Simply Modern Mom

Posts Tagged ‘children’

Simply Said… Mari of Small for Big

In Products, Simply Said on March 11, 2010 at 9:00 am

Mari is a friend I met in the blog world. We haven’t actually met in person, but it’s all the same in the blogosphere right? Anyway, Mari is an expert in the toy industry. She has worked in the toy industry designing toys and accessories for over 12 years. She also writes a blog called Small for Big featuring the latest toys, kids decor and accessories. I asked her to share with us the top 10 trends she is seeing in the toy industry in 2010. This is Mari and she simply said…

Now that it’s March, lots of toy manufacturers are breathing a huge sigh of relief (unless you’re in sales, where the ball is finally rolling). The big trade shows for 2010 are all wrapped up and the new products revealed. Though consumers won’t see a lot of the results for months yet, we can still get some sneak peeks!

The good news? Current trends may fall on opposite ends, but they appear to be balancing each other out. On the one hand tech is growing, but at the same time wood toys are exploding. While online toys are still important, there is also a big resurgence in toys that spark the imagination the old-fashioned way. Next week I will be highlighting some of my favorite new toys debuting this year on my site, Small for Big.

1. Eco-friendly. No surprise, right? But what is new is that we are finally seeing multiple companies, large and small, acknowledging this movement. Now we can find everything from eco-plastic made of sawdust such as Sprig Toys to battery-less light-up toys. Stuffed animals and dolls are joining the mix too with a bigger range of recycled fabrics and eco stuffing materials.

{image by Sprig Toys}

2. Wood toys. We are seeing to an exploding range of wooden toy options. No, really. There seems to be wood toys everywhere these days with the number of brands and variety of toys growing all the time. It is a great time to get into wood. Melissa & Doug and Haba are just a few examples.

{image by Haba}

3. Forest themes. Birds, owls and rabbits. Oh my! This trend is combining several things in one. It pulls from the retro 70’s vibe we are all loving. But it also ties right into the environmental trend as well. Plus, it is providing a great theme alternative to the multitude of garden, jungle/zoo and ocean themes out there already.

{image by Lambs and Ivy}

4. Classic Toys. Nostalgia is a huge factor with a lot of product trends right now. It has been going strong in toys for some time. Companies are feeding on a consumer’s growing need to connect with the product. They do it by either tapping old brands that parents remember from their own childhoods or highlighting the handmade, homegrown aspects of a new product. Just look at the resurgence in handmade goods, and the interest in small companies with a personal story.

{image by Hasbro}

5. Tech toys. Technology and toys is growing in multiple directions. First, they are smaller in size. Just like flat-screen TVs, toys are using more complicated gadgetry in much smaller packages. For example, RC vehicles are seeing some really cool advances. Second, video cameras are being added to everything.

{image from Toys 'R Us}

6. Virtual + reality. While we love what we can do online, in the world of toys it is all about the combo. Whether taking a toy with you in the car, around the yard or to the computer, the big brands are trying their hardest to make their toys impossible to put down in any situation. Just look at the upcoming Fisher Price iXL. It’s a touch screen educational gaming device (pictured below).

{image from Gadgetwise NY Times}

7. Focus on affordability. Luckily toy companies want you to buy their products. So they’re realizing now is the time to focus on the affordable toys, not the $300 horse. Though you may not notice it directly, lots of new introductions this year are focusing on an under $30 price tag.

8. Multi-functionality. Directly tied to affordability, toy concepts are working harder for you than ever before. Expect to see more toys that do multiple things for a variety of age ranges. This way you can get one toy that will last you and your wallet longer.

{image by Playskool}

9. Active playing. Traditionally “active play” refers to the great outdoors. Or at least indoor toys that make your kids wiggle and bounce. This year I’m seeing it used to encompass all kinds of activity-focused toys– crafts, science, construction, brain games and such. A lot of hands-on brain activity helps balance all of those tech and online toys.

{image by Crayola}

10. Construction Innovation – Connected to active playing, I’m seeing some crazy new options in the world of building blocks and construction toys. Though few of them will never rival Lego’s monopoly and versatility, many of them are amazing mind benders and imagination generators.

{image by Fat Brain Toy Co.}

Tags

, ,
▶ Comment

Traveling Placemat Tutorial

In Crafts, Travel, Tutorials on March 10, 2010 at 9:00 am

As you know, my darling husband Nathan is in the process of a master’s degree. And the truth is, he is quite an odd ball at his school. Not in a “hey-let’s-pick-on-that-dude” kind of way. But rather, he is a minority because he is married with not one, but two kids. Majority of his classmates, if married, do not have kids. So when we visit their homes, I am terrified that our children will terrorize their beautifully decorated expensive homes. It’s mostly in my head though, because all of them are really nice about having our children in their homes.

Anyway, to the point. When we dine with Nathan’s school friends, they usually don’t have kid-friendly dinnerware. That’s when I though we should probably bring our own. That’s when I thought a traveling placemat would work great. Not only could we take it to other people’s homes, but it could also be used at picnics and restaurants. Make a whole set for everyone in the family and go out for a nice family picnic once the weather warms up a bit.

The measurements for this placemat is specifically for The First Years Take And Toss toddler forks and spoons and a square plastic plate that I can’t remember where it came from and it doesn’t say on the plate either. Please make note of the dimensions in the tutorial. Depending on what size plate and utensils you would like to use, you will have to change the measurements accordingly. I’ll tell you how you can do that in the tutorial.

Supplies:

  • 1/2 yard of one fabric
  • 1/4 yard of second fabric
  • 1/2 yard interfacing or transweb (the size of your placemat)
  • matching thread
  • plate
  • spoon and fork
  • napkin

1. Measure your plate and utensils. If you are using are using a round plate, you will need to figure out the diameter and radius of the plate. My plate was 8″ x 8″, a square. The fork and spoon were 5″ x 1″ width. If your measurements of plate and utensils are similar to mine, then you can use the measurements in bold. If yours are different, then you will need to figure out how to come up with your own measurements. Instructions below in italic.

2. Cut out your pieces, 1 piece each. Placemat top (where you have the pockets for plates and utensils) 13″ x 20″. Placemat bottom (where you have the tie) 13″ x 20″. Interfacing or transweb the same size 13″ x 20″. Plate pocket is 9 1/2″ x 9 1/2″. Spoon and fork pocket is 7” x 4″. Napkin pocket is 7″ x 4″. Tie is 3″ x 27″. All measurements include a 1/2″ seam.

Figuring out your own measurements. Get ready for some math. Length of plate + 5″ = length of placemat pieces. (Width of plate + 1″) + (half of plate + 1″)x2 = width of placemat. (Half of plate length x 2) + 1/2″ = length of plate pocket. Width of plate + 1 1/2″ = width of plate pocket. Length of utensil + 2″ = length of utensil pocket. (Width of utensil x 2) + 2″ = width of utensil pocket. The napkin pocket is the same measurements as the utensil pocket. Tie length is 3″. (Width of plate + 1″) + (half width of plate + 1″)x2 + 6″ = tie width. Let me know if any of this is confusing (probably all of it).

3. Iron all the pocket pieces and tie piece right sides together folded in half lengthwise (the width are touch each other). The measurements above are length x width.

4. Sew with 1/2″ seam the long side of the tie. Make sure the right sides are together. Make an angle at one end and cut the same angle on both ends by matching them up then cut.

5. Sew 3 sides of the pockets right sides together. Flip the pocket right side out through the open side. Do to all 3 pocket pieces. Tip: I like to cut off the corners so when you flip right side out, the seams fit flat at the corners.

6. Iron the sewn edges flat. The tuck in a 1/2″ seam at the open side and iron flat. Do to all 3 pockets and tie. You should have 2 open ends on the tie.

7. Top stitch the 2 open ends of the tie close. It should be at an angle and with the seam tucked inside the tie.

8. Place your plate and utensil on the placemat to mark where you want the pockets to go. Remember to start 1/2″ from the edges of the fabric for the seam allowance. For my particular measurements, I did the plate pocket 2″ from the bottom (not including the seam allowance) and equal distance from both right and left sides of the plate. The utensil and napkin pocket I did 1 1/4″ in from the left or right edge of placemat (not including seam allowance). Then 7″ from the top and 4″ from the bottom of the placemat (not including seam allowance).

9. Pin the pockets in place to the right side of placemat top piece. One side of the pocket is still open. Make sure the open side of the pocket is not the top of the pocket. Then top stitch the pockets along the right, bottom and left sides at 1/8″ away from the edge of pocket. Do to all 3 pockets.

10. The utensil pocket will need to be sewn down the middle, making 2 pockets from the one piece. Don’t do to the napkin pocket.

11. Following instructions from the interfacing or transweb, iron the interface or one side of the transweb to the wrong side of the placemat top piece.

12. On the placemat bottom piece, find the center of the piece on the right side. Match the middle of the tie piece to the center of the placemat on the right side of the fabric. Pin in place. Then mark where you will stop sewing with pins. To figure out where to stop sewing, it’s the width of plate + 1″. But make sure it’s even on both sides of the center mark. See picture below.

13. Get the 2 placemat pieces, one with pockets has interfacing or transweb on the wrong side and the other with the tie on it. Put the right sides together. But make sure that after you sew the edges and flip it right side out, the tops and bottoms of the placemat match on both sides. Sew 3 edges together with 1/2″ seam. Cut off corners.

14. Flip right side out. Check to make sure the placemat is correctly assembled. If you used transweb, take off the paper on the second side. Iron the placemat, mainly the edges. And fold 1/2″ seam inside the placemat and iron it in place.

15. Top stitch all 4 sides of the placemat, closing the open edge too.

16. Since I used interfacing, I sewed a line down where the folds of the placemat are between the pockets. Make sure you don’t sew the ties down on the back side. And done.

» Tell me… So what do you think? Is this something you could use too? It is also machine washable so if it gets dirty, toss it in the laundry. And if you don’t want to fold it up afterwards with dirty dishes in the placemat, I thought you could probably bring a gallon size Ziploc bag to toss dirty dishes in.

Tags

, ,
▶ 12 Comments

General Children Traveling Tips

In Travel on March 8, 2010 at 5:00 pm

Spring is coming and so is spring break. Summer is also coming, which means summer vacation. As you make  your travel plans, I will be updating you with travel tips. This is only part 1 of the series, general traveling tips for children. In the coming weeks, I will have specific tips for road trips, flying domestically and flying internationally. Safe traveling!

No-mess snacks.

Kids are kids and they will find a way to make a mess with whatever you give them. It brings them a sense of accomplishment. So think of snacks that will minimize their success for a mess. Think bite-size. Also think non-powdery seasoned snacks. And the non-sticky stuff. When it comes to drinks, think less spills. My friend, Kelly, introduced me to reusable spill proof water bottle tops. This also cuts out the less healthy stuff, too. Try 100 calories cookies and cracker packages. Reusable water bottles. Fruit strips. Dehydrated or dried fruits. Beef jerky or other meats. Individually packaged fruit snacks. Raisins or Craisins. Store bought prepackaged apple slices. Caramel pretzels you can make quick and easy.

Each child gets a backpack.

He can fill the bag with whatever they would like to take on the trip to keep him busy. This is to be filled with stuff other than clothes and toiletries. His favorite toys, blankie, pillow, a special snack just for him, iPod, games, stuffed animal, coloring books or a camera.

Surprise them with something new.

Before the trip, purchase something that will keep the kids occupied during the travel. Don’t tell them about it until you are well on your way. Or you might even want to save it for when they get restless. A new movie to watch on the portable DVD player. A new toy. A new CD. A new book. When we traveled to Taiwan with Kaye, I got her a travel size My Little Pony set. It not only helped on the 24-hour plane ride, it also helped when we were in Taiwan as she missed playing with American toys.

Something familiar too.

As I just mentioned, children may miss home when they are traveling. So it is helpful to bring something from home, especially if they have a favorite doll or toy. It can bring them comfort and safety. Probably help them to sleep at night too. Both my girls have a blanket they can’t sleep without. And Kaye, for the longest time had a Baby Bop doll that she couldn’t loved dearly. That doll came with us on many trips (see picture below).

Think compact, travel size.

Pack light. It doesn’t matter how long you will be gone. If your travel is more than a week, you can always purchase most necessities while you are there. Yes, there are some things you can’t get elsewhere, mostly for if you are traveling internationally. See if you can do without or get a in a reusable version (filter water bottles, snack bags). This seems to be the hardest thing to do when you are traveling with kids. You have your stuff and they have theirs. See where things can be condensed. And visit the travel section in your local superstore. They have improved on a lot of traveling items, even for kids. I can probably dedicate a whole post about how to pack sensibly and light.

Get a good multipurpose bag for you.

You’re the mom and chances are you’ll be carrying a lot of the miscellaneous stuff for everyone. Whether you use a diaper bag, backpack or purse, get a good one with lots of pockets inside and out. Make sure you keep one plastic grocery bag in there for emergencies (collecting trash, tie up a stinky diaper, waterproofing something and even to catch throw up when someone gets sick).

Don’t forget medications.

Make sure you pack the emergency essentials with over-counter medication, such as non-asprin pain medication. Throw in a few Band-Aids and ointments. If your baby is teething, don’t forget gum numbing medications. If you tend to get heartburn or a headache, pack for those. However, you don’t need to take your whole medicine cabinet. Over-counter medications also come in travel size. It might be a good idea to keep a small first aid kit in your car, too.

Prescription medication is a little different. I used to work as a pharmacy technician. So here’s my tip: Make sure you have enough of that to last the whole trip. If you need to, you can get a travel/vacation override from your insurance company to get enough of certain prescriptions early to last your entire trip. Talk to your pharmacist and doctor about it.

» Tell me… What is your travel advice for traveling with children?

Tags

,
▶ 16 Comments

Friday’s 5 at 5: Use Olympics to Teach Culture

In Education Week, Events, Friday's 5 at 5 on February 19, 2010 at 5:00 am

{image by Tiffany Bird}

It’s been a great week learning about countries around the world with more countries to come next week. With the Winter Olympics going on in Vancouver, this is a great time to teach your children about countries around the world. And if you’re not already glued to the TV watching every Winter Olympic event, then here are ideas to get the Olympic excitement going in your household.

It begins with each child picking a country they want to cheer and support, and parents can be included too. Keep the Olympics on the TV screen so the children can cheer on their country in the various events.

  1. Wave a flag. Olympians love to wave their country flag. Have the kids draw their country’s flag they are supporting.
  2. Medal count. Keep track of each country’s winnings in a chart using stickers. Better yet, make your own gold, silver and bronze medal ribbons for the kids to wear. Visit the official Vancouver Olympics website for a list of each country’s winnings.
  3. Dot it on the map. Find their country on a world map. Better yet, take a trip there on Google Earth.
  4. Dance off. Play music from each country and have your own dance Olympic event.
  5. Say what? Using online language translators and find how to say or write funny phrases in their country’s language.

Tags

, , , , ,
▶ Comment

When the Weather Outside Is Frightful

In Life on February 16, 2010 at 8:00 am

When outside looks like this…

We hang out at home and do this…

Then we go out to do this…

When our fingers and noses freeze, we come back in and take this…

And contain it all into this…

Busy day, huh? It’s not often we get this much snow here. When it does happen, everyone is homebound.

Tell me… What do you do when you’re homebound?

Tags

, , , ,
▶ 1 Comment

Teaching Children Culture

In Education Week, Life on February 15, 2010 at 9:00 am


I don’t know if you’ve noticed. I’m Chinese. Born in Taiwan. Raised in the U.S. I am as Americanized as anyone can get. Then I spent my childhood in Hawaii a place with a good blend of cultures.

Since I am so Americanized, it means I don’t do a good job teaching my children about the Chinese culture. I do give myself credit in the sense that I expose my children to cultural experiences. I believe it is important for my children to learn about people and the world around them. And when Kaye was just under 2, we all flew to Taiwan to visit my mother’s family.

I am excited that so many Americans are looking into other countries for adoption opportunities. By the time Kaye and Elle go to school, they won’t be the only Chinese (half Chinese) in their classes. How exciting!

Whether you are in a multicultural family, adopted children from other countries or wanted to teach your children about the world, here are some ideas…

1. Attend cultural events in your community.

Be in the know. Look in the local papers. Research online. Talk to your neighbors. This is a great way for children to learn about dances, music, food, celebrations and traditions. Last year we took Kaye and Elle to Greek Fest. We also attend Chinese New Year Festivals where the girls watch the dragon dance and taste Chinese food not available in restaurants.

2. Visit cultural towns.

China Town, Little Italy, Bavarian towns, alpine villages. Try them. They’re fun.

3. Find origins of things around us.

Architectural designs, food, clothing, ideas. Fact or fiction: Chinese fortune cookies, is it really Chinese? French fries, did it come from France?

4. Famous people from other countries.

Not exactly celebrities, although that would work too.

5. Invite someone over who is from another country.

Know someone from another country? Know someone who has a friend from another country? Invite them over to share their culture and traditions with your family.

6. Incorporate culture in the meals at home.

Have a culture week where you make meals of a different culture each day of the week.

» Tell me… What are some ways you teach your children about culture?

Tags

, , ,
▶ 2 Comments

How To Love Your Children

In Life on February 12, 2010 at 9:01 am

Elle kissing baby.

Of course you love your children. Duh. Hugs, kisses, snuggles, I love you’s. Said and done. But ever get the feeling there might be something more you can do? There is. And it’s actually quite simple. All listed below.

Ever read or watched The Nanny Diaries? That was me a few years ago. I was a nanny in NYC. And my experiences were similar to those written about in the book. Never read or watched it? Let me tell you about it. Not the book. I’ll tell you about my personal experience being a nanny at age 18 and 19. Why would you want to know? Because in the end, you’ll know how to really love your children. The kind of love they want and need from their moms, well and dads too.

The summers after high school graduation and after my freshman year at college I was a small town girl in the big city, New York City to be exact. Both time I nannied the same family. A father who worked all day and night. A mother who stayed at home but still had a nanny and a maid. Two boys and a girl, aged 8, 7 and 1. They lived in a nice home, drove extravagant cars and had everything they ever wanted. Everything except love.

How could I tell there wasn’t enough love in that family? I could tell because the boys would be in tears when the dad left for work each day, and all they wanted was their dad to throw a ball with them. Although the mom was home with the children, she spent most of her time getting herself groomed, shopping or talking to her friends on the phone. The parents purchased anything the children wanted – bikes, roller blades, basketballs, baseballs – but didn’t teach them how to use it. It all sat in a pile of other never been used things their parents bought them. No sign of affection at all in that family.

Then the only time the wife and kids had with the father was when he scheduled once a week lunch or dinner with them. The whole family dined at a fancy restaurant, nanny in tow of course, and ate a meal in dead silence. The mom and dad sat away from each other and had nothing to say unless they were disagreeing. I eventually learned the father was having an affair and the mother knew about it.

Being the nanny, the kids were afraid to get close to me because they were afraid to love or accept anyone. They were rejected by their own parents for love and affection. However, once they warmed up to me, they were thirsty for attention. They were attached to me at all times because I gave them what all children long for – love.

I knew I would be different with my own children. And I am. But sometime, I need a good reminder of the basic needs of my kids. Love. And not in any form that can be bought.

1. Teach them something new.

They are fascinated by new things. Teach them a new skill and you will grow closer to them.

2. One-on-one time.

Even when they are teenagers. They may not act like they want to hang out with their parents, but they need that undivided attention from you every once in a while.

3. Listen intently.

Just listen to what they have to say without giving feedback or comments unless asked. As parents, we tend to jump in and try to fix things or correct them when they are wrong or give them our opinion on everything. Stop. And then listen.

4. Put the spotlight on them.

Not in a way that is embarrassing. Spotlight them with the things they are good at doing. It will make them feel special.

5. Goof off with them.

A great excuse for you to act like a child. Let loose. Get dirty. Act silly.

6. Encourage their talents.

Talents don’t have to be in the form of singing, dancing or art. I can come in forms of communication, listening, writing, math, curiosity and even generosity. Help them strengthen their talents.

7. Cut them some slack.

It is not easy being a kid or teen these days. Allow them do to some things their way, even if it is not your preferred way. It doesn’t mean it’s the wrong way.

8. Be interested in their interests.

They will go through phases of special interests. Learn it with them. Take part in their creativity and imagination.

9. Take them to a new place.

Go out. See new things. Learn something new. They will remember the experience when they are old. It doesn’t have to be anywhere fancy – a new park, an ice cream shop, a museum, a hike.

10. Build confidence.

Kids need to know who they are. They need to know they are loved. They need to believe in themselves. Help them succeed. Help them learn from their mistakes. Help them have faith in themselves. It will make a difference in the rest of their lives.

Tell me… How does your children like to be loved?

Tags

, , ,
▶ 24 Comments

Birthday Fortunes In a Jar

In Life, Tutorials on February 8, 2010 at 9:00 am

First birthdays are special, even though Elle will never remember it. I took ample pictures then made her a fortune cookie jar full of birthday fortunes, or wishes, from her loved ones. The fortunes are to be kept unopened until a later moment in time, like her 16th birthday party. Similar to the concept of a time capsule. And fortune cookies because her birthday party was based on a Chinese theme.

The intention was to set up a table where guests would write birthday fortunes to Elle as they entered the party. Great idea, but it didn’t go as planned. Majority of the guests arrive an hour before party time, while we were still in the process of setting up decorations and cooking the meal. Oh well. Plan B. I had everyone email me their fortunes to Elle, including all of Nathan’s family who lives everywhere but here.

Supplies:

  • cardstock paper
  • glue
  • something circular as a template (3″ diameter)
  • scissors
  • rubber band (optional)
  • jar

1. Gather your paper. Use something circular and at least 3″ in diameter (depending on how big you want your cookies to turn out) to trace circles on the back of your paper. I used a coaster.

2. Cut out the circles and the fortunes. I printed the fortunes then cut them into strips.

3. Make a crease at the center of your circle about 1 1/2″ with the wrong side out (the paper patterns are on the inside touching each other when you fold to make the crease. Don’t fold the entire circle in half, just make a crease at the center.

4. With the crease pointing at you vertically, put glue at the edge of the circle going only about 1/3 of the circle. Make sure your crease is at the center point of where your gluing.

5. Place your fortune paper, folded, in the middle of the circle.

6. Fold circle in half touching the no-glue side to the side with glue. But don’t press down at the fold. Use laundry pins to hold the sides down.

7. This is where the crease comes in handy. Puff up your paper by pushing down on the crease and it should bend in the middle at the crease line. And it will open the holes at the two corners (see second picture below). Continuing to bend the crease until the paper takes shape of a fortune cookie.

8. If your cookie doesn’t hold it shape, put a little bit of glue at the middle of the crease line then use a rubber band to hold the cookie at the bend together. Allow for the glue to dry then remove rubber band.

9. Put it all in a jar then you can label or decorate the jar.

Linked A Soft Place.

Tags

, , ,
▶ 9 Comments

Friday’s 5 at 5: Other Uses for a Timer

In Friday's 5 at 5 on February 5, 2010 at 5:00 am

{image by Tiffany Bird}

A timer is not only useful in the kitchen. It is a great tool for teaching children…

  1. Sharing time. Help children learn to take turns sharing by setting the timer. He plays with the toy for 10 minutes and when the timer goes off, it’ll be her turn.
  2. Quiet time. Tell the kids they have to play in their rooms or have a set quiet time. When the timer rings, quiet time is over. Do they have a timer that can set time to last more than an hour?
  3. Clean up time. Make picking up toys a game by setting the timer. See if the kids can pick up their toys before the timer goes off.
  4. Dinner time. Kaye has the hardest time eating her dinner. It takes her over an hour to eat a small plate of food. She is too busy talking and playing around with her food. To help her learn that dinner time doesn’t last 2 hours, we set the timer and when it rings, dinner is over. Her plate gets taken away.
  5. Homework time. Break up homework time for the kids. Set timer for 20-30 minutes then allow for a little break. Then get back to work for another 20-30 minutes. Like the Pomodoro Technique.

How about you? What do you use a timer for?

Tags

, , ,
▶ 5 Comments

Simply Said… Emily & Anne from Bloom

In Crafts, Holidays, Simply Said on February 4, 2010 at 9:00 am

Today, I want you to meet Emily and Anne of Bloom. They are two amazing mothers who write a blog covering every aspect of motherhood – budgeting, simple living, healthy eating and numerous ideas for entertaining kids. Over the course of time, I had the privilege to become blogging friends with these two ladies. I hope to meet them one day. Both Emily and Anne simply said…

Pop-up Valentines with your toddler or pre-schooler (by Emily)

Photobucket

It’s almost time for heart day! My little Henry and I have had so much fun making pop-up Valentine’s Greetings for our lovies this year. We found the simple step-by-step tutorial on Robert Sabuda’s website. A pop-up V-day greeting fit for a Queen (or a grandma)!

Photobucket

Supplies

Template from Robert Sabuda

Photobucket

Let little hands help with the tracing.

Photobucket

Fold along the dotted lines, glue to a blank card and... ta-da!

Have fun making lots of variations. Then we glued a matching heart on the front of each card. And smiled as we imagined our dear ones opening up their greetings to find a cheerful Valentine’s surprise!

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Watercolor Valentines with your school-age children (by Anne)

Photobucket

To help my niece, Katie, with her valentines for school, I revamped an idea from my 2nd-grade-teacher days. I gave Katie a sheet of watercolor paper (regular white paper will do nearly as well) and a set of watercolors. After a quick lesson on warm vs. cool colors, I gave Katie three guidelines for her painting…

  1. This is abstract art, so just let your brush flow.  We’re not painting an object.
  2. You must cover the entire page and leave no white showing.
  3. Stick to the warm colors.

Photobucket

Katie  enjoyed playing with the different hues and saturation levels with her reds, pinks, yellows and oranges then came up with this. As a side note, every mother should invest in a vinyl ‘project’ tablecloth!

Photobucket

Once the painting dried, we began making the cards.  There are two ways to use the watercolor designs.  For the first version, we used a cookie cutter to trace a heart.  Cut out the heart and glued on the first card. Cardstock or construction paper will also work fine, use what you have.

Photobucket

For the second version, we used a cookie cutter to trace a heart shape on a red paper then cut it out making a window. Next we glued a piece of the painting to the backside of the window covering the opening. I love the way this one looks, but it is considerably more time-consuming.

Photobucket

The results: 1) A child who understands the difference between warm and cool colors, and has experience with blending watercolors. 2) A set of valentines that look far more darling than anything you could find in a box!

Photobucket

Thank you so much, Tiffany! We loved being part of your amazing site for a day!
xo,
Em and Anne

Tags

, ,
▶ Comment

6 At Home Activities for Toddlers & Pre-School Kids

In Entertainment, Inspirations on February 3, 2010 at 12:39 pm

So, another 6 weeks of winter according to Punxsutawney Phil, huh? I was through with winter about a week ago. Cabin fever settling in on us. I dug through old pictures and found activities Kaye and I did last winter to beat the stuck-at-home blahs. It was nostalgic to look at pictures of Kaye from last winter. She was so little and cute. And what do you know, some of it has to do with reusing household items. Kid friendly, eco friendly.

1. Box car.

We had a ton of diaper boxes lying around. So Kaye and I got a little creative and made a box car using packing tape and paper plates as wheels and steering wheel. Then she sat in it while I pushed her around the house racing in her car.

2. Color your own fort.

I taped a few diaper boxes together to make a little fort for Kaye to color and draw. She called it her princess castle.

3. Make a shoebox alphabet fishing game.

Kaye helped me paint the inside of the shoe box with blue paint to make the water look. I made a fish pattern, traced it 26 times. Had Kaye color and decorate the fish. Then I wrote each letter of the alphabet on each fish. Cut out. Put a metal paper clip on each fish. Then found a couple sticks outside. Tied a string to it as the fishing line. Finally, glued a small magnet to the end of the dangling line. It helped teach her the alphabet.

4. Magic carpet ride.

This was a game Kaye played at my parents’ house. Kaye hopped on a rug, held on to dear life and my dad pulled on the other end of the rug. They went all over the house like that. She laughed so hard.

5. Cookie cutter and wearable Play Dough.

Make bracelets, anklets or use cookie cutters to cut fun shapes.

6. Ball pit.

Your kids will love me for this. You will hate me for this. We had a small inflatable pool and filled it with balls. I purchased special ball pit balls at Wal-Mart or you can find it at Target, too. I do have to say, I was happy to put the balls away when the little pool popped a year later. I was tired of picking up 300 balls day after day. However, my kids and their friends all loved it. It was by far the most popular toy in our house. And in the summer, you can pack away the balls and fill the pool with water, in your backyard of course.

Tags

, , ,
▶ 8 Comments

One More Entry

In Life on February 1, 2010 at 3:21 pm

Can I make one last entry for the ‘What does not belong?’ game? This occurred today while I attempted to catch up on my emails and RSS feed reader. Sorry if you emailed me anytime last Thursday to Sunday. I am still trying to catch up on emails and my chaotic house…

Case in point. And look at the grin on that face.

Tags

, , ,
▶ 5 Comments

What Does Not Belong Game

In Life on February 1, 2010 at 9:01 am

This is a game of ‘What Does Not Belong?’ Will you play with me? However, I do have to warn you that I am awesome at this game. I have a sixth sense for spotting things that are out of place. OK, do know that I don’t go in people’s homes and see all the things that are out of place. I don’t care that other people’s homes are not magazine spread worthy. You will see in the pictures below that my house is far from being in the next issue of Better Homes and Garden.

Here is how to play… Identify in each picture below which item(s) does not belong in the scene. A point for each item you identify. This game is brought to you by… Kaye and Elle. My two girls who set up this game for me each and every day. See an additional entry to this game.

So how did you do? Did you find something in every picture?

Tags

, , ,
▶ 6 Comments

Elle’s Birthday Photo Shoot

In Life, Photography on January 29, 2010 at 9:00 am

I’m getting personal today. I hope you don’t mind. My youngest, Elle, just turned 1 yesterday. Nathan and I turned our room into a mini studio to snap a few pictures of her. OK, a few as in over 300, but that is because she doesn’t sit still and I knew most pictures would turn out blurry. Good thing for digital, right?

Tags

, ,
▶ 15 Comments

Friday’s 5 at 5: Love for Elle

In Friday's 5 at 5 on January 29, 2010 at 5:00 am

This is for my little Elle who just turned 1 yesterday. All moms say it. So I’ll say it too. It’s hard to believe that a year ago, she was so tiny with a cute little yawn. Now she is the spunk in our lives. Full of energy and spirit. Never a dull moment with her around.

I love her…

  1. Mischievousness.
  2. Pick-me-up-mom dance.
  3. Deep laughs.
  4. Little toes.
  5. Hugs. It doesn’t come often because she is not one to sit still long enough for even a hug. But when she snuggles up in my arms. I just melt.

Tags

, , , ,
▶ 2 Comments

Special Delivery Paper Mailbox Tutorial and Pattern

In Crafts, Tutorials on January 28, 2010 at 9:01 am

Special delivery! Who doesn’t like it when the mail carrier comes by? I especially like it when they bring me packages. I designed these little mailboxes for Kaye and Elle for Valentine’s Day. I call them Special Delivery Paper Mailboxes. I thought it would be cute to exchange family Valentines in them. At 3, Kaye in intrigued by the concept of mail. Anytime we get a package, she thinks it’s a grandma envelope from Grandma in Washington.

I created these paper mailboxes from my own pattern which I put in PDF format for you. While putting these together, I have found that transparent tape will be your best friend. And after I made both mailboxes and taken the photos, Nathan notified me that the flags should be pointing the other direction. Oh well. Learn from my mistakes.

Supplies:

1. Print the paper mailbox PDF pattern. Follow the instructions on the patterns to piece together the mailbox base. Then cut out the rest of the pattern pieces. You should have 4 pieces in the end — mailbox base, mailbox cover, flag and tab.

2. Trace the mailbox base and mailbox cover pattern onto a 12″ x 12″ cardstock paper. Then race the flag and tab patterns onto the coordinating color papers. Make sure you cut the tabs as shown in the second picture below.

3. Cut out your pieces. Cut the solid lines and fold the dotted lines.

4. Use hole punch to cut out the holes at the indicated circles on the flag and mailbox cover.

5. Fold the tab according to the folds indicated on the pattern.

6. Use a brad to attach the flag to the mailbox cover. Secure the back of the brad with a piece of clear tape. Make sure you don’t make my mistake of pointing the flag in the wrong direction as shown in the picture. It is supposed to go the other way.

7. Apply glue to the tabs on the mailbox base. Then attach mailbox cover to the base by matching the tabs. The short sides of the mailbox cover attach to the long tabs in the middle section of the base. The trick is to use clear tape to help keep the glued parts together, especially at the curves.

8. Apply glue to the full half of the tab, not the half with a second fold. And attach it to the top center of the open flap of the mailbox.

9. Using Glue Dot’s instructions on the box, apply a removable Glue Dot to the top center of the mailbox. Make sure it’s the point where the tab on the open flap touches.

Let me know if any part of the instructions are not clear. Happy mailing!

Tags

,
▶ 28 Comments

My Kids Art On Canvas Giveaway

In Giveaway on January 13, 2010 at 9:01 am

*** This giveaway is closed. Thanks for entering. ***

This is a fun way for your children to display their artwork. Can never find enough ways to do so, huh? My Kaye loves to draw stuff and her masterpieces are everywhere in the house. She is so proud of her art. And if some of your children’s art have sentimental value, My Kids Art On Canvas is a cleaver solution to display their work in a sophisticated way. My Kids Art On Canvas take artwork and transfer it onto canvas. I am thinking this would be great for my own artwork.

It is a three simple step process to have your children’s artwork transferred onto canvas through My Kids Art On Canvas. Scan or mail in artwork. Upload and create an order online. Then enter billing and shipping information. Once they receive your order, it takes about five business days to process it. Simple. Done.

My Kids Art On Canvas is sponsoring this giveaway with $50 gift certificates to 2 winners. This giveaway is open to international readers. Giveaway closes Wednesday, Jan. 20, at 10 p.m. EST. The winners will be announced Friday, Jan. 22.

To enter, do ANY of the following. For multiple entries, do more than one and make sure you leave a separate comment for each entry.

  1. Leave a comment below and tell me what you would have transferred onto canvas if you win.
  2. Go to MyKidsArtOnCanvas.com, look around and in a separate comment tell me what you like about it.
  3. Blog about this giveaway and leave a link to your post in a separate comment.
  4. ‘Share’ this giveaway by doing one of the ‘Share’ options below (Twitter, Facebook, Kirtsy, StumbleUpon or email).
  5. Subscribe to Simply Modern Mom by RSS, email or Twitter. All ready subscribing? Just tell me in a separate comment.

Tags

, ,
▶ 114 Comments

Snow Day

In Random on January 11, 2010 at 8:59 am

I live in the South. On purpose. I am not a snowy winter type. Give me 70 degrees with sunshine and I’ll be happy. However, my 3-year-old Kaye had been hoping and praying for snow. She desperately wanted to build a snowman this winter. I finally gave in. I also hoped and prayed that Kaye’s snow wish would come true. I guess with the power of both of our wishes, it came true.

Last Thursday around 1 p.m. the snow started coming down. Oh, the face on that little girl’s face. It was priceless. I took the girls out for a little catch-the-snow fun. And by the evening, there were enough snow to make a mini snowman. A dream come true.

The next morning, the snowman looked like he got mugged by a bigger snowman. But the morning view with snow was breath taking.

Tags

, ,
▶ 4 Comments

Simply Said… Melissa from The Inspired Room

In Home, Life, Simply Said on January 7, 2010 at 9:01 am

As part of SMM’s new addition to the new year, I have a segment called Simply Said where I feature other bloggers and select followers of SMM. Melissa from The Inspired Room is my first guest. She is the reason for the makeover of our master bedroom. She is an inspirational interior designer. Her site is full of marvelous advice and tips for the home. I asked her specifically to help me with a problem I had in my home… keeping the kids and their stuff out of our bedroom. A million thanks to Melissa for sharing her wisdom with us and encouraging me to makeover our bedroom.

I am so excited that Tiffany invited me to share a post on her blog. It was such fun awarding her the HomeGoods gift card and seeing how she has turned her bedroom into a lovely and peaceful retreat.

My husband and I have three children. Two of them have now flown the coup to college, but our 9 year old son is still at home. We’ve experienced all the challenges parents face in trying to keep their sanity while raising children, including how to create a peaceful master bedroom to retreat to as a couple at the end of a long day!

It can be difficult to justify time or money spent on a creating a master bedroom. Not only is it hard to justify it, it is hard to make it happen with kids underfoot! But after being married now for 23 years, I can say with certainty that it is not selfish at all to create a sanctuary for just the two of you! I think a healthy marriage between happy parents is one of the best gifts you can give your kids. If your kids are like mine, they have the run of the rest of the house and take up a lot of our available energy every day. But when we cross the threshold of our bedroom, we need to leave that chaos behind.

Think having a private retreat is an impossible goal right now? Think I don’t know YOUR CHILDREN or YOUR HUSBAND or YOUR HOME? Here are my top five tips that might help get you started, in spite of your own personal challenges!

1. Grab & Box Technique.

If your room is overrun by toys, electronics and piles of laundry, it most certainly won’t feel like a relaxing retreat! If your house is small or you have trouble keeping your room clutter free, here is my realistic suggestion for a quick solution: at the end of the day, right before dinner if you can manage it, do the ‘grab & box technique’ (a highly technical term I made up myself.)

Take a big box or laundry basket and gather up all the stray stuff that has made its way to your room and set it “somewhere else.” While you will still have the basket to deal with later, at least your room will feel clean and ready to unwind in at the end of a long day!

2. Chose Pretty.

Make your bedroom as inviting and beautiful to you as possible. Oftentimes as parents we spend so much money on bills, the kids or the rest of the house we neglect our own space. Pretty doesn’t have to be expensive, and honestly, an inexpensive but pretty room is always cheaper than therapy. Just sayin’.

3. Make Your Bed.

This is definitely a mom thing to say, but us moms need to follow our own advice! While it is a fairly simple suggestion, it is possibly the most beneficial step we can make in our goal of having a peaceful master retreat. Getting into the habit of making your bed in the morning will set the tone for the mood of the room. It will make you think twice before piling junk on the bed or around the room all day. It will remind you to keep the space sacred, and will hopefully remind the kids that this is not their personal flop house. A bed that is made and set up all pretty only takes a few moments of your day. Time well spent, I think!

4. Indulge your senses.

In the rest of the house, life tends to revolve around the needs of family. In your personal space, you deserve to be surrounded by everything YOU love. Think about what you want your room to feel like, smell like and look like. Light a candle, turn on a pretty lamp, snuggle in a soft blanket, open the windows for fresh air and breathe a sigh of relaxation. Whatever stage of child-rearing you are in, this is YOUR space– so indulge yourself and your senses.

5. Lock the door.

Once your kids are old enough, they can learn to knock on your closed door and wait for your response. Even if you are just reading a good book you deserve a place in your home where you can enjoy a few moments of peace away from the hustle and bustle of the outside world.

If you do not have a lock, I would encourage you to teach your kids about knocking and waiting until they have been invited in before entering. And even better, if you have kids old enough to read, make a sign for your door that reminds them that you are having a few moments to yourself. I know that isn’t really an option when kids are tiny, but once they enter grade school you can expect them to respect your privacy and stay out of trouble for a short while each day.

Having a master bedroom retreat is important for your sanity and good for your marriage — and those two things are a gift to your children! I know I am inspired by Tiffany’s bedroom makeover and her commitment to weekly date nights this year!

Thanks for allowing me to guest post!

Tags

, , ,
▶ 5 Comments

Ringing In 2010

In Holidays, Life on January 4, 2010 at 5:58 pm

kaye 2010

nate 2010

Can I just say… I am excited about 2010. I love the fresh feeling of a new year. We didn’t party hardy for New Year’s. Rather, we stayed home and spent the night relaxing with the kids. It was much needed around here. It would have been impossible for us to party with our friends on New Year’s Eve.

First, Elle came down with pink eyes, ear infection that caused her ear drum to rupture AND strep in the affected ear Christmas Eve. She was also extremely irritable from lack of sleep. Would only allow me to hold her all day long. It also meant I didn’t get much sleep or much done around the house one handed (Elle in the other arm). I tried to get her into pediatric urgent care over Christmas weekend but the wait was over 4 hours long. So she suffered through it like a trooper until I could get her to the pediatrician first thing Monday morning. She is doing much better since she has been on antibiotics for a week now.

Second, it was too cold outside. It is still cold. I am freezing to death here in the South. It’s supposed to be warm. But it’s not. It’s around 12 degrees at night. Brrr.

Third, we couldn’t keep a 3-year-old and a sick 11-month-old up until midnight. My children value their sleep. And I value their sleep too. It’s the only way I get things done around here.

Last, our power went out that night. Yup. Pitch black around 10 p.m. It came back on just before the stroke of midnight. But by then, we were all ready for bed. So no ball drop for us.

We still had fun. We can use more relaxing night around here.

Happy 2010 to you!

Tags

, ,
▶ Comment

Initialed Felt Hair Clips Tutorial

In Crafts, Tutorials on December 28, 2009 at 9:00 am

star clip

finished felt clips

Giving my girls the initialed felt hair clips and some of the other patterns went well Christmas morning. Kaye loved having a hair clip with “K” on it just for her. The best thing about it was I made it in one sitting within minutes. I used scraps laying around in my craft closet.

Supplies:

  • hair clips
  • fleece or felt (I actually used fleece in this tutorial)
  • paper or cardstock
  • pencil
  • scissors
  • glue gun
  • embroidery floss
  • large eye needle

1. I reused some of my old hair clips that were functional, just worn. So I cleaned them first.

hair clips

2. Draw patters you want on paper or cardstock. Make sure the hair clip will fit in your pattern. For the circle, I found a vitamin cap that was large enough and traced it. I freehand the rest.

felt clips patterns

3. Get your felt or fleece. Fold it over so you can cut out 2 of the pattern at the same time.

tracing on felt

felt pieces

4. Take one of the felt/fleece, fold in half and measure the clip in the center. Cut 4 tiny slits. This will hold the clip in place. See step 7.

slits for clip

5. Take the top circle and embroider the initial.

initial on felt

6. Hand stitch around the circle to enclose the front and back pieces.

stitch on the back

7. Slip your clip into the slits previously cut in step 4.

felt clip back

8. Use glue gun to glue to clip to the felt/fleece where it touches. Remember don’t get glue in the center piece of the clip.

felt clip glue gun

felt clip front

Tags

, , ,
▶ 6 Comments

Initialed Felt Hair Clips

In Crafts on December 24, 2009 at 9:01 am

felt hair clips

I was making Kaye and Elle some hair clips for their stockings. I figured I would make some extras for some of their friends. I had some used hair clips that were worn, but still functional. I washed them and reused them with some scrap felt. I think they turned out pretty well. OK, maybe not the picture. I could have used a different background and made it look nicer. But we are all sick around here. I am trying to finish up some last minute things and go to bed by 9 p.m. The good news is I’ll have a tutorial for this coming next week. Hope you have a great Christmas!

Tags

, , ,
▶ 1 Comment

Kaye’s Sketchbook Caddy

In Crafts, Holidays on December 21, 2009 at 9:01 am

sketchbook caddy inside

I have been lucky in the sense that Kaye’s Christmas wishlist to Santa has been pretty simple the last two years. Last year, she wanted a candy cane. That’s it. I got her the biggest candy cane I could find. This year, the list got longer. A horn (the musical instrument kind, not the rhino kind), paper, pencils and a book. Easy enough, except the horn.

And because I can’t just wrap a ream of paper and a couple pencils and toss it under the tree, I came up with a sketchbook caddy for Kaye. You see, we’ve been having a little problem with Kaye and her drawings. She sees me with my sketchbook and is motivated to draw, too. I love that she is creative like me. However, the problem has been she takes the crayons, pens and markers then draws on our hearth, dressers, bookshelves and my office desk. Not ideal for the resale value of our house if we ever move. I’ve been trying to drill in her that we only draw on paper. Nothing else. Hopefully this will take care of the problem.

I drafted the caddy idea in a day, then finished it the next day. And I had all the supplies at home, just needed the sketchpad and markers. What do you think? And anyone out there with an idea of how to get blue crayons out of a slab of marble?

sketchbook caddy cover

sketchbook caddy markers

Tags

, , , ,
▶ 23 Comments

DIY Microwavable Dough Ornaments

In Crafts, Holidays, Tutorials on December 14, 2009 at 9:01 am

star ornament

A tradition Nathan and I started when we were dating was add a new ornament to our tree each year. Something that reminds us of that particular year. Last year, we couldn’t find any store ornaments that represented our year, so I decided we would make our own microwaveable salt dough ornament. It was quick and easy with only THREE ingredients for the dough.

love ornament

Supplies:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup salt
  • 3/4 cup hot water
  • toothpicks
  • cookie cutters
  • rolling pin
  • microwavable glass plate
  • paint, acrylic or tempera
  • glitter, optional
  • Mod Podge
  • paint brushes
  • ribbons
  • cooling rack

1. In a bowl, mix together the three ingredients – flour, salt, and water. Mix well, then roll flat on a flat surface (counter or table top). You will want the ornaments to be less than 1/2″ thick.

2. Using cookie cutters, cut out the ornaments.

3. Use the toothpick to make a whole at the top of the ornament to string ribbons through for hanging.

4. Place similar sized ornaments onto a microwavable glass plate. Heat in microwave until water has evaporated from the mixture. And since all microwaves are different, I would start out heating 2 minutes, check it, then continue in 30-second or 1-minute increments. If you heat too long, the top and bottom of the ornaments may start to brown. A little browning may be OK if you use a darker paint color over it. And most ornaments will crinkle a bit at the top. There is not much you can do about that except sand it down later. The ornaments will be extremely hot.

5. Allow the ornaments to cool on the cooling rack. Then paint. Once the paint is dry, you will want to seal it with a couple layers of Mod Podge.

6. String a ribbon through the hole and hang on tree.

microwave ornaments

Tags

, , , ,
▶ 9 Comments

Poloppo Giveaway

In Events, Giveaway on December 10, 2009 at 9:00 am

Poloppo_T-me

**This giveaway is closed. Winner will be announced Dec. 24.**

Remember when I featured Poloppo as one of my intriguing sites a couple months ago? Now they are here as a Winter Days Giveaways sponsor! How nice are they? Poloppo is a company that promotes creativity and imagination in children. Their custom design t-shirts is a fun way for kids to express themselves and create personal wearable art.

What they do is simple. You purchase a t-me kit that contains 10 mini-markers, square paper, a catalog of t-shirts and a pre-paid envelope. Have your child draw their design. Mail it back in with the pre-paid envelopes. And Poloppo will send your child their shirt they designed. Done. Great way for your child to display his art other than on your refrigerator.

Poloppo is giving away ONE newly released long sleeve t-me kit that includes everything mentioned above. Whoo hoo! This giveaway includes all my international readers. Poloppo is willing to ship out-of-country if you win.

To enter, do ANY of the following. For multiple entries, do more than one and make sure you leave a separate comment for each entry.

  1. Leave a comment below and tell me how do you display your children’s art. No children, that’s OK. How do you display your art?
  2. Go to Poloppo and tell me what you like about their site or products.
  3. Blog about this giveaway and leave a link to your post in a separate comment.
  4. ‘Share’ this giveaway by doing one of the ‘Share’ options below (Twitter, Facebook, Kirtsy, StumbleUpon, or Email).
  5. Subscribe to Simply Modern Mom by RSS, email or Twitter. All ready subscribing? Just tell me in a separate comment.

This giveaway will close Thursday, Dec. 17 at 10 p.m. EST. The winner will be announced Thursday, Dec. 24. To see a list of other giveaways going on now for the Winter Days Giveaways, click on the image below or see the list at the top right bar.

And don’t forget about your surprise. Each entry you do for any of these sponsored giveaways during The Winter Days Giveaways will automatically enter you to win a set of my fake mustaches on a stick! So the more entries you do, the better chance you have of winning the sponsor’s prize as well as a set of fake mustaches. Enter away and good luck!

Winter Days Giveaways


Tags

, , ,
▶ 102 Comments

Start a New Holiday Tradition

In Holidays on December 1, 2009 at 8:59 am
gingerbread houses

Our 2nd annual gingerbread house contest with my parents and brother.

There are so many great ideas for family traditions out there floating around the blogosphere. One of our family traditions at Christmas is our annual gingerbread house building contest. It was a tradition that Nathan and I started our first Christmas together as a married couple where we spent it with my family. Every year, the houses get more and more elaborate. And every year, we find numerous creative ways of using graham crackers, frosting and candy decorations. My little brother is notorious for building the craziest stuff.

gingerbread contest 1

rv house 1

rv house 2

gingerbread house 1

gingerbread house 2

Here are some other ideas for family traditions you may want to try…

  • Have a guest of honor each night at the dinner table. Everyone says something nice about that person.
  • Visit a local nursing home to cheer up those less visited – carol, do a puppet show, karaoke, play games.
  • Anonymously donate items to the homeless shelter or to a family less fortunate.
  • Have a family outing to a museum or a play.
  • Start a traveling package with a family member out-of-state by filling a shoebox or a flat rate box with little gifts or homemade items back and forth to each other.
  • Make a special meal or treat and only make it around the time of the holiday.
  • Write a year in review letter to your future self or to your children/grandchildren and talk about the lessons learned that year and the things you are grateful for.
  • Look through old family photo albums or scrapbooks and laugh at old memories.
  • Do a Christmas treasure hunt by hiding all the gifts Christmas morning and having the children hunt for them.

What are some of your most cherished family traditions?

Tags

, , , ,
▶ 1 Comment

Entertaining the Children

In Crafts, Entertainment, Holidays on November 18, 2009 at 9:01 am
{image by Parents Magazine}

{image by Parents Magazine}

If you are hosting a party or the actual holiday itself, one of your sanity savers this holiday season will be keeping the kids busy. Sending them outside won’t always work. Here are some children’s craft and game ideas to keep them entertained on their own. Or designate another adult or a teenager to supervise. And don’t forget about the Thanksgiving garland.

  1. Prop improv. Gather random things around the house and the kids have to improv a scene with that prop.
  2. Sock puppet show. Collect old socks, provide decorations, and have the children make sock puppets. Then have them do a show for everyone.
  3. Magic tricks. Look up some simple magic tricks online and have the kids learn a few.
  4. Entertaining kids’ table. Cover the table with butcher paper and have a cup of crayons or markers for the kids to doodle while eating. Let them design their own placemats with pre-cut paper shapes or foam shapes.
  5. Yarn necklaces. These never get old as long as you supply them with edible beads such as Fruit Loops and LifeSavers.
  6. Fake mustaches. Have them make fake mustaches on a stick. Then take a picture of each child with his/her mustache to take home as a souvenir or mailed later as a thank you card.
  7. Fingerprint tree. Draw a tree with only the trunk and branches. Or use brown yarn and glue on paper. Then have the children fill the tree with leaves made by their finger prints. Use water based paints that will be easy to wash off such as tempera paint.
  8. Pumpkin bowling. This will have to be done outside. Use uncut leftover Halloween pumpkins as the bowling ball and empty liter soda bottles as the pins.
  9. Gratitude pie spinner. It is pictured above from Parents Magazine. Go to link for a how to.
  10. Mayflower place cards. It is picture below, also from Parents Magazine. Go to link for a how to.
{image by Parents Magazine}

{image by Parents Magazine}

Tags

, , ,
▶ 4 Comments

Thanksgiving Garland Tutorial

In Holidays, Tutorials on November 16, 2009 at 8:21 pm


thanksgiving garland

I love this time of year when we reflect on the many things we are grateful for in our lives. The last couple of years, I wanted to teach my 3-year-old Kaye to express gratitude for the many blessings in her life. Thus began the tradition of our Thanksgiving countdown. A little tradition that began with construction paper chain links a few years ago. The main idea: Write down one thing we are grateful for each day in November. Each member in the family participate in writing down things they count as blessings. Then we display it somewhere visible as a daily reminder of the things appreciate in our blessed lives.

This year, I upgraded the construction paper chain links to a leafy garland. Here is a simple tutorial for you to count your blessings in November with a garland.

Supplies:

  • paper – white, scrapbook, paper bags, construction, printer, etc.
  • scissor
  • pencil
  • pens
  • raffia

1. Draw your leaf pattern. If you need inspiration, collect some fallen leaves outside then trace. You will want to make the stem about 1″ long. Then cut out the pattern.

leaf pattern

2. Trace the leaf pattern on various different types of paper. Trace 30 leaves for each day in November.

trace leaves

3. Crumble the paper with the tracing on it. Then smooth out and cut.

crumble paper

4. Give each family members a few leaves and have them write their blessings.

5. This is an optional step, but it makes the garland look fuller. Cut out smaller size leaves to put in between the large leaves. Luckily, I had a large leaf punch.

piles of leaves

6. Gather about 6 or 9 strands of raffia then tie a knot on one end.

knotted raffia

7. Begin braiding. Braid about 3-4″ before adding leaves into  your braid, sticking the stem of the leaf into your braid.

braid in leaves

8. If you are using the small leaves for a fuller garland, insert the small ones into some of the braids between the larger leaves. Keep going until all the leaves are gone or you have reached your desired length. Make sure to do 3-4″ of plain braids before ending the raffia with a knot. If you need a longer length, add more raffia into the braid.

garland front

A back and finished view of the garland.

garland back

thanksgiving garland hanging

If you make this garland this Thanksgiving, please leave a link to a picture of it so I can check it out!

Tags

, , , , ,
▶ 27 Comments

Future Fashion Designer

In Inspirations on November 5, 2009 at 10:00 am

kaye's skirt design

This is my Kaye. She is 3. She is all girl… to the max. Even worst than her mother. Pink is her color. Polka dots are plastered everywhere. Disney princesses are her best friends. She raids mom’s closet for heels and pumps. She can cry on demand. She walks better in high heels than flip flops. She wants to wear mom’s makeup, but mean dad won’t let her. She loves candles and anything that smells pretty. And when people tell her she is cute, she replies, “Babies are cute. I am beautiful.” No idea where she got that.

Anyway, yesterday she noticed she was out of skirts. We were in a rush to get out the door and over to the library story time. I usually let Kaye pick out her clothes. It is a battle I’d rather not fight, especially with her who has a 3-year-old opinion about everything she fashions. But since we were in a hurry, she was forced to pick out pants so we could get out the door. Uh, as I was backing out of the driveway, I realized I missed library story time by a day. Yeah, I’m doing too many things all at once and sometimes I just space. We went anyway because I needed to return books that day.

When we got back from the library and a few other places she decided she needed to change. She went up stairs to her room, flipped through the clothes in her drawers and came out looking like this. It didn’t surprise me that she was in a different outfit because she changes her clothes several times a day. But she was wearing a skirt I didn’t recognize. Then it caught my eyes… the sleeves dangling from the sides. Aaahhh… she’s wearing a 3/4 sleeve white shirt upside down as a skirt. And since it was a bit drafty to be wearing skirts bare legged, she put on her leg warmers.

Yeah, I can see fashion design in her future. If the sleeves weren’t dangling down, it would be a cute bubble skirt. Hum… that’s an idea. I’ll have to draft that in my notebook. In the picture, she’s a bit embarrassed when I discovered she was wearing a shirt as a skirt. But she kept it on the whole rest of the day.

P.S. Please excuse the work-in-progress in the background. And my craft glues on the floor. That was Elle’s work.

Tags

, , , ,
▶ 3 Comments

Stella McCartney’s GapKids

In Inspirations on November 3, 2009 at 9:28 am

{images by GapKids}

Stella McCartney is the new designer at GapKids. Fabulous stuff, especially if you like the unisex classic rockstar look.

Tags

, , ,
▶ 1 Comment

Sick Day & The Great Debate

In Random on October 29, 2009 at 9:00 am

me and the girls

I was sick all day yesterday. It actually began Tuesday night. After feeling all the stress and pressure of my numerous projects and things going on in my life, it finally caught up to me. A little break down. A few tears. A slight fever. And aching of the body. Luckily, I married one of the most wonderful man in the world. He listened to all my concerns, complaints, and whining. He pampered me while laid in bed sick. He forced me to do nothing but rest. He even brought breakfast in bed. And took time off work to take care of the kids. Amazing.

The Tylenol kicked in long enough for us to take a few Christmas family photos (me and my girls above). Then it was back to the chills and fever and aching body for me.

I did have time to read this article from the New York Times, “Guardians of Their Smiles.” It’s an article about the great debate of whether parents should post pictures of their children on the web and on social networking sites such as Facebook. In the article, some moms shared their experience of discovering other people reusing their children’s photos as their own or creating fake accounts.

Some parents are opposed to posting any pictures of their children on the web. Others don’t mind at all. From the article, “Some parents want to protect their children from what is unlikely but still tragically possible. Others say children will do best when learning to live with the realities of the Web.” Other parents come up with their own rules for posting. Making their blogs private. No bath photos of the kiddos. Changing the names of their children. So on and so forth.

This has always been a concern of mine. I am protective of my children and images of my children. I would like people to respect the privacy of my family. I like to feel like I am in control of what I post about my family and my photos. My biggest thing is people reusing my photos from my sites without my knowledge. But I am not totally against posting pictures of my family. It is similar to if a picture of my family came up in the newspaper or magazines. Or if I put my kids in modeling and they were in ads or something.

What do you think? What’s your opinion and view on this great debate?

Tags

, , ,
▶ 6 Comments

Friday’s 5 at 5: Non-Traditional Halloween Treats

In Friday's 5 at 5, Holidays on October 23, 2009 at 5:00 am

halloweek

I am probably the neighborhood mom that all the kids complain about. I don’t hand out candy. I figured they get enough candies from all the other homes. At least I’m not as bad as my neighbor who makes children do push ups for candy. He’s a personal fitness trainer. He would probably hand out protein bars if it were safe for babies.

bubbles & dough

Moving on. Other than candy…

  1. Glow sticks. It has yet to fail me year after year. The kids love them. I get the bracelet ones with the connectors so it can also be a necklace if they had two.
  2. Play-dough. You can find them with the candy stuff in big super stores such as Target or Wal-Mart.
  3. Bouncy balls. Or other party gift bag toys found at party stores.
  4. Bubbles. The small bottles found in party stores.
  5. Pretzels or crackers. Individually pre-packaged of course. Nothing homemade.

I have also seen people who attached their business cards to whatever it is they are handing out the kids. I guess that is one way to advertise.

Tags

, , ,
▶ 1 Comment

Halloween Kids’ Crafts

In Crafts, Holidays on October 20, 2009 at 9:00 am

halloweek

Link round up of kid-friendly crafts to get the little ones into Halloween. As if they need more motivation. Click on photos for more details and how-to’s.

  1. Mummy candy holder from water bottles.
  2. Hanging sock bats.
  3. Tissue paper bat garland.
  4. Broom stick place cards.
  5. Haunted house.
  6. Halloween character hangers.
{image by Parents Magazine}

{image by Parents Magazine}

{image by Parents Magazine}

{image by Parents Magazine}

{image by marthastewart.com}

{image by marthastewart.com}

{image by Country Living}

{image by Country Living}

{image by Family Fun}

{image by Family Fun}

{image by Hershey}

{image by Hershey}

Tags

,
▶ Comment

Labor Day Weekend

In Life on September 9, 2009 at 9:00 am

Happy 09-09-09 at 9:00 a.m.! We had a busy Labor Day weekend. Here’s a glimpse…

IMG_1922

Painting our room.

IMG_2052

$4 fix to a boring hallway.

IMG_1728

Nathan and Kaye made a bean bag toss game.

IMG_1974

Elle's first time on the swings.

IMG_1794

A tour of the botanical garden.

IMG_1823

IMG_1919_2

IMG_1792_2

Tags

, ,
▶ 1 Comment

BTB Tip #4: Out the Door

In Back to Basics on August 27, 2009 at 9:01 am

Now that the children are heading back to school (except mine because they’re not old enough), make heading out the door in the mornings easier. Do most of the work the night before. Have each child prepare his/her backpack and set it next to the door or in the car. Prepare lunches if you can. If not, pack the non-perishable items the night before. Check to make sure they have all their papers signed, forms, assignments, and homework. Have them lay out their clothes. Get non-perishable breakfast foods to set on the table. It will calm your mornings.

Tags

, ,
▶ 1 Comment

Friday’s 5 at 5: Children’s Books

In Friday's 5 at 5 on August 14, 2009 at 5:00 am

Some of Kaye and my favorites from the library this summer…

  1. Look Out Jack! the Giant Is Back
  2. I Like Myself!
  3. Purplicious
  4. When Sheep Sleep
  5. Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy
Related Posts with Thumbnails

Tags

,
▶ Comment