Top 10 educational iPad apps for kids

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Here are 10 educational iPad apps for kids recommended by friends and family in no particular order!

1. Shape Puzzle
2. 123 Writing
3. Highlights Hidden Pictures
4. Magic Puzzles
5. Everyday Mathematics Addition Top It
6. Montessori Crosswords
7. Telling Time
8. Preschool Memory Match
9. Monkey Preschool Lunchbox

10. Dr. Seuss Band

What are your child's favourite iPad apps? Would love to know!

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DIY: My top 3 ways to use an ice cube tray

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I recently discovered through Pinterest that ice cube trays aren't just for ice cubes! Click on the links below for these genius step by step instructions.

Here are my top 3:
1. Freeze your favourite greens to add to smoothies (via Katy she cooks)
- I love adding spinach in my morning smoothies but find spinach goes off so fast! This way I don't have to add ice cubes in the mix.

2. Freeze hot chocolate or coffee to add to milk for an instant iced chocolate/coffee. (via The Mixer / Foodo' del mundo)
- I've been freezing strong brewed coffee and popping these babies in milk. So easy!

3. Freeze left over herbs in extra virgin olive oil (via The Kitchn)
- Great way to preserve bought fresh herbs as I never manage to use it all up. I just pop these into my lasagna's and stews!

There we have it! Once frozen, pop them into a ziplock bag and you're done!

Image source: Greens / Chocolate milk / Herbs /

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Currently inspired...

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Happy Monday~! Currently inspired: "Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it" - Maya Angelo.

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DIY: No sew peter pan sequin collar tutorial plus free pattern

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If you have a plain dress or a top that you want to snaz up then look no further! These gorgeous sequin peter pan collars are so easy to make. Mine took less than 20 minutes!

You will need:
- Sequin fabric
- A peter pan collar patern (download here) 
- Scissors
- Ribbon 
- Hot glue gun/fabric glue

1. Download my peter pan collar pattern here. Print on thick card, cut, and place on sequin fabric. Cut around the pattern allowing 1cm (half inch) right around.
2. Using a hot glue gun (or fabric glue) fold the fabric bit by bit around the pattern and glue.
3-4. Once you've glued right around the pattern, glue the ribbon to cover the still visible pattern in a circular motion.
5. Repeat steps 1- 4 with the second pair.
6. Cut 3 bits of ribbon. Glue the two longer ribbon (about 25cm/10" each) on to the sharp ends. Use the 3rd ribbon (about 4cm/1.5") to glue the two collars together in the middle.

There we have it! Easy right?

Source: Black sequin collar /  Gold sequin collar

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Happy Mother's Day from Maiko

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To all you freakin' awesome mum's out there! Happy Mother's Day!

Love from,

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DIY: How to break in your new shoes in 1 minute!

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I have a special event to attend on Saturday night and purchased these new funky wedges which I'm so excited about! The thing is, it's probably half a size too small... So, I did some research and tried this amazingly simple trick from The Guardian for breaking in new shoes. It totally works!

Directions:
1. Put on some thick socks and wear both shoes.
2. Wiggle and stretch your feet inside the shoe and blast the hair dryer on high.
3. Keep the shoes on while they cool. Have a walk around and if it's still tight, repeat the process.

Voila~! Goodbye blisters!

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DIY: Mother's Day sharpie mug gift idea & tutorial

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Checkout what I just made for mother's day! I fell in love with some cute mother's day cards I saw on Pinterest and thought it would look even better on a mug. The cool thing about this super easy DIY is that you can personalise it. I put my name on there to make it extra special for my mum.

Instructions:
1. All you need is a sharpie (oil based is best) and a porcelain white mug. (Check to make sure it is oven safe as some glazes are safe for microwaving but toxic in the oven).
2. Draw what ever you like on the mug and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. (180°)
3. Cool the mugs at room temperature before washing.

Voila! For best results, hand wash these babies rather than putting it through the dishwasher.

Check out the cool cards here. 1. Home is where mom is. 2. Seriously, you're like the best mom everr. 3. My life would suck without you.

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Freebie: Mother's Day wine label by Maiko Nagao

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Make mother's day extra special this year! Buy your mum her favourite bottle of vino and slap on one of my 'You're so freakin' awesome mum' wine labels! Just print it out on A4, cut and paste. You could make it a super special combo with my 'Freakin' awesome' mother's day card and voucher also available to download for free.

// Wine label UK 'mum' version // Wine label US 'mom' version //

Hope your mum has the most fabulous day this Sunday!

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Grumpy cat's take on Mondays...

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Happy Monday everybody! Here's grumpy cat's take on Mondays...

Image source

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DIY: Shakuhachi inspired cut out dress tutorial

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Australian fashion label Shakuhachi is one of my favourite designers at the moment. My favourite dress of theirs is this cut out dress. A pair and a spare does a fantastic DIY tutorial if you like the cut out front and back. I prefer it just at the front so here's my version.

You’ll need:
An oversized cotton t-shirt. XXXL men's t-shirts are perfect as the wideness creates the bunched up effect. You also want to make sure it's long enough to cover your bum!

1. Cut off a bit off the sleeves along the dotted lines.
2. Cut only the 'front side' of the t-shirt along the dotted lines. A good place to cut the horizontal line is just below your ribs.
3. Grab the two points and tie a knot through the hole.

Voila~!

I’m fairly active on facebook, pinterest and twitter, so let’s stay in touch!

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Personalised name print by Maiko Nagao via Etsy

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Happy Sunday all! I designed this special personalised name monogram/logo as a gift for my friend's wedding recently. I thought it would make a special gift for many occasions. Weddings, anniversaries, engagements and Valentine's day gifts.

It's a printable pdf which is emailed to you. Just print out the A4 sized pdf, and have it framed!

You can now order it through my Etsy shop here!

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Currently inspired: Creativity is...

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"Creativity is intelligence having fun" - Albert Einstein. Hope you like my new gold foil on dreamy backdrop look!

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Freebie: Mother's Day printable gift voucher by Maiko Nagao

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My memory of Mother's Day as a child was creating my own redeemable vouchers for my mum. I'd spend forever scribbling away! My mum used to say that these vouchers were so much more special than any store bought gifts and how special she felt... Anyway, I wanted to spread this kind of love so I created a customisable Mother’s Day voucher for you to download for FREE! Here's an idea, why don't you pair it up with my other free printable 'You're freakin' awesome' Mother's Day card?

Some ideas for the voucher:
- Help with gardening
- Weekend picnic
- Help with house cleaning or organising
- Home cooked dinner
- Family fun outing

Have a think about what your mum loves you to help her with! You can really get as creative as you like. There are 2 vouchers per sheet so feel free to print out as many as you like!

// Download voucher here //

Make sure you print on a thick A4 card and set it to 'fit to page' when printing!

I’m fairly active on facebook, pinterest and twitter, so let’s stay in touch!

*Please note these cards are for personal use only and not to be sold.

Enjoy!

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DIY: Skateboard shelves for boys room

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Found this amazing upcycled skateboard shelves by Lecons De Choses on Pinterest and had to share it with you all. If you have unused skateboards lying around the house, you could repurpose it! Would be perfect for a boys room don't you think?

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DIY: Super easy glitter nails tutorial

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Do you like my gold glitter nails I just mastered in 5 minutes? 

It's super dooper easy! All you need is a clear nail polish and glitter of your choice. Note that the more glitter, the thicker the texture...

Directions:

1. Roll up half an A4 piece of paper to make a funnel.
2. Pour the glitter into the clear polish little by little. 
3. Once you’ve poured your desired amount of glitter into the nail polish, shake well and you're done! 

Easy as that! Now, go and rock those glam nails of yours!

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The boys are back~!

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The boys + George the dog are back by popular demand to brighten up your Monday morning! Again, you're very welcome ♥

From top left: Jake Gyllenhaal, Johnny Depp, Ryan Gosling and his pooch, George!

Enjoy~!

Image source 1, 2, 3

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MAC Lipstick Dupes by Life Unsweetened

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Check out this fabulous MAC lipstick dupes chart by Life Unsweetened. There are surprisingly so many similar shades and textures of lipsticks that are half of the price!! Thanks, Life Unsweetened - this is just what I needed!

Enjoy~!

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DIY: Washer and ribbon neon necklace tutorial

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Hey, check it out! I just made this spunky Anni Albers inspired neon statement necklace out of two things - some washers and a piece of ribbon!

Here's what you'll need:
- 17 - 20 metal washers (I picked up a packet for $2 at a hardware store)
- Neon ribbon (around 1m in length depending on how long you want it)

1. Thread your ribbon up through washer '1'. Leave enough ribbon on the end to tie the necklace when finished.
2. Thread the ribbon down through the top of washer '2'.
3. Thread the ribbon back down through washer '1'
4. Pull the ribbon tight, so washer '2' is laying flat on top of washer  '1'.
5. Thread the ribbon back up through washer  '2'.
6. Repeat steps 2 - 5 for the rest of the washer. Once you're done threading all the washers, tie the ends of the ribbon into a bow. Voila~!

I’m fairly active on facebook, pinterest and twitter, so let’s stay in touch!I love it so much I'm wearing it right now!

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DIY: Upcycled milk bottles as art supply containers

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This is a genius idea by Make. Check out their amazing blog for more genius ideas here.

Upycle milk bottles as convenient containers for coloured pencils, markers, and other craft supplies. This is a perfect trick for kids’ supplies!

Happy upcycling!

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Freebie: Printable gift wrap designed by Maiko Nagao

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Need last minute gift wrap? I designed some spunky FREE printable gift wraps for you all. They are A4 in size but they can be easily A3 if you print two out and tape together! Make sure you set the page 'to fit' when printing! Download yours below.

//  Polka dot  //  Tape  //  Skull  //

If you like the blue paper ribbon, I made it with some scrap paper. View the tutorial here.

*Please note these gift wraps are for personal use only and not to be shared on other websites or sold.

Happy wrapping!

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Lil'me Paper Dolls - featured in Little Treasures Magazine!

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Wow! My Lil'me Paper Dolls have been featured in Little Treasures Magazine's April/May 2013 issue. If you've got a copy in front of you, you can find it on page 16.

No wonder orders have been pouring in! You can order your child's very own Lil'me Paper Doll from my Etsy shop here.

www.etsy.com/shop/MaikoNagao

Enjoy!

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PicPokket DSLR camera bag/case by Maiko Nagao via Etsy

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I have something very exciting to share with you all. To be honest, I have been quite nervous to launch this particular project as it means a lot to me. Why? I have selected my mum to be my partner in crime! Yes, she's the woman behind the scenes hand-sewing these babies away. Isn't she talented?

So here we go, this is what we've achieved as a team. PicPokket dslr camera bags gives new life to old unwanted clothes. We wash them with enviro-friendly soap and upcycle the material in a bid to reduce textile waste! PicPokket is so compact, light and practical that you can pop it into your bag OR hang it around your neck and it's instantly scratch proof. Trust me, you can say goodbye to those ugly, black and bulky standard camera bags!

Each PicPokket is handmade (by my mum) and one-of-a-kind as it is limited to the amount of material we have at the time so be in quick!

Would make a great gift!

I hope you love it as much as I do! It's a must for EVERY spunky DSLR owner. Would make a great gift too don't you think?

Comes in 2 sizes to fit all! Check out other funky PicPokket designs here!

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DIY: Super easy cookie monsters

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How AMAZING are these cookie monsters by Icing Designs! I spotted this on Pineterest and had to share their super cute creation! For more pictures and full tutorial, make sure you check out their site!

Materials: 
- Cookies of your choice
- Sprinkles
- Frosting
- M&Ms

The super clever people at Icing Designs say to just fill one side of your cookie with frosting, set your other cookie on top, press the back slightly harder to create an open mouth look. Cover the frosting with your sprinkles and add a swirl of frosting to create two eyes and one for a nose. Simply press two M&Ms into the frosting to create an eye color and you are done!

Try making these with your kids - they'll love you for it!

Happy crafting!

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Freebie: Mother's day card by Maiko Nagao

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Would you like a super cool card for mother's day? I tweaked my 'You're so freakin' awesome' card I designed earlier this year so it'll be appropriate for mother's day! Yay, and you can download it for FREE, on me. Hope your special moma will love it as much as I do!

Oh and wait, I have two versions: UK - 'mum' and US - 'mom' so make sure you click on the right link below!

// Download UK 'mum' version // Download US 'mom' version //

Make sure you print on a thick A4 card and set it to 'fit to page' when printing. There are two grey lines at the top and bottom as markers for you to cut in half. 

I’m fairly active on facebook, pinterest and twitter, so let’s stay in touch!

*Please note these cards are for personal use only and not to be sold.

Enjoy!

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DIY: Upcycled magazine gift wrap & bow

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Mother's day is coming up and what better way to read, wrap and upcycle! Colourful magazine pages make unique wrapping paper for small gifts! I ripped 2 x pages from a magazine, folded the long edge (the ripped side) of both, and taped them together to make an A3.You can also turn old magazine pages into beautiful, one-of-a-kind bows for your pressies. Diagram above by Martha Stewart.

You'll need a page per bow and some double-sided tape.

Instructions:

1. Cut the page lengthwise into nine x 1.5cm (0.5") thick strips of heights shown: 
Three x 20cm (7.8"), three x 18cm (7"), two x 15cm (6"), and one x 6cm (2.3").
2. Twist each strip to form loops at both ends. Make a circle out of the smallest.
3. Secure the ends with a piece of double-sided tape.
4. Layer and stick, starting with the longest strips. End with the circle in the center and double sided tape to stick onto gift!

Happy crafting!

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