Showing posts with label Kids. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kids. Show all posts
Hoot the Owl
The other day I wanted to make a little stuffed friend for my daughter. She has plenty of stuffed friends, mostly of the store-bought variety. My Amma sent her a sweet stuffed lamb, but since it came over from Iceland I needed to stuff it and sew up the opening. Since I still had quite a bit of a bag of stuffing leftover I started searching Pinterest for easy stuffed friend tutorials. I came across a simple owl and the pattern was titled "Easy" Owl Pattern... easy sounded right up my alley. I used 2 fat quarters, with plenty of fabric leftover and a few scraps I had. I modified the nose shape and eye placement slightly and omitted the feet. It came together very easily and I think I spent maybe 2 hours on it altogether... complete with toddler interruptions. "What are you doing Mommy?" "Is it a surprise for me?" "Ooooo pretty flowers" all while pulling at strings and pins and fabric and scissors.
I really wish I had used stitch witchery for the eyes, sewing around the smallish circles was less than fun for a beginner, but overall it was a fun little project and I'm hoping to make more little friends for her. Visit the link below for the free pattern, I cut the nose in a diamond shape and placed the eyes right up against the upper edge.
I really wish I had used stitch witchery for the eyes, sewing around the smallish circles was less than fun for a beginner, but overall it was a fun little project and I'm hoping to make more little friends for her. Visit the link below for the free pattern, I cut the nose in a diamond shape and placed the eyes right up against the upper edge.
Drawstring Treasure Bags
A friend of Kirsten's had a birthday party last month, and I happened to know that he is rather fond of dinosaurs. So I got him some big dinosaurs, but I also got him a pack of 24 mini-dinosaurs all about an inch long or so. I figured they'd be perfect to play with at home or doctor appointments, but was worried it'd be relatively easy to lose track of all those little guys.
I grabbed a pair of my husband's old Levi's that had gotten too worn at the knees and hem and had ended up in the scrap fabric box in my closet. I cut a generous section from the calf area and quite liked the outer seam and wanted to incorporate it into the bag still. I used that as the bottom edge and initially sewed up the bag using just the denim fabric. Well, it didn't gather very well at the top so it didn't draw tight and keep closed. So, I sewed a bit of cotton fabric to the top and added the drawstring pocket in that material, after which it closed nicely. I have an embroidery machine so I added his name to the front of the bag in a dark green before sewing it all together. The drawstring is just a new shoelace. His will fit all the small dinosaurs and a few big ones too, or a handful of cars or small books. Whatever treasures he cares to put in it.
After I made one for her friend, I stitched up one for my daughter too, just a little smaller and filled it with a matching set of dinosaurs. Hers is a knit fabric, so I first sewed the bottom shut, since that's the edge that will stretch, then sewed up the sides and then sewed a little pocket at the top. Again, I used a shoelace for the drawstring. The nice thing about using a shoelace is, thanks to the aglets at the tips, it won't fray. There are tons of drawstring bag tutorials online, here's a whole page of them at Sew Mama Sew. I just looked at a few, then did my own thing. One tip is to pin a safety pin at the end of your drawstring to work it through your pocket, much easier to get it through that way.
I grabbed a pair of my husband's old Levi's that had gotten too worn at the knees and hem and had ended up in the scrap fabric box in my closet. I cut a generous section from the calf area and quite liked the outer seam and wanted to incorporate it into the bag still. I used that as the bottom edge and initially sewed up the bag using just the denim fabric. Well, it didn't gather very well at the top so it didn't draw tight and keep closed. So, I sewed a bit of cotton fabric to the top and added the drawstring pocket in that material, after which it closed nicely. I have an embroidery machine so I added his name to the front of the bag in a dark green before sewing it all together. The drawstring is just a new shoelace. His will fit all the small dinosaurs and a few big ones too, or a handful of cars or small books. Whatever treasures he cares to put in it.
After I made one for her friend, I stitched up one for my daughter too, just a little smaller and filled it with a matching set of dinosaurs. Hers is a knit fabric, so I first sewed the bottom shut, since that's the edge that will stretch, then sewed up the sides and then sewed a little pocket at the top. Again, I used a shoelace for the drawstring. The nice thing about using a shoelace is, thanks to the aglets at the tips, it won't fray. There are tons of drawstring bag tutorials online, here's a whole page of them at Sew Mama Sew. I just looked at a few, then did my own thing. One tip is to pin a safety pin at the end of your drawstring to work it through your pocket, much easier to get it through that way.
Bookshelf - Done
Ever read the blogs of other bloggers and they show you gorgeous rooms that they transformed in a weekend? Layla of The Lettered Cottage is a great example of this, or Jessica of Four Generations, 1 Roof. I'm most definitely NOT a good example of this! I've been working on my daughter's big girl room, slowly but surely for over 6 months now.
First, she moved in to an empty room with just a bed
Then I painted some shelves and added some knick knack's and a couple of pictures.
Then I refurbished 2 chairs and a rocking chair
Then I cleared out her closet and brought in about half of her clothes
Then DH built a bookshelf for her and I painted it and filled it with books and toys and her menagerie of stuffed animals. She promptly emptied the stuffed animals back into her bed.
Remaining list to be completed:
Tablecloth for her table
6 picture frames to be built
Bedside table to be built - wait until you see what I have in store for this!
Toy box to be built
Closet to be gutted and redone (I was using it as an office/desk area)
When we are ready to put new flooring in the house we'll rip out the wallpaper and put up board and batten and shaker pegs
The back is a light pink, but can easily be changed over the years.
I really need a wide angle lens to get better pictures of her room.
And the light that finally allowed me to get some pictures that weren't grainy or dark!
It's the Pink Alyssa Chandelier from Pottery Barn.
Want a peek of the old light? It had a single bulb in it and the room was terribly dark for pictures.
First, she moved in to an empty room with just a bed
Then I painted some shelves and added some knick knack's and a couple of pictures.
Then I refurbished 2 chairs and a rocking chair
Then I cleared out her closet and brought in about half of her clothes
Then DH built a bookshelf for her and I painted it and filled it with books and toys and her menagerie of stuffed animals. She promptly emptied the stuffed animals back into her bed.
Remaining list to be completed:
Tablecloth for her table
6 picture frames to be built
Bedside table to be built - wait until you see what I have in store for this!
Toy box to be built
Closet to be gutted and redone (I was using it as an office/desk area)
When we are ready to put new flooring in the house we'll rip out the wallpaper and put up board and batten and shaker pegs
Children's Chairs
Since I was making over the rocking chair and had all the supplies and tools out to cover seats. I went ahead and covered two other seats at the same time.
We picked up two of these chairs at a garage for $5 for the pair. They are wood, except the seats were cheap laminate with a plastic edging. Ick!
Kirsten loves the little chairs and will drag them up to the coffee table for puzzles or snack. I cringed every time I saw the seats.
So, they were treated to the same foam, polyfill sheet, white cotton fabric treatment as the rocking chair seat. It is highly probable that they'll be painted one day, but I need to get an accompanying table for them first. Depending on what I find for a table may dictate how I handle these chairs.
So, she has two little chairs, now I just need a small table to go with them and she'll be all set for tea parties or arts and crafts.
We picked up two of these chairs at a garage for $5 for the pair. They are wood, except the seats were cheap laminate with a plastic edging. Ick!
Kirsten loves the little chairs and will drag them up to the coffee table for puzzles or snack. I cringed every time I saw the seats.
So, they were treated to the same foam, polyfill sheet, white cotton fabric treatment as the rocking chair seat. It is highly probable that they'll be painted one day, but I need to get an accompanying table for them first. Depending on what I find for a table may dictate how I handle these chairs.
I like the covered seat much better than the laminate and plastic that was there before.
So, she has two little chairs, now I just need a small table to go with them and she'll be all set for tea parties or arts and crafts.
Rocking Chair Makeover
I thought I should stop for a bit and actually share some of what's been going on around here. I've been working on all sorts of little projects for Kirsten's big girl room. The first project was a complete makeover of a rocking chair we bought at a garage sale.
It was only $13 and I knew I'd be painting it when I bought it. It was an old child's rocking chair that had been black at one point, then painted green.
Originally, I was going to try to salvage the seating, and just replace it one day when my daughter killed it. After turning it over though it looked as if it had sat in water possibly. So I decided to go ahead and replace it. A few minutes with a hammer and screwdriver later I was looking in between the caning and I'm so very glad I chose to replace the seat. It has definitely sat in water at some point. Ick!
So, left with just the bones of the chair I spent a few days sanding, priming, painting and hubby helped me build a new seat for it. I painted the chair in Valspar Signature Waverly Clean White in an eggshell finish. I wanted it to have very little sheen, but still be able to wipe it.
We measured and cut a leftover piece of plywood we had in the garage to fit for a seat. I covered it with a piece of foam cut to fit and sheet of polyfil and finally white cotton. I covered the bottom with a piece of outdoor fabric cut to fit the size of the base of the seat. I didn't want threads or bits of fabric or foam or anything exposed that she might be tempted to pull at.
I absolutely LOVE the way it turned out! Most importantly though, Kirsten LOVES her rocking chair.
And the before and after again. This was the first little bit of furniture I've tackled, but I have a bunch more to share this week. We've been busy here!
It was only $13 and I knew I'd be painting it when I bought it. It was an old child's rocking chair that had been black at one point, then painted green.
Originally, I was going to try to salvage the seating, and just replace it one day when my daughter killed it. After turning it over though it looked as if it had sat in water possibly. So I decided to go ahead and replace it. A few minutes with a hammer and screwdriver later I was looking in between the caning and I'm so very glad I chose to replace the seat. It has definitely sat in water at some point. Ick!
So, left with just the bones of the chair I spent a few days sanding, priming, painting and hubby helped me build a new seat for it. I painted the chair in Valspar Signature Waverly Clean White in an eggshell finish. I wanted it to have very little sheen, but still be able to wipe it.
Her name is painted in a blend of a pink and white I had on hand, so I don't have a paint name for it. I wanted a very pale pink, so it wasn't obvious unless you were within a few feet of the chair. It turned out exactly how I imagined.
We measured and cut a leftover piece of plywood we had in the garage to fit for a seat. I covered it with a piece of foam cut to fit and sheet of polyfil and finally white cotton. I covered the bottom with a piece of outdoor fabric cut to fit the size of the base of the seat. I didn't want threads or bits of fabric or foam or anything exposed that she might be tempted to pull at.
I absolutely LOVE the way it turned out! Most importantly though, Kirsten LOVES her rocking chair.
And the before and after again. This was the first little bit of furniture I've tackled, but I have a bunch more to share this week. We've been busy here!
Weekend Sewing Projects
So, once I started sewing little things for our Iceland trip with the I-Spy bag I posted yesterday, I didn't really want to stop. I also picked up some alphabet beads when I was at Michael's and I used them to make an alphabet I-Spy bag as well.
I'll be using this for letter recognition for now, then as she gets older she can use it for finding the alphabet, and when she is even older for finding words in the letters. I put a little wrist strap on this one made of fold-over elastic (foe). She carted it into the car with her this morning to take to school, so I consider that to be a success. Nothing is supposed to go to school, but she wanted to keep it with her just for in the car.
I had stitched up a tiny bit of quilting 3x4 when I was like 16 for Girl Scouts. I've held on to it in my little sewing basket for all these years. This weekend I stitched it to a back and stuffed it to make a little pillow. Then I stitched up a little sleeping bag with a sweet little ruffle for her dolly. She was already in bed at this point so I put it on her chair for her to discover in the morning.
You should have seen her eyes! They were so wide, she was so excited about this. I have pictures, but she's just in underwear (potty training) so I don't want to put them online. Here's a little close up of when she found them though.
I'll be using this for letter recognition for now, then as she gets older she can use it for finding the alphabet, and when she is even older for finding words in the letters. I put a little wrist strap on this one made of fold-over elastic (foe). She carted it into the car with her this morning to take to school, so I consider that to be a success. Nothing is supposed to go to school, but she wanted to keep it with her just for in the car.
I had stitched up a tiny bit of quilting 3x4 when I was like 16 for Girl Scouts. I've held on to it in my little sewing basket for all these years. This weekend I stitched it to a back and stuffed it to make a little pillow. Then I stitched up a little sleeping bag with a sweet little ruffle for her dolly. She was already in bed at this point so I put it on her chair for her to discover in the morning.
DIY I-Spy Bag
For our trip to Iceland I made an I-Spy bag for Kirsten. Sometimes they are also called Seek and Find bags or Peek-a-boo bags. I used assorted image buttons from Michael's and a set of alphabet beads. This is a picture heavy post, so click to see the entire step by step in pictures after the jump. This was my first sewing project start to finish that I did all by myself, ever! So be kind, please :) My techniques may not be right at all, but if I can do this, anyone can! Click on any of the images for a much bigger view.
Have Toddler, Will Travel - Carry-On
Yesterday I covered entertainment carry-on for my 2 year old toddler, now for the "keep my sanity" toddler related carry-on I'll be bringing along.
1) Change of clothes and a pack of travel wipes and small towel - Just in case, you NEVER know what will happen.
2) Removable Glue Dots - Will help keep her entertained with some printable scene sheets I've created, but I won't be letting her have free reign with them, so they'll stay with me.
3) Blue Painters Tape - Anything I don't want her playing with I'll put a piece of tape over, like the call button!
4) Extra snacks - Raisins, crackers, cheese sticks, carrot sticks, oatmeal cookies, baby applesauce (since that's allowed through TSA)... Rather than dealing with any sort of melt-down, I'll have a variety for her in case she really doesn't want raisins. At home she gets to choose, but then she eats what she chooses and I'm firm about it. I'll be a LOT more flexible on the plane to avoid a tantrum though. So don't judge the mommy on the plane giving their child whatever they ask for, she might not normally be like that.
5) Thermos Foogo Phases Leak Proof Stainless Steel Straw Bottle - This is the only sippy cup coming with us, stainless steel and leak proof. It claims it will keep things cold or warm for 10 hours, I'll be putting it to the test!
6) Gummy fruit and earplugs - For take off and landing to help with ear pressure, something to keep her jaw moving. Maybe lollipops, but we'll have to try one before we go to see how messy that gets.
7) Children's Tylenol and Benadryl and a small medicine syringe - She's been congested lately so I'm sure we'll need these.
8) Stroller Blanket - For nap and then while she's playing we'll tuck it underneath her and into the seat in front of her to catch any little things she might drop.
9) A few folded grocery bags - To use as trash bags, and just to easily corral things until we take out the carry on bag to put things away again.
10) Extra earplugs for the rest of the passengers - ok, not really. But I kind of want to pass some out to the people immediately behind and in front of us with a note of premature thanks and apology, just in case.
1) Change of clothes and a pack of travel wipes and small towel - Just in case, you NEVER know what will happen.
3) Blue Painters Tape - Anything I don't want her playing with I'll put a piece of tape over, like the call button!
4) Extra snacks - Raisins, crackers, cheese sticks, carrot sticks, oatmeal cookies, baby applesauce (since that's allowed through TSA)... Rather than dealing with any sort of melt-down, I'll have a variety for her in case she really doesn't want raisins. At home she gets to choose, but then she eats what she chooses and I'm firm about it. I'll be a LOT more flexible on the plane to avoid a tantrum though. So don't judge the mommy on the plane giving their child whatever they ask for, she might not normally be like that.
6) Gummy fruit and earplugs - For take off and landing to help with ear pressure, something to keep her jaw moving. Maybe lollipops, but we'll have to try one before we go to see how messy that gets.
7) Children's Tylenol and Benadryl and a small medicine syringe - She's been congested lately so I'm sure we'll need these.
8) Stroller Blanket - For nap and then while she's playing we'll tuck it underneath her and into the seat in front of her to catch any little things she might drop.
9) A few folded grocery bags - To use as trash bags, and just to easily corral things until we take out the carry on bag to put things away again.
10) Extra earplugs for the rest of the passengers - ok, not really. But I kind of want to pass some out to the people immediately behind and in front of us with a note of premature thanks and apology, just in case.
Have Toddler, Will Travel - Entertainment Carry-On
We're heading to Iceland shortly and I've been getting things together that we might need to have things go as smoothly as possible. It is an approximately 6 hr flight, which really isn't too bad. However, it is a 6 hour time change for us as well, and that part will be a little harder to handle. It is also almost constant daylight in Iceland right now, so I'm planning for a way to help with that. The links are not affiliate links, I just added them so you can see what I have for her. I'm only packing 5 "surprise" bags per direction (one for each hour), since there will be time during take off and landing where we'll be busy putting things away or settling in and not allowed to have stuff out anyway. The surprise bags will each include 2 activity books, 2 finger puppets, a paper scene for her to build with glue dots and a snack. Crossing my fingers that this will go well. I'll share the printable paper scenes next week.
1) Dover Little Activity Books - 10 books, 5 for each flight - 4-for-3 on Amazon : I focused mainly on the Invisible Picture ones (just need a pencil) and the coloring ones, they are small in dimension and will hopefully keep her pretty occupied. I stuck to animals mainly and ABC type selections, however I couldn't resist the Little Airport sticker book and hope I don't end up regretting it.
2) Ohio Art Travel Doodle Sketch : A "drawing pad" that you can use over and over and over again, what's not to love? She loves to "color", which is basically her scribbling with any type of writing utensil. I don't think she'll care that there is no color to this, just black lines
3) Triangular Crayons : Crayons that won't roll off the airplane tray table? Yes, please! I can't remember if I got her the 8 count or 16 count, right now I'm hoping 8 count so I don't have 16 crayons to keep track of during the flight. Just because they are anti-roll doesn't mean they are anti-fall. I might need to try to whip up a crayon roll this weekend to hold them. They're just straight line sewing, right?
4) I Spy or Seek and Find Bag : Hopefully, this works out well for her. I think it will. I made these for her and she has had fun looking at them a little, so I'm hoping she has the attention span to handle something like this. I made two, one with little objects and this one with alphabet beads.
5) Finger Puppets : ours are from Ikea, we have a whole bunch from various places. I'll be putting 2 different ones in each bag of the hour. By the end of the ride we should only have 10 to deal with. I'll stick with the animals she loves, fishies, puppies, tigers, etc.
6) Portable DVD Player and a few movies : ours has about a 9" screen and it is several years old at this point so I can't find it with a simple search. It's nothing fancy, but it will hopefully keep her entertained for a little while at least. Her attention span will tolerate a full movie only if it's loaded with puppies or if it is Winnie the Pooh. So we have some shorter movies that she loves, but we purposefully have kept hidden for a while. She'll be super happy to see them, I hope.
7) MP3 Player : Mine is like this, but an older model. I'll load up with her favorite songs, "Wheels on the Bus", "I'm a Little Teapot", "It's Raining, It's Pouring". In another folder, I'll load it with her favorite songs to have me sing at night time, "Baby Mine", "Winnie The Pooh", "Bubbly", "Good Night Sweetheart", "Put Your Records On". That way we can shuffle a folder, depending on whether it's nap time or awake time.
8) Favorite Books - Jamberry, Good Night Moon, and Tumble Bumble will hopefully be enough, board books are heavy and take up a lot of room. I could probably just bring Jamberry and she'd be happy! I'll also have some books on tape on the MP3 player, and I can probably recite 10-20 purely from memory.
9 & 10) Pooh Bear and Blanket : These two go hand in hand. They are not exactly entertainment, but we won't get through the flight and naptime without them. The blanket goes with her everywhere! Pooh goes with her most of the time too, he's actually in a Tonka trunk just to the left of her when I took this picture.
1) Dover Little Activity Books - 10 books, 5 for each flight - 4-for-3 on Amazon : I focused mainly on the Invisible Picture ones (just need a pencil) and the coloring ones, they are small in dimension and will hopefully keep her pretty occupied. I stuck to animals mainly and ABC type selections, however I couldn't resist the Little Airport sticker book and hope I don't end up regretting it.
Birthday Party Guest Book Idea
Oooooops! I mentioned in the post about Kirsten's first birthday party that I'd share the guestbook idea I used this year. I even took pictures of it, and somehow forgot to post about it. Susan reminded me yesterday, so here it is. I created a book with Shutterfly using the pictures from this past from her first birthday until about 2 weeks before her 2nd birthday. I had guests sign the liner pages and will be doing this every year. By the time she is 18 she'll have a great little collection of books full of pictures and things to remember about each year complete with greetings and well wishes from the people who love her.
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| Names blurred to protect the innocent |
Packing - Trip Planning
I am going to Iceland this summer for about a week and a half. I've made two trips in the last three years where I didn't follow my normal routine for packing and trip planning and it showed. I usually make a list of things I will need and I mark them off as I'm packing them both departing and returning, so I know I'm bringing everything home with me. Usually I'm gone for a week or more, so I tend to bring more stuff, so the list really helps.
First, I went to Minneapolis to visit with Kiy and would only be gone 2 nights, and needed a minimum of clothing/accessories. So, no list. As a result I forgot something, and had to pay to have it shipped back to me. If it was a tube of toothpaste or something along the disposable lines, no problem, but in this case it was my down pillow I got in Iceland. I couldn't just replace it at my local Target. I'm not saying write down a precise description of everything; 3 - shirts, 3 - jeans, 1 - pillow would have sufficed in this case.
The second trip was two years ago when my daughter was born, can you believe I forgot to bring the camera???? I had taken it into the nursery to take pictures since we were finishing up a few last minute things when we got the call that she was on her way. We had an hour to put things away, grab our stuff, run the dogs to my brother-in-law's and head out of town. Halfway there I flashed on an image of the camera sitting on the shelf in the nursery where I left it and almost started to cry. Hubby said "We'll just buy a new camera" which we did as soon as we got to town. The new camera wasn't as nice as the one we had, but it got us through her first three days. Forgetting the camera was COMPLETELY avoidable if I had ran through a quick list.
Now with a little one to pack for as well, lists are more important for me than ever. I can't imagine the crying and hysterics I would endure if I forgot her beloved blanket or Pooh somewhere. It's bad enough when her blanket is in the washing machine. Thankfully, I don't have to cart around near as much as when she was a baby, but trying to carefully plan for what she'll need for 8 days in Iceland is going to be difficult. I'm actually in full potty training mode just so I can hopefully eliminate a large number of diapers and wipes and all that that entails from the list. She'll be quickly thrust into a "big girl" world like real tableware and no crib. I'll try to prepare her a bit over this month.
I also picked up a Trunki for her from zulily or OpenSky for more than 50%, I can't remember which. I'm thinking it was OpenSky though the more I think about it. She loves riding around on it and calls it her car. I'm hoping getting used to it and then having it packed full of special things for her trip will make everything go smoothly. Well, as smoothly as one can hope for with a 2-year old!
Do you have any tips for traveling with a toddler? I'll be compiling a list of what I am doing for a post in a couple of weeks, I'd love to feature your tips as well!
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The second trip was two years ago when my daughter was born, can you believe I forgot to bring the camera???? I had taken it into the nursery to take pictures since we were finishing up a few last minute things when we got the call that she was on her way. We had an hour to put things away, grab our stuff, run the dogs to my brother-in-law's and head out of town. Halfway there I flashed on an image of the camera sitting on the shelf in the nursery where I left it and almost started to cry. Hubby said "We'll just buy a new camera" which we did as soon as we got to town. The new camera wasn't as nice as the one we had, but it got us through her first three days. Forgetting the camera was COMPLETELY avoidable if I had ran through a quick list.
Now with a little one to pack for as well, lists are more important for me than ever. I can't imagine the crying and hysterics I would endure if I forgot her beloved blanket or Pooh somewhere. It's bad enough when her blanket is in the washing machine. Thankfully, I don't have to cart around near as much as when she was a baby, but trying to carefully plan for what she'll need for 8 days in Iceland is going to be difficult. I'm actually in full potty training mode just so I can hopefully eliminate a large number of diapers and wipes and all that that entails from the list. She'll be quickly thrust into a "big girl" world like real tableware and no crib. I'll try to prepare her a bit over this month.
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I also picked up a Trunki for her from zulily or OpenSky for more than 50%, I can't remember which. I'm thinking it was OpenSky though the more I think about it. She loves riding around on it and calls it her car. I'm hoping getting used to it and then having it packed full of special things for her trip will make everything go smoothly. Well, as smoothly as one can hope for with a 2-year old!
Do you have any tips for traveling with a toddler? I'll be compiling a list of what I am doing for a post in a couple of weeks, I'd love to feature your tips as well!
Chores with Toddlers
I wrote a series on establishing Routines with Kids a couple of years ago based on my experiences with my nieces and nephews, but now that I have my own little girl I thought I'd share how we're handling chores. My daughter just turned 2 and she has chores. She doesn't know they are chores, she thinks she is helping mommy or daddy. Which she is, sort of. Yes, right now I could get these chores done a lot faster just doing them myself, but then what does that teach her? So, while it maybe doesn't really help me to have her bring in the mail or water the plants, it will in the long run. Everything she does for herself and for me now that earns her praise and increases her self-confidence, means that much more she'll be able to do for herself in the long run. So, I think of my added time now as an investment in her confidence and self-sufficiency.
Granted a lot of these are still "supervised" chores, meaning she doesn't just go and do them, but she will if asked and sometimes verbally guided. I'm very big on self-sufficiency, and will ask her to do things and she knows if she needs assistance she just has to ask "help please" and I'm there to help.
Chores she currently can do on her own
1. Keeps clothes off her floor
When she was old enough to walk reliably, she would put her pajamas in the hamper. Now she helps me by putting clothes in the hamper and also sending them to the laundry room. Granted it's only putting 3-4 articles of clothing in a hamper, but we have to start somewhere.
2. Puts her toys away
Each type of toy has it's own basket, she knows where they all belong and will put her toys in the appropriate basket. I don't care if she just tosses everything in the basket, so long as it's in there. When she's older we can worry about being tidy, for now she's learning to pick up.
3. Puts her art/craft items away
She has a rolling drawer tower for coloring books, play doh, finger paint, etc. She puts her art stuff back in the tower when she's done with it. We just have to work on asking before pulling it out.
4. Gets her plate, cup and utensils for meals
This isn't consistent, because if it's something hot I'll fill her plate and stick it in the fridge to cool a bit before bringing it to her. However, if I ask her to get a bowl, she will. I store her cups, dishes and utensils in a drawer in a lower kitchen cupboard so she can reach everything.
Chores she currently does with assistance
5. Personal hygiene
I brush her teeth first, then she brushes. She washes her own hands after dinner and will tell you "hands please" when she is ready to wash them. We are slowly working towards more self-sufficiency in this area.
6. Bringing in the mail
Every day when she gets home she goes to the mailbox with either myself or my hubby and she brings the mail into the house. I think this is her favorite chore and it was self-imposed. She made it her job to bring in the mail, which is great!
7. Watering the plants
Both indoor plants and soon the outdoor planters. I got her a mini-spade and watering can to help me.
She does other things beyond this, but this is the list of things that are currently "her chores". She "sweeps" the back patio, wipes the dinner table, helps in the kitchen, picks up "ickies" and puts them in the trash... Icky can be lots of things according to her definition, so I have to peek in the trash once in a while to make sure something important wasn't deemed icky by her, like dog toys.
Toddlers love to help, they very much want to be just like mommy and daddy at this age. I'm taking advantage of it to establish lifelong good habits as much as possible.
Granted I have to sweep after her and wipe the table after her for the time being, but I have her "help" me so she doesn't realize I'm redoing what she's done. I always praise her afterwards for a great job and being a good helper, and she LOVES being a good helper. Plus, as a parent it's fun to see how proud she is of herself after she's helped.
What chores do your toddlers do? Or if your children are grown, what did they do as toddlers for chores?
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| Baking with Daddy |
Granted a lot of these are still "supervised" chores, meaning she doesn't just go and do them, but she will if asked and sometimes verbally guided. I'm very big on self-sufficiency, and will ask her to do things and she knows if she needs assistance she just has to ask "help please" and I'm there to help.
Chores she currently can do on her own
1. Keeps clothes off her floor
When she was old enough to walk reliably, she would put her pajamas in the hamper. Now she helps me by putting clothes in the hamper and also sending them to the laundry room. Granted it's only putting 3-4 articles of clothing in a hamper, but we have to start somewhere.
2. Puts her toys away
Each type of toy has it's own basket, she knows where they all belong and will put her toys in the appropriate basket. I don't care if she just tosses everything in the basket, so long as it's in there. When she's older we can worry about being tidy, for now she's learning to pick up.
3. Puts her art/craft items away
She has a rolling drawer tower for coloring books, play doh, finger paint, etc. She puts her art stuff back in the tower when she's done with it. We just have to work on asking before pulling it out.
4. Gets her plate, cup and utensils for meals
This isn't consistent, because if it's something hot I'll fill her plate and stick it in the fridge to cool a bit before bringing it to her. However, if I ask her to get a bowl, she will. I store her cups, dishes and utensils in a drawer in a lower kitchen cupboard so she can reach everything.
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| Kirsten's Drawer, so she can get things for herself |
Chores she currently does with assistance
5. Personal hygiene
I brush her teeth first, then she brushes. She washes her own hands after dinner and will tell you "hands please" when she is ready to wash them. We are slowly working towards more self-sufficiency in this area.
6. Bringing in the mail
Every day when she gets home she goes to the mailbox with either myself or my hubby and she brings the mail into the house. I think this is her favorite chore and it was self-imposed. She made it her job to bring in the mail, which is great!
7. Watering the plants
Both indoor plants and soon the outdoor planters. I got her a mini-spade and watering can to help me.
 |
| Done with the patio, heading over to sweep the rocks |
She does other things beyond this, but this is the list of things that are currently "her chores". She "sweeps" the back patio, wipes the dinner table, helps in the kitchen, picks up "ickies" and puts them in the trash... Icky can be lots of things according to her definition, so I have to peek in the trash once in a while to make sure something important wasn't deemed icky by her, like dog toys.
Toddlers love to help, they very much want to be just like mommy and daddy at this age. I'm taking advantage of it to establish lifelong good habits as much as possible.
Granted I have to sweep after her and wipe the table after her for the time being, but I have her "help" me so she doesn't realize I'm redoing what she's done. I always praise her afterwards for a great job and being a good helper, and she LOVES being a good helper. Plus, as a parent it's fun to see how proud she is of herself after she's helped.
What chores do your toddlers do? Or if your children are grown, what did they do as toddlers for chores?
May Day Baskets
Do you make May Day baskets? We're making a handful for some close friends and neighbors this year. I came across some simple ones crafted with paper cups and ribbon, lace or strips of paper attached as handles. I was looking for something a little simpler than the typical cone style for Kirsten to be able to do them with me. Melissa Sagaser from Creative Treasures has some cute ones she made with flower patterned dixie cups, and scrapbook paper covered ones. I may make a few of those for her to take to daycare to share with her friends. I'd fill them with a box of yogurt covered raisins and some stickers and a flower.
For our friends and neighbors though, I'm still partial to the paper cone style ones, decorated with ribbons, lace and filled with flowers. Too bad children don't still dance around a maypole in the US, such a sweet tradition gone.
I still love this photo of all the may day baskets lining the fence. I'll be picking up paper this week to make some may day baskets with my daughter this week. We'll be making 9 baskets for neighbors and friends, and we'll make 12 cup ones for her friends and teachers at school.
Would you like to make your own May Baskets? Here's the template I made a few years ago just for my readers. Clicking on it will bring up a hi-res version in Adobe PDF format for printing. If you'd like to make baskets with me and share a link to them in the comments I'd be delighted.
For our friends and neighbors though, I'm still partial to the paper cone style ones, decorated with ribbons, lace and filled with flowers. Too bad children don't still dance around a maypole in the US, such a sweet tradition gone.
Photo by Will Merydith
Would you like to make your own May Baskets? Here's the template I made a few years ago just for my readers. Clicking on it will bring up a hi-res version in Adobe PDF format for printing. If you'd like to make baskets with me and share a link to them in the comments I'd be delighted.
Happy Birthday Kirsten!
This amazing little girl has her 2nd birthday on Sunday! We're having family and friends over for a party today, so I'll be busy getting ready and taking pictures, but I'll share all the fun with you on Sunday.
Happy birthday my darling baby girl!
A daughter is a precious giftA blessing from above,She’s laughter, warmth and feminine charm;She’s thoughtfulness and love.
Tips for Baking with Toddlers
Baking with toddlers is easier for me than cooking with them. Most of the heat exposure is during a passive stage for the baker and there aren't usually knives involved. If there are knives involved, in the case of chopping fruits or vegetables or rinds those steps can be completed before the toddler becomes actively involved.
Tips for Baking with Toddlers
When I made the Swedish Almond Cake earlier this month, my not quite 2 year old daughter helped with the entire process. She has also made cookies with hubby and we try to involve her in steps while cooking dinner too, if it's safe for her to help.
I put the butter in a mug and in the microwave for a minute, while we started so it would cool off a bit by the time we poured it in.
I used a 2 cup glass measure and measured the sugar into it, then let her pour it into my mixer bowl. I then added an egg to the glass measure and beat it with a fork, then gave her the fork to beat it some more, then it was poured in. The same process with the milk and almond extract which I measured in together, I stirred them then let her stir them (stirring wasn't necessary, but she has fun doing it) and we poured it in. I put the bowl under the mixer, then turned it on asking her to count to 5 while it ran. If your child can't count yet, ask them to sing a song they know or clap or turn around like the mixer, you can't over incorporate the liquids. I stopped it and pulled the bowl back off.
I used a mug (just needed something with a greater than 1 1/4 cup capacity) for the flour, measured it and the baking powder into it and let her stir it and pour it in. Then we put the bowl back on, started the mixer and counted to 5. I stopped it and pulled the bowl back off.
I gave her the mug of butter, told her it was "HOT" (it was just warm) and asked her to stir it gently. She did, then we poured it in the bowl. We put the bowl back on, started the mixer and counted to 5. I stopped it and pulled the bowl back off.
Now, I happened to have an extra helper, so the next step daddy helped her set the timer (took a few tries, but she loves the beeps) while I scraped the batter into the pan. Otherwise, I'd have had her help me set the timer, then given her a little water in the first mug to stir while I scraped the batter into the pan. Then we'd pour the water into the bowl and stir it a bit before putting it in the sink.
I tell her the oven is hot and to stand back and help mommy by counting to 5 and tell mommy "quick quick quick" to make sure we get the cake in the oven before letting all the heat out.
Once the cake was in the oven she helped hand wash the bowl and beater, and close the dishwasher door after I put the cups and utensils inside. I don't let her help load the dishwasher yet, because there are often knives and other things that could really hurt her. So, I'll wait til she's older for that, but she loves to help by closing doors. Then we washed our hands and her arms and turned the oven light on to peek at the cake once in a while.
At her age she has no problem helping with stirring and pouring and when we're done she shouts "I did it!" a lot. It's a great confidence booster for her and we have fun spending time together in the kitchen. Having her help make the cake I dirtied one extra mug, that's it! I'd have used a cup for beating the egg anyway, I just used a slightly bigger one for measuring the sugar into first and the milk. It definitely takes more time to prep the batter, but it's fun and worth it.
Tips for Baking with Toddlers
- Wash hands and arms and put on a short sleeved play shirt.
- Prep ingredients that require cutting or dicing in advance.
- Measure ingredients into larger cups with a handle and a lip for pouring.
- Go BIG! The batter might fit in at 4 cup bowl, but use an 8 cup to prevent spills.
- Let them stir things, even if they don't need stirring.
- Let them get a little messy, and don't stress about it.
- Let them count or sing short songs as a way of "timing" things, even if they don't need to be timed.
- Count to 5 for any unnecessary steps, so it doesn't take 3 hrs.
- Let them set timers, they love the beeping of the buttons and if you have to reset it because they've got it baking for 3 hrs and 15 minutes, it's not a big deal.
- Turn on the oven light, let them check it out once in a while.
When I made the Swedish Almond Cake earlier this month, my not quite 2 year old daughter helped with the entire process. She has also made cookies with hubby and we try to involve her in steps while cooking dinner too, if it's safe for her to help.
I put the butter in a mug and in the microwave for a minute, while we started so it would cool off a bit by the time we poured it in.
I used a 2 cup glass measure and measured the sugar into it, then let her pour it into my mixer bowl. I then added an egg to the glass measure and beat it with a fork, then gave her the fork to beat it some more, then it was poured in. The same process with the milk and almond extract which I measured in together, I stirred them then let her stir them (stirring wasn't necessary, but she has fun doing it) and we poured it in. I put the bowl under the mixer, then turned it on asking her to count to 5 while it ran. If your child can't count yet, ask them to sing a song they know or clap or turn around like the mixer, you can't over incorporate the liquids. I stopped it and pulled the bowl back off.
I used a mug (just needed something with a greater than 1 1/4 cup capacity) for the flour, measured it and the baking powder into it and let her stir it and pour it in. Then we put the bowl back on, started the mixer and counted to 5. I stopped it and pulled the bowl back off.
I gave her the mug of butter, told her it was "HOT" (it was just warm) and asked her to stir it gently. She did, then we poured it in the bowl. We put the bowl back on, started the mixer and counted to 5. I stopped it and pulled the bowl back off.
Now, I happened to have an extra helper, so the next step daddy helped her set the timer (took a few tries, but she loves the beeps) while I scraped the batter into the pan. Otherwise, I'd have had her help me set the timer, then given her a little water in the first mug to stir while I scraped the batter into the pan. Then we'd pour the water into the bowl and stir it a bit before putting it in the sink.
I tell her the oven is hot and to stand back and help mommy by counting to 5 and tell mommy "quick quick quick" to make sure we get the cake in the oven before letting all the heat out.
Once the cake was in the oven she helped hand wash the bowl and beater, and close the dishwasher door after I put the cups and utensils inside. I don't let her help load the dishwasher yet, because there are often knives and other things that could really hurt her. So, I'll wait til she's older for that, but she loves to help by closing doors. Then we washed our hands and her arms and turned the oven light on to peek at the cake once in a while.
At her age she has no problem helping with stirring and pouring and when we're done she shouts "I did it!" a lot. It's a great confidence booster for her and we have fun spending time together in the kitchen. Having her help make the cake I dirtied one extra mug, that's it! I'd have used a cup for beating the egg anyway, I just used a slightly bigger one for measuring the sugar into first and the milk. It definitely takes more time to prep the batter, but it's fun and worth it.
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