Our back to school assignment: find a collection that’s ahead of the curve!
The Locker Loft.
Study and ZZZ’s Loft. A sit sack that will go wherever you go.
Lockers for colorful storage.
Start the new school year off right with a crisp bright white.
What’s the angle? Don’t forget your protractor for this bunk. Look at that ladder, and then check out the corner desk tucked under the top bed.
You’ve all heard the idiom “don’t take any wooden nickels”, but we say “do take our wooden donuts“.
Happy National Donut Day 2012!
Celebrate with Melissa and Doug Wooden Stackable Donuts. Making a doughnut selection has never been so much fun! The “yummiest” decision your little baker will have to make is which of the twelve delicious-looking, self-stick toppings to place on the six doughnuts in this wooden pretend food set. Young chefs will love changing the toppings on the wooden doughnuts to make Doughnut specials every day!
The first Friday in June is National Doughnut Day, and that is every year. Now more importantly, you can find out which doughnut chains around the country are offering FREE donuts all day long to acknowledge the hol-e-day.
Krispy Kreme, the possible creator of National Doughnut Day (event page on Facebook), invites folks to visit one of their participating stores to get a free donut of any variety, and NO purchase is necessary. LaMar’s Donuts, is also offering one freebie per customer, no strings attached.
Shipley Do-Nuts is another chain having the free in their deal. They are affectionately described as located in “the do-nut belt”: Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee.
The Dunkin’ Donuts deal is not totally free, but just purchase a beverage — and they’ll give you a free doughnut.
If your donut craving hinges on FREE, we suggest calling the store first to be certain it is participating.
Help! Spelling police if you are watching, is it donut or doughnut, please let us know. There is something about cops and donuts, right?
Happy National Donut or Doughnut Day!
We all know where Santa lives; at the NorthPole of course.
But who knows where the Easter Bunny lives?
Wikipedia states that the Easter Bunny or Easter Rabbit (aka Spring Bunny) “is a character depicted as a rabbit bringing Easter eggs who sometimes is depicted with clothes. In legend, the creature brings baskets filled with colored eggs, candy and sometimes also toys to the homes of children, and as such shows similarities to Father Christmas, as they both bring gifts to children on the night before their respective holiday
There is no mention of where the Easter Bunny lives, however, some believe that the Easter Bunny lives in a very deep hole in the ground somewhere on Easter Island? Or possibly in April Valley, Spring Valley or Egg Land. (like Eggland’s Best?)
If any of you know or have a good hunch, please let us know where the Easter Bunny lives.
TRACK THE EASTER BUNNY
NORAD tracks Santa but can not track the Easter Bunny because the Easter Bunny does not fly. He just hops around the world, right? Once again, like last year, there is the iPhone 3D Easter Bunny Tracker app. This year you can track the Easter Bunny with The Bunny Tracker. You could also try the First Annual 2012 Easter Bunny Tracking from the MidMoWeatherCam.
NON CANDY EASTER BASKET IDEAS
We have asked our Facebook friends for non candy ideas for filling Easter baskets. Cast your vote on who has the best ideas and Desirae will award winners with $10.00 Totally Kids fun furniture & toys Gift Cards. Here are a few suggestions:
Amy Thomason The Easter Bunny is bringing my son an Art basket this year. Including: Playdoh, Finger Paints, Water Colors, Chalk, Crayons, Paper, etc.
Beth Anne Mowrey Ducks! We got our son 5 ducklings!
Danielle Williams how about nano bugs 
or stuffed lambs (one of my faves to add)
Adrienne Camm i do little make up sets for the girls and little match box cars for the boys.
Jeannine Drenchek-Scavo I do craft items for my 5yr old who loves doing them. Glue stick, pom pom’s, glitter, foam stickers.For my 2yr old I am doing a toy wagon so she can pull her monkey’s around and homemade bedding set for them (she has a bunch of little stuffed monkey’s she loves)
Nicole Sather I got my kids each a Scentsy buddy and i got my son some cars and my daughter some bows.
Amanda Bolin For my older daughter, I put squinkies in some of her eggs. My younger daughter is getting a LaLaloopsy in one of her eggs Other ideas…chalk, bubbles, mini nail polishes, matchbox cars, mini PEEP stuffed animals, scented markers, magnetic letters for the fridge, new sippy cup…
Tanya Betts I bought my kids cute cleaning tools (hand broom and dustpans, scruby things for dishes) because they love to help me clean!
Brooke Greene I take pastry bags and fill them with goldfish crackers! Then in the top I tie them with green “grass”! Makes little carrots!! I also take candy making tins, and fill them them melted crayons to make egg crayons!
Jessica ‘Jay’ Feuerstein Outdoor doors… Kites, chalk, bubbles……
Sarah Moley Martin I got my son a bunny rabbit shaped light and a egg shaped cushion for easter as he cannot have candy.
Shawna Birchmeier I shopped Steve Spangler for some inexpensive science ideas like super snow, and water beads. Also Legos, kite, sidewalk chalk, and a new snuggy (blankie.
Rena Hyde Little gardening set for the kids to help mom (or dad) outside in the garden, kite, pool toys, frisbee, baseball glove, little golf set, anything outdoors!
Angela Hickman My daughters basket will have a DVD, eggs with stickers inside, a stuffed animal and a some fun coloring pages and crayons.
Chery Halliwell New DVD, bath toys, new spring theme shorties pjs.
Here is one of last year’s no candy Easter dinner favorites!
Roasted Carrots with Shallots & Thyme
Ingredients needed for 4 servings:
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425° F. Place rack in center of oven.
Peel carrots if desired and trim green top, leaving about 1/2–inch. Cut larger carrots in half lengthwise and place in a rimmed baking sheet. Add shallots and thyme; drizzle with oil and stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
Roast for about 30 to 35 minutes or until tender and lightly browned. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.
Remember before you start cooking – leave an extra bunch out for the Easter Bunny……
Totally Kids fun furniture & toys will be closed Sunday, April 8th to enjoy time with our friends and families.
There have been so many super Easter Egg decorating ideas sent to us. Now let’s turn it into a contest!
Win a $25.00 Totally Kids fun furniture & toys Gift Card! Pin your favorite Easter Egg Decorating ideas to our board on Pinterest.
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Then oh my goodness, hopping back to thoughts of tomato planting. Can you really believe that fish heads, egg shells and aspirin are the ticket to growing tomatoes? Love Apple Farms has a colorful odorless pictorial of this interesting process.
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Thumb print eggs were a rather “handy” idea from Family Fun.
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Life Hacker knows “it’s what’s on the inside that counts”.
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If you find chocolate inside your egg, you know it is a “good thing“; thanks Martha!
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If you’ve been dyeing to find a safe eco-friendly Easter Egg coloring kit – search no longer. Included are dyes made from purple sweet potato, paprika, beta carotene, red cabbage and blueberries plus 2 soy crayons for decorating.
Welcome Spring!
For those of us in the northern hemisphere, Spring officially begins today Monday, March 20, 2012 at 7:21 p.m. with the Vernal Equinox. Vernal translates from Latin meaning Spring. The Equinox happens twice a year, once in the Fall and once in the Spring. The word Equinox translates from Latin words aequus which means equal and nox which translates to night. The location near the equator will have the most equal amount of daylight and nightime at this time.
Our Blossom Bed will bring Springtime freshness to any little princess’s bedroom year round.
It is not many years here in Minnesota we can step outside and know that Spring has arrived from the warmth of the air and buds on the trees.
This year we are taking advantage of the early warm weather and experimenting with inexpensive greenhouses aka plastic totes. At night, just pop on the covers..EZ! The idea began from reading a forum on the Garden Web where folks were tossing around ideas for early starts. This method looks like it will give us a good head start.
Did you know that you can save almost $700.00 in food bills with a 100 square foot vegetable garden according to Mother Earth News?
I ask you, what do you do with your cardboard TP rolls once the paper has disappeared? This earth friendly idea from Saidos da Concha for up-cycling toilet paper rolls is positively brilliant!
Kelly has many other great ideas shared on Pinterest, take a look!
Flowers are always a big part of Valentines Day, but this year try a little flour instead. There are not many years here in Minnesota that we can Heart Attack our neighbor’s lawn with white hearts but looks like this may be the year since we are lacking the other white stuff. If somehow here is a normal snowfall for the day of romance, we will use our red snow paint instead of the flour.
The House That Lars Built shares this really easy flourfull idea.
Materials: flour, sifter, bowl, large paper, scissors, pencil
Step 1: Draw a large heart onto a piece of large paper (over 11×17″). I found that the bigger the heart the better it turned out. Smaller hearts don’t show up very well.
Step 2: Cut out heart.
Step 3: Pour a large amount of flour into the sifter over heart shape. Start with the edge of the heart and work towards the center.
So, go ahead and give your neighbors a heart attack this Valentines Day!
Congenital heart disease is the world’s most common major birth defect, affecting one in every 120 children. Ninety percent of those newborns are in areas of the world where appropriate medical care is inadequate or unavailable.
Children’s HeartLink a nonprofit organization working in partnership with health care centers in underserved regions of the world to build sustainable programs to prevent and treat heart disease among children in development countries by mobilizing extraordinary hearts, minds and resources around the world.
Totally Kids fun furniture & toys is a locally owned family business in Minneapolis, MN that has been serving the community since 1983.You’ll find us conveniently located less than one mile from the famous Mall of America. Call, click or come in soon, we would love to see you!
952-881-2425
DOVE = LOVE COOKIES
Here is a great little Valentine Cookie recipe.
INGREDIENTS
1 – Pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® peanut butter cookie mix
3 – Tablespoon vegetable oil
3 – Tablespoon water
1 – Egg
2 – Tablespoon sugar
36- Cove candies heart shaped of course
DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 375°F.
In medium bowl, stir cookie mix, oil, water and egg until dough forms. Shape dough into 36 (1-inch) balls; roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Shape dough into 36 (1-inch) balls; roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Immediately press chocolate candy into top of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 20 minutes, before storing in tightly covered container.
HINT: For even baking, make sure cookies are the same size. Cookie dough can be covered and refrigerated up to 24 hours before baking. If it’s too firm, let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
Look what we are making this weekend for our preschool friends.
It is not your regular red and white Playdough, but a festive peppermint glitter infused variety. Artful Parent shows you how to make this fun do together for you and the kiddos. She dresses up canning jars and then adds a cute tag ready to share with your little friends.
The glitter and peppermint scent really says Merry Christmas.
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Back in September we made pumpkin latte playdoh that smelled good enough to eat.
Take a look at Sweet Sugar Belle’s recipe for gingerbread playdoh and how adorable her packaging is, complete with a Gingerbread Man cookie cutter!
And then……….. A fox asked, “Would you like a ride?”
Click on Secret Sale to see 50% OFF Melissa & Doug toys for all good little girls & boys! 
You must try this! Santa Claus and his amazing PNP (Portable North Pole) console will be online during the entire holiday season. With just a few clicks, this technological marvel will let your loved ones receive a personalized message from Santa Claus himself, sent directly from his village in the North Pole. It is not only very cute, but FREE. Give it a try, I tested this last year and must say it was a fun little video message that Oliver received from Santa.
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Help Santa out and be sure that he gets cookies at every stop. Share this jar with your friends and neighbors. Make It Do will show you how to craft the cheery covered jar and Bakerellahas the recipe with the ingredients to fill the jar.
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Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer will light the way for Santa. Popsicle sticks and googly eyes are a make together project for you and your little ones, for your tree or gift away. Expat Mom has the steps, one, two, three.
Reindeer Noses that require no cooking and we think they are an ideal Recipe for Fun with the kiddos.
They are packaged 8 brown and then the 1 red one; Rudolph’s nose! Can you name the other Reindeer? The brown noses are Malted Milk Balls, and unfortunately, some of them might not pass quality control so you may have to eat them. The red nose is bubblegum.
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Sweet Paperie makes these bags of all red Rudolph noses. Best of all they offer with the instructions, the colorful printable header.
Last year we made Reindeer Poop for our friends, not enemies.
