Letter Necklace

This is a project that was inspired by the Ladybug.  So she is obsessed by doggies and puppies.  Has more stuffed animal doggies than real doggies at our local animal shelter.  And that of the next two counties over.  IT IS EPIC.  Right now she also really likes learning about letters.  She really likes these letter tiles and has been pulling out all the D's.  D for doggie and for her name, Diva.  She has actually been going to sleep with a little D tile in her little fist.  Wow - right?  So she was misplacing all the little D's and I was in fear of the day we could not find a D.  So necessity prompted this project.  I think this would also make a great stocking stuffer!

What You Need:
-  a letter tile (ours came from an old spelling game)
-  a round bail plate (the little silver disky thing)
-  glue gun
-  some type of cord (or whatever you want to hang it on)



What I Did:
-  I measured against Ladybug how long I needed the cord to be.  I then cut it to that length.
-  I just used the hot glue to stick the tile to the bail plate. 
- Then I threaded the cord through the loop on top of the bail plate.
-  Finally I tied a knot on top.  I put a bit of the hot glue in the knot for extra strength.
-  DONE!!!


SAFETY -  This is obviously a possible choking hazard.  So if you child puts things in his/her mouth a lot, this may not be a good idea.  Also you may want to be careful about the cord.  I asked daycare to take the necklace off before she went outside or took her nap.


Just 2 More Thoughts:
- This is my first attempt at blogging.  I need to learn more.  My goal for this comming year is to learn HTML.  So please, pardon my lack of style and such.
-  I planned on blogging more this week but the week has gotten away from me.  But please tune back Saturday and Sunday for some holiday gift ideas and a fun kid idea.


Jenny
 









Green Friday

-  So we rocked Green Friday.  We just did a few homemade projects and watched part of a movie on sustainability.  We wore our pj's all day.  We stayed inside where it was was warm.  Green Friday is our kick-off to the holiday season. 

I will be including more information about the projects we completed.  And better pictures but here is some information if you want to get started.

The gold crown is a salt dough ornament.  Please see the tutorial here from Delighted Momma.  The Ladybug must have made a dozen of these ornaments.  I also made a keepsake of her hand (I will show the picture later).  This was a really easy project that kept the Ladybug entertained for a long time.  I think the ornaments will look great attached to presents and on trees!

The cardboard ornaments on the side are from a book.  I will get that information to you soon.

Another thing I wanted to do is spend time on Friday talking to Loki about reusing what we have and our impact on the environment.  I am going to put a disclaimer up later - but I am not the most green person ever.  I drive a small SUV (but I am getting a more fuel efficient or hybrid car next time).  Ladybug uses disposable diapers.  I didn't go to any Black Friday sales, but I really did not need to go.  The girls did not need more movies.  We do not need a new game system.  My computer is going to quit eventually, but I decided to wait.  We have the luxury to have a Green Friday and reflect on sustainability, etc.  I just want to raise children that are aware and good citizens of the world. 

To promote our learning we attempted to watch No Impact Man.

This is a really interesting movie.  You get to see how a family cuts out just about all consumer goods including toilet paper and energy.  They actually cut off the power to their apartment!  However, the parents use language that if Loki repeated, she would be grounded forever.  And ever!  So we shut this one off pretty fast. 

However, Loki and I did watch this movie recently which she seemed to relate to better.  This was a very positive movie about two people who have a contest to see who can throw out the least amount of garbage in a year and not purchase anything.  (There are some pictures of dead birds that Loki said were "disturbing.")

CHECK BACK HERE DAILY (OR ALMOST DAILY) FOR AFFORDABLE, EASY DIY HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS!

Jenny

Green Friday Is Tomorrow!!!

 

 

We have been working on a tradition the last several years of not shopping on Black Friday, but making gifts instead.  We try to upcycle items into crafts.  I am not the greenest out there by far, but this is something my family does.  So tomorrow, I will have a list of our Green Friday craft projects.  Until then, Happy Thanksgiving.!

 

 

Jenny

Glitter Nails

Glitter Nails

Yup.  It is official.  Glitter is everywhere this season.  Went to Target this evening and there were so many cute glittery accessories in the girl's section.  So many inspired projects to make!  I got this glitter nail idea from Henry Happened.  Wow!  So brilliant!  Se easy!  So flippin' cute!  Please try to check out this idea and others at Henry Happened. 

I thought it was a perfect project for Loki to try out with her sleepover with her bff, Dragonfly.  Glitter and nail polish - yuppers, perfect for 12 year old girls. 

This is how it turned out!

 

Take Care,

 

Jenny

Said Momma Saturday

It was just me and the Ladybug today.  So these are the things that we did: 

We did some jelly bean sorting.  She really liked this and kept asking for more beans.  When I told her were going to do a project with jelly beans, she asked "Beans made out of jelly?"  We eat a lot of kidney, black, and garbanzo beans around here.  I found this and other ideas for small motor and cognitive development activities from Hands On: As We Grow.

 

We also tried to make a bracelet out of jelly beans.  (I found an old package from the spring in the pantry).  I had difficulty getting the needle through the beans.  So I had Ladybug hand me beans and tell me the name of the colors.  I found this idea over here at A Thrify Mom.

 

We also made these bird treats.  Loki had made them a few weeks ago so Ladybug and I thought we should give it a try.  Was a very easy project.  It involved a lot of spooning the seed mixture into the cookie cutter, which is a good 2 yro activity.  I think we might make these as Christmas gifts.  I am going to put one out to see if the birds fancy it.  I found this activity over at eighteen 25.

 

We also took a walk to the playground.  Ladybug seemed to enjoy the swings which she has not wanted to really try in the past.  It was a great, busy day.  Picking up the Loki from Bubbe's house today.  May catch a movie with the girls. 

 

Finally, here is Selkie!

 

 

HAPPY ELECTION DAY!!!

I just wanted to wish everyone a happy election day! My little family worked hard on the campaign but not nearly as much as others. I am especially proud of my mom who works hard on every campaign.  It was a really good experience for us to learn about the process but also meet different types of people that live in our neighborhood. I feel really positive that now we can move forward with hard work to make change for ourselves and our community.

So we had to do a little something for today.

So we had some election outfits:

 

 

 

We also had some election treats.  Anna decorated some pumpkin muffins.

Anna followed along with the poll results on this map:

And here is a Selkie picture.  Not sure what her thoughts are about the campaign.  I hope to have a meaningful conversation with her on Sunday.  I am also sending out a prayer for K and N to come home safely.