tweencraft

Book Review- The Hourglass Door Series

2011-06-27T01:10:00.000-06:00

It's a little after 1AM, so I'm just going to post the official book trailer from YouTube. I know, I know. Lazy me. But these books are honestly so good. Trust me, once you start, you are NOT going to want to put them down. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to read them, because you will possible be confused. I was at parts, but you are supposed to be. It's part of the way she writes. I would go as far as to say that Dante is the Italian Mr. Darcy. ;)
I absolutely love these, and I hope you do to!

-Lauren

Embroidery Floss!!

2011-06-22T17:14:00.000-06:00

Hey guys!

With school out and long road trips or flights in your near future, you might need something to entertain yourself with :). Well, I'm here to tell you about the wonder of embroidery floss! It's super easy to pack and do while traveling. Bracelets, anklets, necklaces, hair wraps, you name it!! Embroidery floss is sold at any fabric store and I'm pretty sure your local Wal-Mart might have some too. Grab 6 or so of your favorite colored threads and also a hard back book and a chip clip or a clothes pin.

Bracelets, Anklets, and Necklaces
There are a couple ways that you can make these bracelets, anklets, and necklaces. These bracelets do stretch a lot, but make sure that it won't cut off circulation by putting one finger in between the bracelet and your wrist before you tie it off.

How to tie off: Knot the end of the braid and then get some help putting it on! Be sure to tie a double knot so that it won't fall off.

Braids:
Take three pieces of embroidery floss and measure them around your wrist. Make sure that you have two or three inches extra on the end so that you can tie it off. Tie a knot at one of the ends. Pull it super tight so it doesn't come undone! Clip the floss to your hard cover book using the clothes pin. Separate the different colors and start braiding! Once you think that it's at about the right length, measure it around your wrist. If it fits loosely enough to put one finger in between the bracelet and your wrist, you're good to go! Tie off.

Knots:
Take two pieces of embroidery floss and fold them in half (Make sure that these pieces are a couple inches longer than your wrist is while folded in half). Tie a knot at the point where the floss is folded so that there is about a half an inch loop. Clip it to your book. Separate the floss so that the two separate colors are together (i.e. both pieces of pink floss on the left side, and both pieces of blue on the right). Take one of the pieces of floss on your right and fold it over all the other floss so that it looks like a backwards 4. Pull the end of the 4 shaped string through the triangle part of the 4. Pull it tightly. Separate the floss by color again, keep it on the same sides as it originally was. Now reverse the process. Take one of the pieces of floss from your left and fold it to look like a 4. Pull the end of the floss through the triangle part of of the four. Pull tightly. Once you've done these, switch to the slightly longer pieces of thread, alternating between the pieces. Repeat this process until the bracelet is long enough for your wrist :) Tie off.

If you are really into making these bracelets, check out this book, it's awesome!
http://www.amazon.com/Friendship-Bracelets-Klutz-Laura-Torres/dp/1570540535

Hair Wraps
This usually works better on hair that is at least ear length, I sadly can't do this right now :(. Anyway, this is great for summer and way cute!

Take a small section of hair, only about a pinch worth. I usually take this section from behind my ear. Pull the rest of your hair back and braid this section. Use a small rubber elastic to tie off the end of the braid. Cut two pieces of embroidery floss that are at least twice as long as the braid is. Fold these in half and tie them into a tight knot at the top of your braid. Grab on piece of floss, let's just say it's purple, and begin to wrap it around your hair. Hold the other floss underneath the purple floss, directly against your braid. Make sure that you can't see any gaps through the floss and wrap it tightly. Do this until there is about and inch of purple floss at the top of your braid. Pull it down into group of floss and pull out on strand of floss from the other color, this one's green. Start where the purple floss left off and wrap it around the braid and the other floss. Again, do this until there is about an inch. Switch to the purple floss now and make sure that you are using the piece that is the longest of the two. Repeat this until you come to the end of your braid. To tie this off, take to strands of opposite colors and tie them in a double knot. Do the same with the other two pieces. Take another small plastic elastic and wrap it slightly above where the two knots that you just tied are. You're done! This will last for about three weeks. Wash your hair as normal.

To take it out pull the covering elastic out and carefully cut the embroidery floss knots at the end of your braid. Start unwrapping and pull it out :)

Have an awesome summer you guys!!
Emily

Where The Wild Things Are

2011-03-15T20:09:00.000-06:00

There is this great website named MADE http://www.dana-made-it.com/ that I have been enjoying becoming aquinted with. I is full of ideas for crafty/sewing girls like us. (Okay, maybe a lot of them are a lot better than me, but probably not some of you!
They feature other crafty people, like right here:
http://www.dana-made-it.com/search?updated-max=2011-03-14T08%3A00%3A00-05%3A00&max-results=4

Scroll down a bit till you see :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tetertotter/4353578547/in/faves-40972415@N00/
This is the artists flickr stream, beginning with these adorable TP Roll creations!

I thought since Suzanne and Em have a very cute collection of critters from this book in their house, that maybe my family might make this version; I think it might be more affordable. :)

A Pickle for a Nickle

2010-06-16T14:49:00.008-06:00

If you have a younger sibling, this is a cute book to read to them. My 2 year old likes to offer a pickle for a nickle- real and the plastic one in her toy food. If she forgets the nickle part we ask if she wants a pickle for a nickle, because it's just so fun to say. Don't you agree?

This picture I found on Amazon.com. We have an identical copy we got at a yard sale, but I didn't want to take the time to take a picture and upload it. Thank you Amazon!

Pickles- we sure like them around here. My girls- all 4 of them, and I, eat them with a paper towel wrapped around them to soak up the juices. It makes a great snack between lunch and dinner. My husband cuts them for his tuna fish sandwiches, with Miracle Whip mind you - my daughter and I prefer mayonnaise (olive oil variety these days). I find it funny that my mother and father had the same varied opinions for which to put on their sandwich.

Another thing I like about Pickles, are pickle jars- especially the huge ones! I have tried to wash them out to get the smell out in the past, because I think they would be cute for storing stuff in, but have been unsuccessful. So today I googled "how to get the smell out of a pickle jar" and found a few good ideas, but this one had a scientific hypothesis to it so I liked it best! Little things make more sense if there is a scientific reason behind it. I am constantly thinking up my own hypothesis to things with my son. He's does it a lot more than I do though. :)

I'm going to try this:

I'd add 1 tsp. of bleach and two drops liq. Dawn, then add boiling water and let sit 1 hour. Principal is that because pickles in vinegar, a mild acid, likely added to jars while hot, the glass expanded and soaked up the odor, one reason it may not be easy otherwise to just "wash" it out with this and that. If you heat (expand the glass), and add alkaline soap/bleach, it should not only neutralize the vinegar residue, but also remove the odor. Remove that the glass will be hot at first, cooler at the end of the hour, so be careful handling when hot.

I would suggest putting the bottle somewhere safe before you put in the hot water, then just leaving it be for an hour.

I don't know what I am going to put in it if it works, but I will think of something. If it is cute enough I will share a picture of it later. If you find something you can put in a pickle jar and take a picture, send it to Suzanne! She may already have something cute in a pickle jar, you never know; she knows a lot of fun stuff! If you have a good recipe let us know too!

The Nancy Drew Cookbook

2010-05-13T07:00:00.001-06:00

I don't know about you, but there are some books I love to read that have survived the test of time and Nancy Drew mysteries fit the bill, from The Haunted Bridge to The Mystery at Lilac Inn and many other books too. Look for "The Nancy Drew Cookbook - Clues to Good Cooking" the next time you're at the library. Read More about the cookbook and get a couple of recipes to try from Mr. Breakfast. (Recipes include: Crumbling Wall Coffee Cake, and Phantom Eggs)

Suz

Something Fantasy

2010-03-18T19:05:00.002-06:00

The final installment of one of our family's favorite books is about to be released on Tuesday, March 23. Fablehaven Keys to the Deamon Prison is the 5th book in a series by Brandon Mull. If you are in the Salt Lake area- which WE are not- maybe you can check out the launch party at Cottonwood High School. It's free to get in and there is usually a good show, from what I have seen online. Just go to the Fablehaven website for information. Or you can find Brandon Mull on Twitter, at least that is what his Facebook wall said... I am not a tweeter, so I don't really know much about how the tweets work.

This is a series I would highly recommend to all of you Tweens and older. If you haven't started reading the series yet, now would be a great time to start. Maybe by the time you finish them you might be next on the waiting list at the library! That is, if you are not planning on purchasing a copy. I'll tell you what, it's going to be a competitive game of Rock, Paper, Scissors at our house seeing who gets first dibs! There are 4 of us waiting the arrival!

Until then, would you like to see the video we made in hopes that ours will be selected to be played at the launch party? It stars my wonderful kids, and I am the person behind the camera, as usual. :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtQvDNNeFuc

Something Real.

2010-02-13T08:25:00.020-07:00

"Teach Every Child About Food"

Jamie's talk is only 22 minutes. Things to watch for:

The sugar wheel barrow, & pile of sugar related to chocolate milk
The "plus size" coffin both shocking and sad
Elementary school kids who can't identify a potato (He then helped teach these kids about veggies)

Have you heard that kids will teach grown ups about things that are good for them? I've heard this a bunch. Have any you seen "Wall-E"? Remember the people? (screenshot) I just watched Jamie Oliver's talk, he's a cheeky, caring English chef who believes we can make changes that will save lives - and increase how long you will live. Jamie's not judging anyone, he's educating us about just how serious things are.

"I wish for everyone to help create a strong, sustainable movement to educate every child about food, inspire families to cook again and empower people everywhere to fight obesity." - Jamie Oliver, Ted 2010

If you have a Family Game Night, Family Home Evening, Family meetings... whatever your family calls it, see if you can be in charge of it for a night and watch Jamie's talk (and maybe Wall-E for fun after!) brainstorm how you can make changes. We have choices - we can cook at home, we can eat fresh food.

Share the link to this movie with your friends and family: http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html

xoxo, Suz

USB Robot Owl - "Cuuuute!"

2010-02-08T18:07:00.002-07:00

USB Robot Owl at ThinkGeek.com

A Shirley Temple to drink while reading Percy Jackson and the Olympians!

2010-02-05T21:39:00.002-07:00

hi guys! lauren made me jealous by her AWESOME post (i love that series!), so i decided i had to share a super delicious drink to drink (sounds weird, doesn't it?) while reading the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series!

Shirley Temple

1 can of Sprite or Sierra Mist
a jar of maraschino cherries
a big glass

optional:
ice cubes
fancy little umbrella :)

alrighty, to begin, take the big glass (if you're going to add ice cubes, now is the time to do that) and pour the can of Sprite into it. then, open the cherry jar and pour about 1-2 tablespoons of the cherry juice into the Sprite. take a few cherries and drop them into your beverage and ta-da! you have made yourself a Shirley Temple! feel free to add a fancy umbrella to your glass! :)

Cheers!
Em

book review!

2010-02-05T18:37:00.007-07:00

Sorry guys, I have really been slacking with this whole book review thing. Oops :) But now, for the review, one I'm sure Em will be VERY happy about! So, for quite a while, Em has told me to read this series. I was going to, but then my little brother told me to read them. If you know me, then you know that if someone tells me to do something (especially my brother) it just makes me want to do whatever it is less. But then my friend Henry told me to read them, and I think very highly of his opinion (he loves the Fablehaven books too;) So I finally got the first one (borrowed from a friend), then bought the second one, and my brother got 3 and 4 from his GATE library and, thanks to Em, we have five. Now on to the review!!

*PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS*

These books are amazing! Between books 1 & 2, when I couldn't get the second one, I was dying! Luckily, I didn't have to go through that again. But anyways...these books are SOOO good!!! There are five, Lightning Thief, Sea of Monsters, Titan's Curse, Battle of the Labyrinth, and Last Olympian. I would *highly* recommend these books to ANYONE!!

Instead of doing a review for all five books, I'm just gonna do one for the whole series. But first, a little background info. Percy is a demigod, or a half-blood, which means he has a mortal parent and an Greek god parent. He happens to be the son of Poseidon, who wasn't supposed to have any more kids, because the kids of the "Big Three" (Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades) were super powerful. Now...

In all five books, Percy, Annabeth (daughter of Athena), and Grover (a satyr) go on quests to save Olympus. In the first one, they have to get Zeus's main lightning bolt back. In Sea of Monsters, they have to get the Golden Fleece to save their camp, and save Grover from a cyclopes. In Titan's Curse, they team up with Thalia (daughter of Zeus) and have to escape an old friend turned enemy. Kronos, the lord of the Titans, is coming back to power. Time is running out. Then in Battle of the Labyrinth, the Titan army is growing stronger, and it's again up to Percy, Annabeth, and Grover to save Camp Half-Blood. They travel through the labyrinth, and eventually, they end up back at camp and then have a battle with part of the Titan's army. And in the Last Olympian, Kronos is back in power and it's up to the demigods of Camp Half-Blood to protect Olympus. The gods are fighting Typhon, trying to keep him away from Olympus, and they are having a very difficult time. With some surprise twists, and the help of some "party ponies", the final book in this amazing series ends amazingly.

I was pretty upset when I finished Last Olympian because the series was over. Honestly, these books were the most amazing books I've ever read, after Harry Potter of course. ;) Fablehaven also is up there with these two series, but I'm not sure where quite yet. That depends on Keys to the Demon Prison. That'll definitely be a review I will do! Anyway...READ PERCY JACKSON. That's all I have to say.

Till next time, peace out!

*lauren*

p.s. who else is insanely excited for the movie???? Feb. 12 baby!! one week from today!!! AAAHHHHH!!! here's a trailer for the movie from

ASIMO

2010-01-31T07:24:00.005-07:00

Meet a real robot http://asimo.honda.com/

Sesame Street's Top 10 Environmental Videos

2010-01-26T05:53:00.005-07:00

Walk down memory lane with Sesame Street, with a "green" take on things. Cute short videos courtesy of Tree Hugger. Follow a soda can through it's recycling journey, watch "Fur Jam" sing about saving water for the fish, and the first lady plants a garden.

Check This Out!

2009-12-31T18:01:00.006-07:00

http://www.clouds365.com/
(read the "About" section)
And Happy New Year~ I hope you find/do something you love this year!

Pursue a talent, make a goal, find a new interest, be a better buddy!

Speaking of clouds...This is my sunset I chased on Christmas Day (I loved the glow of the cloud and maybe some jet stream). I added the words on Picnik http://www.picnik.com/app#/home/welcome - a very cool photo editing site Lauren discovered! (that would be Lauren who has a bunch of books she could tell you about!)

Stella's Day

2009-12-24T05:33:00.002-07:00

Stella's Day from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.

Very cute video. Hope you have time to watch it. Merry Christmas everybody!

Suz

Happy Chickens Lay Healthy Eggs

2009-12-13T08:47:00.009-07:00

What do happy chickens have to do with a 12-year-old boy who lives near Boston? Check out Orren's blog "Happy Chickens Lay Healthy Eggs." He talks about raising chickens, where our food comes from, and some other cool things, like a link to a surfing movie about appreciating where you're at. Here are some quotes from what he's writing on Twitter:

"Most kids my age would rather talk about and think about their gaming systems than what they are eating, oh well. Night."

"Just read that cows with named produce 6% more milk, (NYT Year in Ideas) 'Named cows are often treated nicely...happy cows make more milk'"

Here's the link to his blog: http://happychickenslayhealthyeggs.blogspot.com/

Here's the link to where you'll find him on Twitter: http://twitter.com/HappyChickens

Suz

(Photo Source: http://happychickenslayhealthyeggs.blogspot.com/, photo taken by Orren's friend Morgan.)

Disney Christmas Special

2009-12-08T16:35:00.001-07:00

Grab the popcorn my friends! Tonight there's a Disney Christmas special - ABC, 8:30/7:30C "Prep & Landing"http://tinyurl.com/yhyoscf

Starbucks Love Project

2009-12-05T10:37:00.009-07:00

Starbucks is known for coffee, but you can get hot cocoa, steamed milk (with different flavors like raspberry) and even fruit/creme frapps (like a milkshake). They have a project going on right now to raise money for AIDS relief in Africa called the "Starbucks Love Project." You can participate in 3 ways.

Free: draw a "Love" related picture (online using their art tool). They will donate $.05 cents for each drawing. (I drew, er painted, ummm moused, the picture above)
Singing on December 7
Purchase: Spend $15 at a Starbucks store, get a "Love" CD, and they will donate $1

Homemade Cards

2009-11-15T16:00:00.007-07:00

Here's a Christmas card challenge:

Choose a holiday subject you like. In the photo above I picked "Hot Chocolate" because I love the song, and the drink!
Sketch your subject in the center of the page.
Write on the picture if you want. I wrote "Hot Chocolate" in the mug handle.
Next surround the subject in "Christmas-sy" shapes you can scatter them in a shape like a heart around the subject - or just cover the sheet. If you want to give the impression of a shape draw a guide to help you know where to "scatter" the tiny images. For the picture above the shape is a heart. I lightly sketched an outline of a heart to know how far out to draw and erased the shape when I was done.
Sketch (draw lightly) in pencil first so you can fix any mistakes. Then outline in felt-tip pen. Erase the pencil and color.
Scan to e-mail, or copy to mail out.

Have fun and feel free to share any pics with us of your cards! I know it's still November, but Happy Holidays anyways!

Suz

The Daily Wag

2009-11-01T07:07:00.005-07:00

Like pets? How about dogs? Read "The Daily Wag" a blog about two Frenchies (Francesca & Sharkey) who live with Martha Stewart, for a playful look at the world through their eyes.

Suz

(Picture source: The Daily Wag blog - marthastewart.com)

Hurry!

2009-10-27T06:39:00.005-06:00

I found some beautiful pink and red and even white leaves the other day on the sidewalk from a neighbor's pretty red- leaved fall bushes. I think in the shadier spots the leaves go pink to even creamy white. I grabbed an empty cup from my van that previously held paper trash and used it to gather as many as I could, then brought them home and found a big book to press them in. I hope to be able to put them on some cardstock, maybe some craft paper, and make names with them, then find an inexpensive frame to put them in.

Recently I printed some names off of my computer for a small group of girls and had them glue some old fall hued lilac bush leaves I'd pressed last year, around their names, then we used contact paper to cover them. The paper was brown and their names in dark brown, almost black, and all of the leaves were deep purply browns and golden yellows. I think they turned out nice book marks.

So before the leaves all leave, try to find some to press and maybe you can make some Christmas presents with them for your besties or your favorite Aunt (like Suzanne). Maybe even your family's last name with leaves surrounding it in a frame would make a nice addition to your Thanksgiving decorations.

I will have to take some pictures when I get going on my craft and show you how they turn out. They need to dry first. They were pretty papery, but still soft, when they had fallen, so it might not take long. And with all of the beautiful leaves this year, I have a lot to play with. I have many from my maple trees in my front yard as well. Right now I am afraid to look out the window and see the state of my lawn because after raking all of them in a great big pile yesterday with my kids (then playing in them :) the wind was fierce last night! The good new is though, I have a great tip for the leaf clean up we discovered yesterday that my 10 yr. old daughter thought was great, as it is her job to rake and bag the leaves : Instead of using a rake, use a push broom and push it across your lawn for a quick pile. You might have to get the strays with a rake, but it saves your back a lot of ache not twisting, and it is so much faster. Our front yard was almost completey covered from our 3 big maples, but we had it piled up in no time.

If any of you make something with your leaves you'd like to share, or have another idea to make something with them, please share them with us!

Free Science Music

2009-10-24T09:45:00.003-06:00

Did you like the Glorious Dawn movie? If so, you can download the music (MP3) for free for two science related songs ("A Glorious Dawn" and "We Are All Connected") at Symphony of Science.

Halloween Cupcakes

2009-10-18T08:45:00.004-06:00

Here's a sweet project full of Halloween spirit!

Supplies

Cupcakes

Frosting

M&Ms

Good & Plentys

Jelly Beans

Chocolate kisses

Cornell Bird Contest: Deadline October 31

2009-10-11T05:28:00.007-06:00

Jeanne spotted a cool contest about birds: "Go outside and take a photo, do a painting, write a story or poem, or even shoot a video showing crows, pigeons, starlings, an owl or any kind of bird doing something strange to you." Get the rest of the details about this contest and the prizes from the flyer (PDF) or the website.

Apple Pie and the Universe

2009-10-11T04:09:00.015-06:00

I'm a fan of the sky and stars. When I was in high school I got to go to space camp "Sky Lab" and guess what? That same astronomy teacher "Mr. Barenka" went to Em's elementary school to teach about space!

The following movie shows an American astronomer, a professor, Carl Sagan, who made science easy to understand on a PBS show called "Cosmos." You'll also see a little bit of Stephen Hawking, a professor of physics in England. So, if you're wondering about what apple pie has to do with the universe, check out the movie.

Looking for a journal entry idea? List your favorite pie(s). Pretend you're a food critic and write what you like about your favorite pie. (Have you seen Ratatouille? There's a good example of a food critic in that movie!) Here are some other questions you might want to write about: Have you ever helped bake a pie? Does your family bake them at home or do you buy them at the store? If you buy, them, from where? Do you get the small Hostess pies in your lunch for school?

Ahoy!

2009-09-19T10:16:00.004-06:00

Avast me hearties! Happy "Talk Like a Pirate Day!" Have fun adding a bit o' pirate-y goodness to your day! Here are some ideas :

Watch Pirates of the Caribbean
Go to the library and check out the books on pirates
Sketch a picture of your favorite pirate or crew member

Arrrrrr!

Buttons for Your Blog or Website

2009-09-17T19:22:00.006-06:00

Found these buttons for your blog while poking around about H1N1 (otherwise known as Swine Flu) after Lauren's school called with a recorded message about keeping your kids home if they are sick. There are many sizes and styles so go take a peek and put them on your blog to remind your friends to wash their hands and to stay home from school.

http://www.cdc.gov/SocialMedia/Campaigns/H1N1/Buttons.html

Visit www.cdc.gov/h1n1 for more information.

Catching a Breath

2009-08-31T11:06:00.002-06:00

I don't know about you but school has started here and it has been a little crazy, so I thought I would just remind everyone to stop and catch your breath when things get a little hectic. Find some soothing music, or maybe even go without sound for a bit and give yourself a chance to refocus in the midst of all of your new homework and juggling of evening and morning schedules.

How about you write a comment and tell me how you like to unwind and recharge. I'll start first ... sometimes when we are back and forth in the van I like to turn on classical music and it really helps my brain stop buzzing. My kids don't like it for long, except my 5 year old ballerina, but I just tell them it will help with math! Other times there is nothing like a good nap if I get the opportunity... Sunday afternoons are great for that usually for some in my family, my husband likes the noise of a fan, which can be nice, but sometimes I find it frazzling and it makes my ears numb, so I have to shut them all down, as well as the computers and just have it as quiet as possible.... now your turn.

I feel like I am saying this a lot lately, but happy back to school everyone. Hope your year has started well!

Perseid Meteor Shower

2009-08-12T00:26:00.003-06:00

"The annual Perseid meteor shower is expected to put on a good show this week for those willing to get up in the wee hours of the morning and wait patiently for the shooting stars.

In North America, the best time to watch will be between midnight to 5 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 12, but late Tuesday night and also Wednesday night could prove fruitful, weather permitting."

Source: Yahoo News - Read more about the meteor shower

Kool-Aid Bag Giveaway

2009-07-27T17:54:00.009-06:00

Time for back-to-school shopping already! It must be. Just look at the grocery store. The slip-n-slides, goggles and floaty toys have been replaced with folders, paper and backpacks. So okay, it's back-to-school how do you score a Kool-Aid pencil bag? (We have 3 pencil bags to share! "Oh-yeah!")

Leave us a comment and tell us how you are going back to school "earth friendly" - just make a list - and tell us which is your very favorite! That's it. You can add your comments to this post until August 31st at 9pm MST. We'll post the winners on the blog, so check back to see if you got a bag and to find out how to contact us. (We'll put all comment-ors names into a hat and select randomly.)

Here are a few of the cooler things I've seen so far:

*Something to think about: Sigg water bottles cost more than the cheaper bottles, but they don't leech stuff from plastic into your water. Using a reusable bottle like a Sigg means you're not creating waste each time you drink a bottled water from the store, gas station, wherever.

Good luck!

How to Make Pancakes

2009-07-21T16:31:00.018-06:00

Pancakes are pretty easy to make and if you coordinate with the "cook" in your house, you can probably take over cooking a meal with these little beauties.
PANCAKE INGREDIENTS
(Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, pg. 72)
1 C Flour, 1 T Sugar, 2 t Baking Powder, 1/4 t Salt
1 Egg, 1 C Milk, 2 T Cooking Oil, 1/2 t Vanilla (optional)

Add the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder and salt) into a mixing bowl, give this a quick stir to combine. Next break the egg into a bowl (in case the egg is bad then you don't ruin the flour and everything) using a fork, gently mix (break the yolk) then add the egg to the mixing bowl (don't mix it in yet). Add the milk, oil and vanilla. With a wire whisk, mix until combined. There might still be a few lumps of flour here and there, this is okay!
HOW TO COOK THE PANCAKES:
IMPORTANT: DON'T GET DISTRACTED OR THEY'LL BURN!
Be careful around the stove, turn it off when you're done and make sure the grown up in the house knows you're cooking. Have hot pads nearby.

Put frying pan (no-stick or black skillet) on the stove on low medium heat 4-5 setting
Add a bit of butter to the pan, like the amount you use to butter your toast (repeat this each time you fry a pancake). Use the spatula to spread the butter around.
Take a 1/2 C measuring cup and spoon out some batter and pour it into the pan creating a circle the size of a saucer. When cooking more than one pancake try not to let them touch or they make the Godzilla size pancake that is not fun to flip, or has to be cut and is not a thing of golden fluffy beauty on the plate.
When they start blowing bubbles (see the image below) - well when the bubbles actually start popping you're ready to flip the pancake and you won't end up with batter everywhere. Slide the spatula under the pancake and flip it over.
Cook until golden. Give it 2-3 minutes before you flip it over to check the color. If your unsure if it's done cut it open to see if it's still doughy. You'll get the hang of how long it takes to cook them.
Turn off the stove and put the pan on hot pad to cool and serve the pancakes warm with butter and syrup.

Pancakes ready to be flipped.

Alice In Wonderland Gallery

2009-07-15T17:18:00.006-06:00

Welcome to the Alice in Wonderland gallery. We hope you enjoy your stay. More art will be posted as it is sent in from artists of all ages.

1. "You can learn a lot of things from the flowers..." by Suzanne Nikolaisen

Art Challenge: Alice in Wonderland

2009-07-06T06:20:00.013-06:00

Have you heard about Tim Burton's version of Alice in Wonderland?
Image courtesy Walt Disney Pictures and Wired.

Art Challenge
Fall down the rabbit hole and take a photo or sketch of you and merge it with another picture or two to come up with an Alice in Wonderland themed picture. (If you don't want to use your picture, just create something with the theme) If you're not using Photoshop, but maybe magazine clippings to create a montage or if you decide to sketch or paint, take a picture of your art. Send images to nikolaisen at yahoo dot com. All submissions must be PG or will be discarded. I'll post the images as I receive them. Can't wait to see what you come up with! (PS please send original art and list any image sources used - thanks!)

For Photoshoppers:
Just a tip about how to do this using Photoshop. Photoshop allows you to have layers, as discussed in the first lesson. Maybe you take a great picture of your favorite tea cup and open that, consider that your background. Next take a photo of you. Open the photo and copy and paste it onto the teacup photo. Next select the eraser (shaped like a pink pearl eraser on the side toolbar) and start erasing the background surrounding you on the photo. You'll start to see the teacup emerge from the layer underneath your photo. You can change the size of the eraser in the bar across the top of the screen under the "brush" dropdown. You can zoom in to get a clear idea of what you need to erase by going to the view dropdown at the top of the screen and clicking on zoom in (CMD + on the Mac, I think CTRL + on the PC) to get back to seeing the whole image select "fit on screen."

S.O.S.

2009-06-22T23:41:00.008-06:00

No this doesn't have anything to do with the Jonas Brother's but it does have to do with family. Recently there has been a lot of talk about ancestors at our house and my husband and I have begun to search for our missing ancestors (a.k.a. genealogy) , and through that found a family history challenge for all ages on wiki. family search.
https://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Main_Page from there click on the highlighted words "family history activities page" in the News and Updates section.

The Summer of Sleuthing Challenge has links to make family trees (standard or Tigger-iffic versions), as well as a coloring page and tips on interviewing relatives. That could get awfully creative! Maybe you could make a book, or a family newspaper, or a video, or a slideshow with pictures and music? I have even seen journals that have questions in them so one can write things down. Sometimes it is hard to think of things on the spot, for the interviewer and the interviewee. The important thing is to start asking questions like any good sleuth would do!
They also suggest keeping a journal of your finds and experiences, perhaps with your family.

Several years ago my dad interviewed his mother over the period of a few days. He thought of some questions to spark her memory and just let her talk while the video recorder ran and if they needed to they checked dates and added it the next day. That is really priceless to me now, especially since none of my children got to meet my paternal grandmother. She passed away when Lauren was a baby and we lived overseas.

Here comes a story (forgive my wordiness).... I didn't get a long well in my teenage years with my maternal grandmother.Later in my teens one day, just as an experiment - you know, the kind that adults tell you to try to bridge the generation gap - I asked her what she did when she was a teenager for fun. I think she was a bit surprised, and I didn't know if I really wanted to hear, but as she told me about her and her friends gathering up things from their homes and riding horses to the beach and roasting corn in a fire, I found myself very interested and realized my grandma was kind of cool. She had done a lot of things that I could see myself being interested in. I knew that I got some artistic talent from her, but didn't think, or refused to think, there was anything else until then - we were actually kind of alike! (Including the fact that we both thought we were right. My mom, wisely already knew this. :) Not that I ever went and roasted corn on the beach, but the way she described her outings with friends reminded me of myself and my group of friends. I was able to see her in a way I never had before and my heart softened towards her from then on, even if we never became chums. I just kept finding more and more things we had in common. Even after she passed, going through her things with family (a lot of rocks- no wonder we all love rocks- it must be genetic!) and then reading some of her journal and a paper she had written about cats for a class she took in her 60's. I realized there are a lot of things I admired about her life, from her fearlessness to her unashamed quirkiness. Quirky is okay- we are all quirky in our own ways, aren't we?

Perhaps you might have time during your family vacation to ask a few questions? It doesn't have to be a huge production, but learning a few things about our family members can really help us appreciate them. Not to mention, it gives us a glimpse at ourselves that we may not see. A-AND using the dates from your family tree can direct you to some historical fiction at the library that might give you a better idea of what life was like when your grandma was growing up. What if she was a little girl when Kit Kitteridge was? Everyone has a story...

What the Dickens?

2009-06-22T22:29:00.003-06:00

(Lauren, sorry - I'm not trying to take over your book/reading section either) I recently "read" a book on tape that was share-worthy it's titled "What the Dickens". It's the story of one of the tooth fairies. What? You didn't know there was more than one?! Shhh! Don't tell anybody! Humans aren't supposed to know. What the Dickens is the name of this particular fairy. He's very curious and has quite a story as he gets to know the world around him. His story is told to some children hunkering down during a horrible storm.

What are you reading this summer?

Suz

"Oh.My.Gods."- Good Greek Gods Book!!

2009-06-13T21:16:00.006-06:00

I have just read the most amazing book. I'm sorry Laur, I know this is usually your section, but i can't not share this amazing read! The book is called "Oh.My.Gods." and it is by Tera Lynn Childs. I know you guys must think I'm a total geek, but I love Greek mythology! I have been in a major phase lately. Anyway, this book is about a girl in high school who has to move to an island in Greece. I can't believe I just said has to, I mean what torture. But apparently, it is for Phoebe. She has to deal with all the snobby little godlings. She is one of them... or is she?
I really hope you'll read this book, it's amazing.
Emily :)
P.S. There is a sequal if you like this book.

Dear Fellow Bookworms...

2009-06-06T08:28:00.014-06:00

Summer reading season is here! When I was a kid, my big sister and I would read while on road trips through California, Idaho and Oregon. We would read while we did our daily or weekend chores. The library was a regular Saturday afternoon destination. Here are some summery reading ideas that you might like:

Summer Reading List
Have you heard about summer reading lists on the radio? If not they're simply lists of books that are "must-reads". The list just makes it easy to remember what you want to read. Try making you own list and keep it somewhere handy, like the fridge door, or the computer desktop (digital - that's what I do) or keep it in the tote bag you take to the library.

Book Club
We tried pulling together a book club earlier this spring, but it fizzled. So Emily and I have decided to carry on. Em's choosing the books. Here are our starter books if you want to read along: June Reads: Molly Moon, Twilight

Books on Tape (or CD)
Reasons books on tape are a must in the summer:

Listen to a book while weeding
Listen to a book while doing your chores
Trouble getting to sleep? Throw a book on tape in your CD player

You'll know it's a good book when you find yourself asking your mom "Where's the sunscreen? I have to weed the garden." Mmm, hmmm. Just make sure your CD or tape player has a good stash of rechargeable batteries!

The Library
Check in at the info counter for the summer reading programs. This year in Salt Lake there's a program for kids and parents. AND if you're like me, you might want to check out the book renewal option over the phone or the internet. Those smart thinkers at the libary (in Salt Lake) have set up a program to let kids under 18 read-down their fines, so check into it, if you have a problem returning your books on time, like me.

Cool Bookmarks
I love funky bookmarks and these are really cute: Family Fun bookmark craft. Have you seen the magnetic bookmarks at Barnes and Noble, also very cool! (Cat bookmark picture from barnesandnoble.com)

TweenCraft bloggers are going to be turning pages all summer long so, dear, friendly you, could you do me a favor? Ack... no I'm not asking you to log your reading time, or anything painful. Will you comment and share what you're reading and any fun you're having with books and the library this summer! We love to hear what you think!

Photoshop - Lesson 1

2009-05-29T18:27:00.009-06:00

Are you not totally excited that school is almost out? One thing I'm super grateful for, besides the sunshine - is that I can go barefoot outside without getting frostbite! Oh such grateful toes!

So are you ready for Photoshop Lesson 1: Layers? Your mouse in hand? Ok let's let 'er rip!

Have you ever made a montage or collage for school? Hunting through magazines for just the right images to get your message across or to tell a visual story with? Maybe it's a theme like "Oranges" where you might have used an ad for orange soda, navel oranges, orange perfume, summer beach towels that are orange, sunsets... ok you found a few images then it was time to arrange them on paper (or a poster). Each image that you cut out of the magazine would be a "layer" in Photoshop. The "background" layer - or the layer you start working on - is the paper level where you're going to glue the images to - layering everything on top. Shall we get started?

1. Open up Photoshop (I use Photoshop CS3 so if you use Elements these steps might be a little different)

2. Using the dropdown menu at the top of the screen click "File" then click "Open" and browse to a photo that you would like to use for this class. Before we continue working on a really big image, lets make it web friendly. We'll make an image for a blog. Go to the dropdown menu and mouse over "Image" then "Image Size" and set the "resolution" to 72 and change the width to 400 and click "ok". Next got to the dropdown menu and mouse over "view" and click "actual pixels".

3. Using the dropdown menu click "File" then "Save" and name the file as "psclass1.psd". Change the extension from jpg or gif to "psd" - this is the file type that supports layers in Photoshop. Saving first will make sure the original photo doesn't get written over as you are learning.

4. Lets add a layer. There's a toolbar on the left of the screen. Look for the icon or picture that looks like a capital "T" and click it. We're going to add some text. Click on the photo and drag to the right creating a box. Next type some text, it can say anything you want. Don't worry if the text is not where you want it to be. We can move it.

5. On the right side of the screen there are a couple of windows. One is the "Layers" window. If you take a closer look, you'll notice your original photo and a new line with the "T" icon. That is the layer for the text you just added. You just created a layered file. Double click where it says "Layer 1" and you can name it if you want, you can name the photo too. Something that will remind you what the layer is about.

6. Next lets choose a color. Click on the water dropper icon, on the left menu. Then click on a shade of color that you like on the photo. Just hover over the photo and click. Notice the color on the bottom of the left toolbar matches your selection?

7. Lets add a shape to your picture. On the left toolbar click on the square shape, then right click the tiny triangle on the right. Choose the ellipse (or circle) tool. We're adding a circle. Left click and drag - hmm, getting an oval? Press "ctrl+Z," that will take you back a step. Lets try again. Click and hold, then press the shift key and drag your mouse - you should be seeing a circle this time. Release the mouse button when the circle is the size you want. Check out the layer window, you should see a new layer for the circle. (you don't have to add this step, I skipped it on the image below)

8. If you would like to add a drop shadow to a layer, go up to the dropdown menu and choose "Layer, Layer Style, Drop Shadow." Play with the settings for a minute - paying attention to opacity, distance, spread and size (this is a fun menu to come back to) Click "Ok" when you're done.

9. Now click on the text layer, select the arrow from the left menu, and click and grab your text and drag it over your circle. We're putting the text on top of the circle. Now you can't see it? On the Mac Press CMD+] two or three times, to bring the text layer to the front. You can also do this by going the to dropdown menu and then selecting "layer" and "arrange" and bring to the front.

10. If you want to use your final image on the web I'd recommend saving it as a GIF because text seems to stand up better in gifs and pixelates/goes fuzzy as a jpg. To save choose "File" then "Save for Web and Devices" then select GIF or JPG in the preset section (right area of screen) name your file and click save.

If you have questions just comment and I'll try to help.

Suzanne

Book Review!

2009-05-24T21:42:00.006-06:00

Hi there!

So this is my first book review on tweencraft, but I'm not totally new to this...I used to do it frequently on my blog...not so much any more. Anyway................... I should probably introduce myself just in case anyone who reads this doesn't know me. My name is Lauren and I am the book reviewer for tweencraft, which I think is way cool!! I get to do this blog with my cousin (em) who also is really into reading, her mom and my aunt (suz), and mi madre (jeanne). Now I should probably get going on the book review...here we go!!

THE SISTERS GRIMM: THE EVERAFTER WAR

BOOK 7 IN THE NEW YORK TIMES BEST-SELLER SISTERS GRIMM SERIES

I can't get a picture right now, but I'll get one on here asap!

First of all, can I just say this is one of my favorite series' in EVER?! I love these books, and was super excited when I found out yesterday it was on sale! I got it yesterday, started about 7:45-ish and finished it this morning at about 12:30-ish. Yes, it is that good! I believe I reviewed book 6 on my blog...so if you read that you are kinda familiar with this series.

This book picks up within an hour of book 6. Goldilocks has finally shown up and ready to wake up Sabrina and Daphne's dad, so he can wake up their mom. (for those of you who don't know, their parents were missing a little under 2 years, and the last 2 months, they've been in an enchanted sleep.) Now Henry and Veronica Grimm have woken up to chaos in Ferryport Landing NY. Prince Charming and his band of rebels are plotting a war against Master and the Scarlet Hand. Sabrina is so excited to have her family back together, but after taking care of herself and Daphne for so long, she has forgotten how life with parents is.
Meanwhile, the Master has dark plans for the Grimm's. They rebel group led by Charming has had their ranks infiltrated by a traitor, and they finally find out who Master is. And who it is will change their lives forever! You will be shocked by the betrayals, trust me, I was!! You will never guess! At least, I was.
I would really recommend this book to anyone who likes fairy tales in the slightest. This is a really suspenseful series, as books 5, 6, and 7 all end with "To Be Continued..."
Read them, you won't regret it!!

Coming Up Next On tweencraft Book Review:

Peter and the Secret of Rundoon

...........

(most likely)

Earth Day Project - Recycle Your Gift Cards Into a Guitar Pick!

2009-04-11T00:06:00.007-06:00

http://zakkalife.blogspot.com/search/label/recycled%20crafts

Yet another link to share- this time I was looking for pictures of recycled plastic for a friend's blog who makes fleece blankets (recycled pop bottles) and happened upon a blog that has a clever idea to reuse a gift card by tracing a guitar pick shape onto it and then cutting it out at a 90 degree angle (still trying to figure that one out- might have to experiment) and filing the edges smooth. My 10 year old daughter is always missing at least one guitar pick and I thought this was a fantastic idea!

I decided I would just give you the link to the recycled crafts section of the blog since there were some other neat ideas like a magazine rack for a doll house made from a razor cartridge (I know you might be too old for that, but who doesn't love mini?) and plastic beads made from colored plastic, then melted (might need dad's help on that one, but still a cool idea). They used colored paper on theirs, but another site I saw with the same idea just used colored pens. Any of these would be perfect to make an Earth Day project on April 22nd.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Day

P.S. Make sure the gift cards are empty first!

Do you like to knit?

2009-03-31T19:01:00.008-06:00

I have a friend who opened a yarn business and sells patterns of her very Tween friendly styles for very reasonable prices. If you like to knit (boy would I love to learn... someday... especially after seeing the cute stuff she makes!) then maybe you might like to check out her blog Annie Amelia.

Here is the link : http://www.annieamelia.com/index.php

"I can't knit, but I can spin a good yarn" JM

Animal Scrapbooking

2009-03-14T12:58:00.003-06:00

I love animals! I'm really sappy when I watch animal movies like "Where the Red Fern Grows" and "Marley and Me". Anyway, I was not old enough to volunteer with the animals themselves. The Shelter said they had some scrapbooking that needed to be done. Since my mom is Miss Expert Scrapper, (but seriously, she is awesome at scrapbooking), we decided to do their scrapbooking. It took forever and we lost it while we moved and then found it again, but it was worth it!
Em :D

Scrapping for Pups

2009-03-11T12:32:00.009-06:00

Too young to volunteer at your local animal shelter, but want to help the animals? That's what happened to Emily. After making the movie "Be a Hero Adopt a Dog" for her school Reflections contest she wanted to find another way to help the animals, but she was told she had to be 14 to volunteer. The people at the shelter found another way she could help. They were pulling down the old photos off of their bulletin boards and the photos needed to be put onto scrapbook pages to share in the albums in the front lobby.

I volunteered with Em and the animal shelter provided us with the photos and supplies. We didn't get finished very quickly, the box got put aside, but when the snow started flying this winter, we dug into the project and got it done and back to the shelter! If you want to see if the animal shelter in your town would be willing to let you help scrapbook - talk to your parents (get permission) and ask them to help you contact the shelter, and to work out the details for you.

Suz

Eyebrow Dance

2009-02-28T09:08:00.004-07:00

Ok... it's not a project, but it's funny. Check out the
Eyebrow Dance ad/video from Cadbury chocolate.

Help NASA Name Node 3

2009-02-23T22:46:00.005-07:00

Help NASA name Node 3 for the International Space Station!

Get the details

(Voting will be open until March 20th, 2009.)

Sketch a Bird

2009-02-22T14:21:00.012-07:00

Jeannie's post about the Great Backyard Bird Count is very cool. Have you counted the birds in your yard? Tell us about them (use the comments) Keep an ear open for coo's and warbling too! After reading Jeannie's post I heard a dove cooing the other morning and caught the following friendly bird outside my office in Bluffdale, Utah.

And a nest nearby too...

Project Idea: Sketching a Bird

Supplies: pencil, piece of paper or your journal

How to: Sit down to observe the bird or use the picture above. Notice how the head shape is a circle and so is the tummy? The beak is triangle and the tail looks kind of like a rectangle. Can you see it? Start by sketching lightly the shapes you see and then as you start to see the bird on your paper outline the bird more clearly and detail things like the speckles. Permission granted to make mistakes, have extra pencil lines that won't erase... just go for it!

Make it fabulous: A sketch is great, but if you like to play with beads, sequins, threads etc, go ahead and play with your. Glue some sequins on the wings or make a nest out of thread glued to the page. Have fun! Share your final picture with your family by putting it up on the fridge.

Update: 3/11 - Here's my sketch, Suz
(If you want to share your bird sketch on the blog, please e-mail it to me)

Easter Scrapbook Page

2009-02-20T22:59:00.008-07:00

Stripes: The Long Eared Bunny
This bunny is adorable! Spotted on Barnes & Noble's online bookstore. I love the bright colors mixed with pastels. Such a friendly looking rabbit!

Project Idea: Make a scrapbook page about Easter using these colors.

Kid Tech v.1: Word Shortcuts

2009-02-20T18:16:00.004-07:00

Our 5 favorite instant messenger word shortcuts:

u2 = you too
jam = just a minute
cu = see you
l8r = later
lol = laugh out load
roflol = rolling on the floor, laughing out loud

What are your favorites? (use comments to share)

4 Sweet Ideas for Valentine's Day

2009-02-06T05:34:00.019-07:00

1. Decorate the door that everybody uses most in the house. Use paper hearts, crepe paper, try taping up a box of Necco hearts for each family member. (Be sure to use tape that is parent approved - that won't take the paint off the door)
2. Countdown: Give a small box of chocolates or candy like Rolos that your valentine can snack on. Decorate the wrapper with stickers or construction paper and tape, with a note like "For You: A Chocolate a Day Until Valentine's Day!" OR share a Valentine's joke (scroll down to pass the ads) each day until February 14th - jokes are great to text too!
3. Think of 5 things you love about your mom and dad to write on their valentine. Here are some ideas: funny, silly, read to you, going for walks, bear hugs, cooking (your fav food they make for you), favorite stories/movies you share, etc.
4. Journaling: Write 5 things in your journal that you like about yourself. For example: Your eye color, your creativity, talents, interests, kindness

Happy Valentine's Day!

Suz

PS - LOVE chocolate? Here's a link to an EXTREMELY RICH recipe for brownies that is pretty easy to make. Perfect for dessert of Valentine's Day. Most of the stuff is in your cupboard and fridge - with a big ol' shout out to Cocoa. We call them Alton Brownies because it's Alton Brown's recipe. Be sure you have some milk or vanilla ice cream around to serve with them.

Winter Get-Away

2009-01-22T12:45:00.003-07:00

Are you ready for summer vacation yet? I am! Why not take a look at the must-see places where you live? Pretend you're a tourist in your own town. Winter "Stay-cation" an article by Family Fun has some really good ideas for making a "stay-cation" really seem like a real get away from "do-not-disturb" signs for everybody's doors, to the room service breakfast menu - at your own house!

(Do you babysit? Why not plan a theme night for you and the kids? A very pretend trip to the pages of a favorite story. For example, watch Alice in Wonderland and have a "tea" party at the "mad hatters" kitchen table (maybe bake cookies to bring with you as a special treat). If the kids don't drink tea, serve milk instead. You could also play charades and guess the characters from the story.)

Have fun!

Suz

Look Up

2009-01-10T02:00:00.002-07:00

Don't forget to look at the moon on January 10th, 2009 (Saturday) to see the biggest full moon of the year. Want to read more about it? Visit the NASA site for details.

Good Stuff

2009-01-10T01:07:00.008-07:00

Have you heard of "gratitude journals"? Some people dedicate their journals to writing about the things, people, pets, etc. in life that they are grateful for. This makes a great idea for a journal entry every once in a while too! Looking for the things you are grateful for becomes kind of a game during the day when you're paying attention. When you catch a "gratitude moment" it can make your heart happy to recognize it.

- Suz

P.S. I'm grateful I looked up Valentine's Day jokes today...

Q: What do you call a very small Valentine?
A: A Valen-tiny!

Oh! I just love jokes! (Have you ever texted a joke to a friend? It's kind of fun!)

Get Out Your Magnifying Glass

2008-12-17T09:01:00.004-07:00

My daughter and I found this very beautiful and amazing book at Barnes and Noble last weekend; it was bargain priced under $7.00! It has photos of REAL snowflakes, and talks about the history of photographing and studying snowflakes. That is all I have read so far, but the pictures are amazing! Some are what you would think of when you see a snowflake- and the detail is astounding the way they form, let me tell ya, and others are much different than one would expect, but make sense if you have lived where it snows. I can't wait to finish it. I thought it would might be too technical, but have found it very nice to read.
I really hope if you are in Barnes and Noble you will check it out! Now if you will excuse me, I have to go get the snow off of my van so I can go to the store for some ice melt and warm socks! :)

Video Games to Stay in Touch?

2008-11-30T07:53:00.004-07:00

Do you miss family who lives out of town? Mario Kart for the Wii might just be the thing to keep your family close. I am absolutely horrible at it. Seriously, I fall off the track, slip on dropped banana peels, use my power boosts at all of the wrong times and come in dead last. So when we were invited to play Mario Kart by family hundreds of miles away on the East Coast I didn't exactly jump at the chance to lose some more. However, the rest of the family wanted to play. They were on the speaker phone and when I joined the game it was a blast! We all just laughed when goofy things happened and it didn't matter how awful I was. The game made the nations capital seem right next door. Who's getting the pizza? My daughter told me it's just about participating. She's right! :)

If you have ideas on other ways games can bring families close, please comment. There's got to be something to video chat (like iChat on the Mac), I mean you could at least play Battleship right?

Take care and stay warm,

Suz

Image source: www.mywii.com.au

Cake in a mug?

2008-11-18T21:42:00.004-07:00

Eric found a recipe to Make a Cake in a Mug and Emily baked one the other day for a snack. She said it was really good. Comment if you try it and share what you think. She thought you could try flavored cocoas. The cocoa she used had marshmallows. Get the recipe

Suz

Gobble, Gobble...

2008-11-15T10:33:00.006-07:00

With Thanksgiving just around the corner get in the spirit by sending a thank you note to someone who deserves it!

Think of 1-2 people who have really helped you out over the last year. It could be a teacher at school, a family member, brainstorm on this a little and decide who you want to send the note to.
Write down the top 2-3 things that express your gratitude to this person. For example: they made sure you got to soccer practice, they came to your games, they made sure you had something to drink.
Get a piece of scratch paper (or open notepad or Word) and write your note. Remember your note doesn't have to very long - it's the thought that counts.
Create a thank you card. Bend a 8 1/2 x 11 (regular paper size in the US) into thirds then open it up - this will make sure it'll fit into an envelope when you're done. Write your message on the page (Creative Tip: write your message in pencil first then write in pen over the top and erase the pencil when you're done - felt tip works best for this as it soaks into the paper and doesn't smear usually) There's no reason this has to be boring, try drawing a large spiral on the page and write your message on that line - the more creative (as long as it's readable) I think the more fun it will be for both you and the person you're sending it to.
Use stamps, stickers, your stapler and colored pencils to deorate, then fold it up, put it in a standard size envelope and send it "snail mail".

Please comment on how this goes, share links back to your blogs if you post your letters. If you just have something you're thankful for that you want to share that would be really great too!

Suz

PS - And yes, that's a turkey in the pic. We make it out of butter mixed with honey. A little goofy... just sharing a little holiday spirit. :)

Capturing Fall

2008-10-05T16:58:00.004-06:00

Fall is here and the leaves are changing, which means families are heading to their favorite locations to find fall leaves. Here is a great way to capture their spectacular colors forever!

With your parents' permission, use your flatbed scanner and place your leaves color side down in interesting patterns, or perhaps more natural ones, as if they were falling from the sky. Make sure if you have an option to preview the scan that things are the way you want them to be before you finish. The more you play with it, the more ideas you might come up with. Maybe animal shapes or flowers, an autumn butterfly perhaps?

Don't worry if you can't go into the mountains to find leaves, there are many beautiful shrubs and trees in your neighborhood or even your own yard or a neighbor's that have wonderful fall colors. Look around and see what catches your eye, just make sure you have your neighbor's permission before you cut across their yard, and always see what has fallen on the ground first before picking any off a tree or bush, especially after a big gust of wind. That way the color stays a little longer for everyone to enjoy!

Here are some Maple leaves from the mountains, as well as some leaves from a vine in my mother's yard. Both are equally lovely if you ask me. Notice the leaves with some green still in them have a few nibbles taken from them from some lucky bug - don't pass over imperfect leaves, they add interest and authenticity to your collection.
After you are done with the leaves, if you don't want to dry them in a book (these are still fresh) you can add them to your compost pile if you have one! As far as your scanner goes, maybe Suzanne has a suggestion to keep it protected from the leaves. I didn't think of that when I did these and there were some spots I had to clean. Again check with your parents for permission and how best to clean up afterwards. Suzanne may have a good suggestion for that as well as she is more computer savvy than I!

Hello there!

2008-09-21T11:29:00.002-06:00

Hi, this is Emily. I am a new editor on Tween Craft. I am a tween and know some cool ideas! I'm Suzanne's daughter. I thought for my first post I would do something interesting...sort of. It is getting chilly in the evenings now, so i thought that it would be cool (Get it, cool? Lame joke sorry.) to have some hot chocolate. So stick a peppermint candy stick into some really hot chocolate. Let it melt, and enjoy!!!
Em

Today is a Beautiful Day...

2008-09-20T10:08:00.008-06:00

This video is food for thought about how 1 person can make a difference. (Thanks for sharing Dad and Eric!) Please check out the video, then read the throw down (trust me)

Step 1: Click Here to Watch: The Story of a Sign

Step 2: Tweencraft Throwdown... Did you think I could resist? No way! This isn't crafting, cooking or journaling, but it's life. For 1 week, lets pay attention and try to make a difference at least once.

hold the door for someone else
invite someone sitting alone to sit with you at lunch
find a family member and give them a kiss
go out of your way to check in on a friend you've been out of touch with
if a friend or family member has been blue, ask what's wrong and really listen
smile at the grocery store clerk and ask how they are

You have an amazing power to do good. Acting with compassion may mean taking a deep breath and finding your courage - your friends may not think it's cool - and what if someone rejects you when you try? In either case try to remember the compassion that made you want to try, your heart is in the right place. A great take away from my favorite comic book heroes is "I use my powers for good" - Comment on how this goes, okay? The good, the bad and the ugly.
image source: http://en.dcdatabaseproject.com/Diana_of_Paradise_Island_(Earth-One)

Easy Peasy Cookies

2008-09-18T22:32:00.006-06:00

Here's a cookie "how-to" that would probably make your Home Ec teacher cringe, but if you've got busy parents, and a busy you - these might be just the thing when you need a quick fix for comfort food! Buy freezer dough sugar cookies that are cut in squares. Place on the cookie sheet (in staggered rows of 3's and 2's) and press M&Ms in. (Peanut or plain M&Ms will work fine, we used a small package of each) Then bake as directed on the cookie package. See what I mean? M&M cookies in minutes, warm from your own kitchen.

Back To School Crafts

2008-09-10T20:59:00.004-06:00

//familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts/season/specialfeature/backtoschool_craft_sf/

I was invited to be an author of Tweencraft and have been trying to think of something cool to share. I am a fan of Family Fun Magazine and came across Home Made School Supplies tonight. Click on the hyper link to see some fun ideas! I noticed that some of them have video instructions. You can copy theirs or make them your own.

LetTer wRitIng

2008-08-29T16:48:00.010-06:00

You've probably heard people say "all we get in the mail are bills" well on my birthday, that changed. My great uncle, it turns out, is a scrapbooker! I recieved a handwritten letter with a "scrapped" letter. I can just imagine him putting it together. It made me smile and I felt like "wow" I'm important enough to him that he spent some of his time hunting for just the right words for his greeting/letter.

heRre's An iDeA wE cAn ShAre
Make a cut-out word letter and mail it old-school style. Ask for old magazines from your family and look for words that you want to use in your letter. It'll be fun to make and it will give whoever gets the letter the warm fuzzies. (if you don't know what to write with your words, try a quote (try: blessings or friendship) You can add stickers, tie it closed with a ribbon. Note: Post a comment on how your letter writing goes - and how they are liked by the recipient.

P.S. If you have a hard time finding all the words you need, just handwrite the word you need!

International Photography Contest for Kids

2008-08-22T16:32:00.006-06:00

Do you like National Geographic Kids? They're holding a photography contest! Visit the Contest Page for the details like the rules and how to enter.

Here are some easy photo pointers to remember:

Watch for things in the background. You don't want a telephone pole sticking out of somebody's head in their picture. Or a flower arrangement growing out of their ear. Look before you snap the photo and adjust where you are standing as needed for a clear picture.
My Dad taught me to frame my pictures. If you're looking through a grove of trees use two tree trunks on either side of the picture to frame it in, maybe a branch on the top - what are you framing? Maybe a house, a mountain, your friend an interesting window. Be creative. Look for lines in the landscape, buildings, your surroundings to use as frames.
Look for lines and patterns that draw you back toward the point of interest in the picture. Like the line between the grass and dirt of a flower bed bringing you toward a flower. The curve of a sidewalk, road or stairway curving into a photo rather than away from it. Someone's head tilted so they're leaning in toward the center of the photo.
The rule of 3rds. Some cameras have a "tic tac toe" grid on them. Why? This is to help you organize your photo as you're taking it. Try and line things up on the grid. Try to capture a point of interest where the lines intersect. For example: Someone's eyes, the center of a flower, the land below a rainbow and where it begins to curve up could follow an intersection. I will try to post some examples.
Horizon's... play with dividing up land, sky and whatever's in between look for a pattern in what you're working with.
Digital cameras let you try more than one time to get the best photo. If you have something you really want a good photo of try 4-5 photos of the same thing then pick the best and toss the rest.

Good Luck (let me know how you do!)

Suzanne

Back to School!

2008-08-20T21:54:00.005-06:00

As you sharpen your pencils for the new school year, don't forget to make a note or two about what back-to-school is like for you. Fill a couple of lines in your journal with the details...

Did your new shoes give you blisters?
Did you have classes with any of your friends?
Was school lunch actually kind of good?
What is your favorite subject?

Even if you just think of your "happy's" and "sads" for the day that's enough to write about.

Suz

Chalk Art Miller Style

2008-08-14T09:29:00.018-06:00

Here's some very cool chalk art from the Miller's in Idaho! Very creative! Very cute! Looks like you had a good time! Thanks for sending in the photos! - Suz
(edit 8/20: the first 3 images were created by Lauren then there's Libby's submarine and Ivy's snail in the grass with flowers.)

Journaling: Summer Vacation

2008-08-14T08:28:00.009-06:00

It's been a while since I've issued a journaling "throw down" but I thought it would be fun to kind of kick things up a bit. Here it is:

Jot down an entry in your journal about your summer trip(s) and outings. Even if you just answer the following questions you'll have captured the cool.

Where did you go? (art museum, state park, camping, etc.)
Describe what your trip was like (show it through your words - paint the details)
Who went with you?
When did you go?
What was the best part?
What was the worst part?

If you have a photo or ticket stubs throw them in your journal too (there are no rules against it, just tape them in and you're set)

Feel free to share one of your outings as a comment!

Here's something I did this summer...

Farmers Market, Salt Lake City, Utah
The Farmers Market feels like a carnival. Cross the city street, enter Pioneer Park and you are immersed in people, tented mini-stores of all sorts, fresh vegetables, music and dogs of all kinds on leashes. Everybody seems to have taken a collective breath of relief leaving everyday life in a different place. Music floats in the air wherever you are, from blues on the guitar to a kid playing the flute. There are $6 mini-back massages, breakfast vendors (our favorite is the strawberry lemonade and crepe vendor) and tons of things to see like hand crafted jewelry, soaps, pottery, garden art, pressed flowers, fresh vegetables, etc.
Emily
Saturday, August 9th, 2008 (Eric dropped us off and went to work)
The best part of the morning spent at the Farmer's Market? Taking our time and not rushing anywhere, just getting to explore and see everything at our own pace, feeling the sunshine, smelling the good things cooking, and seeing the hand crafted art and the dogs hanging out all over the place.
We learned the hard way that we'd leave the scooters in the car the next time we go.

I bet you have more than one summer outing to capture! Whether it's an afternoon running through the sprinklers, a dip at the local pool or a vacation. I think it's important to remember what was good about it, for you!

Suz

Falling Stars

2008-08-12T08:06:00.002-06:00

If you like star gazing don't miss the Perseid meteor shower. Em and I went out around 12:30 ish and watched the sky for about 30-45 minutes. Even though there was a lot of "light pollution" from the city we still caught about 10 shooting stars from our back porch.

- Suz

Mona Lisa and Mickey

2008-07-05T18:09:00.005-06:00

Drawings outside our house, on the 4th of July by Em and her friend Kiani.

It's a Bit Chalky

2008-06-17T16:13:00.022-06:00

Feeling Creative? Share it with the sidewalk! We saw a very cool Chalk Festival in downtown Salt Lake City, sponsored by the Utah Foster Care Foundation. We were down there around 7a.m. and the artists were already out working to avoid the heat. Try having your own mini-chalk fest:

Get permission before you take over the sidewalk with your masterpieces!
Pick a day and time to invite your friends (check the weather, and ask everybody to bring their own chalk, water and sunscreen)
Ask your parents if they'll provide popsicles, frozen treats, or a meal.
Gather as much chalk as you can so you can have different shades to choose from. (if everybody shares you'll all have more colors to choose from.)
Save your knees! Use an old towel folded up under your legs so you don't get sore knees.
Select one of your favorite pictures you'd like to re-create. Maybe from a birthday card, or a favorite movie character, enjoy the freedom of picking whatever. *or just make up your own as you go!
Work from the top to the bottom so you don't smudge your picture.
Early morning or evening won't be so hot (i.e. when you can't fry an egg on the surface you're drawing on)
If you work on this during the day, try using an umbrella for shade. Be sure to use a strong sunscreen!
Keep water to drink nearby.
The chalk should wash off the sidewalk when the chalk-fest is over with the rain, or garden hose, but first take some pictures!

I hope Em and I'll try this too! Send me a couple of pics of your chalk fest and I'll post a blog about this at the end of August! Have fun and, stay well-hydrated!

Suz

Summer Reading 2008

2008-06-15T08:32:00.017-06:00

The library opens up before you like a magic carpet - it's just waiting for you, especially during the summer when you have a few extra minutes. It's pretty neat to walk for a while in someone else's shoes.

At our house, Emily just read (and is rereading) the Twilight vampire series. I'm working on Tarzan of the Apes, and re-reading The Two Towers.
What are you reading? (Comment to respond)

How do you get to school?

2007-09-13T17:25:00.000-06:00

Zip line to school? Talk about scary! The brake is a twig and a rubber tire.

Drawstring Pouch for Gadget Girls

2007-09-03T15:44:00.000-06:00

I have a couple of small techno gadgets and the other day I had major stress when I misplaced my iPod Shuffle. At the size of an oversize postage stamp, it’s not the easiest thing on the planet to find. After searching the house, it turned up in our hiking bag. Whew! My Nintendo DS is in a dog ugly sock bag and I never know where it is because it blends in. I can’t remember who’s DS is who’s since they’re all in gray or black bags. I go for weeks without my flash drive, because somebody’s borrowed it. So, how are we supposed to reign in these little gadgets?

I was looking at the socks at Little Miss Matched and went into their accessories - when I saw their drawstring pouches, I knew they’d be perfect. They’ll fit pretty much any bag from purse to back pack and even a dance or piano bag. These small sunshiny bags will make your little geeky gadgets fun and easy to locate. http://www.littlemissmatched.com/s.nl/it.A/id.1372/.f?sc=2&category=5269&sc=2&category=5269

Great Books!

2007-08-29T16:28:00.000-06:00

Hello people!!!
I just read the most awesome books. They are in the "Percy Jackson & The Olympians" series. They are written by Rick Riordan. The first in the series is called "The Lightning Thief" then the second is called "The Sea of Monsters" then last but definitely not least comes "The Titan's Curse". These books are so good, if you like Greek mythology, these books are for you!!!

Percy Jackson (who is just our age), has to fight his math teacher when she turns into a fury! And then Percy finds out that his best friend is not human!! Just a little clue as to the stories.

Em

Old School

2007-07-06T12:20:00.000-06:00

Looking for something to do? Soak in some of the good vibes this summer by sending out some thank you notes; good old fashioned ones. Many times mailboxes are full of either bills or ads punctuated occasionally by wedding and baby announcements. A thank you card would be a welcome addition. Who should you send one to? An easy place to start is with your family. Think back over the year about people who have helped you out. Maybe grandma was able to pick you up from school one day when you were sick, or your uncle took you out for ice cream cones, or you were able to spend a week with your cousins in another state. Old school thank you cards will show that you cared enough to take a little extra time to write, address an envelope and find a stamp-instead of just sending an e-mail.

Coconut fuel

2007-05-10T21:45:00.000-06:00

Have you heard that researchers can turn a coconut into fuel for a car? How cool is that! "The coconut tree is a beautiful tree. Doesn't it sound good if you really run your car on something which falls off a tree and that's the good thing about it. You run your car and it smells nice and it's environmentally friendly..." - Matthia Horn Read more at http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6634221.stm

Suz

M&M's

2007-05-05T16:33:00.000-06:00

Can you guess who's Em and who's me? Do you want to "Become an M&M" too? Visit BecomeAnMM.com to make your own spiffy M&M character.

Suz

Sprite cake

2007-04-23T19:30:00.000-06:00

Hi, this is Em. I just made a really yummy recipe called Sprite Cake. All you need is one sprite (can) and a yellow cake mix. Add the Sprite to a yellow cake mix in a mixing bowl. Stir until mixed, but don’t stir it to much because it flattens the cake, then bake as directed. Make sure to serve this cake cooled off (or else it crumbles). Then you have a yummy treat to share with your family.

Em

our little blue planet of really nice guys...

2007-04-23T19:17:00.000-06:00

I'll tell you a secret. I am a fan of Rolie Polie Olie. Okay, so I don’t TiVo it or anything, but today I heard the theme song and was reminded of how cute it is. If you’ve watched Playhouse Disney, you know the song… "Way up high in the rolie polie sky is a little round planet of really nice guys." Awwww… and yet sometimes friends can make you feel embarrassed about liking something that's not "cool" to them. In fact there was just a show on Arthur about this very thing. Maybe you saw it while eating your after school snack? Don’t ever forget to trust what's right for you in your heart and to "follow your bliss”. It sounds simple to “like what you like” until somebody else criticizes you for it. That can be hard. There’s some comfort in knowing that if we were all shaped by the same cookie cutter, things would be pretty dull around our creative little blue planet of really nice guys and gals.

Journaling Idea: Curl up with your favorite mug of cocoa and take a couple of minutes to write down your favorite "comfort TV shows" whether it's Arthur, Maya & Miguel, Shark Week, or have you seen Bob Ross the painter with his very curly hair on PBS? He’s fun to watch because he’s a talented painter and because of the things he says when he paints - and teaches others to paint. Introducing his “happy little trees" and thinking aloud about “Where does the stream live in your world?” I just have to smile. Your list is just for you safe and sound in the pages of your diary so it doesn’t have to match what your friends like.

. : Sunshine Needed : .

2007-04-17T17:42:00.000-06:00

We have so many nodding daffodils along the sidewalk in front of our home that I cannot count them all. Maybe I should choose a sunny day and give it a try. The flowers are actually grouped together in two perfect squares - which doesn't really matter, because all you see are the yellow blossoms. When a storm lingers, like they do in Utah during the spring, these puddles of sunshine warm my heart. Luckily today’s a sunny day so the daffodils can recharge their batteries.

When you write in your diary or journal why not let your imagination wander? Write the facts, but use words that make your heart happy. I love how words, that aren't often used together, combine like "...puddles of sunshine." (more ideas at tweencraft.com/thinking)

Suz

early...

2007-04-16T23:42:00.000-06:00

My family is sleeping and I'm in the office updating the site. There are so many cool things to put on the site and so little time. So I'm up in the wee hours of the morning, we'll see how this blog thing works out.