Artsy Chaos

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...

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...

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 ...

So many things are just not like they used to be; sturdy, solid, simple and built to last. Everything these days seems so rushed, hurried and disposable, including so many of the products on the market. Honestly, we get real tired of rolling the dice every time we purchase a product. I bet you do too. Jacob Bromwell is out of the ordinary. Established in 1819 with an idea to create solid cooking and kitchen ware, Jacob Bromwell creates products the same way they did back then and they are expected to last for generations. I inherited one of Jacob Bromwell's fine flour sifters from my father's family's estate. It may have belonged to his great-aunt Josephine or possibly his grandmother but in any case, it made its way to me many years later. I used to just turn the handle to feel how smoothly it turned the little wires inside the sifter. It was mesmerizing. Unfortunately, the sifter suffered during one of our moves in my early 20's and couldn't be put back tog...

There are a lot of party games and printable games out there on the internet. A lot of party games that well, are pretty much all the same and not that clever or involved. I mean, don't get me wrong, if you have a crazy family like I do a lot of lame games can be fun. But I found something much different and WAY BETTER . Insert = PartyGamesPlus.com! Halloween is coming up and I have something perfect for your upcoming parties and get-togethers: Clues, Spells, and Curses Scavenger Hunt . Just the name is intriguing, right? I mean seriously, who doesn't want to cast a spell on smelly Uncle Charlie and Little Tommy's loud friend Helga! This downloadable game comes with everything, literally almost everything, you will need for an entire night of laughs and fun. The .PDF game is 25 pages long and you can use it over and over and over - it might even become a yearly tradition. The price may seem a little steep at $14.99 but remember that is on par or even less expensive than...

We are pleased to introduce you to  Duel On Jewel , one of our fabulous sponsors for the Fall Fashionista Giveaway Event, October 14-19, 2011.  Over 130 blogs are participating, each with a prize minimum of $50 to give away.  Don't miss it! From the Duel On Jewel website, "jewelry is an accessory that helps to enhance your outfit and style". We couldn't agree more. Jewelry is like the icing on the cake, the part of an outfit that pulls it all together in your own unique way. I, myself, have more of a bold style in jewelry and I have a particular love of fashion jewelry. I like big pieces that you won't see anywhere else; Pieces that have a charm and style of their own. If you're unsure of what style of jewelry to wear or what to wear together, Duel On Jewel has a great jewelry tips section to give you direction in your jewelry style. We were able to review 3 lovely pieces from Duel On Jewel and we weren't disappointed. This 16" glass bead ...

I remember when my kids were younger and always begging me to let them create a "My Space" profile. Honestly, I was horrified. With all due respect to My Space, it is not really appropriate for a 10 year old. I'm not an overly protective parent but having my children playing on what I feel is an adult place to hang out is just not my cup of tea. Boy, we used to have some tears over that one! I wish that FoozKids would have been around then. FoozKids is a kid-safe, parent approved place where kids can email family and friends, watch videos and even do some crafting all in a parent controlled and child appropriate environment. For a low one-time fee of $11.99 (hello, bargain!) for the basic application kids get access to web, video, games, crafts, virtual rooms, email and they get to create their own virtual look-a-like. What a great comfort to be able to let your children email when they want and to whom they want all because you have already approved who they can i...

Today is my birthday and what better way to celebrate than in supporting Breast Cancer Awareness! It just so happens, also, that the month of October is National Breast Cancer awareness month. Plus, I love pink and so it's a match. Freschetta has teamed up with bloggers to let you know about the Freschetta Proud to Support Pink program. From now until October 31st, Freschetta will donate $1 to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center for every code entered from specially marked pizzas. One dollar may not sound like much but it really does add up - and fast. The specially marked package codes can be entered at www.ProudToSupportPink.com until they reach their goal of $50,000.  Freschetta is also donating 50 pink iPods each week in October to 4 cancer treatment centers around the US for patients to enjoy during treatment. My father had cancer and during his treatments, anything to relieve his mind from the pain was a welcome addition. We love Freschetta pizzas and my new f...