May
15
2012

posted by

Gisela Voss

What's that they say about life and a bowl of cherries?

Savor all the juicy bits, suck the sweetness outta them until they're dry, then spit out the hard parts.

A trio of friends I'm lucky to be part of bought the very same half-and-half bowl together to remember each other by. Each time we use it we snap a quick photo and share it with each other.

I hereby share it with all of you. For when you have a pits kind of day and need a reminder of the sweetness of friendship. And cherries.

—Gisela

Feb
07
2012

posted by

Carly Hagins

Sweet Treats

There’s nothing quite like Valentine’s Day in grade school. Friends exchange small gifts and there are classroom parties with festive decorations. One of the first holidays since late December, it’s an excuse to let people know you care. And maybe eat a candy heart or five.

The B.ig day is only a week away. Are you still searching for creative ideas about what your wee ones can bring to school on February 14? If so, you’re in luck! We’ve combed the internet to come up with these suggestions just for you.

For many, Valentine’s Day is all about candy. The options are endless: there are heart-shaped boxes full of chocolate, lollipops wrapped in red, and conversation hearts printed with sweet sayings.

Personalized matchboxes from inchmark are adorable—and hold a perfectly petite portion of your favorite sweet treat.
Gabrielle Blair, better known as Design Mom, always has ingenious Valentine’s ideas. We’re blown away by these portraits-turned-lollipop-holders. (Bet they’d work with pencils too!)
These See-Through Valentines (made by Kelli Wilson) are elegant enough to bring to a big kid’s party—or gift to your sweetheart.

Maybe you prefer to think outside the (candy) box? Lots of schools have started enforcing sugar-free celebrations. We love the idea of Valentines that last a little longer than a candy stash.

Mer Mag’s color theory cards make our designer hearts sing. We’re considering making a set for every holiday this year.
Simply wrapped, bouncy balls become a unique and very boy-friendly treat. Thanks to Super Mom Moments for the super idea.
These beautiful painted rocks from Aesthetic Outburst are a fun craft and a sweet memento. There’s no better way to say ‘you rock!’
Do you have a drawer full of crayon nubs? Cottoncandycastle’s heart-shaped mishmash crayons look soooo cool, are fun to use, and can teach a valuable lesson in recycling.
Little ones will feel like the head zookeeper with these wild cards from Design Mom. Don’t miss the free printable!
Food coloring and shaving cream come together to make these awesomely crafty cards from Modern Parents Messy Kids. Our recommendation? Put the kids on shaving cream duty, keep the food coloring in adult hands, and have a camera close by!

Valentine’s Day can also be the perfect time to teach your little ones about the importance of helping others. What better way to show your compassion than by providing opportunities to people who might not have them otherwise?

Me to We has many Artisan-made gifts that would be just right to give to your loved ones. Our favorite? The mood elevator!
Bee mine? A gift of honey bees via Free The Children can be life changing for families in need. If you ask us, that’s sweeter than any box of chocolates.

And if you’re looking for a gift for the loved ones in your life who have graduated from the days of pencil cases and milk in mini cartons, we suggest sharing the wisdom of your wee ones with our online quote maker. Quotes can be downloaded, emailed, tweeted, printed, and framed. The incredible insight of the most precious little people in your life is truly one of the greatest gifts around.

—Carly

PS- This year I’m sending Valentines from tattly—makers of awesomely design-y temporary tattoos—to my friends near and far. You’re never too old for a little treat!

Jan
27
2012

posted by

Andrea Gavin Becker

The Perfect Valentine's Day Gift: the words of a child

While it can seem impossible to find a Valentine’s Day gift that truly imparts the love, joy and gratitude you want to share with that special person, we think it can be easy and (almost) free.

Those brilliant, hilarious, poignant and priceless things children say can be turned into a gorgeous keepsake to be treasured forever using the B. Quote Gallery quote maker. Here's what I did:

First, I chose a quote by my nephew I know my sister is going to love. Then I entered it into the the Quote Maker which automatically turned it into beautiful art (ready for gifting to moms, dads, grandparents, aunts, uncles, babysitters and teachers).

Once I created my quote, I downloaded it to print. (You can also click on the envelope to email it, creating a personalized e-Valentine.) When it was printed, I added a few personal touches to turn it into a gorgeous valentine.

Here are a few step-by-step instructions to create heart art for Valentine's Day:

For each card, print a quote on matte card stock paper at your desired size. For the simplest of quotes, size them to fit in envelopes you have purchased at a stationery store or online. You can go super tiny or ultra big. Anything goes! Some of my favorite ideas are brown kraft envelopes or glassine envelopes you can find a photography supply stores.
Round the corners of the valentine with scissors, and then have your wee one sign the valentine if you like. Finally, decorate the envelope with hearts, doodles and love. One of my favorite things to do was to make hearts with a heart hole punch out of scraps of the quotes. I also found stickers and metallic pens added to the fun.
For a fold-over card, I simply printed 2 quotes and used glue tape to stick them together back to back. Fold over and voilà!
For that extra special someone, try printing several quotes and using tiny clothespins and baker's twine to make a string-a-long anyone would love.
Finally, if you want to go bigger, you can download the quote then send it to Shutterfly.com, Kodak.com, Mpix.com or Vistaprint.com to make a wonderful keepsake—a book, a bag, a calendar. You can use these quotes any way you would use a photo.

The most important thing to remember that it really truly is the thought that counts! Even a printout of a quote just folded in half would make anyone's day.

Happy Valentine's Day card making!

—Andrea

Jan
13
2012

posted by

Carly Hagins

Made by Hand and by Heart

Little ones learn the art of homemade gifts from a very early age. Fingerprint snowmen and peanut butter pinecone birdfeeders are de rigueur for grade school classrooms during the holidays. Even though many of the same school crafts have been in rotation since I was in kindergarten, I’m still filled with surprise and delight every single time I get to open one of these special creations. And I love catching glimpses of what other people receive from the children in their lives.

Homemade gifts have intrinsic value because of the thought, time, and love that goes into them. They take planning and execution. You can’t buy them in a store, and that is precisely the point.

You don’t have to be part of the preschool set to make something meaningful by hand. I was thrilled this Christmas to open a stunning ornament my mom made out of Pop-Arty beads. It’s beautiful and thoughtful and just right—the perfect memento from this year of my life.

The holidays have come and gone, but it’s not too late to gift your loved ones with something special. Here at Team B. we believe there’s reason to celebrate every day of the week. (Happy Monday! Happy Tuesday! Happy…you get the point :))

Our online quote maker makes it easy to share an invaluable gift—the wisdom of children. You can make beautiful art out of the insightful, wise, or just plain silly words of your wee one. Then it’s easy to share with relatives, friends, teachers, and even the mailman via email, Facebook, or Twitter. Better yet, print it out and make a card (glitter and puffy paint strongly recommended) to mail to a lucky recipient—or three.

Sending my very B.est wishes for a joyous and love-filled 2012!

—Carly

Dec
22
2011

posted by

Gisela Voss

Very Merry Joy-Joy from all of us at B.

We find it hard to believe this is only B.'s second Christmas and Hannukah—ever!

Like many of your precious little ones whose photos we marvel at, we have learned to walk and babble. We have giggled (a lot!), most especially at the wonder-filled things children say. We have made mistakes and made good friends. And we shared what we have.

And as the year draws to a close, faster than we could have ever imagined we want to take a quiet moment to wish you all the blessings of the season: joy, laughter, family, hugs and kisses.

We are firm believers in this African proverb: "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with others." Without you, the parents of the kids who play with our toys, all of this would be meaningless. You are our others. You are our community. You make our dreams a reality.

We know no words to express our gratitude. Maybe by year 3 we'll learn some new ones :)

~Gisela