The girls wanted to have a picnic snack this afternoon, so we made an indoor snow picnic — it was so much fun! Clara, still in her pajamas, was delighted to see this set up in our living room. Emily helped me hang some leftover wrapping paper up on the wall, and we used white […]
Snowflakes at Night
January 15, 2010 by
I cut out some paper snowflakes this afternoon, and Emily thought it would be fun to make snowflake rubbings with them! We used black construction paper, and put the paper snowflakes underneath. Then, she used the side of a white crayon to make the rubbing. She thought they looked like snowflakes at night! Clara gave […]
Cheap Thrills — Indoor Hopscotch
January 14, 2010 by
It was far too cold outside to run around and play. Instead, we made a hopscotch grid in our foyer using masking tape on the floor! The girls got lots of exercise! (I did too.) We have slate flooring in our foyer, so Emily practiced writing her numbers with chalk. You could also add the […]
3-D Paper Lantern Picture
January 11, 2010 by
It’s a bit early yet for Chinese New Year, but that didn’t stop us from creating these fun 3-D paper lantern pictures. They were so easy and so much fun to make! Plus, it uses recyclables. I love projects like these, don’t you? The highlight of this project…… Clara using glue for the first time! […]
Easy Snowflake Suncatchers
January 8, 2010 by
Both of the girls are so proud of how their beautiful stained glass snowflakes turned out, and they were so easy (and frugal) to make! Clara was delighted to have a go at this craft, and gave a huge smile when she saw her finished work on display in the window. Using a snowflake-shaped cookie […]
Because Mark and I Never Grew Up
January 6, 2010 by
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 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 […]
12 Days of Handmade Holidays — Round Up
December 11, 2009 by
Some of our favorite Handmade Holiday posts: :: Fabric Dollhouse :: Dolly & Me Lounge Pants :: Felt Doll :: Snowflake Notecard Mailers :: Knit Hat (Free Pattern) :: Peppermint Hot Cocoa Mix :: Easy Felted Ornaments :: Festive Wrapping Paper :: Stamped Gift Bags :: Easy No Mess Snowflake Ornaments :: Felt Fairy House […]
Handmade Holidays — Easy No-Mess Snowflake Ornaments
December 9, 2009 by
These beautiful snowflake ornaments (shown above) couldn’t have been easier to make! I love that the process was mess-free, very easy, and frugal. Plus, we have more ornaments to add to our tree that are not fragile!! To make your own snowflake ornaments, you will need: white model magic, snowflake cookie cutters, a rolling pin, […]
Handmade Holidays — Stamped Gift Bags
December 7, 2009 by
After yesterday’s drive through the neighborhood, we were inspired to make these gift bags with printed holiday lights on them. We used brown paper lunch bags, and we found that they are the perfect size for holding small mason jars of homemade peppermint hot cocoa mix! First, cut a potato into the shape of a […]
Cheap Thrills — Holiday Light Show Edition
December 6, 2009 by
We were delighted to see Danita’s girls at From the Land of Pleasant Living and Joyful Mommy and Joyful Child having fun while making their own salty snowman pictures! For a fun (and free!) activity this Winter, wait until it is almost time for bed, then dress the kids in their PJ’s with winter coats […]
Handmade Holidays — Festive Wrapping Paper
December 4, 2009 by
The girls and I made some wrapping paper this afternoon. It was so much fun, and a real team effort! We used ordinary brown grocery bags, and cut them to lay flat on the table. First, Clara got to work making “snowflakes” with her finger dipped in white washable paint. She loved it!Next, the paper […]
Handmade Holidays — Easy Felted Ornaments
December 3, 2009 by
We spent some time with our sleeves rolled up and our hands in very warm soapy water to make these beautiful felted ornaments. I found the process to be calming, and we were both quite pleased with the results! To make your own felted ornaments, you will need some wool roving and a dish of […]
Back to Knitting — Free Easy Pattern
November 29, 2009 by
I knitted this hat for Clara from 1 skein of Lion Brand Nature’s Choice organic cotton yarn purchased at JoAnn with a 50% off black Friday coupon for just $3.25. Bargain! The hat was a quick and easy knit, and is the perfect weekend knitting project! I even had enough yarn leftover to crochet a […]
Hey there Little Red Riding Hood
October 29, 2009 by
I finished sewing Clara’s Halloween costume last night because there’s no sense in waiting until the last minute, right? Fortunately, this sweet hooded poncho for Little Red Riding Hood took less than 10 minutes to put together. I used 1 yard of costume fabric from JoAnn that was just $2.49/yard. Bargain! I love that her […]
