Back From My "Technology Break"

Ok, first, I will readily admit that the title of this post is a little misleading.  I didn't take a total break from technology, but I did cut back significantly on my social media presence over the last two and a half weeks.  It was a sort of little experiment for me.  I had been pretty active on social media since the summer.... Twitter Parties, Facebook, Blog Posts, contest shares, etc.  I thought it was time for a little "me time".  I found myself getting stressed about my next post and what I would write.  Then, it hit me, I started this blog as something fun, if it wasn't going to be enjoyable, why would I continue.  So that was it, a little break.

Don't get me wrong, I was still logging in to Facebook and Twitter, and I was still checking in on some posts on my blog, but I posted very little... and in fact... nothing on my blog.  So I appreciate everyone's patience in my lack of content, but I needed that little bit of "me time" to refresh.  Now, back to our regularly scheduled blogging.

Home-made Christmas Presents

I'm a believer in gifts from the heart.  That doesn't mean I don't buy gifts sometimes that are not meaningful, but I do think that gifts given with lots of thought put in them are particularly special.  It was with this thought in mind that my daughter and I worked on a special gift project for some people in our family.  I will apologize now for the lack of photos, but given that these gifts are for Christmas, I didn't want to give too much away.  Some of the readers of this post may be receiving these gifts.

We decided to make a personalized mug.  I've seen this craft shared a number of times on social media, but I was a little skeptical as to how well it would work, but we decided to give it a try.  I bought a couple mugs at the local dollar store, and we went home to get started.

Supplies needed:

- Mug

- permanent markers

- Oven

When it comes to the markers, I hear that the oil based ones are best.  I just bought standard "permanent" sharpies.

Step 1: I really wanted my daughter to be the creator of the art work, so I put down a plastic place-mat in case the marker didn't stay on the mug.

Step 2: Wash the mug really well.  Any residue on the mug may affect how well the marker stays on the mug.  Make sure the mug is completely dry before moving on to the next step.

Step 3: Create!  We had lots of different coloured markers, and my daughter particularly liked the silver and gold markers.  She decided what the picture would be and did the drawing all herself.

Step 4: Put in the oven at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes.

Step 5: Allow to completely cool before use (or wrapping).

The mug will NOT be dishwasher safe and need to be washed by hand with care.  I did test the mug when it cooled and even when I rubbed with great force, the image didn't come off, but I've heard others say that there's did.  I suggest testing the durability of your image before gifting it.

I may post a follow up picture AFTER Christmas once these gifts have been opened, but I won't do it now at a risk of ruining the surprise.  

Have you done this craft before?  What was your experience?  Share in the comments below.