National Unicorn Day – A Holiday Review

 April 9th is National Unicorn Day!

On April 9 we celebrate a popular mythical creature loved by children (and many adults, even if they don't admit it).  Why?  Because it's a beautiful creature, and because it is a symbol of happiness, fantasy and wonder.

This icon of color is magical and often makes its appearance on birthday cakes and children's clothing, in books and music and even as plush animals.

Unicorns are horse-like and pictured as white with a single horn. The Rainbow Unicorn is white with a rainbow-colored mane and tail. 

The origin of National Unicorn Day is unknown, but it is enchanting to celebrate these majestic creatures and remember how much more fun life can be when we let a little magic in sometimes.

A Collection of Unicorns

Coloring Book

Unicorns and Rainbows

What could be a more perfect example of the colorful critter called a Unicorn than this coloring book filled with 50 designs for kids ages 4-8.  If you  have a child who loves unicorns, stars and rainbows, this Unicorn Coloring Book is a fun treat.

Unicorn Pajamas

Unicorn Pajamas - a Sweet Sleep Set

Little girls would enjoy taking a unicorn to bed by wearing this sweet sleep set with unicorns prancing all over. This two-piece pajama set will send your little one off to dreamland in style. Available on Amazon.

Plush Toy Unicorn

Plush Toy Unicorn on Etsy

For a baby shower or a new baby gift, this hand-crocheted plush unicorn makes a lovely gift.  A fairy-tale unicorn is excellent décor for the nursery. Soft and cuddly for baby's first toy.  

Toy Plush Unicorn is hand-crocheted with acrylic yarn in white. Lavender yarn is used for the horn, the eyes and as accents on the arms and legs. The mane is done in crocheted spirals in lavender, metallic pink and metallic Royal blue. The tail has these same 3 colors.  Unicorn measures 16 inches tall and 8 inches wide and weighs 14 ounces.

A cuddly & cute stuffed unicorn plushie.

Plush unicorn can be found in the Etsy Shop Coastal Crochet Crafts.

Summary

So gather together a few unicorns, or unicorn lovers, and celebrate National Unicorn Day on April 9.

For more Holiday Reviews on ReviewThisReviews, 

click on Holidays

*National Unicorn Day Review written by Wednesday Elf

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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National Crayon Day Review

March 31st is National Crayon Day – a day to celebrate the creation of crayons and the joy of coloring.

Children love to color and a box of crayons and a coloring book will give them hours of fun. Today, even adults enjoy this childhood activity; albeit with intricate designs created just for them as an artistic challenge of expression.

The Origin of Crayons

Image Source: Pixabay

Crayons date back to the 17th century, although those were not made of wax and were not as durable as today's wax crayons. Colored wax crayons for children were invented by  Binney & Smith in 1903. They are a company which produces paint, pigments and slate pencils for schools. They also produce a dustless chalk, originally invented at the request of teachers. The wax and chalk-based crayons are also popular with artists.

Crayon Trivia

• Did you know that the smell of crayons is the most recognizable scent of all?
• There are 120 Crayola Colors
• The most popular crayon color is BLUE
• Crayola has made over 237 billions crayons over the years.

Crayola Crayons

Image Source: Pixabay

The first box of Crayola crayons was sold as an eight-pack with colors; black, brown, blue, red, violet, orange, yellow, and green. We still have this first box of colorful creations today with the same original colors, just with a more modernized look. Boxes of crayons come in many sizes from 8-count to 120. There are also various varieties of crayons, including washable and erasable.

Check out Crayola.com for the names of all 120 colors available today. 

Summary

To celebrate this colorful day, get out some crayons and a coloring book and get to work. Coloring is a kid-favorite activity. And, if you are an adult, it will surely bring back fond memories and make you feel like a kid again. 

National Crayon Day
March 31

Image Source: Pixabay

Links to Coloring Article Reviews:

• Adult Coloring Books are all the Rage by Olivia Morris
• Color Outside the Lines – Reviewing Summer Color and Activity Books for Kids or Adults by Wednesday Elf
• Five Fabulous Fairy Coloring Book Reviews by Treasures by Brenda
• Reviewing an Adult Coloring Book by Bev Owens

*National Crayon Day Review written by Wednesday Elf

Crayola 24 Count Box of Crayons Non-Toxic Color Coloring School Supplies (2 Packs)

Crayons, 64 Crayons Per Box, Classic Colors, Built In Sharpener, Crayons For Kids, School Crayons, Assorted Colors - 1 Box

Crayola Ultimate Washable Chalk Collection (64ct), Bulk Sidewalk Chalk, Outdoor Chalk for Kids, Anti-Roll Sticks, Nontoxic, 4+

Crayola Broad Line Markers (12 Count), Washable Markers for Kids, Assorted, Great for Classrooms & School Supplies, Ages 3+

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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How to Maximize Space in a Small Bedroom

 

Making the best of a small room - reviewed

We have a nice 3 bedroom home with plenty of room. Although, one of the bedrooms happens to be a small 8' x 10' room. This is the room that our granddaughters stay in when they come for a visit.

We had a bookcase full of books and toys, along with a tote full of toys and a full size bed in this small room. This did not leave much room for the girls to play.

Fran decided that it was time for a makeover in this room. First she emptied the bookcase and got rid of it. We needed to make the best of this space so the girls had room to play. For those of you who don't know who Fran is, she is my better half forever.

This small room makeover was all Fran, all I did was assemble all of the furniture and place it where she wanted it. 

Maximize Space in a small room:

Ellen Corner DeskCheck the Price

First Fran wanted a space where the girls could do some projects such as crafts, drawing, coloring, or reading.

We moved the full-sized bed to one corner of the room and placed this corner desk in the opposite diagonal corner of the room.

The corner desk measures 42" across and has a drawer and shelves for storage. 

 

Vanity StoolCheck the Price

Since a desk chair would take up too much space, Fran decided on this vanity stool.

This stool fits perfectly under the desk when it is not in use. When it is pulled out for use there is still plenty of room to get by between the stool and the bed. Did I mention that the cushion top is very comfortable.

 

Storage CubeCheck the Price

Now, it was time to clean up all of that clutter and empty that tote full of small toys, crayons, and makers. Fran picked out this cube storage organizer.

This was a perfect fit next to the desk and along the wall to fill the space to the entrance door of the room.

These storage cubes are a great idea for craft rooms, bedrooms, playrooms, or a small office.

The cube has six storage spaces and each space will hold 60 pounds.

 

Sorbus Foldable Storage CubeCheck the Price

To store all of those little things Fran found these colorful foldable storage cubes.

They fit perfectly into the cubes of the storage organizer. These a perfect for games, crayons, makers, and small toys.

Fran hand picked every one of these items for a specific purpose in this small bedroom. She created a comfortable and useable space for our granddaughters. This was an easy project for me, as I said earlier all I had to do was assemble. All of these items were easy to assemble and all had excellent assembly instructions.

Here is a photo of our youngest granddaughter hard at play using their new corner desk. They are very happy with the new changes to their room away from home.

Find more reviews on this topic on Review This Here:

ReviewThisDecor.com

ReviewThisProductReviews.com

ReviewThisCrafts.com

 

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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15 Additional Distracting and Calming Things to Do During Quarantine

15 Distracting Things to Do During Quarantine

Last week I wrote about ten calming and distracting things you can do during these crazy quarantine times.

This week I'll add another 15 suggestions for you.

1. 5000 Piece Puzzles

Ok, maybe just 1000 pieces will do. Family members of mine have tackled this one already.

2. Read the Hilarious Twitter Hashtag #QuarantineLife

The top tweets will crack you up. My mom and I were in stitches reading them!

3. Crossword Puzzles

Do you love to do crossword puzzles? If so, get out the book.

4. Redecorate a Room

That may involve trips to the store, so you may be restricted on what you can actually do. But hey, if you can even tackle one or two aspects of a redecorating project, good for you! Here's a brief helpful video on how to mix patterns in home decor:

5. Reorganize Your Cupboards and Closets

To some people, this is therapy, to others torture. Either way, get it done! If you've been putting off dealing with the disaster behind your closet door, now is a good time to get 'er done.

6. Learn a New Language

There are several common APPs you can use to learn a new language. Here are a few you can check out: Babbel, DuoLingo, and MemRise.

7. Learn to Play Piano Via an App

Yes, there's an APP for that. Here are two Apple Apps you can check out - Flowkey and Note Quest.

8. Assemble All Those Poems You've Written, And Self-Publish Your Book

Do you have a box of personally written poems that need a permanent place? How about writing that poetry book you've always wanted to write. I crossed that one off my bucket list last year and self-published my first book. I've since published five more and am working on my sixth. Here are some things I've learned along the way that may help you get started.

9. Crafts - DIY Crafting

I know, this is obvious. Knit, sew, or crochet those virus blobs. If you have friends who also enjoy crafts, turn it into a game. Tackle the same project and whoever finishes first gets a prize - maybe a book.

10. Learn Calligraphy

Family members of mine did this one the other day. You can get multiple tutorials on YouTube.

11. Coloring Books are Fun, Even for Adults

This is one I plan to do to relax. Coloring can be utterly satisfying. Color with the kids or you can always buy grown-up coloring books online.

12. Turn Your Life Into a Reality Show

If you're bold, go for it. Vlog your life and upload your daily routine to your social media audience. If you don't have an audience, you could end up with one fast lol - be careful!

13.  Take Cooking Lessons Online

Head over to Youtube and start watching all those addictive cooking videos! Have you always wanted to learn French Cooking? Now's your chance.

14. Assemble and Sort All Your Photos on Your Laptop & Phone

Sort all your photos and store them on a USB or in the cloud. Or create a family wall of photos - finally frame and display all those family favorites.

15. Handwrite Letters to Your Family

Handwrite a letter. Don't type it. Handwrite it and mail it to mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, or the kids. Include the kid's drawings or photos as well. Yes, you can do this online, but there's something very special about getting something like this in the mail.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Celebrate Your Unique Talent Day – Holiday Review

Definition of UNIQUE: being the only one of its kind; unlike anything else. 

While this definition of Unique does not totally agree with the following, I thought it would be fun to celebrate the 'individual', if  not totally unique, talents of my fellow Contributors here on Review This Reviews. And while some of us have similar talents, our special styles make us each 'unique' in our field.

November 24th is known as “Celebrate Your Unique Talent Day”. Therefore, we are going to point out some of the 'unique' and special talents of the RTR Contributors to show what they are best at. Some of the fine writers here have more than one special talent, as you shall see.

Yarn Talents

Several of those in our group are good at yarn crafts.

• Dawn Rae's specialty is crochet. She features handmade hats and neck warmers and warm slippers in her Etsy Shop DawnRaeCrochet.

Her shop also carries a line of what she calls “Jenny Hats” which came to be after making a custom hat for a friend (Jenny). These soft, slightly slouchy, chemo hats are made from a cotton blend yarn.

• Wednesday Elf also crochets. Her Etsy shop – Coastal Crochet Crafts – specializes in plush animals for children, plus a few assorted other items. 

Baking/Cooking Talent

• For very unique cakes and cupcakes in particular, you will find some fascinating recipes and how-to instructions from Sylvestermouse on Cooking for the Holidays.   She also includes other recipes from appetizers to main dishes to desserts, but I LOVE her special cupcakes and cake creations. 

Other RTR writers also have culinary creations to share. In particular, we have Sam Monaco who shares many favorite family recipes on his blog Sam's Place. 

Check out ReviewThisReview:Recipes for everything from the proverbial soup.... to nuts, for your cooking enjoyment.

Gardening

We have several gardeners in our group, our most prolific being Olivia Morris and Raintree Annie.

Come see the many helpful gardening tips offered on Review this Reviews:Gardening 

Also:  

Check out Olivia's website Grammie Knows How in her Gardening and Backyard section. 

And our newly added English gardener, Raintree Annie for her gardening tips here on Review This Reviews and on her own Gardening Blog Diary of a Wild Country Gardener. 

Writing Talent

• In addition to writing for Review This Reviews, Beverly Owens is establishing herself as a writer of Cozy Mysteries. She currently has 7 published books in 2 series (4 in the Roni Ranier series and 3 in the Cabin 9 series, with more to come. Read about how she began as a published author and her upcoming literary achievements at Beverly Owens, Author. 

Find her current books on Amazon, both on Kindle and in paperback. 

Photography Talent

• One of our favorite photography experts here, Mary Beth Granger (MbgPhoto), has studied photography for years and often shares expert advice on cameras and photo angles to help us all get the best photographs we can. Mary Beth's favorite thing to photograph is  lighthouses and she is constantly searching out new ones to feature. 

Check out her Lighthouse Enthusiast Zazzle Shop  to see some of her beautiful images. 

For lovely photos on her love of photography, traveling, and nature , see Mary Beth's Beauty in Nature Zazzle Shop. 

Sylvestermouse Cynthia is also a fine photographer who loves to photograph zoo animals in particular and many other fun activities. You can see her lovely images at Photography by Sylvestermouse.

Diana Wenzel is also a wonderful photographer on our staff, as is BarbRad. 

DIY Talent

• Diana Wenzel (Renaissance Woman here on Review This Reviews) is our 'Go-To' expert on do-it-yourself projects. 

Check out her many DIY articles here on everything from turning a simple rural mailbox into a bird house (Mailboxology) to creating a beautiful Fall Pumpkin Succulent Centerpiece.

Diana also has become an expert on rescue animals, most particularly one darling disabled dog who has won her heart. She chronicles his life & times in Mr. Muffins Journey, and relates his adventures and accomplishments in many articles on Review This Reviews (including becoming a therapy dog). 

• Tracey A. Breen (The Savvy Age) is very creative in coming up with inexpensive projects using supplies from dollar stores. These holiday-related and home décor and just-for-fun projects are perfect for parents, teachers and scout leaders. 

Tracey is also very 'savvy' about recipes, holiday ideas and Lifestyle tips & hacks to manage an active home and life at all ages. Read all about it on her website The Savvy Age. 

More Unique Talents

Barbara Tremblay Cipak (Brite Ideas here) is our country music expert. She explains the meanings and stories behind many well known country songs and singers on her website (Drageda) The Heart of Country Music. 

Barbara is also a professional in the field of home décor and has many unique and unusual Decor ideas to offer both here on Review This Reviews and on her own website Funky Home Decor. 

• Another Barbara (Barbara Radisavljevic known to us as BarbRad) has many talents. She is a writer, a photographer specializing in her native California landscape, and our book expert.  

Check out her uniqueness below at: 

• Paso Robles in Photographs 
• Bookworm Buffet  
• The Writing Life of Barb Radisavljevic 

• Brenda Little (Treasures By Brenda) is a collector, particularly of coffee cups/mugs and movie merchandise, especially vintage pieces.  

Brenda frequently shares her collections through her eBay store Treasures by Brenda for fellow collectors. 

In addition, Brenda gives us fascinating facts behind her collections in her two websites:

• Treasures by Brenda 
• Movie Treasures by Brenda 

• Heather Burns is an artist and colorist. She creates fantastic coloring pages and illustrations for you to color. 

Check out her Etsy Store at HeatherBurnsArt 

Heather is also a talented graphic designer and features her designs on many products in her Etsy Store HBStudioDesigns.

• Louanne Cox (Lou16) has a wide variety of interests and talents. My favorites are her artistic designs she features on a wide variety of items in her Zazzle stores.

I also enjoy the stories behind her designs found on her website Lou's Designs.

• Margaret Schindel is another multi-talented lady. When not writing professionally, she is a jewelry designer.   

She has created and sold one-of-a-kind and custom handcrafted jewelry for many years. She shares her jewelry making techniques in many articles on HubPages. 

Summary

As you can see, many of the multiple talents of the Contributors to ReviewThisReviews overlap. Many of us are into some form of arts & crafts, there are several wonderful photographers and quite a few good cooks. And I would say that all of us love to read and  enjoy movies and music. 

We are a varied bunch. While perhaps not individually unique, we all have our special talents. 

So…. Find your unique talent, and share it with the world on Celebrate Your Unique Talent Day November 24. 

(c) Wednesday Elf  (11/23/2019)

*All  images compliments of Pixabay and collages made with Canva.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Color Outside the Lines

Collage created on FotoJet

Reviewing Summer Color and Activity Books for Kids or Adults

Summertime brings us wonderful weather for favorite outdoor activities. But sometimes it is too hot to play outside or rainy days force us inside. That's when some indoor activities are needed. 

Television programs and noisy games are fun, but sometimes 'quiet times' are welcome. Having a variety of coloring and activity books can be a perfect fit for such times. 

Coloring Books

Coloring books for both kids and adults are always fun. Here are a couple new ones to try.

Dr. Seuss Coloring Book

Available on Amazon

The Dr. Seuss Coloring Book is filled with playful patterns and intricate images based on everyone's favorite Dr. Seuss characters, this 80-page coloring book will occupy children from age 7 and up all the way to parents and grandparents who remember the lovable Dr. Seuss books. 

The illustrations come from such Dr. Seuss titles as The Cat in the Hat, Oh, the Places You'll Go, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, Horton Hears a Who and How the Grinch Stole Christmas, to name a few. 

Now you can color Dr. Seuss any way you want!

The World of Debbie Macomber: Come Home to Color: An Adult Coloring Book

Available on Amazon

While the kids are coloring Dr. Seuss, mom or grandma fans of Debbie Macomber can enjoy their own coloring book. Based on the Blossom Street and Rose Harbor series, this special adult coloring book has 45 original illustrations that depict scenes from the series. Revisit favorite locales and relive the themes from these favorite Debbie Macomber stories. 

Summertime Activities

See on Amazon

Keep the kids entertained when inclement weather spoils vacation fun or the 'kids' start their “I'm Bored” routines with this fun DIY activity book called The Dad Lab.  The book contains 50 projects in the interesting realm of science and technology. The projects are simple and use materials found around the house.  I can already see that the project “make slime with only two ingredients” is one my young grandsons would enjoy. 

A fun way for mom & dad and grandparents to spend quality time with the kids in a way the kids would also enjoy.

Summary

Image from Bev Owens Article
Reviewing Fine Art Colored Pencils
on ReviewThisReviews

Add in some colorful crayons for the kids, and special pens and pencils for the intricate designs for adults and you'll be creating beautiful pages. 

So don't let weather spoil your summer vacation. These coloring and activity books will give everyone hours of fun and enjoyment. 

Check out a variety of fun reviews of other coloring books and coloring pencils on ReviewThisReviews: Coloring Books

(c) Wednesday Elf 6/23/2019

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Five Fabulous Fairy Coloring Book Reviews

Fairies are so enchanting and the coloring books gathered here on this page are lovely. They will please both the children and adults in your life who love to color. They will not just please your child but will also let her develop her imagination while she has fun coloring the drawings. Some of these books will keep the user occupied for hours; others for a lesser time frame.

Any one of the coloring books on this page would be a great idea for Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers or even for birthday party favors at a fairy themed birthday party. There is bound to be a faerie coloring book here that your child will love and there are even some here that you will love. If you're giving one as a gift, be sure to include a box of crayons.

Fairy World Stained Glass Coloring Book

The first book shown here, Fairy World: Stained Glass Coloring Book, is a Dover Little Activity Book. It's a cute little book with thin pages that is recommended for individuals who are between the ages of Kindergarten and Grade 5. The pages are thin so that when you hold them before a light source, the light shines through, giving a stained glass effect.

As a Dover Little Activity Book, it is indeed a small book and not a full-size coloring book and it only has a few images. There is nothing wrong with that as long as you are aware of the fact and don't expect a full-size book.  It's also very affordable at just under $2, making it perfect for those stocking stuffers and party grab bags. Click here to find this Fairy World Stained Glass Coloring Book from Amazon.

Garden Fairies Stained Glass Coloring Book

Darcie May has created this second beautiful Dover coloring book with fairies nestled among the garden. Once again once they are colored in you can take them to a light source and the stained glass will come to life. Beautiful and bound to be a huge success.

The Garden Fairies Stained Glass Coloring Book is suitable for children over 6 years of age. It has 16 pages done in black and white on parchment paper. Click here to find the Garden Fairies coloring book online.

The Amy Brown Fairies Coloring Book

Amy Brown has been painting fairies for more than 20 years. Her artwork features detailed illustrations of fairies. Whether you are a little girl or a grown-up girl who is interested in fairies, you will enjoy this fairy coloring book, which is suitable for children of all ages. It has twenty one-sided pages that measure 8.5 by 11 inches. Click here to find Amy Brown's coloring book on Amazon.

Flower Fairies Alphabet Coloring Book

Your youngster will learn her alphabet and the names of 24 of the most popular flower fairies as she colors in the beautiful pictures presented in the Flower Fairies Alphabet Coloring Book, which features the artwork of Cicely Mary Barker. This book has 24 pages and is recommended for children from Kindergarten age to Grade 2.  Click here to find the Flower Fairies Alphabet coloring book on Amazon.

Fairy Fashion Coloring Book

The Fairy Fashion colouring book presents pretty fairies dressed in the height of fairy fashion. Your fan will love spending time bringing these images to life with color. There are also plenty of cats, squirrels, birds and their friends keeping them company.

The artwork in this book is by Scott Altmann. The Amazon customer reviews bounce around a bit so make sure to check them out before you buy. Many of the issues are with varying tastes for the style of the illustrations.

The Fairy Fashion Coloring Book is recommended for individuals 5 years of age and up. It is a Dover Coloring Book and has 32 pages. Click here to find the Fairy Fashion coloring book on Amazon.

Do you believe in fairies? Do you like fairies? What about coloring books?

See you
at the book store!
Brenda
Treasures By Brenda

More Fairy Reading:

Fairy Tale: A True Story Movie Review
A lovely family-friendly movie about fairies.

Were The Cottingley Fairies Real or Fake?
In 1917 in Cottingley, Yorkshire, England, a pair of young ladies named Elsie Wright (16) and Frances Griffiths (10) believed that there were fairies in their garden...

Abby Cadabby: Create A Sesame Street Fairy Gift Set

A Few Fairies on eBay
Discover a few select fairy-themed items in my eBay store, Treasures By Brenda.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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