Crayons and Croissants

Chalk It Up: Homemade Chalk

December 4, 2012 by crayonsandcroissants

Learn how to make your own chalk with this crafts project from the book eco-friendly crafting with kids. When Little M and I are feeling especially creative and in the mood to be artsy, one of the first places we look for inspiration is Kate Lilley’s fabulous crafts blog, minieco. The projects are innovative and eco-friendly, the pictures are gorgeous, and the materials are, for the most part, inexpensive and easy to find. I’ve written about some of the projects we have found […]

Categories: Craft, Nest, Play • Tags: Activities, Art, Children, Crafts, Design, Eco-conscious, Family, Kids

Dream a little dream with aden + anais

November 26, 2012 by crayonsandcroissants

Snuggle up to a warm and cozy winter with aden + anais dream blankets. We are finally starting to notice a change in the weather here in Santa Monica. There is a slight chill in the air and people are bundling up in sweaters and scarves. Little M and I enjoy taking our walks in the crisp cool mornings and he is often cozy in his sweater, jacket and hat. But for the days when it is really cold outside, […]

Categories: Nest, Shop • Tags: Children, Eco-conscious, Family, Organic

Backseat A-B-See: An alphabet book hits the road

November 21, 2012 by crayonsandcroissants

If you’ve got a little one who is obsessed with cars, trucks, and things that go vroom, then you will want to check out Backseat A-B-See by Maria van Lieshout. This clever picture book is sure to keep kids of all ages occupied, whether it is during a drive to the grocery store, through town, or even cross-country. The colorful book opens with a wide-eyed young child peering out of the back seat of a car. The pictures are bright and appealing, […]

Categories: Jet Set, Read • Tags: Activities, books, Children, Family, Travel

Sleep Like a Tiger

November 19, 2012 by crayonsandcroissants

“Once there was a little girl who didn’t want to go to sleep even though the sun had gone away.” So begins the beautiful new book, Sleep Like a Tiger, written by the poet Mary Logue and illustrated by Caldecott Honor medalist Pamela Zagarenski. Sleep Like a Tiger tells the story of a little girl who just doesn’t want to go to sleep – and what parent hasn’t had first-hand experience with that dilemma? The little girl asks her parents if […]

Categories: Craft, Play, Read • Tags: Activities, books, Children, Crafts, Family

Draw Me a House

November 15, 2012 by crayonsandcroissants

I recently came across Draw Me a House, an interactive book that is perfect for budding architects, style enthusiasts and design buffs. Little M and I are having a lot of fun with this book. Although it is billed as a coloring book, I find that it offers so much more for both kids and adults. Each page presents an opportunity to draw, color, create and design on paper. Author Thibaud Herem, a French-born illustrator based in London, has filled […]

Categories: Play, Read • Tags: Activities, Architecture, Art, books, Children, Design, Family

Gobble n Go: Snack Away!

November 10, 2012 by crayonsandcroissants

Snacks may be a guilty indulgence for most of us, but for toddlers and kids, healthy snacks are an essential part of their daily diet. Little M eats pretty much every couple of hours. It helps to stave off the crankiness and keeps his little engine going so he can keep running – and bouncing and jumping and climbing! As I have mentioned before, we are on the go a lot. We often walk around our neighborhood or spend time playing […]

Categories: Bites • Tags: Children, Eco-conscious, Family, Food, Snacks, Travel

Book Meets Art: The Game of Sculpture

November 5, 2012 by crayonsandcroissants

I first heard of Hervé Tullet when I came across his children’s book Press Here. If you haven’t seen this book yet, it is an amazingly interactive book that takes children on a magical journey through the pages, all starting with a yellow dot on the cover. The dots change color, move from left to right, grow, shrink and multiply – all using the reader’s imagination! Little M and I enjoy reading this book, we laugh as we press the dots on […]

Categories: Play, Read • Tags: Activities, Art, books, Children, Crafts, Design, Family

Mail Call: DIY Doorknob Mailbox

November 2, 2012 by crayonsandcroissants

Learn how to make this adorable doorknob mailbox from the fun and funky crafts book You Are Awesome: 21 Crafts to Make You Happy. I came across Abbey Hendrickson’s amazing blog, Aesthetic Outburst while searching for easy projects to do with Little M. The blog details Abbey’s crafts projects and life with her husband and their adorable kids. In a nutshell, they moved back to Abbey’s hometown in rural New York and she found herself at home, with two kids, struggling […]

Categories: Nest, Play, Read • Tags: Activities, books, Children, Crafts, Design, Family

Tres Leches Rice Pudding (from The Smitten Kitchen cookbook)

October 31, 2012 by crayonsandcroissants

Deb Perelman shares the recipe for tres leches rice pudding from her new Smitten Kitchen cookbook. I am always on the hunt for new, healthy, innovative and delicious recipes that will appeal to everyone from my husband, who has a penchant for more hearty fare, to Little M, whose tastes seem to change almost every week, if not every day. My search has taken me through so many websites, blogs and cookbooks that I have lost count. But there are […]

Categories: Bites, Read • Tags: books, Children, Cookbook, Family, Food, Recipe

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