Dye-Free Easter Eggs

Personally, I love dying eggs! But here are some adorable alternatives if you want to go dye-free!

Words That Stick Use foam alphabet stickers to add playful phrases to eggs for the Easter breakfast buffet. $4; joann.com

 

Beautiful Blooms

For an Easter decoration you can use year after year, have kids cut flowers from paper napkins and découpage them onto ceramic eggs.
What you'll need: Floral paper napkins, scissors, foam brush, Elmer's glue, blown-out or ceramic egg, small roll of tape
Make it: Cut flowers or desired design from paper napkins. If using 2-ply napkins, peel away the thin white paper backing from the cutout napkin pieces (this will make it easier to glue to the egg). Use a foam brush to apply glue to half of the egg, then press a napkin flower on top and cover with a thin layer of glue. Add more napkin flowers, one by one, making sure to brush the top of each with glue. Place the half covered egg on the roll of tape and let dry for about 15 minutes, then repeat for the other half of the egg. When completely covered, set the egg on roll of tape and let it dry overnight.

Egg Heads Make Easter a family affair. Disguise shells by drawing on facial features and adding yarn hair and hats.

Funny Farm Transform eggs into Easter icons with a little felt and a lot of imagination.

 

 Funny Farm:Bunny

What you'll need: Felt, marker, scissors, craft glue, blown-out or ceramic egg, small white pom-pom, extra small pink pom-pom, pink yarn, hair spray, bottle cap
Make it: To make the outer ear shapes, trace your child's thumb onto pink felt twice. To make the inner ear shapes, trace your child's pinky finger onto white felt twice. Cut all of the ear shapes out, then glue the inner ear shape on top of the outer ear shape, making sure to leave about ¼" at the bottom unattached, and set aside to dry. In the meantime, cut three 1-inch pieces of yarn and spray with hair spray to stiffen; let dry. Rest the egg in the bottle cap and apply two small dots of glue to the top, about ½" apart, and gently separate the unattached part of each bunny ear and press down on the glue dots. When yarn is dry, twist the pieces together in the middle and glue to the front of the egg, about halfway down. Attach the extra small pink pompom on top of the yarn whiskers for a nose. Glue the whit

 

Funny Farm: Chick

What you'll need: Felt, marker, scissors, craft glue, blown-out or ceramic egg, bottle cap
Make it: Download, print, and cut out the feather templates. Trace templates onto felt and cut out. Glue the diamond-shaped piece of felt onto the top of the egg. Apply a thin line of glue along the bottom of the pointy piece and press along the length of the diamond-shaped piece; let dry. Cut a small triangle from felt, bend in half, and glue the bottom half onto the front of the egg for a beak. Draw two small dots above the beak for eyes. Let dry completely.
e pompom to the back of the egg for a tail. Use a marker to draw eyes on the bunny, then draw a mouth. (Tip: draw the letter J then add a loop on the other side.) Leave the bunny on the bottle cap to dry overnight.

First Birthday Party Favor Ideas: Homemade Hand-Dipped Chocolate Covered Oreos!

 With my daughter's first birthday party rapidly approaching, I'm in party planning mode and thought I'd share some of my ideas. For her party favors, I'm toying with the idea of Hand-Dipped Chocolate Covered Oreos.  They are so pretty and I can't imagine taste delicious!

Buy these online! $1.45 each

I am going to attempt to do these myself. Here is a "how to" I found:

Instructions

Things you'll need:

• 1 # Molding Chocolate (vegetable oil based)
• 16 Oreo cookies
• Dipping fork (found at most craft stores)
• Wax paper
• Microwave proof bowls
  
  
  

  
  

  1. Lay wax paper out on your work surface, and remove cookies from their packaging, removing or eating any broken ones.
  2. Melt molding chocolate in a microwave safe bowl on medium heat. Microwave for 1 minute the first time and then for 20 second increments until chocolate is almost melted. Remove from microwave and stir till last small pieces are melted. Molding Chocolate should be around 100- 110 degrees
  3. Drop and Oreo in the bowl of chocolate, and flip it over with your dipping fork.
     
  4. Lift your cookie out of the chocolate with the dipping fork and shake off excess chocolate by lightly tapping the base of the fork on the side of the bowl.
     
  5. Place the cookie on the wax paper and allow the cookies to dry till solid. At least 10-15 minutes.
     
  6. Decorate the cookies by melting more molding chocolate in your color of choice in a microwave proof bowl as per the directions in step two above. Place this melted chocolate in a small snack size plastic bag and cut off a small tip of one corner. Use this bag to drizzle a design across the cookies in your pattern of choice. Have fun with this part and use your imagination!

  
  
  So, we'll see how they turn out! 
  
  As for packaging them, I'm going to buy Plain white or pink take out boxes, put a colorful sticker on them and use my other theme colors (bright blue, lime green and pale yellow) as tissue paper, topped with a cute ribbon, I'm hoping they will turn out cute! I'll post pictures when finished!
  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

10 first-year games for you and baby

Where Did It Go?

Take a koosh ball or other soft ball and squish it into a small container with a lid. Close the lid. Ask your baby, "Where did the ball go?" Encourage him to open the container and watch the ball spring out, jack-in-the-box style. The popping ball is sure to get his attention, and the game is an exciting way to learn about object permanence -- the fact that an object still exists even if you can't see it -- explains Susan P. Epstein, a parenting coach in New London, Connecticut.

Kitchen Stack-Ups

Empty cereal boxes, plastic yogurt containers, and unbreakable bowls are perfect building materials for teetering towers. As you stack each item, describe its size and shape. Once your homemade skyscraper is complete, you and your baby can take turns knocking it down. This activity, Epstein says, will teach your baby about shapes and sizes as well as cause and effect ("Wow, when I push on these boxes, they come down with a big boom!").

I Can Hear It

Another way to reinforce the concept of object permanence is by hiding a squeak toy beneath a blanket or towel. Start by partially covering it with the blanket. Squeak the toy, and encourage your baby to find it. Once she gets good at that, up the ante by completely covering the toy. Again, squeeze it so it makes a noise. Cheer for her when she finds it.

Wet and Wild

Turn bathtime into aquatic exploration. Equip your child with cups of different sizes, a small plastic teapot or watering can, and a handful of plastic measuring spoons. Let her pour water from one container to another so she can see what happens. Take a turn pouring the water for her, and let her try to "catch" it in her hands. Another fun idea: Let her have a wet sponge so she can watch the water drip from the sponge onto other objects, Epstein suggests. Show her how to twist and squeeze the sponge to make even more water drip.

Mommy Is Sleeping

Sit close to your baby (he can be seated or lying down, depending on his age). Say "Mommy is going to sleep now," and close your eyes. After a few seconds, open your eyes and enthusiastically say "Hi!" or "Good morning!" (You can switch it up with "Good afternoon" or "Good evening" to reflect the time of day.) Seeing Mom's eyes pop open and hearing her greeting usually elicits a laugh. After a few rounds, pause longer before opening your eyes to see how your baby reacts. Chances are babies about 6 months and older will start to vocalize or bat at your face to "wake you up."

Fall for Foliage

Head outside and gather leaves in a variety of colors and sizes. Give them to your baby and let him pick them up and explore them with his hands (with your supervision, of course). Crinkle some of the leaves so he can experience the sound and learn that the action of crinkling the leaf makes that crunchy noise. Use a leaf big enough to cover most of your face for a new take on traditional peekaboo.

Roll Play

Seat your baby on the floor across from you, and roll a toy car to her. Encourage her to roll it back to you. Try to keep the activity going. This back-and-forth game teaches the concept of taking turns, which will be necessary later for conversations, and it sets the stage for sharing.

Paint with Purees

This game is a little messy, but it's guaranteed to be a hit! Settle your 8- to 12-month-old into his high chair, or set him on the floor with a cookie sheet in front of him. Present him with a variety of colorful foods -- try colored yogurts and baby food -- and let him finger paint a masterpiece that would make Jackson Pollock proud. As he dips his hands into his edible "paint," describe the food with words like "red," "cold," "squishy," or whatever fits. If your pediatrician has given the green light, you can also supply some Cheerios or similar finger foods to add more texture to your child's artwork.

Get a Feel for It

Give your 10- to 12-month-old a variety of textured items to explore, suggest Sandy Jones and Marcie Jones, authors of Great Expectations: Baby's First Year (Sterling Publishing). Gather items from around the house or the outdoors -- a silky scarf, a piece of cardboard, tickly blades of grass, or a handful of sand, for example -- and let her touch each one. (Just be sure she doesn't put things she shouldn't into her mouth.) The two of you will discover which textures are most pleasing to her. Will she like the softness of fleece or prefer the bumpiness of corduroy? There's only one way to find out!

Collect Colors

Another winning activity in my house involves exploring colors by creating collections of similarly shaded items. Start by scavenging the toy box for baby-friendly objects in solid colors such as red, blue, yellow, and green. While sitting with your baby on the floor, group the items into sets based on their color. For example, you might gather a red ball, a red plastic stacking ring, and a red rattle. Let baby handle the items as you say the color and name of each one, such as "red apple, red rattle, blue ball, blue block."

Originally published in the June 2008 issue of American Baby magazine.

Source: Parents.com

Adorable Baby Announcements - So Cute!

Baby announcements can be so cute...check these out, so creative and adorable!

Check these out and more at: Tinyprints.com

Baby's First Birthday - A Baby Memory Book

With my daughters First Birthday rapidly approaching, I've been hitting the internet non-stop looking for awesome first birthday ideas...Here is one idea!

Baby's Memory Book: Another idea is to invite all of your party guests to write a memory of your baby's first year, or a blessing for the baby. Take a picture of each guest at the party with your child, and combine the words and photos to create a simple but memorable birthday present - a baby scrapbook!

Source: www.fisher-price.com

4 Decorating Ideas for a Peaceful Nursery

Found an interesting article about decorating your nursery. Maybe I should of gone with Blue instead of pink for my daughters nursery...I could of had more sleep!

4 Decorating Ideas for a Peaceful Nursery

Choose pacific colors like blue and green. "Light blue encourages sleep by producing a calming effect," says Anna Starmer, color and trend consultant and author of The Color Scheme Bible. "Green provides a refreshing and serene environment, helping her to feel secure, comfortable and connected with nature." Behr's Premium Plus Interior flat enamel paint in Tropical Breeze is a soft blue for both girls and boys ($17; homedepot.com).

Not only do plants make beautiful décor, certain types remove up to 87 percent of air pollutants in your home within 24 hours, according to a study conducted by NASA. One of the most effective (and stylish) air-purifying plants is the peace lily. ($30; proflowers.com)

Pendant lamps are an innovative and modern way to light your child's space. Hung over the crib, they also serve as a chic and fascinating mobile. Oilo's cylinder lights come in a stylish array of shade options, like the lamps shown above ($150; oilostudio.com).

To add a touch of whimsy to the tranquil motif, use graphic, childlike art on the walls. If you don't want to make a permanent investment, use vinyl appliqués in lieu of framed art or murals. Target's simple peel-and-stick 2 Girls large wall decals are a fun option ($80; target.com).


Source by: www.parenting.com

Must Have's for New Mom's-List A

When becoming a new mom,  typically one takes to the internet to find what all other moms are saying are the Baby Gear items that you have to have!  When becoming a new mom myself, I did the exact same thing. And this is what I've come up with (with a few items added that I had to run out and by after the baby was born!)

 1. Pack 'n Play- I used a very old basinet for for the first month that I was home with my baby, I could of very easily just put her in the Pack 'n Play in the room and skipped the basinet. She grew very long, fast so there wasn't much time she fit in the basinet!

2.  Swaddle Blanket -Not all babies like these, but I would guess most newborns would really benefit from them at least for a little while.  Get the kind with the velcro so you can sleep peacefully knowing you're little one is bundled up and safe!

3. Baby Bath Tub- The one I have is one of the simple, cheaper versions, but I (and my daughter) love it. She's 10 months old and still uses the same tub that she used when she was 2 weeks!

4. A Nursing pillow- This really is a life-saver! It's the perfect fit/size for a newborn to be cradled easily and saves your arms!

 5. MAM Pacifiers- I LOVE these paci's...if it's something you are going to give you're baby, these mute buttons are so the cutest and babies seem to love them! 

6.  A Cute, Stylish, Cheap, Large Diaper Bag- For me, choosing my diaper bag was seriously one of the harder things to pick. I didn't want to spend hundreds on it (it would only be getting filled with baby items and probaby would get stained!), I wanted it to be cute and stylish (I didn't want it to have winnie the pooh or zoo animals on it!) and I knew I wanted a big one that would fit everything I needed (I'm always way overpacked!).  After scouring the internet for the perfect bag, I came across a very cute one that was large and cheap! When it came in the mail I knew I had hit the jackpot. It fits everything and even attaches easily to my stroller. (Chelsea & Main, $25 Walmart)




That about does it for now, I'll add more soon (See List B)!