crafting Archives - Globetrotting Mommy

Great Gifts for Tweens and …

December 12, 2019 By admin

Do you have a tween or teen on your holiday gift list? I feel your pain. These not-little but not-yet adults can be tricky but lucky for you, I’m sharing my list of great gifts for tweens and teens.

Gifts for Tween and Teen Girls

Frida Kahlo Puzzle – She’s an artist, activist, and feminist icon – no wonder so many young women are Frida Kahlo fans. eeBo always has fantastic gifts and this colorful puzzle is sure to please.

Hydro Flask – If your VSCO girl doesn’t already have one, this popular water bottle will be a sure winner. The bigger, the better and don’t forget the cute stickers!

Scrunchies – Now that they’re back, scrunchies are a must for all tween and teen girls. Grab this 60-piece set and you’ll have one to match every outfit.

Gifts For Teens and Tweens Who Have Everything

Dollar Bill Animals in Origami – This book features instructions (start with easy!) for turning any dollar bill into animals like giraffe, shark, unicorn, etc. Throw in a couple of Hamiltons and you’re done. Perfect for road trips and plane rides too.

Spontuneous – The Song Game – We played this over Thanksgiving break with a mix of tweens, teens, parents and grandparents and it was a HUGE hit. We were laughing so hard as we tried to guess each other’s songs and move to the finish line. Great for family gatherings, sleepovers and game night.

Cinema Light Box – A fun light box is always a good idea. Tweens and teens can express themselves with 160 letters and symbols like emojis and holiday icons.

Faux Fur Throws – Teens and tweens will love cozying up for movie night with these super-soft throws. The neutral colors will blend perfectly with any den or bedroom.

Gifts for Travel Loving Teens and Tweens

Wireless Airpods – Airpods are a must-have for teens and tweens who love listening to music on chatting on the go. The learning curve is quick and the battery life is long, enough said.

Inflatable Snow Tube – For tweens and teens who live where it snows, these fun snow tubes are perfect. Choose from burger, donut, peppermint, taco, snowcone or pizza. Perfect for bringing along on a ski vacation…

Disney Mini Backpack – For Disney lovers, Loungefly has the cutest selection of mini backpacks around. My tween has been eyeing this Minnie Mouse Ears version, a classic for sure.

Gifts for Crafty Tweens and Teens

Make Your Own Glitter Face Masks – This DIY kit from Klutz includes everything kids need to make five face masks. The silicone brush makes it easy to apply the mix so it isn’t as messy as you think.

Tie-Dye Party Kit – Know a crafty kid who loves to throw a party? This tie-dye kit comes with supplies (14 fun colors!) and instructions for up to 36 projects. Perfect for sleepovers or family get-togethers.

Sew Your Own Unicorn Cake Pillow – Crafty girls will love learning how to sew a soft and sparkly unicorn cake pillow using techniques like whip stitching, basting and gathering. Materials are pre-cut for ease and there are tons of decorative options (think faux fur, metallic gold lamé, and iridescent pom-poms).

Check out my 2020 Gift Guide for Tweens and Teens for more ideas. Need gift ideas for the travelers on your list? Check out my Great Gifts for Travelers.

Happy shopping!

Note: This post contains affiliate links. I was provided with some items for review purposes but all opinions are my own.

Mom’s Night Out with …

October 29, 2019 By admin

Back-to-school season means back to stressful, busy days and exhausted nights. Add in a dozen tours of NYC middle schools with my tween daughter and my head is ready to explode! Lucky for me, Momtrends came to my rescue with a much needed influencer event full of friends, fun and food.

The Momtrends annual Mom’s Night Out was hosted by Parents Magazine at their downtown office near Brookfield Place and One World Trade Center. There were four stations with interactive activities sponsored by Parents Magazine, Parents Latina, Clorox® and Baby Dove.

I started with the Clorox® DIY Snow Globe making station and it did not disappoint. How cute is my NYC themed Snow Globe?

Moms night out, mom, clorox — Making snow globes at Mom’s Night Out with Clorox.

There were plenty of Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes on hand to clean up the glue and snowy glitter that covered my hands. Whether I’m on the road or at home, there are so many times where a mess needs to be quickly cleaned up and I love the convenience of using Clorox ® Disinfecting Wipes. The fact that they kill 99% of germs is a big bonus for me since staying healthy is a big priority for busy moms. In addition to cleaning messes, the wipes are great for killing germs around my apartment, on airplanes and at hotels (doorknobs, handles, remote controls, yuck).

I spotted my blogger buddy Suburban Wife, City Life and we caught up (yay for no kids) while checking out the Parents Magazine and Parents Latina DIY Halloween stations.

Always a fun time with my blogger buddies.

These magazines are always filled with clever entertaining ideas, parenting tips, gift guides, recipes and more. The current issue has a lot of Halloween ideas and we got to make some cute and yummy treats like spider donuts and fruit kebabs (to offset all the candy!). Once we gobbled them up, we decorated our drinks with sprinkles and cute accessories. Voila!

Such simple ideas that really inspired us to make them at home.

Momtrends Mom's Night Out — Custom perfume bar was a big hit at Momtrends Mom’s Night Out

We moved on to the next Parents station – Alchemologie’s natural perfume bar. We sampled dozens of scents and learned about layering the fragrances to combine our custom perfumes. Such a fun treat.

Lastly, we hit the Baby Dove station where we decorated bath caddies and filled them with new mom essentials including Baby Dove’s Tip to Toe wash. Baby skin is so delicate yet they have a living protective layer of microflora, known as their microbiome. Baby Dove is uniquely made with prebiotic moisture and 100% skin-natural nutrients to gently nourish a baby’s microbiome making it a must-have for new moms.

It was a great night to connect with old friends and make some new ones. And a reminder of how important these nights our are to our well-being. I look forward to another one of these evenings soon.

Thanks again to Momtrends, Parents Magazine, Parents Latina, Clorox and Baby Dove for organizing a great Mom’s Night Out!

NOTE: This is a sponsored post but all opinions are my own.

Michaels Kicks Off Passport to …

June 16, 2014 By admin

Looking for a fun and affordable way to explore North America this summer without leaving home? Michaels has teamed up with seven leading North American museums to create Passport to Imagination 2014, an in-store summer program where kids ages 5-12 can explore culture through crafting.

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Michaels Kicks Off Passport to Imagination Museum Road Trip Summer Program

This year’s theme is Museum Road Trip and each week will focus on a different museum with projects inspired by the museum and its exhibits. Projects teach lessons on natural history, technology, marine life, textiles and art. The in-store classes run today through Aug. 2 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10 am to noon. Each two-hour session is just $2 per child at all U.S. Michaels locations. I don’t know where you live but for NYC parents, that’s an AMAZING deal.

Michaels, Passport to Imagination, Museum Road Trip, Summer Program, Kids, Crafts, Globetrotting Mommy

Michaels Kicks Off Passport to Imagination Museum Road Trip Summer Program

Here’s the lineup:

Week one – The Field Museum in Chicago – Showcasing a collection of more than 25 million natural history artifacts and specimens, The Field Museum is one of Chicago’s coolest museums. Kids will be making fossils, skeletons and other nature inspired projects.

Week two – Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta – Georgia Aquarium features more than 10 million gallons of water and 725 species! Visitors can dive into the wonderful world of whale sharks, the world’s largest fish, and also learn about African penguins, manta rays, sea otters, beluga whales, sea turtles and coral colonies. Kids will make dolphin, shark and frog art projects this week.

Week three – Pima Air & Space Museum in Arizona. Exhibiting 300 of the most amazing aircraft in the history of flight and over 125,000 artifacts, the PIMA Air & Space Museum houses the third largest aviation collection in America. Kids will be making biplanes and gliders, flying fighter planes and space shuttle projects.

Week four – Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas inspires minds through a world of hands-on learning, fun and concepts in science, math and technology, all within one spectacular location. Kids will make space and planet, create-a-constellation, zeotrope, optical illusion art and robot projects.

Week five – The Denver Art Museum features a collection of more than 70,000 pieces ranging from ancient to modern times. Visitors can view sculptures, paintings and photography and participate in family-friendly exhibits and events. This week’s projects include quilts, modern art and portraits.

Week six – The Museum at Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City explores past, present and future fashion trends, accessories and textiles from real-life fashion experts. Kids will make textural weavings, color & pattern wheels, fashion dolls, fashion inspiration boards, fashion sketches and a Duct Tape wallet or purse.

Week seven – The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in Canada, features almost 36,000 pieces including paintings, sculptures, prints and drawings, photos and more. Its colorful exhibits and hands-on creative experiences make it a great place for imaginative kids. This week, kids will make abstract sculptures and stained glass vases, Picasso inspired pictures and masks, and musical instruments.

During the week of June 16, the first 50 participants at each store will receive a free souvenir album.

I think this is a fabulous way to add some culture and craftiness into your summer plans. For more information on Passport to Imagination and other in-store crafting events and classes this summer, go to www.Michaels.com/Passport.