Artsy Chaos

Happy Holidays to all my fans, friends and sponsors! We will be taking a break for December to spend the season with family. We are in the midst of a serious health crisis and at this time, we need to concentrate on getting well. Thank you for the messages of hope and love. You never know what will strike in life, or how things may change at any given moment so we hope that everyone takes the holiday to reconnect with those that they love!! Merry Christmas to all!!

Welcome!! Love the Holidays? Love home decor? Love to give gifts you have put together yourself? Love Giveaways too!? Well then YOU ARE IN THE RIGHT PLACE!! Welcome to the Home for the Holidays Event where you can enter to win some great prizes for your home and the Holidays! Hosted by us here at Artsy Chaos ,  Kelly's Lucky You , My Chaotic Ramblings and Shopping for Savings , this event will have you visiting each blog for prizes from some amazing sponsors each valued of at least $25. Use the linky at the end of this post to hop to the next blog.

Have you ever heard of plantable paper? The concept is amazing and lends a true sense of style to cards, tags, and other paper products. With cards made from plantable paper, you can literally plant them and they will grow. Green Field Paper Company has been creating eco-friendly papers since 1992 including junk mail paper, hemp paper, and seeded paper.  We were thrilled to be contacted and given the opportunity to try some plantable cards and tags. They have just expanded their papers to include chia seeds. And since you can plant the card after its use is over, it doesn't have to go to a landfill, it can grow in the ground instead! I have decided that a gift basket full of gardening supplies and topped off with these adorable gift tags is perfect. The quality, ink, and texture of these cards and tags is really nice and so much more in person than in photos! Here are some more points about Green Field Paper: The papers are crafted one sheet at a time. They offse...

Ahhhh! I just learned how to turn money into a really cool work of art!! Seriously, this is really cute and fun too. Foldin' Money can help you turn plain old cash into a really fun crafty gift! It's kind of like paper crafts with a real monetary value. Ha! Foldin' Money has design kits to help you make the perfect gift for anyone on your list this year. Both US and Canadian currency directions are included in these design kits. For review, we received the "red" kit which has templates and step-by-step directions for a cake, tree, heart, and tie. We found the instructions to be very, very easy to follow. Ladies, I think even your husbands could fold money into the perfect gift! Did that sound rude? Sorry Fellas! What we found really fun was the endless ways that you could possibly use the Foldin' Money designs. I thought it would be really fun to put one of those little strands of battery operated lights onto the folded money tree! What a fun gift idea an...

It's almost here!! The Home for the Holidays Giveaway Blog Hop starts Monday, November 14th! Over 30 blogs bringing you some great giveaways just in time for the holidays. Our sponsors here at Artsy Chaos include: PhotoArtPeople - Please read our review of this amazing company that turns your photos in a real work of art on canvas. They are also offering all Artsy Chaos readers an exclusive 30% off one canvas discount! Use code  WRedfe30. Be sure to order by December 1st for Christmas delivery! AquaNotes - Doodle, leave notes, write your Christmas shopping list... all in the shower! Check out our review for all the details on this fun product. Foldin' Money - Lets you turn your cash gift into a work of art! Green Field Paper Company - Plantable gift cards and tags, perfect for assembling gift baskets for the holidays. Lovable Labels - Providing adorable holiday labels and gift seals. We have a professional relationship with the above mentioned companies and have r...

Most moms would agree that there is one place in the home where you can disappear (well, mostly) without being hounded to death. Yep, the bathroom. Although I do remember little toes peeking from under the door and "are you done yet"? coming from my kids when they were little. I finally had to tell them hey - unless there is a fire or someone is bleeding, if the bathroom door is shut you can wait ! So for many moms, relaxing in a hot shower or bubble bath is a true luxury and maybe even when we get our best thinking done. But what do you do if you suddenly have an idea for new pillows or things you need to put on your shopping list for the holidays? AquaNotes is a notepad that you can use near the water because the paper is waterproof! What a neat idea! AquaNotes in action! In my tub! The cute little pad is held in place in your shower, tub, or by the sink with little suction cups and has 40 3.5" x 5.25" sheets to get your thoughts down. It also comes with a ...

Starting November 14th, we will be hosting the Home for the Holidays Giveaway Blog Hop with lots of holiday and home goodness! Find out about some great gift ideas to make yourself and some neat things for your home during the season. Each of the 30+ blogs participating will be hosting a giveaway that you can enter. Here at Artsy Chaos, we are beyond thrilled to have Photo Art People as a sponsor for the event. A photo canvas is the perfect gift for so many people on our gift giving list we cannot wait to share this amazing company with you! Every year, I try to put a lot of thought into the gifts that I give and it's not always easy. It is just so much more meaningful (in my opinion) to give a gift that has true sentiment behind it. I remember reading once that if you make something with real love, it will shine through every time. Picking out a photo, a memory, a moment in time, can really be the perfect gift when made into personalized photo canvas gifts . Photo Art Pe...

It's that time again!! Yipee!! Sore throat season is upon us. Ya, strike that "yipee!" . Have you felt that scratchy sore feeling yet? We hope not. However, we do have good news in case you have. Pine Brothers lozenges are back and making their debut this fall! The original "softish" throat drops are once again available. Want to learn more? Of course you do and you can, soon, right here at Artsy Chaos. Watch for an upcoming review! Thanks for stopping by!

A good portion of my daughter's childhood was spent reading Discovery Girls Magazine . This month, Discovery Girls was awarded a 2011 Mom's Choice Gold Award and they definitely are deserving! They are also the recipient of the 2011 National Parenting Publications Award. Discovery Girls is about girls, for girls and even by girls. It isn't about turning your 8-year-old into a little makeup wearing fashionista but about real girls with real issues. This mom totally approves. We have had the privilege in the past of reviewing some magazines and books from Discovery Girls which you can read about HERE . The magazines are full of advice, fun quizzes and timely stories for girls ages 8-13. Recently, we were sent the 10-year Collector's Edition to review. My daughter's eyes lit up when she saw it in the mail pile. Now keep in mind, my daughter is 16 but she still to this day loves Discovery Girls. The Collector's Edition boasts 10 years of the best Fun Quizze...

Recently, we posted about the Jacob Bromwell All-American Flour Sifter . The comments were amazing from you all!! We asked if you had any recipes or foods which have been passed down through the generations.  Karieann even shared a recipe for Pumpkin Bars in her comment and they sound amazing! Paul's Pumpkin Bars Ingredients 4 eggs 1 2/3 cups white sugar 1 cup vegetable oil 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon salt 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir into the pumpkin mixture until thoroughly combined. Spread the batter evenly into an ungrease...

Welcome to the Trick or Treat Halloween Hop hosted by Tales From the Nursery , Formula Mom, and Mama on a Green Misson , where you will go trick-or-treating virtually at each blog for a chance to win some totally ghoul prizes. Will they have tricks or will they have treats ? You must click through the linky to find out! Here at Artsy Chaos we want to treat you to the chance to get a jump on your holiday cards with Shutterfly! We will have THREE winners who will each win  25 free 5×7 flat or folded cards!! (Retail value approximately $50 each!)  Check out these amazing designs for Halloween: To enter, simply use the form below. After entering here, be sure to hop on over to the next blog to see what you can enter to win there! The blogs participating are in the linky below the entry form. Good luck and have fun! <a href="http://rafl.es/enable-js">You need javascript enabled to see this givea...

Halloween signals that slow slide right into the holiday season.... soon it will be Thanksgiving and then yikes Christmas! There is certainly something to be said for getting ready early as it cuts out a good portion of stress. This is part of the reason that we love Shutterfly. You can get your holiday cards ready to go as early as now . Let me back up a little bit though. I have ordered personalized greeting cards from several different companies and Shutterfly remains a top favorite. They are big enough to have lots of designs and items to choose from yet they maintain a very friendly, helpful and just plain happy feeling. Shutterfly's service is speedy and well executed which appeals to my overly perfectionist side! Several months ago, we needed to get some cards for my daughter to use as thank-you's. We were able to personalize one of the cards on the site to fit exactly what we needed at an amazing price. Plus, Shutterfly often has fabulous promotions happening wh...

Do you ever get the feeling (or smelling, as it were) that maybe your home might have an odor? Certainly, there are odor hot spots that can make us cringe; the bathroom, the sink, the trash can. Can you relate? We certainly can and recently our big outdoor trash can had taken on a monstrous odor. So much so that everyone dreaded actually having to open the lid. Yes, it was that powerful. Luckily for us, Natural House had asked us if we'd like to try out their revolutionary new natural household cleaning products that clean the parts of your home you'd rather forget about. The Natural House probiotic cleaners are named Trashy, Sinky and Flushy. Clever names we thought. Heck ya, we'd love to I said! Clean that monster trash can odor? Bring it on! Could this possibly work? We set out on a month-long mission to find out. Trashy, Sinky and Flushy are non-toxic and safe for use in your home yet strong enough to use in a commercial setting. Here's some additional...

Today is the anniversary of Black Thursday. On October 24, 1929, the stock market plummeted and led to the Great Depression. Today we live in similar times... much to our dismay and sometimes horror. Our financial lives are in question, stress runs rampant and many of us just don't feel secure anymore. Where do you turn for comfort? Where do you find hope? Hopefully you have your own belief system to lean on along with supportive friends and family. Honestly, though, sometimes we falter in our own emotions and spirit and need a little guidance in a tough and changing world. I am a big believer in the power of motivation and affirmation. I've seen the vast capacity of the human psyche to overcome challenges through sheer brainpower. Negativity is poison. Positivity is the life blood of success. We're thrilled to introduce you to Trudy W. Evans C.H., who wants you to learn, grow and prosper. Yes, prosper!! Is that even possible, you ask? I mean, prospering today seem...

Halloween is almost here! Do you have your costume ready? Our family loves Halloween and we have always made a big deal about dressing up. This year is no exception, even though the only kids left at home are 15 and 16. Oliver has decided to be an Old West Gambler and Josie is going to be a female Musketeer. One of the hardest parts of putting together a costume is the accessories that go with the outfit. What Musketeer outfit is complete without the big feather plume and what kind of Old West Gambler doesn't have a cowboy hat? Luckily for us, we have options like Wholesale Costume Club to complete our costumes in style. Costume hats can be hard to find and it's even harder to find good quality ones at the right price. The selection and prices at WholesaleCostumeClub are hard to beat! We were sent a Buccaneer Tricorn Hat for adults to review and couldn't be happier with the quality of the hat. It is not flimsy or cheap looking and is sewn rather than glued toget...

Smiley Cookies. The name just makes you happy, right? Us too! I'm kind of a cookie gourmet, queen of the cookie eaters, if you will. Cookies are my weak spot. Well, that and cinnamon rolls but we'll save that for another day. OK, yes, chocolate cake as well but that's beside the point here. *deep breath* So, you might say I've seen a cookie or two in my day. I love the concept of Smiley Cookies with their cute little smiling faces just begging to brighten your day for a moment. I also love Halloween so you can imagine my delight to find Halloween Cookies with smiles in my mailbox! 12 little hand iced Jack O Lantern cookies were sent to us by Smiley Cookie to share about here on our blog. That's one dozen if you're counting. The packaging was amazing with a cute smiley face box holding our nicely wrapped and packaged cookies. Absolutely nothing was broken when they arrived. Not a single broken cookie! Which means that you could serve these cookies for ...

This post must be written lightening fast because I must leave soon to pick up my daughter from the high school's Sadie Hawkins dance and ferry her and her date to their next destination. How's that for a long, stressful run-on sentence full of far too many prepositional phrases. We had the distinct pain honor of hosting the dance dinner for 19 teenagers tonight. I don't know about you but I remember Sadie Hawkins as the dance where the guys always said no. Seriously, teenage boys can cut a teenage girl's confidence to shreds. Oh who am I kidding, grown men still do that. So we had dinner in the backyard complete with Halloween lights and a cauldron full of bubbling homemade root beer. My husband loves the homemade root beer and is always the dry ice master chef of the brew. At one point, he came in from outside all dejected because apparently the ladle had fallen into the cauldron and the kids had been trying to fish it out with their hands.... he didn't feel l...