B.Inspired, Mama!

100+ 100th Day of School Activities

noreply@blogger.com (Krissy @ B.Inspired Mama) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 12:06:00 +0000

Sawyer and his Kindergarten class celebrated their 100th Day of School the other day. The teacher sent home a foam visor hat with the assignment of adding 100 of something to it. We chose googly eyes and it turned out awesome! Sawyer counted out the eyes in 10 groups of 10 while I carefully glued them on with hot glue (not many other glues stick well to the foam stuff). He was so proud of his "monster hat." Here are 100+ One Hundredth Day of School Activities for you to celebrate with:

32 Quick & Fun Activities from Scholastic

50 Ideas for the 100th Day of School from TeachersFirst

5 100th Day of School Activities from SCHOOLSin

16 100th Day of School Ideas from Tip Junkie

Happily linking up with Show & Tell at ABC and 123!

Preschool Valentine Making Station

noreply@blogger.com (Krissy @ B.Inspired Mama) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:11:00 +0000

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I set up a Valentine Craft Station this morning with everything needed for open-ended creative Valentine making. I included rhinestones, googly eyes, ribbon, crayons, cut out paper hearts, stickers, and glue with a q-tip. Priscilla's been hard at work all morning making Valentines for everyone she loves most: Mi-Mi, Pop-Pop, Cliff, Sawyer, etc... I'm crossing my fingers that I will get one, too!

My Polygamous Kindergartener

noreply@blogger.com (Krissy @ B.Inspired Mama) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:47:00 +0000

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Sawyer after returning home from school: Guess what, Mama!

Mama: What, baby?

Sawyer (with a shy smile): Madison told me she loves me.

Mama: Really?!

Sawyer: Yeah, so I have to make her a special Valentine. And it's going to say "For Madison, LOVE Sawyer."

Mama: I thought Morgan was your girlfriend.

Sawyer: Oh, she is. She loves me, too. I should make her a special Valentine, too!

Do your little ones have girlfriends and boyfriends? How do you handle it? Don't get me wrong, I know it's innocent and I do think it's funny. But at what point should I explain that he should probably only have one "love?"

Valentine's Sugar Crusted Chocolate Chip Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Krissy @ B.Inspired Mama) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 23:44:00 +0000

Priscilla and I spent some special time today baking chocolate chip cookies from my Grandma Priscilla's recipe. She's definitely inherited my love for raw cookie dough...

We decided to experiment with some left over red Christmas crystal sugar sprinkles to transform them into Valentines Day treats! It's super easy - just make any basic chocolate chip cookie dough (or even buy it premade!), then roll them in the crystal sugar before baking.

And you get Valentine's Sugar Crusted Chocolate Chip Cookies. A perfect and EASY sweet treat for your little ones to help make.

And you could make them in any color for any occasion or holiday by using different colored sugar. How fun!
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Excited to be linking to For the Kids Friday and Fun for Kids Friday!

Kids Hand Print Valentine Hearts from the Archives

noreply@blogger.com (Krissy @ B.Inspired Mama) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:43:00 +0000

I noticed that my Hand Print Heart project from last Valentine's Day has been making the rounds on Pinterest, so I thought I would share it again for everyone. You can check out how we made them here, but one thing I realized that I didn't clarify in the original post is that each different colored hand print is from each of my kids, Sawyer and Priscilla. Priscilla's hand print is red and Sawyer's is purple. So it makes a sweet memory of both of my little ones from 2011. Now I'm going to have to come up with a hand print craft for this year to include our newest little one, J.C. Any ideas? Pin It

A Sweet Baby Distraction

noreply@blogger.com (Krissy @ B.Inspired Mama) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:28:00 +0000

THIS beautiful baby boy is what has been keeping me too busy to blog lately! After a rough pregnancy (with Gestational Diabetes and Pre-eclampsia), James Clifford (J.C.) was born nearly 5 weeks early on December 30th. And after a 2 week NICU stay, he's now home with us and getting tons of love from his big brother and sister. He's such a sweet soul and fits right into our family perfectly. Since he will definitely be my last little one, I am relishing in his tiny baby-ness and all of our sweet snuggling time and trying to overlook any fussiness and lack of sleep. I know this time flies by too fast. And since he's still taking nice long baby naps, I've been able to fit in some of my own creative work, too! I can't wait to share it with you. Pin It

Our DIY Skeleton Family Halloween Costumes

noreply@blogger.com (Krissy @ B.Inspired Mama) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:06:00 +0000

Our little family of (almost) 5 dressed up as a skeleton family for Halloween. It was so much fun to all be dressed up together. I spent way too much time creating each of the costumes by painting the bones on thrift store shirts and pants with white fabric paint. I found the inspiration here. But it sure did save us from those expensive, cookie-cutter, store-bought costumes. Operation Family Halloween Fun: SUCCESS!

Does your entire family dress up for Halloween? Pin It

Last Minute No Mess Halloween Pumpkin Decorating

noreply@blogger.com (Krissy @ B.Inspired Mama) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:46:00 +0000

Usually I let the kiddos paint their pumpkins for Halloween, but this year I just wasn't feelin' it. I didn't really want to deal with the mess. (I know, I know... how un-creative of this former art teacher!) So I came up with a couple ways to decorate our pumpkins at the last minute with minimal mess.

We used permanent markers to color our little pumpkins. There was a little mess on their hands, but it was worth it. Next year I'm going to get them little white pumpkins to do this with. The colors will show up brighter on white pumpkins.

And we used our Mr. Potato Head parts to bring life to our big pumpkins. The kids spent almost an hour trying all different pieces and configurations. They loved it!

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How did you decorate your pumpkins this year?

Happily linking up to Made by Little Hands Monday!

Kids Art Supplies Handy and Organized

noreply@blogger.com (Krissy @ B.Inspired Mama) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:19:00 +0000

There has been TONS of reorganization around our home lately in our attempt to slowly prepare for the arrival of the new little one (in January). We love having our art supplies handy in a shoe organizer on the back of the stairway door. We've been using them more and more now that they are so easily accessible. How do you organize your kiddos' art supplies?Pin It

Learning Writing with a Rainbow Name Sign

noreply@blogger.com (Krissy @ B.Inspired Mama) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 11:54:00 +0000

Two weeks before Sawyer's first day of Kindergarten, it hit me: he wasn't ready! I started to read on blogs, hear from other parents, and confirm with a teacher friend that he needed to be able to at least write his first name. And he'd never ever wanted to practice writing. He knew his letters, their sounds, upper and lower case, but hated writing. So I found some inspiration online and decided that we would make a name sign for his bedroom door.

I talked it up for a day to build excitement and he was ready! First, I took a strip of paper and wrote his name on it (upper case first letter, then lower case letters) with yellow marker. I added a little black dot where he was to start writing each letter. Then he used each color of the rainbow to trace over the yellow letters. I helped him remember to start at the black dot and guided him in correctly holding his crayon. (If I did it again, though, we'd have used markers that show up better than crayon.) He loved picking his next color and building them up to create Rainbow Letters!

When he was done, he helped me glue it to a piece of colored construction paper and decorated the border with stickers of his choice. He's so proud of it's special place on his bedroom door! And it really helped boost his confidence. Over the next couple weeks, I'd find him writing his name on the easel all on his own.

Priscilla made a Rainbow Name Sign, too, but just scribbled on hers and decorated all over with stickers. It's just as lovely!

Happy to be linking to Tot School, For the Kids Fridays, and Fun for Kids Fridays! Pin It

Easing Back In and The First Day of Kindergarten

noreply@blogger.com (Krissy @ B.Inspired Mama) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 14:01:00 +0000

Wow, has it been awhile or what?! With this new pregnancy (over half-way through now) and all of the sickness and complications that have come with it, I have taken a step back this summer. I'm sure you've noticed from my absence here and the closing of B.Inspired Vintage. I still haven't decided what direction (if any) my business might take, but I've started to ease back into blogging. And what better way than to share with you my little man's first day of (public school) Kindergarten!

Kindergarten orientation was just the night before the first day of school. And honestly, after getting Sawyer home and tucked nicely into bed, I had a complete mommy meltdown. The one-hour evening orientation meeting was so overwhelming with an overabundance of kids and parents, Sawyer having 3 crying fits, news of over-enrollment and 30 kids in Sawyer's class, and outlines of strict academic standards that would have to be met. I called Sawyer's dad crying that I had made the wrong decision enrolling him so young (he'll turn 5 in November) and was sure he'd have a rough time.

BUT I have been pleasantly surprised! Three weeks in and he's loving it and doing great!!! I'll keep you updated on his progress and share some of his school work as it comes home.

A Creative Surprise with a New Swing Set

noreply@blogger.com (Krissy @ B.Inspired Mama) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 13:20:00 +0000

There's nothing like a brand new swing set...

...installed in your backyard by Cliff and Pop Pop...

...except maybe the HUGE boxes it came in!

{Summer Fun} Sidewalk Chalk Roads

noreply@blogger.com (Krissy @ B.Inspired Mama) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 16:09:00 +0000

We've been trying to spend as much time outside as possible before it get too hot for this mama! I put out some sidewalk chalk for the kiddos and watched them explore. Sawyer was so excited when he came up with the idea to draw a roadway for his endless assortment of cars and trucks.

He got pretty frustrated with his sister trying to "help" by scribbling near his road. So he thought quick and drew a distinct line for her NOT to cross! This totally cracked me up! But it actually wasn't a bad idea. Until Sis crossed it (above).

Then Sawyer decided that one of his dad's old rusty Tonka construction machines could use a paint job. The sidewalk chalk covered that rust quite nicely. He was pleased!

Pleased to be linking to Made by Little Hands Mondays.

What have you been doing outside this summer?

Where You'll Find Me in June

noreply@blogger.com (Krissy @ B.Inspired Mama) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 23:01:00 +0000

Here's where you'll find me hanging out (as a sponsor) this month...

The awesome blog by fellow Etsy vintage seller, Kitsch Cafe. I've been drooling over Drew's crisp and bright (and SUCCESSFUL!) shop for quite some time. I was so thrilled when I found his blog a little bit ago and even MORE thrilled when he put out a call for sponsors on facebook. Sign me up!

I found Mama Loves Papa through one of my favorite kiddo style link-ups, Small Style. But I just love her often-vintage mama style, too!

And So Fawned loves Small Style, too! That's how I found this lovely blog about style and motherhood. And I just fit right in!

{Look, Listen, Read, & Play} Cars Movie Favorites

noreply@blogger.com (Krissy @ B.Inspired Mama) — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 14:21:00 +0000

"Look, Listen, Read, & Play" will showcase what my kiddos enjoyed throughout the week:

something we LOOKed at (i.e. video, cartoon, art from a museum, etc.)
something we LISTENed to (i.e. music, story, etc.)
something we READ (i.e. children's book)
something we PLAYed (i.e. toy, game, puzzle, etc.)

I've added a link up below, so you can share what you and your little ones did this week, too

Are your kiddos as excited as mine about the new Cars 2 movie about to come out in theaters?! Cars has been a big hit with my little ones (and even us adults). Here are some of our Cars favorites...

LOOK at Cars Toon: Mater's Tall Tales

Since my kids' dad lives nearly 4 hours away and they visit him at least every other weekend, they rely pretty heavily on watching movies in the car. I know the "Tow Mater Movie" is one of their favorites in daddy's car.

LISTEN to Life is a Highway by Rascal Flatts

And of course, we always have this one on the kids' mp3 player.

READ Old, New, Red, Blue! (Step into Reading)

We have a bunch of these Step into Reading books that we usually read at least once a week.

PLAY with a new Cars bike

Sawyer helped Papa put together his new Cars bike. He hasn't ridden it too much yet. He'd rather just ride his sister's smaller tricycle! So we'll just have to practice some more.

Excited to be linking to For the Kids Friday & Fun for Kids Friday.

So what did you "Look, Listen, Read, & Play" this week?
If you link up, please include a link back to "Look, Listen, Read, & Play,"

{Scilla Style} Vintage Sailor Shirt from Little Reader Vintage

noreply@blogger.com (Krissy @ B.Inspired Mama) — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 00:23:00 +0000

Wish I had a better picture of this adorable Vintage Velveteen Sailor Shirt purchased from little reader vintage. It looks so much cuter in person. It won't fit Priscilla long, so you might find it in the shop soon!

Happily linking to little vintage style & small style.

B.Inspired Vintage Sneak Peek: Colorful Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Krissy @ B.Inspired Mama) — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 16:05:00 +0000

Here's a sneak peek at some of the goodies that I found thrifting this weekend. Actually, most of the treasures were found at yard sales I stopped at on the way to the thrift. My favorite is probably the Sesame Street toy (bottom center). I just love Big Bird! As usually, these (and more!) will be making their way into B.Inspired Vintage over the next day or so, but if you just can't wait for more info, just let me know!

Too Good to Sell: Vintage Girl Decor

noreply@blogger.com (Krissy @ B.Inspired Mama) — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 23:27:00 +0000

In "Too Good to Sell" I show you some of the vintage and thrifting finds that I just can't part with. I usually purchase them for the shop, and then they find a certain place in my home and just fit in so perfect that I can't bare to list them for sale.

Since I showed you some vintage finds that have made their home in my son's room last time, I thought I'd give you a little peak into Priscilla's room today.

I found the little white vintage jewelry box at Goodwill one day. I was so excited to see the little ballet dancer inside just like the one I had when I was a kid. I also use the sweet little girl bowl (which came as a set with cup and plate originally) to hold her play jewelry and hair accessories.

I found the Raggedy Ann and Andy pair at the same Goodwill. I can never pass up a Raggedy Ann and Andy!

The plastic piggy bank was mine when I was little. I remember adding my own "creative touch" to it with a black eyeliner pencil when I was small. I'm so happy it survived my abuse!

I just found the cute little kitty cat figurine when my grandpa allowed me to pick a few keepsakes from my late grandmother's china cabinet. It would be perfect for hold rings in it's little water dish. I hope Priscilla cherishes it as much as I do someday!

Here are some similar finds for a little girl's decor from Etsy...

Happily linking to Thrift Share Monday & Flea Market Finds.

{Look, Listen, Read, & Play} E is for Elephant

noreply@blogger.com (Krissy @ B.Inspired Mama) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 10:06:00 +0000

Since morning sickness and exhaustion is starting to set in around here, I'm working on ways to be a little more organized and efficient with my business and blogging. So, I've decided to stick to certain topics for each day of the week. Fridays will be my new "Look, Listen, Read, & Play" series.

"Look, Listen, Read, & Play" will showcase what my kiddos enjoyed throughout the week:

something we LOOKed at (i.e. video, cartoon, art from a museum, etc.)
something we LISTENed to (i.e. music, story, etc.)
something we READ (i.e. children's book)
something we PLAYed (i.e. toy, game, puzzle, etc.)

I've added a link up below, so you can share what you and your little ones did this week, too

"Look, Listen, Read, & Play" with Elephants

LOOK at Baby Elephants Play

LISTEN to The Elephant Song by Eric Herman

READ Eddie Elephant's Exciting Egg Sitting

PLAY with the Safari Creatology Felt Activity Kit (purchased at 40% off from Michael's)

(You'll have to pardon Sawyer in just his underoos on a hot day!)
Excited to be linking to For the Kids Friday & Fun for Kids Friday.
So what did you "Look, Listen, Read, & Play" this week?
If you link up, please include a link back to "Look, Listen, Read, & Play,"

and make sure your post relates to one (or all!) of the topics: LOOK, LISTEN, READ, or PLAY.

{Scilla Style} Vintage Toddler Corduroy Flower Jumper

noreply@blogger.com (Krissy @ B.Inspired Mama) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 10:51:00 +0000

As tired as those eyes are, Priscilla still looked adorable in this cute vintage cord jumper. Some of my favorite things in vintage kids clothes: corduroy... applique... and bright primary colors. And this toddler jumper dress has ALL THREE! I especially love how the big flowers are actually pockets, too.

We paired the jumper with a basic white t-shirt and jeans (before the blue jean boycott) and a thrifted white cardigan. I'm sure she'll get some more use out of this one throughout the summer. Then it will probably make an appearance in B.Inspired Vintage. UNLESS, I find out I'm having a girl...

Excited to be linking to Little Vintage Style & Small Style.

Baby News & Vintage Gender Neutral Sweetness

noreply@blogger.com (Krissy @ B.Inspired Mama) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 10:15:00 +0000

YES! Our awesome family of four will soon (well... in January)

become a family of FIVE!

Cliff and I were shocked at first, but are welcoming the sweet surprise. Priscilla doesn't seem to fazed by it; she just casually points to my belly when we ask her where the new baby is. And Sawyer's response melted my heart:

"Yeah, I'd like a new baby if it's like Sissy,

because Sissy's so comfy and snuggley."

So, I'm so excited to be sharing this experience with Cliff and bringing a new "comfy" sibling into my kiddos lives!

It'll be a while before we can find out the gender of the baby, so I've been scouring Etsy for

Vintage Gender Neutral Baby Goodness.

Kids Art with Frida Kahlo at Delicate Construction

noreply@blogger.com (Krissy @ B.Inspired Mama) — Mon, 30 May 2011 13:48:00 +0000

I am so excited to share that I guest posted yesterday over at

Delicate Construction!

Run right over and check out the creative work that Sawyer did after reading the great children's book about artist Frida Kahlo, Frida.

And make sure to peek around at all of Michelle's great kiddo ideas while you're there, especially her great Made by Little Hands linky party!

Happy to be linking to Tot Tuesdays and The Sunday Showcase.

Thrift Toddler Jeggings & B.Inspired Vintage Sneak Peek

noreply@blogger.com (Krissy @ B.Inspired Mama) — Tue, 24 May 2011 13:28:00 +0000

Priscilla is boycotting jeans. Every time I try to put them on her she gets all whiny and tells me their too tight. And they are her size; she just thinks they're uncomfortable I guess. She will only wear comfortable stretchy pants and leggings. So I scoured the thrifts this weekend for some more comfortable options for her.

I was so excited when I found these adorable toddler "jeggings!" I don't follow trends. And we might be totally behind on this one. But I thought these jean style leggings would be a perfect compromise. And they're adorable, too! They'll go with just about anything. She's rockin' them here with her cute pink peace sign shirt (probably purchased from Target).

I found lots of vintage goodies for the shop, too...

As usual, if you're interested in anything, just let me know!

What did you find thrifting this weekend?

Happy to be linking to Small Style, Thrift Share Monday, & Flea Market Finds.

Review: Reading Kingdom for the Preschool Kid

noreply@blogger.com (Krissy @ B.Inspired Mama) — Mon, 23 May 2011 20:18:00 +0000

You may remember from this post, that Sawyer has been using the online Reading Kingdom system. He's been using Reading Kingdom now for over a month. Since he is just 4 years old, I haven't pushed it. I allow him to ask for it when he wants it. He usually uses the online system a couple of times per week.

Reading Kingdom is an alternative to phonics that focuses on the mastery of six skills vital for reading success: sequencing, motor skills, sounds, meaning, grammar, and comprehension. Sawyer hasn't worked with the system enough to have mastered all of these and be reading on his own yet. But I can say that I have seen improvement in most if not all of these skills. It has definitely allowed him to hone his fine motor skills with the mouse and keyboard. And he has gotten the hang of the left to right sequencing required for reading.

I will admit, though. Sometimes he gets very frustrated with the pace of the program. But this might be less an issue with the program and more an issue with my impatient little guy! He'll make a mistake (usually because he cannot find the letter quick enough on the keyboard or he holds it down too long and the computer reads it as two of that letter), then he'll go to immediately fix it and get very frustrated that he has to wait for the program to finish talking and showing him his mistake first. I usually just have to remind him gently that he has to wait until "she" is done taking before pushing letters.

But he does get VERY excited when he gets things right. The program will have him type a letter or two at the beginning of a word and then it will say the sound and the word. He gets so excited and exclaims, "Mommy, I just read '_____'!" It's really cool when he is so excited about learning to read!

So we'll keep on keepin' on with Reading Kingdom and let you know how it goes. If you want to join us, they offer a FREE 30 day trial here.

(I did receive a free trial of the product reviewed above, but this did not affect the honesty and integrity of the opinions stated in the review. I would only ever share my honest opinions with you, my readers.)

Perfect Rainbow Kids Party with a Rainbow Doodle Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Krissy @ B.Inspired Mama) — Thu, 19 May 2011 18:48:00 +0000

Both of my kids' Birthdays are in the winter (November and December). With them being so close to the holiday season, I get to missing the celebrations about mid-summer. I've always said that I should start celebrating their Half Birthdays, but my entire family thinks that's ridiculous! So for now, I'll just dream of a bright, summer party that I would love to have for them. I would surely start out with having the kiddos help me make this A-mazing Rainbow Doodle Birthday Cake (like Rosie's from Sweetapolita)! She makes it seem so easy by just throwing some rolled fondant over a buttercream rainbow layer cake and letting the kids go at it with Edible Markers.

I would decorate with one (or more!) of these Fabric Buntings by SewSweetViolet...

...and lots of Rainbow Pom Poms from SweetTeaPaper.

And we'd totally have a "candy bar" with these printables from sweetmetelmoments...

...but I would definitely display the candy in these awesome Pyrex Bowls from TheOldVintageShoppe.

And we'd eat all the goodies off of these fun 80s Paper Plates from kultur...

And use these Striped Straws from HeyYoYo for our drinks!

The kids (and I!) would wear these Party Hats from bayoumoon...

...while they play this Vintage Rainbow Children's Game from giftedsparrow...

...and then chase each other around with these Confetti Eggs from JokeyYokey.

And finally, I'd send them all home with some of these cute People Crayons from ScribblersCrayons.

Ahhh... I can see it know.

Would you come and bring your kiddos to our Rainbow Birthday Party?!

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