Tag: gifts

Giveaways, Home, Kids

Canvas Gifts for Your Child’s Room – #Giveaway

Erin Sluka

There comes a day in every child’s life when the parents decide it is time to upgrade the bedroom decor from little boy/girl to big boy/girl. My son does not share a room so it truly is his space. He has had a car-themed nursery, then CARS the movie themed toddler room, a Pokemon themed room and now a sports theme at age 11. I don’t always make big, drastic changes but for his 10th year last year we did upgrade furniture so it was bigger and more of his size.

The first thing he bought for his updated room was a black and white print of Michael Jordan he bought off a street vendor with his own money while we were vacationing in NYC. So the sports theme grew from there. It doesn’t take much to update a child’s space. Simply buying new bedding and replacing posters and wall art will change the entire room.

As kids get older, chances are you have loads of photos. If your child is into sports and plays sports you are halfway to new decor they will love in their updated space. If your child loves dance and dances, then you have those photos, etc. My nephew is 10 this week and he shares a room with his younger brother, but has his space on his half of the room. I found one of his football photos off of my brothers Facebook page and uploaded it into my Canvas Factory account to create a personal canvas for his ‘big boy’ space. He will be his own hero on his own wall.

Turning your child’s photos into canvas prints is such a great way to personalize their space. My son has canvas prints of him and his puppy in his room and he tells me that his cousin is going to love his own canvas print for his space. My son knows how special it is to see yourself in art.

At Canvas Factory you get great quality, constant updates and at a great value. To create a canvas print just upload your photo or image, choose the size and shape of your canvas, finish your order and wait for your photo canvas to be delivered.

The Canvas Factory canvas print Giveaway

1 lucky reader will win a code to create their own canvas print (can choose the 50x40cm (20×16 inch) / 18x12inch (45x30cm) of the canvas size) with free delivery. Open to US and Canada. Ends 8/15/2019.

Canvas Factory canvas print
Father's Day, Kids

5 DIY Father’s Day Gift Ideas the Kids Can make

Erin Sluka

Father’s Day is almost here and we all know Dad does not need another tie or a second pair of slippers (he can only wear 1 pair at a time anyway).

I have been searching some of the best (and most adorable) DIY Father’s Day Gift Ideas to share with all of you in one spot.

Handprint Baseball Father’s Day Gift with Free Printable Poem

Photo Source: Sunny Day Family

Seriously, how adorable is this for bay or toddler to Dad?! A trip to Goodwill could even get you a ball and mitt for cheap. Purple Power, magic eraser or a degreaser cleans the ball well.

https://www.sunnydayfamily.com/2015/06/handprint-baseball-diy-fathers-day-gift/

Craft Stick Flower Pots

Photo Source: Typically Sourced

If Dad has a desk he likes to show off his kids work at, this is a fun way to add color to his workspace.

https://typicallysimple.com/craft-stick-flower-pots/

Tackle Box Candy Craft

Photo Source: Crafty Morning

This is a lot of fun to fill with worms and fish treats. I would supervise the kids on this craft so that enough candy is left over for Dad’s gift!

https://www.craftymorning.com/tackle-box-fathers-day-gift/

Superhero DIY LEGO Gift

Photo Source: Celebrating with the Bug

Have a lot of LEGO’s lying around? Have the kids create superheroes while you get this printable ready. You can display in a shadow box frame

www. celebratingwiththebug.com/superhero-diy

Upcycled Nuts and Bolts Heart Craft

Photo Source: Mosswood Connections

This is such a simple project for the kids that requires a bunch of bolts, washers and nuts and glue. I bet you can put an ask out in your community groups an someone may have an old can of these around for you. If you need to polish them up, put them in a plastic bottle with some apple cider vinegar and shake them every once in a while.

https://mosswoodconnections.com/activity/upcycled-nuts-and-bolts-heart-craft/

Home, Mother's Day, Reviews

VIDBOX Video Conversion and Audio Conversion Suite Review

Erin Sluka
Video Conversion and Audio Conversion Suite

This is so exciting and what a great Mother’s Day gift! This is the VIDBOX Video Conversion and Audio Conversion Suite. This little box takes your old VCR (VHS, Betamax, S-VHS), camcorder (8mm, DV, mini DV, HDV, AVCHD) home movies and converts them to digital files.

I grew up in the 80’s and my younger siblings were into the 90’s so all of our home movies are on VHS and a few on 8mm. Do you even know what I had to go through to find someone who still has a VCR? That’s how long it has been since we saw our tapes and without owning a VCR we don’t get to sit and organize them or share.

The first 4 VHS tapes I played were taped TV shows, which was comical, such as ER, Will and Grace and even some old Fit TV episodes which I assume are my sisters recordings. I could just ignore those and not record.

Then I got to a stash of my youngest sister. Katie’s ballet show from 1996, her Middle School and High School choir and talent shows. Some Christmas family video and even one with my brother’s beloved dog he lost in a car accident (Shaft was in a Christmas video-such tears)! The memories are so fun!

Converting was so easy! You simply use the USB to plug in the VIDBOX to your PC or laptop (mine is the Mac version). Second, you use either RCA (composite) and/or S-Video outputs to connect VIDBOX to your VCR or video player/console. Then you will get a screen asking you length of the video you will record and then you get the actual record screen.

Here is the record screen (a bit blurry but that was my camera taking a moving photo on auto and not a reflection of VIDBOX quality). You simply get the video to the spot to record and hit RECORD. Then hit STOP and the NEXT arrow. At that point you can choose where to download to such as iTunes folder, file on computer, iMovie to edit and more.

The blur was my camera taking a moving video-VIDBOX conversions quality is great!

It’s that easy! TIP*** I recommend as converting these VHS tapes is a hefty file size that you record in 10-20 minute increments. That worked best for me in all formats of converting.

Buy VIDBOX Conversion Suite
2019 Valentine's, College Bound

3 Adult Games to Play with Friends and Family

Erin Sluka
3 Adult Games to Play with Friends and Family

3 Adult Games to Play with Friends and Family

The Holidays are over, a new semester is beginning at school, spring will be here soon and we will have Easter baskets to fill, school, gifts and kids! Sometimes we need adult time. Whether you invite friends over or get a sitter and meet at a friends home for some adult socializing, games always add an extra element of fun. Card games, especially, create laughs and weirdness that is so refreshing.

There are several adult games to play by Goliath Games from GAMES ADULTS PLAY (the name is catchy)! I have 3 of them and we first brought these out on Super Bowl Sunday as we had food prepped and were waiting for the game to start.

True Colors

My 10 year old really wanted to play with us and True Colors was the most appropriate so we played this one with him. In True colors you have cards each player reads at their turn. Everyone is voting on who (besides themselves) most relate to that question or comment.

While you are voting for others in the ballot box, you are then trying to guess how many votes were cast for you. Scoring is a tad tricky at first, but once you can focus on a round of two it’s easier. You get scored based on if you were correct about getting any votes or not and then if you actually got the most votes. For 3 to 6 players and the more the better the game!

Friend or Faux

Friend or Faux is strictly adult fun because these questions get personal and intimate at times. I would save this game for friends you know well and are not worried about creating awkward conversations with. It is my duty to give you that bit of a warning.

However, it is a blast! It is very easy to play and you simply are sharing your cards question with a friend to answer. There are Bull Shit cards in play and you can use it at anytime if you think the player is bluffing and want to create an argument you may or may not win. At your turn you start at Pile 1 for round one and read the card. You wait to answer because everyone else is guessing what you might say. Will they be right or wrong? If they were wrong? What was it they thought you’d say? This is why it is so fun.

If you cannot avoid young ears being around, just stick to the lower numbered piles. The higher numbered pile the worse the questions. Pile 1 is kid-friendly with questions like favorite movie, etc..

Shit Happens

This game is a blast! Again, NOT kid-friendly. Each player starts with 3 cards and lays them down in order of less severe to most severe in circumstances. Such as…

Being Stung by a Swarm of Bees and Finding a Dead Hooker in your Bed (like I said, not kid-friendly so I wanted to make that clear).

Every card has a number professionally dictated as its place on pleasant to worst scenario. The player next to you draws a card and reds it to you, without showing you the number place assigned to that scenario. You must decide where it falls in your stack of cards. If you guess right you keep the card. The first to collect 10 cards wins.

Find more games like this at Games Adults Play.