Toddler Times
Feeling crafty? Looking to save some money? Or do you just want to avoid the shopping malls this holiday season? I’m saying yes to all three myself, so decided to put together a list of easy and fun gifts to make for the little ones in our lives. Some require basic sewing skills but many are no-sew. All are gifts that any toddler would love to find under the Christmas tree.
Here are 15 gifts to whip up this holiday: Continue reading »
During this holiday season, many of us are focusing on what to give our family and friends. It’s easy for children, especially toddlers, to be on the receiving end only, but with a little help from us, they can learn the joy of giving as well. And what is more fun or thoughtful than a gift made by hand?
Here are 11 gifts that toddlers can make themselves (with varying degrees of help depending on the gift and their age): Continue reading »
Image ©piai - Fotolia.com
Toddlers can be little tornadoes, running around, under, and over everything around them. My two-year-old is adorable, but her coordination and balance are not where they will (hopefully) be when she is older. Add in adult-sized furniture (table corners at exactly the wrong height) and her desire to wear shoes that are about 10 sizes too big (her sisters) or 20 sizes too big (mine), and you will understand why she gets her fair share of booboos.
Here’s what we do to soothe her when she’s taken a tumble or gets a bruise: Continue reading »
Jell-O Excavation at TinkerLab
When cold weather sets in, we spend more and more time indoors. Sure, we aim to get outside for at least a bit each day—maybe for a walk or for some snow play if there’s some new snow, but for the most part we’re in the house. My indoor standbys are reading stories, baking, and getting out the art supplies. Those are all great ways to spend time together indoors, but in preparation for this winter, I’ve been compiling a longer list of ideas to do with my toddler. Some of these I’ve done in the past with my older daughter when she was younger; most I found around the web.
Now I feel prepared. Bring on the winter!
I have been blessed with a second child who can entertain herself. At two, she likes to know that I’m nearby, and she comes and goes with requests (her baby doll is hungry and would like a snack) or asks me to watch her do something, but overall she is happy interacting with her environment and her toys on her own for good stretches of time.
As my older child was not like this at all during her toddler years, I can’t tell you the secret, if there is one. Continue reading »
My two-year-old has a special fascination for everything small and for anything sharp. Until now, my pincushion has been one of her favorite household items. I let her transfer pins from one pincushion to another when I’m working at the sewing machine. And she fully believes it is her job to remove the pins from the fabric as I sew. I keep a close eye on her, of course, but she hasn’t poked herself yet (and a small poke from a pin wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world).
This is all to say that when she came across a box of push pins in the studio the other day, she was in a tizzy of excitement. As I quickly tried to think of a productive way to channel her engagement with the push pins (I didn’t really want them all over the floor), I thought of our Halloween pumpkins still sitting on the front porch. This simple activity kept my little one happily engaged over two days and my older daughter got in on the action as well. Here are some photos: Continue reading »
© Olga Lyubkin - Fotolia.com
As any mom of young children knows, getting dinner on the table can be a challenge on the best of days. But what about a big Thanksgiving feast? Is it possible? Here are 13 tips and tricks for getting Thanksgiving dinner on the table despite mommy brain, toys on the floor, and a small, distracting person zooming around at knee level.
Mary L Weimer 
Beth Anne Ballance 
Ilana Wiles 
Natalie Holbrook 
Monica Bielanko 
Emily McClements 
Danielle Elwood 
Naomi Odes Aytur 
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