Crafty Corner: Task Master

My sister has a bunch of kids. Sometimes those kids need a little help remembering their daily duties. Sister likes when the kids can get those duties done with a little independence and consistency.

She asked me if I would enjoy making some charts for the kids (the 4 year old in particular) to help them have success in accomplishing said tasks.

Um. Are you kidding me...a chance to rock my scrapbooking tools and colored pencils....sign me up! She sent me her lists:

I got to work on finding some simple clip art line drawings of each item to help my pre-reading little niece know what needed to happen from first to last by looking at the pictures, busted out my trusty colored pencils and cut them all out:

Some cute patterned cardstock paper as the base, along with coordinating solid cardstock to mount each picture/label individually (makes it stand out on the page a bit):

I laid them all out to make sure they fit and then stuck 'em down! Added some number stickers next to each label, laminated and done....

The laminated cards are great for writing on (and later wiping off) with a dry erase marker...my hope is that my lovely niece can cross off the numbers as she finishes her task to keep herself on track...it's fun to be an independent woman:

Toddler Talk: Swinging Things

Fun activity alert!! Hanging stuff from above for your toddler to experiment with is amazing! A few examples to get the creative juices flowing:

We call this one 'swinging easels':

A small hula hoop, a piece of paper cut to fit that hoop....tape it to the hoop...

Hang the hoop by a piece of string from something sturdy. And add some markers into the mix!

The 'easel' moves all around as your kiddo draws away. They think its fun to chase it in circles as they attempt to keep drawing...what a hoot!

A few more ideas (no pictures for these...maybe to come at a later date):

Tie an 'O' ball to a string (if you are not familiar with this ball, it is really cool...look it up, and buy one promptly) and let your toddler hit it around with their hands! Again, fun to chase around and can help with the development of that hand/eye coordination business!

Or, grab an empty 2 liter bottle, cut off the very bottom and string some rope from that opening thru the top....tie knots to secure and hang outside! Add a bat or stick and fun will be had by all! Lots of fun!

Sequins & Sofas: Mill City Makery

I have a friend with mad sewing skills...and oodles of creative ways to make piles of fabric into something amazing!

It's a lifelong goal of mine to someday learn how to sew and perhaps create some magic of my own....but until then, I marvel at her talents! Check out her business (Mill City Makery) and a few of her pieces:

Like what you see? Me too! Check out her blog for more and support her beautiful business:

Mill City Makery

Sequins & Sofas: App-tastic!

I was just spending a few minutes (ok probably a little more than a few) playing on my phone. You see, I don't have wifi in my apartment so my phone is only link to the amazing outside world of the internets. It's fun to play games with my pals in other lands and see what my peeps are up to on the Facebook and such.

As long as I am currently using my phone to write/publish this post, I thought I would share with you some of my favorite apps:

Great way to organize and follow fellow bloggers....I never have to worry that I might miss a post!

2 photo apps that can transform my ordinary iPhoto's into magic.

Sometimes you need to spruce up your background...lots of wallpaper to sift through (although some are a bit cheesy...reminiscent of the Lisa Frank unicorns and cute kitties era).

Sometimes it's dark.

A sound for all occasions....fire is my favorite....if you spend the $1.99, you can make your own 'playlists' and mix sounds together. Pretty cool!

Don't know the name of a song. Hey, who sings this? What are the correct lyrics to that tune that you pretend to know but just mumble something that sounds about right? SHAZAM!

My very own blog is brought to you by the letter 'D', the number '7'....and Blogger Plus....delightful.

And GAMES! I love all of these! Song guessing, drawing, slicing fruit with a samurai sword, dice rolling, dot mazes that are more than addicting (just ask my mom), and any kids game by Toca Boca (not for me of course, but for the nieces and nephew...except for Hair Salon, it's just good fun).

Happy App-ing!

Hmmmmmm...

So, life has been really busy and a bit stressful this month! My creative juices have not had the energy to flow freely and thus, my post this week is to get some feedback from those of you who enjoy reading! Are there topics related to toddlers that you would like to read about? Are there craft ideas that you want me to try to figure out so you don't have to? Is there a decorating dilemma that you are having in your home that i can maybe help with??

I am looking for some fresh ideas...so here's your chance to share....GO!

Also here is a cute picture of my niece enjoying a messy meal:

Toddler Talk: Finger Painting is Fun!

As mentioned in previous posts, there are lots of items that can be used as devices for painting. To add to the wide variety of tools, there are also a few things that I like to give my tods the opportunity to paint ON!

One of which is aluminum foil....

Look how much fun they are having!!! The foil is a great palate for fingerpaint because it is so smooth, shiny and allows them to make patterns with their fingers that are easy to see! Start with a few colors and add more as they spread the gooey delightfulness all around! Added bonus is that when you are all done, just roll it up and toss it away....easy clean up! I recommend ripping off a piece that is big enough for your kiddo to stretch their arms out and not be able to touch the bare table. Tape all the sides down and let them loose!

Another take on this activity is to use Saran Wrap. Literally wrap one half of your kitchen table with some Saran (take a piece that is just a little longer than the side of the table and tape each end under the edge. Repeat again and overlap the piece that you just laid down by a few inches and secure with tape...repeat until you have the desired surface area for your painting extravaganza!) Plop some blobs of fingerpaint all around.....fun for hours and, just like the foil, easiest clean up of all time!!

Crafty Corner: DIY Art!

Sometimes I see paintings or posters in a store and think,"That would be really cute on my wall....oh, yikes....it's really expensive!"

Now I am not even talking about art commissioned by a reputable artist...just from a local store like Home Goods....it's still pretty pricy to fill your walls with stuff. And filling your walls with stuff is what makes your house a home! It allows you to show your personality and style and makes you feel happy, right?

I would challenge you to take a shot at being your own artist! If you see something that you think is pretty, stop at the local art store and pick up an inexpensive canvas.... a few colors
of craft paint and some brushes....and create your own interpretation of what you saw in the store. As we teach our preschoolers, there is no wrong answer when it comes to creating art. If you love it, then it is art! If you made it, then it is art!

I have done a few paintings for my mama over the years...replicas (well, kind of) of things we saw in shops that were kind of cool but way too expensive:

Just go for it! You may surprise yourself with the final product...or at least have fun trying:)