5,000 Fan Charity Giveaway

So I'm doing a giveaway on my Facebook page once I reach 5,000 fans. Doesn't everyone? Not like this they don't!

One thing I'm extremely passionate about in my life is giving back. I've always had grand plans of pushing my business and making it succeed not only for the benefit of my own family but so that I would have the ability to help others as well. I am very blessed to have been given a talent that I've been able to turn into a business that does help support my family.

My kids have everything they need. As a family we are all healthy, we have a roof over our heads, clothing on our backs and food on our plates. We take vacations, take part in sports and activities and are lucky to have a fantastic, supportive community of people around us.

However, we know that so many families are not so lucky. Too many families out there in our own communities do without some of the things I've mentioned above be it health, food and clothing or even the supportive community. So many families need a helping hand in some way, shape or form.

I can't help everyone. I sure wish I could - but what I can do is give what I DO have. What I CAN. Sometimes even the smallest thing for one person can change a whole life. We all have a cause or a charity we're passionate about and I know what it's like when you want to help so bad, but can't.

That is why, instead of doing a regular prize draw for my fans here on my Facebook page, I thought I'd do something that would be more beneficial than someone winning a few letters for their wall or a holder for their daughter's hair bows.

This one is simple. Once I reach 5,000 "likes" I will give $250 to the charity of YOUR choice. All you have to do is comment here on my Facebook page. Tell me what charity or organization you're passionate about. I will list all the charities mentioned here on my blog. When we hit 5,000 I will do a random pick using www.random.org and the winning charity will receive the money.

So far this has been a great experience. I've met some awesome people and learned about some great charities I didn't even know existed! I'm excited to have the opportunity to not only learn about them myself but to also share them with everyone else in the hopes of bring some awareness in their direction!

If you've entered into the draw don't forget to share it with your friends

Want to learn more about some of the charities in the running so far? Here's a list with links:
***Please note that I have to update this list so if you don't see your charity on here I just have to add it still!

Alberta Children's Hospital
Shining Through Centre For Autism
MS Society of Alberta
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Made By Momma
Make A Wish Southern Alberta
ALS Society of Alberta
Muscular Dystrophy Canada
American Cancer Society
Cochrane SPCA
The Christmas Fairy
Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada
Edmonton's Hair Massacure
Operation Christmas Child through Samaritan's Purse
Children's Cottage Society
Children's Wish Foundation of Saskatchewan
Build It Forward
Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario
Calgary Food Bank
Calgary Reads
Ugandan Girls Fund
Name Canada
Pads 4 Girls
Calgary Women's Shelter
Destiny in Quebec
Pearl Alliance
BC Children's Hospital
Knights Table in Brampton, ON
Anaphylaxis Canada
St. Jude Children's Hospital
Smile Train
Island Dog Rescue
Spina Bifida Association
Kelowna, BC Food Bank
Canadian Salvation Army

Aqua,Teal, Turquoise.....Any Shade Will Do!

Pantone recently announced that the 2011 color of the year is Honeysuckle. “In times of stress, we need something to lift our spirits. Honeysuckle is a captivating, stimulating color that gets the adrenaline going – perfect to ward off the blues,” explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®.

Although I agree that the Honeysuckle shade is gorgeous and definitely uplifting I think that if any color should get some recognition it's aqua. Or turquoise. Or teal. Or any hue along the blue/green scale of color! The reason I like it so much? It's versatility! I can't think of a single color that DOESN'T go with it!

Below are some great examples of rooms that all use a shade of aqua paired with another color. As you can see from boy's rooms to girl's rooms to gender neutral - aqua works for them all!

Images courtesy of Project Nursery, Baby's Dream, Russell & Mackenna, Simplified Bee

Proud Picassos!

I don't know about you but as soon as my kids started taking part in activities outside the house my pile of arts and crafts masterpieces started really stacking up! Not even school-aged yet and I've got enough paintings, drawings and I-don't-know-whats to open up a gallery!

At first it's nice but soon you find yourself feeling a little guilty as some of them "accidentally" find their way into the recycling bin or garbage. Among the daily projects there are always the select few that find a place in your heart, too special to get rid of and let's face it - nothing brings a beaming smile to a child's face better than when you proudly display their artwork for all to see.

The fridge gets cluttered, magnets slide under the strain of glitter glue and pipe cleaners and soon you're picking up torn and tattered artwork off the floor on a daily basis.

Want a better, more creative way to show off all these special pieces? I've come up with a new line of very cute artwork holders to do just that! From octopus and seahorses to owls and squirrels there's sure to be something to please every little artist!

Each artwork holder comes with five feet of twine and eight clothes pins for clipping the artwork to. Sold individually or in sets of three you can stick with a theme or mix and match to get something for everyone!

Great for displaying photographs, greeting cards and notes you can also use the holders for hanging up hats and mittens and for drying artwork as well! The options are never ending!




Oh, and I forgot to mention the best part! These are IN STOCK items which means no long turn around times when you order! Order yours now!

Artwork Holders

Just saved myself A LOT of work!

Covering over a full wall mural. It can be done. It's a lot of work! To cover the Finding Nemo mural in my daughter's room I had this image of me in grubby clothes wearing a dust mask and eye protection, room cleared out, furniture covered - dust EVERYWHERE while I sanded the paint down to a smooth finish. It's winter. It's Canada. It's cold here! Having a window open while I do it means I need to add gloves and a toque to the image!

An entire weekend's work? Maybe. If I'm going to do wainscoting around the bottom half of the walls then that will cover the bottom half of the mural, all I need to worry about is the top half. Today I had a light bulb idea! I started thinking along the lines of wallpaper. But, as usual I had an image in my head and couldn't seem to find what I wanted online. Then I found this from Sears:



Textured, PAINTABLE wallpaper! It's perfect! IT won't be overpowering. No crazy pattern in a bunch of colors, just simple, classic and best of all! I can just put it right over the mural and not have to worry about any ridges from paint! I will paint it the same color as the rest of the room and voila! I just love the damask pattern, too!

Best of all - its very reasonably priced!

Not having to worry about the mural is what is really going to give me the motivation to start this room!

Has you every used a similar product? Do you like it?

Wainscoting - Yea or Nay?

Photo courtesy of Project Nursery

I'm in the process of coming up with a design for my daughter's room renovation and I'm contemplating putting up wainscoting. I love the look of it and can imagine it well with the design I have envisioned but I'm a little hesitant when it comes to function.

Will it make it difficult when it comes to furniture placement or any type of wall hangings? ie. growth chart, hair bow holder ect. Is it too limiting??

Do you have wainscoting in any rooms? Do you like it? Did you put it up yourself? Thoughts? Opinions? Suggestions?

I appreciate the feedback!

$100 Gift Certificate Giveaway!

**COMMENTS ARE NOW CLOSED FOR THE DRAW**
I will take some time to enter everyone in and then I will contact the winner privately before announcing who they are.
Good luck!

_____________________________________________________________

I was originally going to just do a random draw off of my Bouncing Off The Walls Facebook Page, but as of December 1st, 2010, Facebook changed some of their promotional guidelines so I can no longer do it that way.

No big deal! I can roll with the punches! We'll do the draw here instead! So, HOW is it going to happen you ask? If you're reading this then you already know I posted the link to this blog on my Facebook Page. The next step? Simply comment below! I will do the draw from those that comment. Simple as that!

Now, for the bonus entries that I mentioned for those who's friends commented on the wall that they were sent by you - I recorded your names and how many times you were mentioned so you will still get your bonus entries!

From the time we reach 2,000 *LIKES* I will keep this blog post up for 5 days following and do the draw then. Hopefully that will give everyone sufficient time to see that it's here and be able to make their way over and comment.

If you have any questions you can email me directly: kristina@bouncingoffthewalls.ca

Good luck and thanks to all of you for your amazing support!

***PLEASE MAKE SURE IF YOU COMMENT AS "ANONYMOUS THAT YOU PUT YOUR NAME SOMEWHERE IN THE COMMENT SO I KNOW WHO YOU ARE IF YOU WIN!***

Time for a change!

People say to me all the time, "your kids must have the most fantastic rooms!" It's obvious why one would think such a thing but the reality brings back the old saying, "the cobbler's kids have no shoes."

Although I have spent time on their rooms and they both have wall letters spelling their names and a few other various items I've painted I've never really taken the time to really plan them and make them magazine worthy! Time is ALWAYS an issue for me!

My son who is the oldest did get a new "big boy" room when his little sister came along but it still needs a few finishing pieces that I just never get around to. But, for the most part, his room is pretty awesome and he does like to show it off.

Now, my poor daughter. That is what sparked this blog post! Her room was never made for her. It was my old office turned nursery. Before kids when I was still starting out in my mural business I painted a Finding Nemo mural on the wall in my office. When I got pregnant for the first time we didn't find out what we were having so we left the mural and turned the room into a nursery with gender-neutral colouring to match the Nemo theme.

My kids are only 19 months apart so my son wasn't long in the Nemo room before it was time for him to move. Again, we didn't find out what we were having and kept the fish for baby number two!

Well, my daughter is now 2 1/2 and it's time for a change! Nemo and his friends have got to go and we need to change this space into something a little more girlie, a little more "Devyn!" The letters I painted for her, although nice, were painted solely to match the colors in the room. Her growth chart I did because I needed a girl theme growth chart for a trade show! I did have a bow holder for her room but, bad mommy, I sold it to save myself time saying I would make her a new one soon.

So, I'm going to start from scratch! Get rid of the mural. Repaint. Begin with a blank canvas and document it here to share with you! (You'll all help hold me accountable for finishing!)

Here's a peak at the Before (right now) pictures:








I know what you're thinking! What kid wouldn't LOVE this room, right? And she does like it. But, It's been the same way for 6 years and I really do want to make a room just for her.

To give you a little sneak peak into the direction I'm headed, I bought these beautiful water colour prints from This Little Piggy Prints on Etsy and they are what we're starting with. The rest of the room will come together based on these.


Can't wait to get started!