You might remember a couple months ago when I posted about my newest find at the New York Stationery show – Compendium Books. When I was visiting their booth in May I found this book, What Do You Do With an Idea? I loved everything about it and knew I needed a copy to give my son for his birthday.  I asked them if I could review it and they sent me a copy. The worst part was I had to wait until September when it was my son’s birthday so I could give it to him. I wanted it to be a special gift and not just ANOTHER BOOK.

This son is my story lover, my illustration lover, and my thinker. He is always thinking of new ideas; always combining things in new ways. Always asking, “What if this…?” and “What if that…?”. Sometimes the what ifs and ideas are serious and thoughtful, and sometimes they are silly. I knew a book about an idea was perfect for him.

You see I don’t want to give away any of the story. The illustrations are brilliant. I mean how do you illustrate an idea? The story is beautifully and simple written. It’s a story that will make you wonder.

My son opened his gift, the book, and laid it aside. A book isn’t the most exciting present. Of course he got other presents too. That night at bed I read it to him and his little brother. The two of them were quiet the entire time. That right there is saying something. At the end I could tell they were thinking about the story. They started asking questions and we talked about the book and they went to bed. The next day they went to school. That afternoon when my son got home he told me he had thought about the book during the day while he was at school. Hmmm, I thought. That’s a book that leaves an impression. That night at bed he asked if he could read What Do You Do With an Idea? to me. He asked to read to ME!!! Well, that is a big step. He doesn’t ever want to read aloud and he acts as if I am torturing him when I ask him to. This was a giant leap for all man-kind. Well at least in our-kind.

If you are looking for a great book to read to your kids or to give as a gift, this is perfect. Maybe you have an idea generating child or just a little one who likes to look at pictures. This book is for them also. You can find the book at Compendium’s website store by clicking: What Do You Do With an Idea? Tell them I sent you!

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Last night we took our boys to LEGO KidsFest at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, MI. It was so much fun, LEGO KidsFest is a hands-on, educational, all-ages LEGO extravaganza features millions of LEGO bricks, not to mention lots of construction zones, dozens of life-sized LEGO models and displays, LEGO Friends, LEGO Chima,, LEGO Star Wars, live LEGO Master Builders, and so much more covering three acres of space. My boys were over the moon excited to be there. (This is a sponsored post. See my disclosure policy here.)

My oldest son was very excited about the LEGO brick pile. We got in the entrance and ohhed and ahhed over the amazing LEGO brick creations. I mean WOW, just WOW! How long does it take to build life size characters? Then we headed over to the LEGO Brick Pile. My boys climbed right into the pile and started creating. The were having so much fun digging through LEGO bricks and making creations. We had to drag them away to see the other activities.

Next stop was the LEGO Chima area. My boys have never played with the Chima Speedorz, but they were fascinated with creating and racing their customized Chima Speedorz. It is really fun to pull the ripcord and watch your Speedorz race away. These are such a great LEGO creation. We again had to beg them to move on so we could see all the show.

LEGO Mixles… have you heard of them? Neither had I, but they are really fun and I even tried my skill at creating a cute little Mixel guy. They are so cute and goofy, my boys were loving the different eyeballs, hairs, arms. A lot of interesting pieces to play with to create your own Mixel. When they were finished with their creation they placed them in a special display area. It’s not only fun for them to put their Mixel there, but also to see what everyone else has created. So cool!! (My boys are still talking about the Mixel activity, I think a LEGO Mixel pack would make a great boy gift!)

We did finally convince them to leave the Mixel area and try some other LEGO activities. The entire LEGO KidsFest was awesome and we will definitely be heading back next year!

There is still a chance for you to attend! LEGO KidsFest is open Sunday, April 27th. Tickets are $20 for kids and $22 for adults.For more information and to purchase tickets, log on to http://www.legokidsfest.com/tickets.html It is really is a don’t miss event!

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Do you have kids that love LEGO® bricks? Well mine have a floor full of LEGO® bricks that seem to be in use every single day!!! That is what makes me so excited to tell you about LEGO KidsFest in Novi, MI and my AWESOME giveaway. I am giving away 2 tickets to the LEGO KidsFest in Novi. So keep reading to find out more about LEGO KidsFest and how to win tickets.

If you see someone buried in the bricks it is probably one of my kids!

Before we get to the whole giveaway thing you might want a few more details about LEGO KidsFest –

The LEGO KidsFest is a giant traveling LEGO expo coming to the Suburban Collection Showplace, Novi, MI, from April 25 – 27, 2014. This is their second trip to Michigan.

LEGO KidsFest is a hands-on, educational, all-ages LEGO extravaganza features millions of LEGO bricks, not to mention lots of construction zones, dozens of life-sized LEGO models and displays, LEGO Friends, LEGO Chima, LEGO Star Wars, live LEGO Master Builders, and so much more covering three acres of space. Yippee! Sounds like a great time, doesn’t it?

Five identical sessions are available.  Tickets are $20 for kids and $22 for adults. For more information and to purchase tickets, log on to http://www.legokidsfest.com/tickets.html.

I was reading through the activities that will be at included and WOW my boys are gonna have a blast. Hmmm, which activity will be first for us? My bet is on LEGO Star Wars™!

Here is a list of activities you can find at LEGO KidsFest: (activities are subject to change)

• LEGO Model Gallery: dozens of life-sized models made entirely from LEGO bricks
• LEGO Master Builders: live demonstrations and activities from the crew who get paid to play
• Race Ramps: build a custom car, then race it down the ramp against friends and family
• LEGO Chima: choose a tribe and test battling skills with the whole family
• LEGO Star Wars™: build and display a Star Wars model
• Creation Nation: build your own creation to add to a custom map of the U.S.
• LEGO DUPLO®: younger visitors can explore imagination through building
• LEGO Retail: purchase LEGO merchandise and official KidsFest tour goods
• Brick Pile: a gigantic pile full of LEGO bricks for creative play and enjoyment
• Monochromatic Builds: bricks of a single color to foster group creativity
• LEGO Friends: build for the five empowered friends from Heartlake City
• LEGO Ninjago: spin the way to being a Spinjitzu member
• LEGO Mindstorms: build and program robots and snakes
• LEGO City: using the imagination to create buildings and vehicles to the urban diorama

One of MY followers will win (2) tickets to for the opening night session on Friday, April 25,  2014   (4-8:30pm).  I encourage you to LIKE and Follow LEGOKidsFest on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram for all the latest ticketing updates as this event has been selling out in prior cities.  Must be 18 to enter, 1 entry per day allowed, random drawing by USFG on Wednesday April 2nd!

ENTER HERE BY CLICKING THIS LINK:

Alanna George | The Craft Nest – LEGO KidsFest Ticket Giveaway

THE WINNER OF THE TICKETS IS – (drum roll please!!!) BETHANY BAKER

An email has been sent to the winner. Bethany if you don’t see it please email me at – alannageorge (at) alannageorge.com

I hope to see you at LEGO KidsFest, we can hardly wait!

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March is National Crafting Month and to get YOU inspired, Kiwi Crate is teaming up with Highlights Magazine and YoYo.com to offer your kid(s) a dream craft room!

Celebrate with us and Kiwi Crate this month and enter your family into a giveaway of a lifetime!

How to Enter
Contest goes from now till Monday March 31, 2014 Click on the photo above to enter!

Kiwi Crate is an award-winning, monthly subscription service that provides all the hands-on materials to inspire creative, educational fun. With themes like Music, Color, Robots, and Safari, these crates deliver everything needed for unique activities that you and your kids can enjoy together. see sample crates ››

And for even more crafty inspiration, visit their DIY Ideas page to check out the latest and greatest on easy projects you can do right at home, right now!

This post contains affiliate links which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and make a purchase.

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• Contest is Live Now!
• End of Submission Period: Friday 02/14/14
• Launch voting on Be The Buyer: Monday 03/03/14
• End voting on Be The Buyer: Monday 03/10/14
• Winner announced on ModCloth Blog (winner will be contacted personally): Wednesday 3/12/14

Send your entry in now and good luck!

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

The post ModCloth Make The Cut Contest: ‘Prints Charming’ appeared first on Alanna George | The Craft Nest.

(This is a sponsored post. Yup, I am trying to earn some money over the holiday season. See my disclosure policy here.)

If you haven’t heard of Craftsy before, now is the time to check it out. You are going to love what you see. I met a couple of ladies from Craftsy last year at the Sewing Expo and had such a fun time talking to them and hearing about what they had planned for Craftsy. Over the past year Craftsy has done an amazing job of building its community and site. I even have a few patterns posted there. Read on to answer your questions about Craftsy!

What is Craftsy?
Craftsy is a worldwide craft community offering online classes. It also has a patterns marketplace where independent designers can sell their patterns; a supplies shop with great deals on yarn, fabric, and class kits; and a projects section where members share pictures of their latest craft successes. With over two million members and counting, Craftsy has something for just about everyone, in categories ranging from quilting, sewing, knitting, painting, photography, cooking, and more.

Behind the Scenes: The Making of a Craftsy Class
Before filming even begins, hours and hours are spent determining what content will be covered in each class, and how to best teach specific techniques to the camera. Instructors work with an instructional designer to create an in-depth outline of each lesson, and decide how to best prepare props or “step-outs” that show what your project should like at different steps. Instead of a scripted class, instructors follow their outlines on camera to create an authentic and engaging teaching experience.

Most Craftsy classes are filmed in one of five Craftsy studios in Denver, CO, assuring that every part of the production process goes off without a hitch. They fly in instructors from all over the world to spend several days filming, then spend several weeks turning hours of footage into a two to three hour class experience that has been watched, rewatched, and reviewed by industry experts. The final result is an HD-quality video that takes you in-depth into specific topics in any given craft category- from cooking and fine art to sewing and knitting.

What IS the Craftsy experience?
Craftsy classes are designed to have all the benefits of an in-person class, with none of the drawbacks. Available online and on-demand, you always have world-class instructors at the tip of your fingers. You can retake the class as many times as you want, and the 30-second repeat feature allows you to watch the same section over and over again until you get every technique just right.

Watching a Craftsy class is like having a first-row seat with some of the best instructors in the world. Even better, classes have a 100% money-back guarantee.

Try online learning today with a free mini-class from Craftsy! Choose from 23 Free Craftsy Classes ranging from drawing and painting to sewing and quilting, from knitting to cake decorating and more.

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Happy Mother’s Day to every Mom and Grandma out there. When I came down the stairs this morning my kids all jumped out and yelled, “Happy Mother’s Day”. I wish I would have had my video camera because someday I would love to look back and watch how excited they were to surprise me with their handmade cards, gifts and notes. They also left this little note written with Scrabble Tiles on the table for me. Charlie asked me if there would be candles today, like on cake. Last night while I gave the younger three baths my oldest daughter who is 8 finished cleaning the kitchen, straightened everyone’s covers for bed time and filled all their sippy cups with water, “because it is the night before Mother’s Day”.

Too sweet for words…

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While I was at SNAP! one of the sponsors I met was FamilyShare.com. I was instantly intrigued by the name because I like to tout that my website focuses on crafts for kids and families. I felt that FamilyShare.com and I might have a connection. So do we?

I’ve since become a member of FamilyShare.com and have been reading and lurking through the site. There is a wealth of information covering a wide variety of family topics (and more is being added every day) and the layout is fun and easy to follow, sort of Pinterest looking, but with articles.

To start you should check out FamilyShare.com’s really fun interactive feature. You can “Share a Free Expression of Love” by writing a note to a special someone (like maybe your Mom?). Share the note at Showlove.com and they will email your special someone and tell them where to view the note! So who is sending Mom an expression of love this Mother’s Day? It is really simple. You type the note, add an image from their gallery and enter the recipient’s email address. Boom, done.

One of my favorite parts of the site is the “Stories” section where members share stories about life lessons. I love reading these and it makes me feel connected to the FamilyShare.com community. One of my favorite articles in the Stories section was – Yeah I made that! 3 Ways Crafting Builds Self-Esteem. Hmmm, who would have guessed I would have read an article on crafting, hee, hee. But it was an article I loved and was true to why I create. (You’re curious now aren’t you? How is crafting building your self-esteem?)

With this weekend being Mother’s Day another article that really hit home was – 15 things to say to your mom while you still have the chance. I remember about two weeks after I had my first baby, I was sitting in the rocking chair nursing my daughter for what seemed like the 100th time that day. I was really tired and a bit overwhelmed with how much work Motherhood was and it hit me, I had not given my mom enough credit for all the things she had done for me. I took my Mom for granted and assumed doing all those things for me was her “job”. It never had occurred to me that she did it all because she had such immense love for me, not because it was her job. (Because honestly, if that was your job you would probably quit!) Reading this article on FamilyShare.com just reminded me of the moment when I had that realization and how I should be thanking my Mom for everything she does for me and her Grandchildren this Mother’s Day.

If you are looking to read some articles based on family or have family related questions you will find information and can get answers from other members at FamilyShare.com. Some examples of other articles you can find are:

1. How to motivate kids who only want to earn passing grades
2. 5 ways to catch your child reading this month
3. How to be the world’s best tooth fairy

And you don’t have to be a member to enjoy FamilyShare.com. You can start out lurking and reading the articles just like I did at first. And yes, I would say FamilyShare.com and Alanna George | The Craft Nest have a connection, we are both focused on family.

(Yup, I am trying to earn some money. I received compensation for this post. See my disclosure policy here.)

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Oh, SNAP! – the conference.
If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook you may have seen some of my pics of the conference. At SNAP! I was with my peeps. Women (and a few guys) who are just like me. That my readers is a recipe for good times and little sleep!

I started off not being able to get on my flight Wednesday night. I was really disappointed to have to head back home and my kids were really confused, especially after all the drama and sobbing that occurred when I was leaving. You would think I was leaving them for a lifetime. On the plus side (I am trying to be a glass half full kinda girl) I had to get up so early on Thurs. morning that there wasn’t even a chance they would be awake to throw another dramatic cry fest in my honor. So I pecked them all on the cheek while they slept and headed out (see, then I got to remember them as little sleeping angels).

When I arrived at the hotel the Newbie Meet and Greet was in full swing so I dropped my bags and dove in. If you are lucky enough to attend SNAP! bring tons of business cards. I recommend putting your picture on them because there are so many bloggers it is nice to be able to put a face with a name when you get back home and finally sit down for a minute and take it all in. I met a lot of new friends and my mind was already swirling from all the activity.

After the meet and greet classes started. Something I wish I would have realized is that the classes are not in the hotel, they are down a private street and in different buildings. It was chilly in Utah last week and I should have dressed a little warmer for the walk. Hi, I was the one wearing skirts and dresses in 40 degree weather. On that note, people are dressed really cute and fashionable. That doesn’t mean you have to go out and buy new clothes, just wear what you feel comfortable in and what represents who you are. If you met me there you saw I wore shades of blue almost every day. I love that color, buy almost all my clothes in that color and it worked as a branding strategy for me! Wear what you like, not what you think everyone else will be wearing! I was also lucky enough to have Tippy Stockton Jewelry as my sponsor and she supplied me with a huge assortment of jewels that matched my outfits perfectly! (BTW, pop over to her store and check out her new Antiquities line, it is super fabulous!!!)

When classes were over for the day we were finally able to check into our room, it was a relief to be able to drop some stuff in the room before dinner. Want to meet my roomies? We met for the first time at SNAP!, so don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and make some new friends. I traveled to SNAP! not knowing anyone and came away with a lot of new friends and a blogging support system. You can find my roomie Melissa at her shop FabDecor where she creates and sells vinyl signs and kits and my other roomie Cynthia at Conservation Garden Park where she works her magic with plants.

Every day of the conference we were fed amazing food by the sponsors of the event (read: Lowe’s, Minwax, Cricut, World Market, Mail Chimp and more) And we received so much swag and samples from the sponsors that I literally stuffed all my clothes in my carry-on and filled up my suitcase with all the swag, samples and my couple pairs of shoes. That is a crazy lot of stuff – to be honest I am still figuring out where to put everything! I also have to say that the big sponsors made themselves readily available to everyone. Some sponsor highlights included the break out lunch session with Bruce from Minwax (awesome) and the Ready, Set, CREATE competition by Lowes.

The first night of the conference included a Pajama Party. Say, what? I know, there were prizes for different types of pajamas. They supplied us with extraordinarily large cookies and some milk. Sponsors had booths for an assortment of make and takes. It was crafty fun. You can find two pictures of me at the Minwax make and take where we used the Minwax Express Color to color a plain wood frame – awesome. Yup, I was pretty beat by the time all the fun ended. I had been up for almost 22 hours!!! Yikes.

Day two began with breakfast and an interview with Lisa Leonard, who shared her story of how she started and built her jewelry business. Love her, so real and generous – you should follow her blog, it will uplift and inspire you! The day moved onto more classes, some covering blogging information I didn’t even know existed. Whoa, thank goodness I had my iPad and Bluetooth keyboard ’cause I was typing away furiously taking notes. Then lunch followed by more classes and later dinner. We were able to eat dinner in the wings of the Show Barn while the vendors for the Queen Bee Market were finishing the set up of their goods. When the market opened everyone was excited to see the goods up close and make purchases. There was some really cool stuff. Some of my favorites were the Cut it Out booth, Cinnamon Sticks rustic jewelry, and Say Hello – makers of unique and stylish products.

Next day we were on our own for breakfast, lucky for me the hotel offered breakfast anyway. I just have to say that is where I met my new friend who was telling how she fell asleep with gum in her mouth – it didn’t end good, soo funny! Hey there, aren’t you glad I didn’t share your name

There were classes and more food and during the lunch break I went over to the Show Barn and watched the Ready, Set, CREATE competition sponsored by Lowes. The cameras were rolling, so I am wondering where that footage will be popping up! After more classes we of course had dinner and listened to another ah-ma-zing speaker – Julie Hanks, she was even kind enough to sing us a song.

The conference ended with a dance party that was really fun. I am not much of a dancer, but I thought “what the heck” and went for it. We had flashing rings, glow bracelets and water with glowing ice cubes. It was intense, hee, hee. There was also a photo booth there to capture all the silliness – I posted a couple of the photo booth pics to my Facebook page. Take a look you are sure to have a little chuckle. I promise you there was no alcohol involved, sometimes you just have to be silly!

And just like that it was over. A big shout out to all the new friends I made, I miss you already! Counting the days until we meet up again.

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Fabulous sale alert! Starting today through Thursday, March 21^st, Tea Collection is offering you the chance to choose your discount. The more you buy, the more you save! Stock up on comfortable and durable pants for boys. Mix and match adorable girls’ tops and bottoms for endless outfit combinations. Just be sure to add select styles, noted with the attached badge, to your cart. Don’t miss your chance to take advantage of this amazing sale from Tea Collection! Happy Shopping!

(This post contains affiliate links. Yup, I am trying to earn some money. See my disclosure policy here.)

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