This week's giveaway is coming from Beccijo... perhaps you've seen her toys around. Her very magical Etsy shop is called The Enchanted Cupboard. Inside of her enchanted toy shop you will her beautifully painted wooden toys. Rainbow stackers, peg dolls, animals, lovely scenery pieces, and alot more.
Beccijo contacted me about reviewing her brand new item, the Take Along Game. Yes, please! She made a custom set of game pieces for each member of our family, looking at pictures of us for inspiration. She sent them, along with her Find the Rainbow game in a draw string bag with instructions. As you can imagine, we set to playing just as soon as it arrived!
You can set the 'board' up in any shape just as long as the rainbow is the start/end. There are a couple of different variations for playing, according to age or I suppose if you wanted a quicker or longer game. This time Kaiya set up the pieces in a heart shape.
Hehe, that looks an awful lot like my hubby! He was even wearing a blue shirt that day!
I love that the game is so open ended. I know my girls will find lots more ways to play. They also really enjoy playing with the 'family members'. I can imagine these would be fun to use with just about any game, our own personalized pieces or just to play with. And since there is no board it's perfect for on the go. Just pack it all back into the draw string bag and you're off!
Tell us a little about yourself so we can know the person behind the work.
I am a wife to my Prince Charming. We often joke that when I was 6 (I am older than he is) I must have made a wish on a star, and he was made perfectly for me. We have 4 very smart and beautiful children that we homeschool. I am also the leader of the NaturalKids Team, an Etsy team that focuses on natural handmade items for kids. I am a dreamer, story weaver, artist, and toymaker who works at living life to the fullest.
What inspires your creations?
I have a very active imagination that comes to life in my toys. Sometimes they are inspired by something I see; other times I dream them. I have always created, and in everything I do the process of creation is like a beautiful dance. They say some people see through rose colored glasses, I truly see through enchanted glasses.
How do you balance 'making' with mothering?
BALANCE is the key. Not having too much of any one thing - keeping it all in balance. One thing that mothers have a hard time with is justifying giving to themselves, to their creative needs, and to the parts of oneself that may need to provide an income. The more your children see you doing this, the better it is for them. It is most important for our daughters to see that we give to ourselves, because one day they will be in the same situation with the same worries. If they have a strong role model of a woman who saw the importance of giving to herself and keeping the balance, then it will be easier for each new generation.
For my business side, I get my kids and the whole family involved. The kids help with the sorting and the packaging and take pride and ownership in what they do. I have set times that I work while they work. We have made it clear to the children that both their school work and my business are equally important to the family. We keep an organized house and we ALL do family work together each day. I believe if children learn to contribute to the family, they will learn the importance of this and grow up to contribute to their community.
This Cosy Life- Tell us about your new game.
These games have been in my heart and soul for a long time. I could not get past the board! The are big, bulky, and not easy to package/ship. Then one day I was retaking photos of my educational toys, and I had laid out the sorting circles in a pattern. There it was a board game with no board. Well, my mind was in a whirlwind after that. I knew any successful game for my kids had to be able to go places: restaurant, doctor’s office, grandma’s house, and it had to function on different age levels. We have so many games that the kids just outgrew, and I wanted my game to be an investment that grew with the child’s learning and one that would be fun for mom and dad.
I have so many ideas, so keep watching the shop to see them come to life!
Now for the giveaway;
Your family made into Family Game Dolls to use with your favorite games!
That's right, Beccijo will make a personalized family game piece set, just like the one in the picture above, for one lucky winner!
OK, so to enter leave me a comment. You can let me know how your Monday is going or, better yet, tell me how you beat the dreadful Meltdown Monday or just say hi. Whatever.
For additional entries;
(leave a separate comment for each entry, if you don't, they count as one)
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I will randomly pick a winner on Sunday April 1st and announce here, on my blog. (Please, make sure I have a way to contact you!)
PS: If anyone is interested in participating in a Monday Meltdown giveaway, here on my blog, contact me here. Whether an item from your Etsy shop or just a little something you would like to give away to brighten someone's Monday, it's all good!
