When a reader asked if I had any craft ideas for a ballet themed birthday I immediately knew what I wanted to do. What I love about this shilouette craft is that you can make little ones for an activity that also works as  favors ( adults doing the tough parts before the party) , or a big one just for a decoration keepsake.

Either way it's easy and if you use the right tools it dries fast enough to send them home with your guests.

You will need a canvas, some clear contact paper, paint in your choice of colors. SPONGE roller brushes. I did not have one on hand ... I should but I couldn't find it but I was careful. For kids these rollers are great because they have no edges that could pull up the ballerina figure or the letters. You will also need vinyl letters for names ( craft aisle at walmart or any sationary store), sharp scissors and a picture of a ballerina. Oh and some tulle for the ribbon.

I suggest printing out a picture of a ballerina... I drew mine because my printer is temporarily out of commision ( ok I keep forgetting to buy a new cartrige...) .

Cut that out and tape to the shiny side of your contact paper.

Cut that out.

Add the name to the canvas.

Add the shilouette. Press it down well. If I had the time I would press and leave overnight to make sure it's on there really well.

Paint!

We were surprised by a snow day yesterday! The kids' two-hour delay turned into a school cancellation, which was  a bit mysterious to us grown-ups but the kids were thrilled. Unfortunately the snow was of the icy variety, and so the kids couldn't even spend the day playing in it or sledding. We did get them geared up and outside for a little while but L. ended up completely frustrated that he couldn't form a decent snowball to throw at his sister, so he retreated back into the house and the predictable comforts of the computer.

Neither my husband or I grew up in Seattle and we travel to Canada and Texas every year visit family and friends. Now that we have kids and our friends do too we want to build their connections and this home made gift is a great way to do that. This exact kit will be wrapped up and given to friends this holiday and other than a few little trinkets it's the gift I am most excited to give.

Some moms end up doing a lot of the work on Mother's Day, right? But that's no reason not to celebrate yourself and all you do for your family! Just keep it simple and drop some hints to your spouse and kids.

Check out our Mother's Day Weekend Planner for fun and quick ideas like these:

• Mother's Day Crafts Kids Can Make

Do not adjust your calendars: Christmas Day is one week away. And you're all set, right? All the presents have been bought and wrapped. All the baked goods are set to go, and just need to be popped in the oven. You're ready to grab a hot cocoa, put your feet up, and have a nice, relaxing Christmas week. This was the year you finally got everything taken care of.

Or, you know, not.

Never fear! Here are some tips for your last-minute holiday scramble.

The one major pitfall with waiting to do all your holiday shopping the week before Christmas, I thought to myself as I wandered around an evil super mega store yesterday, is that spending lots of money over a short period of time makes you feel, in Junie B. Jones' words, kind of greenish and sickish.

If there's a gamer in your house, chances are that a game called Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is on his Christmas list. Maybe you've even bought it for your young'n already: the game grossed $310 million dollars on its release day, November 10, and earlier this week passed the $550 million mark. But before you wrap it up and put it under the tree, do you know what you're actually buying?

Here we are in the second week of November and already the holidays seem imminent. My mom was in town over the weekend, affording SPH and I the luxury of doing some shopping—by ourselves. And good thing too, as every which way you turn there is some sort of item luring kids’ attention and seemingly begging, “put me on your Christmas list!”

Christmas was nearing. I roamed around our apartment trying to find a gift for my fourth grade teacher, Ms. Higgins. I looked through closets, on shelves, in drawers.

On one wall hung a framed poster of a white woman, wearing a black pinstripe suit, toasting with a glass of champagne, and leaning against a Rolls Royce in front of a building labeled, "Welfare Department." Written above the picture were the words, "Poverty Sucks."

This past weekend T. went to a birthday party, and while I was digging through our collection of used gift bags to put the present in, I discovered one from T.'s birthday back in January. The bag still had the little gift card attached to it--you know, the card you never read because so many people thoughtfully leave it blank because they know you'll want to reuse the bag? And kids always seem to make their own cards instead of writing their names on those microscopic gift bag cards--I know mine do.