Toddler Tuesday: Silly Strainer

Need a quick and easy activity for your kiddo while you are trying to make dinner? Or maybe just a fun way to practice and improve their fine motor skills?

You have come to the right place! Pick up a pack of run of the mill pipe cleaners from the local craft store, take out your colander from the kitchen cabinet and let your little lovely go to town!

This does require that your colander has lots of little pipe cleaner sizes holes....(it is great fun for little hands to fill each hole up with as many pipe cleaners as they are given)....so if you don't have such a colander, I recommend you go out and grab one!! Well worth the investment if you have a few bucks to spare (I think I got mine at Target for less than $15).

We have done this activity several times at school and it has always been a big hit....kid tested and Dharma approved!

A little silly strainer update: I got this photo from a dear friend (thanks Angela) who went ahead and tried this activity with her 4 year old son (Mr. B). He chose to construct an amazing strainer/pipe cleaner hat.....fun for all ages!!

Stylin' Saturday: Cleaning House

So last weekend, I got the bug to go through my closet and rid myself of the masses of clothes, shoes, stuff that I have collected over the years.

I try to make it part of my life routine to weed out clothes now and again (every 6 months or so). But every time I go through this process, there are always items that I just can't seem to get rid of. You know the ones- I haven't worn you in like 8 years.....button down plaid long sleeved flannel. But what if comfy grunge comes back in style? Then I will have absolutely NOTHING to wear.....you get the idea.

Well, this time was different. I said to myself, "Self, it's time to be free from the madness that is your closet. No more negotiations with the knee length sweaters and shoes that give you blisters. Let's do this!"

I got started and soon was through the skirts and dresses....wow, that was easier that I thought it would be! It was even a little exciting to see the space opening up on empty hangers and I knew my closet was on its way to amazingness.

I went through every drawer and bin that I owned, and can proudly say that what remained were things that I actually wear! As a bonus, I even discovered a few pieces that had long been forgotten and buried away and are now back in the mix. I feel so organized....and free!!

So today, I send some encouragement your way to take a step towards your own closet freedom. Maybe an all out assault on your hangers and dresser are a little too scary for your first try. Start small by saying goodbye to a few things that you know you are NEVER going to wear but have been hanging onto anyway.....you know, just in case.

I once heard a tip on some organizing tv show to hang all your clothes with the hangers in the same direction. Then when you return that item back to the closet, rehang that hanger in the opposite direction. After 6 months, anything that is hung in the original direction needs to find a new home...it's something that you are not going to wear, EVER!!

And now, the big reveal:

I know it may not look like much in the photo, but I guess I am a little proud of my closet cleansing adventure and had to share it with the world. It makes me happy to finally be free from the madness!!

Toddler Tuesday: Emotions

It's important to talk about emotions...about how things make you feel and about how what you do effects others. Although toddlers have a stronger sense of self (Mine, Mine, Mine!!!!!) in the beginning of their social lives, we can help them learn to identify what it means to be happy, sad, angry...etc.

One fun way to do this is through photos! And what better emotions model than the very people your tot spends them most time with! We did a series of emotions photos with our Preschool staff and the kids stop by them daily to talk about what they see: 'What is Dharma doing?' 'She is crying, she is sad!'

Get out that camera (or just like the Big Heads project from previous posts, contact family members that may not live near by and have them take a picture doing an assigned emotion...they can email it right to you)!

Make a book or a wall display and get the emotions conversations going!!

Stylin' Saturday: 5 Things

While living life in this crazy world, I have come across some things that I find delightful or make me feel happy. I want to you feel happy too, so I will be sharing these things from time to time:

1. Curved bobby pins: These are sweet! It may seem like a silly thing...does it really matter if they are curved? People have been using old school bobbies for ages with little argument about their function and style. Well I don't know about you, but my head is round...not flat. It matters, curves are cool.

2. I like pepper on lots of stuff. Penzey's is the best...great flavor, perfect size of grounds...yum!

3. A simple cuff bracelet: I wear this almost every day as a staple accessory. I like its clean lines and it adds a little shine to my ensemble. If you only have a bit of $ to invest in a few pieces of jewelry, I suggest making one of these a part of your collection.

4. Mascara: It's the one makeup item that I can't live without. I love mascara...a lot! Is that a problem? It is true that I feel the need to purchase mascara from seeing commercials about groundbreaking formulas that will make your lashes luscious and appear 3 times their original length....3 TIMES!!! But in all seriousness, I have tried a bunch of brands...my all time favorite- Cover Girl Lash Blast.

5. Aquaphor: You moms out there may already know about this magical balm...it clears up dry and rashy skin issues on your little people in the blink of an eye! Well, it also does wonders on my lips to keep them moisturized and soft through the ever changing Minnesota seasons. A must have, it has become my one and only lip care system!

Toddler Tuesday: Conflict Resolution

We implemented a plan in all of our classrooms to teach our kiddos some basic conflict resolution skills.

Giving children the tools to learn how to resolve conflicts among their peers is so valuable to how they will deal with conflict as adults! In fact, sometimes I think if the whole earth followed this plan, we indeed could achieve world peace!!

Here it is:

When a conflict arises between children, we start by getting down on their level and helping them to calm down....or even separating kids if the conflict has become physical.

Ok, now that we have things under control we can ask a simple question, "What's the problem??". We can gain a lot of insight based on the responses that will follow...kids are very honest and will tell you everything they are thinking and feeling! Listen to what they are saying and guide them to think of what they could do to come to a solution together.

If they are having trouble coming to a consensus, then you can offer some ideas and suggest they try them out. See what they do with it and guide them to success! If the kids involved can work out a plan that everyone is satisfied with, they can move on and are now better equipped to try it on their own the next time conflicts arise!

This plan can even work with the youngest of tots! But instead of relying on them to do all the talking, you become the model of conversation...you talk through the steps out loud and model for them a successful resolution. As their language and social skills grow, give them opportunities to try it on their own!

I encourage you to try this out with the kids in your life....let them lead in the discussion, listen to their ideas and guide them to be successful in the solution! What a gift to teach this skill to your young ones now....let's build in our kids the skills to become ambassadors of justice and peace!

Stylin Saturday: Grandma's Art

One of the things I remember most fondly of my Grandma Schleif was her art work. She always made little drawings of people (a cute little guy with a mustache..for some reason, I think his name was Sam), animals and scenery.

What a talent!!

It has been many years now since she has passed away, but I am fortunate to have found a few pieces of her wonderful art sitting in my parent's basement! They are now proudly displayed on the walls of my little dwelling:

Oh yeah, and some Christmas Ornaments too...

I am so thankful to have these memories of Grandma to look at every day...her work gives me inspiration to continue to develop my artistic sense my whole life through!

Toddler Tuesday: Fun with Felt

I like making stuff with felt. It's really easy to work with, has a clean edge when cut, and it sticks together great with a hot glue gun!

Also, my toddlers love listening to familiar stories over and over (just like with singing songs....such creatures of habit!) and I needed a way to spice the reading experience up a bit.

Hence, my plan to create some old school felt board stories! With felt, scissors and my glue gun I got to work...my favorite:

The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear

The toddlers are totally enthralled with watching what piece will be added to the board next! Give it a try and recreate a favorite story of your own. Or if you have a story you would like me to create, post a comment with the story you would love to have in felt board form before next week's Toddler Tuesday post...

....I will choose a comment at random and get crafting to send the winner one of their very own!