Rainy Day Entertainment

The easiest and cheapest way to keep a child entertained while you do the dishes (or drink some coffee while procrastinating):
Use a plastic grocery bag as a parachute.

He lasted almost an hour by himself. Adding a cape and superhero gloves may have gotten me past an hour. Especially if I had given him a stuffed animal to rescue from a burning building.

Cool Christmas Gift: Vintage Typewriter

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One of my favorite Christmas gifts for Daniel this year. I have been looking for an old typewriter for quite a while and was very happy when my dad told me that he found one. When Daniel opened it he said "Wow! My own computer!"- not quite, but he's really gotten into it! We've been writing secret stories for him to read and next I plan on using our story dice while he dictates a story to me. Fun!

Magic Mud with Daddy

If you're feeling little stir crazy with all the snow, this is a great way to entertain your children and husband for at least an hour!

Magic Mud
3 Parts Cornstarch
1 Part Water
Optional Food Coloring

It's so much fun because it's liquid until you squish it, at which point it becomes solid, until you let it drip through your fingers. The in-between state of this magic mud is called a 'colloid'. Somewhere in between a solid and liquid. Just a little tip...wait for the mess to dry and it's much easier to sweep up.

A Favorite Christmas Tradition

Making paper chains is one of my favorite Christmas traditions. It's so simple, but I've loved it since I was a preschooler. From a child development point of view, it's a great way for little ones to visualize how long it will take before Christmas happens. It also takes me off the hook for doing the math in my morning-grogginess for the daily countdown interrogation.

We just cut 1 inch strips of paper and assembled them in a pattern with glue dots. We decided to make Christmas 'gold' this year, and the kids were very excited to cut their first link. Hopefully I'll be able to get my decorating done in the next few days!

Seasons Coasters from my Little Artist

I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off for the last two weeks. Lots of family emergencies (everyone's ok now) and getting ready for a craft sale has made it almost impossible to try any new projects or sit down to blog. But I miss my blog so I had to pop in to show you a present from my little guy.

We went ceramic painting a few months ago and I chose coasters for Daniel because I knew it would be like four separate paintings and take him a little longer than just slathering something in purple for 3 minutes!

I suggested he paint the seasons and he did a great job. I was going to suggest giving them to his Gramma and Grampa for Christmas, but when we picked up the package from the shop and he said they were for his Dad and I, they went straight onto the table! I thought I should share before Christmas in case you're looking for a gift for your little one to give this year.

Quiet Book #2- Around The House

Bring something cool and handmade to a baby shower, and you can bet you'll be making it again! Here's my second attempt at a simplified quiet book. I just couldn't find another 9 hours in my schedule to make a second 8-page book! I made it in an 'Around the House' theme, since children love to mimic adults more than anything.

Since it was a smaller book, I added a memory matching game (the bag is sewn in) on the inside cover. I think it fits with the theme of household activities, and little one can pretend to wash them, or add clothespins for some extra fun. The flowers button off for practice buttoning, just like the button snake. It's a great time-killer!

A simplified version of the oven and cookies, and a new addition. I adore this little garden, with it's package of seeds and watering can! I used fabric markers all through this book to speed the process up. It's so much faster than embroidering, and more fun too.

I love this idea for practice with brushing or braiding. It's a bit girly, and I usually try to make them unisex so they can be passed down, but I couldn't resist! The back cover has a pocket to add pieces for any of the activities, or paper and pencil.

Sending it for a test run to make sure it's as cool to a kid as it is to me!

Sewn Climbing Bear Toy Tutorial

I am endlessly impressed by Made by Joel. He makes such beautiful, simple, wonderful things! I recently came across his Climbing Gorilla tutorial and found myself wishing (again) that I knew how to woodwork. I looked around for a tutorial for someone who doesn't have tools at home and I couldn't find much. And is I was looking, someone else might be too. Here's what I came up with:

Supplies:
Wool Felt (I used an old, felted sweater scrap)
Beans
Yarn or String (aprox 3 feet)
2 Medium Sized wooden beads
Pattern

1.) Print the pattern at the bottom of this post (should be 4.5"x4.5", or desired size) and cut it out.

2.) Cut 2 bears out of felt.

3.) Pin and sew along dotted lines. Leave gaps right through the middle of the arms for the string. Make sure to backstitch when stopping and starting. Notice that the bear has dotted lines from shoulder to armpit? Sew there! That's so beans don't wiggle out of his middle and through the string holes. Be sure to leave a gap to stuff him!

4.) Fill the bear with dried beans or dried peas. Don't pack them in too tight. If he's too heavy it will put unnecessary stress on your seams...and who wants to re-sew anything?

5.) Sew opening shut.

6.) Feed string through the holes, top to bottom. Tape the ends with scotch tape to make it easier! Tie beads at the ends of the string.

7.) Done! Now you hang it on a door know and practice wiggling the strings back and forth to make the bear shimmy up and down!

And here is a no-sew, no-tool version.

Travel Toys and Activities

#1- Crafts

I just realized that I still haven't posted photos of all the bits and pieces we took on our trip with us! Some were mainly for the plane, and some mainly for the hotel.

#2- Squinkies

#3- Activities

A couple of tips: save some "new" things for the way back, bring comfortable headphones for airplane television or iPod's and consider wrapping everything up in wrapping paper for little ones-it can keep them pretty busy!

#4- Thinking

#5- Busy Toys

#1- Crafts: Blackboard and Chalk (in a chalk holder) with eraser, crayons, notebook and stickers galore!
#2- Squinkies: I love these because they're tiny and lots of fun. We put them in a small tin from Michael's to keep them together.
#3- Activities: Jacob's Ladder, Button Snake and a lunch tin filled with puzzle erasers in a home theme.
#4- Thinking: Usborne's 'Things to do on a Journey', key chain measuring tape and tiny package of Megablocks (they were very popular in the hotel!)

 #5- Busy Toys: Wiki Sticks (Daniel's favorite of the trip), Silly bands (second favorite!), play doh (great for the hotel) and a locking diary. I thought the diary would be a huge hit, but the lock was too cheap and didn't work at all. Next time I'd buy a separate lock and key for entertainment.
#6- Things That Go: The roll up mat was pretty good on the airplane's tray table, but we used both of the car toys much more at the hotel. I really liked the little Tonka ramp because it was small and easy to pack, but lots of fun at the hotel.

Do It Yourself Toadstool Pencils!

My toadstool pencils started selling so fast that I had to raise the price in order to keep whatever sanity I have left. Which got me thinking....this is so simple, why not make a kit? Saves you money, and me time!

I'm a DIY kind of girl and I love passing on what I learn by trial and error. Sometimes figuring a project out is a very frustrating process and I think that's why I love selling my various DIY kits so much. I love making creativity simple!

Plus, this way, you can make a simple and unique gift and say "I made it myself!"

Tutorial Test Drive: On The Go Activity Mat

The Fiskars blog has a neat tutorial for a roll up play mat. I loved the ideas for the car wash and the gas station so I adapted it for our upcoming trip.

I wanted something smaller than the project called for because I know how quickly we can mess up our 3 sq feet of airplane space! I found some Mega Bloks Streetz cars at Toys R Us that are Mirco-Machine size rather than Matchbox size. They're so tiny and perfect! The finished play mat size is about 8x11".

I also used a lot of hot glue, rather than stitching everything. It doesn't look as pretty but it takes the skill level down from advanced to intermediate and was way faster! It also allowed me to leave the car wash 'open' so the car can tuck inside for a wash up.

Rather than a pond and a construction site like on the Fiskars tutorial, I made a tunnel and a house with a garage. I didn't have any tiny construction vehicles or boats, so I thought it would be more fun to have a tunnel to drive through (just a little felt rectangle stitched down) and the little garage to park in. I made the garage by snipping the corners off a rectangle, stitching that same end down and then stitching the sides the same as with the tunnel.

I also left out the pockets for the cars because I found a little container with 7 spaces that will hold the cars perfectly and take a little while to master opening. Every minute he's busy on the plane is a good thing for me!

 The Fiskars tutorial is awesome, and looks far more professional, but I am so glad I cut some corners to make it faster. I had this done in an hour and a half and I think Daniel is going to love it!

Pinecone Weaving

I just tried pinecone weaving with Daniel and it was a ton of fun! It's a simple, fun winter activity that's perfect for little hands. I think it's great as a step before finger knitting or sewing too.

All you need is some yarn and a few pinecones! Then the little ones wrap and weave the yarn onto the pinecone. We used some cotton, some regular wool and some handspun wool yarn for different natural textures. So fun, and such a great result! And...no mess. Unlike another craft we know.

Make your own lacing cards

Last year we decided to do an entirely handmade Christmas. It was a much bigger project than I thought, but so worth it! These are the lacing cards that I made for Daniel. I was inspired by some Martha Stewart Alphabet Cards and this tutorial over at Little Birdie Secrets.



I punched holes all the way around all 26 cards and then laminated them afterward. If you punch first and then laminate, you have to punch it out again, but you get a better seal around the holes. With my very active, very boyish little one, sturdy is VERY important so it was well worth the time for me. Since there were so many cards, it was challenging to keep this project at a resonable budget. Who knew laminating ($40 for 13 sheets at staples!) and shoelaces ($1-2/pair x 13=$3-26) could be so expensive! It almost became a $50 project! Luckily, my church let me use their laminating machine and I found a case of vintage shoelaces cheap on ebay!

I just brought them out again, and am hoping he will get the hang of it now that he's almost 3!