Sunday Snapshot — Princess Hair

Instructions for this awesome ‘do found here!

Tiny Pumpkin Patch Playset — Cuteness Overload!!

We had so much fun creating this tiny pumpkin patch playset for our little friends (in this case, Calico Critters). Emily has been busy helping me make this, and then playing with it all day! First, we made tiny pumpkin seed packets with some paper and flax seeds. Dog got to work planting the pumpkins […]

Tutorial — Princess and the Pea Playset

Am I the only one who has craft fantasies? Not so much while I’m crafting, but after the craft has been made. I know, it’s weird, right? I noticed it after the crayon wallets were made, and the fantasy went something like this… We’re seated at a restaurant waiting for our food, and Emily pulls […]

Super Emily to the Rescue!

This super hero cape was a late night sewing project I made with my own pattern and some costume satin that is currently on sale at JoAnn Fabrics. It was going to be part of Emily’s Halloween costume, but we are currently suffering from a serious case of indecisiveness with regards to Halloween costumes. At […]

Laundry Day Fun!

While I was tackling the laundry this afternoon, Emily did some of her own. Somehow her laundry was a lot more fun than mine! Special thanks to Elise of Inspiration Surrounds… Creativity Abounds for reminding me of this fabulous activity. When I was a little girl, our family gave my cousin a play laundry set […]

Important Info and Frugal Fun with Cardboard

First, some important announcements: I won’t keep you waiting any longer! Click here to register and for more information on our Sewing in Baby Steps online workshop — it’s FREE. I’m so excited about this, and it’s going to be so much fun! I’m scheduled to appear on tomorrow’s 10! Show on NBC for a […]

Pretend Play on a Dime — Movie Day

After Emily and Clara went off to bed last night, Mark and I got to work on this ticket booth made from cardboard, masking tape, a tension curtain rod, an old curtain, some scraps of gold wrapping paper, a foam meat tray, and some LED Christmas lights. When Emily found it this morning, she was […]

1 Second Time Machine

One of the advantages of being married to a tech-geek (who also happens to be a pack-rat) is there is never a shortage of old computer equipment for pretend play! This afternoon, Emily asked me if there was a way to stop time, which reminded me of a clip from the movie The Science of […]

Hot Dogs for Sale!

Emily was convinced that today was “Recipe Day”, and since we had some rain, it seemed like a perfect day to try out some homemade play dough! You can find the recipe we used here. We made ours in pinks, reds, and golden yellow colors so Mark could help Emily make some pretend hot dogs […]

No Sew, Super-Frugal Tutu for Dolly

This no sew tutu was quick, easy, and practically free! It is perfect for Dolly, and Emily did most of the work on this project. To make your own, you will need some plastic netting (I used two empty bags from lemons), scissors, and ribbon. Cut the bag down one of the long sides and […]

300th Post!

I can’t believe this is already our 300th post! This morning Emily and I made an appearance on The 10! Show to talk about ways to encourage pretend play with your kids using items you already have at home. As usual, the crew spoiled the bejesus out of Emily. Can you tell she had about […]

Animal Hospital

Oh, our poor stuffed animals have been feeling quite unwell this afternoon, and several required hours at the hospital. Fortunately, Dr. Emily is an excellent doctor and she made them all feel better! Once I gathered up some supplies from around the house, Emily became immersed in her own imaginary world. We used one of […]

Extreme Makeover Child Stylist Edition

Emily loves to play hair stylist. Break out the rollers, hair brushes, hair clips, combs, and ribbon. Oh, and magazines (the trashier, the better). Sometimes I wear a ridiculously long blond wig from Halloween for this. NO SCISSORS!!! By the way, does anyone know where I could find one of those vintage 1950’s hairdryers (you […]

Rain, rain, go away!

We have been trying to make the most out of these last several rainy days. Thankfully, tomorrow’s forecast is looking much better. This afternoon, I visited a new store in town. They just opened up, and their prices are phenomenal! The selection is a bit lacking, but they make up for it with the absolute […]

What kind of day is it?

Every morning when Emily wakes up, she greets me with the following phrase — “Hey, do you know what kind of day it is?” The answers range from “Messy Art Day” (my personal favorite) to “Fun Play Day” to “Go to the Beach Day” or (Lord, help me) “Build a Treehouse Day”, all proclaimed with […]

Dress Up Play

Another rainy day here, so I took the girls on an adventure to our local thrift shop where we spotted this beautiful dress for just $5.00! Emily wanted to use it as part of her growing collection of play dress up outfits. How could I resist? Look! It even twirls! Her favorite dress up outfits […]

St. Patrick’s Day is almost here…

It is starting to look like St. Patrick’s Day at our household, thanks to this cute rainbow suncatcher Emily and I put together! To make your own, you will need tissue paper in rainbow colors, clear contact paper, a hole puncher, black construction paper, gold foil (we used candy wrappers) and some yarn. Lay a […]