Friday, April 27, 2012

Reduce Clutter

Still working on your spring cleaning? Reduce clutter with these vanity storage solutions (h/t Apartment Therapy) http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/no-clutter-vanity-flip-up-mirror-170225

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Upcoming mega-sale will help fill, purge kids' closets

What a great event! Make sure to take advantage of the early birdie shopping – looks like a great deal!

Whether your child’s closet is as full as a grocery cart on payday or as empty as a snack drawer after a sleepover, Just Between Friends’ upcoming sale may be able to help.

The semiannual event — which will feature gently used children’s toys, gear and warm-weather clothing — will take place Wednesday, April 11 through Saturday, April 14 at the Colorado Springs Event Center, 3960 Palmer Park Blvd.

Military moms, consigners, volunteers and first time parents and grandparents will have a chance to shop Tuesday and Wednesday morning before the sale opens to the public at 1 p.m. Wednesday.

It’s not too late to sell at JBF, though many first-time consigners who try to prepare their items at the last minute underestimate the task, said Lynn Jennings, co-owner of JBF’s Colorado Springs franchise.

“It is a process to get the clothes tagged and all that,” Jennings said.

Potential consigners have through April 6 to register at the JBF website.

Though readying consignment items per JBF’s directions takes time and patience, Jennings said the work can pay off.

A few of the benefits: Items tend to seller quicker than they do at consignment shops, consigners get a higher percentage of sales, and payment comes in the form of a check — not in-store credit.

“It’s faster, and they get their money quicker,” Jennings said. “They can drop off as much as they want. We don’t have a limit.

“They can pretty much purge their house in a week.”

For those simply looking to fill up empty closets, Jennings said the sale’s items will be free of holes, stains and smells and tagged at 50 to 90 percent below original retail price, with many reducing by an additional 50 percent on Saturday.

“We do an inspection process when consigners drop off,” Jennings said. “We want to take the best quality we can. We even do a recall check on items such as strollers, car seats and toys.”

Many consigners choose to have their unsold items donated to Airman’s Attic — a Peterson Air Force Base organization that donates children’s clothing and other essentials to service members — at the end of the sale.

“We usually fill a moving truck,” said Jennings of the donated leftovers. “They benefit greatly, which is wonderful for military families.”

For more information on the sale, visit the Colorado Springs JBF website here.

Read more: http://articles.pikespeakparent.com/articles/help-75-whether-kids.html

Friday, April 6, 2012

Easter egg hunts: Fun for people AND pets

This is a neat idea! Would you ever hold an Easter egg hunt for your dog?
Easter egg hunts are for people and dogs — at least that’s Kyle Davidson’s take on the matter.



Davidson, the owner of The Fur Seasons Pet Spa, organized this Saturday’s Fur and Fun Easter Egg Hunt, to take place from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. outside the Shops at Voyager, 11550 Ridgeline Drive.


Kids, pets and adults will all have a chance to search for eggs filled with goodies.


Kids’ eggs will hold candy.


Adults’ eggs will hold coupons for deals at Davidson’s pet spa, CafĂ© Velo, Rosie’s Diner and Pro Fit Strength & Conditioning.


Dogs’ eggs will hold gourmet treats — no run-of-the-mill Milk Bones here.


“All of the treats are natural,” Davidon said. “That’s the theme of our store. We’re going to be hiding some bison tendons, some peanut butter and blueberry biscuits, some fresh salmon jerky.


“All of the eggs will be color coded. Hopefully kids won’t be picking up the eggs and eating the dog treats.”


Davidson says he’s yet to hear of another local Easter egg hunt that involves families and their furry friends.


“There are some where you may be able to bring your dog and go out into a field and look for eggs, but none with treats for dogs hidden in the eggs,” he said. “This is a full-scale deal.”


For more information, visit the Fur and Fun Easter Egg Hunt event page here.


Read more: http://articles.pikespeakparent.com/articles/easter-69-people-egg.html

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Family Easter Crafts: Little Egg Creatures

It's almost Easter! Here's a great themed craft the whole family will enjoy.
Dyeing for a new way to decorate Easter eggs? Here's a recipe for fun that's hard to beat: With basic crafts supplies -- crepe paper, pipe cleaners, felt, yarn, thread, and glue -- kids can make cows, pigs, and lots of other eggs-traordinary creations from plain white eggs. Quail eggs (look for them at specialty grocers) are the right size for smaller animals (paint works better than dye to color their spotted shells). And brown eggs are a natural choice for creatures with dark fur or feathers. We've provided some egg creatures templates, but who knows just what will hatch from a child's imagination?


Basic Egg Preparation:

Blowing
Emptying eggs lets you save your creations. An adult should pierce egg at both ends with a utility knife, widening one hole a bit. Poke a straightened paper clip through wide hole; stir yolk. Place ear syringe in smaller hole; squeeze. Contents will pour out. (Wash hands well.)

Dyeing
It's easy to make dye: Cover the work area with paper towels. In a jar, mix 1 teaspoon vinegar, 20 drops food coloring, and 1 cup warm water. Submerge the egg (keep it down with a paper cup containing water). Soak 5 minutes for light colors and 10 minutes for darker shades. Remove the egg with tongs. A homemade rack of pins and foam board makes for even drying and quick cleanup.

Decorating
Dye or paint should be fully dry before beginning. Affix features with white glue (on crepe paper, use tiny dots of glue); let dry at least 20 minutes. Glue on feet or legs first so egg will stand. For ears and combs, dab glue on edge of felt or crepe paper, affix piece, let dry, then fold up. Add small details like eyes with tempera paint or a marker.

See our Egg Preparation Guide for more tips on blowing, dyeing, and decorating eggs.

Lovely Ladybug How-To
Ladybugs who lunch don painted-on faces and construction-paper attire (dots are made using a hole punch). Each pair of legs is one piece of yarn glued underneath; antennae are embroidery floss dipped in glue and dried to stiffen.

Big-Eared Bunny How-To
Why is this bunny so chubby? From munching crepe paper-topped carrots! He's a bit harebrained but has fine felt ears, teeth, and feet (a hole cut in the center of his feet keeps his body standing up). Twitching a pom-pom nose and embroidery-floss whiskers, he finishes his snack.

Country Cow How-To
How now do you make a brown cow? With brown eggs, of course. An udderly adorable calf starts out as a speckled quail egg, and a pair of Holsteins gets their spots from black paint. All have crepe-paper features and embroidery-floss or yarn tails. Use a piece of pipe cleaner (add spots with a marker) for each pair of legs.

Puddly Pigs How-To
This mama and her round little piglet are pretty in pink touches, fresh out of the carton -- but not for long! They're headed to a cool puddle of construction-paper mud as fast as their pipe-cleaner legs (bent into a V) will carry them. For the nose, glue on a button (use tape to secure while glue dries, then gently peel off). To make the curly tail, run a thumbnail along one side of plain embroidery floss.

Cheeky Chickens How-To
This brood is all smiles, er, beaks as they pose for a family portrait to welcome their latest addition. (The photo hanging behind them was taken before the baby was born.) Mr. Rooster crows that his new son is a good egg, and Mrs. Chicken is pleased that both children inherited the family's felt features.

Bumbly Bees How-To
These insects are spinning a yarn about how they came to bee: Glue the end of a strand of yellow yarn to the tip of a quail egg. Once dry, coil the yarn around the egg, alternating yellow and black sections, and gluing as you go. Glue on the wings and antennae, tucking between the strands with a toothpick. For the hive, use a regular egg; the door is cut from felt. Use poster putty to make the hive stand up.


Read more at MarthaStewart.com.

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