Buzz Offtag:www.alphamom.com,2008:/buzzoff//72008-05-13T18:20:25ZMovable Type 3.33Five Great Chapter Books To Read With Your Kidstag:www.alphamom.com,2008:/buzzoff//7.10852008-05-13T18:13:22Z2008-05-13T18:20:25ZDid you know May 12-18 is Children's Book Week according to the Children's Book Council? I didn't either until I decided to write about the chapter books my kids and I have enjoyed reading together. What a lucky coincidence. When...Melissahttp://alphamom.com/buzzoff
Did you know May 12-18 is Children's Book Week according to the Children's Book Council? I didn't either until I decided to write about the chapter books my kids and I have enjoyed reading together. What a lucky coincidence.
When Max was three he loved a book called The Truck Book. The Truck Book was full of pictures of trucks with their names below. "Digger", "Steam Roller", and sometimes, for fun, a three worder would be thrown in, like Front End Loader. Reading this book at bedtime was one of the darkest hours of my day. It's not that I needed to be reading Kafka at bedtime, but something with a narrative, a plot, a climax....even just one of those things would have been nice. I tried to hide the book. I tried to insist that tonight we're reading a story, not a book of pictures. This didn't go over very well and in the middle of the tantrum, I realized I'd just painted myself into one of those really stupid parenting corners. You know, the one where once you're in it you realize it was really stupid to back yourself in?
So what if I hated the book, this was his time to sit with me and share something he loved. So for about ten excruciating months I feigned interest and glee at Fuel Tankers and Back Hoes.
When my daughter started reading chapter books to herself at bedtime I realized a couple things. I could probably start reading chapter books with my son and this would make each night like a television episode. Each night we'd close the book and wonder what would happen tomorrow. I also realized I could read with my daughter, trading pages, or I could bring my own book to her room and read next to her on the bed.
I realize neither of these things are particularly novel ideas, but still reading chapter books with my kids and next to my kids has been such a simple pleasure for all of us, I highly recommend it. Here are five of my family's favorite chapter books to get you started.
The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catling
I read this book as a third grader and did my very first book report on it. I convinced my mother to let me pass out whole Hershey bars during my presentation. John Midas is a chocoholic and after a visit to a very special candy store he finds that everything he touches turns to chocolate. This sounds wonderful to kids, but soon, as everything turns to chocolate he's totally turned off the stuff, like me and ice cream after my first summer job. This is a great book to spark imagination in your kid, mine have spent hours imagining turning my entire house into chocolate. Especially our very fat cat, imagine all the chocolate!
The Mouse and The Motorcycle by Beverly ClearyBeverly Cleary is one of my favorite authors, probably because I grew up reading her books. Shockingly I'd never read this book. This was great fun for my daughter because she'd already read it in school, and so could be the 'expert' as we read it together at bedtime. Ralph is a mouse living in a hotel when Keith and his family check in. Ralph can't resist Keith's toy motorcycle and heads out on adventures. Huge hit with the kids, especially Max who is completely dumbfounded why, if he can ride a two wheeler, he can't ride a motorcycle?
Marley A Dog Like No Other by John GroganThis is the story of Marley, "The World's Worst Dog" adapted for young readers from Grogan's original title, Marley and Me. My daughter's life revolves around dogs. How life isn't fair because she doesn't have a dog, how she might convince her parents to get a dog, how her life would be so much better with a dog. She likes to read dog stories, volunteers at the Humane Society and is obsessed with dog training shows. Reading about Marley, who is actually a pretty bad dog but also the best dog for that family, was a divine torture for the both of us. Contrary to Madison's long held beliefs, I do want to have a dog, but we're waiting until all of us are ready for such a big commitment. If you have a dog lover in your family, this is an entertaining read for both of you. (There's also a picture book version available.)
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by CS LewisWe read this book before watching the movie and that's another great way to approach choosing chapter books to read together. Reading the book will almost always make a movie more meaningful (to both kids and adults). It will also explain why, in 9th grade, when they insist it's "The same..." to watch To Kill A Mockingbird as it is to read the book, it's actually not. They can see how books are adapted and the results are often not exactly the same and this is why some great books become terrible movies. You're probably familiar with the story, but this was a fun repeat read for me.
D'Aulaires Book of Greek Myths by Ingri D'Aulaire and Edgar Parin D'AulaireSo it's not a chapter book really but myths are wonderful for young kids. My friend Jim at Sweet Juniper, who shares mythology with his three-year-old, inspired me to pull out this book I had from a 12th grade mythology class. It's easy to forget how much these kinds of stories can impress young kids. They particularly love the story of Medusa and how you can only look at her through a reflection and the story of Persephone being taken by Hades for the winter causing her mother to mourn and cause the seasons.
Those are some good titles to start you thinking. If you need more help finding great chapter books to read with your kids, ask your librarian. A friend of ours who is a librarian would like you to know, "About 80% of what I do involves really boring clerical duties. But I do this job for the other 20%: leading storytimes, helping kids with projects and helping find perfect books for interested readers." I see a new Library motto: "Librarians: Use Them!"
What are your favorite children's chapter books? ]]>
Mother's Day Giveaway's 2008 Editiontag:www.alphamom.com,2008:/buzzoff//7.10712008-05-06T15:42:01Z2008-05-06T16:37:47ZLast year I highlighted just a few of the many Mother's Day giveaways around the internet. I thought I'd do another round this year so we all have a chance to get something for nothing. Gabrielle at Design Mom is...Melissahttp://alphamom.com/buzzoff
Mother's Day giveaways around the internet. I thought I'd do another round this year so we all have a chance to get something for nothing.
Gabrielle at Design Mom is running a full week of Mother's Day giveaways at her site. She did the same last year and this year will be, according to reports, twice as big. So far, as of Tuesday, she's giving away this lovely necklace, a party pack from CocoBlu Studio, a gift basket from Nest Gift Baskets and two beautiful dresses from Shabby Apple (love these dresses). These giveaways end today May 6 at 2pm so hurry and enter.
Cool Mom Picks has their handy Mother's Day Gift Guide running again this year. To enter, simply paste the Cool Mom's Picks Mother's Day Gift Guide Logo onto your blog and email the editors to let them know where they can find it and you're entered. They'll announce the winner of a $200 gift certificate to TJ & Co. keepsake jewelry and another $200 in organic body care products from Earth Mama Angel Baby, on May 11th.
All Recipes is giving away $300 in an easy to enter sweepstakes. Simply vote for your favorite Mother's Day Brunch menu, I'll give you one guess what my answer was.
Windows Live is running a Portraits Of Mom photo contest. You can win a photo printer, a Canon Power Shot camera and an all in one photo printer and, maybe even the Grand Prize: a camcorder, a laptop computer and a family trip with a photo session with a professional photographer. Entering is a little more complex, post a photo of your Mom to your Window's Live space, get your friend's and family to vote for it, and win daily, weekly or the grand prize.
Finally at Five Minutes For Mom they're running a great giveaway. Leave a comment on each giveaway for your chance to win a ton of great prizes like an iPod Nano, a Kodak photo printer and a SAK purse (among other prizes).
Here at Alpha Mom we're running a giveaway, and though it's not Mother's Day specific, you should enter. You can win a Jeep Gear prize package (stroller, carrier and diaper bag) worth $220. Simply answer a few questions and voila! You're entered.
I have to admit I had no idea Mother's Day was this weekend. Time continues to slip past me. I hope you and yours have a wonderful day full of whatever you love to celebrate with. Personally, I like quiet time in my own house followed by a dinner with family. (Though a dress from Shabby Apple would be lovely too.)
Happy Mother's Day!]]>
Great Handmade Gifts For Mother's Daytag:www.alphamom.com,2008:/buzzoff//7.10592008-04-29T19:06:47Z2008-05-04T05:06:57ZMother's Day is once again around the corner. Holidays have a way of doing this, coming around each year, don't they? Last year I shared some fabulous last minute gift ideas for moms, you can see them here. This year...Melissahttp://alphamom.com/buzzoff
them here. This year I've come up with five reasonably easy and still lovely gifts you can help your kid make for their mother. (Pretend I'm talking to all the dads right now. You can share this with them.)
My son's preschool class did a craft like this cute Recipe Dish Towel from Wondertime, except theirs came in book form. Each child shared their favorite dish their mother's make and how they thought it was made. My son mentioned my chicken pot pie and his recipe was very helpful. "Take some vegetables, chicken and soup or something. Mix them together and put a sort of bread on top. I think." Look out Julia Child! For this project your child's recipe with a picture is put onto Iron on Transfer paper and adhered to a dish towel.
Martha offers up this plaster hand or foot casting project as a gift idea. I have a cast of my now nine-year-old's baby hand and I can't tell you how touching it is, especially now that she's nearly a double digit. It's the kind of gift that gets more special each year as your kid's hand grows. You can follow the direction at the Martha Stewart site, or find a cast kit at your local craft store. Do yourself a favor though, don't leave the kit in your kid's closet where you promptly forget about it until that one naptime when your kid is super quiet and you go in a couple hours later to find this. I know it looks like TONS of fun, but it wasn't.
Flowers are always a big hit with moms, especially in the spring when we're all relishing the newness of everything coming back to life after a long winter. However, save the cut flower gifts for your kids once they're young adults and forget all about Mother's Day requiring a frantic last minute call to a florist. These coffee filter flowers are an incredibly simple project even very small hands can do.
This ever-lasting flower bouquet incorporates photos of mom's extra special kids. In a vase, these would make a nice desktop decoration for the office. I suggest using this kind of paper from the Martha Stewart collection for a simple and colorful set of flowers.
Family Fun, as usual, has a lot of great Mother's Day craft ideas but this one in particular is my favorite. It's a bead and wire sun catcher to hang in your window. I have the perfect window for this piece, it's the one over my sink in the kitchen. The one we've been saying, 'Man, we have to get a set of blinds for this window. My retinas are being FRIED', about for almost 9 months now. Still, we do nothing. Instead of buying blinds, maybe one of my kids will make me this and I'll appreciate the blinding sun a little more as I cook dinner each night.
In case I don't get a chance to say it later, may your Mother's Day be everything you'd like it to be.]]>
Inspiring Ideas For Kid's Birthdaystag:www.alphamom.com,2008:/buzzoff//7.10492008-04-22T17:21:31Z2008-04-22T20:05:32ZI like to talk about birthdays here at the Buzz Off about twice a year, usually in November and March because these are the birthday months of my kids. March slipped right past me but I have this folder full...Melissahttp://alphamom.com/buzzoff
Here are some great DIY Birthday cakes I shared with you last November.
Finally, here are some great birthday party favor ideas. Ideas which do not bring more clutter into your life.
Last night my husband's, er, my son's Cub Scout pack held a cake auction. It was our first year so we didn't know what to expect and arrived with two cakes to put up for auction that seemed quite nice at home and incredibly lame at the event when surrounded by very imaginative cakes. Including this Krabby Patty Cake, pardon the grainy photograph I didn't have my good camera, my friend Jodi came up with, as she said, "All by herself." She didn't snag the idea from a book or magazine, it's all out of her brain...and even better, it was really simple.
She made 12 cupcakes with nice rounded tops. She cut the tops off and used them as the top "bun" and the bottom piece as the base for each Patty. She also baked a layer of chocolate cake in a jelly roll pan and cut circles out of it to make the actual "patty" part of the burgers. To finish the look she used red, green and yellow decorator frosting to apply the condiments. (FYI: Her cake brought in $40 at the auction. Ours brought in $5. Nice!)
I came across this adorable cake yesterday via Sk*rt and think it would make a great first birthday cake. It would also work for any spring or garden themed party. There's no tutorial here, but it looks to me like two sheet cakes stacked together and trimmed into the shape of a cloud.
I'm pretty sure I've shared I Dream Of Cake before and made a little joke about how easy it would be to whip up one of their confections. (Snort.) Not really but it's such a beautiful site I think you should have a look at their cake gallery. I'm pretty sure there's a way to recreate the "Operation" cake without too much effort and take a look at the building block cake.
Instead of cake you could try this exciting rainbow jello concoction. The process is a bit time consuming, but not particularly difficult and on the plus side no dealing with frosting. Jello is one of those simple pleasures my kids can't get enough of and made up to look as striking as this one, who needs cake?
As far as inspiring (yet not overwhelming) birthday party themes I found a few new ones for this edition. At Oh Happy Day Jordan helped a friend create these clever boxes for a birthday picnic. This party was for an adult's birthday, and the food inside makes that clear. Unless you have one of those kids who happily eats red pepper and goat cheese sandwiches, and if that's the case good luck finding enough of your kid's friends who will eat that. But the idea could be easily changed out for kid friendly food. Perfect for an outdoor party at the park or even at the swim club in the summer.
Design Mom shared her son's fourth birthday party theme back in January. It was a Round and Round party where the decorations and food were all....round. I'd love to make every birthday party for my kids a circle theme, there's something so festive about polka dots and honestly circle decorations are incredibly easy to make.
Finally I ran across this idea, which seems perfect today as it's Earth Day, a greener birthday party for your kid. Cindy Fay offers up several great tips including cutting some of your child's artwork into large triangles and repurposing it as a string of flags for decorations. Instead of using latex balloon, use Mylar and repurpose them as gift wrap later. This is some really good information.
Have you seen any inspiring birthday ideas recently? Leave them in the comments!]]>
Five Ways To Celebrate Earth Day With Kidstag:www.alphamom.com,2008:/buzzoff//7.10422008-04-15T18:32:53Z2008-04-15T19:55:05ZApril 22nd marks the 38th anniversary of Earth Day, a day designated to shed light on environmental issues of all kinds. The news and Going Green'pop culture are far more focused on ' by reducing, reusing and recycling in various...Melissahttp://alphamom.com/buzzoff
news and Going Green'pop culture are far more focused on ' by reducing, reusing and recycling in various forms far more than in 1970 when Earth Day was first observed. These small changes in the way we live are definitely shaping the way our kids think about the earth. For example, my kids wouldn't dream of putting a soup can in the trash but when I was growing up the only 'recycling' we did was to get our 10 cent deposit back by returning soda bottles and cans to the market.
I've come up with five ways to mark this Earth Day with your kids by celebrating the ideas of reusing, recycling, reducing and caring for the earth in tangible ways they can understand and relate to.
Help Clean Up A Park
Each spring we participate in a park clean up day at a local park or our elementary school. This weekend our senator is hosting a 'Park Clean Up' in our city in honor of Earth Day. I'll admit, your four-year-old isn't going to create a perfectly manicured flower bed. However, doing even a small amount of work (helping to rake leaves or pick up trash) and seeing many people pitching in to keep the park clean leaves a lasting impression on small minds. I can't seem to locate a national organization or clearinghouse of local Adopt A Park days, so you may want to start here and check with your city's website or local elementary school.
Buy Locally Grown Produce
Along with eating organic foods, there's been an increasing movement to eat local whenever possible. This is a valuable lesson to share with kids and with crazy produce processing debacles, probably an even better idea. Even better, plant a garden with your kids and grow your own vegetables. I'm being realistic here though and visiting a local farm is probably as good as it's going to get for The Summers. Here's a great website to help you locate a pick-your-own farm near you.
Get Rid Of Plastic Bottles
We gave up sippy cups (Thank God!) many years ago, but my kids still love having "their own" bottle of water to carry around. Recycling every plastic water bottle in the US would make landfills 2 billion tons lighter. Imagine the effect if we all stopped using water bottles all together? I bought my kids each a couple of Sigg water bottles a few months ago and the combination of a fun bottle and filtered cold water that comes out of the freezer door in our new house has reduced our trash output and increased their water consumption. It's a classic 'Win-Win'.
Be Creative With Your Trash
Make art out of trash with your kids to highlight the power of reusing. We've attended sessions at a local recycled art place called Arts and Scrap and come home with beautiful wind chimes, bird feeders and generally cool pieces of art all made mainly from industrial waste. Arts and Scraps offers lots of 'kits' so you can do some projects at home and they offer a great listing of similar places in other areas so you can find one near you.
Organize a Toy Swap.
I can not count the number of toys which have made it into my house only to find their way to the Salvation Army a few months later because they were not All That. It's a waste of money and frankly a waste of resources to continually buy things my kids aren't going to love. This is where a toy swap comes in. There's something intrinsically appealing about someone else's toys. To a four-year-old, other people's toys are just plain better. Here's some advice for doing your own toy swap. You could also try BabyPlays, a toy rental company which is like, as far as I can see, Netflix for toys. You choose a plan, 4 toys a month up to 10 toys a month, and select the age appropriate toys you'd like for your kid. Let them play with the new toys for a month and then send them back for new ones. Brilliant!
How are you celebrating the Earth with your kids?]]>
Tooth Fairy Traditionstag:www.alphamom.com,2008:/buzzoff//7.10322008-04-08T19:47:37Z2008-04-08T20:36:16ZMy nine-year-old daughter has lost almost every one of her baby teeth and collected, on average, a dollar a tooth for each of them. Now her baby molars are falling out and they're falling out in two pieces which means,...Melissahttp://alphamom.com/buzzoff
Mother, she gets paid twice for them. Our tooth fairy is no dummy though, she brought fifty cents for the first molar and another fifty will come when the other half falls out. She's smart, now if she could only remember to actually come on the night one of my kids loses a tooth.
Today I thought it would be fun to take a look at Tooth Fairy traditions and gear.
The Tooth Fairy myth originated in the United States but is found in many other countries like Ireland, South Africa, Italy and Australia among others. It's said to be a combination of an old European tradition of burying lost baby teeth in the ground and the story of a tooth mouse from a French fairy tale titled, La Bonne Petite Souris. A mouse is transformed into a fairy to help a queen defeat an evil king. The mouse/fairy hides underneath the evil king's pillow and eventually knocks out all his teeth.
Ouch.
The tooth fairy tradition in other countries is often different from the Fairy myth we have in the United States. In Italy, Spain and France a small mouse collects children's teeth. In some Asian countries children throw their tooth on the roof if it fell from their lower jaw or put it below the house if it fell from their upper jaw.
You can read about all the various tooth fairy tradition in Throw Your Tooth On The Roof, a book of collected traditions by Selby Beeler.
I love the selection of Tooth Fairy related gear at Chasing Fireflies. My kids are very light sleepers so if the tooth fairy were to reach under their pillows to collect a tooth, they'd definitely wake up. I love this hippo version the most. I've also found that if the tooth box is left on the kitchen counter, instead of on a bedside table the "Tooth Fairy" is a lot more likely to make a deposit in a timely manner.
You can also make your own tooth box, like this one at Family Fun constructed from a large matchbox. I like the ribbon handle so this box can hang on the outside of a bedroom door. Further insuring the tooth fairy will not forget to stop by and won't have to worry about tripping over toys and waking up a kid.
This Tooth Bear from Martha is a bit more complicated but far too cute not to share. I know it's sewing but remember the softies my kids and I made? It has to be easier than that, the bears only have one head after all.
According to this CBS report, the going rate for teeth is rising, up by 22% a year ago. The average kid is raking in $2.09 on average per baby tooth. I'm taking heart though in the fact that most parents in the survey said they give out $1.00 per tooth. How much does your tooth fairy fork over per tooth? ]]>
How To Make Terrariums With Kidstag:www.alphamom.com,2008:/buzzoff//7.10202008-04-01T21:07:20Z2008-04-25T22:50:46ZA little over a year ago my friend Maggie was bitten by the nesting bug and created some beautiful terrariums using succulents and large vintage apothecary jars. I was inspired, I was so inspired it only took me a little...Melissahttp://alphamom.com/buzzoff
Maggie was bitten by the nesting bug and created some beautiful terrariums using succulents and large vintage apothecary jars. I was inspired, I was so inspired it only took me a little over a year to actually, you know, do something.
Here is her excellent tutorial with some great tips and pictures. You'll also find lots of inspiration on Flickr here.
I decided to make a couple terrariums with my kids this week because it was Spring Break, only not at all like spring but rather cold and dreary. By Friday afternoon we were going to have to do something drastic, like have mouths surgically sewn shut, if I didn't find us all an activity to do.
I decided a terrarium would be an easy enough project and could burn at least two hours of daylight. Here was our supply list: Potting soil, glass containers and various succulents.
I suppose you could be far more involved than we were but I am the type of person who looks for the easiest way out. Which doesn't explain why I live in one of the more northern states of the country, but let's just leave that alone. We mainly put dirt in our glass containers-- we found ours at the craft store for $5 each-- put our plants in the dirt and added some small cars and toys to the scene and voila! Complete.
See? This is the dirt being put in the container. This was before Madison read the potting soil package and learned potting soil is made of composted manure. AND MANURE IS POO!!!!!Here is my son experiencing nature for the first time. Or so it would seem from this picture.
I didn't get pictures of us fiddling around with the plants and realizing I bought too many plants. Or rather, I bought too small containers. But still, they turned out nice.
Maddie wanted just one plant and nothing else in it, she is a minimalist. Her plant is beautiful, a version of Hens and Chicks.And here is Max's set of plants, all of which I do not know the name of. Max is more of a maximalist when it comes to his terrarium.
I am the opposite of an expert when it comes to anything related to plants. My mother-in-law gave me a beautiful ivy topiary when my husband and I were engaged 12 years ago. I immediately set about killing it, until she took it back to her house to 'nurse it back to health'. I haven't seen it since because we both know I'd start to kill it again.
Here is a short tutorial by someone who actually knows what they're doing. But it's so long I sort of fell asleep halfway through.
They do bring up two good points, though: 1) terrariums need slow growing plants, and 2) a layer of pea gravel on the bottom of the pot is a good idea for drainage.
We used succulents because I love how they look and because they are next to impossible to kill. Cacti would also be great fun-- my son is obsessed with them-- but the day we shopped they didn't have a great selection.
From Maggie's tutorial I learned that succulents do not need much water, just a misting about once a month. I can barely remember to water my cats so this will work out just fine. Also unlike regular transplanted plants, they like to acclimate to their new surroundings before being watered.
I could see doing this project with 4-year-olds on up. Some of the actual arranging of plants is too difficult for small hands, but my son is having a blast changing out the dinosaurs, Star Wars Lego guys and Matchbox cars at least once a day. Courtney at Two Straight Lines did this project with her 4 (or is he 5?) year old using non-succulents and larger containers. I love their results and will definitely spend more time finding larger containers next time.
We burned about three hours of daylight on this project, including shopping for supplies. The actual planting took less than an hour, involved no swearing and was within my tolerance level for messiness.
A win on all sides.
]]>
Five Great April Fool's Pranks For Kidstag:www.alphamom.com,2008:/buzzoff//7.10112008-03-25T18:19:17Z2008-03-26T05:56:22ZI know it's probably not very nice to play tricks on your kids on April Fool's Day, but how else are they going to learn to pull their own pranks? Okay, don't switch their shampoo with hair removal cream, but...Melissahttp://alphamom.com/buzzoff
sheeting the bed? A learning experience.
The lunchbox is a great place to trick your kids and brighten their day. My nine year old is convinced she hates grilled cheese sandwiches, which is physically impossible according to my calculations. Next thing you know she'll tell me she doesn't like pizza. I'd love to pack this "sandwich" in her lunch bag. The only drag is I wouldn't get to see the look of disgust on her face followed by the realization that this is not a regular grilled cheese sandwich.
This is a trick which could be especially effective if the adults in your family aren't particularly 'morning people'. Create a pair of stuffed legs using a pair of pants and shoes. Attach a newspaper to a sheet of poster board and see how long it takes your kids to realize dad is not actually quietly studying the newspaper.
I love the idea of convincing a kid there's a new set of laws. For example, with shock and disbelief explain the government has now dropped the minimum driving age to [age of your child]. Have some facts and official reasons for this change. Keep the joke going until your kid insists on taking the keys!
For dinner I'll be telling my kids we're having sushi (HORRIFYING!) and cupcakes for dessert. Of course the sushi will be this kind made with gummy worms and rice cereal. The cupcakes will be these delicacies made with meatloaf and mashed potatoes, something my daughter would never eat, but disguised as a dessert, who knows.
Even funnier come up with a new rule for your house, explain to the kids that eating utensils are now banned, hide all your flatware during the night before April Fools Day. Keep the joke going until you have something really messy to eat, like yogurt.
If your family computer is a Windows based machine there are literally tons of tricks you can play on the user. Here is a pretty comprehensive list, I especially like the fake Microsoft Office Paper Clip. Here's one my husband used to play on me repeatedly and it fooled me for almost two years. Hopefully your kid isn't smarter than me, and if he is, don't tell me. Take a full screenshot of your desktop with no other windows open, like this. Open the image and place it over the actual desktop, the victim will believe his computer is frozen and nothing is click-able.
Good luck! And remember when playing pranks on kids the best idea is to come right up the line, but remain on the side where your kid is laughing with you.]]>
Easter Traditions and Ideastag:www.alphamom.com,2008:/buzzoff//7.9852008-03-18T15:23:50Z2008-03-18T16:02:30ZEaster seems so early this year, I suppose because it is. The drag about this for those of us in the northern part of the US is there's still snow on the ground, our daffodils haven't even bloomed yet and...Melissahttp://alphamom.com/buzzoff
Last year I gave you a few great egg dying techniques, you may want to look back over them for inspiration.
I found a couple more easter inspirations this year.
Design Mom reminded everyone to plant their wheat grass for spring decorating and Easter baskets a couple of weeks ago. And, like everything I do, I'm only now mentioning it. I loathe plastic Easter grass almost as much as I loathe confetti tucked into greeting cards which drops all over your carpet. If you use plastic Easter grass, I hope you like it because you'll be finding remnants of it until next year. Or worse, you'll find remnants in your cat's litter box. Blargh. Here she tells you how to do it. You can either save the idea for next year or start now to have some green around your house for spring.
Remember when I showed you the Boo tradition from my neighborhood? Check out this cute "Egged" idea. You fill plastic eggs with treats, leave them in a neigbhor's porch with a note that tells them they've been egged and to pass it on.
Of course, once again, there's probably not time to pull that one off for your entire neighborhood this year, although you could just pick a favorite neighborhood friend and give them a surprise. This chocolate nest dessert from Angry Chicken is perfect for your Easter feast. Head over to her site for the recipe but it's so simple, melted chocolate, crumbled shredded wheat cereal and malted milk eggs as garnish.
Enjoy your Easter celebrations!
]]>
Great Ways To Celebrate St. Patrick's Day With Kidstag:www.alphamom.com,2008:/buzzoff//7.9762008-03-11T15:44:29Z2008-03-11T15:52:57ZI thought I'd do a little search to see what I've written about St Patrick's Day with kids in the past and, hey! I haven't written a single thing about it. I guess because when I think of St Patrick's...Melissahttp://alphamom.com/buzzoff
Old Shillelagh in Detroit.
Super Fun. The nice thing is it's seven years later and I've never had to be the designated driver again.
That St. Patrick's Day did include a fetus, but I wouldn't exactly call it Kid Friendly.
My family's background is Irish, my daughter's middle name is McGuire after my paternal grandmother. The kids are therefore infatuated with Ireland and its people, most specifically the Potato Famine I made the mistake of telling them about. Madison is now convinced this is why she should have french fries with every meal. "It's in my blood."
I've tried explaining that Shepard's Pie is also in her blood, and even Irish stew, but that's far less romantic I suppose. Also, she just loves french fries.
Since traditional Irish food is pointless to make for 1/2 of my family, I thought I'd look for some gimicky green foods to serve the kids to celebrate the day. The easiest way to do this is buy yourself some "Leprechaun Powder" and add it to the food you're serving anyway. Milk in cereal or cream cheese on a bagel.
I love this sweet tradition from a preschool education website. Add the food coloring to the bottom of glasses while kids aren't looking, the milk magically turns green.
I would hide the little bags of gold covered chocolate in different places. I wouldn't mention looking for them until we were getting ready for lunch, we would have frozen cheese pizza with milk to drink. The kids would see me opening the pizza and even putting it in the oven but while they were looking for their "golden money bags" I would go in and add green food coloring to the tops of the pizza and in their glasses. That way when the kids seen me take the pizza out of the oven I would act surprised and amazed at the fact that the pizza had changed color. Must have been the leprechaun they would always say. Then when I would put white milk into their glasses they would be surprised because it would turn green because of the coloring I already had in their glasses.
The very sweetest St Patrick's Day tradition I found which I hadn't heard of before is the Leprechaun Trap. On the night before St Patrick's Day you create a trap to catch a leprechaun, because we all know leprechaun's don't like to be seen. These traps can be very elaborate, or far more simple. As you might imagine I am a fan of the simple version.
Take a shoe box without the lid, cover it in whatever paper you'd like. Decorate with stickers or drawings and prop it up with a stick. Since the leprechaun will only come at night you must lure him into the trap using, I don't know, Lucky Charms? In the morning your child will find a surprise under the box.
Now, let's hope your leprechaun isn't ridiculously generous leaving a Wii under the box after he (probably) escapes. Let's leave the big gifts to Santa Claus, but a few little treats will be magical for kids on St. Patrick's Day.
Let's not leave green beer either, okay Leprechauns?]]>
March is National Reading Month: Five Great Children's Bookstag:www.alphamom.com,2008:/buzzoff//7.9312008-03-04T17:49:26Z2008-03-06T04:46:53ZMarch isn't just the month I where the snow starts to melt (yay), oozing into my basement in long streams of water (boo). Only to start snowing again and then melting again, March is the month of spring foolery. No,...Melissahttp://alphamom.com/buzzoff
National Reading!
Last year's National Reading Month coincided with The Cat In The Hat's 50th birthday and I wrote about it then.
I've always been a fan of reading to my kids because I am not particularly good at "Imaginative Play". When my daughter was younger and wanted to play house with me (she's smarter about that now) I was pretty much out of ideas after, "Hello, how are you?"
She's now following in my foot steps, this weekend we visited the Juniper family to see their new baby and Madison spent about an hour of our visit reading books to Juniper.
This year I'd like to share five of our current favorite books, in the hopes you find a few you may not have heard of before. Please note, although these are favorites of my children, no Spongebob Squarepants or Littlest Pet Shop "storybooks" have made my list.
Mind Your Manners B.B. Wolf is the latest book illustrated by J. Otto Seibold the illustrator of our family's beloved Mr. Lunch series. Big Bad Wolf is invited to a storytime tea at his local library. He is unsure about attending until he hears about the cookies, a crash course in etiquette follows and a story of mixed up manners and appearance by several favorite storybook characters is the result.
The Snowy Day has been a favorite of my daughter's since she was a three-year-old. Every time I try to give away our copy, it's meant for baby-to-preschool-aged-kid, she can't bear to part with it. I can't blame her, I love the collage and watercolor illustrations and the simple story. I'm sharing it with you in case you have a young child and have yet to hear of it. In the same way the classic, Blueberries For Sal was a surprising hit when my daughter was a preschooler.
There is a Bird on Your Head is a great book for new-ish readers by Mo Willems and the 2008 Geisel Award winner. I mostly love the book description: "....Gerald discovers that there is something worse than a bird on your head- two birds on your head!" My son's answer to that, "I can think of something even worse than two birds on your head. Two birds POOPING on your head!" Which is potty humor I know, but have you ever gotten bird poop on your head? I'd rather have a bird or two on my head.
First The Egg came home from the library with my son and I'm always thrilled when a book comes home from the library which is not just a list of facts about sharks or Transformers. I'm glad he's reading, of course, but I don't find this kind of reading very entertaining. This book won this year's Caldecott award and is a well told story about how things change, from eggs to chickens and seeds to flowers.
Another Mo Willems book with staying power in our house has been the Knuffle Bunny series. Knuffle Bunny Too, A Case Of Mistaken Identity, is the latest in our collection. Knuffle Bunny goes to school with Trixie who discovers another kid has her own Knuffle Bunny, a doppelganger! With the black and white photos of New York and cartoon style art this book is fun to look at and hilariously written.
Do you have a current favorite book for the under eight set? Leave it in the comments if you feel like sharing. ]]>
Real Life Craft Time: Crafting With Good Things For Kidstag:www.alphamom.com,2008:/buzzoff//7.9122008-02-26T16:59:08Z2008-02-26T18:03:32ZLast week, as I mentioned, was midwinter break. The school break with no purpose (since Spring Break is just three weeks away) except, as far as I can tell, to remind me why I need to start looking into summer...Melissahttp://alphamom.com/buzzoff
as I mentioned, was midwinter break. The school break with no purpose (since Spring Break is just three weeks away) except, as far as I can tell, to remind me why I need to start looking into summer day camps for my kids.
Since we were home I picked up the latest Good Things For Kids from Martha Stewart. It's always full of very inspiring projects and I'll be honest, there have been many times we buy the magazine, dog-ear a bunch of pages as a family and then somehow we never actually make the projects we've marked.
By Thursday afternoon, the kids were fighting about things like, "She's thinking something mean about me." "But he thought something mean about me first!" The perfect time to start a constructive project. You know, instead of starting the poke-my-eyeball-out-with-a-knitting-needle-project.
We decided to make our own stuffed animals using various fabric scraps. Of course, when we moved I got rid of all the fabric scraps I'd been storing in the basement for the last five years. I told myself the fabric scraps reminded me of the fact that I don't make time for more creative outlets and since they made me feel bad it was time to let them go. This, according to my husband, is proof he should never, ever get rid of anything which belongs to him. Including the floppy discs from his years in design school....20+ years ago.
Our first step was to run to the fabric store, browsing the remnant bins, buying buttons, stuffing and felt. Total cost was under $10. Of course at the fabric store the kids began fighting as we checked out. ("He kicked me!" "She kicked me!" Pretty soon they were both kicking and I wanted to join in quite frankly.)
I tried to convince the kids this sketch & sew project would be loads of fun, simply drawing on canvas with fabric markers, sewing and stuffing to simple shapes together.
They weren't buying it and wanted to make these cute softies made from their own drawings. I thought these were so adorable I decided to indulge them even though I knew the construction was quite likely over my sewing skill level.
First they drew their softies on paper. Max's was a three headed dragon with scales and hopefully something like flames coming from its mouth.
Maddie came up with a bear with a large head and much smaller body. This seemed easy enough, though I wished we could stick with simple squares or rectangles.
Next I cut out the shapes and used my very basic sewing machine to sew up each part (ears, arms, legs, bodies, head(s)). You could hand sew all this if you don't have a machine and if your kid is kind to you and chooses a simpler shape, it will take no time at all. The kids stuffed their shapes while I sewed the seams.
They even ((((GASP)))) helped each other.
In the end Max's three-headed dragon was made into a two headed dragon which was inexplicably transformed into a fish of some sort. This is his final product.
Maddie's is very 'rustic', but it's cute. I like to think they're similar enough to their drawings and that my very remedial sewing skills add to the charm.
Keep in mind I'm not an accomplished crafter and my sewing experience is limited to two jumpers I made (with a lot of help from my mother) for my daughter seven years ago. Considering all that, this project was pretty fun for the kids and me. Our final products weren't as cute as the ones in the magazine but they were reasonably similar with not an overwhelming amount of steps or skills.
It's nice that the charm of these softies is that they're primitive like your kids drawings. This seemed to make my daughter more understanding of her bear's imperfections. My son, at nearly seven, was far less understanding. When he complained about his dragon not looking as he'd imagined I said, "Well, it's not like a toy you buy at the store. I can't sew like that." He replied, "Can't you just get a machine? Or go to China."
Clever boy. In the end he didn't like his softie as a dragon and called it a fish which is another thing I liked about this project, the imagination involved. We burned over two hours of daylight doing it and it's something I can see us trying again, encouraging the kids to maybe simplify their designs.
I'll likely be doing it again...in three weeks when Spring Break crashes on my head.]]>
Kids Photo Scavenger Hunt: Burning Daylighttag:www.alphamom.com,2008:/buzzoff//7.8712008-02-19T19:00:09Z2008-02-19T20:18:04ZIt feels like we just got the kids back into school after their holiday break. Then, when we're all feeling cooped up because it's 12 degrees outside, the school says, "Here why don't you entertain them at home for a...Melissahttp://alphamom.com/buzzoff
Burning Daylight series over the summer? This activity was good for burning a full hour of daylight and since it made no mess and required very few supplies I'm going to recommend the activity to you.
I went to Flickr to inspire our list of 'finds'. The Kid's Monthly Scavenger Hunt group had a handy list, but appears to be a non-active group. I used September's list which was made up of all 'C' words. I think making all your subjects start with one letter will help you not only make a list for the game on your own, it will also help young kids with their letters.
Max was really interested in getting the shots but not as interested in learning about how to take pictures and since the camera he was using is old, a lot of them are out of focus. If we keep doing this activity I may add some technical help to the plan.
Still he had fun.
Here are Max's pictures and here is the list we used.
Crayon, Cloud
Chocolate, Chair
Car, Cow
Can, Coat,
Cat, Celebration
Colorful, Camera
Class, Cake
Chain, Coffee
Candle, Corn
Feel free to let your kids loose with a camera and share their results. Just tag them at Flickr with "BuzzOff".]]>
DIY Skirts For Your Little Girltag:www.alphamom.com,2008:/buzzoff//7.8622008-02-12T20:24:38Z2008-02-13T00:32:36ZI've been thinking about making some clothes for my daughter and thought today would be a good day to share some sources I've collected. I am not an experienced sewer. I made a dress for my daughter once with a...Melissahttp://alphamom.com/buzzoff
with your older child.
I saw this Button Denim Skirt by Oobi a few weeks ago and my eyeballs popped out of my head when I saw the $50 price tag. For around $20 (probably less if you really look around) you can get this denim skirt from BabyGap and adorn it with your own selection of cute and colorful buttons.
At DIY Kids they have a Simple Tube Skirt complete with PDF instructions. This is a skirt you could easily customize, I love the tulle on one of the girl's skirts.
This Tiered Skirt tutorial is a bit more involved. There's math you have to do and I know that's a deal breaker, at least take a look, the directions are pretty clear. They also give several interesting variations on the idea so you can make lots of different versions of the skirt.
If you (or you and your daughter) end up making one of these skirts and enjoy the process, you should check out Clea Hantman's I Wanna Make My Own Clothes book. It's full of ideas for transforming your boring clothes into something new and exciting. Perfect for your tween.]]>
Best Baby Shower Gifts That Are Easy To Make tag:www.alphamom.com,2008:/buzzoff//7.8482008-02-01T16:02:39Z2008-03-30T01:48:13ZOn Tuesday I shared all sorts of inspiration for your baby shower planning. Today I wanted to show you some excellent DIY baby shower gifts. I tried to find things which don't require sewing or any special skills like knitting....Melissahttp://alphamom.com/buzzoff
Tuesday I shared all sorts of inspiration for your baby shower planning. Today I wanted to show you some excellent DIY baby shower gifts. I tried to find things which don't require sewing or any special skills like knitting. Although, in my opinion, you should learn to knit. It's so relaxing and handmade baby sweaters are the sweetest gift. Also babies are small so their sweaters take nearly no time.
How thoughtful is this gift basket I saw on The Felt Mouse's flickr stream. It's everything you need to make your own homemade baby food. So nice for the new mom who probably has no clue where to even begin making her own food.
These hand towel bibs require a very, teeny, tiny, miniscule amount of sewing. I know I said no sewing, but these are too cute to leave off my list. Aside from finishing the edges where you cut the opening for the bib, these come together with one simple lollipop shaped cut. I had a couple of very drooly little teethers, so I know first hand how handy a lot of bibs are to have around.
If you really refuse to sew, you could put together this simple pretty nightlight shade. This is just cutting and pasting, like in kindergarten!
The DIY network offers up a list of five gifts for baby showers. The one I think would be most effective is a diaper changing station. I never used our changing table (which thankfully was just the top of a dresser with a pad). Instead I kept changing supplies in a basket in the living room where we spent most of our time. This was especially useful when my son was a baby because leaving a two-and-a-half year old alone while changing her rival's diaper could have resulted in serious mayhem. Something like this toy caddy filled with all the diaper changing essentials (including a washable pad to protect the floor or sofa where you change the baby) would make an excellent gift.
Have you seen the beautiful Book Bushels from Storyopolis? I love the look of them, and you could easily make your own by customizing the books and toys you include based on the parents-to-be's preferences. It would be sweet to include all your family's favorites, especially if you have kids of your own. Here's a resource to find the bushel baskets online, they might even be reused in the baby's nursery for toy storage.
Baby Shower season is closing, now you're more ready.
Here's an additional easy to make Baby Shower Gift: How to Make a Really Useful Diaper Cake... Hide Booze Inside.
I read this book as a third grader and did my very first book report on it. I convinced my mother to let me pass out whole Hershey bars during my presentation. John Midas is a chocoholic and after a visit to a very special candy store he finds that everything he touches turns to chocolate. This sounds wonderful to kids, but soon, as everything turns to chocolate he's totally turned off the stuff, like me and ice cream after my first summer job. This is a great book to spark imagination in your kid, mine have spent hours imagining turning my entire house into chocolate. Especially our very fat cat, imagine all the chocolate!
The Mouse and The Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary
Beverly Cleary is one of my favorite authors, probably because I grew up reading her books. Shockingly I'd never read this book. This was great fun for my daughter because she'd already read it in school, and so could be the 'expert' as we read it together at bedtime. Ralph is a mouse living in a hotel when Keith and his family check in. Ralph can't resist Keith's toy motorcycle and heads out on adventures. Huge hit with the kids, especially Max who is completely dumbfounded why, if he can ride a two wheeler, he can't ride a motorcycle?
Marley A Dog Like No Other by John Grogan
This is the story of Marley, "The World's Worst Dog" adapted for young readers from Grogan's original title, Marley and Me. My daughter's life revolves around dogs. How life isn't fair because she doesn't have a dog, how she might convince her parents to get a dog, how her life would be so much better with a dog. She likes to read dog stories, volunteers at the Humane Society and is obsessed with dog training shows. Reading about Marley, who is actually a pretty bad dog but also the best dog for that family, was a divine torture for the both of us. Contrary to Madison's long held beliefs, I do want to have a dog, but we're waiting until all of us are ready for such a big commitment. If you have a dog lover in your family, this is an entertaining read for both of you. (There's also a picture book version available.)
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis
We read this book before watching the movie and that's another great way to approach choosing chapter books to read together. Reading the book will almost always make a movie more meaningful (to both kids and adults). It will also explain why, in 9th grade, when they insist it's "The same..." to watch To Kill A Mockingbird as it is to read the book, it's actually not. They can see how books are adapted and the results are often not exactly the same and this is why some great books become terrible movies. You're probably familiar with the story, but this was a fun repeat read for me.
D'Aulaires Book of Greek Myths by Ingri D'Aulaire and Edgar Parin D'Aulaire
So it's not a chapter book really but myths are wonderful for young kids. My friend Jim at Sweet Juniper, who shares mythology with his three-year-old, inspired me to pull out this book I had from a 12th grade mythology class. It's easy to forget how much these kinds of stories can impress young kids. They particularly love the story of Medusa and how you can only look at her through a reflection and the story of Persephone being taken by Hades for the winter causing her mother to mourn and cause the seasons.
Those are some good titles to start you thinking. If you need more help finding great chapter books to read with your kids, ask your librarian. A friend of ours who is a librarian would like you to know, "About 80% of what I do involves really boring clerical duties. But I do this job for the other 20%: leading storytimes, helping kids with projects and helping find perfect books for interested readers." I see a new Library motto: "Librarians: Use Them!"
What are your favorite children's chapter books? ]]>
Gabrielle at Design Mom is running a full week of Mother's Day giveaways at her site. She did the same last year and this year will be, according to reports, twice as big. So far, as of Tuesday, she's giving away this lovely necklace, a party pack from CocoBlu Studio, a gift basket from Nest Gift Baskets and two beautiful dresses from Shabby Apple (love these dresses). These giveaways end today May 6 at 2pm so hurry and enter.
Cool Mom Picks has their handy Mother's Day Gift Guide running again this year. To enter, simply paste the Cool Mom's Picks Mother's Day Gift Guide Logo onto your blog and email the editors to let them know where they can find it and you're entered. They'll announce the winner of a $200 gift certificate to TJ & Co. keepsake jewelry and another $200 in organic body care products from Earth Mama Angel Baby, on May 11th.
All Recipes is giving away $300 in an easy to enter sweepstakes. Simply vote for your favorite Mother's Day Brunch menu, I'll give you one guess what my answer was.
Windows Live is running a Portraits Of Mom photo contest. You can win a photo printer, a Canon Power Shot camera and an all in one photo printer and, maybe even the Grand Prize: a camcorder, a laptop computer and a family trip with a photo session with a professional photographer. Entering is a little more complex, post a photo of your Mom to your Window's Live space, get your friend's and family to vote for it, and win daily, weekly or the grand prize.
Finally at Five Minutes For Mom they're running a great giveaway. Leave a comment on each giveaway for your chance to win a ton of great prizes like an iPod Nano, a Kodak photo printer and a SAK purse (among other prizes).
Here at Alpha Mom we're running a giveaway, and though it's not Mother's Day specific, you should enter. You can win a Jeep Gear prize package (stroller, carrier and diaper bag) worth $220. Simply answer a few questions and voila! You're entered.
I have to admit I had no idea Mother's Day was this weekend. Time continues to slip past me. I hope you and yours have a wonderful day full of whatever you love to celebrate with. Personally, I like quiet time in my own house followed by a dinner with family. (Though a dress from Shabby Apple would be lovely too.)
Happy Mother's Day!]]>
My son's preschool class did a craft like this cute Recipe Dish Towel from Wondertime, except theirs came in book form. Each child shared their favorite dish their mother's make and how they thought it was made. My son mentioned my chicken pot pie and his recipe was very helpful. "Take some vegetables, chicken and soup or something. Mix them together and put a sort of bread on top. I think." Look out Julia Child! For this project your child's recipe with a picture is put onto Iron on Transfer paper and adhered to a dish towel.
Martha offers up this plaster hand or foot casting project as a gift idea. I have a cast of my now nine-year-old's baby hand and I can't tell you how touching it is, especially now that she's nearly a double digit. It's the kind of gift that gets more special each year as your kid's hand grows. You can follow the direction at the Martha Stewart site, or find a cast kit at your local craft store. Do yourself a favor though, don't leave the kit in your kid's closet where you promptly forget about it until that one naptime when your kid is super quiet and you go in a couple hours later to find this. I know it looks like TONS of fun, but it wasn't.
Flowers are always a big hit with moms, especially in the spring when we're all relishing the newness of everything coming back to life after a long winter. However, save the cut flower gifts for your kids once they're young adults and forget all about Mother's Day requiring a frantic last minute call to a florist. These coffee filter flowers are an incredibly simple project even very small hands can do.
This ever-lasting flower bouquet incorporates photos of mom's extra special kids. In a vase, these would make a nice desktop decoration for the office. I suggest using this kind of paper from the Martha Stewart collection for a simple and colorful set of flowers.
Family Fun, as usual, has a lot of great Mother's Day craft ideas but this one in particular is my favorite. It's a bead and wire sun catcher to hang in your window. I have the perfect window for this piece, it's the one over my sink in the kitchen. The one we've been saying, 'Man, we have to get a set of blinds for this window. My retinas are being FRIED', about for almost 9 months now. Still, we do nothing. Instead of buying blinds, maybe one of my kids will make me this and I'll appreciate the blinding sun a little more as I cook dinner each night.
In case I don't get a chance to say it later, may your Mother's Day be everything you'd like it to be.]]>
Last night my husband's, er, my son's Cub Scout pack held a cake auction. It was our first year so we didn't know what to expect and arrived with two cakes to put up for auction that seemed quite nice at home and incredibly lame at the event when surrounded by very imaginative cakes. Including this Krabby Patty Cake, pardon the grainy photograph I didn't have my good camera, my friend Jodi came up with, as she said, "All by herself." She didn't snag the idea from a book or magazine, it's all out of her brain...and even better, it was really simple.
She made 12 cupcakes with nice rounded tops. She cut the tops off and used them as the top "bun" and the bottom piece as the base for each Patty. She also baked a layer of chocolate cake in a jelly roll pan and cut circles out of it to make the actual "patty" part of the burgers. To finish the look she used red, green and yellow decorator frosting to apply the condiments. (FYI: Her cake brought in $40 at the auction. Ours brought in $5. Nice!)
I came across this adorable cake yesterday via Sk*rt and think it would make a great first birthday cake. It would also work for any spring or garden themed party. There's no tutorial here, but it looks to me like two sheet cakes stacked together and trimmed into the shape of a cloud.
I'm pretty sure I've shared I Dream Of Cake before and made a little joke about how easy it would be to whip up one of their confections. (Snort.) Not really but it's such a beautiful site I think you should have a look at their cake gallery. I'm pretty sure there's a way to recreate the "Operation" cake without too much effort and take a look at the building block cake.
Instead of cake you could try this exciting rainbow jello concoction. The process is a bit time consuming, but not particularly difficult and on the plus side no dealing with frosting. Jello is one of those simple pleasures my kids can't get enough of and made up to look as striking as this one, who needs cake?
As far as inspiring (yet not overwhelming) birthday party themes I found a few new ones for this edition. At Oh Happy Day Jordan helped a friend create these clever boxes for a birthday picnic. This party was for an adult's birthday, and the food inside makes that clear. Unless you have one of those kids who happily eats red pepper and goat cheese sandwiches, and if that's the case good luck finding enough of your kid's friends who will eat that. But the idea could be easily changed out for kid friendly food. Perfect for an outdoor party at the park or even at the swim club in the summer.
Design Mom shared her son's fourth birthday party theme back in January. It was a Round and Round party where the decorations and food were all....round. I'd love to make every birthday party for my kids a circle theme, there's something so festive about polka dots and honestly circle decorations are incredibly easy to make.
Finally I ran across this idea, which seems perfect today as it's Earth Day, a greener birthday party for your kid. Cindy Fay offers up several great tips including cutting some of your child's artwork into large triangles and repurposing it as a string of flags for decorations. Instead of using latex balloon, use Mylar and repurpose them as gift wrap later. This is some really good information.
Have you seen any inspiring birthday ideas recently? Leave them in the comments!]]>
Buy Locally Grown Produce
Along with eating organic foods, there's been an increasing movement to eat local whenever possible. This is a valuable lesson to share with kids and with crazy produce processing debacles, probably an even better idea. Even better, plant a garden with your kids and grow your own vegetables. I'm being realistic here though and visiting a local farm is probably as good as it's going to get for The Summers. Here's a great website to help you locate a pick-your-own farm near you.
Get Rid Of Plastic Bottles
We gave up sippy cups (Thank God!) many years ago, but my kids still love having "their own" bottle of water to carry around. Recycling every plastic water bottle in the US would make landfills 2 billion tons lighter. Imagine the effect if we all stopped using water bottles all together? I bought my kids each a couple of Sigg water bottles a few months ago and the combination of a fun bottle and filtered cold water that comes out of the freezer door in our new house has reduced our trash output and increased their water consumption. It's a classic 'Win-Win'.
Be Creative With Your Trash
Make art out of trash with your kids to highlight the power of reusing. We've attended sessions at a local recycled art place called Arts and Scrap and come home with beautiful wind chimes, bird feeders and generally cool pieces of art all made mainly from industrial waste. Arts and Scraps offers lots of 'kits' so you can do some projects at home and they offer a great listing of similar places in other areas so you can find one near you.
Organize a Toy Swap.
I can not count the number of toys which have made it into my house only to find their way to the Salvation Army a few months later because they were not All That. It's a waste of money and frankly a waste of resources to continually buy things my kids aren't going to love. This is where a toy swap comes in. There's something intrinsically appealing about someone else's toys. To a four-year-old, other people's toys are just plain better. Here's some advice for doing your own toy swap. You could also try BabyPlays, a toy rental company which is like, as far as I can see, Netflix for toys. You choose a plan, 4 toys a month up to 10 toys a month, and select the age appropriate toys you'd like for your kid. Let them play with the new toys for a month and then send them back for new ones. Brilliant!
How are you celebrating the Earth with your kids?]]>
You can read about all the various tooth fairy tradition in Throw Your Tooth On The Roof, a book of collected traditions by Selby Beeler.
I love the selection of Tooth Fairy related gear at Chasing Fireflies. My kids are very light sleepers so if the tooth fairy were to reach under their pillows to collect a tooth, they'd definitely wake up. I love this hippo version the most. I've also found that if the tooth box is left on the kitchen counter, instead of on a bedside table the "Tooth Fairy" is a lot more likely to make a deposit in a timely manner.
You can also make your own tooth box, like this one at Family Fun constructed from a large matchbox. I like the ribbon handle so this box can hang on the outside of a bedroom door. Further insuring the tooth fairy will not forget to stop by and won't have to worry about tripping over toys and waking up a kid.
This Tooth Bear from Martha is a bit more complicated but far too cute not to share. I know it's sewing but remember the softies my kids and I made? It has to be easier than that, the bears only have one head after all.
According to this CBS report, the going rate for teeth is rising, up by 22% a year ago. The average kid is raking in $2.09 on average per baby tooth. I'm taking heart though in the fact that most parents in the survey said they give out $1.00 per tooth. How much does your tooth fairy fork over per tooth? ]]>
See? This is the dirt being put in the container. This was before Madison read the potting soil package and learned potting soil is made of composted manure. AND MANURE IS POO!!!!!
Here is my son experiencing nature for the first time. Or so it would seem from this picture.
I didn't get pictures of us fiddling around with the plants and realizing I bought too many plants. Or rather, I bought too small containers. But still, they turned out nice.
Maddie wanted just one plant and nothing else in it, she is a minimalist. Her plant is beautiful, a version of Hens and Chicks.
And here is Max's set of plants, all of which I do not know the name of. Max is more of a maximalist when it comes to his terrarium.
I am the opposite of an expert when it comes to anything related to plants. My mother-in-law gave me a beautiful ivy topiary when my husband and I were engaged 12 years ago. I immediately set about killing it, until she took it back to her house to 'nurse it back to health'. I haven't seen it since because we both know I'd start to kill it again.
Here is a short tutorial by someone who actually knows what they're doing. But it's so long I sort of fell asleep halfway through.
They do bring up two good points, though: 1) terrariums need slow growing plants, and 2) a layer of pea gravel on the bottom of the pot is a good idea for drainage.
We used succulents because I love how they look and because they are next to impossible to kill. Cacti would also be great fun-- my son is obsessed with them-- but the day we shopped they didn't have a great selection.
From Maggie's tutorial I learned that succulents do not need much water, just a misting about once a month. I can barely remember to water my cats so this will work out just fine. Also unlike regular transplanted plants, they like to acclimate to their new surroundings before being watered.
I could see doing this project with 4-year-olds on up. Some of the actual arranging of plants is too difficult for small hands, but my son is having a blast changing out the dinosaurs, Star Wars Lego guys and Matchbox cars at least once a day. Courtney at Two Straight Lines did this project with her 4 (or is he 5?) year old using non-succulents and larger containers. I love their results and will definitely spend more time finding larger containers next time.
We burned about three hours of daylight on this project, including shopping for supplies. The actual planting took less than an hour, involved no swearing and was within my tolerance level for messiness.
A win on all sides.
The lunchbox is a great place to trick your kids and brighten their day. My nine year old is convinced she hates grilled cheese sandwiches, which is physically impossible according to my calculations. Next thing you know she'll tell me she doesn't like pizza. I'd love to pack this "sandwich" in her lunch bag. The only drag is I wouldn't get to see the look of disgust on her face followed by the realization that this is not a regular grilled cheese sandwich.
This is a trick which could be especially effective if the adults in your family aren't particularly 'morning people'. Create a pair of stuffed legs using a pair of pants and shoes. Attach a newspaper to a sheet of poster board and see how long it takes your kids to realize dad is not actually quietly studying the newspaper.
I love the idea of convincing a kid there's a new set of laws. For example, with shock and disbelief explain the government has now dropped the minimum driving age to [age of your child]. Have some facts and official reasons for this change. Keep the joke going until your kid insists on taking the keys!
For dinner I'll be telling my kids we're having sushi (HORRIFYING!) and cupcakes for dessert. Of course the sushi will be this kind made with gummy worms and rice cereal. The cupcakes will be these delicacies made with meatloaf and mashed potatoes, something my daughter would never eat, but disguised as a dessert, who knows.
Even funnier come up with a new rule for your house, explain to the kids that eating utensils are now banned, hide all your flatware during the night before April Fools Day. Keep the joke going until you have something really messy to eat, like yogurt.
If your family computer is a Windows based machine there are literally tons of tricks you can play on the user. Here is a pretty comprehensive list, I especially like the fake Microsoft Office Paper Clip. Here's one my husband used to play on me repeatedly and it fooled me for almost two years. Hopefully your kid isn't smarter than me, and if he is, don't tell me. Take a full screenshot of your desktop with no other windows open, like this. Open the image and place it over the actual desktop, the victim will believe his computer is frozen and nothing is click-able.
Good luck! And remember when playing pranks on kids the best idea is to come right up the line, but remain on the side where your kid is laughing with you.]]>
Design Mom reminded everyone to plant their wheat grass for spring decorating and Easter baskets a couple of weeks ago. And, like everything I do, I'm only now mentioning it. I loathe plastic Easter grass almost as much as I loathe confetti tucked into greeting cards which drops all over your carpet. If you use plastic Easter grass, I hope you like it because you'll be finding remnants of it until next year. Or worse, you'll find remnants in your cat's litter box. Blargh. Here she tells you how to do it. You can either save the idea for next year or start now to have some green around your house for spring.
Remember when I showed you the Boo tradition from my neighborhood? Check out this cute "Egged" idea. You fill plastic eggs with treats, leave them in a neigbhor's porch with a note that tells them they've been egged and to pass it on.
Of course, once again, there's probably not time to pull that one off for your entire neighborhood this year, although you could just pick a favorite neighborhood friend and give them a surprise. This chocolate nest dessert from Angry Chicken is perfect for your Easter feast. Head over to her site for the recipe but it's so simple, melted chocolate, crumbled shredded wheat cereal and malted milk eggs as garnish.
Enjoy your Easter celebrations!
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Mind Your Manners B.B. Wolf is the latest book illustrated by J. Otto Seibold the illustrator of our family's beloved Mr. Lunch series. Big Bad Wolf is invited to a storytime tea at his local library. He is unsure about attending until he hears about the cookies, a crash course in etiquette follows and a story of mixed up manners and appearance by several favorite storybook characters is the result.
The Snowy Day has been a favorite of my daughter's since she was a three-year-old. Every time I try to give away our copy, it's meant for baby-to-preschool-aged-kid, she can't bear to part with it. I can't blame her, I love the collage and watercolor illustrations and the simple story. I'm sharing it with you in case you have a young child and have yet to hear of it. In the same way the classic, Blueberries For Sal was a surprising hit when my daughter was a preschooler.
There is a Bird on Your Head is a great book for new-ish readers by Mo Willems and the 2008 Geisel Award winner. I mostly love the book description: "....Gerald discovers that there is something worse than a bird on your head- two birds on your head!" My son's answer to that, "I can think of something even worse than two birds on your head. Two birds POOPING on your head!" Which is potty humor I know, but have you ever gotten bird poop on your head? I'd rather have a bird or two on my head.
First The Egg came home from the library with my son and I'm always thrilled when a book comes home from the library which is not just a list of facts about sharks or Transformers. I'm glad he's reading, of course, but I don't find this kind of reading very entertaining. This book won this year's Caldecott award and is a well told story about how things change, from eggs to chickens and seeds to flowers.
Another Mo Willems book with staying power in our house has been the Knuffle Bunny series. Knuffle Bunny Too, A Case Of Mistaken Identity, is the latest in our collection. Knuffle Bunny goes to school with Trixie who discovers another kid has her own Knuffle Bunny, a doppelganger! With the black and white photos of New York and cartoon style art this book is fun to look at and hilariously written.
Do you have a current favorite book for the under eight set? Leave it in the comments if you feel like sharing. ]]>
Maddie came up with a bear with a large head and much smaller body. This seemed easy enough, though I wished we could stick with simple squares or rectangles.
Next I cut out the shapes and used my very basic sewing machine to sew up each part (ears, arms, legs, bodies, head(s)). You could hand sew all this if you don't have a machine and if your kid is kind to you and chooses a simpler shape, it will take no time at all. The kids stuffed their shapes while I sewed the seams.
They even ((((GASP)))) helped each other.
In the end Max's three-headed dragon was made into a two headed dragon which was inexplicably transformed into a fish of some sort. This is his final product.
Maddie's is very 'rustic', but it's cute. I like to think they're similar enough to their drawings and that my very remedial sewing skills add to the charm.
Keep in mind I'm not an accomplished crafter and my sewing experience is limited to two jumpers I made (with a lot of help from my mother) for my daughter seven years ago. Considering all that, this project was pretty fun for the kids and me. Our final products weren't as cute as the ones in the magazine but they were reasonably similar with not an overwhelming amount of steps or skills.
It's nice that the charm of these softies is that they're primitive like your kids drawings. This seemed to make my daughter more understanding of her bear's imperfections. My son, at nearly seven, was far less understanding. When he complained about his dragon not looking as he'd imagined I said, "Well, it's not like a toy you buy at the store. I can't sew like that." He replied, "Can't you just get a machine? Or go to China."
Clever boy. In the end he didn't like his softie as a dragon and called it a fish which is another thing I liked about this project, the imagination involved. We burned over two hours of daylight doing it and it's something I can see us trying again, encouraging the kids to maybe simplify their designs.
I'll likely be doing it again...in three weeks when Spring Break crashes on my head.]]>
Here are Max's pictures and here is the list we used.
Crayon, Cloud
Chocolate, Chair
Car, Cow
Can, Coat,
Cat, Celebration
Colorful, Camera
Class, Cake
Chain, Coffee
Candle, Corn
I saw this Button Denim Skirt by Oobi a few weeks ago and my eyeballs popped out of my head when I saw the $50 price tag. For around $20 (probably less if you really look around) you can get this denim skirt from BabyGap and adorn it with your own selection of cute and colorful buttons.
At DIY Kids they have a Simple Tube Skirt complete with PDF instructions. This is a skirt you could easily customize, I love the tulle on one of the girl's skirts.
This Tiered Skirt tutorial is a bit more involved. There's math you have to do and I know that's a deal breaker, at least take a look, the directions are pretty clear. They also give several interesting variations on the idea so you can make lots of different versions of the skirt.
If you (or you and your daughter) end up making one of these skirts and enjoy the process, you should check out Clea Hantman's I Wanna Make My Own Clothes book. It's full of ideas for transforming your boring clothes into something new and exciting. Perfect for your tween.]]>
How thoughtful is this gift basket I saw on The Felt Mouse's flickr stream. It's everything you need to make your own homemade baby food. So nice for the new mom who probably has no clue where to even begin making her own food.
These hand towel bibs require a very, teeny, tiny, miniscule amount of sewing. I know I said no sewing, but these are too cute to leave off my list. Aside from finishing the edges where you cut the opening for the bib, these come together with one simple lollipop shaped cut. I had a couple of very drooly little teethers, so I know first hand how handy a lot of bibs are to have around.
If you really refuse to sew, you could put together this simple pretty nightlight shade. This is just cutting and pasting, like in kindergarten!
The DIY network offers up a list of five gifts for baby showers. The one I think would be most effective is a diaper changing station. I never used our changing table (which thankfully was just the top of a dresser with a pad). Instead I kept changing supplies in a basket in the living room where we spent most of our time. This was especially useful when my son was a baby because leaving a two-and-a-half year old alone while changing her rival's diaper could have resulted in serious mayhem. Something like this toy caddy filled with all the diaper changing essentials (including a washable pad to protect the floor or sofa where you change the baby) would make an excellent gift.
Have you seen the beautiful Book Bushels from Storyopolis? I love the look of them, and you could easily make your own by customizing the books and toys you include based on the parents-to-be's preferences. It would be sweet to include all your family's favorites, especially if you have kids of your own. Here's a resource to find the bushel baskets online, they might even be reused in the baby's nursery for toy storage.
Baby Shower season is closing, now you're more ready.
Here's an additional easy to make Baby Shower Gift: How to Make a Really Useful Diaper Cake... Hide Booze Inside.