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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
And the winner is….
July 3, 2009 by
The winner of the $10 Barnes and Noble Gift Card Caption Contest is Crystal!! Congrats, and thanks to everyone for participating in such a fun contest! Here was Crystal’s winning caption: What do ya MEAN we’re “out of banana boats”???? Don’t forget to get your entry in for a handmade baby bib!
Animal Hospital
July 2, 2009 by
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
July 1, 2009 by
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 […]
Tutorial and Giveaway — Baby Bib from Old Jeans
June 30, 2009 by
Photos for today’s post are courtesy of Emily! Awhile ago, my father called to ask me if I had any use for a bunch of his old jeans. “Sure, pass them along! I’m sure I’ll think of something… Hmmm….” Turns out it was a large box full of several different pairs of jeans, and the […]
Easy Waterproof Windsock
June 29, 2009 by
This windsock craft could not be any easier, or more inexpensive. It is made of recyclables and is waterproof. We’re planning to make a few more to decorate our garden! To make your own waterproof windsock, you will need: scissors, string, plastic bags, and an empty soda bottle. Cut a ring from the soda bottle […]
Shopping with Intention
June 28, 2009 by
Now that Emily has recovered from this incident, I took her to Dollar Tree this afternoon for a special shopping trip to fill some Jared Boxes for our local hospital. If you are not familiar with Jared Boxes, you can read more about them here. Basically, the idea is to fill a shoebox-sized plastic container […]
