Toddler Teachable Moments: Hands on Nature

Yes that's my 2 year old transfixed by our neighbor's honeycomb. We love learning about nature up close and personal. Our neighbors have bees, we have chickens, and we adore our veggie garden.

[first bit of honey from the neighbors]

I love experiencing life's special moments for the first time through my daughter's eyes. That is why I try to give her new experiences all the time. She is so unspoiled. By that I mean, everything is exciting, new, and amazing. Earth's beauty isn't overlooked but little ones. It is such a precious thing to witness. 

[cinnamon, buck beak, mrs. weasley, and alice - our hens] 

Everyday we must ask ourselves, "what have I done to help my little one grow today".  Okay but really most days, as long as we are in one piece, it's a victory but I'm shooting for the moon here ladies! :)

I'll leave you with this gem of a quote from Jerry Seinfeld in case you though that I lost my funny bone. ;)

 

Welcome Home.

Father's Day Handprint Craft / Card

Father's Day is quickly approaching, t-minus 13 days and counting. Craft #1 that my toddler and I worked on is a handprint card. The outside says, "Happy Father's Day Daddy". Here's a picture of the inside.

This is super fitting of my hubby. He loves to fish but rarely catches a thing. Teehee, he's a really good sport about it though so I think he'll enjoy this card. 

We are also making a "Fisherman's Survival Kit.

[free printables here: http://familycrafts.about.com/od/survivalkits/ss/Fishermans-Survival-Kit.htm]

Your turn! What kind of Father's Day surprises do you have lined up this year?

Welcome Home.

DIY Little Mermaid Apron

Naptime crafting is the best! I have been wanting to make a dress-up apron for a long time now. Today's craft is a little mermaid inspired dress-up apron. 

The whole project cost me about five dollars in materials. I have been buying fabric from Joann's for forever but someone recently told me that walmart has fabric in store. Holy cow! Can we say bargain!? The selection is minimal and since I don't shop there, it was an added trip, but the price was great. I paid 1/3 of the prices at Joann's!

The whole project took me about 2 hours  since I had to do a lot of pinning. It was easy and a fun play accessory for my toddler. When I showed it to her she squealed and said, "mermaid". I call that a win! ;)

Welcome Home.

Sew Your Own Queen Elsa Dress from Frozen

So if you have a daughter then it's likely you know all about Frozen. As the mother of a two year old, I sure do. I call it Frozen Fever, it's highly contagious and causes symptoms of: desperate merchandise shopping, panic attacks, 4 hour disney store line waits, and lack of merch induced depression. Luckily, my toddler is still so young that I don't have to run around collecting the character plushes just yet (even though I'd like to).

I did make my daughter Elsa's dress, or at least something similar. Here are some more pictures of it. It cost about $25 in supplies.

The cape is made of the same sheer fabric as the sleeves. I also went through and hot glued gems onto the cape in the shape of a snow flake toward the bottom. I put gems all over the cape at random as well. 

I love how it turned out and for my first dress with sleeves, I kind of impressed myself! LoL

What has Frozen done to all of you?

Welcome Home.

Bunny Notes, Basket, and Trails... Oh my!

Happy Easter Everyone!

I'll make this short and sweet since it's waaaay past this bunny's bedtime. Here is my set up for my 2 year old's Easter morning!

A note that is now on E's door.

And the trail to her basket begins!

Follow the bunny tracks...

To find a basket under the table :)

The basket contains: a kite, magnetic alphabet letters, wooden alphabet puzzle, princess bubbles, bead necklaces, pjs, books, and Frozen stickers that are not in the photo.

Tell me about your Easter morning!

Welcome Home.

Toddler Gardening Apron

Sorry y'all, I have been seriously MIA lately. That's what happens when the hubby is gone for a while.

Yesterday's project was a gardening apron for my daughter. I didn't follow a pattern since I have a huge pattern-phobia. Those thin sheets of puzzle like patterns seriously make my heart race a little, go ahead and laugh but they freak me out. Usually when I sew clothing, I look at Pintrest and make a sketch of what the plan is. I bought 100% linen in brown. This apron only took a 1/4 of a yard. 

The end result reminds me of Little House on the Prairie. This spring my toddler will be helping feed the chickens and water the garden and this apron will be great for that. 

It looks much cuter on her than the floor. ;) Next up, my own garden apron in a tan shade of 100% linen. 

In chicken news, we started with 4 hens this past fall and despite have a bitter cold winter, they all survived. 

The weather here hovered between -20F and 10F for quite a while but between a sturdy coop and hot drinking water every couple of hours, they thrived. If anyone would have told me 5 years ago that I'd be a mother of 1 toddler, 2 dogs, and 4 hens today, I would have had them committed. Having a daughter really brought out my inner hippy/farmer/green self ;)

Has your inner hippy come out as well since having kids?

Welcome Home.

Easy Toddler St. Patrick's Day Crafts

The shamrock window clings are up and now it's time to craft some more decorations. March is just around the corner and so is St. Patricks Day. We are not Irish but we are Catholic & it's still fun to decorate the house. St. Patrick used the shamrock to explain the holy trinity (Father, Son, & Holy Ghost) as he brought Christianity to Ireland. Taking time to talk about our faith & history is really important to our family. 

I am not the most artsy person but I get by ;). We made a shamrock craft as well as a rainbow/pot of gold craft. 

This was an easy craft and my 22 month old loved sticking the paper pieces down on the sticky glue. We just worked with one color at a time and now Elena officially knows the color purple! We try to make as many teaching moments as we can. 

For the shamrock you'll need:

A paper coffee filter 

Watercolor paint

Brush

Construction paper

Clear contact paper (optional)

First, flatten out a paper coffee filter. Then let your toddler go to town painting it. I limited her to green and yellow for this project. Next, cut out a shamrock shaped frame. Once dry, I attached the two using clear contact laminating paper. 

Both crafts took a total of 40 minutes to do with my crafty toddler and they really add to our decor! Elena's face when she saw her art on the wall was priceless!!!

What kind of crafts do you do in the spring?

Welcome Home.

Post Run or Workout Smoothie

I've mentioned in previous blog entries that I'm preparing for a 5k Color Run in May. Most days I'll eat cottage cheese or a piece of fruit after my jog but today I was feeling a smoothie. Mmm Greek yogurt-y goodness. (Yes it was that good!) so here's how I made it:

Blueberry Smoothie

1/2 c greek yogurt (plain)

1/2 c milk 

Blueberries

Pineapple 

Ground flax

Blend and Enjoy!

Pretty much I just eyeball it but I knew that I'd be sharing with my toddler and she went nuts over it!

What do you use as post workout fuel?

Easy Toddler Valentine Crafts

Hey y'all! We had a very fun crafting weekend. With cold temps and snow keeping us inside, I'm glad that we had craft supplies to keep us busy. First we made a tissue paper sun catcher.

We used supplies from the dollar store mostly. The only thing they did not have was clear laminating paper. 

After cutting up tissue paper, I cut a heart out of red construction paper. Then I attached it to stick laminating paper and let my toddler go to work decorating the inside with the tissue paper. 

I sealed it in with another piece of clear laminating paper and trimmed the edges. 

Then we made two more decorations using paint and cute little toddler hands and feet!

We had a blast and then took a bath. :)

 

What kind of valentines crafts are you making to brighten up your home this season?

Top 5 Winter Toddler Outings

Life at home with a toddler is never dull! As a stay at home mom, it is important for me to get out of the house (least once a week) with other moms and their children. Options are limited in the winter so we have to scout out the best places to learn, play, and grow together. This is my top 5 list of places to take my toddler during the less-than-friendly weather.

1. The Rainforest or Aquarium 

If you are lucky enough to live near a rainforest and haven't been there yet, give it a shot. I take Elena to the zoo & rainforest a couple of times a month. It's always fun and the Cleveland metroparks rainforest is pretty nice. They have special days when you can meet and talk to the animals' care givers. We have an aquarium too which is perfect for a snowy day.

2. A nature or science center

Living in Northeast Ohio sure does have its perks. There are several indoor nature centers and science centers that typically have free admission. They have snakes, birds, fossils, and more to keep little ones interested. My favorite one in this area is the Rocky River Nature Center (formerly the Interperative Center). There is an indoor tree house and toys as well as a reptile display. They frequently host animals shows and family events throughout the year.

3. Indoor Playcenters 

With admission usually costing between $3-$12 a child, indoor play centers are an inexpensive place to burn off energy. Here in our area we have several that fit the bill: Jump Yard, Kids Play, Amazone, and others. Always bring socks and call ahead to make sure you can bring your own food (if you wish).

4. Shopping Mall Play Areas

Most malls these days have a place for the littlest shoppers. The malls near us also host family day events that usually include: a craft, snack, and show/storytime all for free. It's been our experience that these public areas tend to get crowded and are not the cleanest as the day wears on, so we play it by ear on days we hit the mall. We also aim to go early and play before it gets to busy. 

5. The Library 

For many reasons, the library is a great place to take your tot. Many libraries have a play area for the little ones. The libraries near me host story time several days a week and it's a good way to meet other families in your neighborhood. My daughter loves books so a trip to the library is an easy choice for us! 

Where are your favorite places to take your kids in the winter? 

DIY Edible Bathtub Paint

My daughter has two favorite things she loves to do above all else. Taking a bath & painting. Since I am slightly OCD about messes, I thought combining the two would be a perfect solution. I make my own paint for Elena, using typical pantry ingredients. This is edible paint but it doesn't taste great so Elena doesn't eat it (though she always taste tests it before playing).

What you'll need:

2/3 c warm water

2/3 c flour 

1 TBS sugar

1 tsp salt

Food coloring

Whisk all of the ingredients in a bowl until smooth. I pour the colorless base into bowls or a muffin tin and then add the food color gel or drops. Mix each one thoroughly and enjoy! We haven't tried scenting the paint but that would be something neat to add to the sensory play. 

It is so easy and she really enjoys painting herself as well! :) I haven't experienced any staining in the tub or on my daughter so that's a big plus. 

Sometimes we draw shapes and animals with the paint and talk about the colors. Today we drew letters and talked about the ABC's. We try to learn and play together often & this is just one of the many ways we do that. How do you make learning fun?

DIY Holiday Tutu Tutorial

The holiday season this year came in like a tornado and left me scurrying to try and get as much done as I could. I bought red and white tulle with the intent of making a Christmas tutu. Not only did I not make it, I have no clue when it would have been worn. Today's nap time was full of crafting and blogging. I finished this tutu for Valentines Day and I'm glad that I (somehow) got ahead of schedule! 

Here's how to make your child a tutu :)

You'll Need:

2 25 yard rolls of tulle

Stretchy crochet headband

Scissors

1-2 hours (if you can find it!)

Cut your tulle into strips that are twice the desired length. Tie in half on the thick crochet stitches. I started doing white on the bottom and red on top but found it easier to do all the white along the bottom then finish with the red. 

Make your way all the way around the headband. For a thicker tutu, you could always add more tulle pieces.

 

Tip: Avoid glittery tulle like the plague. Do not fall under the glitter tulle's spell, unless of course you enjoy cleaning up glitter for the next 3 months. I learned my lesson so that you don't have to. Your welcome. 

These can easily be hung on hangers and that is the best way we have found to store them. Please comment below if you have any questions. Happy Crafting!

Welcome Home.