When I go on maternity leave (6 weeks before giving birth), I'd probably be feeling antsy for not having anything to do. And that is when crafty mom will be re-born. I am not much of a big cook but I sure can be crafty, if time permits.

Are you interested (or more like, do you have the patience) in letting your fingers follow your imagination? If you do it alone, it could be relaxing and your house would benefit from all the personalized stuff. If you do it with your child, it would make for a great bonding time. Plus, the L'il one would definitely love doing something creative and fun with you.

So, the toddler is in the kindergarten and it's your time to do something that you surely could use in the house. Head on out to Not Martha (Stewart, I assume) for some inspiration and craft ideas. That door draft stopper on the left surely has caught my attention. Useful yet, pretty. Not Martha sure has some great ideas for stuff which you can make -- whether you need it or not.

Afternoons or weekends with your child -- whether small or a little bit bigger -- could be fun as you both let your creative juices flow. Allow your child and your inner child to make a little bit of mess to make this bonding time even more fun. Need some craft ideas? Head on out to Love to Know for more-than-papier-mache ideas for kids of all ages. Home school zone, on the other hand, has some ideas on how to recycle stuff and make something nice and useful out of it.

Whichever direction you might want to take, note that being productive could also mean fun.