Valentine Storage Box

As we have snuck into February, there are only 13 more days until Valentine's Day!

Are you preparing special surprises for your loved ones?

Since my son is in Preschool, we have to send him to school with a decorated box to collect those sweet notes.

We found a kiddie-sized shoe box. You could also use an empty tissue box.

After sorting through my wrapping paper stash, we wrapped the bottom half of the box in a red and white stripe.

The top...I carefully cut a large hole in the center. We covered using white cardstock.

And then Lucas had a marvelous time decorating to his heart's content!

He covered the box around all the edges, insisting that each of the hearts were touching....

And the top was a piece of art.....

We used foam hearts with a sticky side (clearance after last year's VDay at Michael's!!).

I am certain that he will be more than prepared for the love notes from his girlfriends....oh wait, he is only 3!

Do you receive such a mass of Valentine's you need your own box too?

Are you making boxes with your kiddos?

I'd love to see!

Easter Baskets!

Lucas and Meredith needed an upgrade on their Easter baskets. 

After exploring the basket options in the local stores, and Lucas chose a PINK one, I decided to go a different route. 

I don't mind him having a pink basket, but a few years from now, he may --

and I knew Richard would never go for a pink one.

After looking at the rows of painted baskets, I thought

"Why don't we just paint our own!?"

So I had them each pick a paint color and a basket...

Lucas painted with his favorite color - GREEN

And Meredith chose purple!

The baskets were left to dry...

I didn't think they look awful...they looked like I let my little kids paint them...

Until we arrived at our egg hunt for the weekend!

There we were surrounded by children with their $30 dollar lined and monogrammed PBK baskets...

Luckily, my children didn't notice...

They were too busy collecting eggs to even care....

But mommy and daddy noticed...

After the hunt, I ventured off to look for replacement spray paint in the desired purple and green colors.

And spent the evening putting on multiple coats, in the dark...

looking at the photo now, I notice they may need one more coat... 

I had planned to make liners with scrap fabric, but since my sewing machine hates me right now, that project will have to wait...

Luckily, I finished the baskets in time for the infamous Bunny's arrival.

I hope you have a Happy Easter!

Kid Craft: E is for Egg and other crafts

We have been doing a lot of painting (i.e. less work for mommy), so I only have a few crafts to update.

We have been working on the letter E, for EASTER and EGG.

Print out blank egg oval shapes. 

Let your child color the eggs, while you cut out an E shape. 

Cut out the eggs and glue them in place. 

Another easy craft includes drawing (or printing out) tulip shapes, stems, leaves and grass.

Kid Craft: Paper Plate Animal

I love Paper Plate Crafts. 

They are easy for children of all ages. 

We made a paper plate duck. 

Here is how you do it....

Supplies:

 Yellow Paper Plate (the dollar store has different colors for cheap)

                  ***Other alternatives: use a white paper plate and have the child paint it the desired color

                                                                                           OR

                                                    cut a large circle out of cardstock/construction paper of desired color

TWO pink circles

ONE orange triangle

TWO wiggly eyes

        ***Other alternative: cut TWO circles out of paper

FEATHERS (find these in any craft section!)

      ***other alternative: cut a feather shape out of paper

For my children, I prefer to let them follow their natural reaction of placement.  I never tell them where something SHOULD go. 

For my 2-year-old Mere, I put glue down for her after she tells me where she wants to put her shapes.

She hates being "sticky."

For my 3-year-old son, I let him do the whole project on his own.

The finished product!

You can have SEVERAL variations on this project! 

Here is a bunny....
Don't forget the whiskers (I forgot to put them in the photo!)

Stay tuned for more Easter and Spring crafts!