Kids Crafts – A Crown To Get You Noticed

Ok, so Alice’s school will be awarded a very large check of money today! Why? Because her school have taken first place in this years spelling bee table… In our language, it simply means that her school boasts some of the best spellers in the country.

To help to share the schools success the local paper will run a piece accompanied by some images of some of the pupils. In order to get selected as one of the chosen pupils to be photographed, children including my daughter, were asked to make a crown, the type that would get them noticed. Well, my daughter being the girl who never shies away from a camera, got on the job right away.

Armed with a box of bits and bobs, she got to work. Given we had to be somewhere yesterday evening meant she didn’t actually have all that long to design and create her “large” noticeable hat! But in all fairness this little lady is pretty capable of doing some fantastically creative projects in a tiny space of time.

So… Here it is! Her flower, butterfly, and of course… Bumble bee crown.

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She used all sorts of materials to create her crown, from tissue paper to sequins, glitter to foam, card and decorative tape. A mountain of flowers that were so delicately sprinkled with glitter, then laid lightly around the crown. She even made a bumble bee eye mask to match her large hat! Alice may now have walked the walk to school with a head full of bumble bees but she did so in style.

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She is a real inspiration my amazing Alice-Sara! Even if her oversized bumble bee crown doesn’t get her in the local rag, it gets her in my top spot list, as she always does, time and time again!

Well, thanks for checking out the crown of bumble bees! We hope Alice-Sara has inspired your little ones to get creative with buzzing bumble bees.

Kids Crafts – Painting A BirdHouse

We love a delivery from Baker Ross! Our last delivery was one packed with fantastic products all of which the children really enjoyed getting creative with.

Crafting, is a great way to amuse the kids during the school half term. We have so far had no boredom set in, despite the rainy weather we have experienced here in london these past few days! Why? Because the children have been busy painting and decorating their very own birdhouse.

The suppliers (all provided from Baker Ross Ltd) were as follows…
Box of cardboard readymade Bird Houses, selection of 8 Grotto acrylic paints (designed specifically for children), PVA glue and some fantastic and EZ Stones (that I’ll explain a little more about later within this post).

The toddler age 3 and my daughter Alice Sara 10, Had a fabulous time painting their birdhouses.These cute little houses come ready-made and all that is required is your child’s colourful imagination and some child friendly grotto paint. Grotto acrylic paints are specifically designed to be used by children, they come in 8 colour shades, are supplied in their own carry case, and are all water based and 100% safe to use.

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Alice Sara used the paints to decorate her birdhouse in a Multi coloured stripy fashion. She then used sponge stamps to decorate various areas of her birdhouse. Harley also went for a Multi coloured design and enjoyed mixing and swirling his paints all over his house… And mine!

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The children gave their birdhouses an hours drying time before applying PVA glue to the roof and then covering the glue in crystal EZ stones. These colourful vibrant crushed natural stones add a Three-dimensional effect, giving it that something. a great alternative to glitter. textured, sparkling effects. 6 assorted colours, 150g per colour.

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This is the very first time myself and the children have come across EZ stones but already we love them! They really help to make a craft project that little bit different. The natural stones have been finely crushed making them easy to work with. They are available in an array of fantastic colours and can be added to almost any surface whether its a painting on standard paper or a huge playhouse made of cardboard boxes and toilet roll tubes. I’ll be honest! These stones can leave a little mess around the table/floor but that’s easily sorted with a clean dust pan and brush (you can then sweep them back into their original containers and seal).

Now, back to the project at hand! Once the glue was completely dried and the stones firmly stuck in place, the kids painted a few layers of Mod Podge as to give it a seal and protect the kids lovely art work.

So… Here are the finished birdhouses!

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I love these cute colourful birdhouses and think the kids did a fantastic job. I know that if I were a bird I’d definitely fancy popping in for a quick bite to eat! Wouldn’t you?

If you think your little ones would love to get creative in this way, then just pop over to the Baker Ross ltd online store where all of the listed materials can be easily found. The great news is that Baker Ross Ltd don’t charge the earth for these materials and whats more they can even be brought in bulk which saves you even more money (fantastic for schools and community groups ect).

Well, thanks for reading! We (myself and the children) hope this project has inspired you to get crafty.

Stupid things I’ve done before the age of 30

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Regardless of your age, I’m guessing that more than a few of you will relate to a few of these listed below.

It’s them little things we remember isn’t it? I look back on my life so far and I have to admit it often makes me chuckle. Growing up we do some silly things, some are more silly than others. We’ve embarrassed ourselves stupid, thought we looked cool when we so didn’t, done something to impress a boy or two, and a whole lot more besides.

However, you must admit, that no matter how silly these things are… Most were a lot of fun in the process.

So with that I’ve made this list! A list of all the stupid little things i’ve done before the age of 30!

So… In no particular order, here it goes

1. Had a tantrum in a supermarket for a red balloon (or so my mum informs me so)!

2. When at school, I’ve said something bitchy behind my friends back.

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3. Made plans with all school friends that once I’m 16 I’ll emigrate with them to Spain where we will run a bar and live happily ever after… Blah… Blah… Blah

4. Bunked school only to be spotted by my mothers closet friend (almost every time, that woman was everywhere).

5. Tried to act the big girl when stating “yer, I eat the hottest curry at the Indian” only to feel like crying my eyes out when trying to prove it.

6. Got stuck in a baby swing at the play park only to need cutting out by dishy firemen. Note: 1, I was 15, 2, I was wearing a short skirt, 3, I was actually bunking off from school at the time, 4, my Head of Year was called and judging by how quickly she arrived to laugh at me, I’m guessing she flew there!

7. Gone to a friends for dinner only to find her mothers cooking disgusting. As a result I’m forced into the difficult task of trying to feed it to their family dog when no ones looking! Only problem is the dog didn’t seem to think much of it either)!

8. Left the girls loos to discover I’ve got my skirt tucked in my knickers and loo roll on the bottom of my shoes.

9. Accidentally killed a goldfish in a record half a day (not once but 2x)!

10. Needed to go to the toilet while at a boyfriends house but being to worried he may hear the action, held it for far to long, resulting in bad tummy cramps that left me rolling around like a baby on the floor.

11. Got a sudden case of the giggles at the most inappropriate moment.

12. Pretended to talk on my mobile in front of a group of lads only for it to start ringing.

13. Stuck chewing gum and a few drawing pins on a teachers chair.

14. Sat pulling a string of faces at my brother while my mother told him off, playing the angelic little angel whenever she looked in my direction.

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15. Got drunk on cider…. That’s it… “Got drunk on cider!”

16. Woke up with kebab in my hair (and I don’t even like kebab so work that one out).

17. Wore a Union Jack dress when Geri Halliwell from the spice girls rocked one back in the 90’s.

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18. Fallen over on a busy high street, jumped up and of course walked on as quickly as my little legs would carry me.

19. Spent a whole weeks pocket money on gobstoppers.

20. Dressed the family cat in dolls clothes then shut it in a draw.

21. Out loud i’ve sung the words to a song completely wrong then blamed the song.

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22. Got stranded up town on New Years eve when losing my purse. Walked all the way home in heels only to realise the buses were free from midnight (we’re not talking up the road here but 8.6 miles).

23. Played knock down ginger (not literally, my son has red hair)! This game actually just involves knocking on doors and running away at speed. Not proud now but was dead proud then.

24. Sent an email about someone (hoping that someone would never know or hear about it) yet instead of sending it to the person I intended, I’ve accidentally Sent it to that someone who wasn’t meant to ever ever see it!

25. Quit a Job through anger only to regret it by the time I’ve had my second vodka at the bar directly across the road.

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26. Accidentally made plans with two different people. Told one that I’m staying in and having an early night as gotta be up early. Only problem is that I see them in the club I’m at that night! The fact that I’m really swinging my pants on the dance floor at gone 2am really doesn’t help.

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27. Ran away from home only to get as far as my garden gate.

28. Run and grabbed someone from behind shouting “Give me your money” only to realise that it wasn’t the good friend I thought it was. Honestly try explaining that one to the police!

29. Done my own fake tan just before a big night out, only to end up looking like a streaky version of the tango man.

30. Sent a drunken text but worse still… To the wrong person.

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31. Gone on a night out dressed in next to nothing, without a coat during December. Why…. ?

32. Eaten a pot noodle for dinner. With the rising cost of living a pot noodle is no longer even considered a poor persons dinner… But it was when I ate it!

33.. Surfed on the back of an ice cream van.

34. Spent my school lunch money on cigarettes.

35. Stalked a paper boy I had a crush on.

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36. Drunk hooch and Lambrini at parties when under the illusion it was a classy thing to do.

37. dropped out of school simply because I thought I knew better… Wasn’t impressed when I had to get educated as a woman!

38. 2 days after having a baby I attended an intermediate high impact cardio workout class. Just 5 minutes into the season I lied about needing the toilet so I could escape back out the door and back home.

39. Told my child’s teacher the dog ate their homework because I accidentally binned it.

40. Slipped and fell in a puddle of beer while doing my funky thing on the dance floor.

41. Slipped and fell in a puddle of sick while doing my funky thing on the dance floor.

42. Consumed far too much alcohol on an 18 to 30’s holiday therefore forgetting where or even which hotel I’m staying at.

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43. Lied about my age to a boy only to be left red cheeked when I’m finally found out… (as you always are)!

44. Cried over a boy and screamed at my mum when she suggested I’d laugh about it one day! Of course she was right!

45. Fallen of a bar that I was dancing on (well, I was working in Greece and at 17 can be forgiven)!

46. Followed a fashion trend despite looking like a bit of a C#%#.

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47. Spent a weeks wages on shoes!

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48. Spent an absurd amount of money at a fairground trying to win an inflatable hammer or a teddy in an inflatable ball.

49. Eaten my own body weight in chocolate.

50, Dressed up in a couple of net curtains and danced around my bedroom pretending to marry Robbie from Take That (no not the reformed Take-That).

51. Chosen a water ride at a theme park as my first ride of the day. The sun isn’t shining much, I’m wearing jeans, have no change of clothes and another 6 hours before my train home! The word Idiot springs to mind!

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52. On boxing day I’m sat playing Hairdresser when cutting all my Barbies hair off despite Christmas only being the day before.

53. Drunk so much black coffee before a job interview that I’ve gone in shaking like a alcoholic… No I didn’t get the job!

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54…

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So, go on then… Make a list of you’re own! I bet you’ll have a giggle as you look back and realise that there were times when you were quite simply pathetic!

Elen Rivas Joins Ben and Holly from the Little Kingdom to support Jeans for Genes Day 2012

ELEN RIVAS LAUNCHES JEANS FOR GENES DAY
NURSERY SCHOOL CAMPAIGN WITH
BEN AND HOLLY’S LITTLE KINGDOM

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Celebrity mum, Elen Rivas joins her friends Ben and Holly from hit pre-school series, Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom and children from Peques 1 Nursery in Fulham to kick start a nursery school campaign for this year’s Jeans for Genes Day. To help raise money for the charity, exclusive Ben and Holly zip pulls will go on sale in the UK. Elen will also be judging a nationwide competition with participating nurseries to find the best denim dress and denim trousers designed by pre-schoolers for cartoon characters Ben and Holly.

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The exclusive zip pulls come in four designs featuring popular children’s TV characters Ben Elf, Princess Holly, Nanny Plum and Gaston the Ladybird from Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom which airs daily on Channel 5’s Milkshake! and Nick Jr. The range is now on sale at the official online store, the Jeans for genes day web shop and will be available from selected UK retailers. All proceeds generated from the sale of the zip pulls will go direct to Genetic Disorders UK, the charity that brings you Jeans for Genes Day.

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Jeans for Genes Day takes place on Friday 5th October and the charity’s target for this year is £2.5 million. A beautifully simple idea, on Jeans for Genes Day people leave their suits and uniforms at home and wear their jeans to work or school in return for a donation. Jeans for Genes Day raises money for Genetic Disorders UK which aims to raise money to provide vital care and support for individuals and families with genetic disorders. In 2012, 23 charities will benefit from the funds raised.

For more information on Jeans for Genes Day or to request a free fundraising pack please visit www.jeansforgenesday.org or call Freephone 0800 980 4800. To find out more about Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom, please go the little kingdom website

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