Here are the sites featured on my facebook page in the last several weeks.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.  If you do, don’t forget to leave comments for these incredibly talented, hard-working bloggers.  We live for comments here in the blogosphere so share the love when you stop by these sites.  (Remember to click the pink blog titles – not the pictures – to follow the link)

Etsy: Fall Down Tree

There’s something about this guy’s art that really grabs me. I love the expressions of the quirky creatures…they almost seem like they were plucked from the pages of a great picture book. I fully intend to buy some for my son’s new room.

Better After

Who doesn’t love a great makeover? This entire blog is devoted to before and afters brimming with inspiration.

Controlling My Chaos

Is menu planning a constant struggle? Check out this Mom’s low-cost magnetic solution.

Ambrosia Girl

These polaroid-inspired magnets are both functional and fun. I can’t wait to create a bunch and highlight some of our favorite family memories on the fridge.

Cute Girl Hairstyles

Do your daughters need some quick ‘n easy hairstyles for summer? The video tutorials on this site are a great place to start.

Etsy: The Home Centric

My cool gray sofa is looking little bare at the moment – it’s just aching for some color or sparkle to warm it up. I found this shop on Etsy and I’m totally coveting all the awesome (and inexpensive) pillow covers. If only she didn’t have so many to choose from.

We Love Indie

Know any stylish brides-to-be? This charming idea for a ‘guestbook’ beats the tacky feather pen and book sets by a mile. It would be fun to do for a baptism or graduation party too.

Always With Butter

Strawberries are in peak season now so I made gobs of strawberry freezer jam. Up next, these scrumptious shortcake cookies.

Here are the two sites featured on my facebook page in the last week.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.  If you do, don’t forget to leave comments for these incredibly talented, hard-working bloggers.  We live for comments here in the blogosphere so share the love when you stop by these sites.  (Remember to click the pink blog titles – not the pictures – to follow the link)

Funkytime

Most toy grocery stands are plasticky and cheap looking. This DIY Ikea-hack version is a big step up from the ordinary options.

MeckMom Archives

Doing a little Easter Egg dyeing this week? Check this post from my archives for 4 cheap tips to make your family fun far less messy.

Make and Takes

Apparently multi-colored egg salad isn’t the only thing you can do with dozens of left over Easter eggs. Check out this easy kid craft.

Itsy Belle: Free Easter Banner Printable

Here a are a few of the sites featured on my facebook page in the last few weeks.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.  If you do, don’t forget to leave comments for these incredibly talented, hard-working bloggers.  We live for comments here in the blogosphere so share the love when you stop by these sites.(Remember to click the blog titles – not the pictures – to follow the link)

Poppies at Play

I had no idea these cool hanging bookshelves were so cheap and easy to make. I’m definitely adding this project to my DIY list.

Pepper Paints

If you’ve got a few newspapers and a stapler you can do amazing things. My engineer-minded son Jack will totally love this idea.

Hulu: Secret Millionaire

Don’t you just love TV that makes you want to be a better person? I just watched this show on Hulu while I cleaned the kitchen. It made me want to find more volunteer opportunities for my family. I’m sure they’re out there…time to get to work.

IHeart Organizing

Need some organizing inspiration? Check out this big collection of fabulous fixes.

Honey We’re Home

We’ve been house hunting for weeks (hence the lack of posting) so I’ve seen more than my fair share of kitchens. If only I could find one that looked like this in my price range. Hey, a girl’s gotta dream, right?

Crossing the Bugger-Dixon Line

A soggy spring is right around the corner. My daughter would be thrilled if I tucked one of these charming DIY button umbrellas in her backpack.

Under the Sycamore (this one isn’t Valentineish but it was the only post that made it on my facebook page last week – I love it)

There are beautiful nurseries and then there are BEAUTIFUL nurseries.  This one is definitely the latter.  The DIY reading bed (made from old fork lift pallets) topped with the overflowing tissue ball cluster really wowed me.

Sassy Sites

I’m all for games that force my kids to say ‘I love you’ more – especially when it involves lots of chasing, sticking and laughing.  I can’t wait to try this.

WhipperBerry

You guys know how much I love a great printable.  Here’s a lovely one just in time for Valentines.

Mrs. Bettie Rocker

My kids adore these candy dots.  I had not idea you could make them yourself.  Check out this cool tutorial (don’t you just love her blog name?)

Design Aglow

Something about this valentine idea really won me over – I love the whole look of it.  I especially love her son’s expression in the pictures.  Priceless.

Remember, if you’d like instant access to the links I love and a few other tips and tricks, you can sign up to be a follower on Facebook by clicking the Facebook icon at the top of the page, joining the like group at the bottom of my sidebar or by following this link and then clicking the ‘like’ button. Here are the links from the last few weeks…

Everyday is a Crafting Day

Need a cheap, hauntingly cool halloween decoration? Grab your kids and get a little messy with this fun, ghostly creation.

Tatertots and Jello

Who doesn’t love a free printable? This site collected 20 fabulously-free Halloween printables for us to enjoy. Gotta love that!

A Lemon Squeezy Home

There’s nothing better than a front porch covered in cool halloween decor. I love the look of these flying bats scattered across the front door.

Mae

How About Orange directed me to this charming reusable fabric wall decal site. I was particularly partial to the girly deer and the makin’ monsters collections.

Also, if you subscribe to MeckMom via email you may notice a small change in your email delivery.  I’m kind of annoyed with Feedblitz and Feedburner so I’m shifting over to a better system called MailChimp.  It gives me a little more flexibility over content and looks a whole lot prettier.  I’m sorry if you received two emails from me on Friday – we were working out the kinks – it shouldn’t happen again.  Remember, if you no longer wish to subscribe to the MeckMom newsletter you can opt out at any time.  Just click the unsubscribe option at the bottom of the email.  I promise not to spam you.  If you want to join just click the cute envelope icon at the top of the page.

It’s Monday again. Time for a recap of a few fabulous ideas from around the web. All of these sites were featured on my Facebook fan page in the last two weeks so, if you haven’t had a chance, you should check them out. If you liked them as much as I did, take a minute and let the content authors know. Bloggers love comments; so share the love when you stop by their sites.

Remember, if you’d like instant access to the links I love and a few other tips and tricks, you can sign up to be a follower on Facebook by clicking the Facebook icon at the top of the page, joining the like group at the bottom of my sidebar or by following this link and then clicking the ‘like’ button. Here are the links from the last few weeks…

Nesting Place

Are you hoping to make some home updates now that the kids are back in school? Check out the great budget-friendly diy tips on this fun blog.

Make It and Love It

Don’t you just love a big pop of color in a kid room? I thought this 2D clothesline was totally adorable. I love the ruffle swimming suit and the bright red underoos.

MeckMom

Ok, it know it’s kind of lame to link to myself, but my kids love this countdown chart.

My favorite month of the year kick’s off tomorrow. Help your kids countdown to trick or treating with this free googly-eyed advent calendar printable.

Made with Love & Glue

I love a good halloween DIY craft. Luckily this awesome blog is loaded with great ideas. I loved this easy crow craft (and everything else on her cool, spooky shelves).

So it’s Monday again. Time for a recap of a few fabulous ideas from around the web. All of these sites were featured on my Facebook fan page in the last several weeks so, if you haven’t had a chance, you should check them out. If you liked them as much as I did, take a minute and let the content authors know. Bloggers love comments; so share the love when you stop by their sites.

Remember, if you’d like instant access to the links I love and a few other tips and tricks, you can sign up to be a follower on Facebook by clicking the Facebook icon at the top of the page or by following this link and then clicking the Like button. Here are the links from last week…

The Purl Bee

With five kids in our house, we’ve seen a lot of loose teeth over the years. These simple tooth fairy bags would be a handy tool to have around.

Homemade By Jill

In our world, play dough is a disposable toy. That’s why I love finding a good home-made recipe. My kids and I used this one last week and it worked beautifully.

FilthWizardry

Do you have a little Star Wars fan at your house too? Check out this simple light saber tutorial.

The Crafting Chicks

Sugardoodle directed me to this clever idea for keeping track of your kids summer reading stash. I love the name cards that double as library card holders – so very smart.

Up Up Creative

Know any stylishly-simple brides-to-be? If so, you should send them over to this site for some gorgeous wedding invitation options. I absolutely adore her wedding stationery collection.

Remember, if you’d like instant access to the links I love and a few other tips and tricks, you can sign up to be a follower on Facebook by clicking the Facebook icon at the top of the page or by following this link.  Here are the links from last week…

• PinkandPolkaDot.blogspot.com
  I’ve got loads of Priority boxes at home since I use them for my Etsy shipping. My little guy found my stash last week and colored on a bunch of them. I thought this post was a great idea for repurposing the marked up boxes.
  

• Ink-Bloom.com
  I’ve been coveting my friend’s vinyl cutter for a long time but I just can’t justify the big price tag. This cool invention would allow me to print vinyl and fabric right from my home printer. I can’t wait to try it.
  

• TheLongThread.com
  Do you have a stash of broken crayons lying around? Try this cute and easy valentine idea (free printable included). *Quick tip from me – make the peeling process easier by soaking your crayons in warm water first.
  

• MarthaStewart.com
  While you’ve got your crayons out, you should give this easy craft a try. Wouldn’t these heart-shaped sun-catchers make pretty teacher gifts for Valentines?
  

• Fonts500.com
  I’m a bit of a font addict. I’m a little scared to count how many I’ve accumulated over the years. If you’ve got similar font affinities you should check this post out.
  
  
  

Earlier this year, when my daughter’s forfeited their old bunk beds for a new big bed I decided it was time to give their room an inexpensive mini-makeover.  The girls loved their new color scheme, but the room was a little bottom heavy – it needed some color at the top.  That’s when I came across a cute Martha Stewart tissue paper pom-pom kit in the craft section of WalMart.

The kit came with several do-it-yourself pom-poms in varying shades of pink.  They looked so adorable and easy to make that I decided to pick up a few other colors of tissue paper from the wrapping paper section and make a few pom-poms of my own.

Honestly, the project couldn’t have been easier.  In less than 30 minutes, I had 5 big, fluffy pom-poms to hang chandelier-style in my daughters’ room.  I took a bunch of pictures to show you but I think Martha’s tutorial is a little easier to understand so I’ll add that for you here (you can see her original post by clicking here).

Step 1: 1. Stack eight 20-by-30-inch sheets of tissue. Make 1 1/2-inchwide accordion folds, creasing with each fold.  *I cut mine to several different widths so they would vary in size.  For smaller balls, you’ll want to use fewer sheets of tissue paper.

Step 2: Fold an 18-inch piece of floral wire in half, and slip over center of folded tissue; twist. With scissors, trim ends of tissue into rounded or pointy shapes. *I actually found that it was easier to trim my paper before folding it – once it’s folded it’s kind of bulky and hard to cut.  For spiky pom-poms cut your edges like in a zig-zag, for rounded pom-poms cut your edges in curvy or scalloped pattern.

Step 3: Separate layers, pulling away from center one at a time. *Be gentle with this step – the tissue paper can tear easily.  If it does, don’t worry about it, the little mistakes won’t show once they’re finished.  I also found that my little container of ‘Take Hold’ (that pink sticky stuff sold in office supply stores to help your fingertips sort through paper) came in very handy.

Step 4: Tie a length of monofilament to floral wire for hanging.  *I trimmed the remaining wire ends to about 3″ and formed it into a hook shape inside the pom-pom.  Then, I tied a piece white sewing thread to each pom-pom wire hook (I varied the length so they would hang in a cluster).

To attach the pom-poms to the ceiling, I inserted a small, white cup hook into the drywall and tied the strings to the hook.  The pom-poms were lightweight so I didn’t need to worry about pre-drilling or anchoring the hook.  I just twisted it in corkscrew-style.  Viola!  A bright and cheery addition that added the perfect pop of color to my daughters’ room – all for less than $10!  Just thought I’d pass it on.