Bubble prints are so much fun! It rained here today, so I thought this would be a good alternative to blowing bubbles outside. I’ve seen this project featured around the preschooler circuit, but I was surprised at how much Emily enjoyed this activity. To make your own bubble prints, you will need: 1 Drinking Straw […]
Cheap Thrills
July 20, 2009 by
Armed with a roll of pennies, I took Emily to a local outdoor shopping mall to make 50 wishes in the fountain. Among her many wishes, these were my favorites: “I wish Daddy had a new car.” “I wish… I wish……. I had a fountain…. in my ROOM!!” “I wish I could be five years […]
Cucumber Tea Sandwiches
July 19, 2009 by
A few weeks ago, my friend Kelly had several health issues all at once, and needed a bit of cheering up. So I packed up everything we needed for an impromptu tea party, loaded the Joy Committee (a.k.a. my girls) into the car, and brought the party to her. We had a fabulous time, and […]
And the winner is…
July 18, 2009 by
The winner of the Garden Bag Giveaway is Reena!! Congratulations! Here is Reena’s winning comment: What a CUTE bag!!! Right now watering our garden as well as running through the water has become one of our favorite pastimes – tooo hot these past few days! Reena Thanks to everyone for participating, and another fun giveaway […]
Frugal Wall Organizer
July 17, 2009 by
Oh, the stuffed animals and where to put them! Do you have this problem in your house? I try to limit the number of stuffed animals that are out at any given time, and we have boxes full of them in the basement that we rotate through again and again. I’m not sure how we […]
1 Second Time Machine
July 16, 2009 by
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 […]
Spreading Some Cheer
July 15, 2009 by
We thought it would be fun to spread some cheer around our neighborhood this afternoon. So we made up these darling goody bags. Emily dipped the end of a cork in some red paint to make the cherries, and I helped fill in the stems. While we waited for the paint to dry, we went […]
Behold… the Power of Mod Podge!
July 14, 2009 by
Mod Podge is quickly becoming one of our favorite ways to re-use recyclables. You can find Mod Podge in the glue section of any craft store, and we have found that one bottle will go a long way. Isn’t it cute?? Emily wants to make another one to organize her paint brushes, colored pencils, crayons […]
Snowman in July
July 13, 2009 by
Emily’s favorite book is Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein, and we have read it together again and again. One of the poems, Snowman, was the inspiration for today’s activities. The poem is about a snowman who is determined to try to see July. Emily made her snowman out of white Model Magic, and […]
Garden Bag Giveaway
July 12, 2009 by
We are starting to enjoy our garden, and lately there have been lots of pickings. I was bringing reusable shopping totes to collect our veggies, but after getting my hands on some burlap I was inspired to create a “Garden Goodies” bag. I hand-stamped the lettering and made a very basic drawstring bag. Today the […]
Hot Dogs for Sale!
July 11, 2009 by
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 […]
And the winner is….
July 11, 2009 by
I won’t keep you waiting anymore. I decided to pick 3 winners instead of just 1 for the Handmade Baby Bib giveaway! The three lucky people (chosen by random.org) are: Stephanie Griffith from Sunny Side Up Mamacakes (aka Jamie) Mama (aka Sylvia) Congratulations and thanks to everyone for entering this fun giveaway! Another giveaway starts […]
Clover Collage
July 10, 2009 by
Here’s a great nature project that even the littlest crafters can participate in! Emily enjoyed finding different patches of clover, picking them and sticking the leaves and stems to the lint brush. She could easily carry the lint brush with her, and spent a lot of time finding small leaves, blades of grass, and tiny […]
No Sew, Super-Frugal Tutu for Dolly
July 9, 2009 by
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!
July 8, 2009 by
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 […]
Three Little Pigs Playset
July 7, 2009 by
One of Emily’s favorite stories is The Three Little Pigs. When we were done making this playset, she could hardly wait for the glue to dry before she ran off to play with the set! She had lots of fun re-enacting the tale over and over, and then started to perform her own versions of […]
Mega Monster Bubbles!
July 6, 2009 by
Wow! I think I had just as much fun as Emily with this homemade bubble solution and bubble wand. It is quite addictive! These bubbles are HUGE and they last a long time. To make your own mega bubble solution, you will need: 6 cups distilled water, 2 cups Joy dishwashing detergent, and 3/4 cup […]
Summer Gratitude
July 5, 2009 by
If your family is thinking about cutting back on expenses, Summer may be the easiest time to do so. With Summer re-runs on television, it may be the perfect time to consider pulling the plug on the cable and spending more time outdoors. Instead of going out to eat at a restaurant, pack up a […]
