Toddler Art Class

We've been hitting up this toddler art class from time to time.  Though creating art on paper isn't something Lily is able to really grasp at a year, the whole activity is very engaging.  There is a central activity, such chalk dipped in tempura paint or dipping cars into paint and driving them on paper (I know, cool, right?).  Additionally, the kids can use crayons, markers, or colored pencils at another station.  At a third area, there are toys and books to play with, as well as comfy chairs for parents to sit in.  And, there is coffee to boot.  It is definitely an activity with forethought. 

The first time Lily interacted with a medium on paper to make art!

Owl Party First Birthday Preps

Owl party inspiration

Once upon a time, I used to be a super hero / community organizer.  I've put together my fair share of fundraisers, parties, meetings, religious services, and other events.  One of my favorite things to do was to spruce up a gathering with handmade decorations.  My last few little hurrahs were donned with decorations made out of construction paper.  I am sometimes a frugal Virgo, and I am determined to spend $100 or less on Lily's party.  It should be a fun celebration, we should take great pictures, but Lily isn't going to remember it.

Sean and I decided to do owls for Lily's first birthday.  In browsing Pinterest for ideas, I found that lots of people loved owl parties for babies, too!  I used to be able to power through decorations for a small event in a couple of days.  However, I now only have a few minutes to spend on this at a time.  So, I knew I'd have to start months and months in advance if I wanted to even remotely finish by her first birthday.  So far, I've spent just under $28.

Getting ready to make paper chains (while watching TV)!

paper chains

"Happy Birthday" banner

I cut the banners out of construction paper. Here is the template for that.  I used the printable files from How to Nest for Less to get the letters and owls.

leaves for a big tree

I would love to put a tree in the doorway between the dining room and the living room.  I love this droopy tree.   We have some cardboard boxes around the house that we'll use to make a long tree stump.  I cut out 100 of these leaves for good measure.  Here's what it might look like:

Here are more ideas that I'm working on:

I love these square cupcake toppers.  I used Photoshop to cut out the circle on the round cupcake toppers above, and I'm going to cut them in squares.  I want to layer them with scrapbook paper, which is a really quick way to liven them up a bit.  I also think I'm going to take some of these and make them magnets for party favors.  I think that these magnets are really cute, and I'd love to buy some of them from Etsy, but I want to do this on a budget, and I can personalize the ones I print.

 These owl glass decorations are super cute.  I have extra foam from another project, and I picked up some of the squiggly stuff and googly eyes from Joann Fabrics. 

I like the way they used balloons here.

This is a really cute way to showcase Lily from birth to 1 year.  If I get everything else done, I'd love to do this.

I really like this idea of drawing an outline of something on cardboard or paper board and cutting it out.  This looks really cool!  Not sure if I can figure out anything that it would work for.  Maybe the tree trunk?  The idea comes from a night owl party that looks really fun.

Homemade Bubbles

Yesterday, I made bubbles.  Daddy wanted sugar bubbles, like the ones at Gymboree, but it turns out those are corn syrup and glycerin.  Not bad.  But, most of the at-home recipes use dish soap.  You can just google bubble solution recipes and find a bunch.  I decided to not use any kind of sugar solution, because we're having a bug problem and I didn't want the sugar to exacerbate the situation.

We could sporadically blow some bubbles.  We don't have any bubble wands yet (I just decided to do this on a whim), so I couldn't tell if my shoddy foil wands were the problem, if the solution needed to set awhile (as some website suggested), or if I just need to try a new recipe. 

Here's the recipe I used:

• 1/4 cup natural, biodegradable dish detergent (Like Seventh Generation Free & Clear)
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon glycerin

DIY Sensory Board

My recent reinterest in Pintrest has paid off already.  I came across a DIY sensory board.  Just grab a piece of wood, some hooks, some pieces of fabric in different textures, and some embroidery hoops.  BAM -- sensory board.  I found the hoops at Michael's for $3 each (half of what the original crafter spent), but I am sure you can find some wooden ones online in a pack for cheaper.  The fabric was expensive.  I spent $19 total, and I had to really think about it.  I picked up mostly remnants, which are 50% off at Joann Fabrics, but that meant that I was limited in the colors/textures.  Beyond that, I only bought 1/4 yard of whatever else I wanted.  We actually had some really good hooks that minimize her ability to eat the rings.

I think that I did this on the cheap, and I wound up spending $43.  Yikes!  I was chatting with the gal at Joann Fabrics about how it's never cheaper to make something yourself.  But, it was super fun.  I have so much leftover fabric that I think I'm going to make some of these as gifts.

Oh, and it was a hit at home, as you can see.