stick. When the paint dried, we removed the washi tape and stencil together, to reveal her masterpiece that she proudly created "all by herself"!

A quick side note, if you have little ones, and you haven't yet used paint sticks, you need to put them in your Amazon cart right now! These solid tempera paint sticks are easy for little hands to grasp, they are about the size and structure of a glue stick. They are completely washable and they dry SUPER fast, within a minute or two.

Personally, I love that my kids can "paint" with these, without the mess that comes with actual liquid paint and brushes. Don't get me wrong, we use real paint often, but sometimes for a quick or independent project, you need something you can set out without any prep and clean up quickly, and paint sticks will do just that!

I had honestly never heard of solid tempera paint sticks when my oldest was itty bitty. It wasn't until kid #2 broke her leg and a family member sent these to us in a care package. In the past few years, we have gone through several sets, we use them ALL THE TIME!

This quick and easy example shown below is just one of many possible projects! Whether its straightforward and defined, or wildly open ended, allow your young artist to create something unexpected when they find your art invitation!

The finished product!

What fun surprise art invitation could you leave for your children, to inspire them to create? If you need suggestions, I always love sharing ideas! 

If I could have only one type of art supply for my children, it would definitely be these paint sticks! 

• We bought several trays of pre-sorted colors which I LOVE, but the best bang for your buck is a giant bucket of assorted beads.

• The official Perler green tweezers can pick up 2 beads at once and work better than using your fingers or any other kind of tweezers for quick bead placement.

• You are 100% going to want to use ONLY the Perler ironing paper. Do NOT, I repeat, for the love of your iron, do NOT use wax paper! There is a coating that will melt on your beads and iron and you will have sad people all around. 

• Beads are going to fall on the floor. Probably lots of beads. This little sweeper is a life saver, and its kind of fun to use, the kids might even help clean up willingly!

• Pegboards of various shapes and sizes make everything more fun. This pack has large basic shapes, but you can find everything from animals and people to flower and butterfly shapes. Younger kids may have fun simply filling a shape to create their masterpiece!

• Work in progress you want to keep safe? No problem with the Bead n' Carry! Again, this one is a lifesaver for kids who are working on a project but want to set it aside for a bit without it getting bumped and broken. The plastic lid safely stores everything! (Only downside, it only works with a large square pegboard.)

• Lastly, if you are little OCD like me and prefer to have all your beads sorted by color, grab a couple of these clear organizer trays! As you move to more advanced projects, sorted colors will definitely be a plus!

So, will you pick up some Perler beads and start crafting with your kids? I'd love to see your designs! 

Happy crafting!

Everyone's at home and there's a lot of art and crafting going on these days! Carving out a creative space in your home for you and/or your children is sometimes easier said than done. Sometimes necessity may also be a driving force.

We have a small kids activity table which has seen a lot of love over the years, but as my son grew into some more advanced projects that we wanted to keep out of reach from the curious hands of his little sister, I needed a new solution, and thus, this creative space came to be. We love this little corner of our sun room pictured below and its proved to be a very useful and creative space!

As you create your own inspiring space, ask yourself these questions ...

1. IS IT FUNCTIONAL? - As visually appealing as your space may be, don't forget it has to be a functional area of your home. Think about what the end purpose for that space will be, and make sure it meets that need. (My son's desk area functions as an art space, homework table, crafting area, and general place for projects that simply aren't safe for his younger sister.)

2. IS IT EVOLVING? - We all know kids grew faster than you can pick up the trail of toys behind them, so having a space that can grow with your children and your constantly changing lives is important. Set it up for how you will use the space now, but keep an open mind about updating your space in the future. (Our desk is actually an adjustable drafting table so I can continue to raise the height as needed. The spinning organizer can hold colored pencils now, or more advanced art supplies later on. Additionally, even though my son was only 5 when I initially created this space for him, the desk and the organizers aren't a child scale so he has been able to grow into the space and will continue to do so for many years to come!)

3. DOES IT MAKE YOU HAPPY? -  Decorate your space with colors and images that evoke joy and you will surely feel inspired and ready to create! (The framed pictures on the wall are from our annual family vacations to Walt Disney World which I add to each year ... so even our decor is evolving!)

Since this photo was originally taken, our space has continued to evolve as little sister soon needed her own creative space, too! Stay tuned for photos of her newly redesigned homeschool area and big brother's upgraded desk space. 

And if your curious about the globe pictured on the desk, see the details below. I will only recommend products that I personally own and love! Until next time, happy organizing and creating! 

The "smart globe" pictured on my son's desk, is an interactive learning toy that will keep your kids curious about the world around them! Fair warning though, the game where you have to identify as many countries as possible in a set time limit can be a little stressful for mom and dad who should be much better at the game than they are!

Why hello there! Its been awhile, hasn't it? I started this blog some time ago with the best intentions, but then life, as it does, takes you in a different direction. In recent months, I have rediscovered the simple pleasures of being at home, enjoying new hobbies and learning new skills. One such skill that I am absolutely ecstatic about is playing the piano! And truth be told, it is in fact my son who is learning to play, but I am happily along for the ride. 

Our musical adventure began several weeks ago when a random Facebook advertisement caught my eye. The company "Prodigies Music" turned out to be exactly what I didn't know I needed! Their music education program is geared towards kids anywhere from infancy through elementary age. For reference, my children are 5 and 8, and both are thoroughly enjoying the program.

Here's a snippet from their website to give you an idea of some of the offerings. 

I honestly can't say enough great things about this program! The videos are fun and engaging, the color coded system makes it very easy for beginners, and the kids genuinely love learning! Watching my son sit at the piano and fill our home with music just makes this mama's heart so happy!

If you want to check it out for yourself, you can test the waters with a FREE 30 day trial, using the link below. I personally signed up for a 1 year subscription and couldn't be happier! Since we aren't rushing around quite like we used to, there is more time to fill with a rewarding new skill such as this perfect addition to our virtual/homeschool day!

The majority of the videos you can access through your subscription are for general music education. All of these lessons can be completed with desk bells (we ordered these but don't have them just yet, so more to come in another post about bells!). But, you can also easily adapt the lessons to other instruments and they have a brand new program specifically just for the piano!

In addition to the videos, we are working through several songbooks as well as free downloads of color coded sheet music, all through Prodigies Music. The bells, the sheet music, its all the same color coded system, and they even make piano stickers! I could have certainly used these as a kid during my own piano lesson days, (many) years ago! I might finally learn the correct note names for the black keys now!

Creativity comes in many forms, from art to music, to simply using your imagination and dreaming. I can truthfully say, I love to be creative in every possible way. Thanks for reading along about our latest creative journey through music! Comment below if you are intrigued about Prodigies Music and might try it out for yourself?