hearts and cupids arrows :: a valentine’s crafts.

January 13, 2013 by mama lola

valentine’s day is almost upon us.

the stores are already filling their shelves with heart shaped boxes filled with chocolates to suit everyone’s flavour preferences. there are cardboard cut outs of cupids hanging in windows and there are lots faux red roses around town.

here are some cute and simple craft projects i’ve gathered from pinterest. i especially love the little cupid arrows made of twigs and felt.

1. sewn hearts from: pinterest

2. valentine twig arrows by: carolyn at homework

3. heart bookmark by:martha stewart

4. paper hearts by crafty dream

5.heart garland by: kristina and e.j. at toddler approved

6.heart quote from: found on pinterest

discover the fun of discovery bottles!

January 8, 2013 by mama lola

my bear got some homework for this past holiday season. he was to make a “discovery bottle” and then was to share his bottle with the class during their “show & share” time. it was an assignment that he completed with the help of dear hubby and lion, too. lion actually made his own little discovery bottle.

for his bottle bear included some balsam and cedar branches, shells and crab legs from the various beaches out east collected during our road trip, acorns and chestnuts from central park collected from our trip to NYC, some beads and lots of glitter for good measure. it’s a super fast and as easy or difficult project as you make it.

the boys collected a bunch of items to put inside the bottle, popped them inside, filled the bottle with water leaving a little space for air, so the bottle can flipped and the items can easily move around. finally, dear hubby hot glued the lid on ensuring no leaks or other messy disasters!

pinterest is full of various ideas for this project. you can use all sorts of ingredients n your bottle. water, beads, sand, toys, yarn, food colouring etc etc. we got the idea of using tree branched from the website “teach preschool”.

have you ever made on of these? what did you put inside?

buy nothing x-mas?

October 23, 2012 by mama lola

Welcome to the October 2012 Simplicity Parenting Carnival: Holidays
This post was written as part of the monthly Simplicity Parenting Carnival hosted by The Lone Home Ranger and S.A.H.M. i AM. This month we are discussing how we simplify the holiday season. Be sure to read to the end to see a list of the rest of the excellent carnival contributors.
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i am already planning for christmas 2012. if you know me personally, i’m sure you’re not surprised to hear that! yes, it is only october, but the holiday season is around the corner and i like to be as organized as possible! christmas is my favourite time of year. i get super excited, super psyched and super stressed. you can read all about the x-mas rage i experienced last season!

as my kids mature and start to feel and understand the excitement of the christmas season, i try to make a point of discussing the magic of things rather than the consumerism of things.

[ source ]

i grew up in finland, and once december rolled around, kids were reminded of very sneaky “joulutontut” or christmas elves, who travel around spying on kids to see who is naughty and who is nice. the tontut are small little elves, who poke around corners and peek through windows to see what kids are up to, and will eventually report back to joulupukki or santa with a detailed report. as an adult, i have the skills to recognize the tontut and last holiday season i saw the tontut out of the corner of my eyes and told the kids; they believed.
that’s what christmas is about to us. the mystery and the magic.

each year the four of us love to get creative and make lots of gifts for people. one year i made big mason jars of soup. annually, we make a huge mess in the kitchen as we bake a large assortment of cookies, the kids make all sorts of art, we make our own x-mas cards (one year i drew each card by hand individually), we make wrapping paper and re-use gift wrap from years passed, and sometimes jazz up the old with potato stamps! there is a lot we do and in doing these things, we are kinder to mother-earth, gentler on our bank account, but most importantly we are teaching our kids an invaluable lesson : christmas is about giving, not about receiving. and specifically, it is about giving love, sharing love and being with family.

at four (almost five) i recognize that bear has inherited his mummo’s desire to create various things as gifts. he is eager to make art, both abstract or something practical for people he loves. his wee bro lion, is also very artistic and eagerly follows whatever project bear has on the go.
this year, i have some projects ear-marked that i can’t mention here, not yet anyway! there are some crafts that the boys and i will get to as we get closer to the giving season. we will make our annual batch of salt cookies, paint them and make garlands from them. we will re-make our christmas wreath on our door, make ice lanterns and maintain other finnish traditions. i will start playing festive music early and i am already collecting various items for the wall hanging advent calender i made the boys last christmas. bear is still talking about it!

sure, we talk about asking santa for things in our annual letter, but i always remind bear that just because he’s asking, doesn’t mean he’s receiving it! yes, we will buy the children presents, but as in years past i will buy lots of things second hand or we will make things ourselves. yes, we will buy gifts for our family and friends, but again, with frugality and the environment in mind. so, honestly, this holiday season will not be a buy nothing x-mas, but it will one which will include more baking and more crafts!

ho! ho! ho!

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Thanks for reading the Simplicity Parenting Blog Carnival! We hope you’ll take time to read these other great contributors’ posts: SimParCarButton150x150

Making Halloween – JW at True Confessions of a Real Mommy says “No need to spend a lot this Halloween! Check out some easy, frugal ideas for dressing your family up!”
Hibernating During Halcyon – Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children and her family are gearing up for the Halcyon celebrations and enjoying some quiet time as a family.
Savoring Family Time (or, Simple Homemade Gifts) – Emily at S.A.H.M. i AM is trying to prepare for the holidays early so she can slow down and enjoy time with her family as the days grow shorter and a new baby enters their lives.
7 Green Gifts for Toddlers – Shannon at GrowingSlower shares unique green gift ideas for kids this holiday season that are sure to be green mom approved.
Less is More: Simplifying the Holidays to Make Room for More of What Matters – Amy at Anktangle shares a few easy strategies she uses to keep the holidays manageable, stress-free, and fun!
buy nothing x-mas? – mama lola at bear & lion describes what christmas is all about to her and her family; treats, music, crafts and LOVE!
DIY holiday fun – Justine at The Lone Home Ranger revels in thrifting for and making her own holiday gifts and decorations.

Thanks to all the fabulous writers and readers for being a part of our simplicity parenting community! Stop by The Lone Home Ranger and S.A.H.M. i AM to see how to join us for a future carnival.

creepy cobwebs :: a halloween craft!

October 7, 2012 by mama lola

we LOVE this easy and quick craft, which we found HERE.

supplies:
wax paper
glitter* (whatever colour you desire)
white glue
a fridge

directions:

cut a piece of wax paper to desired size.

take white glue container and gently squeeze out the glue, creating the cob web, i started with a + , adding diagonal lines and then the curved webby pieces.

once you have made your glue web base, sprinkle on the glitter and jiggle the glitter around by gently shaking and curling your waxed paper. make sure you get glitter on all of the glue.

place in fridge until hardened. ours took about 24 hrs.

when the glue is hard all the way through, gently peel the glittery cobweb off of the wax paper and voila, you have a fancy decoration ready for use!

* we tried using glitter glue, but it didn’t work at all.

you can use the webs on a table top, a window or attach it to a wreath. the choices are endless, just use your imagination!

let me know how your cob webs turned out!

halloween fun!

September 30, 2012 by mama lola

this is the first time our kids will really be enjoying halloween. i have explained trick or treating to bear and he is thrilled to be getting lotsa candy! we have missed halloween in passed years due to illness or business trips and last year we were in new york surviving the nor’easter that tried to knock us down.

we have already started decorating and the boys have their costumes. i realize it’s only september, but i’m really looking forward to the season of ghosts and goblins!

here are some fun crafts ‘n treats, easy enough you can do with the kiddo’s:

1. glitter cobweb from here

2. ghoulish zombie faces from here

3. fiery pumpkin patch from here

4. spooky pum’kin from here

5. glowing cupcakes, yup, you heard me… from here

6. crafty paper pumpins, from here.

we have already started decorating and the boys have their costumes. i realize it’s only september, but i’m really looking forward to the season of ghosts and goblins!

fall wreaths.

September 25, 2012 by mama lola

i love wreaths on front doors. here are four of my faves that i found on pinterest. aesthetically, the cob one is not the best, but i love the idea.

things to consider:

the gourds are probably quite heavy on a wreath, so when using them it’s important to attach them well.
think about how much traffic is going in and out of your door. it’s important the wreath does not fall or bash into your door too much.
how much direct weather the wreath will have to endure when choosing which kind to make or purchase. the sun, rain, wind, varying temperatures and snow can all do a number on your wreath.

our front door has a large window, so i have to be mindful not to scratch the glass with wires or other materials. it’s also a good idea to make the back of the wreath pretty, so that it is pleasing to the eye from inside as well.

1. floral wreath from here.

2. cob wreath from here.

3. gourd wreath from here.

4. floral/ leaf wreath from here.

we’ll be making a wreath this season, and my plan is to incorporate something from each of the wreaths above. i will post pics of the final product!

happy tuesday to you!

simple and fun road trip activities for kids!

July 25, 2012 by mama lola

here are some of the funny and crafty activities i made or purchased for the boys for our upcoming road trip out east to the maritimes. the ideas are universal and not at all unique, but as usual i was inspired by pinterest. here’s a pretty extravagant activity board by one mama, which is beautiful, but way too elaborate for me. so i toned things down A LOT and made these two different activity boards.

felt peeps n’ animals on a felt board
i took a piece of cardboard and just started hot glue-gunning the felt on. i cut the green into a hilly landscape and the blues into skies. i tried to be meticulous when gluing so that the kids wouldn’t find a corner or loose felt to start picking at. i found some felt people from a thrift store, so i made them some summer clothes.

then i headed to micheal’s and found a ready-made felt board for only $4 (regularly $14-$20), so i bought one themed “under the sea”. cute, eh?

magnets & magnet board
i went to the dollar store and bought two small cookie sheets. then i bought a sheet magnet, fancy stickers and then headed home.

dear hubby and i spent a couple episodes of “mad about you” sticking the stickers onto the magnet sheet and then carefully cutting them out.

we also glued some wee dino’s onto the magnet sheets to make some 3D magnets as well. i think they turned out really well!!! RRrrroarrRR!

dollar $tore junk
i am not a huge supporter of dollar store junk, but i have to admit for this road trip that place was kind of a toy haven. i don’t want to pack precious sentimental toys, in case they get lost or destroyed on the trip, so i stocked up on funny, cheap crap instead. the kids are going to be so thrilled; anything new is always fun for a bit. i also bought some glow wands, which will be exciting at bedtime when it’s dark.

i did also purchase some more wholesome activity books to round out the junk. i chose two kumon books for bear and some simple colour/ stickering books for lion. they both love their activity books, and bear especially will be kept busy by them for long periods of time.

now, it’s time to go pack some more!

have you made any fun travel activities for your kids?

lion’s birthday par-teh!

July 9, 2012 by mama lola

we had a small and simple birthday party for lion’s second birthday. we invited everyone to join us at a local park, next to the river and a playground.
it was perfect.
we found a picnic table next some big ol’ shady trees and set up our party.
there were carrot cake and chocolate lion cupcakes.

rainbow fruit kabobs.

beautiful handmade pinwheels made by dear hubby. inspiration from HERE.

balloons for all the kids to take home!

colourful bunting flags quickly sewn up by your truly. see instructions HERE.

we had flowers from our backyard.

drinks sitting in a bucket of ice.

signing happy birthday and paljon onnea!

we ate all the goodies with goodie friends!

and lion was spoiled with lots of wonderful new toys and gifts!

and, lion was the recipient of lots of special birthday hugs and kisses!

lion’s birthday was a success! it wasn’t nearly as emotional as i had suspected, although i did have a few good sobs in the days leading up his birthday. and, as usual, i got a lump in my throat when singing paljon onnea; i am such a sop sometimes!

a how to :: birthday bunting flags.

July 9, 2012 by mama lola

for my sweet lion’s second birthday party, i decided to whip up some bunting flags last minute. i have some old sheets i have purchasednand collected over the years for just such a quick project.

i cut the flags with my pinking sheers, not worrying too much about size or symmetry, as the flags will be outdoor decorations.
then i just pinned the flags to the bias tape, sewed then together with my machine with a zig-zag stich and voila, they were done!

happy, colourful decorations, perfect for a two year olds park birthday! if you used more care and different fabric you could make them for weddings, or any fancy occasion, not just birthday parties. see, like HERE.

don’t they look lovely?
i love that i can reuse them and only spent $1.54 on the biased tape; way cheaper and eco friendlier than streamers!

mother’s day bookmarks.

May 15, 2012 by mama lola

i have to admit this great idea is not mine, but i found it HERE. i was looking for something pretty straightforward to make, but something that would also melt the hearts of the kids’ grandma and mummo.

here’s what i did...
i chose a few pictures of the kids that i thought were cute, heart melting and characteristic of each kids personality. got the pictures printed, brought them home, gathered my supplies and got to work.

first, i chose a photo and started to cut around the kids silhouette pretty closely.

then using a glue stick i glued the photo to white card stock and had the kids draw on the back of their own photos. i wrote the year on the back, in case we ever do this project again.

then using clear laminant in a roll (whih i bought from our michael’s), i laminated each picture on both sides. i pressed down hard and used a ruler a few times to get all the air out.

i cut around again, but this time leaving a wee margin of laminant plastic, about 5mm.

then i punched a hole into the laminated photo, crocheted a quick rope and tied it on.

they looked AMAZING and each gran was super smiley once they’re gifts had been opened!

this is such a fun and easy craft to make and it was made better by involving the kids.
hey, father’s day is coming up next month!!!

and finally, my mother’s day locket; look at my beautiful boys!