Snow Days

Although the snow day that I am writing about occurred last week, school was again cancelled today for snow. Trying to entertain my children with something hands-on and creative in this techie world is certainly a challenge for a parent. Last week our schools were closed for a number of days on a count of the snow and record breaking cold weather, which left us with allot of down time.  Lucky for us my sister and her family had decided to come down from Boston to visit. 

Thankfully we live in an area with great trails to hike and the cousins had an awesome snowy adventure in the woods, but since the temperatures were so low, in the single digits, being outside for too long was a bad idea. 

With 4 children under 12 years old cooped up in the house we wanted something besides the wii and iPads to entertain them.  After searching the web I came across this super cool home made Play Dough recipe that I found on www.momswhothink.com and decided to give it a go. For a little extra kick, I added some Young Living essential oils to the mix to get the holistic benefits of aromatherapy. The kids loved it, it smelled amazing and it provided a few hours of unplugged entertainment. Well, not completely unplugged as while they were kneading and sculpting the yummy smelling dough to their hearts content, they were rocking out to the Red Hot Chili Peppers full catalogue on Rhapsody. Great fun was had by all and I recommend this project for any parents that find themselves in a similar situation.

Here is the recipe below:

Playdough Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 cup water
1 Tablespoon oil
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
Food coloring by drops

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a pan and stir.  Cook over low heat, stirring until a ball forms.

2. Add food coloring and mix thoroughly until desired color.

3. Cool on foil. Store in covered container.

The only thing that I altered from the recipe was the use of whole wheat flour instead of white flour.  I made two servings of the recipe to make the four dough balls pictured below.

I placed Young Living Essential oils in each dough ball, 3-4 drops of Peace and Calming, Lavender, and Peppermint but only added 2 drops of Lemongrass because it is so strong. 

Peace & Calming® is a gentle, fragrant blend. When diffused, it helps calm tensions and uplift the spirit, promoting relaxation and a deep sense of peace.

Lemongrass has a light, fresh, citrus aroma with earthy undertones. Refreshing, rejuvenating, stimulating, and balancing, it inspires and improves mental clarity. 

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) has a fresh, sweet, floral, herbaceous aroma that is soothing and refreshing. Because it is the most versatile of all essential oils, no home should be without it. 

Peppermint has a strong, clean, fresh, minty aroma which helps improve concentration and alertness.

If you are interested in ordering or learning more about Young Living Essential Oils visit my direct site http://yl.pe/vtp and receive my Essential oils newsletter

www.demetrarinaldi.marketingscents.com

CraftyLeftDee Studio Creative Headquarters

Soon after moving back to the US after 4 years in Belgium working in a shared studio space, my husband and I decided to build an extension onto our house for a home art studio. Today, I happily work out of the CraftyLeftDee creative headquarters, a 375 sq.ft mixed media studio connected to my home in Northern Virginia. This space is dedicated to creativity and here my family and I check our worries at the door and enjoy hours of painting, pottery, sewing, sculpting, school projects, etc. while jamming to great music. Please enjoy the pictures below and tomorrow you can read my blog on one of our latest projects; home made scented play dough (with Essential Oils) - truly an amazing way to pass the hours on a cold snowy day.

Photo Credit: Stephanie Rodrigues Melson

CraftyLeftDee Introduction First blog post

Potter, painter, artist, crafter, Essential oils enthusiast, mom, wife.

I was born and raised in New York as a proud Greek/American but I have lived in Italy, Oahu, Florida, England, Belgium, a few summers in the Greek Islands and now in the DC Metro area. My etsy shop is filled with my Handmade Pottery, Clay Essential Oils jewelry, Sea glass Jewelry, Up cycled Slumped bottles, Paintings and Crafts that have been inspired by my travels. When I speak about my family I always say that we are gypsies with healthcare as we have spent the last 12+ years moving around the world. Here is my story:

From a young age I was drawn to the wonders of the art world and decided early on to pursue a life that allowed me to have a creative outlet. I graduated from the State University of New York at Old Westbury with a BS in Visual Arts after a brief stint at SUNY New Paltz School of Art Education. At this time I was primarily focusing on contemporary art and experimental photography, spending my entire senior year building life size plaster body pin hole cameras. After graduating from university in 1999, I turned to teaching Art at an Adult Continuing Education Center.

In a whirlwind I met my future husband and moved 4000 miles away from my comfort zone to be with him in the small ancient port city of Pozzuoli, just north of Naples. We lived in Italy from 2001 until 2003 where I taught as an elementary teacher at a NATO Montessori School on a military base in Agnano and in my free time I immersed myself in Naples’ rich history, thriving contemporary art scene, the local culture and gastronomy. In the spring of 2003 we reluctantly moved to Tampa Florida for a job opportunity; there I gave birth to my son and dove head first into my new role as mother. Although I found it difficult to be creative with a newborn baby in the house, it was at this time that I started taking sewing and baking seriously as on outlet. Over the next year I produced some of my best baby quilts and even sold a few cakes for military retirement parties.

After only a short stay in Tampa, in 2004 we moved to Hawaii for my husbands new position and we lived on the North Shore of Oahu, directly on the beach. Although we absolutely loved the Hawaiian lifestyle, we needed to cut our tour short due to my son’s medical condition so we said goodbye and moved to the DC Metro area. Due to the high cost of living I took a job working full time for a small Defense company across from the Pentagon, a far cry from my love of art. In early 2007 I gave birth to my daughter and immediately found myself preparing the family for another move across the Atlantic, this time to Belgium. Although we packed our household goods in June we had some stops along the way before finally settling down in our ultimate destination: spending the summer on Long Island with family and the autumn in England.

While in Belgium we lived close to the French border near a NATO base but only 45 minutes from Brussels. With both children in school and my days free, I was able to once again renew my love for art. With such convenient access to museums and architecture it provided me with the drive to get back into creating again. I started focusing on photography, painting and began taking pottery courses again and soon became completely obsessed with spending time in the studio. After spending 4+ years in northern Europe with 3 incredible summers in Corfu Greece, our time there came to an end and we returned back to the DC Metro area in the spring of 2011. Immediately after purchasing a house we built a home studio addition for me to continue making pottery, painting, sewing, quilting and crafting.  

As a mom I am always trying to teach my children to eat healthy and be active. We buy organic meats and produce and try to keep our processed foods to a minimum.  I have always been interested in alternative medicine and have taken a real interest in using Young Living Essential oils as a supplement to our healthy lifestyle.  My oil use has also been integrated into my art as I have begun making more essential oil jewelry as well.  

The best days now are the ones spent in the studio with my family, getting muddy…