all the pretty colors.

When my sister and I were wee little things, we went to a preschool that used the Montessori method of teaching. It is basically a teaching style that combines the use of fine motor skills and organizational exercises to produce children that are militant like in their need for order.

Activities that included things like using an eye-dropper to place a single drop of water on each little suction cup on the underside of one of those soap holder thingy-s (you know, the kind with millions of itty-bitty suctions). My sister and I still joke about the ways that our personalities were shaped by the education of our formative years...and how we each have residual effects (mostly good, hehe) of those painstaking little exercises...

So, naturally, I was delighted when she gave Hunter a "Montessori style" gift this year for his birthday. A box full of simple, inexpensive educational activities to help him become just like his momma (basically an organizational freak=).

Tomorrow, Hunter's buddy Declan is celebrating his first birthday, so I decided to make him a set of these wonderful little educational toys! Everything you need to make these treasures can be found at your local dollar store, and the entire gift can be made in under $8!!




To make your own little box of goodness you need to purchase the following:
A Plastic Shoebox
A bag of decorative rocks
A package of pom-poms
A package of balloons
Play-dough
Ice trays
Colorful little bins




The first activity I labeled "Moving and Sorting"with instructions, "Mix all the pom-poms together and then sort them back out, each to their own basket." These adorable little containers came in a four pack, so all I had to do was empty my pom-pom package and pick out the right colors.




The tag on this one states, "One at a time...take them all out and put them each back, or move from one tray to the other". I think this one is pretty self explanatory:)




This last activity, labeled, "Soft and Hard, Heavy and Light", helps kiddos to recognize the difference in how things feel when held and compared. The two red balloons are stuffed with the decorative rocks (heavy & hard), while the orange ones are stuffed with more pom-poms (soft & light), and the blue ones are filled with play dough (heavy but soft).

I put them all inside the box with their proper labels and wrapped them up for the party tomorrow=) now Hunter and his buddy will be the most organized little men around!

(Thanks Nicole for this awesome gift and idea...you know me so well;)

From one hometown to another...

Hi Friends!
Just wanted to share a very simple project that I did this past month. My sister and I decided to only exchange gifts for our kiddos this year for Christmas...but her birthday is the day after Christmas, and I wanted to make a little something special to celebrate. When I saw these personalized mugs months ago on a friends blog, I knew immediately that they were the perfect gift. Because my sister and her hubby live in VA and we live here in PA, they perfectly describe our relationship...a heart for her hometown, and a heart for mine=) (and the dotted lines made us giggle, because the trip down to her house usually results in some wrong turns and wandering, hehe)

I was so happy with the result, and they were so easy. I used a porcelain pen from the craft store, but any sharpie will do! You draw your design on oven-safe mugs, crank up your oven to 350 degrees, and bake for 30 minutes... that's it!

If you would rather have someone else do the dirty work...you can purchase your own set on Etsy at GreySkiesBlue, and if you are looking for really ornate personalized porcelain, check out my friend Caitlin's new shop, Caite'sPlates...she works wonders with a sharpie!

I may or may not have made my hubby and I a set of mugs the other day as well;)

P.S. Sharing this little project over at Thrifty Decor Chick and Tip Me Tuesday=)

Beach in a Bag

Last week I went to visit a dear friend who had broken her ankle in a surfing accident...leaving her housebound for a few weeks until she heals from surgery.

To cheer her up, I brought her a little gift, tagged, "beach-in-a-bag", including candles, shells, rope rings, anchor napkins, cute little plates, and hand painted salad "oars"...

On the postcard, I inscribed this quote, “The Sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” --Jacques Cousteau

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bunny tales and little lace booties

After a whirlwind of a week, I am back to share some pictures of my sister's baby girl nursery! My mom and I drove down to Virginia earlier this week with our pick-up truck loaded down with nursery furniture, accessories, and a giant rocking chair strapped to the top. We painted the room, scrubbed and placed the furniture, assembled the crib, accessorized, and washed, folded, and put away all the baby clothes and necessities, and drove back to Pennsylvania all in 3 days time! Now she is all set for whenever her little one decides to make her debut!

Let's begin with a few before and afters, shall we?

 

So much better, right?? There are still some things that need finishing touches, like the wall above the crib in the photo above. Nicole is thinking about having a verse or whimsical tree painted there to complete the charm. She also has a precious little bookshelf that goes in one corner, to house baby's extensive library...but it needs a good coat of paint first! I am sure that the room will continue to come together in the weeks following...but if baby comes first...she has the essentials ready!

Here are some of the details of this sweet space...

 

 

 

 

 

 

These pictures were snapped just minutes before hopping in our truck and heading back home, so I didn't have much time to adjust the lighting or find the perfect angles...but let me tell you, this little room absolutely glows when you walk into it! It is the perfect mix of pretty sophistication and bright-colored cuteness!

My absolute favorite thing in this space is the shelf in a few of the pictures above...it holds my sister's favorite children's book, a few handmade treasures, the piggy bank from her carnival themed shower, and a small stack of "mommy" advice from friends and family members.

What about you? What's your favorite thing in this sweet room? Do you have any ideas for the wall above the crib? What would you do if it was your space?

If your interested in more nursery ideas, click here for our inspiration pictures, and here to see Hunter's nursery!

Dear Nicole, Thank you so much for letting mom and I buzz around you like honey bees this past week...I know we made your head spin! It meant the world to us to be able to be a part of the preparations and I cannot wait to meet you little sweetheart and tell her just how amazing her momma is! Love you;)

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Apples and Cupcakes...

Hey Everyone...I hope Tuesday is being good to you all! I wanted to put up a few pictures of a handmade gift that I gave to my sister for her little lady due in August. When I saw this idea on pinterest a few months ago, I knew it would be perfect for my sister who has a whole room in her house dedicated to her wardrobe and accessories=) Actually, her boudoir as she calls it is becoming a nursery next week..haha.

Anyway, I made this sweet little felt board and a blondie and brunette for my neice to dress up, and lots of little dresses and outfits to mix and match...as well as two of my favorite foods... cupcakes and apples...

I used a template found here to give me the basic girl outline and some of the clothes, and I simply covered a bulliten board with a doubled up peice of felt, hot glued to hold it in place ...then covered the seams on the back with masking tape to give it a finished look. 

It was a really simple project that will hopefully provide my sister's little one with hours of dressing delight;) I also gave her a small stack of felt scraps so she could add peices of clothing to the wardrobe if needed, and so she could enjoy a little craft with her baby girl when she is a little older.

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