google.com, pub-8087192757053655, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 Director Jewels: January 2016

Thursday, January 28, 2016

You're Awesomesauce, Valentine - Non-Candy Classroom Valentine Idea + Free Printable

You're Awesomesauce, Valentine - Non-Candy Applesauce Pouch Classroom Valentine Idea + Free Printable at directorjewels.com

I was told recently by some of my drama students who are teenagers that the word "awesomesauce" has gone out of fashion. I laughed. They can try to tell me what's hip, but I'm an almost-thirty-year-old mom. I'll probably be saying awesomesauce until the day I die (thanks a lot, Parks & Recreation). As a testament to how often I use this word, the other day my almost five-year-old declared something to be AWESOMESAUCE - and I laughed in glee that he has picked up such an epic (albeit apparently uncool) word.

Anyway - my kids will not be in a classroom setting for Valentine's Day this year, but that hasn't stopped me from coming up with some non-candy classroom valentine ideas, including this You're Awesomesauce, Valentine applesauce pouch. The tag is a free printable - keep reading for the instructions to make these easy and fun treats to pass out to friends, and to download the awesomesauce tags for yourself!

You're Awesomesauce, Valentine - Non-Candy Applesauce Pouch Classroom Valentine Idea + Free Printable at directorjewels.com

You're Awesomesauce, Valentine Non-Candy Classroom Valentine
Supplies Needed: 

-Free Printable "You're Awesomesauce, Valentine" Hearts - you can download it here.
-GoGo Squeez Applesauce (or any other kind of sauce) Pouches
-Scissors
-Twine
-Mini Hole Punch




You're Awesomesauce, Valentine - Non-Candy Applesauce Pouch Classroom Valentine Idea + Free Printable at directorjewels.com

Instructions: 

1. Print out the hearts and cut along the outside edge of the dark lines.

You're Awesomesauce, Valentine - Non-Candy Applesauce Pouch Classroom Valentine Idea + Free Printable at directorjewels.com

You're Awesomesauce, Valentine - Non-Candy Applesauce Pouch Classroom Valentine Idea + Free Printable at directorjewels.com

2. Punch two small holes beside each other, near the top center of each heart.

You're Awesomesauce, Valentine - Non-Candy Applesauce Pouch Classroom Valentine Idea + Free Printable at directorjewels.com

3. Cut twine or thread (mine was approximately 20" long but you could get away with less than that). Thread both sides of twine through holes to back of heart (see photo below).

You're Awesomesauce, Valentine - Non-Candy Applesauce Pouch Classroom Valentine Idea + Free Printable at directorjewels.com

4. Loop thread under pouch cap and tie half-knot at the back of the pouch.

You're Awesomesauce, Valentine - Non-Candy Applesauce Pouch Classroom Valentine Idea + Free Printable at directorjewels.com

5. Bring thread back to front and tie a bow. Trim ends as desired.

You're Awesomesauce, Valentine - Non-Candy Applesauce Pouch Classroom Valentine Idea + Free Printable at directorjewels.com

I used coordinating thread for each heart color, but you could use plain twine, yarn, or any other small string as desired. We love applesauce pouches in our home - especially because we have a lot of food allergies and limit sugar, so we can't have many of the traditional candy holiday treats.

You're Awesomesauce, Valentine - Non-Candy Applesauce Pouch Classroom Valentine Idea + Free Printable at directorjewels.com

Have an AWESOMESAUCE Valentine's Day, my friends!

You're Awesomesauce, Valentine - Non-Candy Applesauce Pouch Classroom Valentine Idea + Free Printable at directorjewels.com

Seriously, though - is the word out of vogue? Do I need to actually quit saying it? Sooooo not happening. 

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

DIY Marbled Votive Candle Holders

DIY Marbled Votive Holders Tutorial, DIY Gift Idea at directorjewels.com

Something about winter puts me in the mood to craft all.the.time. The cold months when we're trapped inside are great for catching up on projects, organizing, or making a gift stash to use throughout the year. If I were really smart, I would even begin working on homemade Christmas gifts, because we all know that when the holidays roll around, there's never enough time for crafting!

These DIY Marbled Votive Candle Holders are ridiculously easy for how impressive they look when they are finished. You could marble any size holder, but the votive candle size is perfect for experimenting and creating simple gifts for friends and family. This is a simple enough project for older kids and teens to do on their own (or with minimal help), so they would be great for a birthday party craft.

Want to make some yourself? Here's how!

DIY Marbled Votive Candle HoldersSupplies:
-Glass Candle Holder
-Large Bowl (use an old one or pick up a cheap one at a thrift store or the $1 store)
-Nail Polish (a couple different colors of your choice)
-Warm Water
-Toothpicks
-Wax Paper

DIY Marbled Votive Holders Tutorial, DIY Gift Idea at directorjewels.com

Instructions:

1. Make sure you have a work space that is protected - you don't want nail polish permanently on your table or countertop! Once that's done, fill your bowl with warm water.

2. Slowly pour in the first color of nail polish.  You want to pour it pretty close to the water’s edge, so that the drops don't sink to the bottom. There's not a science on how much polish to use, but to get a good amount for marbling, you may need to experiment.

DIY Marbled Votive Holders Tutorial, DIY Gift Idea at directorjewels.com

3. Add in your second color of polish the same way.

4. Use a toothpick and swirl the colors together.

DIY Marbled Votive Holders Tutorial, DIY Gift Idea at directorjewels.com

5. Dip the candle at an angle into the water.  You don’t need to submerge it.  The polish should just cling to it.

DIY Marbled Votive Holders Tutorial, DIY Gift Idea at directorjewels.com

6. Set the candles upside down on the wax paper to dry. Then enjoy your DIY Marbled Votive Candle Holders for many years to come! 

Aren't they fun? Have you ever done a project that involved marbling something? I think it would be fun to make these for every season!

Friday, January 22, 2016

DIY Washi Tape Frame + Free Prints from Shutterfly

Disclosure: This post has been sponsored by Shutterfly. All opinions are my own and honest! 

DIY Washi Tape Frame - Easy Photo Gift Idea at directorjewels.com

Sometimes in the middle of a dreary season - like winter, where it's actually dreary outside or even just a season of dreariness of mind or heart - you need something new and lovely to brighten your spirits. It's amazing how something like a pop of color can change your whole perspective!

I used Shutterfly to print this baby photo of my daughter. At first, I put it in a plain purple photo frame that I had painted for her first birthday party. It was cute...but just not cute enough for prime placement on display. I decided to whip up a new solution: the DIY Washi Tape Frame and I love how it turned out. The best part is, it took me about thirty minutes from start to finish and was made mostly with stuff I already had in my house.

DIY Washi Tape Frame - Easy Photo Gift Idea at directorjewels.com

DIY Washi Tape Frame
Supplies Needed

-Photo Frame with Mat. Mine is from IKEA several years ago - not sure if they still carry this line, but it's a basic square frame with an included mat. If you can't find something similar, you could always do a plain square frame and cut the mat yourself.
-Washi Tape. No limit on how many you can use! I chose five coordinating rolls.
-Flower or some other accent. I had this in my flower stash (it's from Hobby Lobby), but you could make one or use some other decoration or skip it altogether! Did I mention this craft is easy?!
-Adhesive to attach the flower, should you decide to use it.

DIY Washi Tape Frame - Easy Photo Gift Idea at directorjewels.com

Instructions: 

1. Remove mat from frame.

2. Experiment with washi tape design. The great thing about washi tape is that it works like masking tape - you can peel it back up over and over again to get the placement right. I started from the top and worked my way down, but I think next time I do this, I will start the project in the middle of the frame so the pattern is symmetrical from top to bottom.

DIY Washi Tape Frame - Easy Photo Gift Idea at directorjewels.com

3. Tape, tape, tape, and then tape some more. It's therapeutic! I promise!

DIY Washi Tape Frame - Easy Photo Gift Idea at directorjewels.com

When you're finished, you could add a layer of glossy Mod Podge over the top if you wanted, but I didn't find that necessary since it was going to be behind glass.

DIY Washi Tape Frame - Easy Photo Gift Idea at directorjewels.com

4. Add photo and put frame back together!

DIY Washi Tape Frame - Easy Photo Gift Idea at directorjewels.com

5. Attach accent on the outside of the frame.

DIY Washi Tape Frame - Easy Photo Gift Idea at directorjewels.com

And that is it! I'm in love with it. 


Did you know that Shutterfly has an app (which is so much fun) and that right now you can get FREE unlimited 4x6 and 4x4 prints? How cool is that? FREE PHOTOS. You guys, I'm so bad about getting photos of my kids printed and in albums or up on the walls where my family can enjoy them. I'm so taking advantage of this deal and getting some of my iPhone photos into my hands so I can enjoy them OFF a screen.


The app is available for iPhone, iPad and Android. You can import photos to the app from Instagram and Facebook or upload from your phone's camera roll. The free photo offer is available for new and existing Shutterfly customers (yay!). Shipping fees do apply - choose economy shipping if you can wait 7-10 business days for delivery.


Thursday, January 21, 2016

Monster Jam: Coming to Kansas City February 5-7, 2016 + Ticket Giveaway

Disclosure: I will receive media passes to this event. No other compensation has been received. All views expressed are my own. 




My son has been obsessed with trucks since he was a baby. "Truck" was his third word. He has a vast collection of trucks of varying shapes, sizes, and styles, but one of his long-standing favorites has been the collection of monster trucks!

Back when he was almost three years old, I was able to take him to his very first Monster Jam show...and we are so super excited to be returning again this year!



Monster Jam is headed to the Sprint Center in Kansas City from February 5-7, 2016. It is sure to be an event the whole family will enjoy! Here's more info about the show:

Welcome to the Monster Jam Tour, an incredible family-friendly experience starring the biggest performers on four wheels: Monster Jam monster trucks. These twelve-feet-tall, ten-thousand-pound machines will bring you to your feet, racing and ripping up a custom-designed track full of obstacles to soar over - OR smash through.  Monster Jam provides a massive night’s entertainment tailored perfectly for your family’s budget, and these colorful, larger-than-life beasts are sure to capture the hearts of both young and old. 


Around here, some of the favorite monster trucks are Grave Digger, Batman, and Monster Mutt. I can't wait to see which trucks make an appearance at this year's show. I haven't told my son we are going yet... he's going to flip about as high as a monster truck when he finds out!


You can purchase Monster Jam tickets now, plus make sure you are following along on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest info!

Here's the full list of showtimes:
Friday, February 5 - 7:30pm
Saturday, February 6 - 2:00pm, 7:30pm
Sunday, February 7 - 2:00pm

Giveaway

One person will win a 4-pack of tickets to Monster Jam at the Sprint Center on February 5 at 7:30pm. This giveaway is open to US readers only. Winner will be emailed and will have 24 hours to respond or prize will be forfeited.

To enter the giveaway, follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter form below (you may need Javascript enabled to see the form and it may take a moment to load)! Once you complete the first entry, the other options will open up so that you can complete them as well. All of the "extra entries" are optional - you can do just one, or as many as you want! Winners will be contacted by email. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: Thanks to Feld Entertainment for providing the passes. All opinions expressed are my own. For more information, you can read my Giveaway Policy and my Disclosure Policy.

Friday, January 15, 2016

Avengers Assemble for Marvel Universe Live! at Kansas City Sprint Center

Disclosure: I received media passes to this event. No other compensation has been received. All views expressed are my own. 



I've seen a lot of shows and theatrical productions in my life, but I have to say that Marvel Universe Live!, playing this weekend in Kansas City at the Sprint Center, was more action-packed than any of them! I wasn't totally sure what to expect, but it's very safe to say that all my preconceived notions about how entertaining the show would be were blown out of the water!


My son is turning five next month. He's a big superhero fan, but he's never seen any of the movies featuring the Avengers, X-men, or Spider-man. He was excited to get all dressed up in his Thor suit and tote his Mjölnir all the way to the Sprint Center!


We had no issues finding our seats and settled in to enjoy the evening. Mjölnir was kept at the ready and we even checked out the integrity of the railings to make sure they would hold up against the hammer's strength. Good news, Kansas City - they did!

Image Courtesy of Feld Entertainment

The two-act show has a runtime of about one hour and forty-five minutes, with one intermission. The scenes are well-designed with an appropriate length to successfully hold the attention of young children. My son still wiggled a little bit, but was overall pretty mesmerized by the show and asked me questions about the storyline, so I knew he was picking up plot pieces.

Image Courtesy of Feld Entertainment

The show begins with a gathering of our heroes as they have learned that Loki is (once again) seeking world domination. The cast of heroes includes the more famous: Ironman, Spider-man, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye, and Black Widow - plus a few of the not quite so famous: Falcon and Captain Marvel. There were even a few of the X-men in the story - Wolverine, Cyclops, and Storm were definitely important parts of the plot.

Image Courtesy of Feld Entertainment

It is a very family-friendly show with no inappropriate dialogue or innuendo (that I noticed). The stunts were constant and pretty incredible. From flipping cars over to lighting someone on fire to throwing criminals and good guys alike off of tall buildings, there was always something visually stunning going on. I was way impressed by the Statue of Liberty set, where Spider-man and Thor fought off the Sinister Six villains from Spider-man's universe. A multi-level apparatus with a scrim that went back and forth from being opaque and translucent, the illusion was beautifully created that a battle of epic proportions was going on inside the statue herself. Having been inside the crown of Lady Liberty, I can say that I don't think there's quite as much space in there for battling as they portrayed, but I didn't mind. This scene also included the pretty amazing stunt with the Green Goblin flying on his hovercraft while Spider-man dangled upside-down beneath him. On the way home, I asked my son what his favorite parts were and he said "Everything. But, I wanted to be IN IT!" I might have a heart attack if I were watching my own child perform these stunts, but as a performer I can see how it would be an incredible job!


There were multiple scenes featuring stunts with motorcycles on the small set, and those were a huge hit with the crowd, as well. The only part my son didn't like was when the Hulk had shiny green eyes - he said that was a little scary. But for the most part, he followed the plot well and was on the edge of his seat waiting to see what would happen next! He picked up on the fact that the heroes were tracking down three powerful objects to stop Loki from taking over the world and declared to me loudly during the show: "Locust (Loki) has one of them! He'll have to get dead a LOT!"

Image Courtesy of Feld Entertainment


I would happily go see the show again! If you have the opportunity, you don't want to miss it! The tour is here from January 14-17, and you have several more chances to see the show. You can follow along via Facebook and Twitter for more info! And click here to purchase tickets to Marvel Universe Live! Kids' tickets are just $15 for select performances.

Here's the full list of remaining showtimes:
Friday, January 15- 7:00pm
Saturday, January 16 - 11:00am, 3:00pm, 7:00pm
Sunday, January 17 - 1:00pm, 5:00pm

Who is your favorite Marvel Universe hero?

Thanks to Feld Entertainment for the chance to attend this event! 

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Braided Pull-Apart Rosemary Artisan Bread


Warm bread on a cold winter night...is there anything better? My son has gluten and dairy allergies, so to be honest I haven't had really yummy bread in a long time. I love bread with a meal, with soup, or just on its own as an entire meal. This Braided Pull-Apart Rosemary Artisan Bread? I think I could eat the whole loaf in one sitting today.

Want to make it for yourself? Here's how!

Braided Pull-Apart Rosemary Artisan Bread
Ingredients

1 frozen bread dough loaf
2 tablespoons butter
1 sprig of rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

1. Thaw the bread dough loaf in the fridge overnight. You can leave it in the freezer bag! When ready, lightly flour a hard, flat surface. Hand roll your bread dough out into a "log" double the normal size, cut in half and roll the two pieces the same way.


2. Cut each strand of dough up the middle into two, do not cut all the way through the top. The 2 pieces should remain connected.

3. Lightly pinch the 2 double strand pieces together at the top.


4. To braid the bread dough:
Start with the far left strand, bring it over the strand to the right, then under the next strand and over the last strand. The technique follows a basket weave of sorts, over and under.
Always start with the left strand.

Here are a few photos illustrating the braid:




5. Continue until fully braided. Place in a buttered dish or loaf pan.


6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small microwave safe dish, combine the butter, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Microwave for 20 seconds or until melted.  Brush half over the bread dough.

7. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Brush the remaining rosemary butter over the loaf.
Cool and slice or serve warm - the bread will pull apart!




Can we all just sigh "yum" together now? What will you pair with this bread for a winter meal?

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