Shapes and Colors

Since we moved away from family, and it’s just me and Hailey during the day again, I’ve been looking for activities for the two of us to do. You can only read the same books so many times a day before you go crazy. One night after looking all over the internet for ideas of things Hailey and I could do together I came up with this idea.

I made a page of shapes on the computer and printed it out. I cut out the shapes on that page, and then used those shapes as templates to cut out more shapes from different colors of construction paper. Hailey and I then taped the shapes to the wall in her room. She went crazy. She loved it! Just putting the shapes on the wall was super exciting and fun to her. At first she didn’t get how to get the shapes to stick to the wall. But she has it figured out now.

We’ve done a few activities with these shapes. We scatter them all over the wall, and then I ask her to find all of the [blank] shapes. She goes back and forth looking for all of those shapes. Her attention span only lasts through one finding all of one shape, or not even that long. That’s ok. I’ve also asked her to find certain colors and she will pull those off of the wall. Today we sorted shapes. I put up labeled shapes and then she pulled a shape off the wall and we put it underneath the corresponding shape.

We do a little bit here and there. I leave it up on the wall all day and we come back to it occasionally.

I also had her color a page with the shapes and colors. The goal was to have her color each shape the appropriate color (color the blue rectangle blue…). I also wanted her to put the appropriate colored sticker in each shape as well. She had fun doing this. I definitely had to give her some direction, but I’m sure with practice she’ll figure it out.

Sweet Pleat Bag

A few weeks ago I bought fabric to make myself a new bag. I’m not going to call it a diaper bag, even though I house diapers in it, and I’m not going to call it a purse, because I feel like it’s just too big for that. It’s an in between bag, because that’s what stage we’re in right now. We’re in between baby and… well, not a baby.

So anyway, I bought fabric (from the Central Park collection by Kate Spain, for Moda Fabrics) but didn’t have a pattern. I originally saw a pattern online I liked, but after buying the fabric decided it wasn’t what I wanted. I hunted and searched all over the internet, but couldn’t find the right pattern. The biggest part of the problem was that I didn’t know what I wanted. Then last weekend Kyle and I took a quick trip to Portland and while there I spotted a lady who had a bag I loved. And decided I wanted. But, I had no pattern. Only the very detailed mental images I tried so hard to take of her bag.

This bag is my own design, and actually is not the same bag I saw in Portland. And that’s ok, because I’m super happy with it. And super proud of myself to make my own bag totally from scratch, beginning in my head.

I had no idea what I was doing. I was a bit nervous about cutting up my super cute and expensive fabric, but I figured that if it didn’t turn out I’d learn from it, use the fabric for something else, and I would use different fabric to make another bag. Luckily for me it turned out pretty good on the first try.

I’m calling it the Sweet Pleat Bag. If I make anymore that name may change. But that’s what it is for now. It has pleats on the front and pleats on the back. Even pleats on the inside, but if I were to make it again I don’t think I would pleat the lining. The back has a nice big pocket on the outside, the inside has an elastic to hold Hailey’s sippy cup in place (I very much dislike having a wet bag because her cup fell over and leaked), small pockets to store things, and even a ring to clip my keys to so I know right where they are when I need them. 

Yay for my new bag! And it only took me 4 of Hailey’s naps to get it done. Whew! A lot of work, but so worth it.

Easter Basket

I made Hailey a small simple Easter basket. I think it turned out pretty good! I didn’t want to buy her an expensive ugly basket, because I didn’t want to pay for it or keep it. But this basket I like and want to keep. I plan on using it to store some of Hailey’s things post Easter.

I used a tutorial [found here] to make the basket. I added the handle. It was pretty easy to make, and of course so fun.

Now we can send Hailey on an Easter egg hunt!

Happy [early] Easter!

A Reason to Be Excited about Grocery Shopping

Do you coupon? I’ve been trying to use coupons off and on for the past 6 months. And holy cow is it a lot of work. I have been able to find some pretty decent deals, which has been exciting. I have only used what coupons I can find online. We don’t have a newspaper subscription, but I fully intend on buying one once we settle down permanently for a little while. I also find it difficult to try to figure out who has the best deals on what, and I don’t like running around to 4 different stores to get the biggest amount of savings. Sometimes I feel like it’s such a hassle! I usually just check out Target’s coupons for the week, see what other coupons are available online, print out the ones I will use, and make my weekly trip to Target and WinCo.

So, anyway… I’ve been trying to save our family some money, especially since we aren’t making any to begin with. I’m sure with time I’ll learn to realize what a good deal looks like and I’ll start saving even more money.

Why am I telling you all of this? Because I made this pretty sweet grocery list/coupon organizer. From this tutorial.

And I’m super excited about it.

Please ignore my ugly sewing on the bottom. I was having some issues…

See look, it has pockets for my coupons, a zippered pouch for a calculator, cash, or whatever else, a spot for my pen, and I can stick my grocery list right inside it too. Everything I need to grocery shop is all in one place!

What has my life come to? I get excited over organizing my coupons and grocery list. I think I need to get out more…

Our Sunday Battle Plan

As of recently I come home from church each Sunday and I admit it, I wonder why I even go in the first place. Don’t worry, no one call my bishop or relief society president. I’m not going inactive. I’m just suffering from Sundays at church with a pre-nursery toddler.

Every Sunday we spend 3 hours in a wrestling match with Hailey. Or at least it feels that way. Yes, I am exaggerating a little bit… but in my defense, Kyle and I come home after church exhausted and crash as soon as we get the chance. I am grateful that we only have one Hailey. A couple in our ward has twin boys just days older than Hailey. They hang out in the foyer all during sacrament meeting, they don’t even try to sit in the chapel. And I don’t blame them.

Toddlers are so busy! Seriously. I feel bad for Hailey having to hang out with us during church. That’s so boring, for her! My mission these past few weeks has been finding ways to make our church going experience a better one, for all of us.

A few weeks ago I ran across a tutorial online to make this super cute bag.

I love it. There are spots for Hailey’s crayons on the front, and inside I keep a notebook that I made, just for Hailey.   

She can color in it and load it up with all the stickers her little heart desires.

And then today I finished making these fun ABC cards.

They are double sided and have pictures and words that correspond with each letter. I printed them out and then had them hard laminated so they’re super durable and can hold up to Hailey’s teeth (She’s been biting everything recently! Including me…) I had a hole drilled in the top corner and bound them together with a metal ring so Hailey can flip through them.

This idea wasn’t totally my own. One Sunday we were sharing a bench with another family in our ward. The woman sitting next to us asked if she could hold Hailey. I of course said yes, I’ll take any opportunity for a small break. Of course Hailey was so good for her. I couldn’t believe it. She must have super mom powers that I have yet to gain (and really, really want.) She also had some small laminated cards hooked together on a ring that she was flipping through and looking at with Hailey. Hailey loved it. And I thought, why haven’t I ever thought of that before!? Oh yeah… those super mom powers… Anyway, after that Sunday I was determined to make my own flip cards for Hailey. And I finally finished them. Tomorrow is the big day that we get to test them out. Wish us luck!

Oh yeah… interested in making your own church ABC cards? Want to know what words I used for each letter?

A- armor of God

B- blessing

C- church

D- Dad

E- eternity

F- family

G- grandparents

H- Holy Ghost

I- inspiration

J- Jesus Christ

K- kindness

L- liahona

M- Mom

N- nature

O- obey

P- prophet

Q- quiet

R- resurrection

S- sacrament

T- temple

U- unselfish

V- vision

W- word of wisdom

X- exaltation

Y- you

Z- zion

Play-doh

Last week I posted about my winter woes. And about my lack of ways to entertain Hailey without driving myself crazy.

Here’s a classic activity we did this week.



Play-doh! The homemade kind. For if (when) it gets eaten.



Want to play too?

You will need:
1 cup flour
1/4 cup salt
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
1 cup water
2 teaspoons food coloring
1 tablespoon oil

Mix all the ingredients together in a sauce pan. Cook for 3-5 minutes over medium heat, stirring until a ball forms. Remove from the pan and knead for 2-3 minutes. Store in an air tight container or plastic bags.

And voila! Play-doh.



Don’t limit yourself to just the play-doh. The container is fun to play with too.

Toddler Backpack and a Husband Who Sews

Earlier this week I told Kyle that I wanted to make a bag for Hailey to take to the library to put her books in. I get tired of stuffing them in my purse.

Here's the result:

front

side

back

I think it's pretty awesome.

Oh, and did I mention that Kyle made it, not me?

Oh yeah, and he made it without a pattern? Seriously. Kyle amazes me, all the time, with the things he comes up with.

I'm looking forward to our library trip this week. Hailey is going in style.