It’s August. It’s hot. And the kids are more than ready to be done with summer vacation. All right, the kids might not be, but you probably are! As the mother of three I can quite honestly tell you that the enchantment of having my little darlings home all day after an entire year of putting them on the bus every morning has more than worn off by this point. They’re bored, they’re restless, and they want to go somewhere and do something every day of the week-which is completely understandable, but a little difficult since my husband and I both work from home!

I found my answer (temporarily at least) in making homemade bracelets. Local craft stores carry designer beads and basic stringing materials by the pound, many designed especially for little fingers, and by having the ability to create and keep their hands busy the kids are happily occupied for hours on end rather than draping themselves across the couch or in front of the computer and complaining about how bored they are.

My recommendation? If you have young children (aged 9 or under) go out and pick up some of the large beads designed especially for kids. These have large holes that they can string plastic string or thread through without needing to use a needle, which is good news for their fingers. If your children are older you can pick up

Homemade Friendship Bracelets

a more advanced set that involves professionally beading or flossing your beads, or braiding rather than beading (as in the friendship bracelets shown here, featured on ehow.com); however, make sure your materials are age appropriate.

Letting you kids’ creativity flow free is a great way to keep them happy and busy while creating a horde of homemade bracelets for family and friends (oh, say, for Christmastime?). If you’ve had enough of your summer vacation and need to keep the kiddies happy for just a little bit longer, cruise on down to your local craft store today.

Does your man enjoy anniversary gift shopping? Or does he consider it akin to stepping into a minefield? Let’s face it - whoever said ‘it’s the thought that counts’ wasn’t talking to a woman! So what does a guy buy for the woman he loves, especially when it’s anniversary time? The right answer goes a long way toward deciding where he’s going to sleep tonight (and the night after that, and the night after that, and… well, you get the picture!) Help the poor man out! Make him read this blog post so he’ll never go wrong again with anniversary gift-giving!

Men … this post’s for you! We’ve got the answer to all your anniversary jewelry gift problems. Commemorate the occasion with a classic anniversary bracelet that’s elegant and totally her style.

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Everyone’s got their sense of style, from the fun and the funky to the elegant and the classic. What style bracelet are you?

Cuff bracelets are for the sexy, and confident woman who is secure in their own skin. She will most certainly be a leader among her group of friends. Cuff bracelets are predominant in many cultures, particularly those in the Middle East.

Tennis bracelets are quiet and demure, stylish yet understated. You’re probably not well known for raising your voice in a crowd or losing your temper. She Is the type of woman who likes rubies or garnets in her tennis bracelets. Quiet yet confident, you’re a force to be reckoned with.

Anklet are for made for the romantic at heart. She is the type of women, often quiet and subtle, who passions aren’t always apparent from the outside.Anklet wearers are a quiet bridge over troubled waters, often shy but always valued in the eyes of their friends.

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Do the classics ever really go out of style?

You wore them by the dozen when you were little - beaded bracelets on a simple elastic string that wound halfway up your arm. Then, somewhere along the way, you grew up, and you were told it was time to trade in those wild flower child beaded bracelets for the more conservative silver bracelet – a ‘symbol of adulthood’. The flair of beaded bracelets gave way to a sleek sterling silver bracelet and to warm 14k gold bracelets, leaving the fun frippery of childhood far behind.

But guess what girls…..theeeeey’re baaaaack! You see, it doesn’t matter which sterling silver bracelet is flying off the shelves in Paris today. We live in the U.S. of A., and our mantra is self-expression, inner savvy and yes, dressing the way we want to instead of the way some magazine tells us to!

Children of all ages are rediscovering these fun beaded bracelets. It’s a fashion swing that says ‘welcome back!” to everything forties and fifties. Belukro’s 21st century beaded bracelets are exquisite at a moderate price, and Walmart and craft stores sell the beads in bulk for under $5! The name of the game is bulk, so stack those beaded bracelets in all shapes and colors on your arms and around your ankles!

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