Easter will be here before we know it. Which means it's time to think about suiting the family up to look good in all those pics. Whether you want to make or buy your duds this year, you have lots of great options.Today I have for you a round up I'm calling "sew vs. shop" with a little bit of something for everyone. First up is this super sweet girl's skirt at Aesthetic Nest vs. fun flowy layers at J.Crew. Click through for the rest of goods. Of course, mama needs a cute … [Read more...]
Having Fun with Science and Nature
Trying out simple experiments at home is a great way to introduce science to young children and I've got a classic nature-based experiment to share with you today. Wondering where that pic above is leading? You're gonna have to head over to momtastic to find out. And speaking of nature, have you picked up your e-copy of Action Pack, volume 2 Seeds and Beads over at Whip Up yet? The folks over there were kind enough to send me a copy and let me tell you, it … [Read more...]
A Simple Handmade Toy For Baby’s Easter Basket
What would you get if you combined Made by Joel's latest super simple toy and Craft Jr.'s free Easter printables? Click through to find out. It's the perfect handmade toy for baby's first Easter Basket! I'm putting an MPMK twist on S and C's Easter baskets this year and this is your sneak peek at what's to come. For this project (which I also refer to as the "Which Came First?" toy), I simply printed out Craft Jr.'s Easter chick and egg graphics in a small, medium … [Read more...]
Weekend Look Book
I don't usually do a lot of writing for the weekend look book (even bloggers deserve a weekend right?) but I'm making an exception today to send out a big THANK YOU! to all of you who have shared my paint chip Easter garland. It's been so exciting to watch the word spread and so nice to read all of your lovely comments.And now the amazing Amy Atlas is even hosting a contest based on my little DIY. Check it out here and then come back and click through for your weekend eye candy. As always, … [Read more...]
Mini-Tutorial: Super Simple Baby Blanket
I've been meaning to share a mini-tutorial on these easy-peasy baby blankets for a while now. But then things got a little crazy and I thought I missed my window - cotton flannel blankets don't exactly scream spring time. But now it seems that someone forgot to tell Mother Nature about Spring (it's down-right nippy in Seattle today). Maybe I didn't miss my window after all? Plus, even spring and summer babies love to be swaddled and these can easily be made with a lighter … [Read more...]
Welcoming Spring: Flower Crafts
photos via Made By Joel, Frugal Family Fun Blog, Sycamore Corner Crafts, Morgan Made It, and Meet the Dubiens I'm over at momtastic today sharing a collection of flower art projects for the kiddos. Check it out for lots of fun ways to inject a little Spring into your home.And when you're done over there, click through for some grown-up floral crafts like these lovely paper wall flowers at Scrapbooks etc.When it comes to fabric flowers, Sara over at Craft Snob is … [Read more...]
Paper Crane Tutorial to Help Your Children & Those in Japan
As I watched the disastrous events in Japan continue to unfold last week, I became grateful that my children are still young enough to carry on blissfully unaware of the tragedies occurring there. But I know someday soon that will not be the case. So I've been doing some research on how to help kids cope with these types of events. Here are four concrete steps parents can take to help: Talk to them about what they're seeing and hearing. Not sure where to start? See Not Just Cute … [Read more...]
Fun Ways to Make Tracks
bottom left photo via Tokketok, left photo via ohdeedoh.My little man loves pretty much anything that goes vrooom - cars, trucks, trains, etc. He has an extensive collection of them all that he plays with daily. So for a while now I've had a few special road and track projects stowed away for a quiet afternoon. Well, it seems I'm not the only one with trucks and tracks on the brain. While browsing the web over the past week I've found a couple more ideas to add to my stash. And just … [Read more...]
Imaginative Play “On the Fly”
I'm posting over at momtastic today on how to seize the moment for spontaneous fun. Be sure to check it out for all the details on the above photo.And when you're done over there, come on back for more creative indoor play activities to add to your arsenal. The lego ski resort and the colander sculpture are a dead tie for my favorite, you've gotta see them!Just like the popular toddler sewing basket from Childhood 101, this Colander Sculpture at Tinker Lab promotes fine motor skills … [Read more...]
DIY Paint Chip Easter Garland
I'm a bit of a hoarder when it comes to paint chips (see exhibit A below). They all look so lovely in the hardware store that I have a hard time sticking to my intended color scheme. As a result, I have quite a collection. Lately I've been eyeing my stack and formulating a few simple projects in my head. The first of which I present to you today - a DIY Easter egg garland. This was super easy and turned out even better than I'd hoped. I love how the white line … [Read more...]
Weekend Look Book – aka I Like It and I Don’t Care If It Fits “My Niche”
(So, I might be trying this new thing, the Weekend Look Book, but I'm not sure yet - consider this a test run. And my apologies to anyone who got this post in their reader on Friday only to find a dead link. I accidentally posted it immediately instead of scheduling it to publish today. Clearly, it's been a long week around here.) It's the weekend so I'm not working too hard for you - just click on the pics for more info!I WANT TO HAVE...FOR FUNFOR THE HOMEI WISH I HAD THE TIME/SKILL TO...FOR … [Read more...]
Fresh Finds: Maps & Globes with a Twist
photo via Sarah Jane StudiosI am absolutely loving this nursery I just found while surfing around online. Everything about it is note perfect - the airiness, the bedding, the pops of color, and especially the maps. I've actually been collecting ideas on how to integrate maps and globes into kid spaces for a while now. I know what you're thinking, who hasn't? But most of my finds go beyond your standard map and this photo has compelled me to finally post about them. Click through for all kinds … [Read more...]
Why You Really Do Need to “Squish” Your Toddler Into a Rear-Facing Car Seat
This is a picture of C (age 21 months) and S (age 1 month) after a particularly exhausting trip to the zoo. If you're the parent of a toddler you might think there's something funny about this picture. C is still facing backwards despite being a full 9 months past the 1 year mark when most parents turn their children to face forward. That's because I'm fortunate enough to have as one of my closest friends a woman whom I've dubbed the car seat guru. We met in a mommy group when C was … [Read more...]
A Quick, Easy, and Super Cool Kid Photography Project
I've been seeing lots of creative kid photography projects lately but this is by far one of my favorites. Since I found this idea on pinterest by someone who got it from unnamed sources on flickr - I don't have an original source for you. So instead of using the photo I found, I took 5 minutes and made my own. The process is extremely simple. Just choose a picture with lots of open space on one side. Then use your photo editing software of choice to add some text about your … [Read more...]