See the poll to the right? Well, it's a little wager between myself and Brian. I think that my girlfriends and female family members would love to receive vinyl lettering for gifts because it is wildly popular right now. Some things would be on painted wood boards and some things would be ready to go on your walls. SIL's, you might even get a big metal catch-all bucket with your last name that looks like the $59 one at Pottery Barn! (I have discovered that Target/Ikea + Vinyl Lettering = Pottery Barn.)
Brian, on the other hand, thinks that I am incorrect in assuming that just because I like something means everyone else will too and that unless people specifically ask for vinyl lettering, we should plan on buying them something else for Christmas. My argument was that it's getting difficult to find beautiful, thoughtful gifts - especially for parents - for under $50 unless you custom make something. (Or drive to the Outlets in San Marcos.) If I had the option between something unique and custom made for my home or another kitchen item, I would probably pick the home décor item. I can always hit the Williams Sonoma after Christmas Sale on my own....
So VOTE!!! If you don't, then no vinyl lettering for you! (Like I'd know any ways. Your name doesn't show up. I just know the only "no" is from Brian, just to spite me!)
Trust me, I'm looking to throw down for some cool flourishes, two-toned sets and everything. You'll want on this train!!!
Friday, June 13, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Little Things
I seem to be the only one of my friends feeling stressed. My schedule is a little full, my list of errands has gotten a bit too long and I have several things coming up this week and next that are out of the ordinary and require some prep work on top of all the usual cleaning, vacuuming and mooing. Since I don't want my CT thinking I fell off the face of the earth, I got a layout done and finally posted pictures of a hybrid project I finished nearly 3 weeks ago!
It's not even July 4th and I'm already sick of red white & blue. In fact, I posted a request on our team forum for a kit that has ANYTHING but the same-old colors. This year I think I'll dress Aiden in hawaiian prints and give him glow sticks and gold sparklers so the pictures will match the Rainbow Joy kit. I swear I am not usually this moody about holidays - Brian must be rubbing off on me - but I am already dreading the late-night explosions, drunken chatter from the streets and the morning-after litter all over the lawn. Geez, I must be getting old! LOL!
Guess What Grandma: Still no mooing but Aiden learned the noise that a snake makes today. Of all the noises to pick up....He also barks at random times and will shout "button" (buhtee) for no apparent reason. (Why does nearly everything he says sound like it could be naughty? I noticed a few moms turn to look when he called for 'booty' today at library hour.) Several of my new tops have buttons on the front so I am frequently getting poked in the boob as he presses each 'buhtee'. I wonder if he thinks all buttons are capable of speed-dialing 'dada'. Did I mention that's where he learned the word from? I often find him shouting 'dada' at the phone and pressing random buttons. Occasionally it actually will redial to Brian's office and he gets to hear my one-sided conversation: "Aiden, are you pushing the buttons? That's a button. Push this button to turn the phone on. Wha- wait. Is the phone-" *wrestle phone away from Aiden* "Hello?"
It's not even July 4th and I'm already sick of red white & blue. In fact, I posted a request on our team forum for a kit that has ANYTHING but the same-old colors. This year I think I'll dress Aiden in hawaiian prints and give him glow sticks and gold sparklers so the pictures will match the Rainbow Joy kit. I swear I am not usually this moody about holidays - Brian must be rubbing off on me - but I am already dreading the late-night explosions, drunken chatter from the streets and the morning-after litter all over the lawn. Geez, I must be getting old! LOL!
Guess What Grandma: Still no mooing but Aiden learned the noise that a snake makes today. Of all the noises to pick up....He also barks at random times and will shout "button" (buhtee) for no apparent reason. (Why does nearly everything he says sound like it could be naughty? I noticed a few moms turn to look when he called for 'booty' today at library hour.) Several of my new tops have buttons on the front so I am frequently getting poked in the boob as he presses each 'buhtee'. I wonder if he thinks all buttons are capable of speed-dialing 'dada'. Did I mention that's where he learned the word from? I often find him shouting 'dada' at the phone and pressing random buttons. Occasionally it actually will redial to Brian's office and he gets to hear my one-sided conversation: "Aiden, are you pushing the buttons? That's a button. Push this button to turn the phone on. Wha- wait. Is the phone-" *wrestle phone away from Aiden* "Hello?"
Bike Rides
As promised, here are some pictures of Aiden's first ride in the Chariot:
This picture was taken Tuesday night and Aiden seemed to have a pretty good time. These next photos were taken this evening:
He was pretty stinking excited to be buckled in for another ride! My boys seem to really be enjoying their bike rides. Brian, I love that you have a fun new activity and I also love the break in the evening! Thank you!
This picture was taken Tuesday night and Aiden seemed to have a pretty good time. These next photos were taken this evening:
He was pretty stinking excited to be buckled in for another ride! My boys seem to really be enjoying their bike rides. Brian, I love that you have a fun new activity and I also love the break in the evening! Thank you!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Einstein Emergency
Let me start off by apologizing to everyone who has lovingly given Aiden videos as gifts. I had no idea I would end up limiting Aiden's TV watching as much as I do. I don't watch a whole lot of TV myself so it's never turned on during the day unless there is a serious storm, world-changing news or an "emergency". This results in Aiden getting MAYBE 30 minutes of TV per month.
Now, the AC in the Xterra has been on the fritz lately. We took it to our regular garage and when they couldn't be 100% sure their repairs would fix it, we took it to a local Nissan dealership. Like any dealership we got a quote for the AC fix and a half-dozen other items they found on our "free diagnostics test" totaling $1773.95 and they probably hoped that we would just throw our hands up in the air and buy a new car. I was fairly suspicious at the repair list and rather frustrated when the dealer reported they had found the radiator was a little clogged and that we needed to replace the whole thing because it was part of the AC problem. Uh, NOPE. That's not what a radiator is used for and a simple flush will unclog it but thanks any ways Robbins Nissan! (And yes, Susan at Automotive Technology in Kingwood - the HONEST garage - got a pretty big kick out of that diagnostic and their suggestion to replace the water pump, too.) Thanks, dad, for teaching me about cars.
Any ways, back to my story. I don't let Aiden watch TV unless it is a You-Must-Be-Quiet-While-I-Am-On-The-Phone emergency. Between phone calls to Brian, needing to print the fax-by-email quote and then calling my favorite garage to get a price comparison (read: 50% discount off the dealership price), I decided I needed the screaming to come to a stop so I could hear the people on the other line. In went the Baby Galileo video. We read the book with the 3D glitter stars and light-up moon to Aiden all the time so I wasn't surprised when he seemed to recognize the kangaroo. As you can see he was pretty mesmerized:
Now here is what really frosts my cookies. I have been wandering around my house for a month mooing like a cow and driving the car quacking like a duck so Aiden can sing along to Old MacDonald and I can barely get a "carc" (quack) out of him. A kangaroo puppet shows a clip of all the shiny contents of her junk drawer, followed low-budget scribbling of poorly drawn yellow stars on a blue screen with a child saying the word "star" and THERE. He can say "star" (sar). Figures.
I couldn't resist flipping through the bulk-pack of Baby Einstein videos my mom bought me, looking for something that would do the mooing for me. (Why did my pediatrician even mention at his one year appointment that he could be taught animal sounds? And why do I feel like there will be some sort of test on it when he goes in for his 15 month shots?) I hope she's impressed by his emphatic, manly ROAR when he's asked what sound a dinosaur makes. I am kind of finding the instant silence after I ask him what a cow says to be a nice break for my ears but that's just my opinion. And, oh my goodness, we haven't even STARTED on the sound that chickens, sheep and semi-automatic weapons make. (However he may have gotten a few lessons on what explicit sounds road-raged adults make.) I just know that during a round of "Wheels on The Bus" at library hour, when we're all singing 'the mommies on the bus go...', I'll hear my child repeat "You idiot! Get out of the way!"
Half-way through the box of Einstein videos I find the Baby MacDonald "Digital Board Book" DVD. (Call it whatever you want, we all know what it is. It's like fruit snacks. They're really just gumdrop candies shaped like fruit to shut your kids up in the checkout line and to convince nearby old people that they might actually have fruit in them so you don't get awful stares for feeding it to them at 10 in the morning. Might I also add a special thank you to Playtex for making their sippy cups opaque...) I make a mental note to put the Baby Macdonald video in later this week, finding a tiny bit of comfort that Disney has my back (or at least some Jedi mind tricks that seem to work) and Aiden won't be in Kindergarten before he learns how to moo.
Now, the AC in the Xterra has been on the fritz lately. We took it to our regular garage and when they couldn't be 100% sure their repairs would fix it, we took it to a local Nissan dealership. Like any dealership we got a quote for the AC fix and a half-dozen other items they found on our "free diagnostics test" totaling $1773.95 and they probably hoped that we would just throw our hands up in the air and buy a new car. I was fairly suspicious at the repair list and rather frustrated when the dealer reported they had found the radiator was a little clogged and that we needed to replace the whole thing because it was part of the AC problem. Uh, NOPE. That's not what a radiator is used for and a simple flush will unclog it but thanks any ways Robbins Nissan! (And yes, Susan at Automotive Technology in Kingwood - the HONEST garage - got a pretty big kick out of that diagnostic and their suggestion to replace the water pump, too.) Thanks, dad, for teaching me about cars.
Any ways, back to my story. I don't let Aiden watch TV unless it is a You-Must-Be-Quiet-While-I-Am-On-The-Phone emergency. Between phone calls to Brian, needing to print the fax-by-email quote and then calling my favorite garage to get a price comparison (read: 50% discount off the dealership price), I decided I needed the screaming to come to a stop so I could hear the people on the other line. In went the Baby Galileo video. We read the book with the 3D glitter stars and light-up moon to Aiden all the time so I wasn't surprised when he seemed to recognize the kangaroo. As you can see he was pretty mesmerized:
Now here is what really frosts my cookies. I have been wandering around my house for a month mooing like a cow and driving the car quacking like a duck so Aiden can sing along to Old MacDonald and I can barely get a "carc" (quack) out of him. A kangaroo puppet shows a clip of all the shiny contents of her junk drawer, followed low-budget scribbling of poorly drawn yellow stars on a blue screen with a child saying the word "star" and THERE. He can say "star" (sar). Figures.
I couldn't resist flipping through the bulk-pack of Baby Einstein videos my mom bought me, looking for something that would do the mooing for me. (Why did my pediatrician even mention at his one year appointment that he could be taught animal sounds? And why do I feel like there will be some sort of test on it when he goes in for his 15 month shots?) I hope she's impressed by his emphatic, manly ROAR when he's asked what sound a dinosaur makes. I am kind of finding the instant silence after I ask him what a cow says to be a nice break for my ears but that's just my opinion. And, oh my goodness, we haven't even STARTED on the sound that chickens, sheep and semi-automatic weapons make. (However he may have gotten a few lessons on what explicit sounds road-raged adults make.) I just know that during a round of "Wheels on The Bus" at library hour, when we're all singing 'the mommies on the bus go...', I'll hear my child repeat "You idiot! Get out of the way!"
Half-way through the box of Einstein videos I find the Baby MacDonald "Digital Board Book" DVD. (Call it whatever you want, we all know what it is. It's like fruit snacks. They're really just gumdrop candies shaped like fruit to shut your kids up in the checkout line and to convince nearby old people that they might actually have fruit in them so you don't get awful stares for feeding it to them at 10 in the morning. Might I also add a special thank you to Playtex for making their sippy cups opaque...) I make a mental note to put the Baby Macdonald video in later this week, finding a tiny bit of comfort that Disney has my back (or at least some Jedi mind tricks that seem to work) and Aiden won't be in Kindergarten before he learns how to moo.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
A Sunday Evening with the Silvers
It's been quite a while since I posted pictures of Aiden on my blog. Brian has asked me frequently to post something and even my designers have been wondering where I went! (You know things have gotten entirely too busy around here when I'm not on the computer playing in photoshop! LOL!) To make up for my slacking, here are a batch of brand new pictures taken today, not but a few hours ago!
Aiden on my shoulders is becoming more & more common. This way I know he's safe and not trying to chase down the doberman, run out of The Children's Place with a pair of girl's shoes or dart into the street. About the whisk: I was cooking dinner when Aiden strolled over, opened the utensil drawer, stood on his tip-toes to dig around for a minute (the drawer is kept knife-free now) and pulled this out. Fast forward to now when Brian is loading a few things in the dishwasher while dinner is in the oven. Aiden is sitting on the door of the dishwasher pulling things out faster than Brian can load them in. I rescued Aiden from Brian (or Brian from Aiden) and he brought the whisk with him. Yeah, I got smacked in the face with it. Twice!
Okay, dinner is served! We tried a new recipe - creamy chicken & broccoli over wild rice. It was really good! Aiden wanted to practice eating with a grown-up fork. He made a HUGE mess! I cleaned the kitchen while Brian had to bathe and double rinse him in the tub and then we both mopped the floor....
But oh, I love this face! We think he sure looks like cousin Eric in this picture!
We're all smiles about the dinner mess. I know that someday, when it's just Brian and I eating at a table by ourselves with sparkling clean floors, I will nearly choke up with tears just thinking about these first family dinners. So what if I have to mop three or four times a week - dinner as a family is worth it!
After dinner there is a bedtime revolt. The stand-off is short and the evening is much too pleasant to be spent inside. Aiden & Brian play airplane in the back yard for a while:
Then, after popsicles, we move the party to the front yard. Aiden runs screaming down the driveway....
.....twice.....
And after briefly chatting with some neighbors, we notice a little blonde boy whose eyes have gone dull and tired-looking. He's finally ready for bed an hour and a half past his bed time!
Sunday afternoons have become my favortie time of the week. I really enjoy spending time with my family and it energizes me for the week ahead. (Because for whatever reason, Monday afternoons are the WORST afternoons of the week. Probably because a certain someone was spoiled with too much attention on Sundays! ROFL!)
Aiden Story: Aiden asks to be read books several times per day. On a slow day, he may only be read a dozen books. More often than not it's six to seven books in a row six to seven times a day. Lately the book du jour has been the Cheerios book. He absolutely will not tolerate real cereal being put in the designated places on the page, but he does like to grab at the printed images of cheerios! At one point this evening, between the bedtime wars and popsicles, he brought me two right shoes (one a navy flip flop and the other a camo Croc) and the Cheerio book. He became disgusted with the book when, as usual, the fake cheerios wouldn't budge and then insisted I put the shoes on. He was already on edge and just my mentioning that I couldn't do it sent him into a tantrum. I decided what the heck, and put the flip flop on the right foot and the Croc on backwards on his left foot. Brian was already outside and didn't see me doubled over laughing as Aiden plodded off awkwardly, with one shoe being thicker than the other and throwing off his walk. He stopped and stared a few times at his feet and then paused and sheepishly accepted help removing his mis-matched shoes. I am learning the secret to parenting a child who has double-inherited genetic stubborness is being agreeable, helpful and letting the situation dictate the outcome. Considering I occasionally leave the house in two different colored flip flops, I can't really expect Aiden to comprehend skills I obviously have not yet mastered myself!
Aiden on my shoulders is becoming more & more common. This way I know he's safe and not trying to chase down the doberman, run out of The Children's Place with a pair of girl's shoes or dart into the street. About the whisk: I was cooking dinner when Aiden strolled over, opened the utensil drawer, stood on his tip-toes to dig around for a minute (the drawer is kept knife-free now) and pulled this out. Fast forward to now when Brian is loading a few things in the dishwasher while dinner is in the oven. Aiden is sitting on the door of the dishwasher pulling things out faster than Brian can load them in. I rescued Aiden from Brian (or Brian from Aiden) and he brought the whisk with him. Yeah, I got smacked in the face with it. Twice!
Okay, dinner is served! We tried a new recipe - creamy chicken & broccoli over wild rice. It was really good! Aiden wanted to practice eating with a grown-up fork. He made a HUGE mess! I cleaned the kitchen while Brian had to bathe and double rinse him in the tub and then we both mopped the floor....
But oh, I love this face! We think he sure looks like cousin Eric in this picture!
We're all smiles about the dinner mess. I know that someday, when it's just Brian and I eating at a table by ourselves with sparkling clean floors, I will nearly choke up with tears just thinking about these first family dinners. So what if I have to mop three or four times a week - dinner as a family is worth it!
After dinner there is a bedtime revolt. The stand-off is short and the evening is much too pleasant to be spent inside. Aiden & Brian play airplane in the back yard for a while:
Then, after popsicles, we move the party to the front yard. Aiden runs screaming down the driveway....
.....twice.....
And after briefly chatting with some neighbors, we notice a little blonde boy whose eyes have gone dull and tired-looking. He's finally ready for bed an hour and a half past his bed time!
Sunday afternoons have become my favortie time of the week. I really enjoy spending time with my family and it energizes me for the week ahead. (Because for whatever reason, Monday afternoons are the WORST afternoons of the week. Probably because a certain someone was spoiled with too much attention on Sundays! ROFL!)
Aiden Story: Aiden asks to be read books several times per day. On a slow day, he may only be read a dozen books. More often than not it's six to seven books in a row six to seven times a day. Lately the book du jour has been the Cheerios book. He absolutely will not tolerate real cereal being put in the designated places on the page, but he does like to grab at the printed images of cheerios! At one point this evening, between the bedtime wars and popsicles, he brought me two right shoes (one a navy flip flop and the other a camo Croc) and the Cheerio book. He became disgusted with the book when, as usual, the fake cheerios wouldn't budge and then insisted I put the shoes on. He was already on edge and just my mentioning that I couldn't do it sent him into a tantrum. I decided what the heck, and put the flip flop on the right foot and the Croc on backwards on his left foot. Brian was already outside and didn't see me doubled over laughing as Aiden plodded off awkwardly, with one shoe being thicker than the other and throwing off his walk. He stopped and stared a few times at his feet and then paused and sheepishly accepted help removing his mis-matched shoes. I am learning the secret to parenting a child who has double-inherited genetic stubborness is being agreeable, helpful and letting the situation dictate the outcome. Considering I occasionally leave the house in two different colored flip flops, I can't really expect Aiden to comprehend skills I obviously have not yet mastered myself!
Friday, June 6, 2008
How To Entertain A 14 Month Old
That's the phrase I googled last week when I really felt like Aiden's outbursts were draining me of all my creativity (and logic for that matter). I combed through dozens of sites, jotting down activity ideas until I had a pretty long list of things I could do the moment Aiden gets bored and vocal about it. Since I know several of us are all in the same boat, I'm posting that list here and included are some craft ideas for fun things to do:
Fast & Free Activities:
• Mimic your child's moves
• Play a quick game of chase
• Build block towers for child to knock over (anything that stacks will work, even Solo cups)
• Hide item & have child go find it
• Take a small bucket on a short walk outside and let them fill with items (then play inside on tile with the messy stuff from outside. Vacuum later.)
• Cut hole in the top of an empty butter tub & let them experiment with what fits
• Throw the couch cushions on the floor for a crawling obstacle course
• Fill a tupperware bowl with water & use a jumbo paint brush to "paint" concrete outside
• Freeze a small toy in an ice cube and let it melt in the bath
• Fill a mop bucket, toy bin or laundry basket with water & tub toys for water play on the front porch
• Water the plants outside with a toy watering can
• Put them in a swimsuit and turn a sprinkler on low for them to play in
• Give them an empty paper towel tube & let them figure out what fits down it
• Bring a pool noodle in the house, tape it into a circle & let them play (available at the dollar store during the spring & summer if you don't have one)
• Pull child's clothes out of their hamper & let them put them back in (teaches cleaning up, too!)
• Use empty water bottles & a ball to play water bottle bowling
• Play "Mimic Me" (ie: arms up, animal sounds, etc. Teaches body parts, too!)
• Put magnets on a cookie sheet and let them pull off & experiment
• Prop a piece of wood on a block to make a car ramp. Roll anything & everything down it
• Fill an empty juice or milk jug with snacks & let them work to get it out
**This last one is such a good idea! Zoo keepers do this to keep primates from getting bored and becoming destrucive or starting poop fights. We have used this trick with Major in years past, stuffing his Kong with dog treats, and I can't believe I didn't think of it for Aiden! It's worked wonders, especially when I put in large snacks, like animal crackers or granola bar chunks, that are difficult to get out and only let a few of the smaller cheerios, raisins and such trickle past when turned upside down.
Low Cost Activities/Distractions:
• Give child a pipe cleaner to play with - bend & twist into different shapes each time (99¢ for a bag at Hobby Lobby)
• Take a nearly-used roll of toilet paper & unroll a little to make a trail. Leave snacks & toys underneath and then let them unroll some, too
• Visit a pet store to look at fish/birds/rodents etc. (free except for gas!)
• Make playdough at home
• Fingerpaint with pudding, instant oatmeal or whipped cream on a cookie sheet
• Buy a clipboard, tie a crayon to it with a string & clip paper to it for drawing. (Clipboard will be scribbled on but drawing on walls is hard with the heavy clipboard attached to the crayon. Clipboards are $1 at the dollar store by Kroger on Atascocita Road & Will Clayton.)
• Wrap a new book/toy/dollar store item in tissue paper and let them unwrap (or wrap a long-forgotten about toy)
• Make a finger puppet to use while singing a favorite song (directions below)
I thought this was a pretty good list of quick & easy things you can do! A lot of these are pretty creative. I only listed what was hot-weather friendly but I'm sure there are a thousand other things you could do, too! If you have any more ideas, PLEASE leave a comment so we can add more clever activities to our lists! When I use your idea, I'll make you a finger puppet. You pick the color & the animal. (Yeah, that's how desperate I am for boredom-busters!) Be sure to put your finger puppet request at the bottom. ;)
Okay, finger puppet directions! I have been making felt play food so I had tons around. This simple, little cross-eyed Bunny Foo Foo is the first one I made:
Materials:
Felt (20¢ per 9x12 square at Hobby Lobby)
Colored thread
Scissors
Cardstock scrap (to make a pattern) - can use cereal box cardboard, too!
Straight Pin
Directions:
I placed my finger on a piece of cardstock and traced widely around it, about 1/2 inch on all sides. I cut out that pattern and pinned it to a felt scrap and cut two shapes out. I made the bunny face on one of the felt pieces using white & pink thread. (The eyes are just knots) Then I hand stitched the two pieces together with the ears in between. VERY easy - took less than 10 minutes to make. He now has a set of 5 and growing any time I have felt scraps to use up. Aiden looooves them, too! I even keep one in my purse for grocery store checkout line "emergencies"! LOL!
The Next Project: Link-A-Doo Book
I got this idea online, too, and am anxious to make one!
Materials:
Several 6x6 inch swatches of non-fraying fabrics in various textures (denim, felt, fleece, foam sheet, flannel, faux fur, etc.)
Hole punch
Beads, iron-on rhinestones, pom poms & misc fabric embellishments
Plastic Link-A-Doo toy loop
Directions:
Cut the fabrics to size and add different embellishments to each page if desired. (Iron-on rhinestones for denim & cotton fabrics only. No fleece or felt!) Punch a hole in the top corner of each fabric swatch and loop the link-a-doo through to make a loose book.
Easy, right?!! Skip the embellishments (choking hazard) and this could be made for babies under a year so they could feel the different fabric textures. BTW, cheap pieces of faux fur are sold at Hobby Lobby to the right of the felt squares. Pom Poms are sold to the left of the felt. While you're there, pick up a pack of pipe cleaners (aka: chenille stems), they really are a great distraction tool! I have a pack in the cabinet right next to the plastic straws so I can grab one and hand it to him during a melt-down when I am trying to cook dinner. (Actually, the meltdown usually occurs because I won't let him climb in the dishwasher or touch the hot stove.)
P.S. Plastic straws and chenille stems could have sharp edges that may scrape. Don't offer if your child is very young or you think they might be injured. From my experience, the item is mangled so quickly that most straight, sharp edges never get a chance to poke or scrape. Throw away after 5 minutes. This is just to buy you enough time to get the chicken out of the oven without the kiddo trying to touch the 400° rack inside!
Fast & Free Activities:
• Mimic your child's moves
• Play a quick game of chase
• Build block towers for child to knock over (anything that stacks will work, even Solo cups)
• Hide item & have child go find it
• Take a small bucket on a short walk outside and let them fill with items (then play inside on tile with the messy stuff from outside. Vacuum later.)
• Cut hole in the top of an empty butter tub & let them experiment with what fits
• Throw the couch cushions on the floor for a crawling obstacle course
• Fill a tupperware bowl with water & use a jumbo paint brush to "paint" concrete outside
• Freeze a small toy in an ice cube and let it melt in the bath
• Fill a mop bucket, toy bin or laundry basket with water & tub toys for water play on the front porch
• Water the plants outside with a toy watering can
• Put them in a swimsuit and turn a sprinkler on low for them to play in
• Give them an empty paper towel tube & let them figure out what fits down it
• Bring a pool noodle in the house, tape it into a circle & let them play (available at the dollar store during the spring & summer if you don't have one)
• Pull child's clothes out of their hamper & let them put them back in (teaches cleaning up, too!)
• Use empty water bottles & a ball to play water bottle bowling
• Play "Mimic Me" (ie: arms up, animal sounds, etc. Teaches body parts, too!)
• Put magnets on a cookie sheet and let them pull off & experiment
• Prop a piece of wood on a block to make a car ramp. Roll anything & everything down it
• Fill an empty juice or milk jug with snacks & let them work to get it out
**This last one is such a good idea! Zoo keepers do this to keep primates from getting bored and becoming destrucive or starting poop fights. We have used this trick with Major in years past, stuffing his Kong with dog treats, and I can't believe I didn't think of it for Aiden! It's worked wonders, especially when I put in large snacks, like animal crackers or granola bar chunks, that are difficult to get out and only let a few of the smaller cheerios, raisins and such trickle past when turned upside down.
Low Cost Activities/Distractions:
• Give child a pipe cleaner to play with - bend & twist into different shapes each time (99¢ for a bag at Hobby Lobby)
• Take a nearly-used roll of toilet paper & unroll a little to make a trail. Leave snacks & toys underneath and then let them unroll some, too
• Visit a pet store to look at fish/birds/rodents etc. (free except for gas!)
• Make playdough at home
• Fingerpaint with pudding, instant oatmeal or whipped cream on a cookie sheet
• Buy a clipboard, tie a crayon to it with a string & clip paper to it for drawing. (Clipboard will be scribbled on but drawing on walls is hard with the heavy clipboard attached to the crayon. Clipboards are $1 at the dollar store by Kroger on Atascocita Road & Will Clayton.)
• Wrap a new book/toy/dollar store item in tissue paper and let them unwrap (or wrap a long-forgotten about toy)
• Make a finger puppet to use while singing a favorite song (directions below)
I thought this was a pretty good list of quick & easy things you can do! A lot of these are pretty creative. I only listed what was hot-weather friendly but I'm sure there are a thousand other things you could do, too! If you have any more ideas, PLEASE leave a comment so we can add more clever activities to our lists! When I use your idea, I'll make you a finger puppet. You pick the color & the animal. (Yeah, that's how desperate I am for boredom-busters!) Be sure to put your finger puppet request at the bottom. ;)
Okay, finger puppet directions! I have been making felt play food so I had tons around. This simple, little cross-eyed Bunny Foo Foo is the first one I made:
Materials:
Felt (20¢ per 9x12 square at Hobby Lobby)
Colored thread
Scissors
Cardstock scrap (to make a pattern) - can use cereal box cardboard, too!
Straight Pin
Directions:
I placed my finger on a piece of cardstock and traced widely around it, about 1/2 inch on all sides. I cut out that pattern and pinned it to a felt scrap and cut two shapes out. I made the bunny face on one of the felt pieces using white & pink thread. (The eyes are just knots) Then I hand stitched the two pieces together with the ears in between. VERY easy - took less than 10 minutes to make. He now has a set of 5 and growing any time I have felt scraps to use up. Aiden looooves them, too! I even keep one in my purse for grocery store checkout line "emergencies"! LOL!
The Next Project: Link-A-Doo Book
I got this idea online, too, and am anxious to make one!
Materials:
Several 6x6 inch swatches of non-fraying fabrics in various textures (denim, felt, fleece, foam sheet, flannel, faux fur, etc.)
Hole punch
Beads, iron-on rhinestones, pom poms & misc fabric embellishments
Plastic Link-A-Doo toy loop
Directions:
Cut the fabrics to size and add different embellishments to each page if desired. (Iron-on rhinestones for denim & cotton fabrics only. No fleece or felt!) Punch a hole in the top corner of each fabric swatch and loop the link-a-doo through to make a loose book.
Easy, right?!! Skip the embellishments (choking hazard) and this could be made for babies under a year so they could feel the different fabric textures. BTW, cheap pieces of faux fur are sold at Hobby Lobby to the right of the felt squares. Pom Poms are sold to the left of the felt. While you're there, pick up a pack of pipe cleaners (aka: chenille stems), they really are a great distraction tool! I have a pack in the cabinet right next to the plastic straws so I can grab one and hand it to him during a melt-down when I am trying to cook dinner. (Actually, the meltdown usually occurs because I won't let him climb in the dishwasher or touch the hot stove.)
P.S. Plastic straws and chenille stems could have sharp edges that may scrape. Don't offer if your child is very young or you think they might be injured. From my experience, the item is mangled so quickly that most straight, sharp edges never get a chance to poke or scrape. Throw away after 5 minutes. This is just to buy you enough time to get the chicken out of the oven without the kiddo trying to touch the 400° rack inside!
Photo Trick Tutorial Link
Okay digi scrappers. I found this tutorial on the blog of a designer with detailed photos and it's well written. This technique is what I used to age several of Aiden's cowboy pictures last fall:
http://paisleepress.blogspot.com/2008/05/aged-photos-using-blending-modes.html
First, don't you LOVE the picture on her blog header?!! The color & texture is great! If you like the little flourish she has on the photo, you can pick up Jen Wilson's Worn Foam Stamps 1 or hunt around for other stamped flourishes.
I haven't ever bought the frames the author recommends so I can't tell you if they're high quality or not. If you don't want to take any chances, you can always grab the stuff you know is good!
Miss Mint's Mintage Frames
Miss Mint's More Mintage Frames
Jen Wilson's Vintage Fashion Frames
For the paper, you can buy her paper pack or use something you already have. ANY sheet of solid colored peppermint creative paper is going to be perfect. In fact, the dark blue solid paper in the Twinkle Toes kit is perfect for this use. (If you don't have Twinkle Toes, the brown solid in After Midnight or the yellow solid in Painted Season will work well, too!)
Keep in mind you can also age the frame using the same trick. And play around - change the color of the paper and then overlay IT on the photo and drop it's opacity. This is a quick and dirty way to get fast brown, yellow or rust colored tints and textures on images.
I bet you never knew you had all the tools siting right on your computer to crank out some pretty cool photoshop tricks! ;) Happy scrapping!
http://paisleepress.blogspot.com/2008/05/aged-photos-using-blending-modes.html
First, don't you LOVE the picture on her blog header?!! The color & texture is great! If you like the little flourish she has on the photo, you can pick up Jen Wilson's Worn Foam Stamps 1 or hunt around for other stamped flourishes.
I haven't ever bought the frames the author recommends so I can't tell you if they're high quality or not. If you don't want to take any chances, you can always grab the stuff you know is good!
Miss Mint's Mintage Frames
Miss Mint's More Mintage Frames
Jen Wilson's Vintage Fashion Frames
For the paper, you can buy her paper pack or use something you already have. ANY sheet of solid colored peppermint creative paper is going to be perfect. In fact, the dark blue solid paper in the Twinkle Toes kit is perfect for this use. (If you don't have Twinkle Toes, the brown solid in After Midnight or the yellow solid in Painted Season will work well, too!)
Keep in mind you can also age the frame using the same trick. And play around - change the color of the paper and then overlay IT on the photo and drop it's opacity. This is a quick and dirty way to get fast brown, yellow or rust colored tints and textures on images.
I bet you never knew you had all the tools siting right on your computer to crank out some pretty cool photoshop tricks! ;) Happy scrapping!
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