Learning through Painting

Here is another cheap kids craft for you...

I wanted something that we could learn about shapes, numbers, colors, and/or letters. For less than $4.00 I created some stamps for Thing 1 to use with paint. The great thing about this activity, is that it can be adapted for many age groups and learning concepts.

I bought some cheap kitchen sponges at Target. They were $1.77 for a set of four. I probably could have found them cheaper at a dollar store, but I was in a hurry, and $1.77 is pretty cheap, so I went with it! I decided to get two packs.

I wanted this activity to focus on teaching shapes. Since I really wanted the star to look like a star, I found some toys that he already owned that I could use as a stencil.

Then I placed the toys on the sponge. I put them close together so that I could get the most out of each sponge. Yeah...I'm cheap like that. I traced them with a marker, and then cut them out.

We had a few sponges left over, so I was able to make the numbers 1-5 as well. I traced these from a puzzle and cut them out.

Let the fun begin!!! I used acrylic paint from Michael's. It some that I already had, and it's non-toxic. He had never painted before, so it took him a few minutes to figure things out!

This activity quickly went from stamping to finger painting to a toddler than looks a little too much like Poppa Smurf!

It was messy! But well worth it!

Little Boy's Bow Ties

I'm determined to find things that I can make for little boys! Boy's mama's need crafts too!!! We can't do hair bows, but we can do BOW TIES!! Let's go....

You'll need:

1 piece of ribbon cut to 11'' (angle one end, and heat seal both ends)

1 piece of small coordinating ribbon cut to 2.5'' (heat seal ends)

thread and needle

glue gun

elastic cut to measurement of child's neck

Lay large ribbon right side down with straight edge to your left.

Fold straight edge over a little less than halfway (5 inch mark on mat), then fold the rest of the ribbon over so that the angled edge meets the other end the ribbon (folded side on left).

Pinch the ribbon in the middle

Tie a knot in your thread, and sew in and out a few times. Wrap thread around center several times, before tying a knot.

Turn bow over, so that the angled edge is facing up (this will be the back of the bow tie). Place a dot of hot glue in the middle of the tie.

Place the middle of the elastic on the glue. Wrap the 2.5" ribbon around the middle of the bow, put a dot of glue on top of the elastic and press one end of ribbon down. Wrap the other end around and glue.

Close ends of elastic by hot gluing or sewing ends together!

The finished bow tie will look like this....

Of course I had to make one for Thing 1 and Thing 2! Perfect for Easter Sunday!

***always monitor children closely while they are wearing the tie due to the elastic around the neck***

FUZZIES!!!!!!!

We're not really into toys that are made just to entertain children. You know...books that read themselves and instruments that play that play a song with a push of a button. Toys should encourage a child to be creative and solve problems in addition to being entertaining!

You hear people say all the time that kids always like the box that the toys came in more than they like the toy itself. Yet, parents continue to dump hundreds of dollars into flashy toys. Why?? Kids REALLY do like the the box better!!

So think outside the Leap Frog when it comes to children's toys. You probably already have things around your house that your children would see as toys. I got some craft pom poms for Thing 1. I put them in a box and gave him his new "toy". When he opened the box you would have thought it was Christmas! He took one peak inside and screamed "FUZZIES"!! So, we've been calling them fuzzies ever since!

He has SO much fun with these! There is a lot of learning wrapped up in these fuzzy little pom poms.

We practice learning the names of colors and sorting the fuzzies by color.

You can also create patterns.

But the most popular is probably throwing the fuzzies. He has so much fun with these! We are constantly coming up with new ways to play with the fuzzies.

One of the best things about fuzzies.....they cost less than $3.00! You can beat that! Fun, educational, AND cheap!!!

We're always looking for creative, unconventional toys. Any ideas???

homemade play dough

Thing 1 is getting to the age where he needs some new activities. As a kid I loved play dough! So I thought he would too! Instead of buying it, I decided to make it...because I have real issues with buying things that I could make instead. I'm just like that. Making play dough is really no different than cooking. If you like to cook, you probably have all of the ingredients in your kitchen already.

This is what you will need:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1/4 cup salt
• food coloring

Mix all of the ingredients, except for the food coloring (I just mixed mine right in the pot so that there would be less to clean). Once you have it mixed pretty well, add the food coloring. Stir over medium heat, making sure to scrape the bottom.

It will start out pretty runny, but don't freak out. Keep stirring and it will firm up quickly. Stir until you start to see the dough come away from the edges of the pan and it starts to become difficult to stir.

Plop it out onto a floured surface and knead it until it is smooth like play dough.

***Be careful b/c it is still pretty hot at this point. If you are doing this with your children, be sure to knead it until it is cool enough for them to handle it***

Once you're done, you can store it in air tight containers, or plastic bags!!!

This will make about 6 oz of play dough

baby steps

I stumbled upon some information that may change my life.....well maybe that's a little dramatic. It will really make things easier! I have major issues with laundry. MAJOR!! Even with my cleaning schedule, I really have a tough time keeping laundry from piling up. Yesterday I found Mama's Laundry Talk an entire blog devoted just to laundry! Check it out. If you have a question about laundry..."mama" has an answer. I really liked her post about laundry routines. That's where I seem to have the problem. I don't know whether I should do it all on one or two days, or do a little everyday. She highlights different laundry routine scenarios. After reading and thinking, I am going to try Scenario #1. Have a set amount of laundry to complete by a set time. So I am going to go with 2 loads by 12:00 and see how that works! She also stepped on my toes a little with the concept that laundry isn't "done" until it's put back where it belongs! THAT'S where I have the issues! I get it washed just fine, it's folding it and putting it away that I have the issues with!

I found some more life changing advice from the former "messie" Sandra Felton. I first heard about her when she was on Focus on the Family. She has some great organizing and cleaning advice for people that she calls "messies". A "messie" is someone who just doesn't get it when it comes to keeping things neat and organized. Someone who despite their efforts, seem to be spinning wheels in these areas. She even offers a 12 step program for recovering messies! I think I really identify with this lady!! She has lots practical, small steps that you can take to keep things in order. Some of my favorite are the "30 second rule" (if it takes less than 30 seconds to complete a job, do it immediately), and "Stow as You Go" (put things back where they belong when you are finished using them). Two simple steps that I can stick to that I think will really make a difference.

My new home management goals:

1. Wash, fold, and put away 2 loads of laundry by 12:00.

2. Make bed each morning

3. If a job takes less than 30 seconds to complete....DO IT IMMEDIATELY

4. Put things back where they belong

If these things don't work, maybe a little inspiration will!

so NOT super mom

Recently, while I was fixing supper, Thing 1 was sitting at his little table coloring, and Thing 2 was in his crib napping. I starting thinking to myself how "together" I had everything! The house was clean, the boys were clean, Thing 1 was occupied in a fairly stimulating activity instead of watching TV, and I was going to have supper waiting on the table when my husband got home from work. Come to think of it, I think I might have even managed to take a shower and put on make up that day! Wow...I really had it together! I must be really getting the hang of this "mom" thing...or so I thought. Until I turned around to see this......

All over the couch!!!

This brought me back down to reality real fast!!!

Proverbs 16:18 does tell us: Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

It might sound a little dramatic. I know that crayon on the couch is hardly considered "destruction", but I it was enough to cause me to check myself! I don't want to fall into the trap of pride. I'm so thankful that God was able to use this to bring me back down a little. I think it's easy to take pride in something when you feel you've put a lot of effort into it and you begin to see results. So many times we want to give our worries to God, yet we are not so quick to give him the glory when things are going right! I think this was God's subtle way of letting me know that I am NOT in control. The good times and the struggles are all equally His.

But.......come to think of it, we were getting kind of tired of this couch anyway. We've been wanting to do a something a little different! But I was thinking something more along the lines of some new toss pillows or something! Maybe something more like this....

It helps me.....

It's funny how once you have kids, doing things that used to be very simple suddenly require a lot more planning. Take running errands for example. What used to be as simple as jumping in the car and taking off, now requires a few more steps. It used to be that I just needed to make sure I had my wallet. Now I have to make sure I have my wallet, at least four diapers, wipes, and a few changes of clothes. That's just for Thing 2. Thing 1 needs a change of clothes, a few pull ups, crackers, and a cup. Gone are the days of just jumping in the car!! I am by NO means complaining. I am loving every minute of being mommy to those boys!! It's just funny how things change.

I made a little discovery shortly after Thing 1 was born, that made grocery shopping a little easier. Most people will drive around Walmart looking for the parking place closest to the store. However, when you have small children and groceries, being close to the store is pretty irrelevant if you still have to walk half way across the parking lot to put your cart back (assuming that you actually DO put your cart back). Instead of trying to find the closest spot to the door, I try to find the spot that is closest to the place that the carts go. That way I can put my groceries in my car, buckle the kids in, and put my cart away. This way I don't have to decide between leaving the kids in the car alone, or walking across the parking lot carrying a baby car seat and holding a two year olds hand.

This may seem trivial, and it's something that I would have never even thought twice about back in the days when I could leave the house with just a wallet, but it is something that makes my life just a little easier.

Cleaning Schedule

Okay..so its been FOUR months since I had a baby. It's time to get back on track! About 3 months before he was born I created a cleaning schedule, and it really was working quite nicely. I had two or three "chores", for lack of a better term, each day in addition to the daily upkeep of the house like doing the dishes, cooking, and such. As a stay at home mom since I don't get "off" work at a certain time, I often find myself doing housework throughout the day. When I was sticking to my schedule I was able to do my work for the day and not feel like I had to clean the house all in one day. The house was staying spotless relatively clean and once I finished the day's job I felt free to do other things.

• Monday- Bathrooms and Laundry
• Tuesday- Mop Floors and Vacuum
• Wednesday- Dust and Kitchen
• Thursday- Clean Thing 1's Room and Wash Windows
• Friday- Clean Thing 2's Room, Mop, and Vacuum

My goal now is to stick to my schedule and not fall behind. When I stopped doing i before it was not a conscious decision. I just missed a day here or there and ended up off track. Oh yeah...and I had a baby. That's always a good excuse, right???

So now I'm going to get back on track and get my work done so that I have more time for the important things like stacking blocks, playing with fuzzies, tickling babies, and spending time with my husband when he gets home!

Who Knew???

You probably did, but I just found out! Now I have to figure out how to celebrate! I love crafts and making things but I have some real issues when it comes to finishing things. I'll start things and then look across the room and become completely distracted by something else. It took me about 3 months to make window treatments for my kitchen that could have been finished during nap time.

I made moses basket bedding for my sisters new baby, and waited until the day before my mom left to see her to even START it! I have some real issues people! So... to celebrate, I think I will go figure out what projects are laying around waiting to be finished and actually finish them. I think I'll start with these.

To Do:

1. Finish Moses Basket Hood (no I didn't completely finish the bedding)

2. Monogram Towels for Master Bath

3. Hang Paper Lanterns above Crib

4. Redo Cork Board in the Nursery

I've confessed. So please hold me accountable! I'll post pictures as I finish!! Maybe I'll finish these before the month is over, so that I can start some new projects I've been putting off!

Chalkboard Backsplash

When we painted our kitchen, we wanted the backsplash to be something unique and we didn't want to spend a bunch of money. So we settle on this...

A chalkboard backsplash.

For about $13.00 we got a fun, CHEAP, and functional backsplash that we can

change as often as we like!

Mom Knows Best

A few months ago my husband brought home a seemingly random cereal, but it has soon become a favorite of ours. You probably haven't even heard of it. That's okay though....we hadn't either. It's called "Mom's Best Naturals", and it's GREAT!!! It's made with whole grains. In fact, the first ingredient listed is "whole grain wheat". And...it doesn't taste like a "whole wheat" cereal. You and your kids will never taste the difference. They don't use any artificial preservatives, colors or flavors, high fructose corn syrup, or hydrogenated oils. They are also an environmentally friendly company. They named their company in honor of their own mother! :) I'm not trying to sound like an advertisement for "Mom's Best", I just think it's a really good product!

We got the "Toasted Cinnamon Squares". They taste EXACTLY like "Cinnamon Toast Crunch". And it's CHEAP!!!! I don't remember the exact price, but it was something like $2.12 (???) for a big box. It's not generic, they just don't do advertising, and they pass the savings onto us. Thanks Mom's Best!! It's kind of hard to find. Only one of the Walmart's in our area carries it. But really...you should try it. It's super tasty, healthy, and it will save you money. What's not to love!

Happy Birthday

Two years ago today my life changed forever. I took on the brand new title of "Mama" and life has never been the same. Before you have a baby, people tell you that, but there is no way to explain the change that happens, it has to be experienced. It's amazing that your heart can contain so much love so something that you have just laid eyes on.

It's hard to believe that by baby is officially no longer a baby. It's even harder to believe that I didn't cry! He is just developing so quickly now that it's hard to be anything but excited! To watch him suddenly to do things that we have been working on for months, like recognizing shapes and letters, it amazing and so rewarding. I am constantly overwhelmed by the joy that my boys bring to my life. I'm constantly humbled that God would trust me with His children.

Happy Birthday to my baby big boy!!