Monthly Color Challenge

Welcome to our Monthly Color Challenge. Join the fun each month. Unleash your creative side while you increase traffic to your blog and discover new blogs.

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Why A Color Challenge

Please DO NOT be turned away by the long introduction. It's all really very easy and simple.

My blog and web site theme is Encourage Creativity - Creativity is Endless and the inspiration for this Color Challenge is based on the primary colors in A Rainbow of Shapes, Learn Shapes and Colors, a book I wrote for toddlers and pre-schoolers to help them learn shapes and colors.

What is the PURPOSE OF A CHALLENGE?

What we all want and need is traffic, and participating in a challenge is one EASY way to increase traffic on your blog.

The MONTHLY COLOR CHALLENGE is NOT a Blog Hop but a Challenge to create something specifically related to the COLOR theme for that month.

We encourage you to find inspiration from another blogger, or use Pinterest. When you write your post you MUST include the link to the inspiration, whether it's a blog post from a fellow blogger or a specific 'PIN'. When you upload your post, send an email to the blogger letting them know you linked their post or their 'PIN' to the MONTHLY COLOR CHALLENGE.

This one task alone will be increase traffic to everyone involved. Everyone likes to follow the links – it’s instinctive.

SIMPLE HOW TO:
MONTHLY COLOR CHALLENGE

Each month will be assigned a specific color. This COLOR CHALLENGE is a way to think outside the box. You can cook, bake, decorate, craft, sew, draw, photograph, or do a scrapbook page using the specific color chosen each month. The project MUST FEATURE 85% of the specific theme color that month.

MARCH -- GREEN
APRIL -- YELLOW
MAY -- RED

SUMMER BREAK & BEGIN AGAIN IN SEPTEMBER

SEPTEMBER -- PURPLE
OCTOBER -- ORANGE
NOVEMBER -- BLUE

SIMPLE “HOW TO” FOR THE MONTHLY COLOR CHALLENGE

1. The MONTHLY COLOR CHALLENGE will begin on the 20th of the month. The COLOR THEMES are listed above which gives you time to gather inspiration and work on your creation for future challenges.
2. Your project must be current and not a project that you have previously posted on your blog or listed in another linky party or blog hop within 45 days prior to the MONTHLY COLOR CHALLENGE. (See the COLOR THEMES above) Because of the advance listing of the color themes you have lots of time to create a new project prior to the 20th of the specific Monthly Color Challenge.
3. The project must be made/created by you, your child, or your students.
4. You will have 7 days to link up your project, starting on the 20th day of the month.
5. Keep in mind that this is an E-rated family-friendly site.
6. You must write a post and include the Monthly Color Challenge badge. When you submit your project you MUST enter the link to your specific post on your blog, not just the general blog link. This will be a key to keep the traffic increasing on your blog and to the inspiration blog as well. We want this to be a WIN! WIN! for everyone.
7. If you do a holiday theme project, be sure you use specific key words which is another traffic draw.

The MONTHLY COLOR CHALLENGE is not meant to be difficult. It is for fun, learning, exploring, and spending quality time with our kids. It is meant to inspire and encourage us to be creative.

This is a fun challenge that you can do yourself, or as parents and teachers, you can engage the kids and the entire family to be creative as well. It’s a chance to put aside the electronic gaming devices and spend quality time together. Spend a few hours outdoors, in the garden if you have one or at a park; a local museum; or even take a trip to the mall. There is inspiration everywhere.

Remember this is a only a COLOR CHALLENGE and not a contest. We just want to have fun, maybe learn something new, and yes, increase traffic.


Please sign up to join the challenge. There is no obligation, we understand 'stuff happens' so you don't have to link up for each month. Just Encourage Creativity!


I look forward to seeing all your wonderful creativity!

Have you been bullied

It is time for parents to wake up and realize children are being bullied for all kinds of reasons. This is so disturbing to me. Ever where you turn you hear about another child being abused. This has got to stop and it stems from the parents. It is not any other persons job but the parents. I believe that the problem is denial, nobody wants to believe that their child could be the cause of this. I have no patience for this situation anymore. It has got to stop.

The child being bullied doesn't tell anyone because they don't want it to get worse. They also don't know why it happens to them. And here is the kicker of it all, they are raised to be nice and respect everyone no matter what color, size, or etc that person is so they become the suckers.

It is unbelievable that this could start as early as 2 or 3rd grade and it will never stop if the parents are blind to this. So many children hurt others at lunch time it is just disgusting. I have witnessed this many times in elementary schools. I can not fathom the thought that people ignore this.

When does it end? Why does it Start? And How many does it affect.

New Artwork

Here is a terrific image I just received from one of my followers. It was created by and 5th grader.





Please stay tuned for the Monthly Color Challenge. It's going to be fun. Be sure to follow us so you don't miss it.

String Art

String art has been around for ages but it's so easy and the kids always have fun being creative with this project.

For an easy craft that never goes out of style here is all you need:

poster board
glue
toothpick
assorted color yarn
scissors

There is no definitive way to do this project but if you haven't done this before here are two suggestions to do this.

#1. Spread glue in a free form design, or draw a specific design with the toothpick then add the yarn to create the graphic.

I gave my class a small cup with white glue and a couple of toothpicks and they made their own pictures. This was the least messy way.

#2. Or you can dip the yarn in the glue, using your thumb and forefinger squeeze the glue off the yarn, then lay out the yarn on the poster board into your desired shape.

Have fun and create!!

Our Quick Trip

Just A quick post on what I have been doing these past few days. I took my boys on vacation to Washington D.C. For 2 days. Here the boys have a winter recess for 1 week. Knowing that the weather was going to be mild I thought it would be a perfect time to travel and visit the sites. There is another great reason to travel there, because my dad is there on business and had room for all of us for a few days. We couldn't ask for better weather. On the first day and the second day we got lucky most of the day. knowing that when I get home I will have tons of laundry to do and all of my normal household chores not to mention I am starting another one of my crafting classes on Monday and I have so many things to do. Why does everything have a speed bump before you get to it.

My older son has been sick for the past 2 weeks. He seemed much better before we got to DC. He started coughing and having a stuffy nose. I have to say dragging them around was a piece of cake. They never complained that they didn't want to walk anymore.

We get on the train to come home and my younger son who is usually the one sick,is now complaining about his stomach hurting. Oh but does anyone remember I suffer from fibro and have a very bad back. I have been walking for 2 days and lugging around every possible electronic item you can think of. How did any of us function years ago with not one type of electronic device. I am not able to walk for a long period of time and my neck is killing me. Someone needs to take control of the sick people here. Just give me a cup of coffee and I am soooo happy.

Well anyway, we were able to see lots of sights and had a great time, but just thinking about all of the stuff I must do when I get home I am already overwhelmed, and hoping that the boys are well enough to go to school on Monday. They have been taking turns since the Christmas holiday being sick I am about to freak out. Oh yeah, I wanted to let you know that Monday I will post pictures of the craft we are going to do in class.

When is enough Enough?

What a day. The way the day started is how it is starting to end- quiet. It started out as a usual Saturday morning. The whole family ate breakfast together and then we all started our work. I was on a mission to get a lot of things done today. Well that didn't go as I planned.

Let me start by saying that I tell my boys all the time if you are going to fight you will be spending the rest of the day in your room. Well they went to play and that lasted all of 1/2 hour. So naturally I went nuts. I am working on 2 different crafts at once and trying to plan a trip. My parents came by to see the kids and because of the ruckus that I was making, they came and left. I feel horrible about that. There went my day, nothing got done and I was a lunatic for a good part of the day. The best punishment yet, was me taking them clothes shopping. I worked like a charm.

Another day goes by and I can't seem to accomplish anything. Let me explain to you that I work well with lots going on, but this time I had enough. My younger son was sick for a long time starting and Christmas time. He finally went back to school and now my other son was home sick for a week. I have seen more doctors in the past month than all of last year I think. So just from the boys being sick I have not gotten a break.

Yes you have it right this week the boys are on vacation for winter recess. What to do first. All of their friends are going away, so I am their play date. Before we can play though all of my crafting work must get done. I am way behind in posting the latest crafts. Oh yeah and then cleaning, cooking and baking Oh MY!

Tooth Fairy saga

Why is it the youngest always seems to get the short end of the stick. I find it funny, he has such a personality that the only thing I can do is entertain his problems. I'm not saying that every meltdown he has he gets what he wants but, here comes the best. He has been losing his teeth the way you and I drink water. When he thinks his tooth is loose enough he will go into the bathroom and not come out until he has the tooth in his hand. There are a few times that he couldn't get his tooth out and it would fall out in school. The school gives them a little treasure box to put their tooth in until they go home.

So he comes home from school and tells me that he needs a plastic bag for his tooth. He has to save the treasure box for the next tooth. OK he has the bag and puts it under his pillow. Now just like every mom, once school is out and homework is done the house becomes a circus, whats for dinner, when are we eating blah blah. By the time all is said and done I am sitting on the couch trying to watch tv without falling asleep, and to my surprise I am going to bed and the alarm is going off in the morning, already!! Holy crap! Oh well he is already awake and comes into my room and wants to know why the tooth fairy didn't come. I had no words for him.

As you can imagine getting breakfast ready and getting the boys ready for school was quite the challenge for me. 8:15 in the morning could not come fast enough. Before you know it they are coming home and now I needed to have an answer for him. All I said was maybe she was sick and that she would come tonight. Luckily that worked and he stayed quiet for the rest of the day. Which is a big shock because he has to ask a question about everything. He takes a shower and kisses me goodnight and says I hope the tooth fairy is feeling better.

I get up the next morning to make coffee for my husband before he leaves for work and the only thing I said is OH crap. I need a few singles and my husband just said not again! Quickly I scurry to his bedroom and try to find the tooth under the pillow and I can't find it. What do I do now, my husband told me to just leave the money and run.... Ha ha.. I get him ready and out the door, and then I take a shower. I come out of the shower all ready to get the boys ready for school and my son said "we have the dumbest and cheapest tooth fairy ever." I nearly dropped to the floor I was cracking up so much. "Give me the phone I want call daddy and tell him how cheap and dumb the tooth fairy is." My husband gets on the phone and was just laughing. To say the least it was priceless!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!