HeyDay Living

Fall Garland

2011-10-25T19:51:00.001-05:00

Here's an easy fall garland project we did the other day.
We went on a leaf hunt around the yard & spread them out on the counter.

To preserve them, I ironed them between two pieces of wax paper.

Carefully peel the paper to remove the leaves.

Here they are, all pressed and waxed.

Next, grabbed some ribbon and used glue to attach the leaves face down.

Hang and enjoy. If stored carefully, they will last for years!

Extreme Home Makeover- Dollhouse Edition

2011-10-04T21:04:00.000-05:00

My lil' girl will be turning 3 soon. I can hardly believe it. At this stage, she's loving to play with dollhouses. My kinda girl!

I found this lil' treasure on Craigslist for $30. What a FIND!
It was FULL of furniture too (more than shown in the picture)!

All it needed (okay, didn't really 'need', but I couldn't help myself) was a makeover. One that wouldn't cost much if anything at all. So, using mostly supplies already on hand...I got to work. Total project cost, including the dollhouse: $62.

Here's the BEFORE & AFTER of the dollhouse.

The cherry furniture was lovely,but I spray painted it all. Yep.
I covered the walls with craft paper (using spray adhesive).

Basically, I used everything I already had on hand - EXCEPT I did splurge on a new kitchen $20, a cute little washing machine for $6 and some craft stickers $6. I just had to do it.
This dollhouse is for me too, you know.

We love owls. This is the little girls room. I used craft paper for the walls, leftover fabric and some craft stickers. The bed and dresser were originally that cherry wood- but nothing a can of spray paint couldn't jazz up!

The living room.

Craft paper walls, little craft silhouette stickers (I do not scrap book by the way).

Painted couch with zebra felt (used fabric glue to adhere). Painted chair with leftover fabric.

I printed the chandelier image from the Internet, cut it out and glued it to the wall.

Spray painted fireplace. Fabric scrap rug. Craft paper walls.

The kitchen.

I used an old picture frame mat for the window (magazine cut out for the scene), painted table and chairs and craft paper for walls and floor. Printed out and glued 'Eat Together' picture to the wall.

The laundry room (I wish I had for real).

Craft paper walls, parts of the old kitchen furniture painted and printed out laundry stickers for pictures. I just had to buy that lil' washing machine for $6. We are calling it our washing AND drying machine.

The bathroom.

Painted furniture, craft paper walls and a printed out picture- glued above the tub.

Bedroom.

Spray painted bed and cabinet. Cardboard headboard with leftover fabric.

Leftover fabric for artwork. Craft paper walls.

Best part is watching my girl play with it.

There's nothing in here that I'm worried about getting broken or messed up (remember, we only paid $30 for it). If she wants to put the stove in the bathroom- sounds like an adventure to me! Sure, I spent some time on it- but it was fun for me to do. Plus, if things get messed up too badly, I'll always have these pictures to remember how things were!

Case in point. It was bath night for EVERYONE this night (including pets).

Proud of her for conserving water!

Fall Inside!

2011-09-30T15:52:00.000-05:00

Ah, Fall is here. This is my most favoritest, bestest time of year. The trees are beginning to change into jewel colors of yellow, red, burnt orange...time for nature walks and collecting.

Bring some Fall inside!

Today, we patrolled our backyard and snipped a basket full of fall foliage from trees and bushes. I simply added water to a vase and plopped them in. Now we have a little bit of Fall inside to enjoy.

A great book to read to your kiddo...Why Do Leaves Change Color? A fun and beautifully illustrated book (with some detailed scientific info too).

Also, a quick and easy project we did with friends this morning ...laminated place mats using Fall leaves. You could also use contact paper if you don't have a laminator.

Since this is my favorite time of year, there will certainly be a few more Fall inspired posts to come.

I hope everyone is enjoying this Season!

Buried in Berries...Jamberry!

2011-09-14T14:20:00.002-05:00

Jamberry, by Bruce Degen

has been a favorite book of ours for a while.

If you haven't read it to your kiddo yet, make sure you do!

Here's a fun and very simple activity we did to go with this board book.

We used strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries.

Last of the fresh berries for the season. A farewell bash.

Rinsed 'em.

Sorted 'em.

Next, we read the book and used our berries as interactive parts to the story.

One berry, two berry, pick me a blueberry.

She picked a blueberry and fed it to the bear.

Three berry, four berry,hayberry

Strawberry!

It was hard not to sample the berries as we read along.

Blackberries!

Trainberry, trackberry, clickety-clackberry!

I'm okay with getting a lil' berry stain on our book.

It's ours and we'll remember how the stain got there. :)

Next, raspberries!

Buried in berries!

She enjoyed all the berries 'as is' in natural form as we read...EXCEPT for the raspberry, too sour for her liking (same here...*pucker face*).

Next, we conducted a taste test with different dips.

Cream cheese, vanilla yogurt, honey and chocolate whipped cream.

Turns out that ALL the berries were best in chocolate whipped cream.

There's a resource book called 'Story Stretchers' that we like very much. While I didn't get this activity from that book, it is a great resource for adding relevant activities to your favorite books/stories. They have a version for infants, toddlers, pre-k and up.

Where the Wild Things Grow

2011-09-08T16:14:00.003-05:00

I was out rummaging with some girlfriends last weekend, hitting up area shops - looking for treasures. I found this little coloring book for 50 cents - A Field Guide to Wildflowers (in the fields, wetlands, sand, woods). A treasure.

We have an open field near our house, it's always knee high with weeds and wildflowers. I thought this book would pair well with a fun Montessori style study on wildflowers, arranging and parts of the flower.

We found and identified Bull Thistle.
It's prickly, be careful.

We found lots of Goldenrod.

We found a variety of other wildflowers as well and it was fun to match them up with the pictures in the book. The majority of what we found and studied were late summer bloomers, which worked out perfectly.

Next, thought it would be fun to arrange them.
Who knew weedy wildflowers could look so pretty?

Some wildflowers can irritate the skin easily, so we were careful when handling the wildflowers and we washed our hands after.

I added some FREE printables to our study, great way to learn the parts of a flower.

HomeSchoolCreations.com (click to download them for free).

This flower book is also from HomeSchoolCreations.com A fun flip book about shapes and colors. I laminated them, punched them, added an eyelet and ribbon to keep 'em together. I suggest you take a cruise around the free printables they have, there are many preschool packs that are just adorable!

While we're on the subject of flowers...did you know that a toothbrush holder works great for flower arranging? Especially for little hands! This is an activity we did months ago, but though it relevant to add to this post. Here, we used two Dollar Store toothbrush holders (no plug or openings at bottom). Works perfectly!

Flying Rabbits & a Fox Kissing Porcupine!

2011-09-01T12:53:00.002-05:00

I ran across Children Inspire Design the other day and completely fell in love with their FREE pritnables. They have a lot of great ones (checklists, charts, inspirational prints, crafts), but my favorite is 'Woodland Friends'.

So, we printed them out and made a couple lil' projects with them. First, we did a cut-n-paste project. Click here for the free Woodland Friends printables. Click here for the free forest background we used.

When finished, we popped them in a hinged frame to display in our entryway. This hangs at my tots height, so she can enjoy her work as well.

We purchased the hinged frame at Target for $12.

It's super easy to rotate artwork and it looks professionally mounted!

I then decided these printables were just too cute (and...uhm, free) to do just one project with them. So, we made a puppet theatre and puppets ($0).

I laminated the characters and hot glued them to craft sticks.

I used this empty box (which once held my $24 Walmart laminator, which works wonderfully). You could use any box really, diaper boxes, shipping boxes...

Using craft paper, glue and the free printables from Children Inspire Design, we assembled our theatre. We also used this free coloring sheet pritnable (tree in front with owl) from super coloring.

This is especially fun since it's a puppet theatre that my girl can manipulate and watch at the same time.

There was a flying rabbit and a fox kissing porcupine, a long with other woodland antics.
It was a great show!

p.s. We also did the free Sea Life cut-n-paste too!

This would be cute as a puppet theatre too, with ocean themed elements.

Scavenger Hunt, Free Printable Cards!

2011-08-30T21:00:00.001-05:00

Recently, I had three wriggly, wryly, restless kiddos...all at once. It was post-lunch, things were getting dicey indoors. Time to move it outdoors and go for a simple scavenger hunt.

This is why I save containers (like these empty chalk containers), for moments like this.

I found these FREE printable Earth cards at Mr. Printables.com

I printed and laminated the entire set, lots of different uses.

Check out the rest of the free printables they have. I especially like the alphabet and veggie/fruit ones- , they're very artful and different from most free printables found online.

Now, back to our hunt...collecting items from the backyard. Each kiddo had a card, when they found their item, they got a new card in order to find a new item.

Once everyone was all done gathering...

we grouped our items together and placed them on the corresponding cards. We talked about vocabulary and different rocks, plants and stones. We also talked about same word meaning (stone=rock).

Then, we had some fun with collecting more stones...

Here's another activity we did recently, using the 'Ice' card from Mr. Printables.

Transfer ice from jar to smaller container using scoop.

When she was done transfering back to the jar, we let it sit outside in the sun for a while...

so the ice could melt.

My tot was surprised to see the transformation. We used the 'Water' card here and included a dropper for water transfer.

Now, to find an activity for the 'Fire' card...

Let's Spill Milk!

2011-08-29T15:22:00.002-05:00

It Looked Like Spilt Milk, by Charles Shaw. I found this story inside a classroom literature book we picked up for cheap & was inspired. If you see any classroom literature books (usually discarded from schools & in thrift stores), grab them! They most always contain award winning children's literature/shorts inside...like this one. A creative read on clouds and how they can appear to be different things.

I thought it would be fun to take this book literal and spill some milk as we read the story and studied the clouds.

So, we got a cookie sheet and a little cup of milk lined up outside. She knew right what to do & dumped it out before I could even ask her to (a natural mess maker).

Is it spilt milk, or is it a whale spouting water?

I loved that the milk poured out into something she could really identify!

It sometimes looked like spilt milk, but it wasn't spilt milk.

The story goes through all the things that this 'white matter' looked like...and in the end,

they were all identified as clouds.

We took time to lay down and look up at the clouds.

She told me that milk was up high in the sky. It does look like milk up there, doesn't it?

What else do you see?

Next, we made cotton ball clouds. Blue construction paper for the sky, cotton balls and glue.

It was a VERY cloudy day at our house..big heaps of clouds.

We loved this little project study, it was so much fun & it's something we plan to do again

You can find this book at your library or on Amazon, I highly recommend this activity.

It Looked Like Spilt Milk, Charles G. Shaw.

Filter Flowers

2011-08-22T15:50:00.001-05:00

I realized that our interior windows needed a good cleaning...so I enlisted the help of my tot. It's funny, she thinks this 'cleaning business' is fun! I heard a nasty rumour that this phase will not last long.

What goes great with a squeaky clean window? Why artwork that streams light, of course!
Last year we did some wax crayon hearts that worked great (here) , but today we needed something simple and fast.

So, we drug out daddy's coffee filters, grabbed some water colors and markers.
I'm sure bleached coffee filters (white) would work better, but we used what we had on hand...unbleached.

Let them dry....

Tape 'em up to a window or on glass door & enjoy.

We also grabbed some window markers to make grass, stems, leaves...

and lots and lots of crazy weeds and grass...

the packaging indicates the window markers will wipe off easily...we shall see, but for now---we enjoy the purdy flowers.

Mud Pies!

2011-08-21T15:18:00.000-05:00

Ah, the culinary art of making mud pies!

If you haven't done this - you haven't lived!

Yes, it's messy...but the fun and memory making is oh so worth it.

I thought it was high time I passed on this culinary skill to my toddler. I spend a fair amount of time gardening and on yard work, so this is a perfect 'busy' activity for her to do while I'm doin' stuff nearby as well.

So, here's what I came up with. I repurpossed an unused storage container.

I used a black sharpie and a red paint pen to transform it into a stove/oven. To make the circles, I traced around a yogurt container and free handed the rest (10 minutes, so easy!).

I used a paint pen to jazz up an old bucket we had, for use as a mud mixing bucket.

Here's what's stored inside the container/stove.

Cheap and unwanted cookware. A little thrift store pan, small bread loaf, heart pan and old pan from a toaster oven we no longer have (works perfect for square pie pan). Also have a few utensils for stirring and spreading.

Now, this does get messy...it's mud! So, we set up our station on our back patio near the garden hose. This way we can hose everything off (including my girl) before returning indoors.

We have a bucket of dirt (you can use potting soil or dirt right from your yard), an empty bucket for whatever and a big bucket full of water (with a cup inside for pouring).

Next, we grabbed some ingredients/decorations from the yard- various flowers, grass.

Let's get mixin'!

Fudge brownies?

or a fancy cake?

Busy little hands baking up a storm.

Official food critic.

He seems put off.

He's a DOG, what does he know about fine culinary masterpieces? Psht!

Smelling and saying "Yummers, almost done!"

The aftermath...yep, it's dirty.

Easily hosed off...

Back on the bench for next time
(when Daddy takes his turn in the mud)!

Montessori Knock Off- Studies on the Cheap

2011-08-15T11:05:00.000-05:00

It seems that learning is more fun when you have accessories! If you read my blog, you know my affinity to thrift stores for many DIY Montessori type learning materials.

I found these cheap little stamps a while back & then I happened to come across this book a few months later (under $4 for all). Perfecto. Let's learn about animal tracks.

We matched the track stamp to the animal it belonged to.

We talked and read about each one as we went.

Then, we stamped a page full of tracks & after, tried to recall what animal they belonged to without looking at the book.

Here's another one we did on the cheap.

Thrift store coloring books (new) and thrift store plastic animals (washed first, of course).

We matched 'em up with coloring pages from the book.

We read about each animal (short info on each) from an animal dictionary we had on hand.

Then we studied the similarities between the toy animal and the animal on the coloring sheet. There were three kiddos, so we sat in a circle and rotated animals and sheets so that everyone could closely inspect each one.

Lastly, we colored our pages!

This activity from beginning to end was 30 minutes. This is great concentration for toddlers!

For those who wonder, no I don't shop all the time (even though I'd really like to), or really even think these activities out to great detail ahead of time. They just eventually match up and I try to work them in when I can.

I go to a thrift store or dollar store about once every couple of months (if I'm needing fresh material). I have my eyes open for learning materials in the categories of (Practical Life, Sensory, Language, Math, Botany/Science/Nature...). I also 'google' for ideas- and I spy on the expensive Montessori materials to find a way to make our own version.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?

Son of a Bench, I finally did it!

2011-08-14T22:25:00.001-05:00

Finally, I conquered my procrastination project of the Summer (almost in time for Fall)! Here's my poor neglected potting bench. Sadly, this looks pretty darn good compared to how it looked before I washed it. It was receiving no love at all...well, the bugs and mice in the storage shed loved it...for far too long.

Here's the 'After'. All fresh and new, cost under $25.

I gave it two coats of an outdoor deck/fence stain (Behr brand stain/paint). I chose an outdoor wood paint because, well... the bench is outside. Plus, this stuff is supposed to last 8 years and stand up to a beating. Let's hope it lives up to its claim!

This didn't take very long to complete since the stain covered so well. I used a roller and had it completely painted in about 2 hours - including making these easy holders with chalk board paint.

This is an old 3 compartment wood box we had layin' around in the shed, also sadly neglected (see the theme here? I'm ashamed).

Painted all over with leftover bench stain & then taped off in three sections.

Slathered on chalkboard paint with sponge brush. Chalkboard paint $7 from local craft store.

Stripped the tape off, let dry.

Did the same thing on $1 yellow metal buckets from our favorite 'French' retail mega chain!

Here are a bunch of potting bench plans (free plan downloads & instructions), if you want to build your own.

These are also really neat ideas- re purposing materials to make a potting bench. Some use dressers, desks, windows and doors... you get the idea.

Here's one made from wood pallets, via Mishaps in the Making.

Pic from The Micro Gardener blog, they used an old window and table. They also have great ideas on re purposed planters!

Here's a workbench turned potting bench (by CasaSugar)- love it!

Terrific Terrariums

2011-08-10T17:09:00.002-05:00

We had friends over recently, so I thought making terrariums would be a fun project to do together & it was!
Since it is a closed environment and creates its own ecosystem, a terrarium is perfect for someone who often travels or doesn't have time to attend to plants daily. It's not uncommon for a terrarium to be fine without water for 4 months or longer!

Here's what you need to make your own:

A clear glass container with lid. I snagged both of these glass jars for $3 from a local thrift store. You can choose all different shapes/sizes...the bigger the better.

Potting Soil

Rocks for drainage (you can add decorative marbles, stones or gravel too). We used some colored glass pieces I had on hand from a stained glass project- mixed with some rock.

Activated Carbon this helps keep the soil and air clean, also keeps any odor away. This is the same stuff you use in an aquarium and can be purchased at your local pet store.
Moss (Sphagnum), this is really optional. I like it for aesthetic purposes as it keeps the layers a bit separate.

Plants, we used air cleaning plants and ones that grow well in terrariums (fern, purple waffle). There are a variety of plants that will work well in a terrarium.

Break apart to make smaller plants, trim back roots

Fun personal touches, we each picked out an animal to add to our ecosystem.

Next, get to building your layers!

Decorative glass is added to the bottom

In order from bottom up:

Add decorative glass, rocks (drainage to bottom)

Add a couple table spoons of charcoal over the rocks, spread evenly

Add a thin layer of moss (optional)

Add potting soil (a couple inches worth)

Add plants

Water lightly. This is important.

When watering, only add a teaspoon or small cap full at a time (once a week for two weeks to get it started, then mist lightly once every 2 weeks or less - as needed). If there is condensation on the glass- do not water (wipe condensation off).
Do keep the lid on to allow the humidity to remain inside.

Most importantly, terrariums like some sun, but do not place terrarium in direct sunlight.

This is a fun 'care project' for the kids- having them inspect their little ecosystem and take care of it.

Here's some interesting history on terrariums, going all the way back to the Victorian era where they were very popular and referred to as 'Wardian Cases'.

Easy Flower Suncatchers!

2011-08-08T07:37:00.000-05:00

Since all we have is hot, hot sun...and dying flowers in the heat of this August, I thought this would be a great project. Snip the last of the blooms before they fry & make something beautiful for the eye.

Collect flowers from around your yard, your neighbors yard (ask permission first...or collect in the dark of night unseen), or from nearby parks.

As you can see, the day lilies are goin' south in the hot, hot sun!

Next, find a box to reuse/recycle. Ours just happens to be an empty (too bad) box of ice cream sammis. Get some clear contact paper. Cut a square opening in your box.

Next, place contact paper over window opening (sticky side out). Start pressing down your flowers. For this, I just let my tot go to town on her own.

Next, place another piece of contact paper over the flowers (sticky side down), to seal them in.

Lastly, hold them up to the window....enjoy!

You can tie a ribbon on them and hang, do variations on the frame (heart frame, paper plate circle frames, do mosaic designs, lots of different spins...)

My girl really loved this project & is super-excited to give one to her Grandma!

We used the leftover flowers in a press that I inherited from my grandmother. Results TBD, as this is the first time I've used one.

Here's a good tutorial on how to make your own press from Elle Belle.

S i t !

2011-08-03T17:24:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I found these two little pieces of furniture. A mini foot rest $4 and a wood stool $3...they were just beggin' for a makeover.

Here's the BEFORE footrest. Lovely, eh?

Nice gams, just need a little love.

Take the legs off, decide on leftover fabric (spotted Owl by Alexander Henry)

Staple fabric to cushion. You can tell I'm not a pro, but hey- it works out in the end!

I used cardboard backing to cover staples & glued it on with Elmer's All Purpose. Once placed, I added heavy books on top & let it sit for an hour.

Spray painted those gams, leftover yellow! Screwed legs back on.

Now, put your feet up and relax!

Here's the lil' wood stool I did. This is the top of the stool BEFORE photo (you can see some surface damage).

Taped up and gave the top a shiny coat of Krylon 'Ivy leaf'.

Printed out large bold letters on card stock paper. Used an exacto knife to cut out/make stencil. Taped stencil to top of stool & spray painted Krylon Ivory (2 coats). I then touched up with a paint pen and gave it a clear protective gloss coat.

I don't think I spent more than 2 hours on both seats together. I take lots of short cuts and don't always do things the most professional, careful way...but hey, that's only because I'm clinically impatient!

Paint Chips!

2011-08-03T08:07:00.002-05:00

We've been focusing on color lately - the different hues. Here's a great color matching game using free paint chips! This cost me $1(for the clothespins) and it was super fast to make.

Grab free paint chips from your local home improvement store. You can ask the person at the paint counter and they'll let you look through the 'recycle bin' of samples. Otherwise, you can take from the samples on display.

Get two of each color- in our case I had 12 total paint chip samples. Use 6 for cutting and the remaining 6 for use with the clothespins. Eventually I'll glue the squares on top of each clothespin, but for right now my girl just places the clothespins on top of the corresponding color (instead of clipping them on the paint chip cards).

I also plan to laminate the cards so they keep in good shape and last longer.

There are lots of things to do with free paint chips. Last year we made these Valentines for friends. We used stamps, hole punch and ribbon then we tied them to festive suckers.

Another easy thing is to make them into bookmarks. We plan to do this with the leftover scraps from the color match game. A hole punch and some ribbon, easy enough! You could even stamp them or use a creative shape punch - make them for family/friends. This picture is from Kitschy-koo, and there's a good tutorial there (if you even need one!).

Also, all sorts of creative banners can be made with them too! Check out this easy tutorial from Paisley Cupcake. How cute for a birthday party, any festive gathering or even a simple banner decoration for room/nursery.

M is for Magnet!

2011-07-26T11:01:00.000-05:00

This all started when my toddler caught a glimpse of The Chipmunks on an in-flight movie. She fell in love. Hard.

She was given Chipmunk stickers and I made them into magnets so they would last longer. She played with them on a cookie sheet and loved it. Everywhere my girl went, so did the cookie sheet (in the car, to her grandparents house & nearly to bed with her). This lasted for days, and it got me thinking... how bout some more magnets- fun and educational ones?

A perfect use for this $1 book. You can find these books at the dollar store, Target dollar aisle, thrift stores or even use stickers instead of paper/books. Heck, you can even use cut out images from grocery ads and magazines.

Here's all you need:

Magnet sheets (local craft store)
*you can also use those FREE promotional magnets you get all the time (heating/cooling repair, insurance salesman, takeout number magnets, schedules). We actually used a 'save the date' magnet we were given for the Chipmunk magnets.
Spray Mount or Tacky Spray (local craft store)
This is liquid sticker. Lots of uses for this stuff.

Your images of choice and a pair of scissors.

Cut out your pictures. Place face down on surface (one you don't mind getting sticky). Spray even coat of tacky spray on cut-outs. Let sit for a couple minutes.

Stick images ( face up) on your magnet sheet. Press down to make sure they are all secure/flat. Cut around each picture. Done, you've got magnets!

Lots of things you can teach and play with these. Color matching, sorting (food verses non-food, animals) letters, phonics. These can go on fridge, magnet board/easel or travel with cookie sheet or other metal/tin case.

This was a free gift with purchase we received, a Mickey tin with stickers, pencils, sharpener.

So, I turned the stickers into magnets and added plastic magnet letters. Perfect for car ride since it has a lid, it's magnetic tin and it's smaller. I'll probably switch the magnet themes out every week for in-car play.

Also, don't be shy about asking others for those promotional magnets they no longer want. I asked family and received a pile of them fairly quickly.

I've also seen a few cute magnet play ideas that utilize real family photos and scenery. We're working on a fun one using photos and plan to give it as a gift soon.

There are many options and possibilities with this project. It's cheap, easy, takes little time and it's super fun to teach/play with.

Maxin' and Relaxin'...Favorites!

2011-07-25T16:03:00.003-05:00

So, I've been asked to start a series called 'Favorites'. Favorite mom/me things and favorite family/toddler things. Since I normally focus so much on toddler, I thought I would switch it up a bit and go first.

I like CALM. I like de-stressing. I like BATHS.

Here's a shot of my favorite area in our house. It wasn't exactly this straight/neat before I took the photo (dusted, removed crap that didn't belong and faced labels out)...c'mon, you know I'm a mom of a toddler- right?

This is in our bathroom corner near the tub. It's MY space. MY stuff. ALL mine. All about relaxing. Well, some of this stuff I actually use for house cleaning too (that's not so relaxing), but you get the idea.

Anyway, here are my favorite bath items. But, before I go into detail...let me assure you that while some of this stuff 'looks' expensive, it 'aint.

So, starting from the top left and working right:

- A natural sea sponge. I've had this particular one for almost 3 years. Sea sponges are great because they naturally resist bacteria/mold, have no harmful chemicals like synthetic sponges and they lather much better (saving you soap). If taken good care of, a sea sponge can last up to 10 years. For those with sensitive skin, this is great too (perfect for babies). I just love the texture and the clean smell. Favorite place to buy from is Natural Bath and Body. You can get a sampler pack of 3 for $20 (you will want to get at least a 5-6" sponge).

-One with Nature Soap. My favorite is Dead Sea Salt Lavender. It's a $3 bar of soap from Vitacost, although you can probably find it anywhere online. This stuff is natural, has a great lasting scent (not over powering) and lathers great. Their entire line is nice & it's super affordable. I love to give them as gifts too, in a homemade bath themed gift basket.

-Dead Sea Mineral Bath Salt. Oh man, if you've never soaked in a mineral bath - stop reading this and do it NOW. A giant container of unscented Masada salts. $20, lasts me several months (I don't use this in every bath). Takes away aches and pains, relaxes you and exfoliates the skin..

- Pure Essential Oils. I use Plantlife brand. You can buy them separately or in a gift set. Well worth the $5 per bottle (if you buy singles). A little goes a LONG way. Some drops in the tub, in your spray bottle for cleaning, or premixed with your bath salts to add scent. I also have a mist aromatherapy diffuser that I use with them...really helps put a calm, light scent in the air. I use this in my toddlers room some nights with lavender to help her relax or eucalyptus if she has a cold.

- C Booth Oil, and Jojoba Oils. Seals in moisture and keeps you smooth/soft in bath and/or after bath. Super awesome stuff, inexpensive and natural. You can also mix in the essential scent oils if you wanted to.

- A bath candle and a back scrubber! I like Pickwick candles (a Kansas City company), but any candle is great as long as it's a relaxing scent ! For the back scrubber, I like a good wooden one that will last! To be honest, my REAL back scrubber (aka:hubby) does the best job...hee-hee. Ewe. Sorry about that.

- Dr. Bronner's Pure Castille Soap. Saving the best for last. This is by FAR my favorite product in here. I've used this brand for years. One gallon lasts me over a year (with daily use of it). It's pure so you have to dilute it. I just refill my bottles with water and add the recommended amount of soap in. I use it for shower/bath (everyone in our family uses it), and some basic cleaning around the house. Lavender is my favorite, but I also get the smaller container in tea tree for cleaning/tub use too. We save a ton of money this way and I prefer the product, it's fantastic! They are also organic, fair trade and they do a ton of activism. The product packaging is an entertaining read too.

All of these things priced together comes out FAR cheaper than what I used to spend on bottles of shower/bath gels, multiple shampoos, scented lotions, oils, loofahs, sponges and bath salts in one year. Not only do these products last much longer, they are natural, quality and have multiple uses outside of bath/shower as well.

A favorite accessory to bathtime is Natural Calm Tea. If you want to wind down proper, check this out. It's a powder magnesium nutrient drink so it dissolves in water- I drink it warm - but you can also drink it cold. I can't say enough good things about this stuff, I urge you to read the reviews and give it a try. Many of us are deficient and don't know it, thus causing a myriad of symptoms we wouldn't think could be connected. Even if you aren't deficient, it can work wonders on relaxing muscles, helping with tension, headaches and sending you off to a good nights sleep. I drink this nearly every night (with or without bath).

Lastly, not pictured in the bath item lineup is a DOVE chocolate bar. Really, any type of chocolate while you're in a bath is just fabulous (especially at the end of a very stressful day)!

What are your favorite bath/spa go-to items?

True Colors! (Montessori Knock Off)

2011-07-22T08:24:00.002-05:00

This is kind of a Montessori Knock off idea....because I really loved this set of wood colored pencil holders (below) from Montessori Services. $74.00.

Idea is to sort/separate colors and offer them to your child this way. Once again, a bit pricey and it didn't include crayon storage. Plus, I shuddered thinking about how my toddler would knock them all over in one systematic blow.

So, I looked around and found one blogger who did something similar- using small cans screwed to a board (now, that's more like it). This image below is from MomsCraftySpace blog.

But, this didn't include colored pencil storage.

So, here's what I came up with to accommodate both pencils and crayons (finished product)...cost $9.

I used ...*brace yourself*...clear, plastic breast milk storage containers to hold the colored pencils on the back row. They don't say 'breast milk' on them and they just look like standard liquid containers...right...right? What else was I going to use them for?

I also used Delmonte metal fruit cups (my hubby likes these in his lunch) for the crayons in the front row. Yes, I was impatient & dumped 4 into a large Tupperware at once...I couldn't wait for my husband to bring each one home empty! You gotta do what you gotta do. Plus, when I have a project on my mind...look out! I cleaned them out, used WD40 to remove the sticker residue & then I spray painted them.

I had many of the spray paint colors already, but had to buy 3 at $3 each (short cut bottles). I applied about two coats each. After they dried I sealed with a glossy clear acrylic spray. Any friends need some spray paint, let me know!

I had a leftover board from the craft room shelving that fit perfectly. I super glued the clear containers on with Fusion (that stuff is strong). I like it because it's a non-foam glue and dries clear. I screwed the metal cans on, two short screws per can. I also placed colored sticks between each can. The sticks aren't glued on... it's just fun for my girl to match them with the cans.

Another idea for the crayon storage would be to use lids from spray paint cans. They are already colored and are about the right size. You might be able to snag them for free from painting companies or hardware stores. I love this recycling idea. You could also use larger cans to hold the colored pencils too. Lots of options!

While we're talkin' bout color. Here's a tray activity we did recently. Using water droppers to color water and transfer water. The biggest part was learning how the dropper picks up water and also releases it with the same squeezing motion. This took a few times for her to master because she was so excited that she just wanted to stir.

Another fun and easy one is a color sort, fine motor. Picking up colored beads and putting them in the coordinating mini-basket. Plastic chip/dip tray and dollar store baskets/beads.

Buggin' Out!

2011-07-20T12:50:00.003-05:00

So, this is the best $2.00 I've spent all summer (Dollar Store bug catcher with bowl tongs)!

We're getting lots of use out of it. We found these two by our hostas. Easy to scoop them since they were 'pre-occupied'...yeesh!

I like to 'opportunity teach'. When an opportunity comes up, I try to expand upon it by grabbing relevant/matching items- right on the spot. I really don't plan these types of things in advance. Heck, this entire activity (including bug catch time), was just under an hour..then done.

When we caught these dragonflies, I did a Google image search on free dragonfly print outs.
This took little time, 5 minutes to find/print.We looked at our live specimens with a magnifying glass, compared/contrasted and colored.

I then found her two relevant puzzles and we played with those- spending a bit more time on the dragonflies in the puzzles (more comparing with the two live specimens).

We love the Melissa and Doug magnet puzzle. She has to use her hand/eye coordination to manipulate the magnet net to scoop each insect up.

Last week we found this furry lil' guy and did the same thing.Here's a collection of our photos on our caterpillar (now in the cocoon stage)!

p.s. I know the title of this post isn't really accurate (bugs verses insects), but I couldn't resist.

Montessori Knock-Off (Hammer Time!)

2011-07-19T14:46:00.002-05:00

Song stuck in your head now? Go Hammer, Yo Hammer, MC Hammer...it's Hammer time!
Yea, so...this isn't about that song or MC Hammer (as cool as they both were).

I've received so many nice emails about this Montessori Knock-Off series (thank you!!). I'm going to keep posting ideas until I run out of them. :)

Hammering is great for hand/eye coordination, it's under Practical Life in the Montessori learning approach. You can buy a hammer/clay set that looks like this from Montessori Supply for $60:

While that wooden hammer setup is nice, it's a bit pricey. I made my version for $4.

I used a dense Styrofoam cube from a local craft store ($3.99), my husbands golf tees (shhh...) and a play hammer (free).

Amazingly, you can use each hole multiple times after you've sunk a tee in & there's no shredding or dust from this (plus you have 6 big sides to work with). I think by the time all 6 sides are exhausted, she'll be developmentally past it and ready to move on (aka: bored with it).

I personally like this method better because the tot has to hold the cube still while hitting the nail in - takes lots of concentration and coordination to do that!

You can also use clay to make your own. Here's one from United Montessori that I liked. It's using play dough in an air tight container (click link for instructions):

You could also easily make your own variation of this using golf tees as well (the real nails made me a bit nervous).

Go Hammer!

Montessori Knock-Off (Pincer Grip)

2011-07-15T13:04:00.002-05:00

Practical Life is my favorite category under Montessori method, so much fun!

A few days ago, under this category, we worked on fine motor skills- specifically 'pincer grip'. Pincer grip is the ability to pick up/manipulate objects using index finger and thumb. This helps the ability to hold a pencil/write.

Since we don't have a Montessori peg board (expensive), I found this cheap travel lite-brite that teaches the same thing (plus color sorting) . It was $1, it's safe (battery operated) and it's fun to see light up! I think this will get a few more years of use over a simple peg board too!

It took my girl a few rounds of practicing (and some frustration) before she had it mastered. Now, this has become her favorite thing to do near bedtime.

Another thing we worked with were a pair of tongs. We had cherries that needed to be washed before snack time, so we used those. The activity was to transfer the cherries from the bowl of water to the dry bowl, using the tongs. This was a bit of a struggle for her, but after several attempts she was able to get a couple (she was so excited!).

This tong exercise was a bit easier for her, since we used cotton balls (they stick together making large clumps). I keep this in our master bath (keeps her busy for a few minutes while I shower). She transfers the cotton balls around between each compartment.

If you read this bog, by now you know my affinity for buying things on the cheap for stuff like this. This hawaii wood bowl was only $1.50 at a thrift store (SEE, SEE!)

And you can buy one for $40 plus s/h from Ebay.

Your local thrift stores have all sorts of sectioned bowls & trays for cheap (and baskets too). No need to buy them from a Montessori supply.

There are so many great resources available online showing you how to develop and strengthen pincer grasp via different activities/games. Here's a great list by Therapy Street Kids:

Pinch strengthening and control

Tongs, tweezers, connected chop sticks, strawberry hullers: use these to pick up small objects for sorting, such as beads, marbles, beans, pompoms and cotton balls.
corn cob holders, toothpicks or large push pins (thumb tacks): Place a picture over a sheet of craft foam or cork board (or trivet). Then use the push pin or corn cob prongs to punch holes along the lines of a picture. Hold it up to let the light shine through.
place coins or bingo chips in narrow slots; a piggy bank is perfect, Connect Four game
eye droppers: make colorful dribble art creations by placing drops of colored water on a paper towel or coffee filter
spinning tops
geoboards: make shapes and letters using rubber bands on geoboards
pick-up sticks, Jenga, Don't Spill the Beanswind up toys
pegboard activities
Tiddly winks games, Ants in the Pants
Tong games: Operation, Crocodile Dentist, Bedbugs
Ziploc bags: encourage using fingertips to press and seal
Buttoning, snapping
pop beads
stringing beads
peel stamps and stickers
crumple small bits of tissue paper using fingertips, dip in glue and paste onto a paper plate or paper to make a flower bouquet
tear small pieces of paper with finger tips and paste them onto a sheet of paper to make a picture
Push a toothpick point into a Styrofoam tray or plate, or in aluminum foil placed over craft foam or cork board to make a picture.
Dress up dolls: requires a surprising amount of hand strength and endurance
Clothespins (open them and clamp them around edge of bowl)

Montessori Knock-Off (Sand Play)

2011-07-13T21:57:00.001-05:00

This is an update/addition to my previous post Montessori Knock-Off, which listed other ways to create Montessori type learning activities on the cheap (or free).

Here's another one we did recently (outside). Sand play!

A tray to keep the spills 'contained', dollar store funnels, small strainer, see-thru Tupperware container, small container to pour with & SAND. You can use just about any containers you have really, as long as they are see-thru.

We also used our 'root viewer' to play with (the test tube looking thingies in the wooden holder).

You get the idea from the pictures on how this was used. This was a 30 minute activity and it left her wanting more when playtime was over. She was fascinated with the disappearing sand and the process of transferring it on her own.

To start her off, I demonstrate an action for her. Then I ask her to try it on her own and congratulate/encourage when she does. I then let her continue play without any instruction, unless she asks for help.

It was fun to watch her figure out different things on her own and variations of what we did together.

Now BEWARE, there's a reason we did this activity outside. So, it turns out...the tray doesn't actually contain all the spills.

Montessori Knock-Off

2011-07-11T17:45:00.000-05:00

I admire aspects of the Montessori approach of 'teaching' and I love to follow a long with developmental milestones via a few other resources as well.

Montessori kits are expensive, (you know- all the trays and manipulative matertial). So, I've decided to create my own 'knock off' versions via thrift store (or use stuff I already have). You save a TON of money and the end result is the same!

Thrift store chip and dip plate ($1.29) with melon baller (.29 cents) and marbles from Chinese Checkers game ($.99). Buy a Montessori kit like this online and spend $20. Seriously.
Great for fine motor, transfer and sorting.

Thrift store tray ($1.29), spoon or small tongs (free/home), mini ice cube tray (.29 cents) and grab bag of plastic beads (.99). Same thing, Montessori supply places sell these trays and materials for much more.

Thrift store wood needlepoint looms ($1.00). Size order recognition, learning to color within the circle, trace circle.

Slotted spoon/strainer, sand (could also use corn mean or whatever), buried bugs (bugs were a thrift store game find/new!). Dig and transferr buried items to container. So far,she is not light with shaking the sand through the spoon - it gets flipped in the air sometimes (the price of learning- right?).

Here, she gives the bugs a bath (getting the sand off of them). Using an old unwanted cake pan, nail brush and small bowl. She can sit and do this for 20 minutes. Big hit!

A tray, small pitcher and small bowl. Transferring water, sponging up any spills. Next to 'bug bath', this is her favorite activity. Would be better with TWO small pitchers or creamers (on the list to find, but we used what we had on hand this day).

Game pieces used as counting manipulative (thrift store games .99 cents each). All the games were barely used or new- plus, we can play the actual board games when she's older.

You can use unwanted cookie pans (this was ours and in bad shape, so I repurposed it). Using dollar store magnetic numbers and letters, this is a great way to teach order. Also, the pieces don't get lost, they stick to the pan!

We are working on smelling bottles/cards now...a long with a few other Montessori type knock-offs! I will post as we go.

"We cannot know the consequences of suppressing a child's spontaneity when he is just beginning to be active. We may even suffocate life itself. That humanity which is revealed in all its intellectual splendor during the sweet and tender age of childhood should be respected with a kind of religious veneration. It is like the sun which appears at dawn or a flower just beginning to bloom. Education cannot be effective unless it helps a child to open up himself to life.” Maria Montessori

Tarnished Reputation

2011-07-08T07:52:00.002-05:00

A procrastinated project no more...woot-woot!

BEFORE: Tarnished Silver

These particular silver pieces have been tarnishing away for the last 8+ years...needless to say, I haven't been caring for them. I wore them constantly when they were all shiny, but when they started to dazzle less, I moved on. Heartless!

Well, it's also kinda because I had a baby & wearing necklaces and dangly earrings didn't work out for us. Time to clean 'em up & wear them once again.

I wanted to find something cheap (free), non-abrasive and without the scary chemicals.

So I found this science trick that some antique dealers and jewelers use too.

Supplies you need:
tin foil
container
baking soda
salt
hot water

Line dish with aluminum foil.

Put your silver pieces on the aluminum.

Heat enough water (almost boiling) to fill the container and cover whatever you place on foil.

Mix about 1/2 cup of baking soda with the hot water in a large, heat-proof measuring cup.

Pour over your items. Sprinkle in a teaspoon of salt.

DO NOT use this method for jewelry that has precious stones.

The aluminum with the other stuff will trigger a chemical reaction. You will smell rotten eggs (sulphur...P-U!)...so don't hang over it with your mouth open. Yum.

You might even notice fine flakes of sulphur floating in the water. Let sit for a few minutes, flip over jewelry/stir and let sit a couple more minutes.

Remove and rinse with soap & water, dry off. Repeat if needed.

All shiny & new again! *insert cheesy 80's love song, 'Almost Paradise'.

BEFORE - AFTER

Did you know that many companies will not disclose the chemicals they use in their cleaning products? Say what? NY is making it a law for companies to disclose this info, yet some still refuse. Scared? You should be.

Did you know there are legitimate studies that have linked household cleaning products to serious health problems?

Read this story on MSNBC. Yike. chloroform, benzene and formaldehyde?! Hey, but your counters are clean...so, um...

If you can't afford the 'green cleaners', then you can easily make your own. You can get your house just as clean with baking soda & vinegar. If you want to sterilize, use hydrogen peroxide (click the link for info).

You can jazz up with fresh lemon or essential oils if you want your cleaning products to smell. I personally love lavender when cleaning and also essential orange oil (a few drops is all it takes).

For EASY, CHEAP natural cleaning recipes, check out these resources (click links):

Earth Easy. This site has many tips and easy recipes for any cleaning project!

Eco-Cycle, another great list.

Good article by Earth Justice on this topic as well.

Happy cleaning everyone (if this is even possible?)!

Do you use green or homemade cleaners? What is your favorite? Comment & share!