Valentine Crafts for Toddlers – Scissorless!

Don’t get caught thinking that Valentine’s crafts are just about cutting hearts out. Kids of all ages can get involved in the celebration. Toddlers are too young to use scissors safely on their own, but they can still participate in craft making with the family.

Here are some ideas for Valentine’s Day crafts that don’t require using scissors.

PAINT: Toddlers love to paint (all ages actually!). If they are in preschool, they have likely learned that it is safe and fun to paint. Give them some finger paints in red and white and let them create just about anything!

With finger paints, you have to have an area prepared to contain the mess. Dress the kids in play clothes so that they can get messy without ruining their good clothes.

Show them how to use their little hands to make a heart shape out of their prints. You can have them alternate between red and white… or they can mix the white and red to make a nice pink for more hearts. I think it is absolutely adorable to have them paint on poster board… Guide their hands to write ‘I Love You’ and you will have a beautiful masterpiece to hang on the wall for the holiday!

Toddlers can give the gift of flowers out of tissue paper as well. Give them a variety of colors and sizes of tissue paper so they can make different kinds of flowers for their loved ones.

Kids Valentine’s Crafts with Construction Paper

Crafts are so much fun for kids… and Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to let them go at it! Construction paper is one of the most versatile tools for Valentine’s Day crafts that kids will enjoy creating and family members will enjoy receiving.

First things first – start with a simple pad of construction paper. You’ll want to be sure the pad has white, red and pink sheets… as well as other colors too. The local craft store or even the dollar stare should have just what you need for the job.

Obviously the first project would be paper hearts… like I mentioned in my last post. Kids can use safety scissors to cut out heart tracings on a folded piece of paper. Let your kids draw big and small hearts out of red and white sheets of construction paper. You can even let them use those fancy craft scissors to give the hearts a unique edged design.

Red, white and pink are the usual Valentine’s Day colors… but, if your kids want to use other colors as well – let them! They are being creative… this is a great time to encourage their creativity. A blue or purple heart will be made with just as much love as a red one.

Kids Homemade Valentine’s Day Decorations

Kids are absolutely FULL of ideas when it comes to decorating for a holiday like Valentines Day! Here are some ideas for making homemade Valentine’s Day decorations for your home…

First things first… start simple. Stick to decorating just the main rooms of your home. You can give each child a ball of red, white or pink ribbon and just see what they decide to do with it. Ribbon is great to wrap around vases of flowers or draped over doorways. And, don’t forget to get a pair of scissors to run through the ribbon to create curls!

Last year I cut out a bunch of hearts out of construction paper and had them all over our craft table for the kids to do whatever they wanted with (within reason!). They made all sorts of fun Valentines… and some ended up on the top of the piano, on the window, the walls… fun! Let your kids stick them all over – whevever they can find a good spot. If you sit long enough, there may be a few attached to you! Bigger hearts can be taped onto walls and windows (make sure the tape won’t strip the paint!)… Or, you can punch a hole in the heart and put a string through to tie them onto things.

Valentine’s Party Fun!

With the holidays behind us, it’s time to get ready for Valentines Day! It is the perfect excuse to have a party. Here are a few ideas to make it fun…

1. Plan Ahead: Although Valentines might not be as bit as Christmas, you will still want to plan ahead to avoid the rush for supplies. With your list in hand, find games and items for everyone.

2. Dress your guests to celebrate. For the girls, you can give them something as simple as a candy necklace. For the boys, try candy whistles.

3. Start your party with games. How about a game of hearts for the card players? Poke around on Google for kids versions of a game so you can have both kids and adults playing the same game. Another idea could be to plan a word game. Using the words, ‘Happy Valentines Day’, give the kids two or three minutes to write down as many words as they can using those letters. The one with the most words wins a prize.

4. Don’t forget those prizes! Prizes can be as simple as paper hearts that work like coupons…. For example, create a coupon that can be traded in for a day with no chores or a five dollar gift from the store. The more prizes a person wins, the more coupons they can cash in. If you have guests that are not a part of the family, you could have a separate prize basket with small prizes like candy and teddy bears.

I’m still here…

Just a quick note… so sorry I haven’t posted for a while – I had shoulder surgery late August and am still in a sling (for another 3 weeks at least!)… so posting and such is a bit of a task.

While you’re here, have you checked out the Snacks For Toddlers regular site? It is packed with all sorts of snack ideas for your kids…
Enjoy!

Get Your Tickets Here!

Tickets are so great for young children…
We started a new chore system for our almost 10 year old(called Accountable Kids… I’ll share more about it later – love it and it deserves its own post!)… and it is ticket based. Basically, our son can earn tickets for doing morning chores, afternoon chores, good behavior, etc… and the tickets can be exchanged for privileges (mostly screen time). We started the system with just our oldest… and it has worked so well that now my younger two (ages 6 and 4) are always asking if they can earn tickets. What is funny about it… they don’t even know what the tickets are for!

I love it when children are still in the stage where a ticket is enough of a prize!

So, I was thrilled to find these tickets that Gingham Cherry is giving away – so cute!

Just think about the possibilities…
tickets for potty training
tickets to buy stuff from the ’store’
tickets for obeying
tickets for kindness
tickets for chores
tickets for game pieces
tickets for learning to count/math
… so many possibilities!

You can even let your kids set up all their stuffed animals in the living room for a zoo exhibit… and sell tickets to the zoo

What would you use these tickets for?

Does Your Kid Kitchen Have Menus?

This is the coolest idea… can’t wait to do this with my kids next week!

My younger 2 spend a lot of time preparing all sorts of concoctions in their little kitchen… it is pretty funny the different ‘teas’ they serve… or appetizers (which IRL would not be all that appetizing!)… their creativity is amazing — and this idea over at Money Saving Mom takes it a new level!

Money Saving Mom posted the cutest idea to make little menus for your kids kitchen — the kind THEY make Isn’t this a great exercise for them? They get to pick out foods they want to eat and include on their menu, layout the design, and set the prices. You could laminate the project for them too so they stand up over time.

Forget Quaker Oatmeal or Cheerios Tomorrow Morning…

Usually we start our summer day with a smoothie in the morning… but, the weather up here has had trouble remembering that it is summer (well, until today). It seems to me that last year was the same way – we had a little bit of ‘normal’ summer weather here and there… and then before we knew it, summer was over and school was starting! I have waited for summer to come every since — and it finally looks like it came.

But, this isn’t a post about the weather… well, sort of.

When it is hot… even in the morning when you get up – smoothie’s are awesome!
But, if you have been having weird weather… and there is a bit of a chill in the morning – this is an amazing way to wake up

Forget the Quaker Oatmeal!
Enjoy!

Fruit and Rice Warm Me Up

What You Need:

1 1/2 C brown rice, cooked
1 C almond milk
1 banana, sliced
1 (15 oz) can fruit cocktail
1/4 C water
2 T honey
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg

How to Make It:

Place the water, honey and vanilla in a large saucepan over low heat.
Add the bananas and fruit cocktail stirring well to cover with liquid.
Stir in the cinnamon and nutmeg.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and allow to cook 8 minutes or until very tender but not mushy.
Stir in the rice.
Pour in the almond milk and stir well.
Return to a boil and cook 10 minutes.
Best if served warm.

Extreme Frozen Treats To Get You Through Summer

Oh. My.

Aren’t these amazing!

I happen to stumble on this frozen treat and had to share right away! I can’t wait to try these with my kids – they LOVE watermelon and what a fun way to present it! Plus – these frozen watermelon pops have the health benefit of 100% fruit…

Excuse me while I go buy some watermelon to freeze

Get Organized Now… Before The School Rush

I’m always looking for new resources about home management and organization. I think I must get bored of the systems I put into place because I’m always looking to try something new. One of the things I’m struggling with a bit (and please tell me you can relate with is managing my time well this summer. I have so much I want to accomplish – and that doesn’t even include the fun stuff I want to do with my family! If I am not managing my time well… my projects and tasks will consume every second of my time – and as the Simple Mom has said it – before I know it, I’m afraid my children will be computer orphans! I refuse to be known as the mom who was always on the computer working…

So, on my quest to look for the absolute perfect solution, I have come across some cool resources. Now, I think the thing I have realized the most is that there isn’t a system for everyone. There couldn’t be — we are all WAY too different! I have also realized that for ME… I can get a system all put together… I can make it look pretty… but, implementing it is a whole different ballgame. Is anyone else like this? More than needing a new system — I finally have come to terms with the fact that what I really need to be successful is accountability!

Elisa Lou Designs Summer Give-Away At The Inspired Room

I was so excited to see Melissa over at the Inspired Room having a special give-away for one of these adorable bags!

It is super easy to enter – just leave a comment on this post at the Inspired Room and you will automatically be put in the drawing. You can read all the details here.

Good Luck!

PS. Be sure you read the entire post – if you subscribe to the Inspired Room’s RSS feed you can find out additional ways to be entered in the contest… But, don’t go too crazy – I’m hoping to win!!

Surprise Your Hubby With This!

Well – this doesn’t have much to do about SNACKS… or KIDS… but, it does have to do with FAMILY… well, maybe that is a bit of a stretch… oh, who am I kidding. This one is for my hubby! And, he is family – and since this is my blog… I say it counts

You have to check out this opportunity to win a Porsche… yep – not a big ‘ol family car… but a super fun, zipping fast, great for date-night 1999 911 Carrera Cabriolet Porsche – Black w/ Black top and leather interior… the list goes on (see at the end of this post).

Of course, I’m hoping to win this myself… but, what kind of friend would I be if I kept this all to myself?

So… how cool would it be to set up a fun date for you and your hubby and walk out to the car to surprise him with this Porsche that you won!! I’m hoping!

details about the car:
Year: 1999
Make: Porsche
Model: 911 Carrera Cabriolet
Color: Black w/Black Top & Black Leather Interior
Engine: 6-Cyl. 3.4 Liter
Transmission: 6 Speed Manual
Drivetrain: RWD
Standard Equipment: Air Conditioning, Power Steering, Power Windows, Power Door Locks, Cruise Control, Stereo w/CD, Dual Front Air Bags, ABS (4-Wheel), Dual Power Seats, Power Top

Estimated Value: $27,115 (as of 1/28/09)

Enjoy Your Children

As a mom of three, I completely understand that sometimes families have one of ‘THOSE’ days… if you are a parent, you know what I mean.

You know… the kind of day where all you want to do is get out of the house. You get all the kids in the car – secure in their carseats… shut the door and SAVOR the silence as you take the LONG way around the car to the driver seat. [Please tell me I am not the only mom who does this!]…

Somedays – it is just difficult to enjoy your children. I mean – of course, we LOVE our kids…
but, the mess that seems to follow them wherever they go…
the loud musical instruments that echo through the house as they play…
the lunch you took time to prepare – spilled all over the table and/or floor…
the 5th accident with your potty-training toddler…

Need I go on?
I think my point is made…

But, the other day, I was sitting with a blogging friend who is just getting into building a blog about all the amazing things she has learned from her autistic son. As we were chatting, I realized that it is so easy to parents (of all types of children) to get caught in the every day RUT of taking care of one thing after another… and that sometimes, we just need to sit still and enjoy our children.

Washing Hair With No Fuss

My two oldest kids (9 and 6) have always loved the water… They enjoy their faces getting wet and always laugh if you squirt them or of some water drips down their cheeks when washing their hair. So, when Baby #3 came along and didn’t like water AT ALL – I was a little out of sorts! He didn’t even like bathing until he was well over a year old… so, we would hold him in the shower – he felt much safer being held and this worked until he just got too big to do this safely.

He is 4 now – and still doesn’t like having his hair washed. He enjoys playing in the shower or the tub now… but, if the water is dripping anywhere near his face – he throws a fit.

These are the paints I use… They come in a squirt tube that I can just put on the wall. I’ll draw the first letter of his name… draw a car or a crown – or just a bunch of swirls. He loves it!

So… to make hair washing time fun, I got those bath paints. I create designs on the walls that are just high enough that he has to look up a bit to play with them. While he is busy playing with the paints on the wall… I can easily get his hair washed without him really noticing!

Do you have a hair washing secret?

What’s in your beach bag?

Every summer I get out a huge bag and pack it with summer time essentials. I love heading to the beach… or to the park with sand… just being outside!! And, having a bag all ready to go lets us leave in on a whim.

Here is what I have in my bag:

- sunglasses for the kids
- sunhats for the kids
- 2 towels and a smaller hand towel
- powder (amazing for getting that wet sand off!)
- sunscreen
- water bottles with water
- granola bars (or other non perishable snacks)
- extra shorts for my 4 year old
- diapers/pull-ups
- antibacterial gel and/or wipes
- a few small sand toys (shovel, truck)

My bag is always hanging on the hook by the front door… and every few days, I’ll make sure the water is fresh so it is ready to go.

What about you?
Do you have a beach bag ready to go?
What’s in it?

Goodbye Diaper Rash… FOREVER…

My youngest was one of those kids that had the absolute WORST diaper rash. If we used generic diapers – he would get a rash… if he wasn’t changed immediately – he would get a rash… And the worse part was – regular diaper ointment didn’t do a single thing for it! [And we tried ALL of them!]

Finally, a nurse at our pediatric office told me about the most amazing stuff! Calmoseptine Ointment… It is this THICK, pink cream that has some serious protection for those little bottoms. She told me to put it on thick – like “frosting on a cake” were her exact words – and it is the ONLY thing that has worked for my little guy.

If you are struggling with diaper rash… give this a try! You use to be able to get it at Whole Foods – but, I’ve recently found it cheaper online and behind the counter at drug stores. You don’t need a prescription for it… but, I’ve never seen it on the shelf.

… now, kiss that rash GOODBYE!…

Free Cultural Passes… Get Out Of The House!

Has the economy put a damper on your plans for getting to the zoo or a local museum with the kids?

Is heading to the park every few days getting a little old… but, the budget is just too tight to pay for $15+ tickets to visit a local museum for kids?

Did you know that you might be able to get FREE passes to all kinds of great places to bring kids?

We recently found out that our local library offers free passes (you actually check them out) to quite a few museums and other places with activities for kids… it’s worth checking into your local library too – I’m always amazed at how many resources libraries have!

Our library (Washington County in Oregon) offers cultural passes for:
* A.C. Gilbert’s Discovery Village
* Chinese Classical Garden
* Pittock Mansion
* Portland Art Museum
* Portland Children’s Museum
* Portland Japanese Garden
* Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals
* Washington County Museum

The EASIEST way to get your kids OUTDOORS

Do you have trouble getting your kids outdoors?
Okay – maybe that is a silly question… but, the other day, I was suggesting to my kids that they head out back to play. I couldn’t believe it when they said they didn’t want to. What I realized is that they just needed a little help with ideas for what to DO out back… I’ve put together a scavenger hunt list of things for them to find out back… I recommended different roll-play ideas they can do (pretend play like Indiana Jones, Dino Hunter, GI Joe, FairyLand, etc…) But, this time they needed something different.

Check this out…
This kept my kids entertained (and getting along!) for hours out back… a win-win-win!!
There are all sorts of digging adventures you can pick up at Marshalls, Ross and TJMaxx… here are some available at Amazon just so you can see what I’m talking about.

I’m pretty sure we have done all of them at this point…
We started with a dino-dig like this one

There is one set where you dig out pieces of armor and then put it together on a stand…

There are digs you can do for beautiful rocks and gems (my daughter loved this one!)

There are digs you can do where you dig out pirate treasure and then they are actually pieces of a game…

In fact, these are great to bring if you are camping! We did that last year when our church went camping for the weekend – all the kids ended up at our campsite to help with the dig going on… lots of fun for everyone!

Want To Be A Mom Tester?

This is cool… I was browsing through parenting magazine and found a link to sign up as a Mom Tester.

You can get some free goodies if you sign up to be a Mom Tester at http://www.Parenting.com/momtester – they’ll call (via mail, email, phone… however you sign up) to ask your opinion on all kinds of mom things… Not only that – but, you might even get picked to try out new products!

I signed up – I’ll let you know how it goes. Has anyone else ever done anything like this? No of another resource that takes the very important opinion of a mom? Please share…

Boredom Buster #4

We are still going strong with our Boredom Buster’s!! Help us stamp out boredom this summer with your own tips to keep kids busy in the comments!

Boredom Buster #4

Sidewalk Chalk: This is always a great boredom buster! There are all sorts of different accessories for sidewalk chalk these days too… but, the best is just letting the kids get creative.

You can help by giving them a sort of game to play… or have them make up a game with their chalk drawings… or, they can draw a story… build hopscotch… draw a desert island and boats to get there on… let their imagination go wild at a park sidewalk or in your driveway.

Boredom Buster #3

We are still on a roll here… cutting boredom from the summer of 2009! Here is boredom buster number 3…

Boredom Buster #3

March In A Parade: This is perfect for right around 4th of July – let the kids decorate their bikes, trikes or wagon and put on a parade! There doesn’t really have to be a special occassion – they can just have a summer parade too!

Boredom Buster #2

We are continuing our series to help fight BOREDOM this summer… No more hearing ‘I’m Bored Mom!’ this summer with these fantastic tips. Do you have something add? Leave a comment and we’ll be sure to feature it in a future post.

Boredom Buster #2

Arts and Crafts Bin: Set a budget and hit the dollar store or craft store to build a bin of craft supplies. Take the kids with you and give them $5-10 to add to the bin things that interest them. Once a week, pull out the arts and crafts bin for them to create.

A few things to consider including:

• pipe cleaners
• wooden craft sticks
• stickers
• puffy paints
• fabric swatches
• felt pieces
• yarn
• ribbons
• scissors, glue, tape, etc.
• paper plates
• foil
• pretty papers (scrapbooking paper?)

Fight Boredom With Fun At Home This Summer

We are starting a series to help fight boredom this summer!

Tired of hearing, “I’m Bored Mom”? All it takes is a little bit of preparation and planning… and we are here to help!

Over the next week we will be highlighting some fun ways to keep your kids from being bored this summer. If you have something to add – please share, and I’ll feature it in a future post.

Boredom Buster #1

Backyard Camp Out: Set up your tent right in your backyard for an overnight stay… If camping outside is just a little too much for your little ones, you can still have a camp-out by having a fun campfire (check out this campfire in a box for your backyard – too cool!) and then you can make your own s’mores! If the camp fire in the box is a bit much – there are these little s’more grills you can get. We have one and it works great! The point is to get outside and have a great time creating yummy treats over a fire.

What you might need:

• Basic S’more Ingredients – graham crackers, chocolate squares, large marshmellows
• Skews for cooking marshmellows
• campfire in a box
• or, smaller s’more grill
• want something more gourmet? Check out this s’more cookbook!

Do you have a favorite Boredom Buster? Leave a comment sharing your tip and we’ll feature it later – giving you full credit, of course!

Getting Outdoors – Family Friendly Day Hike Finder

I just spent an hour poking around at different programs to manage and help me plan my summer… then, silly me, realized that google has a great calendar to use! duh… I already use google calendar on my igoogle page for meal planning – it makes sense to use it for planning summer activities too!

One of the things my hubby and I have talked about is our desire to get outside and do a day hike at least every other week this summer. We want to shoot for every week – but, that might be pushing it with the other goodies we have planned

So, as I was planning these day hikes to get them on my google calendar – I stumbled on this website: www.trails.com – you can search by state and find out whether a trail is kid friendly or now. I’m just trying it out now… but, thought I’d share.

Do you know of another website or resources to find good family friendly hikes around the country?

Get Ready For Summer Boredom Busters!

Here they come… Tomorrow we start a series of Boredom Busters so you never have to hear “I’m Bored Mom” during the summer of 2009! Ahhh… doesn’t that sound nice?

If you want to participate – be sure to share your favorite boredom buster and we will include it as a post. I’m going to try to get Mr. Linky to work – but, I’ve never done that before… so, we’ll have to just see if it coorperates. In the mean time, feel free to leave a comment sharing your tip for keeping summer sane with little ones.

See you tomorrow!

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Recently Written

• Valentine Crafts for Toddlers – Scissorless!
• Kids Valentine’s Crafts with Construction Paper
• Kids Homemade Valentine’s Day Decorations
• Valentine’s Party Fun!
• I’m still here…
• Get Your Tickets Here!
• Does Your Kid Kitchen Have Menus?
• Forget Quaker Oatmeal or Cheerios Tomorrow Morning…
• Extreme Frozen Treats To Get You Through Summer
• Get Organized Now… Before The School Rush

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• I’m Bored Mom! - Summer Time Activities To Keep Your Kids Busy and Having Fun!
• The Inspired Room - Refining Your Home For Authentic Living
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