30-Minute Martha » 30-Minute Crafter

Easy Halloween Craft Ideas Round-Up

admin — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 23:45:14 +0000

I’m a Halloween-o-holic!

Here are just a few quick Halloween crafts I’ve found around the web… the SPIDER web! Heehee!

First, here’s a spooky Haunted Halloween wreath I created for my ScrapHappy family (they got a step-by-step tutorial, but I think you can get the gist from this image:

Next, these free printables for Halloween subway art from All Things Simple are so cute and graphic. I already printed the white-on-orange for our house:

We’re totally making these for Cal’s first-grade Halloween party at school in a few weeks (yeah, I’m room mom – again). They’re via CraftaholicsAnonymous:

Here’s another must-do for the class’s party, this one via GardenofPraise:

And if we were allowed to have food in the schools at parties, we’d be doing these (from Parents):

Lots of fun goodies! If you want to receive more great ideas like this, you can follow me on Pinterest.

P.S. If you want to scoop up spooky supplies, head over to Michaels! Click on the ad below to get the latest deals.

30DOH: Day 4 – The Family Room

admin — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 07:29:21 +0000

Welcome to Day Four of 30 Days to an Organized Home, our 30-day journey to sanity and cleanliness.

On Day Three we talked about tackling procrastination. I got those scrapbook layouts filed and now the bookshelves look neat as a pin — and I felt a TON of energy after I finished that task I’ve been putting off for months!

Here is the before (and only PART of it):

It took me HOURS. I mean, HOURS. I had to sort into piles according to topic, and then according to size. And then put them in page protectors… but I am thrilled with the results. Here’s a quick video:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6YAOSPea6E 570 430[/youtube]

I’m going to need that energy today because today’s task is a doozy.

Your Task: The Family Room.

Refer to page 7 in your book for some guidelines. Our family room is truly the center of our home. Even though I tell the kids (and the husband!) not to eat there, food gets consumed. Movies get watched. Games get played. Naps get taken. I LOVE it because of that – but it definitely shows the wear and tear! AND we have tons of CDs, DVDs, and (yes) VHS tapes to sort through. Anyone want a copy of Quigley Down Under on VHS?

If you like, check in below when you complete your assignment.

P.S. Don’t have your copy of 30 Days to an Organized Home yet? Grab it here for immediate download!

Fun First Day of School Ideas

admin — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 18:05:01 +0000

You may have already started back, but our first day of school is next week (for two kids) and the week after for the last. That’s why I, in typical leave-it-to-the-last-minute fashion, am just now brainstorming ideas for the first day of school to put a little bit of fun into it!

Here’s my roundup of fun first day of school rituals (that take 30 minutes or less):

1. Have a muffin morning. I admit it, we don’t always have breakfast together as a family. Usually, my husband takes off with Ben (my oldest) and they eat… Who knows what? Meanwhile, the girls and I scramble around as we shout from room to room about shoes, hair accessories, and tooth-brushing.

This year, I’m going to prepare a batch of muffins the night before and we’re going to take five minutes to gather around the kitchen counter (I have no illusions about us all sitting down together, a la Cleaver family). We’ll scarf a few homemade muffins and then head off in our various directions. (I’m going to try this pumpkin wheat honey muffin recipe, but I’ll have some plain corn muffins on-hand as well for the picky types. Apple muffins might be cute, too, to go in with the fall/school theme.)

2. Craft cute lunchbox notes. I won’t go into this idea too much because I have a complete tutorial on using your photo index prints for a cute craft over at LayoutaDay.com. Head over there to see it in step-by-step glory. (And yes, I am going to make one for my son, even though A. he’s 13; B. he has no lunch as his lunch is included, and C. he will be embarrassed. That is what moms are for!)

3. Take pictures. I’m a scrapbooker! I write a scrapbooking blog! Of course I’m taking photos on the first day of school. Duh. I’ve seen some unique ideas, like handing them a cut-out of a large number that represents their grade, or getting a shot of their new shoes, or taking one from behind as they walk down the sidewalk. We just might be doing all of the above.

4. Create a school supplies gift pack. In Germany, students get these cute treat bags that look like giant cones for their first day of school. I would like to translate that for my kids and include some emergency lunch money, a few fresh pencils, a crazy eraser, and some other cute office supplies, like a tiny notebook.

5. Make time to walk. I can be lazy and reach for the car keys when it gets cold and rainy, but this year there’s no excuse for NOT walking my first-grader. This back-to-school ritual can be so fun as we greet old friends and see everyone’s new school clothes. It gives me a thrill, too, as the first day of school air is always full of energy and anticipation!

Now that shouldn’t be too hard, eh?

P.S. Got some fast back-to-school rituals or activities? Share!

Save Big for Cheap: Entertainment Books for $9.99

admin — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 20:03:51 +0000

I opened my mailbox to see the 2011 Entertainment Book, which was chockfull of 50% discounts for restaurants, entertainment, and more. But the thing that made me sure that I’d made a good decision was the extra discount card on top — $10 off a $25 purchase at a local grocery store. That one coupon paid for my entire purchase!

A quick flip through showed 2-for-1 deals and other discounts at McDonald’s, Qdoba, grocery stores, Bed Bath & Beyond, and more. These values vary by location, and are only good until 11/1/11. But at this price, even if you only use one or two, it’s a great bargain! I even picked one up for my parents’ area in California for when I visit later this fall.

Your turn… $9.99 plus a couple bucks for shipping.

Wahoo!

Go! Fight! Win!

Long Time, No See

admin — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 18:02:13 +0000

Okay, it’s been a while. A LONG while. And I apologize for that… I do have a reason! Actually, several. But the main reason was that I was investigating selling this site (gasp, I know– I just thought I couldn’t give it the love it needed to fully flourish and grow. Kind of like when a mom has to put her child up for adoption because she thinks someone else can give her baby a better life… actually, it’s not even CLOSE to that, but you know the point I’m trying to make here…).

Anyway.

The sale fell through after some strange communications with the buyer. And then it landed right back in my lap. So I thought about trying to sell it again and decided I just love it too much! Especially my header. I love my header.

So I’m back, with renewed vigor, and lots of things for you to look forward to, including:
-Information on fast and easy couponing (you HAVE been watching Extreme Couponing, haven’t you??)

-Product reviews, including one for Mabel’s Labels, the cutest lil’ name labels you’ve ever seen!
-More videos and maybe even a podcast!

So stick around. It’s about to get really, really good.