PeePee Puddle

Tonight Danny and I were getting stuff ready for Sam's bath and as Danny collected all the necessary items: squirt toys, bubbles, washcloth... I decided it would be safe to take off his diaper and run the water. I know I know... bad idea. So Sam's walking around and I go to get his towel and as I walk into the kitchen, I see him standing there...peeing on the floor! All I could do was start laughing! I was just appreciative that he did it in the kitchen and not on the carpet! I guess boys will be boys. I'll have to save that story for his future girlfriend. :)

Sensory Bottles

People always joke that you can buy a baby the most expensive gift, but they will pay more attention to the box. This sensory bottle follows that concept. I got the idea from my Parents magazine, then saw it being used in the toddler rooms at my preschool. It will captivate babies up to 2.5 years old.
1. Fill an empty water bottle with water. (I used a 2 liter here but small bottles are easier for babies to shake.) You can also use rice, seeds, marbles, beans, etc.
2. Add food coloring to water to better grab baby's attention.
3. Add glitter or things the float like plastic toys, beads, sequins, etc.
4. Put glue around the inside of cap, then screw on and let it dry.

Baby will love rolling this around on the floor and shaking it!

"Baby's 1st Year" Scrapbook

Before Sam was born, I was gathering up scrapbook pages in every boy theme possible. I knew I wanted to make him a personalized scrapbook of his first year of life. The great thing is moms can make this no matter how old their child is because we all have tons of pictures of their first year!

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
1. 12x12 Scrapbook. They're cheaper (and just as cute) at Target. Or you can get them on sale at Michaels & JoAnn.
2. Scrapbook paper and embellishments. This can be expensive so the best thing to do is to accumulate over time. Buy paper in themed packs. For boys I like stuff in bold colors, pirates, animals, robots, aliens, cowboys, sports, etc. For girls I like princess, pinks & purples, flowers, glitter, fairies, etc. A one-stop-shop for scrapbook materials is Michaels.
3. Scissors, Photo splits (these are double-sided sticky squares for sticking pictures onto paper. Don't use glue!), Stickers, Ribbon, Glitter paint, plain cardstock paper,and anything else you want to add.

HOW TO:
Scrapbooking is easy and personal to your taste. The only advice I would have is to never stick a photo onto 12x12 paper without putting it on a plain paper & cutting (or ripping) a border around it first. It will make the picture pop. Also, when you're done make sure you put the pages in chronological order and it'll be helpful if you add how many months old baby was on the page somewhere.

If you are doing this during your child's first year of life, it's really great to have out at his/her first birthday party so friends and family can see the progression and milestones.

Organize a "Mom Book"

When I would flip through my Parents magazines, there were always things I would tear out that I wanted to do with Sam when he got older. I ended up having sloppy piles of ripped out magazine pages, so I decided to organize them in a binder. This craft is great for parents, teachers, and babysitters.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
1-inch wide 3 ring binder
Plastic sheet covers
Parenting magazines
Dividers

1. Start by going through all your old and new Parenting mags. (Time-consuming, I know). While searching look for: holiday ideas, birthday party ideas, parenting tips, arts & crafts you want to try, and basically anything that catches your eye. Cut out pages or rip out carefully.
2. Next, decide how you want to organize it. Then write categories on your divider tabs. Decide if you want to do it by age, holiday, occasion, boys, girls, tips, vacation destinations, recipes, etc. (In mine I also have a tab for health and safety warnings & remedies).
3. Put the pages in the protective sheets in the appropriate divider. (If the article isn't double-sided, use the sheet protector's front and back sides to save money and room).
4. Decorate the cover and put somewhere handy! Now you wont be stressed to find ideas and themes when planning occasions and have a million other things to do!

Paintcan Craft Tutorial

I started making these as a more creative way to give gifts than typical wrapping. This one however, was made for storing stuff. They're actually pretty easy and cheap to make, and they leave a great impression at a birthday party. Here's the How-To...

(Sorry there are no pictures to go along with each step. I made this when doing tutorials was completely foreign to me. It's so easy though, I promise you wont need pictures!)

1. Buy the can at your local hardware store. I go to Lowes, where they're about 2 bucks each. They come unused, so don't worry about cleaning paint out of them (score!)

2. Buy scrapbook paper in your desired design and color pattern. (I use 12x12 but the can will take about 2 sheets so make sure you get 2 matching ones.

3. Trace the paper around the can. The hardest part will be the round part on the sides that jut out where the handle is attached. Just keep working the paper til you get a good fit around them. If it looks sloppy don't worry- just place sticky embellishments around the handle dock, like rhinestones. Everything can be touched up!

4. Paste the paper onto the can. You can use Modge Podge paint or Elmer's glue. If you use Modge Podge, it might show up shiny after it dries, so be careful not to get any where it'll be visible.

5. Now decorate the can according to your theme. For a children's can, you can find great pictures to cut out from kids magazines, especially Pottery Barn Kids. For kid cans, they look better when they're colorful and vibrant. Use letter stickers to spell the child's name out, or print words off your printer (or Cricut machine) and paste them on.

6. Next, cut a bunch of pieces of different ribbon about 2 inches long each, in colors that match your can. You can get cheap ribbon that's super cute in the dollar bins of Target and Michaels. Now tie the ribbons all along the handle of the can.

7. Now just fill the can with whatever treats you want! Some great ideas are candy, crayons, art supplies, paperback books, Gift cards, etc. You might want to stuff tissue paper or plastic bags at the bottom to elevate the contents. You can also use them to store things at home, an alternative to an Easter basket, or as just decoration!

If you make this, send me the photos! I'd love to see them!

Baby Formula Can Idea

When we don't get Sam Similac formula, we get the Target brand, Up&Up which comes in a hard cardboard and metal lined cans. I started accumulating these cans because I usually keep these things for crafts later. Today I made a really simple kitchen tool holder with one. You can use pretty much any can that's big enough. Formula cans are wider than traditional coffee cans so I think they work better. I took cardstock scrapbook paper (mine was a lime green with dots, to match my kitchen) and I cut it to size by wrapping it around the can and tracing along the top. Then I cut the paper and glued it on using a simple Elmers glue stick. At this point you could add a lot more embellishments, but I left mine simple. Then put your ladels, spoons, etc in it, and you have a cuter way to display them on your countertop!

Great Websites for Parents & Teachers

These websites will come in handy for anyone who influences children. This is my compiled list from being a kindergarten assistant teacher and a mom...

www.Rockandrollkindergarten.com -- Amazing teacher's website. Click for inspiration!
www.TheBestInAZ.com -- This is a sports website for toddlers and children. Soccer starts as early as 18 months and basketball at 2 years!
www.MotherhoodWithAttitude.com -- Awesome website for feisty mamas.
www.EverydayCelebrating.com -- Great website for the mom throwing the party or event.
www.cupcakecouture.com -- Adorable site for moms of little girls!
www.FantasticFireDept.com -- Click here if you're interested in having a real firetruck come to your child's birthday party.
www.gymboreeclasses.com -- GYmboree is a playplace for babies and small children which features music and movement classes.
www.mothergooseadoptions.com -- a step in the right direction if you've ever considered adoption.
www.HandwritingWorksheets.com -- a great tool for teaching children how to write their name, or anything else.
www.Starfall.com -- An interactive learning website small children can navigate.
www.PBSkids.com -- Kids love learning on this website bc it features their favorite characters.
www.tripadvisor.com -- Fun things to do with kids
www.TheTrain.com/polarexpress -- Let your child ride "The Polar Express" at Christmastime, in Northern Arizona.
www.ThreadlessKids.com -- Cute graphic Tees for kids
www.InFashionKids.com -- Good source for original Halloween costumes.

Barnes & Noble Adventure

Today I decided to take Sam to my favorite place on earth- Barnes & Noble. What an experience THAT was! At first he was good. He made friends with some kids in the children's section, which was cute to see. But then the Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde transformation began. My usually-very-well-behaved little guy began ripping books off the lower shelves with the fervor of a rabid animal. (He does this at home with mama's bookshelf, so he thought it must be perfectly okay to do it here too). Next, he was climbing on (and bending) the magazines. My great walker suddenly grew noodle legs and only wanted to throw his weight to one side and drag his little Nikes. Typical guy...hates to shop! At least he wasn't yelling for dada to rescue him like he's done in the past.
With all this commotion, the only thing I could do was... laugh. You can freak out and be "that" parent at the store, or you can laugh it off. I made a couple jokes like "If you don't stop, the manager's gonna come kick you out and you'll have to walk home".

On the bright side, the old people love him. And Sam will flirt with young-ins and oldies alike. He doesn't discriminate. A pretty lady is a pretty lady. He was crushin' hardcore on our checkout lady who was probably 65.

All in all, it was a good day. I might attempt it again this Saturday for childrens' story time so we'll see how that goes. To be continued!!

Sam is officially a walker!

At 8 months, he started taking about 3 steps from coffee table to couch. Then at 9 months, he's get up to about 10 steps. Now at 10 months he walks all around the house! There's nothing cuter than seeing those chubby little thunder thighs on the move. He walks like a little Frankenstein with his arms straight out. My little guy is growing up so fast!

I'm Engaged!!!!

On Valentines Day 2010, Danny proposed! I came home to all the lights off except for candles lit throughout. There was a smooth cd on that Danny and I used to listen to when we were in high school. There were pink rose petals leading from the front door to the kitchen table, where he had made me salmon, my favorite. Then he asked, and gave me the prettiest ring ever- and at 2.5 carats, it totally surpassed my expectations! It's so unlike Danny to do this sort of thing on Valentines Day, so it was unexpected and sweet. I can't wait to finally be married to Danny after all these years. Then our little family will be official! :)