Texture Play

Babies, toddlers, and children all around need to be comfortable with experimenting and texture play is one of the best ways for them to grow accustomed to different things.  There are a lot of different textures children can play with, fuzzies-like teddy bear furs or cotton balls, slimes like Goblin Goo and Shaving Cream Paints, and doughs of all sorts - edibles, snows, sands.  Not to mention dozens, if not hundreds of toys and books.

Don't forget when playing with your kiddos as they work with the different textures to help them learn descriptive words, if they're very young, like rough, slick, soft, hard, hairy, fluffy, or if they're older help inspire them to think, like what happens when we stretch it?  What happens when we squeeze it?  What happens when we roll it?  Does it hold its shape when you let go?

Involve your young one with things you do in your daily life that have different textures, like baking, cleaning with sponges and water, involve her in the art projects, the fun and the work.  Talk about the difference between pastas, and the texture of the carpet versus the tile.  Let your babies ask questions.

She-she and I played with Oobleck, (Corn Starch and Water) she's young enough that we didn't discuss polymers, or the actual physics behind it, but we did discuss that sometimes things are liquid and some are solid.  We came up with a few other things that are in solid and liquid states that she's familiar with, water and ice, cake and batter, ice cream and milk.

Remember though, that any sort of learning through play is about the play first to your child, don't make learning un-fun!

Yummy Fruit "Cake"

So my dear She-she turned four in October (thus the painting of a jack-o-lantern on her cheek) her birthday party was on the Saturday after her birthday, but her grammy wasn't able to be there on the day of the party so we wanted to throw a bit of a party on her actual birth day.  We are striving really hard to reduce processed sugar in our diets, striving to make changes with the level of red meat, the level of unhealthy foods, and we already had cupcakes planned for the party, but honestly Grammy was a life-saver in the cake department.

I was concerned; how can you ever say, "no birthday cake" to a young child?  So when Grammy suggested a fruit "cake" we gently asked She-she if she'd be ok with it.  I was floored when she got excited.  Part of it I'm sure was our excitement (even if a bit mocked on my side) and promises that it would be special.  So then we hit Pinterest, hunting for kid's style fruit cakes... I was...less than impressed.  Again Grammy came to the rescue and brought up the idea of a ball gowned princess fruit cake.  Frankly it ended up being adorable.

Watermelon, grapes cut in half, blueberries, strawberries in half, oranges, peaches, and a bit of cream cheese and marshmallow fluff fruit topping, all of it was designed to bring joy to my baby girl and joy it did, with not near so much undesirable calories.

Fall Days - Preschool Tree Time!

One of my all time favorite times of the year is the transition from fall to winter, the leaves changing color, the chill in the air, the holidays looming and coming and looming and coming, the children's crafts, the excitement, the giggles.... I could go on forever.  

Yesterday I wrote a post about taking advantage of every learning opportunity you get, but I should also admit that I do have a formal "preschool" time with my daughter, we attempt one to three times a week, sometimes we'll get in all five days and sometimes we'll skip a week entirely.  It's flexible because she is young, and because we're busy!  But I do have an entire binder that I have started to accumulate awesome homeschooling things within, things like free printables (http://www.allkidsnetwork.com/worksheets/) and crafts like the one we did yesterday which I also got from an amazing blog called Housing a Forest and a rough week-by-week schedule.

Anyways! On to the fun!  While these trees look awesome, and took a while, they were incredibly easy and the kids (ages 2 1/2 and 4) had a ton of fun every step of the way.  

The first thing I did was to shred up about 3 pages of each color of construction paper and put them in about 1 to 1.5 c. water.  This will start the paper pulp, but they need to have a good while to really absorb the water.  As we were doing a fall theme we chose red, orange, and yellow (like the example.) we loved it so much though we might do it in the spring time and do it with green and pink and make apricot tree blossoms.  

While the paper was soaking, we made the "Salt dough hills."  Salt dough is the easiest thing to make, 1 c. salt, 1 c. water, 2 c. flour.  If its a little too wet or dry add more flour or water.  Now I didn't know how well these would hold up, and I wanted ours to go on the mantle, so I used wide mouthed pint sized jars and we shaped the dough to fit into it.  (I will say when you bake there's a slight bit of relaxing, so make it a little smaller than the cup's diameter.  I ended up having to rip off some of the edges of their hills to cram them inside.)  The dough once baked however did appear to be strong enough to hold up the single branch trees,  I had also thought about putting them in little tins from the dollar store, but liked the mason jar look.  You can use whatever you want for the base. 

The kids helped with every step of this process from pouring flour to mixing to rolling and playing.  When they had the basic shape of their "hills" we stuck in our branch (just pulled from my own back yard.) to give it the general fit for the branches.  Then I stuck them in a 250 degree for about 30-45 minutes.  I wanted them to be dry enough to paint, but still moist enough to force the tree into.

While the dough was in the oven we worked on our ground covering - what else but a pile of leaves?  We took the colors and put them in the blender, (lightest first) and blended up the paper.  I found that I needed to add extra water to make a good pulp of each of the colors.

Once the pulp was finished I let the kids each have a color and we started pinching out paper.  I covered a plate with paper towel (to help with the mess and to absorb the extra water) and we each started pinching the leaves out.  For individual lives simply squish the water out and set them on the towel.  My daughter did this for a bit, before deciding she didn't like the individuals much and decided to roll it into a big ball and crumble it and squish it, honestly, it looked just as awesome and resembled more a raked pile that the kids had played in then the perfect ones.   

Baby B (though not much of a baby any more!) was much more precise and preferred to only take a few fingers to squish the leaves individually.  Both of them ended up getting some beautiful leaves and a good pile by the end because neither wanted to just leave the paper to dry, both wanted to play with the pulp a bit, and as it was their day I wanted them to do what they wanted to do.  

When they were done with the leaves I pulled the dough out and let it cool while we did lunch.  Once cooled the kiddos enjoyed painting their hills "natural" hill colors, browns and greens.  This also allowed the leaves the opportunity to dry while they painted.  When they were done with the painting we did some fun time away from crafts to let them dry.  When I could handle it I put them into the pint jars and pushed the tree into the dough.  I thought I would need to hot glue this, but it was a nice snug fit, I can only assume from the expansion while it cooked.  

Once the trees were in their jars it was time to start putting the leaves on the tree itself.  The fun with this was how random and easy it could be, you could put as much or as little on as you want, it looked good with the branches in bare and the ground leaves we'd done earlier in the jar.  I had to help B a bit to get the leaves to stick in the beginning, but by the end he was figuring it out and wrapping it well.  The thing I would recommend is that the older party help squeeze some of the water out to ensure the paper will stay on the branch.  If they got too big of a wet clump it would all fall right off. Also I have to agree with the Housing a Forest author - the more erratic the better.   

She-she's Tree.

Baby B's Tree

Once that was done we tied a bit of raffia around the pint jars and I set them on the mantle to dry. If you don't have / don't like raffia, fabric, burlap, ribbon, yarn.... pretty much anything to accent it would work.

It's Gorgeous!!! It's totally a craft that I want to display in my home. :)  It may even be a yearly tradition and at $0 a tree it would be one we can always do no matter what finances look like.  :)  For sure my favorite craft of the year thus far.

Every Opportunity

My daughter is four years and one month old, and since the beginning I have believed that every opportunity can be a learning experience, even in its joy.  Play is one of the best ways for a child to learn, whether social skills like manners, sharing, and how to handle a disagreement or educational skills, like the alphabet, mathematics, history, shapes, colors, science...

I remember one day She-she an I went to the grocery store, she was perhaps five months old and certainly not speaking yet.  Despite the fact that it was just the two of us I was chattering away with her, asking her opinion on fruits and veggies, talking about the ripeness, and letting her smell and feel things like pineapples and kiwi.  After a while a woman turned and glared at me, "Who are you talking to?" she snapped and I looked pointedly at the carseat with my little angel in it.

"My daughter," I said, not certain what I'd done to upset her for talking to my child.

The woman, tilting her head and full on scowling said, "She cannot talk yet, she is too young."

I just raised an eyebrow and said, "How do you think she learns?"  Then I proceeded to talk to She-she and walked away from her.

Even though that was nearly four years ago I still remember it like yesterday, still remember her "are you stupid" tone and me thinking "you must be crazy."  The fact is every opportunity I get I talk to my daughter, I tell her about the world and what we see, I have since the day she was born.

She-she was an early talker, and she speaks well.  She knows the alphabet, can count, can sing several songs on her own.  And I believe this is because her father and I surround her with enjoyable learning.  She helps me sort the laundry, she helps me count how many apples I have and how many I need.

I believe as a mother my major goals in life are to prepare her for a full and enjoyable life, school, friends, people, conflict, self esteem, and all this comes from taking every opportunity to teach her, I do this by providing her as many learning opportunities as I can and being involved in her life.

Some tips for bringing learning into every day life:

~Teach colors, ask your child to pick clothes of a specific color, explain the difference between dark blue and light blue.

~Count everything.  Count the fruits and veggies they're eating, count the number of books they have, count the photos on the wall.

~Show them signs.  "Please walk."  "The Dollar Store."  Signs are all around us and may be the first examples of letters they ever see.  Point to the letters of their name if you can get close enough.  Let them touch if they can.

~Make up goofy songs to help them spell and learn.  She-she has a song about her name that her dad sang her when she was about a year old.  Even before she understood what the letters meant she was spelling her name.  Its also a great way to teach them your phone number in case they ever get separated from you.

~Take them to learning-full places, parks with numbers and letters, science projects, music.  Instead of taking them to Chuck-E-Cheeses for their birthday take them to The Children's Museum, an art studio-where they can do their own art, a kid's science facility, a restaurant where they can see the chef work, etc.  Its tempting when you go to these places to go with another parent, which is fine, but make sure you take advantage of one-on-one time as well.  Give your child the opportunity to ask questions and to play with you.

~Encourage questions and answer in ways they understand.  About six months ago She-she asked me how crayons were made.  Since I knew only the bare necessities, colors and wax were mixed and melted we went to Youtube and watched a video together.  It was enjoyable for both of us.

~And an obvious one: Books.  Fill your child's life with books, whether they're your own or the libraries.  There are all sorts of different kinds, and picture books can be just as informative as text books, especially to an early reader.  Read to your child, whether at night or in the morning or in the car (not while you're driving.) When they're potty training let them read on the toilet.  (It relieves the stress on them too.)  Ask them questions about what they read, everything from what color is her hair, to what was the problem ____ had?  How did they fix it, etc.

When they start learning to put their letters with what they look like start working on the sounds they make too.  Have them sound out some words with you.  In short, your child can be and is likely a brilliant person, but they don't know it until you show them.  So show them every opportunity you get!

Cute And Girlie Closet

When we bought our house I was certain we'd have PLENTY of storage space, we'd never even start using the 2 walk in closets, the 2 "storage" closets, the guest room closet, the garage.  Four years later and I've become frankly overwhelmed with the massive quantities of things we have in our house.

So I decided in my quest to "conquer clutter" that I would hit up She-she's closet, since hers was the worst of all of them, stacked with things that really didn't allow me to use them.

I started by ripping everything out - I gutted it, removed all clothing, pulled all shelves, all "extra's" (As an artist she'd gotten a lot of my "supplies") then I went about sorting and trashing and organizing.

First I followed "The Saved Quarter's Blog by Penny Saver" tips when she discussed picking up kids clothes for next to nothing.  I organized She-she's clothes out into what we had - though I need to go through it again as this was almost a year ago when I went through everything.

I wanted her to have ample room in her closet for her clothing, since it was the only place I wanted her clothing.  Then I chose a color scheme.

Since my daughter is a very girlie-girl, (And I had several of the "totes" already) I chose pink and black.

After putting away all of her clothing I sorted Arts and Crafts, DVD's (She has many little videos for "nap/quiet" time) And blankets.  I also needed a permanent place for my scrap-booking supplies.

By following the simple color scheme the closet ended up having a cohesive look despite the fact that there was still a lot of different types of things in there.  You'll likely note the car-seat base, and possibly the luggage in the back corner beside her dresser.  The pink totes I picked up at Target in their $1 section.  I then took an old diaper box and wrapped it with the black and silver paper I had left over from a wedding.  The other pink totes were given to me from my mom and MIL while I was in the hospital with She-she.

Simple and cheap we were able to have access to her clothing and toys and my craft supplies at any point.

Diva Dolly Apron

 This actually was my niece's Christmas present, I made a "set" for my sister (Banana) and her daughter (BellaBoo), but it turned out so cute I thought I'd share it with you.

I'm sure you have seen the "flirty" aprons around the web, maybe even contemplated spending the $30-50 on them, but they are really incredibly simple to make, and even a novice seamstress can come away with something adorable.  (You will have to beg the pardon of my grumpy daughter in the photos - she just found out we weren't keeping the apron she was trying on.)  

First, choose a fabric that is washable! No silks, brocades, or satin's here, you want this to be adorable and FUNCTIONAL.  I chose polka-dot and zebra print because it really fits my sister and her daughter, but choose whatever you like.  I think (its been since November sorry!) I got two yards of the polka dot for both of them and a half yard of the zebra print - as I couldn't find any ribbon I liked, so I made my own.  

Next, get a rough estimate on the size of their chest.  Remember as an apron you'll want it to be snug enough to not get in the way, but big enough to cover most of their shirt.  I measured my own and subtracted a few inches since my sister's smaller than me!  I measured She-she and added a few since her cousin is older than her. Make sure to leave an extra half inch for sewing up the edges!

Third, use a piece of paper or a scrap of left over material or newsprint, and, folding it in half, draw a half a heart.  Draw a line down from the outer edge at a softer angle. Wall-ah you have your bodice.  If a heart doesn't fit your mood you can do a square, a circle, or whatever your heart (haha) does desire.  Once cut simply sew around the edges.  Clip any corners to keep it from puckering.  Set aside.

Fourth cut a large square (I measured to about my knees and took off about 3 inches for my sister.) I have seen many different styles of "skirts" before, everything from upside down hearts, to multiple layers, have fun and get creative with it.  I simply did a square then folded it in half and rounded it out.

The "gathering" is probably the most difficult part of this and really isn't difficult.  Using your sewing machine on the widest stitch possible do a quick straight stitch across the top - DO NOT knot it on the ends.  Find your center point and grabbing one thread gently pull it, supporting the cloth as it gathers.  You want these to be relatively similar, I found it best to "guide it" with my fingers, pinching where I wanted the pleat, and pulling where I wanted it smoother.  Compare the size to the bodice to ensure you're not gathering it too tightly.  When you have it the way you want it "lock it in" by sewing over it with a tighter stitch.  Again check the "fit" and then sew the top and the skirt together.  

Then you will want to add your ribbon for the waist.  Since I made my own ribbon I doubled it over and stitched it together then flipped it and hand stitched (like making a long skinny pillow without the stuffing.) If you have ribbon you can sew it on however you like, I've seen it behind, I've seen it in front, I've seen it attached to both sides, I've seen it long enough that you tie the bow in the front.  I chose a back button because I wanted it functional, and didn't want froo-froo in the way of the cookies and cakes!  Then using the same ribbon sew on the top.  Embellish with anything you want - I did an iron on patch that said "Diva in training."

Any decorations you do will be adorable, and it made BellaBoo and Boo happy. :)  

Sweetheart Chair

 For She-she's "Sweetheart" bedroom I decided to make a Sweetheart Chair. These chairs are easily adjustable to fit whatever theme you want to have for your little dollhouse room.  It can be expanded into couches and personalized in general.

1.  For this one you will need a piece of wood (Mine is just under 6 inches) and whatever "decor" pieces you would like - In my case I opted for 2 hearts.

2.  Cut the wood at a 30 degree angle.  For straight up and down do a flat cut - This offers a slight recline that appears more comfortable.

I chose to round out my seat "cushions" for a softer look.  I did this with a power sander.  

 3. Sand all the edges, including the back.  

 

 4. Test the fit and angle.  If it isn't flush adjust a bit with the sander.  

5. Using a file rough up one side (the side you intend to glue) this helps it adhere fully.

6. Liberally apply the glue to both sides and stick together.   

7. Let it dry fully. 

 8. Sand down any excess glue once fully dry.

 9.  Rough up your decor pieces.

10. And glue them on.

10.  Let dry and paint however you would like. I went simple so I could accent it with pillows.

Fleece Blankey

Diffuclty Rating: 1.5 - Child's Play 

(Scissors should be used with adult supervision.)

She-she's bedroom started out as a "baby bug" room, particularly the "pretty" bugs like lady bugs, dragonflies, and butterflies, but as she's gotten older she's wanted more and more Tinkerbell.  We have a slightly "odd" bed for her - its dimensions are not quite toddler and not quite child, so i decided to make her a fleece tied blanket all to herself.

I took my sweet little girl to JoAnn's with me and we chose two fleece's - one of course with Tinkerbell, and one with the background.  I particularly wanted the little "bumpy" fleece as it was extra soft and cute, She-she chose the color.  

Now you've probably seen this before, as its incredibly easy and they were hugely popular some eight to ten years ago. but for a quick reminder this is how you do it:

Step 1: Choose two of roughly the same weight fleece fabrics. place them together right sides out.  There is no flipping reverse sides like regular sewing.

Step 2: Going in about 3 inches cut 3 inch long strips about an inch apart. I did the first few with rulers, and had the ruler sitting there to check when I felt they were getting a bit off.

Step 3: Using the front and the back strips (in my case Tinkerbell and the green bubble fleece) tie a simple square knot.  I highly, let me repeat that, HIGHLY recommend knotting every few strips.  A strong wind, playing kids, running cat or anything else could move your fabric so the front and back cuts are off and your ties will be all messed up. 

 Step 4: Repeat until you come to about 3 inches out of the corner, tie it snugly and don't worry about bunching you'll stretch it a bit later. When you reach the corner, simply cut the rest of the fabric off. (See photo.) Then continue going along the other side with the same knotting method you used, repeating the corner cutting until you are to your very first corner.

Step 5: You will likely notice that your fabric is incredibly bunched, this is normal and shouldn't concern you.  Simply grab it along one edge about 6 inches apart and pull it to stretch it back out to its regular grain.  You may hear a little tearing here, but that's normal.  Watch what you're doing however as it is possible to rip a knot right off, but its difficult. 

Step 6: Fluff the edges and tighten any that have gotten lose, once tightened they will do well for several years. 

In fact, I have a quilt my mother made me using this method when I was still in high school (I wont say how many years ago that was haha!), other than having to tie a few knots over the years its been fantastic, none of the edges have torn off and while some stress has been made to it, its still in very good shape.

So if you're looking for a sweet gift idea or a fun thing to do on a slow Sunday why not opt for a quick fleece quilt?

Days With My Own Dolly

The rush for getting the dollhouse ready by Christmas morning prevented some of these blogs from hitting the net, in fact many of my pictures are so scattered through my albums that I'm not sure if I'll ever find them.  But I did want to let my readers know that I did make the only true and important deadline and the dollhouse was ready and adorable for my daughter Christmas morning.  I was very pleased with my little She-she's reaction to the gift, and am sharing it with you in the embedded photo.

She is a pretty spectacular little girl and an amazing light in her father and my eye.  Six months later and She-she has customized her house several times over (she took chalk to it) my initial reaction was a panic then I realized this is best, she and I will be able to remodel and add on to it plenty in the years to come.

And just so you don't fret - I am going to be uploading more dollightful "Barbie-sized" crafts and I'll be including more things my dolly and I do together, everything from preschool to mudpies. :) Enjoy!