Martha Stewart ain't got nothin' on me.

In my pre-Linus days, I used to craft like a maniac. I've made everything from paper, soap, glass paperweights, hand-bound books, even my own senior prom dress. But about two years ago my crafty obsessiveness came to a screeching halt-- I had no time, moved across the country, got a job that required 2 hours of commuting per day, and well, you know the rest. Since then, things have gotten a little bit easier though. My days are not filled with so much burping and nursing and diaper changing, and every day I'm finding more ways to give time to myself. This means back to my old crafting ways.

There's is no better excuse to craft than for your own child. With Linus' birthday approaching I vowed to make my first handmade pinata filled with wholesome goodies (not the kind laced with lead or high fructose corn syrup.) The process started with good, old fashioned paper mache. When making a pinata for toddlers, you have to keep in mind that the pinata has to be thin/weak enough to be broken by todders. After just one layer of clean newspaper to cover the balloon, and two layers of paper mache, this pinata was ready to dry.

Two weeks later... my mom came in to town and was recruited to help complete the project. So we set up, turned on "So You Think You Can Dance" and started crafting. I worked on cutting strips of tissue paper, while she punched out bee-shaped confetti. Mattias helped by fashioning the wire needed to hang the pinata.

After filling the pinata with fruit snacks, granola bars, and goldfish, we sealed the door and the tedious work of gluing the tissue to the pinata began. Unfortunately, there were no shortcuts to this process.

Almost complete ladybug pinata, and me with the finished product. We showed it to Linus explaining there was "mycket godis" inside. (That's Swedish for "Lots of candy.")

The ladybug pinata, that started out as a balloon, some recycled newspaper, and flour, did not disappoint. Gracie and Elizabeth, friends of ours from Mexico, sang the pinata song while all the kids took their turn at beating up the ladybug.

But it was a blow from Linus (with the help of Mattias) that showered the kids with confetti and treats.

So why does Martha Stewart have nothing on me? Because all of this crazy obsessive craftiness, I do out of love for those around me. My hand made gifts and treats are gifts from my heart, given to those who truly deserve it. The payback? Much bigger than the net worth of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.