After dinner, we cleared off the table, covered it all using a roll of craft paper and some masking tape, and gathered every crayon in the house for a few hours of family drawing time. Yes, the dishes are still in the sink. No, I really don’t care about them. What I care about is […]
Penguin Playset Tutorial
January 5, 2010 by
We were going through the girls out-grown clothes and deciding which ones to donate to Goodwill, when Emily spotted these old microfiber tights. She declared we could make a penguin from them, and of course I had to agree! To make your own penguin playset, you will need: some felt, thread, old microfiber stockings, and […]
Cheap Thrills — Indoor Ice Skating
January 4, 2010 by
For a good time, wrap sheets of wax paper around your feet into make-shift “skates” with rubber bands. Play waltz music on your stereo. “Skate” over the carpet!! Please note — be careful! It is very slippery, but lots of fun! Check out the look of determination on Clara’s face. She napped quite well after […]
Weekend Rewind — Paint the Snow!
January 3, 2010 by
Hope everyone is having a fun Sunday! Here’s a post from last year’s archives, and an activity we would love to do again while there is still snow on the ground — snow painting! Enjoy! This afternoon, Emily and I took some spray bottles filled with a few drops of food coloring and some water […]
Snowman Vase from Recyclables
January 2, 2010 by
We filled this sweet little snowman vase with some evergreens from the yard to bring some green into the house. He is made from recyclables (aka FREE craft supplies)! To make your own snowman vase, you will need: an empty cereal puffs container (or other container of similar shape), Sharpie marker, construction paper, felt, and […]
Happy New Year!! — Jingle Bell Noisemaker Bracelet
January 1, 2010 by
Emily loved ringing in the new year with this fun jingle bell noisemaker bracelet! To make your own noisemaker bracelet, you will need: felt, thread, jingle bells, and a small button. Cut two long pieces of felt about 1 1/2 inches wide. Measure your child’s wrist and add about 2 inches for the length. Whip […]
Cute Marshmallow Snowman
December 29, 2009 by
I have been wanting to make marshmallow snowmen with Emily for some time now, and when I mentioned it to her, she instantly adored the idea of making a snowman out of marshmallows! We used jumbo marshmallows and pretzel rods. Push three marshmallows through one end of the pretzel rod, and stack them together to […]
Top 9 Posts of 2009 Round Up
December 28, 2009 by
Some of our very favorite posts for 2009: :: Easy Autumn Tree Suncatcher :: Gratitude Activity Jar :: Fun Autumn Treasure Hunt :: Cheap Thrills — Cardboard Box Edition :: Stunning Winter Tree Silhouette :: DIY Reusable 2-in-1 Sandwich Wrap and Placemat :: Modern Art :: Felt Fairy House Tutorial :: Laundry Day Fun We […]
Sunday Snapshot — All Dressed Up (Sort of)
December 27, 2009 by
Almost a year ago, I had found these beautiful holiday dresses for both of the girls at our local thrift store. The girls wore them to my parents’ house for Christmas dinner, until my brother gifted Clara with an adorable monkey bathrobe and sock-monkey slippers. She LOVES them. The minute she saw them, she made […]
Art So Easy, A Toddler Can Do It
December 26, 2009 by
We had so much going on during Christmas, that I thought the girls could use a little break from all the chaos today. Clara, in particular, seemed to be a bit over-whelmed with it all. So when Emily was off playing with all her lovely new toys, Clara and I snuck in a quick painting […]
Christmas Eve
December 24, 2009 by
It is 11:33 PM on Christmas Eve. There has been much gift wrapping, card writing, decorating, stocking stuffing, tree trimming, and other such activities going on…. and so much more left to do! Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas.
Handmade Holiday — Meet Butter!
December 22, 2009 by
This sweet kitty cat was a late night sewing project I made using this free pattern found on Wee Wonderfuls, and I wish you could have seen the look on Emily’s face when she first saw him! She immediately named him “Butter”, and they have been enjoying many adventures together this morning. Butter’s made from […]
Handmade Holidays — Scented Bath Salts
December 20, 2009 by
It’s not too late to make some last-minute handmade gifts for that special someone on your list who is in need of a little pampering… (hint, hint). Mark and Emily whipped up a batch of lavender scented bath salts and it only took a few minutes! To make your own scented bath salts, you will […]
Adventures at the Beauty Academy
December 19, 2009 by
The girls were long overdue for haircuts, and despite my frugal nature, I have resolved to never EVER attempt to cut their hair myself. Too many horror stories, and I simply cannot bring myself to do it. That’s not to say that salons are always perfect. One instance involving Emily’s haircut a few years ago […]
Gifts Kids Can Make — Chocolate Nut Bark
December 18, 2009 by
I found this recipe for Chocolate Nut Bark in an issue of Real Simple magazine, and it’s so simple and easy — a five year old can do it (with a bit of supervision). That’s my kind of “baking”! To make your own, you will need: one 12 oz bag of semi sweet chocolate chips […]
5 Little Snowmen Play Set
December 17, 2009 by
Last year, my friend Erin and her two little girls taught Emily the Five Little Snowmen song. I had never heard it before, but it became an instant favorite of Emily’s and was sung over and over again in our household many times during the Winter months. To go along with the song, I made […]
Adventures in Baking — Cornbread
December 16, 2009 by
Emily and I made cornbread to go with chili for dinner, and it was delicious, fun, and frugal! We followed the recipe on the back of the bag of Bob’s Red Mill Corn Meal found here. It was so simple, even I couldn’t screw it up. Emily had so much fun with this…. …and was […]
Gifts Kids Can Make — Chocolate Covered Pretzels
December 15, 2009 by
The girls and I did some holiday “baking” this afternoon. These chocolate covered pretzels were so much fun to make! We made several bags of them for neighbors, friends, and family. To make your own, you will need: One 12oz. bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips 2 Tbsp. shortening Pretzel Rods Melt shortening and some of […]
