Friday, January 27, 2012

The Chocolate Muffin Tree Is One Today!


It is hard to believe one year has passed since I began this journey! It has been FUN, but a lot of work!  I've enjoyed inspiring others to be creative with their children.  It is something I have strived for since my daughter was born.  I remember coming home from the hospital with my daughter and wishing we could create something! (maybe not that soon...but not that far off) Even before I was an Elementary Art teacher, I felt so sad if I saw kids that had no creative materials in their homes. I would ask, "Where are your crayons? your paper? play dough? anything?"  It would break my heart if children didn't have one of those materials in their home.  In my first days being an Art Teacher I worked in inner city schools where I would see students steal sheets of construction paper, pencils, and markers.  Sometimes I just wanted to let it slide by and let them have those materials, but then I would have no materials to work with if I let this happen! After working in urban schools,  I worked in the opposite end of the spectrum: Rural! The rural children had more, but on occasion there would be some students that would try to steal some supplies too.  Sadly,  I was laid of from my rural Art teaching Job because of budget cuts. The saddest thing is that I was replaced with a Non-Art Teacher.  I spoke up for myself,  but it did no good when money is an issue in a school district and where there is little support in the community.


If this "layoff" didn't happen I wouldn't be here writing to you right now! Inspired by Artsy blogs such as The Artful Parent, Paint Cut Paste, and Frugal Family Fun, I began my journey on this day one year ago.  I followed these blogs just like you might be following me with your children doing activities each week from these blogs.  These blogs were such inspiration and I felt like these were the type of Moms I strived to be!  I struggled as a working Mom to feel like I was a good Mom and felt like if I did what they did with their kids that somehow I would be a better Mom.  Being a working Mom was very difficult for me and I so wanted to be the Mom that you see reflected in The Chocolate Muffin Tree! So here I am, now realizing it is a lot of work being a Mom Blogger (Thank you to all that inspire!) and that is also a very fulfilling too! I inspire more people all around the world....more than in all the years I have taught Art! For those of you who have followed me all they way through.....Thank you! and for those who are recent followers Thank you too! I hope to continue this journey! Thanks for your support!

Some Ways to help Bring Art and Art Supplies to the less fortunate:

Find a child near you that is in need of Art supplies and donate to them! (ask local art teachers and I'm sure they could give you some names) Recently I met an 11 year old girl, through a neighbor,  that was definitely an aspiring artist in need and I gave her a simple gift of colored pencils and a sketch pad. You could see her eyes light up instantly with this gift!  I hope to give her more art supplies in the future.

A great article about ways you can donate supplies to classrooms through Adopt a Classroom and  Donor's Choice Donate Supplies to A Classroom in Need

A way to donate art supplies for kids around the world from: Oxfam America Unwrapped

Research online and you will find many local organizations to help kids through the Arts!

Have you ever donated Art Supplies to those less fortunate?
(please share any other great ideas or organizations)

36 comments:

  1. Happy Blogiversary! And a wonderful post. I just can't imagine a home with out crayons, scissors and glue. :(

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    1. Thank you Kristin! A home has to have crayons, scissors, and glue!

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  2. Beautiful! Your blog was one of the very first I started reading! And it was an inspriation to start my own! congrats on 1 year of blogging!! hope you do it for YEARS!!!

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    1. WOW Jill I feel honored to be inspiration to begin your blog! Thank you! I hope so too! I will have to check your blog out! Thanks or sharing!

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  3. Congratulations, beautiful Melissa and The Chocolate Muffin Tree. Your blog is a gift to so many of us. The docent council at a museum I used to work at made an annual collection of art materials that they shared with a local school, and OMG those children were soooo happy. Just like when you shared with your neighbor's friend, it's not that hard to do and just takes a small effort to make a child's creativity bloom.

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    1. Thank you Rachelle! I'm happy to share and inspire! So glad to hear of stories of helping others through giving art supplies. Thanks for sharing your story! One small gift makes a huge difference in a child's life. It is something they will remember forever!

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  4. Happy anniversary!! I remember when you first started and it was fun to read your great ideas, always so fresh! I've had kids stealing pens and paper before too- it's heart breaking isn't it. A great idea to link to the charities!

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    1. Thank you Anna! So glad to have crossed your path through blogging. You have a wonderful blog and keep me going each day!

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  5. Happy birthday and many life´s years! I like visit your blog! We have a link in our blog Pré Azul http://preazul.blogspot.com/ to yours.
    A good weekend
    Teresa

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    1. Thank you Teresa! Best wishes to you too, Thank you for the link on your blog.

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  6. This is a great post. I only recently "met" your blog, and I enjoy reading it even though (or maybe exactly because) I am not a crafty type myself. Happy bloggiversary!

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    1. Thank you Natalie. I'm so glad to inspire you to be more crafty with your daughter. I enjoy your reading your blog for the opposite reason!

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  7. I believe it is good for kids to have creative supplies at home. Being involved in art wether it be drawing, painting, sculpting is a great activity that stimulates the mind in a child.

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    1. I agree, it is definitely a good idea to have creative supplies at home!

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  8. As an art teacher, I thank you for your advocacy! Budget cuts hurt- and often take aim at exploratory areas first, of course :( happy blog-aversary and here's to many more!

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    1. Your welcome. Thank you! I will always support the arts in any way I can. Art teachers are so important and I wish more of the world realized this! Thank you for sharing the ideas from your classroom!

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  9. Happy Blogiversary! I remember finding your blog shortly after starting mine in February. You were and still are such an inspiration! Thank you for taking the time to share your ideas! :) :)

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    1. Thank you Aleacia! Thanks for all your support and wonderful comments. I'm so glad to inspire you each day. I love to share my ideas. Too many ideas to share and not enough hours in the day! Love your blog and glad to have crossed paths with you.

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  10. congratulations and happy blog-i-versary! i love your blog, melissa! i just donated a big box of art supplies to a nurse/caregiver who will use them with the children she helps. it makes such a difference! (and my art cabinet is looking less cluttered -- win win!) cheers to many more bloggy years to come!

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    1. Thanks Jen! It means a lot to have you commenting here since you are one of my inspirations to begin blogging! I'm glad you love my blog. It is so weird to see it all go full circle. It is great that you made that donation to that caregiver and they will definitely appreciate it, I'm sure! I need to go through my art supplies and pick out more to donate too. I hope my bloggy years can continue. It has been a great journey!

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  11. Congratulations on reaching the one year mark, Melissa. Yours blog is one that has inspired me countless times. Whle your layoff must have been very difficult at the time, it was certainly a blessing in disguise for you, your family, and for all of your followers.
    I love the idea of providing an aspiring artist with supplies of his or her own. I think I WILL talk to our art teachers to see if they could pass a name along to me. Coming from an artistic family myself, I would love to pass a gift like that along to a child who would truly appreciate it! Thank you for yet another wonderful idea! xo

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    1. Thank you Happy Hooligans! I'm so happy that I have inspired you! Your blog has become such an inspiration to me and I know that it will grow so much more! Can't wait to see what you have accomplished after a year! The layoff has definitely been a blessing in disguise and I feel so happy to have had more time with my daughter and at the same time inspire others around the world! Who would have known?
      Your welcome for another idea to grow your already bursting creativity!

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  12. Congratulations Melissa! You are an inspiration for sure!

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    1. Thank you Amelia! My heart feels so wonderful to hear words like this!

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  13. Happy Blogiversary! You're such an inspiration and I'm so glad we've been able to connect!

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    1. Thank you Terri! So glad to connect with you and your creative blog too!

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  14. Just now finding you! Congratulations! I'm not an artsy person so I will be following your blog closely for ideas while Homeschooling my kids!

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  15. Just found your blog and am enjoying doing the projects with my 2 year old. That being said, where do you recommend getting supplies on a limited budget and what types of materials do you recommend for this age. Thanks and keep the projects coming.

    Terri

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    1. Glad to have you here and welcome! Hope this answers your question:

      When my daughter was two I had basic supplies like finger paint, tempera paint, brushes, construction paper, tissue paper, any collage item (like pom pom poms, stickers, beans, pasta,, foam pieces), glue, glitter glue (in big bottles), contact paper for so easy collages without glue, and play dough!

      Painting probably was the biggest hit. Focusing on using one color at a time and painting with paper taped to the floor or on an easel. My daughter loves painting with shaving cream/food color in the bath tub and a 2 year old would love that too. Shaving cream can be an exploratory material on an old table or tray too!

      WE loved cutting play dough worms and tiny paper bits and collaging them. You could use junk mail to cut from if you don't have the money. Save tissue paper from gifts to create beautiful collages with glue or on contact paper. Contact paper can be purchased at the grocery store/or drug store and it is a nice way to make a no mess collage. Lay old buttons, leaves, tissue paper, scraps of yarn, and fabric.

      Save recycled items like egg cartons, boxes, paper towel rolls....you can paint on these items or make sculptures. Old cereal box cardboard make great backgrounds for collages and paintings!

      2 year olds don't need expensive art supplies at all. I buy a lot of supplies at discount stores....Walmart has a great art section for fairly cheap supplies.

      This book you could check out at the library....it has great ideas and recipes:
      http://www.amazon.com/First-Art-Experiences-Toddlers-Twos/dp/0876592221

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  16. happy bloggie birthday! what an amazing journey you've been on! we've donated art materials before. i found about the sojourner truth academy in minneapolis, mn through donorschoose.org. we sent them a large box full of art supplies with a note.

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    1. Thank you Andie! Yes, it has been an amazing journey! So glad you have donated supplies. I hope to donate more in the future!

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  17. Happy Blogiversary, Melissa! I LOVE your blog, and I'm so impressed with what you've done in one year! :) Deb @ LivingMontessoriNow.com

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  18. Thank you Deb! You have been so supportive the whole way through.....thanks!

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  19. Congrats on your first blogiversary! I just celebrated mine. I love the idea of chocolate muffins.

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  20. I had no idea you were so young :-) Wonderful blog and it's been great getting to know you! Glad I now know the reason behind the name, too! Congrats on your blogiversary :-)

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