Marshmallow Peacocks

My three-year-old daughter, Hazel, has been obsessed with peacocks (the word, the bird, their feathers, their specific shade of blue, etc.) for the past few months.  She has named stuffed animals Peacock, signed her name in blue (instead of her usual favorite of green) inside of Mother's Day cards, and anytime there's been a lull in conversation lately, she's yelled out, "Peacock," and laughed like I used to when watching Seinfeld.  However, nothing prepared me for Mother's Day morning, when she came downstairs and said, "Today is Mother's Day.  Tomorrow is Peacock Day." 

She's fortunate she has a mother who never misses a chance to celebrate...even if the party is for peafowl.  In addition to our regular homeschool day yesterday, we learned all about peacocks.  (FYI: males are peacocks, females are peahens.)  And then, using marshmallows, they created peacock paintings.  Here's how they did it:

1. I had the kids freehand a peacock body shape and then paint over them, filling them in.  
2. We selected a few different shades of turquoise for the feathers and using large marshmallows, they added them to the paper. 
3. I added different colors found on peacock feathers (purple, navy, emerald green, etc.) to their palettes, and the kids took miniature marshallows and added the eyes of the feathers (swirling a couple together looks great).  
4. And lastly, they painted lines to connect the plumage to the peacock's body, and then added beaks, legs and eyes.  

Last night when the kids were getting ready for bed they said, "Tomorrow is Bee Day!" (I have a feeling this is the start of something great!)  Stay tuned for today's bee-themed art project...

Jenny Gaynor Glass

Mother's Day is quickly approaching. I've written about some very special gifts and jewelry ideas for mamas in the past, and this personalized wearable art is no exception!

My husband gifted me with a Jenny Gaynor glass-stamped initial charm necklace last year and I cannot tell you how much I love it! Each child's first initial is stamped into a glass charm of their favorite color (although Martha's favorite has now changed from pink to purple). They are smooth and colorful and instantly make any outfit more stylish...or make me feel more stylish, anyway.

The wide color selection of glass (including recycled options) is gorgeous, making it difficult to decide which one(s) to choose. And to take the personalization a step further, in addition to initial charms, you can have silhouette and footprint charms made of your little one...or string all three together for a triple dose of love!

Visit jennygaynor.com to see all of her beautiful jewelry and to order. Update: I just received an email from Jenny Gaynor offering Ugga Mugga readers a 15% discount on all orders placed through May 13 using coupon code MOM. Thanks, Jenny!

25% off Lunchbots

The Lunchbots collection certainly has grown since I first posted on them 3 years ago! They now have various sizes, colors, and insulated products!

Now is a great time to give them a try...or to add to your collection! Through Sunday, April 22, they're offing 25% off your order in celebration of Earth Day. Use coupon code EARTHDAY at checkout to take advantage of this very generous offer!

Visit lunchbots.com to start shopping!

Pylones Hairbrush

My daughters have long hair...thick long hair that gets many-a-snarl from their countless hours of playing outside. Getting them to brush their hair was a struggle before gifting them both with their very own colorful hairbrush. Thank you Pylones!

The colors and fun designs are sure to be adored by any little girl, and the fact that they're well-made and really get through hair (without hurting little one's scalps) make them a parent's best friend.

I purchased my girls' brushes from Garnet Hill, but they're available from Amazon as well as purchasing directly from Pylones.

April Fool's Day

Last year was the first year I participated in April Fool's Day with the kids. It was a fun day full of pranks...my only regret was not starting the preparations sooner. The night before I was molding Tootsie Rolls and caramels into Fakin' Bacon and dying frosting to the perfect shade of cheddar cheese...you should have seen the looks my husband gave me. This year I vowed to start sooner.

In my research I found two sites full of great ideas worth sharing. Parents magazine had some great ideas in this month's issue that I found online, including the micro meal seen here (the doughnut is a Cheerio frosted with nonpareils on top). I think I'm going to make a miniature platter of "doughnuts" and some solid milk (this ideas is from Martha Stewart) for breakfast; lunch will consist of the sandwiches, carrots and raisins.

The second site I liked was Family Fun, where I found an extensive catalog of April Fool's Day crafts, recipes, pranks and jokes! I can't wait to spend some more time on the site finding tricks to play throughout the day!

100 Ways To Be Kind To Your Child

A friend posted a link to this list of 100 Ways to be Kind to your Child on Facebook yesterday and I just had to share! Of all the chain emails and links shared online, this one deserves to go viral!

This expansive list of games to play, simple gestures, and ideas of stories to tell your children is so thoughtful it's sure to make any long day more enjoyable for both you and your children. I also recommend printing out the PDF available to download at the bottom of the page to keep handy...every parents knows that during tough days, it's easy to lose sight of how important small gestures can be.

Give the list a look and tell me, what's your favorite way to be kind to your child?

St. Patrick's Day Crafts

With a name like Shannon, St. Patrick's Day is guaranteed to be a big day for my family! This year I've come across some themed crafts that are exceptionally clever and cute! My three little leprechauns and I will be spending some time creating and crafting in the morning before we get together with our clan!

These spoon leprechauns are adorable and would make a great decoration to bring out and stick in a plant pot each year! (Photo and craft idea from Preschool Daze.)

This rainbow sponge painting idea from Teach Preschool is an easy last minute St. Patrick's Day craft with endless possibilities! Help your child add a pot of gold, birds, clouds, and the fingerprint shamrock idea found below to add personality to their rainbow!

I'm about to run to the store for a few of the items needed to make these hand-drawn leprechauns...and I need to remember to ask the clerk where they keep chenilles (the politically correct term for pipe cleaners). The last time I asked a young craft store employee for pipe cleaners she looked at me like I had lobsters crawling out of my ears. Can't wait to see how these little guys turn out! (Photo and craft idea from Last Minute Mel.)

In between crafts, treat your kids to a rainbow snack similar to the muffin tin meals I posted about years ago. They'll be sure to enjoy working their way through the colors...and onto the next craft! (Photo and color ideas courtesy of justJENN.)

Any craft that enables me to capture the pint-size stage of my growing children is special in my book. If Childmade's fingertip shamrocks and clovers and Meet The Dubiens' hand print leprechauns turn out half as cute as I'm expecting, this Irish girl may just frame and hang them year round!

Tourist In Your Own Town

August and I took our first mother/son trip this weekend to New York City. Introducing him to a city I love dearly, watching him see the famous landmarks in person for the first time, was as memorable for me as it was for him.

On Sunday morning my dear friend with whom we were staying asked me what we had planned for the day. "Jane's Carousel and Mast Brothers Chocolate in Brooklyn," I replied. She had never heard of either, and after watching the passionate Mast Brothers Chocolate video (my family has watched hundreds of times), she asked if they could tag along. "Of course! The more the merrier!" And we set out on our journey, which got me thinking, what are we missing in our neck of the woods back home?

Whether you're short on money due to the economy, or if you just want to spend more quality time together as a family and learn more about your local roots, an at-home vacation is a great idea! And not only because you don't have to spend time packing and unpacking.

Contact your local visitor bureau and request a travel catalog and calendar of events. Ask friends, family and even strangers what their favorite local attractions are. Where do they like to eat? What event do they go to annually?

There are sure to be magical happenings close to home you've yet to experience...what are you waiting for?!

Ugga Mugga On Facebook

Please take a moment to "like" Ugga Mugga's new page on Facebook using this link and you'll be kept up to date on all of the products, recipes, crafts and parenting concepts as they post on this site via to your Facebook page! Plus, you'll be able to interact with other parents around the globe who are share common interests and priorities regarding parenting! It truly is a small world, after all!

LEGOs In Space

Great music, relaxing scenery, and limitless dream material for the kids!

A LEGO space shuttle launched from central Germany reached 22 miles into the sky! A 1600g meteo balloon filled with helium was used alongside a GoPro Hero, Spot GPS and of course LEGO Space Shuttle model 3367.

Ugga Mugga Is Back!

It's been a long time. Four months.

A crazy four months full of freelance writing projects, holidays, homeschooling, vacations, and much more. But in all of that fun, I've missed writing this blog (and hearing from the Ugga Mugga readers!).

So, I'm back.

And I can't wait to tell you about all of the things I've discovered and learned in the past four months! Stay tuned!

Fashion Playtes

Do you have a little girl on your holiday shopping list this year? If so, get ready to cross her name off thanks to Mamapedia and Fashion Playtes.

Expiring soon (November 11) is a great deal on an even better product. For $15 you receive a $30 credit to use at FasionPlaytes.com, a site where the little girl in your life becomes her own clothing designer.

Starting with a shirt, dress or choice of bottom, she will begin to channel her inner fashionista by selecting a style, followed by color and many, many embellishments. Matching doll-size clothes can also be purchased for her American Girl doll!

A site plus: All clothing options are age appropriate; there are no cropped tops or mini skirts!

To purchase this deal visit mamapedia.com through this link. Your confirmation will be emailed to you along with the detailed voucher ID. To give this as a gift, I'd include a copy of the voucher with photos from the site (and perhaps a sketch pad and pencils to further her design interests)!

Common Sense Media

My oldest is seven ("and a half," if you ask him) and we're entering a fantastic stage in which my husband and I get to share some of our favorite movies as children with him. We've watched the Princess Bride and are going to be watching E.T. in the next few weeks. I love that time together on the couch making a favorite movie of mine even more special!

Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization that provides trustworthy information, tools, and forums for families so that they can make educated decisions about the media their children consume. Media reviewed and rated on the site include movies, video games, apps, websites, television shows, music, and even books.

Right now I really only use the site to check the age-appropriateness of a movie or old television show I'm thinking of introducing my children to, but the Advice section is sure to be handy for parents with older children as such topics as cyber bullying and cell phone use are covered extensively. There is also an impressive education section for teachers and parents to get ideas of things to discuss as they introduce new media.

Check out your new parenting ally at commonsensemedia.org.

Dice Bites

Mealtime can be stressful for both children and their parents. There's a fine line between pressuring your children to eat (resulting in stubborn, unadventurous eaters) and encouraging them to try something or eat a few more bites.

To ease the pressure for my family, I've made a game out of what was once a battle. The children roll a die. It's as simple as that. If they roll a 1, they are required to take a single bite. If they roll a 6, they groan and take six bites.

The complaining and fighting as stopped and the amount of food being thrown away has decreased. I'm chalking it up as a victory! Give it a try and let me know the results!

Boden's Diminishing Discount is Back!

Now is the time to stock up for fall and winter...Boden is offering 20% off! This deal is rarely available, so take advantage while you can. The discount will be diminishing this week (details in the photo above)...shop early to save!

Visit bodenusa.com to start saving! No coupon code necessary, just click on the link found here!