Super cheap fun!!

Walmart had rope for $1, so I thought it would be fun for Daniel. But then Phillip turned it into something way cooler!!! I'm pretty sure this will keep Daniel busy for hours! :)

Inspiration from The Toddler's Busy Book

I am really enjoying reading and getting ideas from this book! Thanks to Lucy for introducing it to me! I have set up several "busy boxes" on my old tv stand (which, by the way, I am LOVING not having the tv in the living room anymore). These boxes will have new stuff in them each day to keep my boys occupied during certain parts of the day. I think the way I will set up the day's new schedule is as follows:

1) morning routine (wake up, eat, dress, devotion, chore)
2) morning busy box
3) free play
4) lunch/cleanup
5) outing/physical activity
6) rest time/quiet busy box
7) prepare for supper/daddy coming home
8) evening routine

So, I got the little baskets from Deals--$1 each. I've filled them with some new stuff (new markers, stickers, play-dough, etc) and some old stuff (puzzles, books), and some re-purposed stuff (muffin pan, sponges, etc.--ideas from the book). Daniel is super excited about the busy boxes! He wanted to look in them first thing this morning! My plan is to get as much of my cleaning stuff done while they play with the boxes. I'm interested to see how long they will play (especially Gideon). One idea from the book I am using today includes putting little balls in a muffin pan and letting Gid move them around from hole to hole. I am also modifying an idea to include water play with sponges in aluminum cake pans. There are so many neat ideas to use and change for my own purposes. I also want to do some cooking with Daniel today. Anyway, there's the short version of some things I'm getting from The Toddler's Busy Book! :)

New chalkboard!

This is Aunt Katie's gift to Daniel and we just opened it a few seconds ago! The boys are loving it!

Christmas Eve table setting

This is what the table looked like for the dinner party tonight. The centerpieces included a large glass vase with a tall red candle inside it and two smaller white candles sitting in berry wreaths. Then there were several tea lights and and glass stones scattered about. Each place setting had a gold square plate, a smaller red plate, and a cranberry colored cloth napkin in a berry napkin ring. Also had glass goblets and mugs. Then I made favors for each person which consisted of a small glass candle holder with a tea light inside. They were also filled with little Hershey kisses and miniature ornaments and were wrapped with a gold bow.

Christmas gifts

Here are a couple projects I worked on today. The "Emily" sign is for one of my nieces in Virginia. I got the green wooden sign in the Christmas section at HL for $1.50. It had green ribbon which I switched out for the white. Then I mod podged the pink scrapbook paper on to the sign and hot glued the flowers and ribbon. The letters were stick-on. Also did another mod podge picture tile. Love those!!

Today's little bit of Christmas fun

I got a Christmas train kit from HL made out of craft foam. We put it together today.

What I made tonight! (Nov 18, 2010)

> For my cousin's baby shower. 
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