Andrea Mulder-Slater

by Andrea Mulder-Slater Rainbows make me happy. Nature as a whole is pretty magical but rainbows are at (or near) the top of my " holy crap, look what Mother Nature just did " list. They are also a kind and colorful reminder that winter does not last forever. This week on The Art of Childhood , I show you how to bring a little rainbow into your home, in preparation for St. Patrick's Day. Or as I like to call it, Thank-God-It's-Almost-Spring-Again Day. Read it here: DIY Rainbow Shamrock Garlands http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/andrea-mulder-slater-the-art-of-childhood/20150311/diy-st-patricks-day-party-decor

by Andrea Mulder-Slater A criminal court judge married my husband and I. It was his first – and likely his only – wedding. His chambers were large and dark with lots of wood paneling, big leather chairs and an endless array of sports paraphernalia including a number of bobble head baseball dolls. Geoff and I hadn’t planned on being wed this way. Although we did know we wanted a “civil ceremony” rather than a fancy event sprinkled with bells and whistles. We often joked that the two of us shared a fear of microphones, flower girls, and tiny pieces of fruitcake wrapped up in tin foil. However, when we decided to get married, it just so happened that half of the city’s populace was keen to get hitched in city hall. We were faced with a decision; wait 10 months as names were crossed off a list, or, find another way. That’s where the criminal court judge (a family acquaintance) came in. A few weeks after we arrived home from a brief honeymoon in Algonquin Park, Geoff and I host...

by Andrea Mulder-Slater Did you know that by letting your kids get dirty, you're actually helping them work on their creativity skills? This week on The Art of Childhood , I share twenty ways to nurture your child's creativity.  Guess what? It's easier than you think! And yes, there's more involved than just mud. Read it here: 20 Ways to Nurture Your Kid's Creativity http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/andrea-mulder-slater-the-art-of-childhood/20150219/nurture-kids-creativity

by Andrea Mulder-Slater Remember making doily Valentines when you were a kid? They were fun, easy and looked so sweet with all that paste - which never, ever dried - hanging off of the edges because you used waaaaay too much. Every. Single. Time. This week on The Art of Childhood , I take you back in time as I show you how to make some groovy Valentines with very little effort. And even less glue. Read it here: Groovy Vintage Valentines Your Kids Can Craft Themselves http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/andrea-mulder-slater-the-art-of-childhood/20150211/the-easiest-valentines-youll-never-make

by Andrea Mulder-Slater What do you see when you look at an empty paper towel roll? Do you see hearts? Of course you do. This week on The Art of Childhood , I show you how to make little hearts perfect for holding sweet Valentine's Day messages. And you can make them using recycled items from around the house. Read it here: Be My (Green) Valentine: DIY Love Notes Your Kids Can Make http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/andrea-mulder-slater-the-art-of-childhood/20150202/love-notes

by Andrea Mulder-Slater Apparently I live in a snow globe belonging to an overzealous child because there is no other explanation for the amount of frozen precipitation that's fallen on my home. In fact, somewhere in the neighbourhood of two hundred centimetres of snow have hit the ground in my part of the world over the past few weeks. I really can't build any more snowman. I can't. And as much as I just want to huddle in a corner and cry, I thought something more productive might be in order. This week on The Art of Childhood , find out how to get crafty with the snow. Read it here: 10 Super-Fun Activities for Kids to Do with Snow http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/andrea-mulder-slater-the-art-of-childhood/20150204/get-crafty-with-the-snow

by Andrea Mulder-Slater Late last year I had a crazy idea. To be truthful, I had quite a few of them, but one in particular is worth sharing. I decided to paint - or draw - a coffee cup a day. Every day. All year long. And nobody stopped me.  So, this year, my goal is to paint or draw three hundred and sixty-five coffee cups. Or tea cups. Because I'm not picky about subject matter. I do however draw the line at cats. I won't be painting three hundred and sixty-five cats this year. Or lobsters. Or about a billion other things. But I plan to paint three hundred and sixty-five coffee cups. YOUR coffee cups. Or tea cups, because as we've already established, I'm not picky... Whether or not I'll actually achieve my goal remains to be seen. Talk to me in July. But for now, here it is, February 1st and guess what? I've got thirty-one coffee cups to show you. I'm selling the acrylic on canvas paintings (unframed but ready to hang) for $45.00 and the draw...

by Andrea Mulder-Slater 1) Do you love art? 2) Do you love your kids? If you answered yes to both questions ( and by the way, if you didn't, you might be reading the wrong blog) then you'll love what I've been working on at YMC . This week on The Art of Childhood , find out how to make really cool mixed media works of art inspired by hearts and stuff. Read it here: Make Beautiful Watercolour Valentine Cards With Your Kids http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/andrea-mulder-slater-the-art-of-childhood/20150125/black-and-white-and-red-all-over

by Andrea Mulder-Slater This week on The Art of Childhood at YMC , I shared a lovely little art project you can do together with your kids. Awwww... Read it here: Art from the Heart: Paint Collaboratively with Your Kids http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/andrea-mulder-slater-the-art-of-childhood/20150114/making-art-with-heart

By Andrea Mulder-Slater Now that I have your attention, did you know that by repeatedly exposing yourself (and your kids) to art, you can actually become smart enough to solve even the most difficult mental math problems? Actually, that's not true. But what is true is that spending time with art is important for more than your child's creative development. This week on The Art of Childhood at YMC , I talk about why... Read it here: 12 Ways to Expose Yourself (and Your Kids)... to Art! http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/andrea-mulder-slater-the-art-of-childhood/20150110/expose-yourself-and-your-kids-to-art

by Andrea Mulder-Slater If you've got kids, you've likely heard the phrase "I'm bored". This week on The Art of Childhood at YMC , I talk about something that's worked well at our house... Read it here:  Kids with Nothing to Do? Build a Boredom Bucket http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/andrea-mulder-slater-the-art-of-childhood/20150102/make-a-boredom-bucket

by Andrea Mulder-Slater Last November I did something I had wanted to do for a long time. I applied to be a writer for the Yummy Mummy Club (YMC). For those who don't know,  YMC is an award-winning online publisher of authentic and relevant stories for women with kids. YMC is about real-world parenting. It's a place "where moms spill it" and it is for that reason that I have been a faithful reader for many, many years. So, I pitched the idea of me becoming their resident arts and crafts for kids blogger. And then, something magical happened. Erica Ehm , the creator and publisher of YummyMummyClub.ca called me. She called me! For an interview. And within a few weeks, my blog - my very own blog - The Art of Childhood was born on YMC. My first post was called, Get Dirty, Make Art and you can read it here: http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/the-art-of-childhood/20141120/get-dirty-make-art  After that came the following posts...   ...

by Andrea Mulder-Slater And boom! Just like that it's 2015. Meanwhile, if you were one of the many several few people who stopped in to peek at my blog in 2014, thank you. And, I'm sorry. Especially to those of you who live in France,  since I'm sure you weren't expecting to find me when you went searching for "animal jungle tube", "sloth ears" and "tim roth" on Google. Because instead, you found this... 10) The heart of the matter I dedicate this post to hypochondriacs everywhere. Please hop on the anxiety bus and live vicariously through me. But watch your toes. No reason. 9) If you can't take the heat, bathe in bamboo juice Never let them smell your sweat. Speaking of which, what's that stench? Oh, never mind. 8) Oh, crap As I look back on 2014, I realize that animals and feces were a recurring theme in my writing. Here I tie those elements together, wrap them up and deliver them in one big package. You're ...