"How to Tell Your Parents You Got a Bad Report Card"

All parents hope their kids excel in everything they do, but the truth is--that isn't always the case.  I recently wrote an article, targeted towards youth, on how to confront parents about low marks.  In the article I emphasize the importance of being honest.  I also state that parents will appreciate a mature and responsible approach from their children. 

Read the article here.

Additionally, I'd like to say to the parents, try and be patient with your children.  It's really easy to get angry with them over things like low grades, but if you yell or do not give them a chance to explain themselves, you cut off communication.  The consequences of burning the bridge of communication far exceeds the consequences of bad grades.  If your child does not feel safe or comfortable confiding in you they may start to feel isolated, without help or hope, and may turn to other individuals for guidance--people you may not want advising your kids. 

Try and have discussions with your children.  Allowing them to open up to you may help them gain the confidence and skills needed to avoid having to talk to you about poor report cards and lead to more conversations about their personal successes.

Best of luck!

Re-purpose Those Jars!

Here's another highlight of an article I did over on HubPages!

10 Creative Ways to Use a Jar

I love peanut butter and jelly.  That seems like a random fact, but stay with me for a moment.  I love peanut butter and jelly--so, I find myself with a lot of used jars!  If I was wasteful (like a certain hubby I know, ahem) I would just throw them away--but I can't do that.  Throwing away glass, honestly, breaks my heart--especially since some jelly jars are really pretty!

So, I could use them for the basic things...store my spaghetti sauce, stick pens in them, use them as cups, put little odds and ends in them.  Essentially, just use them to store things other than peanut butter or jelly.  

But that wasn't good enough for me!  So I explored OTHER ways I could use jars--and came across some really fun projects:

- snowglobes

- mini gardens

- lanterns

- candles

- and more!!  Check it out!

My next mission is to find projects specifically relating to baby food jars since I have a lot of those laying around! D:

Strange & Different Ways to Pot Plants

So I'm a writer over on HubPages.  It's against the rules for me to publish things in two different places there (although I still kinda do anyway--just a little bit, the rule is really to stop plagiarism--but if I wrote it why is it so wrong? D:).  Anyway, this is something I wrote an article on that I think would be really cool for parents looking for something fun and cool to do.

Unusual Planters

In this article I highlight a few cool and different ways you can pot plants at home.

Some highlights would be:

- Planting in jars

- Using eggshells

- Using bottle caps

- Repurposing crocs 

There are a few others too and most would be really fun projects to do with kids, I'd say around 4 and up.  All of these ideas are are pretty basic too, so there are plenty of ways you can be creative and customize your projects!

Happy planting!

Make Your Own Monster

This is a project I did while I was a camp counselor at the Boys & Girls Club.  I had to get pre-teen boys excited about art--not very easy, especially since they were so attached to their PSPs and Nintendo DS's (even though they weren't even allowed at camp grrr).  So I made this project.

I made a simple body template for a monster.  Then the boys needed to cut out shapes from construction paper to glue on to the body and make their monster.  Some were reluctant at first, but by the end of the class the boys were happy to have made 2, even 3 monsters of their own, some even ventured away from the body template I created and designed their own.  I was so proud of them!  My only regret is not getting pictures of all the cool monsters they made!

This would be a fun activity to do at a Halloween or birthday party or to make cards or decorations.  I think children of all ages could really enjoy this, maybe even a creative teen or two if they're want to do something fun with their younger siblings.

DIY Designer Toys

Mega Munny stands at 18in tall!

I am a huge fan of kidrobot.  In fact, my dream is to one day open a boutique where all I sell is kidrobot, tokidoki, Sanrio (Hello Kitty), and friendswithyou stuff alongside art supplies, art, and manga.  It would be the coolest store on the face of the Earth.  I would cosplay everyday and encourage my workers to do the same...just because we freaking can.

But that's beside the point.

One of the coolest things kidrobot has to offer is their Do It Yourself Toys.  Their Munnies and Dunnies are actually what introduced me to their brand in the first place.

 

The ever popular Dunny

So many artists have taken these blank canvas vinyl dolls and made beautiful and amazing artwork with them (that sells from anywhere between $40 to $400 or more).

The coolest part is that the models these artists use are completely accessible to you and me.

They come in various sizes and styles and varying prices.  You can decorate them using any medium you choose; markers, paint, pen...crayons.  Some artists even alter the model by adding to it with modeling or polymer clay.  

The possibilities with these figures are endless and when you're done you're left with a true work of art you can cherish always.

I think this is a great activity to do with kids because they can make their own, unique characters with their own personalities--instead of playing with Elmo or Dora like every other kid on the block (not that I have anything against Elmo or Dora, but you see what I'm saying)

I probably wouldn't recommend this project for younger kids or toddlers because the figures can be a bit pricey.  But, if you have a creative, artistic kid in need of an outlet--or a moody teen you're trying to reconnect with this might be a great project.  You can either work together (might be a good idea when working with the younger ones), or let your child go for it all on their own.  Or you could even make your own character to play with your kid's character.

There are a lot of cool characters you can choose from:

The 4in models (or Mini) cost $9.95
The 7in models cost $19.95
And the 18in models cost well over $200 (needless to say this option is probably not the best for a kid's project)

I think the 7in and mini models are well worth the price.  Just think of all the possibilities!  Instead of buying a bunch of mainstream toys, perhaps your child will want to start a collection of these guys.  And why not?  They foster creativity, individuality, art skills (which are extremely under appreciated in the US, in my opinion), and--just look at them!  They're awesome!

If you're interested, check out kidrobot's site to find out where you can buy them or to order online.

Man!  Now I'm itching to make my own!

Polymer Clay

One craft project that I have found to be successful, whether working with young children (SUPERVISED) or middle-aged adults is Sculpey clay, or polymer clay.

Polymer clay is a clay-like substance essentially made out of plastic.  It is very easy to use--and more importantly--very easy to clean!  You just take your polymer clay, mold it, perhaps paint it, bake it for just a few minutes and--voila!  You have a work of art!

I have seen all different types of projects done with polymer clay, from elaborate sculptures, to beautiful jewelry, to fun and quirky charms--some that even look like real desserts!  Yum!  

The point is it's great for any skill level and, mostly, any age.  And if your little one decides to take a little taste, don't get too worried--it's non-toxic (sadly I know this from experience of having to deal with this situation--very scary ordeal!)---although...try not to let that happen...(>_>)

I decided to share a post about polymer clay today because I'm kind of celebrating.  I'm a member at HubPages and today I earned "Hub of the Day" for a tutorial I did on how to make a cute and simple polymer mermaid charm.

If this is something that interests you, I'd suggest checking it out because it's really fun to do. I included step by step pictures to help you out, so if you are nervous--don't worry!  I intend to add more tutorials in the future, so look out for them!

I also wrote another Hub on some of my favorite polymer clay tutorials. 

 Anyway, more on polymer clay!

There are actual very many different types of polymer clay and several different brands.  One of the most popular brands I've seen in America is Sculpey and Sculpey itself comes in lots of different types.


For my mermaid charms I used Sculpey III.  This is the type I would recommend using if you intend to do this just for fun or with children.  It is soft, which makes it easier for children to manipulate (some polymer clays are SO hard you have to stick them in a blender to soften them up to use!).  Of course, being so soft is a bit of a drawback as well--it makes it a lot harder to do more elaborate, detailed work.  When dealing with kids though, this doesn't really matter all that much.

I would strongly suggest using Sculpey III if you are new to sculpting or polymer clay and then try some of the other types, like Sculpey or Fimo, once you get a feel for it.

One other thing I really like about Sculpey III was all the great colors it comes in.  For my mermaids I used Sculpey III Brights.  BUT blending polymer clay is a lot like blending paint--you just take a little of this and a little of that and mix it up.  This could be an interesting way to teach kids about colors---and a lot less messy than using paints!

Not only does it make a great art project, but kids can use it as a science experiment as well by investigating what makes it work.  I did this myself when I was first introduced to it and it's REALLY interesting!

So if you're looking for something new to do, try it out!  There are so many things you can make it's amazing!  Check out my Pinterest board on Polymer Clay for some inspiration on the types of projects you can do!