DIY Paper Mask Craft for Kids

Making a mask is a fun, easy and inexpensive way for children and even adults to prepare for a party. Since New Year's Eve is so close, we decided to make these fun mask to celebrate the new year.  This DIY party mask also makes a perfect New Year's Eve craft and activities for kids to do on new year's eve.

Complete your kid's New Year's Eve attire with this super cute paper mask! This also makes a cute mask idea for kids to celebrate Mardi Gras.

Don't forget to check our New Year's Eve Craft board on Pinterest for more awesome ideas to keep kids busy on the New Year's Eve.

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10 Best Heart Warming Stories for Christmas

Hey readers, Merry Christmas!

Not quite, you’ll say. But somehow, if you look around, it doesn’t feel that far away. There may be no snow on my street but strings of icicle LED’s on neighbors’ roofs lend themselves to glowing anticipation.

It is that time of the year again- when we feel merry and fuzzy, joyfully soaking in the shimmering lights, jingling sounds and delicious smells of the festive abundance around us. The cold season of joy, love, togetherness, and sharing warms up our hearts in a sublime paradox.

And that’s exactly why, we bring to you ‘10 Heart Warming Stories for Christmas’ through our collection of these uplifting, inspiring and unifying stories that will sit perfectly with your little one’s cup of hot chocolate. They may not all come from Santa’s grotto up north, but they fit every bit the warm and joyous spirit of Yuletide.

Beautifully narrated and illustrated, they are perfect presents for your toddler or pre-schooler. They stir imagination and emotion with sensitively told stories about life, relationships, self-image and family.

So, read on the snapshot, make your pick and tickle your little one’s heart with some Christmas magic!


This post contains affiliate links to the products mentioned. Read our disclosure policy for more information. This is not a sponsored post.

MAGICAL STORIES FOR CHRISTMAS THAT KIDS WILL LOVE


1. Secret Santa and the Twelve days of Christmas Giving



Author: Courtney Petruzzelli
Illustrator: Melissa B. Snyder

“It isn’t about all the gits you receive,
It’s what you can GIVE, that’s what people believe,
The joy and the hope you will spread this season
Is what Christmas is for, the real, true reason.”


As aptly and wonderfully put, the compelling and enduring message of this classic is giving and sharing during the Christmas season. In this story, Santa invites an elite group of truly kind and compassionate kids to become a part of his ‘Secret Santa Team’ and help spread cheer to those in need. It encourages families to talk to their children about giving and experience the joy that comes along with it.

Children will love the exciting new adventures on every page. The poetic text and hand-painted, yesteryear illustrations transport you into a magical atmosphere. The key takeaway is compassion and generosity of spirit, for the festive period and beyond. Grab this gem and keep it in your treasure of precious reads for Christmas.


2. Elfie the Elf



Author: Cheryl DeVleeschouwer
Illustrator: Christian J Gaitan


Granny has an unforgettable bedtime story to tell her grandkids. A little lonely girl happens to meet an elf and they strike a friendship. They learn to support each other and help them follow their dreams. Set against the serene and snowy arctic backdrop, the story ticks all things Christmassy – elves, reindeers, and St. Nicolas himself!

Read this intimate story for lessons in friendship and little acts ok kindness. The illustrations are warm and bright and lend themselves to emotive storytelling.
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Plastic Pollution under the Sea - Kids Fish Craft

The famous English broadcaster, Sir David Attenborough’s critically acclaimed documentary “Our Blue Planet” made it impossible for us to look at our blue oceans in the same way again. It is a grim subject but deserves attention and concern, also from young children.

For the uninitiated, imagine looking at pictures of a different kind - a turtle trapped in a fishing nest, carcass of an erstwhile-mighty albatross baring its plastic-littered stomach, a seagull munching on a crisps-bag or a baby seal choking on a plastic bag. Sadly, something as shocking and heartbreaking is the new normal for ocean life today.

Apparently, the overzealous use of our favorite material has found a way to get into our oceans. One garbage truck of plastic is dumped into our oceans every minute*. By 2050, there could be more plastics in the ocean than fish (by weight)**!

This reckless and appalling contamination of our precious resource is mainly understood to be caused by beverage litter (bottles, caps, lids), lost or disposed fishing nets, synthetic fibers, plastic bags, straws, cutlery, etc.


So when the opportunity arose to highlight the situation before young minds, I felt compelled to introduce the grim reality to the young schoolers. My son had his ‘Show & Tell’ on the topic ‘Under the Sea’ and we both decided to present something that would draw attention to the cause. It helped that we had discussed the topic before and he was naturally inclined.

My son didn’t want to include any “sad” pictures that could upset the class, so we made a ‘Sad Fish, Happy Fish’ version of our own. That's how we went about it.
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25 Simple Christmas Cards Kids Can Make

Making greeting cards is a great way to teach children how to express their feelings and celebrate special occasions in a heartfelt way.

Fall/winter is a great time for making greeting cards with kids as there are several festivals and occasions where greeting cards are a perfect gift. Christmas is perfect for this activity as kids can create lovely handmade Christmas cards to give to their friends, teachers and relatives.

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We have curated easy Christmas cards for toddlers and preschoolers to make. Also, a lot of fun Christmas card ideas for teens and tweens too! Each Christmas card craft project is accompanied with detailed step-by-step instructions on how to make Christmas cards with kids.

RELATED >> 30+ CHRISTMAS CRAFTS FOR KIDS


So go ahead! Browse through our selection of quick and simple DIY Christmas card ideas and pick your favorite projects for this holiday season to make at home or classroom.

HOMEMADE CHRISTMAS CARD IDEAS FOR KIDS


1. FINGERPRINT LIGHTS CHRISTMAS CARD



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30+ Easy Christmas Crafts for Kids

Christmas is a time for so much fun for kids. So many fun Christmas activities for kids can be done, where do you start? Well, if the kid-made Christmas decorations and Christmas crafts are on your mind, we have curated 30+ best Christmas kids crafts just for you.

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We selected easy Christmas crafts for preschoolers and toddlers to make. We think that these are equally fun Christmas crafts for teens and tweens too! Each Christmas arts and crafts project is accompanied by detailed step-by-step instructions so you can get started straight away.

We have a range of crafts and activities for kids that can be a beautiful Christmas decoration idea, lovely Christmas ornaments to adorn your Christmas tree or great homemade Christmas gifts for loved ones.

So go ahead! Browse through our selection of quick and simple DIY Christmas craft ideas and pick your favorite projects for this holiday season to make at home or classroom.

RELATED >> 20 SIMPLE CHRISTMAS CARD KIDS CAN MAKE

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15+ Personalized Christmas Gifts for Kids

This holiday season, what better way to show your little one how truly special he or she is than with a gift that is personalized just for them. It really is amazing what a little bit of customization can do to make a special day or event memorable.

To help you out, we collated this list of awesome personalized gift ideas for kids that they will cherish over years to come. You will find here everything from personalized Christmas book, personalized Christmas ornaments to lots of Christmas stocking stuffers.

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This post contains affiliate links to the products mentioned. Read our disclosure policy for more information.

2018 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE: 15+ PERSONALIZED CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR KIDS



Baby's First Personalized Christmas Ornament 

This adorable personalized first Christmas ornament will be a treasured keepsake for years to come.




Personalized Christmas Book
This Personalized Children's Christmas Story Book idea is a great gift idea for children aged 2 - 8 years old. Love that every personalized book is entirely unique as each illustration and rhyming story is based on the letters of the child's name.




Personalized Christmas Elves
Look at these adorable elves which can be personalized with your child's name and year. They come in both girl elf and a boy elf versions. The "girl elf" has a red skirt and green top and the "boy elf" has a red shirt and green shorts.



Unicorn Sequin Personalized Pillow
This beautifully personalized sequin pillow is a perfect gift for the girl in your life. They are sure to amaze your little girl when swiped to reveal the personalized design.



Personalized Name Crayons
This a perfect Christmas stocking gift for little art and craft lovers. In addition to the child's name in crayons, it comes two Christmas crayon characters, Christmas crinkled paper, Christmas label and ribbon.



Llama/Alpaca Christmas Ornament

Personalized Snowman Puzzle

This 20 piece is a lovely personalized gift idea for little kids. Kids will love to see their names and will enjoy putting their puzzle together over and over.





Personalized Santa Sack
This lovely Christmas sack printed with your child's name is perfect to store all the gifts ready to give on Christmas morning. Plus you get to choose the best size too!



Personalized Christmas Stockings

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15 Best Arts and Crafts Gifts for Kids

A good activity for kids is one they will happily do. And, kids are born artists. They love colors, they love scribbling with anything they can mark with, and they love making a mess by cutting paper.

We introduced our kid to arts and crafts very early and it has been such a joy to see her develop since. She has developed her own sense of colors, shapes, scenarios to capture and stories to tell at a young age.

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One of the best things you can do as a parent to initiate a child into arts and crafts is to give them the right tools and some guidance and let them go at it.

To help you out, we collated this list of top arts and crafts toy gifts you can gift to a young child and see the gift pay off manyfold over the years to come.

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This post contains affiliate links to the products mentioned. Read our disclosure policy for more information.

HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS FOR KIDS - ARTS AND CRAFTS




This portable and organized storage for 140 Crayola art supplies make a perfect holiday gift for age 3 & up.


This is a perfect art-supplies set to complement an easel or start off a home art studio. Great gift idea to promotes creativity and fine motor skills in kids.




Perfect craft kit for kids who are inspired by buildings, architecture and design.  This art project contains everything you need to build a modern home. Great way to encourage creativity and imagination for ages 6 and up.

RELATED >> BEST BOARD GAMES FOR KIDS



Let your kids be creative with this kinetic play sand. With 6 different molds, kids can build castles, pyramids, and more.




This scratch art kit is fun to jot notes, etch doodles, or make cool illustrations and designs.
Bright colors hide beneath the matte coating will surely amaze your little artist.



This is a great gift to introduce your kids to String Art. See your kids transform string and pins into works of art. It comes with 500+ pins, 80 yards string, corrugate boards, tracing paper, decorative backing paper, pin pushing tool. Perfect for age 10+



A fun holiday gift that you can rely on for big smiles and hours of imaginative fun. Over 100 traceable images are sure to keep young artists engaged and excited.






This deluxe art set with compact and portable design includes a wide variety of art supplies for drawing, painting and more – it’s a great gift choice for beginners and serious artists alike.





Kids can create cute animal and flower puppets with this pop stick art kit. These a great holiday gift idea for kids age 3+ to develops hand-eye coordination and helps to improve fine motor skills.






Perfect kids gift that comes with a great variety different drawing stencils from animal, alphabet, numbers and shapes to cupcake, car, truck, boat, spaceship, shark and more!






This all-in-one arts and crafts set for kids is sure to keep kids entertained for hours. Also great for keeping the crafting materials organized and all together in the included craft storage tub.

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DIY Pete The Cat Costume For Kids

“Buttons come and buttons go. Does Pete Cry? Goodness no!”

This year our daughter was old enough to decide about her own Halloween costume. So when asked, she immediately shouted “Pete the Cat”. No surprise, Pete The Cat is one of the cooler animated characters going around in her circles. We knew she had a special affection for Pete when we visited comic con in our local library and the only masked character she clicked a photo with was Pete the Cat!

As parents, we love Pete the Cat too. His stories are funny yet all about useful life-skills such as playing with everyone, taking it easy in life and enjoying life. Those are probably the most important lessons we can impart to our children. Happiness should come first.

So, now, how do you make our kid look like Pete? We decided to get her in yellow and blue covers (jeans, cardigan and t-shirt), craft four groovy buttons and a simple mask cut-out for Pete’s face and eyes. The result turned out to be cool. This quickly became the new favorite toy for some days to go.


Enjoy making this costume craft with your little one and see them pick up some life skills on the side.

Happy Crafting!

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Easy Diwali Crafts for Kids

End-of-year is festive season and the amazing Indian festival of lights (Diwali) is almost here. Diwali is celebrated to honor and celebrate the return of the beloved hero (Lord Rama) and the triumph of good over evil.

It is also said that the Goddess of prosperity "Lakshmi" visits people's homes during Diwali. To welcome her, people clean their homes, light up charming light lamps and set-up colourful garlands on doors.

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We have curated the best Diwali crafts for kids that can be made by preschoolers and toddlers. Here you will find fun Diwali craft ideas for tweens and teens as well.

We have a range of crafts and activities for kids that can be a beautiful DIY Diwali decoration idea or a great handmade Diwali gift for loved ones. So, go ahead and celebrate the festival of lights with your kids by making these cute and easy Diwali crafts.

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Rocking Beluga Whale Paper Plate Craft for Kids

Our toddler's favorite character from the Disney movie 'Finding Dory' was Bailey, the beluga whale. She loved him so much that the first thing she wanted to do on a recent visit to Chicago was to head straight to the Shedd Aquarium and watch the Beluga whales.

We all loved Bailey with his "oooooooo" echo-location voice. He was indeed a charming character in the movie. Our toddler visited the beluga exhibition three times in one visit and left the aquarium only after she had her own beluga fur toy to take home!

FOLLOW OUR ANIMAL CRAFTS BOARD ON PINTEREST FOR MORE IDEAS.

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Today, we decided to make her favorite mammal "beluga" whale as our next rocking paper plate craft. We love how easy and fun rocking paper plate crafts are - last month, we made this cute and easy Rocking Elephant that turned out so beautiful.

Here is how to make the rocking paper plate beluga whale in a few minutes.

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This post contains affiliate links to the products mentioned. Read our disclosure policy for more information.


HOW TO MAKE BELUGA WHALE CRAFT?


SUPPLIES


INSTRUCTIONS

1. Fold a paper plate into the half.



2. Trace the whale's outline on one side.


3. Start cutting out the whale's shape leaving the top part intact as shown below.





4. Cut out the lower part of the whale and the ocean.


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Scarecrow Fall and Halloween Craft

Children have a special fascination for surprise acts. Consider Peek-a-boo, such a simple surprise act but never fails to evoke a squeal of laughter - again and again.

One other such surprise act and now our tots favorite toy, is the spring-a-surprise box toy. Since making this, our toddler has sprung the surprise on us parents countless times never getting tired and laughing like a riot.

So for this Halloween, go make your own spring-a-surprise craft and watch your kids have a lot of fun. If you like the scarecrow, you can follow the instructions below to get yours made in under 30 minutes.

Happy Scare-crowing!

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Horse String Art


Art takes many forms. An interesting form is string art. It's so amazing that thin strings in unison can create such beautiful silhouettes and shapes. Easy yet pretty!

This horse string art makes for a beautiful home decor piece while providing the full DIY experience. A wooden board, some nails and a white string are all you need to create a masterpiece for your home.

Get stringy and make your own version today!

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Open Sesame… The messy treasure inside a mum’s carryall bag

What does a mum expect to find when she puts her hand in her baby/kid bag? No one is expecting to unearth a treasure but what is uncovered could be a fortune of a different kind.


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3 Cheers! - 'Hap Happy Birthday'


"For ages 3 and over", nearly sums the sudden shift a toddler undergoes on turning three. It is more like a coming-of-age for the little ones, who seem to achieve a breakthrough in their mental and emotional capabilities at the turn of the year.

The significant and visible metamorphosis is hard to miss. Suddenly, their speech has exploded and they communicate ceaselessly. They can argue, appease, trick and even crack a joke! Not technically a toddler anymore, they come out of their shelves into more sociable, confident and explorative personalities. They are always on the go, ditching the afternoon nap for good. And of course, they really develop a mind and will of their own.

Previously reserved for the big boys and girls, the whole world of fantastic toys becomes accessible to them. They graduate from 'Lego Duplo' to 'Lego Junior'. A sudden heap of puzzles, board games, construction and role play toys appears surmountable. A plethora of things-to-do while our little bunnies still love to cling on to us!

It is a pleasure to see your baby grow into a more independent individual. But it is also a bittersweet reminder that you cannot hold onto their little selves anymore. After all, looking back, it is the beautiful moments that flash across the mind more than that of worry and trouble.

I reflected on the activities, favourites and relationships of my toddler-graduated son, who turned three recently. I thought it might be a good idea to recount his yesteryear personality and remember it. So, Here it is my as I look back and cherish the memories…

3 Cheers! – ‘Hap Happy Birthday’


Another year passed again, leaving prints of toddle-toes
A telltale of tantrums and mood swings of yesses and noes
The lush of your coiffure, and the milky sniff under your neck
Wrapped in a cosy hug, how we rocked plenty- front and back


A feisty and angry young man, chippy at the slightest trick
Those little fists could slam the table, and roars of cries could tear a brick
The pretend plays are ever so noisy – stomping, pounding, bashing, et al.
A quasi monster often comes alive, post bath time in a nighty growl

Your list of favourites is rather short, the beloved names unchanged all year
Super Spiderman tops the call, the fiery T-Rex absolutely most dear
Climbing, jumping and talking aliens, the colour ‘orange’ and number ‘3’
Surprise egg toys and the humble ice cream, all time precious choices be

Words by the mouthfuls, songs for all animals, All, O hear! hear!
That breezy tickle of tiny lips, as you whisper sweet nothings in my ear
“Why? When? What? Because….” The “Alright” and the toilet talk
Quick retorts and smarty-pants answers, the “follow me” of your neat walk

Serious squabbles with your big brother, smashed up piles of his laboured Lego
You copy all his favourite games. Wherever he is, well, there you go!
Called him a baby and laughed it away, a mean streak every now and then
Oh ‘big boy’, as you like to be known, why bother him with how and when?

“Me want you, me love you, you are beautiful”, how unfeigned is thy flattery
Your version of the Sheeran song, “I’m in love with the shape of you, mummy”
Dad is for piggyback rides, a super sidekick and the best ball boy
You pounce and poke his daddy-tummy, and tickle his ribs, dear fountain of joy

Rolling over to a new year, of bigger age and grown-up ways
My bubbly baby, a tireless toddler, a bittersweet adieu to the carefree days
Every moment, a cherished treasure, strung up on the memory tree
Countless happy days be upon you, our dearest darling, as you turn 3!


This post contains affiliate links to the products mentioned. Read our disclosure policy for more information.
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Simple Newspaper Flower Craft For Kids

It's important to educate young minds about recycling, reusing and reducing as much as possible so they develop empathy for the planet and all other life in it.

Reusing can take many forms, like in this craft, we leveraged newspapers to create lovely flower petals.

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Dad Child Crawl - Father's Day Craft

Dads love their children and children love their dads. It's the perfect play combination when dads get to be childish again and children get, well, a playmate whose sole objective is to entertain them.

Thinking about the upcoming Father's Day, it was great to be reminded of one of the most symbolic and fun child-dad activity - the horse-crawl - with daddy playing the crawl-horse and the child sitting on dad's back as the horse-rider. This sure brought back memories of laughter and joy in our own family.

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So, what's your favorite dad-chid play activity? Do tell us in comments below or on our social media pages!

Have a fabulous Happy Fathers Day!

FOLLOW OUR FATHER'S DAY CRAFTS BOARD ON PINTEREST FOR MORE IDEAS.

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Pete the Cat Paper Bag Puppet


"Not everyone is the same. But being kind is always cool."

Pete the cat is wise and funny. That's why we introduced her to our tot in the last few weeks If our tot adopted Pete's attitude early in her life, she would take a lot less stress and be a happy person.

So, this post is to celebrate this spunky book character in our characteristic craft style - a paper bag puppet craft of Pete as the tooth fairy. It turned out really well with her magic wings while giving our tot some preparation for the future: she will lose some teeth but should she panic? Goodness No! Pete does not panic!

Enjoy making this craft with your little ones and see them pick up some life skills on the side.

Happy Crafting!

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See it in action here!


HEAD OVER TO 'THE PINTERESTED PARENT' WHERE WE ARE SHARING THE TUTORIAL FOR HOW TO MAKE THIS CUTE & FUN PETE THE CAT PAPER BAG PUPPET CRAFT.

SAVE FOR LATER!

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I want to be a BANANA! - Career aspirations gone crazy!

Did you try asking your 3-year-old what she wants to be? If you haven’t already, please do. For you may be missing out on overly creative ideas of what one can be. They may not be out-of-the world, but will likely be out-of-the-box.


I was discussing professions with my five-year-old in a ‘who-is-what’ kind of way when I happened to pop the question to my nearly three-year-old. “So, what do you want to be, big boy”, I eagerly asked. Like an excited mother I think I was expecting a clever answer. It turns out I had not learned from my previous experiences with my older son. So, I was a little taken back when he answered B-A-N-A-N-A! 


What banana? I thought. I knew I hadn’t been able to focus on my younger one, being preoccupied by my older school-going boy. But, was he beginning to lack? Well, all those were my immediate thoughts before I decided to restrain them from going into overdrive. He gave the widest grin, happy to disrupt our serious discussion. He made clear of his ridicule for the well-known professions of doctor, architect, plumber, builder, teacher etc. 

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Handprint Keepsake Craft For Kids

Made these lovely keepsakes with my tot for her preschool teachers. They make a cute gift idea for Mother’s Day & Valentine's Day too. Wishing all the beautiful moms a very special Mother’s Day! Cheers 🥂.

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Celebrating A Century Of Posts


Esha and I collaborated to bring you this very special post. Enjoy!

A Century of Art and Prose


“Hebe’s here, May is here! 
The air is fresh and sunny; 
And the miser-bees are busy 
Hoarding golden honey.” 

Say so the famous words by the American poet, Thomas Bailey Aldrich.
And as the bees were busy making sweet honey and the animals, rearing their new-borns, so were we at ‘The Joy of Sharing’, creating and bringing more love to you through our posts.

Why the Drum roll?

We recently published our 100th post.  A big ‘THANK YOU’ to all our readers and followers who have been a part of our journey. Thanks for making our posts popular and leaving amazing comments. It is always a pleasure to hear from you. Some of our posts in the arts category have been extremely popular and we have tried to post more of related content.

Century Milestone Art

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Silly Shadows

How often have we seen a grown-up jumping in a muddy puddle? Or occupied following a trail of ants? Or wondering endlessly as rainbow arches in the sky? Hardly. Perhaps if they are parents or carers, out with the kids.

But, the sight of children amusing themselves with the apparent trivialities of everyday life is most common. They are the little people who see magic in a caterpillar turning into a butterfly and are charmed by a kitten chasing its tail. They are naturally curious and observant, with an ability to delight themselves with seemingly simple things. No wonder, my kids are so captivated by the sleight of light, the shadows.

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Kid-Made Mother's Day Gift - Personalized Canvas & Easel Craft

Sometimes, kids get creative themselves! This is one where my tot wrote these words on her own when asked to write something about mommy. She did such a great job writing the characters out and making cute little silhouettes that it became a great card for mother's day.

I decided to convert it into a memento for Mother's day by creating a canvas and easel with her artwork.

An easy scribbled craft for the very special mommies!

Happy Mother's Day

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DIY Mother's Day 3D Flower Card

Easy and colorful Mother's Day card Idea. Perfect Mother's Day craft project for preschool and kindergarten.

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Hi 5! Happy Birthday Big Boy


My older son recently turned 5! Another year just fleeted past right in front of my eyes and what a year it was! Over the top of my head, there are some quick milestones he achieved during the time. He mini graduated from nursery to school, started taking swimming and football lessons and learnt riding his bike without support. But, it is the subtle accomplishments that made him much more endearing. From giving flattering compliments to being a kind host at play dates, from teaching supermarket-shopping to his rather temper-throwing toddler brother to tricking him into doing his bid, he is maturing fast into the ways of the world.

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How I renewed Indian Passport in US within 10 days?

I recently got my Indian passport renewed in the United States. It took 10 days for the entire process to complete. Hurray!



Cox & Kings Global Services (CKGS) is the authorized service provider for the Embassy of India across the USA for the Indian Passport services. You need to apply on the CKGS website and follow the due process. Later, during the process, you will be directed to the Government of India website to fill your online passport form and then return back to CKGS to complete the application.

Here is the link to CKGS Indian Passport Application Center: https://passport.in.ckgs.us/

On the CKGS page, click on the “Passport Application Get Started” box, (Or you can use this direct link here: https://passport.in.ckgs.us/get-started) and it will start your passport application. Make sure to keep the document listed on the page handy before you start filling out the forms.


I selected Normal application type and state I live in. The centre is automatically populated based on the state you live in. Clicking on PROCEED extends the form and asked to select the services.

I selected reissue of passport since the passport is going to expire. Also, selected two miscellaneous services - 1) change of address and 2) addition of spouse name. And filled out the applicant details, submission details, and contact information.

There are two options to submit your application.
  1. Walk-in to the consulate office
  2. Shipping through courier service
We have had a successful experience using courier service option for my daughter's OCI card, so I was pretty comfortable sending the documents through courier this time as well. I decided to go for prepaid FedEx shipping service for both sides.

Here is the list of documents I submitted for passport renewal:

  • Original Indian Passport 
  • Photographs (3) - 2"x2" & white background 
  • CKGS Online Payment Receipt 
  • Online NRI Passport Application Form 
  • Nationality Verification Form 
  • Passport copy of first five and last two pages. 
  • US legal Status 
  • US Address Proof 
  • Indian Address Proof 
  • Affidavit for change of appearance/signature form  (Sample affidavit at the end of the post)
  • Annexure E 

Since I requested to add spouse name in my passport, I submitted two additional documents though they didn’t ask for them.

  • Marriage certificate 
  • Copy of first & last page of spouse’s passport 

Here are the dates for your reference:

Aug 28: Sent the application with documents through FedEx express mail
Aug 29: Application ‘Received’ by CKGS but ‘Not Verified’
Aug 29: Application Verification is ‘Complete’. Processing of your application will continue”
Aug 29: Application ‘Under Process at CKGS’
Aug 29: Application in transit to the Indian Consulate.
Aug 30: Application is “AT EMBASSY”. Application is ‘Under Process’ at Consulate for decision making.
Sep 05: Application ‘Reviewed’ by Consulate and ‘In Transit’ to CKGS Application Centre
Sep 05: Passport ‘Received’ at the CKGS application centre and is at the ‘Sorting Facility’ where it is being processed for delivery
Sep 06: Passport picked up by FedEx
Sep 07: Received my new passport

USEFUL RESOURCES

Link to track the passport renewal application online https://passport.in.ckgs.us/trackandtrace/

Sample Online NRI Passport Application Form: https://passport.in.ckgs.us/resources/pdf/sample-passport-application-form.pdf

Sample Affidavit For Change Of Appearance And Signature For Indian Passport Renewal


Hope you find it useful!!
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Monster Easter – the chaos behind an Easter Bonnet


It is the time of the year again when all things eggs and bunnies, and all things chocolate start making their way into your home. The number of kids in the house essentially multiplies the Easter excitement. In my case, one had an Easter Bonnet parade at his preschool and another had a farm-cum-Easter themed Show-and-Tell.

Considering both happened in the same week, I decided to play smart and create a common object to serve both the purposes – an Easter Bonnet! And my boys decided to give it their favourite twist – Monsters! As it turns out, it was a colourful medley of ‘the sensible and the silly’.

FOLLOW OUR PINTEREST'S EASTER BOARD FOR MORE CUTE IDEAS!

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Holi Pichkari Craft

If you have read about India, you have surely heard of two big festivals - Diwali - the festival of lights and Holi - the festival of colours. It is not too presumptuous to guess that Holi is every Indian kid's favourite festival.

Holi allows little kids (and adults) to unleash their inner child, let go of all rules and have the time of their life with colours, balloons and pichkari (water syringe) . The most adorable and critical, being the pichkari, which comes in innumerable shapes and forms and becomes the weapon of choice for use against parents, uncle, aunties, and their little friends.

So, on the occasion of Holi 2018, we thought it did be apt to create a pichkari craft, so our little kid can learn about this wonderful colourful festival.

As they say - Don't mind, let it be bygone, it's Holi (Bura na maano, Holi hai).

Happy crafting!

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Aluminum Foil Easter Egg Craft


A few months ago, we made Christmas Tree Ornaments using aluminum foil and they turned out really lovely. Since Easter is around the corner, we thought why not use the same technique for decorating Easter eggs as well.

This is a super easy and cute Easter activity for toddlers & preschoolers. My daughter had a great time wrapping the cardboard eggs in foil and then decorating them with washi tape, buttons and sequins.

Check out this cute Easter Egg craft and how we made it below.

FOLLOW OUR PINTEREST'S EASTER BOARD FOR MORE CUTE & SIMPLE IDEAS FOR KIDS!


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3D Hearts Valentine Card For Kids

Just in time for Valentine, made this lovely 3D hearts card with my daughter today morning. She had a great time unleashing her artistic side using crayons and glueing hearts. And, took it along with her to her playschool for a card exchange activity.

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This post contains affiliate links to the products mentioned. Read our disclosure policy for more information.

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DIY Heart Box Valentine Craft

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

This Valentine, a day of love & hearts, we wanted our daughter to celebrate in her own way. Then we thought, wouldn't it be cool, if she could express her love and emotions herself to family and friends?


So, we decided to create a pink popsicle stick heart box, such that she could enjoy creating it and giving it to her special person of the day. She had a great time stacking the sticks, painting them and putting buttons on them, it was a total joy making this with her.

Check out her heart box popsicle stick craft and how we made it below.

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Don’t Climb Me!

Hello to all the fellow readers. I hope you had a restful holiday season and a fresh start into the new year (it might be a little late to say that, though!). On my end, we had great fun getting together as a family and doing the Christmassy things - the tree, greetings, crackers, jokes, et al.


Despite the winter, there seems to be something in the air that lends warmth to season. My boys, for instance, were supercharged throughout. They are 2.5 years and nearly 5 years old, but not small on any measure of energy and ambitions for the rather long winters. Carrying the weight of their excitement on my shoulders, I started December in full-throttle. Decorations, lights and games to keep them busy and entertained. Stories, puzzles, dinosaurs, board games, arts etc. went around in loops for days, eventually tiring me out. I can’t say the same for my kids, who somehow don’t mind repetition that much. What exhausted me more was the physical nature of their play for I seemed to be their favourite prop.

My kids, especially the toddler, seem to be at a stage where they love the thrill the physical games bring. It is as if their bones are aching for sensory play, the strong-muscle-heavy-duty work. Their physical experiments of stomping, crashing, marching, wrestling, jumping, kicking, could easily turn the house upside down, if unsupervised. But supervision is the easy bit. Being part of the play is not. How they have used all parts of my rather petite self for their physical adventures could make for a holiday highlight last year.

So, here I am, in another poetic piece of my kids’ playfulness and my benign annoyance at that. The undertones of displeasure were just that - crisp and short-lived. It’s hard to keep the frowns up all day, after all. Here you go...

Don’t Climb Me!

Please put that foot down and hands rather away.
We’ve wrestled and crashed and torn ourselves out. Now, let’s rest and stay.
Not a climbing frame, or a ladder, or a sofa, or a tempting tree,
Save your quest for Everest. I am not a mountain; don’t climb me!

The pads of your feet do hurt in places, as you kick and pounce all day,
Those generous stomps could make bones cower and muscles cringe in dismay
Not a pile of leaves, or soft play, or a mattress, or a tricky trampoline,
You may bounce and hop on the way to the shops. I am not a puddle; don’t jump on me!

As you fidget and wriggle and secure yourself, on my meagre arms that sway,
I somehow trick an impending fall, in dishevelled hair and clothes, in disarray 
Not a fence, or a swing, or a railing, or a careless curtain hanging free
Leave dangling to the playground. I am not a monkey bar; don’t hang on me!

The constant hug of that prodding elbow, the ceaseless rest of that chin on my shoulder,
Pinching and shoving, and butting and digging, the endless tirade getting bigger and bolder
Not a sand castle, or a pizza, or cake, or a crumbly cookie,
Nudging suits your cuddly teddy better. I am not your play dough; don’t poke me!

Lifting and shifting, hauling and heaving, your tireless self each day,
Sprinting up and down the house, tugging along to fun and play,
Not a scooter, or a wheelbarrow, or a shopping trolley, or your teddy’s blue buggy,
Keep your strength for a tug-of-war. I am not a toy on leash; don’t pull me!

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