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!

Homemade Chocolate Syrup

What kid doesn't like chocolate milk? I know mine do. But I'm very particular about what kind they drink. They drink white milk when we go out to eat since most chocolate milk in restaurants is made with Hershey's Syrup...high fructose corn syrup is the #1 ingredient (something our family stays clear of).

But they do drink chocolate milk it at home a few times a week since I've started making my own syrup. My kids will be the first ones to tell you they think it's better. Probably because it actually tastes like chocolate (there's very little cocoa in the previously-mention brand). If you're interested in giving it a try, you'll find the recipe below. It makes a large batch...halving it will give you the amount you'd expect from your supermarket-purchased bottle.

To make my chocolate syrup I use raw sugar (it lends a deeper flavor). If you have really picky eaters, you may want to start with white sugar and then slowly switch to the natural raw sugar. One other thing to mention is the reason I use Dutch-processed cocoa powder: it dissolves completely; you don't want gritty syrup.

This recipe is really simple and quick...I hope you'll give it a try!

Homemade Chocolate Syrup

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 cups raw sugar
• 1 ½ cups water
• 1 ½ cups Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons mild honey
• 1 ½ tablespoons pure vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon kosher or sea salt

Instructions

1. Add water and sugar to a large saucepan (it will expand greatly as it boils in the next stage). Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
   
2. Lower the heat and whisk in the remaining ingredients until the cocoa powder is dissolved. Return to a boil for 2 minutes and then lower the heat and simmer until slightly thickened (but not too thick...it'll thicken greatly when it cools), about 5-8 minutes.
   
3. Pour the hot syrup through a fine mesh strainer and let it cool to room temperature before transferring into bottles.

I Am Here Playmat

I was just spending some time on Etsy looking for materials to make some hair clips and stumbled upon these great customized playmats! Yes, you read that right. I was looking for hair supplies and I found a playmat. That's how my mind works...it's like dominoes. At times it makes me nuts, but today, because I found this mat, I'm thankful for it.

BoredStiff is the shop's name and they'll create a custom playmat for your child mapping out your town...or a favorite vacation spot!

How cool is it for your son or daughter to drive some Matchbox cars around town, learning street names and directions on this I am Here playmat? I say pretty cool!

Visit etsy.com/shop/boardstiff to see all of their products, including miniature structures for your town! Mat prices start at $28.50.

The Beauty Department

You know how certain things come into your life and you instantly wonder how you ever lived without them? The Beauty Department is one of those things for me.

Lauren Conrad (an It Girl for sure, always spotted with gorgeous hair, perfect makeup and an obvious eye for all things fashion) partnered with her hair stylist and makeup artist, Kristin Ess and Amy Nadine, two experts who not only know what they're doing but are willing to share their knowledge with the rest of us...and The Beauty Department was born!

The site is full of hair and makeup how-tos (like the one shown here for Twisted Sister), countless quick tips, and discussions on trends, skin issues, and tools of the trade, as well as inspirations and beauty obsessions.

One change I've made thanks to the site is to spray dry shampoo on my bangs right after drying them instead of waiting for the inevitable hair separation that comes later in the day. I don't think I'm being dramatic when I say it's changed my life...at least the life of my hair!

Visiting The Beauty Department in the middle of my day has become a quiet and peaceful time for me, and not only due to the overflow of stylish goodies. The layout is simple, the format is clean, and the photos and graphics are breathtaking. I'm talking stunning. It's a welcome oasis in the middle of my jam-packed day of homeschooling and writing!

So take a look! Visit thebeautydepartment.com to start your journey into the site that will consume you...and have you wondering how you ever lived without it!

giggleDEALS

I've purchased some amazing products at steep discounts in the past couple of years thanks to various daily deal sites. And now there's another online store offering great children's items for less: giggleDEALS.

giggleDEALS offers it's members a chance to save big (up to 70% off) on baby clothes and accessories...even nursery furniture! Today, for example, you could score Apple & Bee diaper bags, Little Bamboo blankets, Bobux baby shoes, and i play Swim Sensations bathing suits all for a song!

To take advantage of the discounts, sign up at giggle.com.

50% off Zoobooks Subscription

This week's Living Social deal is a year's subscription to Zoobooks (or Zootles or Zoobies, depending on your child's age and development level).

For $15 (normally $30) you'll receive an animal-themed book sent to your home each month along with a poster and set of stickers. My children have been receiving Zoobooks the past year and LOVE it! Not only do they enjoy the animals they read about, but they feel so grown up receiving their own mail each month.

Your child will learn about animals from apes to zebras and every one in between while looking at beautiful photography and age-specific content. They will also build reading skills while you snuggle together on the couch reading these educational books. They offer "all the right building blocks to set young readers up for learning success," says Learning Magazine.

To purchase your subscription, visit livingsocial.com. But hurry, this offer is only good for six more days!

Poppy King for J.Crew

For the past two days I've been working outside of the house for a client's special event (two more days to go). This includes getting dressed up in business attire and putting makeup on. The kids hardly recognize me. Hazel keeps touching her lips and saying, "Mama's red."

Wait a minute, let's back up...

Last week I was in J.Crew and noticed these little black boxes at the register. I opened one up and was delighted to find a tube of lovely reddish coral lipstick inside.

I had started my search for such a shade last fall and never succeeded in finding the perfect one...they were either too orange or not orange enough. I'm thrilled to say my search is over.

Lipstick Queen, the maker of this covetable color, got it's start when Poppy King, 18 years old at the time, started her own lipstick company because all of the others on the market "were all thin, slimy, and too greasy feeling. Plus there were no deep colors...most reds went pink. She wanted lipsticks that gave her the look of the 1940's. Rich, opaque and filled with pigment." And that's exactly what this lipstick is...which explains the cult following it has all over the world.

And so I've been wearing it the past two days and will continue to wear it when I leave the house...for work or otherwise. I'm a bit in love and can't wait to delve into the other parts of Lipstick Queen's world.

This particular shade was created exclusively for J.Crew and is available only in their brick and mortar stores and at jcrew.com ($18.00). To check out all of Lipstick Queen's other products visit lipstickqueen.com.

PS - I give major props to you parents who work out of the house. I stay home with three children, homeschool them, and work 15-20 hours a week from home and often hear, "I don't know how you do it." But you, those who fit laundry, cooking meals, running errands, and everything else that comes along with children into your day, while also dressing up and preparing yourself to leave the house each morning, you I have much respect for! Bravo!