How about some LOVE from 4BabyAndMom +YouCanMakeThis.com?!

So after my week long trip out of state, my plane landed after 12:30am.. by the time I got home I was shot. I figured I could finish up pre-valentine prep on Monday, but I spent most of the day trying to get into the swing of home life again. So the day was basically spent calling doctors, setting up appointments, and all of that other fun stuff.

Monday evening, Babs finished her Valentines, and we attached her candy, and I realized they looked "cheap". So... thanks to Pinterest, I decided to make crayon hearts. Out to Walmart I trekked (on one of the busiest shopping days of the year!) and bought a mold, a gazillion crayons, and then went home- expecting to just whip up some crayons.

First, I will admit that they were a lot more difficult than I thought... unwrapping them, anyway. I used two different brands, just for some color variation. One brand was a little bit better than the other, but only once the hubster got out his razor knife, did the paper shells start coming off with ease.

We broke them into fourths, and piled them in the bowl. After the crayon prep was done, we put piles of them into the molds, threw them into the toaster oven (at 230*) for approximately 12 minutes. Fifteen minutes made the tops (back) turn darkest; at ten minutes, some of the crayon chunks didn't melt all of the way, so 12 minutes it was.

I placed the mold into a frying pan (just as a buffer) and placed it in the fridge. I checked on it in 10-15 minutes and turned it upside down, if they were cool enough they popped right out, if not, they went back in for a few more minutes. After I made about 40 of them, I called it a night. The last batch was the prettiest, by far, but I only took a picture of the second batch. The front of the heart (bottom of the mold) looked GORGEOUS!! A nice swirly (or chunky) blend of colors, but the backs of the first two batches were less defined, and more of a solid color. The last two batches had more of a distinct swirl of colors, but still were not as absolute as the front of the hearts (pictured above). 

All in all, I think they came out beautiful, and the kids enjoyed handing them out along with their Valentines.

Being pregnant and not feeling very well, I shamefully admit that was the extent of the craftiness this Valentine's Day. I did do Abbie's hair in a heart braid in the morning, but I couldn't really put my usual "oomph" into the day.

I love being crafty- really, I do. Earlier this month, I jumped at the opportunity to host a giveaway for YouCanMakeThis.com. 

If you've never been there before- you should definitely check it out. They have patterns for EVERYTHING, and tutorials showing you how to make many projects for around the home, kids, hair accessories, and so much more! They have great beginner items, as well as more advanced items- from crocheting, to sewing, and everything in-between!  

Our friends at YouCanMakeThis.com have offered one of our readers their chance to win this HOT Valentine's themed pattern prize pack!

To enter, just fill out the RaffleCopter form below- if you cannot see the form, CLICK HERE to load this page separately. (It may need a minute to load properly).
 






a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Last Minute Gift Idea- YouCanMakeThis EBook Review + Giveaway!

With the holidays season in full swing, we thought it would be fun to showcase some quick and easy gift ideas you can give to friends, neighbors, co-workers, and oh yes…even your family!

Plus, you can enter to win eBooks from www.YouCanMakeThis.com and learn some fun new techniques, tips, and ideas not only for the people on your list, but also creative ways to decorate your home!

You Can Make This has created a free download for some fun gift tags. Each of them coordinate with ideas found as part of the DIY Gift Giving Series videos that can be found at www.youcanmakethis.com/blog , as well as designs and patterns found at www.SWAKembroidery.com and www.YouCanMakeThis.com.

You can also enter to win hundreds of dollars in gift certificates just for watching the videos that are part of the DIY Gift Giving Series and answering a question on the You Can Make This blog!

WANT IT?
Visit YouCanMakeThis.com and check out the patterns available to download to create handmade gifts for the people in your life that seem to have everything- or just for that special person!

WINNER!
This giveaway has closed. Disclosure: The eBook mentioned above was provided to me, at no cost, by YouCanMakeThis.com. I did not accept monetary compensation for reviewing or writing about this experience, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Please visit our WINNERS PAGE to officially claim your prize.

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