AskAnissa: We currently reside in Sacramento now and finding an art and craft store is not my hobby since we have just moved from San Francisco. My kids are currently enrolled in a preschool near our apartment and now, they are being required by their teachers to bring art materials but the place near our place doesn't have what they need. Do you happen to know any store in our place wherein we can buy arts and crafts materials? I need a one stop shop so we won't waste too much time and gas roaming around the city and finding for a shop with complete arts and crafts supply. Hope you can help us with our problem. – Anonymous

Answer: So I believe, you're really new to the place. Sacramento is a great city and it's idle compared to other cities in California. However, if you're still not familiar with your new location then we will be glad to assist you.

Sacramento has great arts and crafts stores. Just like other cities, they also have one-stop-shops that cater everything that you will need from graphic pencils down to polymer clays or whatsoever needed for arts and crafts. And they have a wide array of options from toddler needs to professional artisans. And here are the perfect places for your arts and crafts needs:

Utrecht Art Supply is located at 1612 Howe Avenue, Sacramento, CA, United States
Website: http://www.utrechtart.com/
Email: brent@utrecht.com

Utrecht Art Supplies is one of the largest retailers of fine arts supplies. They have the art materials you need to turn your imaginations into reality. Utrecht Art Supply caters to all if not almost everything that you will need for your kids' requirement at school. And you can even start your own hobby. According to the buyers, they price their supplies reasonably and they have a good compilation of stuff however their staff isn't as knowledgeable in terms of the usage of the materials.

Michael's Arts & Crafts is located at 3691 Truxel Road, Sacramento, CA, United States
Website: http://www.michaels.com/
Phone: (916) 928-9777

Michael's have great art supplies and they are also one of the largest art supply dealers. And if you're looking for a one-stop-shop craft store then this is also a good one. They have different kinds of art supplies from markers, paints, fabric, pens and embellishments that are just so perfect for your son's and daughter's school requirements. They also offer art classes for children and adults which parents might get interested with. They have classes during the week and weekends. And they have great scrapbooking material selection too.

Question: I have searched online for years to find patterns and general information about different crafts and hobbies that I enjoy and would almost always find what I was looking for or something better.  I recently was searching for a beading pattern on BeadStyle, and found that more than one site required me to be a subscriber to their site or magazine.  Is this the wave of the future?  No more free info?  Carla K., Salt Lake City, UT

Answer: In order to monetize a website, there are things that need to be taken into consideration.  One of those things, especially for magazines, is charging their readers for the content. Other ways are selling advertising space. I have seen this trend come and go, but, with the economy in a somewhat of an unstable place, you will see websites and magazines trying all kinds of new things to boost their bottom line. One thing that I suggest is to add the word "free" when you are doing any searches. Also, try joining forums, free membership sites, etc. Sometimes the best patterns are going to come from fellow members in these sites. Try doing a search in Google or go to NING.com and do a search on their server for any membership sites that will fit your needs. These are the best ways to combat the fee based sites.

Anissa

AskAnissa: Not very soon, my son is turning 4 and I’m excited in preparing him a birthday bash with a theme. However, I still don’t know what will be good party theme. He enjoys watching Barney and Sesame Street a lot. I’m confused which one of the two will be great wherein all the kids will enjoy. I’m still worried if I can organize a party since I haven’t tried it yet. Is it hard? What can you suggest for the activities? I prefer it would be colorful party that kids of all ages could enjoy. – Anonymous

Answer: A lot of parents have been consulting us for quite some time and we really enjoy giving suggestions for the party. First and foremost, you should put yourself in your son’s shoe and ask yourself this question, “What will I like for my party?” and if you have already answered the question, you will be able to know what type of party fits him.

Most likely for children, they enjoy the basic colors so I prefer you do“Sesame Street” based theme party. It’s fun because you can incorporate a lot of things into the party since they have a wide arrange of choices to begin with. Also, they have plenty of printable games and activities that can be found in the internet wherein kids of all ages might enjoy.

Invitations

Of course, children would love to see the invitation cards that they are really invited for the said party. You can have it customized by printing a readymade Sesame Street invitation from the internet. And to spice it up even more, you may add embellishments or a photo of your son. You’ll find it here: dltk-cards.

Inside their Loot Bags

First on the list would be coloring pages. Many kids enjoy coloring papers and when their favorite cartoon character is in it then there’s no room for boredom. You can include this in their loot bag so that when they get home from the party, they would still feel that they are in the Sesame Street based theme celebration. You may find great ideas from this site: Coloring Book Fun.

Having a Sesame Street party will not only make your son happy but he will also feel like as if he’s in Sesame Street show himself. It doesn’t matter if the party is extravagant or not, besides children will eventually forget it as they grow older but it’s doesn’t also mean that you prepare anything less. Just make sure that his day will be filled with joy and laughter!