Hidden Message Tote Bag

For those who follow our business page, you might have seen that my mama recently had a knee replacement. During her first week in recovery, we had a physical therapist come to the house (my mom is staying with us). Luckily for us, my mom was able to request the same therapist she had for her other knee replacement a year ago- who we all ADORE. My son especially has taken to her and has even kept a "thank you" card for an ENTIRE YEAR (he was 3 years old) that she wrote him for sharing his mini pumpkins with her.


It's adorable. Since we probably wont be seeing her ever again, we wanted to do something to let her know how special she is to us. On the other hand, a lot of companies don't allow employees to accept gifts from their clients. So here's what we came up with:

Oh there's a little more too it though.. keep reading.


My son loves to sew. He's made a couple pillows but this was hist first bag. I cut everything out an he did all the sewing... up until his little sister came in the room and then they got distracted and started playing (hehe)


We used this tutorial from Crazy Little Projects and made one very special adaptation...

Can you see what we added? Here's what it looks like when turned inside out:

Using a sharpie marker, I wrote "Made by" and let me son write his name in a piece of fabric. You could also use a fabric marker but I've found that Sharpie tends to stay on fabric pretty well on it's own (just ask all the clothing we've accidently drawn on). 


After he wrote his name, I cut the fabric out in a rectangle large enough to hold a standard sized book. We knew that our therapist loved to read so we thought this bag definitely needed a special pocket for her book! The pocket is sewn onto the inside panel of fabric PRIOR to sewing the bag together (that way the backside of the stitching doesn't show through the front of the bag)


Of course, she could also use the bag with the pocket on the outside as well. This bag is reversible!

Since her and my son had a special relationship we thought she would just melt over the added bit of love that we snuck into this bag. This would be great for moms, aunts, grandparents or anyone who would love to see a special note every time they reached inside their bag. I think it would even be great for students and friends to see a special reminder just from you, secretly tucked away.

Who would you make this bag for? And what kind of message would you put inside! I'd love to know so please comment and inspire others to create!

DIY Wooden Work Bench

You may remember me saying that my husband and I are big fans of giving one large gift for Christmas over a million little things.  Most of the time, we try to make this gift handmade.  Why?  It's just something we value and let's be fair... handmade quality is far superior to crappy store quality.  Last year, my husband not only made a gift that my son loves but also held memories for himself.  He recreated a work bench almost identical to the one his father made for him as a child.

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Little ones love to build and create things. It's just part of being little.  We as adults, should encourage this because it helps them with their fine motor skills, problem solving and imaginative play (among other things).  There are some plastic work bench toys on the market such as this one and this one (a cheaper alternative) but if you are anything like us, you might want to build one yourself.

Here's a peek at the original bench that my husband owned as a child:

 

Ahh he's so little and cute!  It's also totally clear where our daughter gets that blonde hair!  My husband used this picture and what memory he had of it to build our son (our daughter enjoys it some now too as she gets older) his own for Christmas last year.  We set it out right next to the tree so that it was waiting for him on Christmas morning.

We put some peg hooks on the pegboard and hung up his hammer, which he already owned.  The toolbox was a gift that he received the day before from grandpa, which was filled with real tools of his own, such as a wrench, a level, a mini measuring tape, a plastic putty knife, some pliers, a carpenter's pencil, these adorable mini sized screwdrivers and more.  It's easy and fairly inexpensive to stock up on some basic tools and they really do have a lot of "real" tools in compact sizes- perfect for little hands!

Yep... he even got his own little hacksaw and vice.  This should go without saying- please use your judgement on what your child is capable of. Our son was very familiar with tools and tool safety so he knows how to use this tool without harming himself or others.  Our daughter is still too young to be trusted with it so it's put out of her reach when he's not using it or when she is around.



I can't tell you exactly how it was made but it's a simple shape made from wood pieces and a pegboard backing.  You can make it as fancy or as basic as you wish.  Since my husband was using his childhood work bench as inspiration, he made it look like that.  We love the simple wood look to it.

As you may have guessed, it was a hit!  When it got warmer out, we moved it into the tool shed so that our son can work at his work bench while my husband works at his own.  It's very cute to see. (I should probably come back and add a photo of that later- the downfall of writing blog posts at 11 at night is that you can't take last minute photos!)

What do you think?
Do you believe in giving "big gifts" at Christmas/holidays too? Do you ever DIY them?  If you have a little "maker" and "builder" in your life, you should whip them up a work bench just like this one! It's easy but makes for a lifetime of memories.

The ONLY gifts for babies & toddlers you'll need this Christmas!

I've had lots of people ask my opinion about kid's toys and Christmas gifts.  I'm not sure I'm the most knowledgeable source on the topic but I do know two things:

1- I know that I (and most parents) don't want a billion toys lying around the house. They get left everywhere and more importantly, kids don't really care about most of them.  This brings me to my next point...

2- I know what toys my kids like.  Every kid is different but I think there are general types of toys that seem to be "winners" across the board.  There are also toys that are good for kids because they teach life skills, motor skills and encourage imaginative play.

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Gifts for Babies:

{Photo credit: Shania Bordner}

Let's be real.  Babies don't need a lot, but everyone insists on buying them things anyways.  Put these items on their Christmas list and make everyone happy.


1. Wood Blocks

This is #1 on my list for a reason. These blocks are perfect for little hands to pick up, roll and stack. They are made of a soft wood and safe paint so baby can chew on them.  They come with multiples of each letter and number so baby can learn and you can use them for photo props! Blocks are also a Montessori type toy so your baby isn't going to "grow out of" playing with it for years and years. Similarly, Stacking Cups are perfect for helping babies learn colors, shapes and fine motor skills- and they cost less than a cup of coffee.



2. AlphaPup

This toy is a little more electronic without being too stimulating for little minds (read more about delaying screen time here). It's also a personal favorite in my house. My son received this for his first birthday and 2 years later STILL loves it! My 9 month old is currently obsessed with it. Why do I love it? Alpha pup is teaching letters and sounds without any electronic visual stimulation.  It's also says very cute things ("E is for Elephant *elephant sound* Elephants have a funny bark!") and can be pulled behind your child like he is being walked.



3. Books

I am a big believer in the power of books. Reading to your child from the beginning is critical for language development, exposes them to visuals, encourages imagination and is a perfect opportunity for snuggles! Although all books are good, I've become obsessed with Usborne Books, (link to my consultant's wesbite who I buy from) especially for little ones. Their "That's not my" books are the best sensory books out there because the "textures" are LEGIT.



4. Clothes & other things they "need"

{Get matching clothes to make it even more fun!}


Some people *cough cough my dad* can't help themselves and buy toys even when told not to. However, babies are the ideal age for this because they don't realize what this whole "gift" thing is all about. Seriously, my 3 year old enjoys opening gifts but still said that all he wanted for his birthday was "candles" (on the cake) Take advantage of this while you can. I'm putting a fitted sheet on my daughter's Christmas list.



5. Basic puzzles.

Hear me out: I'm not talking a 20 piece puzzle here, I'm talking a Melissa & Doug Mini-Puzzle Set (we have a few of these, they are our personal favorite) or something similar. Something that baby can easily pick up and learn the animals, shapes, etc. and start to practice hand eye coordination. They also come in a great storage box that travels without spilling!  Magnetic Puzzles are also awesome for babies & toddlers and can become a "refrigerator" toy too! Disclaimer: Both puzzle suggestions have small pieces so babies do  need to be supervised when using them.



Gifts for Toddlers:

{Photo Credit: Shania Bordner}

1. Books

Do I need to repeat myself? Besides the obvious classic reading books, search and find books are awesome because they get your child thinking, are perfect for car rides or other times that you can't be reading to them and I like to use them to prompt my toddler to make up his own story using elements from the page. Very First Book of Things to Spot is my personal favorite for this age group (links again to my Usborne Consultant's page) If you have an older toddler or one who loves to learn, you can't have enough Preschool Activity Books. Just pick up a handful of them (only a couple bucks each) and stock up!



2. Imaginary Play Items.

This can be superhero costumes (inexpensive and tons of options), Workbench & Tools (under $20 for the whole thing!) or the favorite at our house, a Play Kitchen *this is not the play kitchen we own. My husband DIY ours. I'll link the post as soon as I write it up! But this one has great reviews!*

Let be elaborate on the play kitchen. It is THE. FAVORITE. TOY. in our house. It is played with by my 3 year old and 9 month old constantly through the day. I love watching my son play out things he sees us doing in the real kitchen (he washes his grapes in the sink y'all. And pretends the water is too hot...it's adorable.) I also love that you can have one stationary item full of other smaller items. It allows for lots of different play with one big storage box for it all! My favorite play kitchen items that I would recommend are the Melissa & Doug Grocery Cans (way more sturdy than any others I've seen), the Melissa & Doug Cutting Fruit (or really any of the food that "cuts" apart), the Melissa & Doug Stand Mixer the Melissa & Doug Stainless Steel Pots and Pans and the Melissa & Doug Ice-Cream. Uhh, I didn't realize that all my favorites were M&D until just now. I might have an addiction. 

Learn how to DIY a custom apron for just a few bucks & in just a few minutes in this post.



3. Little People

It doesn't matter which ones, they are all amazing. The size is perfect for their hands and they open themselves up to a whole world of imagination and story telling. Some of my son's favorites are the Camper, the School Bus and the Photographer & Police Officer people. But we also have barns and tractors and a few dozen animals that he loves as well.  Bonus: Babies love these too so if you have more than one kid- dual gift!



4. Anything Creative

Some kids like drawing, some like painting, some like directing stories, some like creating music. Whatever your kid is into- find something that gets them involved in that creatively.  If they like to draw or paint, pick up an Easel (3 in 1) or simply stock up on Markers (40 pack!) and paper. If you're feeling creative, make a DIY Dry Erase Table! If they like creating stories, get them a Puppet Theater of their own!  If they like creating music, start them out with their own Toddler Drum Set, or Keyboard Playmat.


Thoughts?

There are lots of random toys I could tell you about but nobody wants me chattering on and on and on and on and... oh- what was I saying? Really though, this Christmas (or whatever holiday you might be buying for) consider getting toys that aren't just going to wind up in the never-ending toy pile. Find items that the child isn't only going to play with but something that will help them learn and grow, use their minds and imagination, interact with others and learn about who they are and what they like. That is the best gift you can give a child.

I hope this list was helpful for those who have wanted my opinion. If you or your kids have a favorite toy or gift, share in the comments below!

DIY Mermaid Tail Craft Kit!

As I scrolled through the million zillion photos on my phone I stumbled across a few that I took at Christmas that I want to share with you.  Let me make one quick disclaimer though- these were taken very late into the evening and it's not my best photography work.  My "model" (my son) was asleep and I really just wanted to get everything wrapped and ready for Christmas.  Looking back I still can't believe I laid everything on yellow tissue paper when taking a photo in our very yellow lighted room.

Oh well- I'm sharing the idea with you, not the pictures.  Check out my older posts for better photos!

Here's the backstory: I have twin 5 year old nieces who are into mermaids, fairies and crafty stuff.  I had planned on buying them some of those mermaid tail blankets but being the crazy crafting lady that I am- I decided to let them get crafty too!  So I took a trip to the fabric store, bought some fabric and craft accessories and got to work:


You will need:
-solid fleece large enough to cover both legs and up the waist a little.  (Remember it needs to wrap around you)
-printed fleece for the fins.  Again, remember that it is double sided.
-batting for inside the fins.  Batting can get super expensive so just go with the cheapest kind you can find in the thickness you want.
-crafting accessories like pom pom balls, sequin, buttons, fabric paint or other remnants of fabric.
-thread to match your fabric.

[Part 1- Making the blanket]

Sorry I don't have a pattern for you but it's so easy you don't need one.  Take a solid piece of fleece and fold it in half.  Slide your legs inside of it and using pins or tape make an "outline" around your legs.  This will not only get it the size you need but it also helps create that fitted mermaid tail shape.  Next, cut it out.

For the fins, simply mark off the shape you want with tape or pins and cut.

Note:  Don't forget to add a few inches outside of your lines when cutting it out to account for seams and so the blanket isn't too fitted. 
*For a tutorial on how to do the whole project, check out Cut Now, Measure Later.  This is the basic idea I followed when making mine.



[Part 2- Making the craft kit]

Here's the part I really wanted to share with you.  Instead of just gifting the blankets (which are adorable by themselves) let them use their imagination to create their own custom mermaid tail!  When you wrap up the blankets, include things like pom pom balls, fabric paint and spare fabric for them to cut out their own shapes.

I went ahead and cut out some common shapes from fleece as well...

If you want to include glue in the kit, that's good too.  I figured the family already had some so I did not.  E6000 is an amazing super glue but hot glue would work well also.  I have not had great luck in the past with fabric glue on fleece.


[That's it!]
I love that this isn't just a great gift but also an activity for your kids to work on!  Plus- if they have extra materials they can craft again with it later.  Who else has a little mermaid-lover in their life?