Have you heard? MPMK is having its first giveaway today. And since we're on the topic of giveaways, I wanted to take the time to highlight a site that is generous enough to have one every day. I first read about Katie Moon's commitment to provide one new children's illustration a day (free for 24 hours) for the entire year over at ohdeedoh.When I visited oohmoon, I was delighted to find the pieces were being provided as week-long series. That means that all you have to do is stop by once … [Read more...]
Jumbo Fabric Wall Decals
There's something about fabric wall decals that I find infinitely more appealing than their vinyl counterparts. Maybe it's that they're more forgiving on textured walls, removable, and reusable... or maybe fabric just seems a bit cozier than vinyl? Whatever it is, the jumbo versions are the best of a good thing. The creator of these vibrant decals from Pop and Lolli (first spotted by me at Design Mom) declares, "I believe in impact" and boy does she put her money where her … [Read more...]
How to Foster a Love of Writing in Your Kids
I can't seem to get away from all things literary this week (see here and here), so I'm just gonna go with it. When I was in 5th grade, I was selected to participate in a program called "Young Authors" in which I had about a week to write and illustrate a book. Once I was done, I got to skip an entire day of school to attend special writing workshops at a local community college. The experience left me extremely enthusiastic about reading and writing - a feeling I would love to instill in my … [Read more...]
What to Put in Your Art Tool Box
I've been drooling over some amazing blogs about art and play lately. I look at these virtual Montessori Meccas and fantasize about daily art activities based on weekly themes for C. Then S starts crying and I come to my senses. But not having time to set up a preschool in my living room doesn't mean I have to give up on art all together.To make it more manageable (and to keep me more accountable), I've made a pact with a friend - we'll do it together, about once a week. We'll go … [Read more...]
Kid Craft: Book Page Flags
photos via lilla a Here's a little mid-week bonus post - the perfect art project to go along with today's reading theme. These book page flags make me think of literary voyages to imaginary lands. What a simple and lovely project over at lilla a. … [Read more...]
5 Things You Should Know About Your Library
There's something almost magical about heading to the library and checking out your own books as a child. Getting a library card is one of the first times our little ones get to experience a sense of ownership. That alone is reason enough to become a regular but there are some other great (and surprising) reasons too - here's a list of 5 resources you might not be taking advantage of: Getting Ready for Baby Kits - When S was due to arrive I went looking for a few books to help C … [Read more...]
Tutorial: Magnetic Wall Giraffe
Welcome to Modern Parents Messy Kids, I'm glad you've made your way here. Where is here? Modern Parents Messy Kids (or MPMK for short) is the fruition of a seed that was planted in April, 2010. While 7 months pregnant with S, I wrote my very first tutorial (below) and came oh-so-close to becoming a contributor for the mega blog Apartment Therapy. If you're savvy enough to find my new little corner of the blogosphere, I don't need to tell you how exciting this was for me. I didn't … [Read more...]
Presents: How Many and What Kind Are Best? (Plus a Stocking Mini Tutorial)
I finally finished our family stockings. I'm sharing this picture in case any of you are interested in how they turned out but I'm not doing a detailed tutorial for a number of reasons: If you don't have stockings for your family on December 23rd then you definitely don't have time to make them and I don't want to stress you out. As is probably obvious, I barely got these done. Taking pictures to document the process was really not in the realm of possibility. I don't feel I'm … [Read more...]
Believing in Santa: The 2010 Way
Sending Santa a letter with your wish list and sneaking down the stairs on Christmas Eve to try to catch a glimpse of the big guy is so 10 years ago. These days believing in Santa has gone viral. Check out the evidence below:photo via parent hacksAccording to parent hacks the best way to tell Santa what you want is to have mom or dad take a picture of you holding the prized object with a camera phone and then emailing it directly to him. It makes me kinda sad to think … [Read more...]
Top 3 Gifts for the New Mom
I was going to post this on Friday but I'm starting to freak out a little that Christmas is only 9 days away so I couldn't wait. Hopefully this will help if you're feeling a little under the gun too. This shirt from Gap is the answer to every new breast-feeding momma's dreams. It's one of those great forgiving tops that hangs just a little away from the post-baby-and-still-a-little-squishy stomach area. It's also a little thicker than most Ts so it doesn't cling. As rare … [Read more...]
Do You Like Your Elves Naughty or Nice?
If you're looking for more of a positive influence in your family elf, consider the Elf on the Shelf. This little guy keeps watch over the family during the day so he can report back to the North Pole every night on who's been naughty and nice. The kids know he's been to see Santa every night because he's always in a new spot when they wake up in the morning. I haven't tried the Elf on the Shelf yet but according to my group for moms of two - he is remarkably effective at keeping toddlers in … [Read more...]
Christmas Fun with Felt
I'm a little obsessed with felt this Christmas. I think it's because C is 2 this year and I'm feeling the urge to really do it up with homemade decor. To this novice seamstress felt feels like a very approachable and non-threatening material. It doesn't fray, comes in lots of beautiful colors, and conveys a kind of handmade goodness that goes well with imperfect stitching. Here are a handful of easy felt projects that I've been collecting over the last few weeks. photo via … [Read more...]
Two Great Deals for the Big Present Under the Tree
Still in need of a big ticket toddler item for Christmas? Look no further. Here are two tried-and-true classics that pack a lot of playtime punch at a reasonable price. First up is the quintessential train table. We bought this one for C's 2nd birthday and he has played with it for at least an hour every single day in the last two months. The first day I actually canceled a play date because I knew we weren't making it out of the house. I got more cleaning done that day than I had the … [Read more...]