UNIQUE FINDINGS by Robin Gorman Newman

Artifact Uprising, an internet-based company, creates tangible keepsakes for digital photos. Driven by a mission to move stories off your device and into your life, Artifact Uprising offers products stroking in both its minimalistic design and eco-friendly roots. Social media lovers can make an entire photo book from Instagram and Facebook images.

     Signature products include beautiful hard cover books ($69 and up) and soft cover books ($12.99 and up) made with recycled paper, as well as wood boxes ($95), wood calendars ($24.99) and wood block + prints ($21.99) — all handcrafted from reclaimed mountain beetle pine. Uploading images and designing are simple and fun. Artifact Uprising is driven by the belief everyone has a story to tell.www.artifactuprising.com.

More than 4 million acres of lodgepole and ponderosa pine trees across America’s Rocky Mountains are being killed by the pine beetle infestation – an epidemic that has left our forests a sea of dead and fallen trees – and seemingly, waste.

But there’s hope. You see, the logs themselves are just as rigid and harmless as their healthy counterparts – begging the question, “Why use healthy trees with so many already fallen?” It’s true, beetle-kill pine is uniquely grayish-blue in color. But we see this as a pretty cool reminder of its new purpose in an otherwise storied past. These wooden boxes are handcrafted in Colorado using solid deadfall beetle-kill pine reclaimed from our forests.

Product Specs:
12.5 x 9.5 inch Wooden Box (outside dimensions)
Fits all of our Hardcover and Sofcover Books
One customizable surface on top of box

Due to the unique nature of the wood – all wood surfaces will vary slightly and may include knots and unique markings. Boxes should be stored or displayed in temperature and humidity controlled environments to minimize warping of the wood. Please allow 10 business days in production and 4-5 days to ship.

I had the opportunity to have one of these special boxes made…as a surprise anniversary gift for my husband….and he now proudly displays it in his office, and it’s become a conversation piece.

Jewelry designer Chelsea Charles designs Count Me Healthy bracelets — a one-of-a-kind bracelet that doubles as a functional health tool. The gold, rose gold, and sterling bangles feature moveable beads so women can track daily goals.

For example, women count daily glasses of water, fruit and vegetable servings, pounds lost, whole foods, caffeinated beverages, etc.  Chelsea has styles for new moms, brides-to-be, golfers, tennis players and more. 

The Count Me Healthy Mother sterling silver bracelet (pictured)  is the first and only health journal for your wrist designed for the established mother. It can be used to count diet points, glasses of water, vitamins, accomplishments, you name it, and it retails for $88.

More about Chelsea Charles & the Count Me Healthy collection:

– Available in over 30 styles and in gold, rose gold, and sterling. 

– Prices begin just under $100 

– Chelsea’s jewelry is found in over 500 boutiques, spas, and pilates studios throughout the US and Canada.

– Chelsea is the former creative director of Justin Timberlake’s accessory brand.

– Cameron Diaz, Selena Gomez, Fergie, Kelly Osbourne and other fashion-forward celebs also love and wear them.

The concept for these bracelets is so unique, and they are very pretty and make for thoughtful, original gifts.  You can even wear more than one to make a statement.  Visit http://www.chelseacharles.com.

The World Almanac^® for Kids 2014 ($13.99) is the latest edition of America’s bestselling reference book.  It boasts brand-new features and facts covering world news, sports, entertainment and more.

·         Pop group One Direction graces the cover of The World Almanac^® for Kids 2014, joined by NBA MVP LeBron James and Olympic-gold-medal-winning gymnast Gabby Douglas. Ranked as the #1 reference book for children with over 4.4 million copies sold, The World Almanac^® for Kids 2014 contains thousands of fun, fascinating facts, photos, puzzles, games, maps and more highlighting the events of the last year. From math to the latest musicians, this book is a homework helper, reference source and entertaining read all in one.

        My son loves this book.  It’s very cool, readable, engaging and eye-catching.  He’s in fifth grade and has to read more this year, so this is a great addition to his book collection and will come in handy for research projects.

       Visit http://www.worldalmanac.com/world-almanac-kids.aspx.

        Building with LEGO® pieces can inspire children and adults alike to construct wonderfully imaginative and grand creations – towering castles, massive aircrafts, and intricate cities. But LEGO models don’t have to be complicated to be fun and exciting. In Cool Creations in 35 Pieces, best-selling author and artist Sean Kenney taps deep into his imagination with an exercise that will challenge readers of all ages. He creates dozens of figures—from menacing robots with names like Blurg and Scraps, to transforming trucks, to creatures that live in the rainforest—out of LEGOs, but uses no more than 35 pieces in each construct.

 Cool Creations in 35 Pieces is Sean’s sixth book that showcases his LEGO art work. His intricate-yet-simple designs will inspire millions of LEGO fans to unleash their own imaginations. He provides starting points, and also includes a step-by-step instruction guide on how he created his pieces.

Falling in love with LEGOs as a boy, Sean left a successful career at Lehman Bros to pursue his dream as an artist. He now owns nearly 2 million LEGO bricks and has erected works that weigh as much as 400 pounds. For Cool Creations in 35 Pieces, however, he wanted to show what’s possible with only a few blocks. Just imagine the worlds you can create in only 35 pieces!

This is a fun and appealing book and one that would make an “awesome” (to quote my son) gift!  

About the Author

 Sean Kenney is an artist who creates sculptures and models out of LEGO bricks at his studio in New York City. A LEGO-certified professional, Kenney has toured the world with his creations and produced six inspirational and instructive children’s books, including Cool Castles, Cool Robots, among others. To find out more information about his books and artwork, visit seankenney.com.

    Cool Creations in 35 Pieces • By Sean Kenney
   Published Henry Holt and Company, LLC• ISBN: 978-0-8050-9692-7

Note: Thanks to the featured companies for supplying product samples.

Tags: cameron diaz, chelsea charles, children, fatherhood, gift ideas, justin timberlake, kids, Lego, motherhood, nyc, parenting, raising a family, Sean Kenney, silver bracelet, wooden decorative box, world almanac for kids