While He Was Napping

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DIY Red & Turquoise Necklace

This post is sponsored by WholePort Crafts.  Links within will direct you to the WholePort website.  I was provided merchandise, free of charge, for the purpose of this review.  All opinions and content are 100% original, my own and honest.

Since making my Jewelry Organizer back at the beginning of the year, I have been wanting to increase my jewelry collection.  Now, I don’t really need more jewelry, but a bigger variety would be awesome.  I am pretty typically a classic-look kind of gal and the big chunky stuff I give to my sister.  But, I got to looking at my collection and noticed something… everything is the same colors!  Silver and black.  Great, classic pieces that coordinate with most everything, but a bit boring as well.  So, it’s time to get some color in there and this Red & Turquoise Necklace is perfect!

I was able to try out some of the jewelry findings from Wholeport Crafts and made my own piece.  I love how this Red & Turquoise Necklace turned out!  And the colors are fabulous!  I’ve worn it to church a few times and the little kiddos in Nursery (18 months-3 year olds) couldn’t stop touching it.  I’ve gotten compliments from people of the older variety as well.  There’s something so satisfying when people ask where you got something and you can say, “oh, I made it.”

DIY RED & TURQUOISE NECKLACE
Aqua and Red DIY Necklace
Materials:
– Scissors
– Beading Wire or String
– Jewelry clasp in your choice of style
– Large turquoise stones – I had mine on hand, I got them at Jo-Ann a while ago.  These ones from Wholeport would be neat too though.
– Small, round red beads – I got these at Wal-Mart a while back
– Small, round white shell bead – another Wal-Mart find
– Large, round white shell bead – also from Wal-Mart
– Superglue

Directions:
– Tie off one end of the jewelry sting or wire with one piece of the clasp.
– Begin stringing the beads on to the wire or string.  I did:
Aqua and Red DIY Necklace

  • a small jade bead
  • a small red bead
  • a large red bead
  • a small red bead
  • and repeat once.
  • Then a white shell bead
  • repeat the sequence above the white shell bead twice
  • a large turquoise stone
  • three large red beads
  • the large white shell bead
  • three large red beads
  • another turquoise stone
  • small red bead
  • large red bead
  • small red bead
  • jade bead
  • repeat the last four steps twice
  • small white shell bead
  • repeat the red and jade bead sequence twice
– Secure the end with the other half of the clasp.
– Super secure the knots with a drop of superglue.
– Hang the necklace and let it dry for a few hours.
– Enjoy all the awesome compliments and grubby toddler hands that can’t help themselves because your Red & Turquoise Necklace is just awesome.  Okay, maybe not that last part about the grubby toddler hands.

Aqua and Red DIY Necklace

 

This post was written by Krista and originally appeared on While He Was Napping.

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Weekend Wander # 147 {& Diamond Candles Giveaway}

Welcome to another party my friends!  I hope your week was awesome and you did some super cool things.  I feel like I have been running around all crazy all week.  Hopefully, things will chill this next week and I won’t be so darn exhausted.

So, this party should be fun.  I’ve got a giveaway for you!  Ever heard of Diamond Candles?  If not, that’s okay.  I hadn’t either until just a few months ago.  Basically, they have really fantastic candles in a big variety of scents.  But, not only that, inside each candle is a ring valued anywhere from $10 up to $5,000.  How fun is that?  You get an awesome smelling candle AND a new ring?!

I opted for the cinnamon tea scent and was not disappointed.
The candle was well packaged and delivered quickly.
It was also larger than I expected, a pleasant surprise!
The chap stick tube is a size comparison.
The gold sticker shows you where the ring is inside the candle.
Burn your candle and enjoy the amazing smell.  
Our house smelled like Autumn.  It was perfect.
I burned my candle for about 2 hours
before I was able to retrieve the ring.
It’s wrapped up nicely and it nice and clean when you unwrap it.
Definitely not a $5,000 ring, but cute nonetheless.
And a ton of fun.  I love surprises!
Unfortunately, it doesn’t fit my tiny fingers
(my wedding ring is a size 3 1/4…)
But, you people with normal size fingers will love it!

Want your own?  Enter below!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Okay, a real quick recap from last week:

The Gift Guides for 2013 are on their way out!
Check out the Babies & Toddlers Edition HERE.
And the Preschoolers Edition HERE.

Need a cute and easy Fall treat? 
Check out these Acorn Cookies
Christina from Sweet Haute shared!
From last week’s party,
Margo at Joyful Homemaking shared this awesome Lego table.
I have been wanting to make one of these for my boys for quite a while.
This one looks fantastic!
Danielle at Peanut Life Adventures shared this
31 Calorie Apple Crisp!
Only 31 calories?  What a healthy treat!

I love this Gratitude printable
Barb at Second Chance to Dream shared!
I’ve been trying to help my kids remember to be grateful this month.

And last, but not least, check out this
Souvenir Euro Pendant that Virginia shared at Artsy VaVa.
I’ll be lucky if I ever get out of the US, but I love this idea!

Thanks for sharing everyone!  Lots of fun and awesome links!
One more thing.  Did you miss out on our exciting news?!
Here’s a hint:
Still not sure?  Take a peek in the sidebar to find out what the surprise is.
Then cast your vote!  What do you think?  Which team is it this time?  
Now, let’s get this party started!  Annnnnd… GO!


This post was written by Krista and originally appeared on While He Was Napping.


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2013 Gift Guide for Preschoolers

Okay, here’s installment #2 of this year’s Gift Guide: Preschoolers (ages 3-5).  These little guys are so busy and learning so much so fast that it can be hard to keep up with them… and keep them entertained.  Because of this, I am all about toys that have more than one possibility for play.  My kids are all about sensory play, things they can physically hold, touch, and manipulate.  So, I try to find activities and toys that fit both of those criteria.  I try to make their play educational and encourage imagination as well.

GIFT GUIDE FOR PRESCHOOLERS
DIY GIFTS
(Awesome for in the car!)
4.  Pirate Treasure Map for imaginative play
(same map, different adventures!)
(These are onesies, but Big J was incredibly disappointed when Little J got some and he didn’t.
He has requested them this year and they will be in his stocking.)
(with FREE printable booklet)
(sometimes you just need ideas!)
(The link will take you to the posts I’ve written on our favorite Android Apps for Kids.
Big J earns his screen time, but we’re still pretty selective with his apps.
A gift card to Google Play (or the App Store for Applers)
would send my preschooler over the moon and we still get the okay on what he plays).
 
14.  DIY Watercolor Pages at Creative With Kids
15.  DVD Case to Coloring Case Upcycle At Handmade by Stacy Vaughn
16.  No-Sew Quiet Book at Our Cozy Nest
(This has a church theme, but you could do generic pages like colors, shapes, numbers and ABC’s)
17.  Crayon Roll at Make & Takes
18.  Car Caddy at Homemade by Jill
19.  ABC Quiet Book at While He Was Napping
(Also done in a church theme, but you could easily make it a favorite things, family photo, or animal book)
20.  Sponge Blocks at Inner Child Fun
21.  ABC Parking Lot Letter Match at I Can Teach My Child
(I love this idea!  I’m gonna try to figure out how to make it portable!)
22.  Encouraging Play Kits at The Imagination Tree
(This post has some great ideas to put a kit together)
23.  Floor Poof Cushion at Living With Punks
24.  Homemade Geoboard at Feels Like Home
25.  Personalized Book for the Kiddo at Fudge Banana Swirl
(Post has a link to purchase templates for super easy construction)
26.  Felt Play Mats at Free Time Frolics
(I love that these fold up.  A little storage pocket for the figurines would be great too.)
27.  No-Sew Fort Kit at Celebrate Everyday With Me
(Big J will be getting one of these this year!  Too much fun for the whole family!)
28.  Felt and Magnet Fishing Game at Real Purdy
(No Photo, but totally cute and super easy)
29.  Sensory Balloons at Tot Treasures
(Also no photo, but simple and fun.  Requires supervision!)
GIFTS TO PURCHASE
The Amazon links are affiliate links.  I receive a small commission of any purchase made through these links.  Your total cost is in no way affected and I appreciate your support.  Thank you.  All other links are NOT affiliate links and I, nor any part of While He Was Napping Blog, am in no way compensated for mention or inclusion of the links.
30.  Road Tape via Oh Sweet Babies
(This is outrageously expensive for US-based kiddos, due to international shipping.
If you’re located in Europe, it’s not too bad.  The rest of us may have to try a DIY version.)
31.  Preschool Workbooks or Pre-K Packs via Amazon
(You can also find FREE resources around the web, just Google it.  Big J loves these.)
32.  Counting Bears via Amazon
33.  Do A Dot Art Markers via Amazon
(Print off some pages to use them with.  Google “do-a-dot pages”)
34.  Preschool Board Games or card games via Amazon
(Candyland, Chutes & Ladders, Hungry Hungry Hippos, Don’t Break the Ice, just to name a few)
35.  Take Apart Airplane and other vehicles
(My mom got the boys a similar toy last year and it’s still a favorite)
36.  Pattern Blocks and Boards via Amazon
(we had these for months and the only time they came out to play was when Little J dumped them all over the floor.  As soon as I printed off some pattern pages though, Big J is all over these.  He needed more direction than just playing with the shapes themselves.  So, don’t forget the pattern pages!)
37.  LEGOs via Amazon
(We opted to skip the mega blocks – the big legos – and go straight to the basic ones.  When we gifted this two years ago to Big J they were above his skill set.  Now, he plays with his Legos at least 4-5 times a week.  We bought a set of basic blocks, a set of wheels and have gradually added sets over the years.  We like to make cars and both boys play with the completed vehicles for days.)
38.  Preschool-appropriate Puzzles via Amazon
39.  Gizmo Building Sets via Amazon
(We gifted this to Big J last year and he didn’t quite understand at first – he was 3.5 – but within a few months he was building with them all on his own.  He loves these enough, we may have to get other set so there are enough for both boys.)
40.  Books!  Books!  Books!  Books!
(I am a huge believer in books.  I get most of mine off of Amazon or half.com.  Check the used prices out and get discount shipping by shopping from the same seller.  I don’t mind used books as long as they aren’t totally trashed.  That way, I don’t have a panic attack when my children trash the book.)

What are you getting your preschoolers?
Other 2013 Gift Guides:
Babies & Toddlers

This post was written by Krista and originally appeared on While He Was Napping.

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{Sweet Haute} Acorn Cookies

Hey everyone.  Today we have the treat to meet another contributor!  Christina from Sweet Haute is here to share a fun little project with us.  So, let’s get right to it.

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Greetings, hi there blog ‘neighbors’ it’s me, Christina, from the SWEET HAUTE blog and I wanted to share something sweet and fun with you for my post over at While He Was Napping yay….Acorn Cookies! With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, now is the time to start planning your menu! These Acorn Cookies are perfect and so adorable, they would make amazing party favors for your guests to enjoy with their evening coffee {yum!}. But, if you are not hosting Thanksgiving Dinner this year, this edible craft recipe is also great to take to your hostess. Me and the kids had a blast making these cookies, the ingredients are easy to find and most of them I got at an inexpensive price at the dollar store, or dollar bins at Target!

This craft is something you can put together fast and easily with some delicious ingredients. They also keep well when stored in the refrigerator. My kids cannot wait to make the next batch, they are the perfect size for their little hands, and I even include one as a surprise in my son’s lunch…only sometimes.

Supplies:
Nutter Butter Cookies
Sandies Fudge Dipped Cookies (optional)
Cookie Frosting
Hershey Kisses
Chocolate Chips

I selected two different flavors, original chocolate and pumpkin spice which happened to be a seasonal item at the time…perfect! I also selected mixed bag of butterscotch and milk chocolate flavor chips as my chocolate chips acorn tops. I was lucky to find a mixed bag.
Here is what the nutter butter cookies look like up close, you can choose anything similar in size and shape to get the same result. The pictures are pretty much self explanatory on how to assemble each cookie.
Step 1:
Set out each ingredient in an assemble line, or divide each for each child so they don’t fuss over who has what supplies. Cookies, hershey kisses, chocolate chips, etc.
Step 2:
Grab a cookie ‘top’ either the nutter butter cookie or sandies cookie and place a dot of frosting, then adhere the hershey’s kiss ‘bottom’ to all cookies. Set aside to dry and harden.
Step 3:
After dry, grab the pre-assembled bottoms and place a dot of frosting on the top and adhere a chocolate chip shaped to the top of acorn, completing the acorn shape. Set on their sides to dry.
Step 4:
Let acorn cookies harden completely before storing them in a container. I also placed ours in the fridge for long term storage. 
Here is what the shortbread Sandies cookies look like up close, if I would have done anything different…I would have selected a frosting that was a different color, such as brown, to act as the glue. The white frosting sort of stands out too much for the images, but the the people eating it….it didn’t matter, they didn’t even notice or mention it.
Have fun, and enjoy!

~Be Sweet
Sweetest Haute

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Thursday Linky Party

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Too cute, aren’t they?!  What a great little treat for the kids (and adults) you’ll be entertaining this Fall season.  Thanks for sharing Christina!  Go check out all the awesome things Christina has going on at Sweet Haute!

This post was written by Krista and originally appeared on While He Was Napping.


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{Gift Guide 2013} Babies & Toddlers (& A SURPRISE!)

Here we go with this year’s gift guide.  I will be reaching back into the archives here on While He Was Napping, as well as showcasing ideas from around the web to help you get some DIY gifting ideas.  I will also have a section dedicated to gift ideas that can be purchased.  Because, let’s face it, this time of year is crazy busy for most of us and it’s often easier to just buy it!

GIFT GUIDE FOR BABIES & TODDLERS

DIY GIFTS
Bonus Idea: ABC’s At Church Photo Book (not pictured)
15.  Colors Book at My Everyday Chaos (I did this last year and my boys LOVE IT!)
17.  Superhero Capes at Vanilla Joy (has FREE patterns included!)
GIFTS FOR PURCHASE
The Amazon links are affiliate links.  I receive a small commission of any purchase made through these links.  Your total cost is in no way affected and I appreciate your support.  Thank you.  All other links are NOT affiliate links and I, nor any part of While He Was Napping Blog, am in no way compensated for mention or inclusion of the links.
25.  Touch and Feel books via Amazon 
(we have this one and Little J – 21 mos – loves it.
We also like the Usbourne “That’s not my…” series of touch and feel books)
27. Baby Crawl Tunnel via Amazon
28.  Shape Sorter via Amazon 
(we also have this and it’s been a big hit with both boys)
Hopefully, this has given you some ideas on what to get the wee ones in your life.  I did promise a surprise so keep reading to find out what it is…

Well, I suppose it’s about time I let the cat out of the bag.  I’ve been debating this post for weeks, months even.  I knew it would happen, but didn’t know the best way to go about it.  I couldn’t come up with anything cute, unique and that hadn’t been done before, so I decided that I’d just go with a straight-forward and to-the-point approach.

I have a secret.  Would you like to know my secret?  Well, I won’t be able to keep it a secret much longer so……

(Weeks 5-12)

(Weeks 13-17)

Notice anything… no, not my apparent obsession with horizontal stripes.

 How about a little bump maybe?  
It’s still a little awkward, that whole “fat or pregnant?” stage and all.
But that means I can dress this bump up or down, depending on whether I want the attention or not.
Usually, I don’t.




So… what did you do this summer?!  I’ve been growing a little bean for the past few months.  And that means I have some pregnancy posts coming your way.  Don’t worry, I won’t bore you to death with daily and weekly play-by-plays or whiny Facebook statuses.  It’ll be lots of good stuff, I promise.  I’m over the sicky-icky part, but I do still have two rambunctious, energetic boys that I spend my days chasing.  So, if there are days that I take a nap myself during nap time instead of writing blog posts, taking project photos, editing those photos, and doing other bloggy things, please forgive me.  Or come baby-sit.  Whatever you prefer.  

We have two rambunctious boys already.
Do you think this baby is team pink or team blue?  Vote below!
Is Baby #3 team pink or team blue?
It’s a Boy!
It’s a Girl!

free online polls

This post was written by Krista and originally appeared on While He Was Napping.


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