Netflix: Feeding LC's Obsession

A few months ago, I took Little Crafter to the dentist for a cleaning.  He came home with a new obsession.  You see, the hygienist wanted to ensure a positive experience for him, which included letting her little patient watch cartoons during the appointment.  It just so happened that the show playing at the time was Jake and the Neverland Pirates, which features three adorable little pirate-kids who try to thwart the selfish schemes of Captain Hook.

Little Crafter immediately fell in love with Jake, Izzy, and Cubby and wanted to see more.  I totally didn't mind...except that we don't have cable.  We were able to rent a few DVDs from the library, which satisfied him for a little while, but once he'd seen them all, he wanted more Jake!  The more he saw, the more he wanted to see.  The obsession just kept growing.  First, we "had" to buy the little stuffed Jake character.  Then, we "needed" the looking glass, which comes with a cool headband he loves to wear everywhere.  And, of course, we had to get the sword too.  

He regularly insists on being called Jake instead of his real name, and he has given us new identities too; his daddy is Cubby and I am Izzy.  Not only that, but he's done some advance planning...those are going to be our Halloween costumes.  Apparently, I need to come up with some boots, a pink head scarf, and some pixie dust to make me fly.  Oh, and did I mention that he wants a Jake birthday party this August?  {I already have a Pinterest board where I'm collecting fun pirate-y party ideas!}

In light of all this, you can't imagine how thankful I was to learn that Netflix now has the entire first season of Jake and the Neverland Pirates episodes available!  Now, LC can watch his favorite show anytime he wants {which is pretty much all the time}.  This is actually one of the few shows I don't mind watching myself, so it gives us a chance to snuggle up together and have a little quality Mommy-LC time!  

Just like any show or movie on Netflix, we can watch it anywhere we want, any time we want.  Whether we're at home snuggled up on the couch, at Starbucks for a treat date, visiting his grandparents, or at the beach on vacation, he can get his Jake-fix.  And that's not all; not only is Jake available, Netflix has recently added content from Hasbro, Disney Jr. and Cartoon Network, which means that some of Little Crafter's other personal favorites are there and ready to be streamed at any time too!

The episodes from five seasons of Curious George{!}, episodes of Sesame Street and Cars Toons: Mater's Road Rally, and movies like Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Road Rally are there just waiting to be watched anytime LC is in the mood.  We typically stream things on the laptop, but you can also download the free iPad app or watch on one of many different gaming devices.  Personally, the new addition I'm most excited about is The Lorax; I really want to pull out the blankets and snacks and watch that one for family movie night.

Netflix has "big kid" TV shows and movies too, but honestly, I spend the most time in the "Just for Kids" section.  There are so many shows and movies to choose from that are appropriate for kids ages 2-12, and they're selected with help from Common Sense Media to provide ratings, reviews and information so parents can easily make the best choices for their little ones.

What about you, friends?  What are your favorite things to watch with your family?  Oh, and stay tuned this summer for lots {and lots and lots} of Pirate Party projects...don't say you haven't been warned!

Hugs & Glitter,

Netflix has family favorites from Disney, Disney Jr., Hasbro, Cartoon Network and Dreamworks that are available to stream anytime, anywhere.  And streaming is easier than you think! Download the free app on your iPad, click on the Netflix app on any gaming device, go to the website on your computer – and you’re in business. Check it out here!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of NETFLIX.

Crochet 101: Simple Flower

 Welcome back to Crochet 101, friends!  Today I have a small and simple project for you that I think you're going to like.  It combines four stitches you already know: chain, single crochet, double crochet, and slip stitch.

Shine on Fridays #80!

Friends, what an exciting week it's been here at One Artsy Mama!  Thanks to everyone who entered this year's round of One Crafty Contest and everyone who voted to help us choose our Top 20 Contestants!  Be sure to stop by on Monday to see their paint projects for Round 1 and to vote, vote, vote for your favorites to keep them in the competition!

Also, I have two giveaways going on right now you won't want to miss! ... one for a Thirty-One organizer, and one for a Tervis tumbler!

But enough about that, it's PARTY DAY!  All four co-hosts are loving this bigger and better party, and I hope you are too!  We are blown away by your talent and creativity each week, and the only downside I see is that it's getting harder and harder to choose just nine projects to feature each week!  Fortunately, Kara, Hannah, and Kirsten are each featuring their faves on their own blogs too, so be sure to stop by and see if your project is on their list!  As for me, here are nine of the many links that caught my eye in a big way last week...

My #MiracleGroProject

This post brought to you by Miracle-Gro. All opinions are 100% mine.
Hey, friends!  We are officially enjoying my favorite time of year.  I just love it when the weather is nice enough for our family to have fun doing outdoor activities together.  One of the things we always look forward to is planting flowers, vegetables, and herbs.  The older Little Crafter gets, the more of a help he can be, and he absolutely loves it.  Planting, watering, weeding...you name it, he wants to do it "all by myself!"  {and occasionally in his pajamas}.

Spicy Mexican Fudge: Wine & Glue

Hi there One Artsy Mama Fans!  I'm Lisa and I blog over at Wine & Glue.  Recently I was ogling over all of Amy's craftiness and bemoaning my own lack of craft (my tagline is that I'm a wannabe crafty mom, and I do a really good job living up to that).  So Amy was kind enough to treat my readers to a fun and easy jewelry craft, and I'm here to share with you one of my more popular desserts, Spicy Mexican Fudge!  It's super easy and has a big wow factor.

Tervis Tumbler Review and Giveaway!

As One Artsy Mama has grown over the past two years, I've started to get an increasing number of requests from individuals and companies who want me to tell you about their products/businesses/websites, etc.  Some of them are really fun and exciting things I believe in, so I happily share them with you and often get to offer you giveaways and discounts I think you'll enjoy.  Others aren't a good match for what we do here at One Artsy Mama, and so I pass on those {you can thank me later}.  But I recently started thinking that instead of always waiting to be approached by the next company, it might be fun to think of some things I really love already and make the first move to see if I could offer you some giveaways for some of my favorite products!  And guess what?  Sometimes it does!  

So, today, I am super excited to bring you a review and giveaway from one of my favorite companies:

Tervis has been making fabulous and fun insulated drinkware since 1946.  With a variety of sizes, styles, accessories, and designs, there's a Tervis that's just right for everyone!  You can choose from 10, 12, 16, and 24 oz tumbler sizes, mugs, and even new water bottles.  Plus, there are accessories to personalize your drinkware like colorful travel lids, shaker tops, straws, and handles.

Painted Wooden Bangles

Hey there, friends!  In honor of the Paint Round of One Crafty Contest, I thought I'd spend some time this week showing you some paint-y inspiration!  Starting with these: