Spring has sprung (technically) so it’s time to start planning some planting projects for the kids! Here are a few simple ideas that will really get them excited about gardening…

Remember my perler-bead craft post last week? The planter above is so amazing, it’s a product. If you aren’t such a planner (this design would take some design skillz), this would even be cool if you just did stripes of color. Via Peaches & Keen.

Cut a hole in a plastic animal toy and create a succulent planter. Genius! Found via Digs Digs.

This one was a new one for me…I’d never seen a plant in an ice cream cone! Adorbs! Found via Home DIY Pins.

It’s the simplest idea, but one of my all-time faves: a planter in the bed of a vintage truck toy. Found via Charming Spaces.

One of the last stories I produced as Lifestyle Director at Parents Magazine was this Easter egg story by the amazingly talented Jocelyn Worrall. Prepare yourself for some overwhelming cuteness!

These beauties were made with just a simple brush and tempera paint.

We’ve all seen the chick Easter egg craft before, but these yellow-dyed large eggs are sitting in jumbo egg shells. Genius. Watch the how-to video here.

This technique uses rubber cement. So easy to do and the results are gorgeous! Watch a how-to video here.

Wrap a ceramic or wooden egg in white yarn to make these fluffy bunnies that you can use year after year. Watch a how-to video here.

These little guys might possibly be my favorite. Keep clicking through the slideshow on Parents.com to see the instructions.

This morning my head is swarming with craft ideas, so I need to be fast on the blog. This image from The Purl Bee is so full of yummy color, texture, material…it makes me feel hopeful that beautiful will churn out of this studio today.

Glue gun is plugged in, the French press is full, Pandora is singing, my babies are happy…and off I go. Happy Monday everyone!

Allenah – El Nido, Philippines

Writers, photographers, reporters, and documentarians travel the world to search for differences and similarities in all aspects of countries and cultures—food, politics, landscape, architecture, and the list goes on. The general consensus is there is very little that is universal except perhaps the basic need for necessities like food, shelter, and clothing.

Alessia – Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy

Photographer Gabriele Galimberti travelled the world, examining a very unique relationship— the connection of children to their toys. After 18 months of shooting these gorgeous photographs of children with their toys, he discovered that “at their age, they are pretty much all much the same. They just want to play.” This piece by Ben Machell from The Times Magazine reveals some interesting insight into how the affluence of the kids affected how they allowed Galimberti to interact with their toys and how their homeland and parents influenced what they chose to play with.

Stella – Montecchio, Italy

Bethsaida – Port au Prince, Haiti

Of course this all made me think about my kids, Oliver and Sommer, and their relationship to their most prized toys. At almost a year, Sommer, for the most part, wants whatever her 2 and a half year old brother has, but Oliver’s proclivities are a little more telling. He loves his toy New York City Subway trains, since he knows that Mommy and Daddy ride the train to work. He loves his paints, markers, and crayons; Mommy seemingly “plays” with those materials all day. And I guess for Sommer, I can say that she grabs her one babydoll (we named her Automn), enthusiastically hugging and kissing her; she is probably modeling my desperate attempts to hug and cuddle my baby girl, fearing that she is growing up too fast.

Li Yi Chen – Shenyang, China

Maudy – Kalulushi, Zambia

Do your kids’ toys reflect where you live, who you are, or what you, as parents, do for a living? Do their toys bring you back to your childhood?

There is so much emotion, symbolism, and narrative to decode in Galimberti’s exquisite photographs. I want to know so much more about each child, her family, and what his toys mean to him. Visit Galimberti’s site to see the rest of the series, each one more captivating than the last.

It’s March 14, hence 3/14, hence the reason to celebrate PIE! (If you are math-challenged, read about Pi here.) I’ll take any excuse to eat, talk about, read about, look at pie. In fact, I think I need more pie in my life. I love this image of a potluck pie party from Bon Appetit. I could seriously get behind that. Feast your eyes on some more fun PIE play…

This felt pie looks good enough to eat. Found via Thursday Night Smackdown.

The first time I saw this pumpkin pie Thanksgiving kids’ favor from One Charming Party, I nearly died. It was one of those “I wish I had thought of that” moments!

Cakes get stands, so why don’t pies? I love the rustic look of these galvanized pie stands from BHLDN. They’d be great for the pie potluck!