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It’s Click and Comment monday today!! Come on by and share your story and get some linky love!!  Post a link to toddlercraft on your site and share the link to that post below!!  Don’t forget to leave a comment below!!  My blog is dofollow- so you get extra link love from your comment links!!

I felt so loved last week!! I received a couple of  Awards from some great Bloggers!! Now it’s my turn to share the love!!

First I received the  Blogger Buddy Award from Cherrie at imahotmom .  Thanks so much Cherrie!! I feel honored!!

I would like to bestow this award to a few of my Blogger Friends

Sheryl Loch  at Life as a WAHM

Stephanie at Green SAHM

Susan at LiL mom that could

These are great Bloggers who wonderful and informative blogs to read!

I received the One Lovely Blog Award from Cascia at Healthy Mom’s – Thanks Cascia!  This award goes to new great blogs you have found.  Here are a couple of great new ones I have discovered:

Caroline of Morning Side Mom

Steph at Montessori Free Fall

Check out these fun new blogs I found!!  I think you will enjoy them too!!

Don’t forget to leave your link in mr. Linky for some linky love!!  Leave a comment below as well!!

1. Gusti Anom 
2. Root & Sprout  
3. Caroline 
4. Mom Cafe 
5. TrendyBrandyKids Boutique 
6. Zealclip Youtube Video Search 
7. Gatto999 
8. Delhi Florist 
9. florist delhi 
10. send Flowers to Delhi 
11. eRDent Dental Journal 
12. monogrammed beach towels on sale  
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It’s Click and Comment Monday!!  Come get some linky love and tell your story!! Today I am going to introduce you to Tina from MommyComplex!  Tina has a great blog on scrapbooking among other mommy things!!   Here is my interview with Tina…

Onna-What started you blogging?
Tina-I wanted to document my life like a diary for my son. He had just turned 2 and I felt as a first time mom I really had no one to vent to. I am very shy in person so in a way my blog became my friend. Over the past 3 years, it has taken on a life of its own and evolved in a way I never thought it would. I am excited to see what the future brings.

Onna-How would you describe your blog?
Tina-It is hard for me to describe. I do quite a bit of crafting/scrapbooking tutorials on my blog. I also try to throw in pics from our daily life and information on what we’ve been up to. I sometimes post recipes or family fun ideas. I try to appeal to women in general.

Onna-What do you like best about blogging?

Tina-Meeting blogging friends! And I also like getting my thoughts out. I always save a copy of my posts for my son. I plan on putting it all together in a scrapbook someday.

Onna-What is your favorite post(s)?

Tina-I like my early posts where I felt like I really had nothing to say but knew I had stuff I wanted to get out!

Onna-What started you scrapping?
Tina-I started when I got engaged to my husband because I had so many photos. I was a teacher then and my co-workers scrapbooked so they introduced me to the concept. I really became obsessed with it when my son was born in 2004. I felt like I had to scrapbook every sneeze! Now I am more relaxed and just do what I want.

Onna-When did you start?
Tina-I started scrapbooking in 2003. When I first got married my husband would do it with me! Now instead of one small box of stuff I have a big scraproom of possibilities. I am usually working in there in the middle of the night. Lately, I have really been frustrated about finding time to do what I love versus what I need to do.

Onna-What inspires you?
Tina-So much!!! Most of my inspiration comes from online galleries (like at 2Peas), and blogs. Blogs are a biggie for me!!!  I also read magazines like Scrapbooks, Etc. and Creating Keepsakes. I get Family Fun magazine and Real Simple,too. Oh, and Star–have to have some gossip LOL.
Flickr and Facebook are also great places to find inspiration. Flickr photos always inspire me to brush up on my photography skills. My favorite scrapbook artists are Erikia Ghumm, Cathy Zielske and Elsie Flannigan.

One of Tina’s Scrapbook Pages

Tina’s ScrapBook Room

Tina-Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions!!  Make sure to check out Tina’s blog at MommyComplex

Get some linky love!!  Write a post linking here and put the link to your post in Mr. Linky below!! Don’t forget to leave a comment too!!

1. KindNotes Jar of Messages in Mini Envelopes 
2. Internet Business With Purpose 
3. Tess 
4. Zealclip Youtube Video Search 
5. Lachwitze.de 
6. LigTV-Canli.com 
7. Meine-Nicks.de 
8. MSN-Bilder.de 
9. MSN-Zitate.de 
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There are some toddler crafts that are just meant for fun, learning and making a mess. But as a parent, you’d like to keep some of those treasured mementos and put them in a keepsake box for your child’s future. When your child was an infant, you may have made keepsakes such as plaster hand-prints, but once your little one’s old enough to create, it’s nice to keep some of his or her own artwork!

Preserving a toddler craft is easy depending on what medium of art supplies your child has used. A creation made of Moon Sand won’t hold up well, for example – but you can have your child mold a clay object and fire it in a kiln with a protective glaze to keep it forever.

Your child’s toddler craft keepsake will be a treasured item that gets passed down. Make sure you put your little one’s name, age and date on it. You may also want to include a picture of your child making the craft as well as a story about the experience.

Toddler craft keepsakes make great gifts, too! Grandparents will love a homemade present created out of love much more than a store-bought item. Give your child paints, paper, and various sized brushes and let him or her create a picture that you frame along with a picture of your child for one of your loved ones.

Dioramas make good keepsakes, too. You can have your child combine his or her artistic talents with some favorite childhood mementos and put it all in a frame together. This gives it a 3D effect and it will be treasured by your children when they grow up.

Another idea is to take pictures of some of your child’s art work and use a service like Kodak or Snapfish online to make a photoalbum of the special pictures.  This can be cherished for years.  It also takes up a lot less room!!

What kinds of things have you saved from your child?  Do you have any creative ways of preserving them?

It’s once again Click and Comment Tell your story Monday!! Don’t Forget to share your story and get some linky love for your Blog below!  Let’s support each other! Go check out other blogs listed !!  It’s always fun to discover new ones!! Go to Click and Comment Monday for details on how it works.

This week I am sharing my interview with Marie the Creator of the Blog Makes and Takes.
Marie has a great craft blog with many creative and fun project ideas.   She also features some great recipes!

Interview with Marie LeBaron of Makes and Takes

Onna:  What made you decide to start a blog?
Marie: I started my blog in February of 2007, just over 2 years ago. I wanted to showcase some of the crafty ideas and projects that I had learned when teaching Kindergarten and preschools. I’m now a Stay at Home Mom and crafting with my own kids. It’s been a great way to document activities that I can turn to whenever we need something to do!

Onna:  What kinds of things do you cover in your blog?
Marie: I share Kids Crafts, Home Projects, Recipes, Giveaways, Cool Products, and anything else I find fun or worth sharing.

Onna: What is your favorite post on your blog?
Marie:

*My favorite Kids Craft- is this recipe for making Homemade Playdough. It’s super easy to make and stores really well.
* My favorite Home Project is making my Stitched Greeting Cards. I’ve made them for a lot of years, they’re a great card to    give to loved ones.
* My favorite Recipe is Rosemary Peasant Bread. It’s the best when dipped in olive oil and vinegar.

Onna: I love homemade playdough!! It’s the best! We make all sorts of colors, the kids love it!  Your bread sounds delicious!! I will definitely have to try that!

Onna: What does your husband think of your blogging?
Marie: He actually manages my blog for me, all the behind the scene techy stuff! It’s fun to be able to produce this blog together. He’s a great support, helping make this work for our family!

Onna: That’s great that you work on it together!! It’s a family affair!!

Onna: What do your children think?
Marie: I have 3 kids, ages 6, 3, 1. My son thinks it’s great when he sees himself on the blog. He’ll even say things like, “Mom, we should take a picture of this and put it on the blog!” I love it! Again, my kids are very supportive of it too, having fun being crafty.

Onna: I can see that! I know my kids love seeing their art work and crafts on the blog!

Onna:  What kinds of activities do you do with them?
Marie: Other than the activities that you see on the blog, we love to play outdoors. Now that Spring is here, for the most part, we’re out riding bikes, drawing with chalk, and blowing bubbles. My kids love to help me bake too. We will bake cookies or treats together in the kitchen.

Onna:  Do you have any tips for parents that you learned from raising your kids?
Marie: I try to fill my day with things that will help them learn, play, and grow up to be responsible kind and caring people. We talk a lot about how things work, why we should or shouldn’t do something, and what makes the world go-round.

Onna:  How do you get inspiration for the crafts you create?
Marie: The holidays are a big help in coming up with crafts Or I love going to the craft store just looking at supplies. I could roam the isles for hours.

Onna:  Do you have any favorite resources for ideas on crafts?
Marie: Kids are a great resource for ideas. I will often ask my kids what they want to make and we’ll try to come up with it. There are also many many great blogs and websites out there with fantastic ideas. Visit my “links” page for a few fun ones I list.

Onna: I agree!  My Kids always tell me the kinds of things they want to create!  They have such great imaginations too!

Onna:  What is your favorite type of craft to create?
Marie: I love to craft something new out of recycled items. Using materials that I already have, like egg cartons, milk jugs, paper towel rolls are great supplies. It helps the environment and makes a fun craft!

Thank you Marie for taking the time to share some of your thoughts with me!!  I am sure your kids are learning a lot from you and the crafts you create together !!

Go check out Marie’s blog, Makes and Takes it is full of wonderful craft ideas and recipes.

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photo credit: Annemeesie

Get Ready for Click and Comment Monday!

It’s a beautiful Sunday here in New England!! I love Sunny days to enjoy the outdoors!!  Happy Easter and Happy Passover!!  I hope that you are all enjoying a great day today!!

Just a reminder that tomorrow is Click and Comment Monday, so tell a story on your blog and put a link here on Monday in Mr. linky to that post!!  For Details go to Click and Comment Monday.  I look forward to reading the stories and visiting your blogs!! Don’t forget to check out the other blogs that are featured!!

I will be posting my interview tomorrow with Marie from Makes and Takes so be sure to check it out!!