DIY: Adoption Nest Egg

Sometimes, an adoption can take place in a whirlwind.  Everything falls into place and you know it's just a God thing.

Other times, the journey to adoption can be agonizingly long.  Raising the funds needed to even begin the process can be a struggle, and the couple longing for their little one needs a lot of encouragement.  {And just because it takes longer certainly doesn't mean that it's any less of God's plan}

A few months ago, I wanted to get an adoption-themed gift for dear friends who have been waiting to adopt for a very long time, and I was surprised by the lack of adoption gifts out there.  Don't get me wrong, there are lovely, beautiful, heartfelt adoption gifts in Christian bookstores, on Etsy, and via various retailers on the web.  But they're almost all adoption baby shower gifts for families who have already brought their little one home, or at least are on their way.  Not gifts that say, "I know this is a long road, but I'm praying for you," or "I have faith that God will bring your sweet baby soon."

Every once in a while, that's what your friend-in-waiting needs to hear.

When I couldn't find a gift that matched what I was hoping to find, I decided to make one myself.  And instead of spending a lot of money on a knick-knack, Handsome Man and I chose to put the money we would have spent inside of the gift and let our dear friends know that it was money to go towards the adoption.

Every little bit helps, right?

This is what I came up with:  a little adoption nest egg.

What you need:
♥ scrapbook paper (I used a blue that was textured like a robin's egg)
♥ pretty fabric for the top
♥ cotton batting, a scrap of fleece, or anything to make the lid look a little more soft and plush
♥ twine
♥ skeleton leaf (I bought a package of them forever ago at Michaels, but you can also make them using Amy's tutorial here at The Idea Room)
♥ wire nest charm (using Sarah Ortega's tutorial)
♥ wide-mouth mason jar

I rolled a cylinder of the scrapbook paper, glued it in place, and set it inside of the mason jar.  I placed our "nest egg money" inside of the jar and closed the lid.  Then I glued some batting to the top of the lid, placed a circle of fabric on top, glued it in place, and then tied it down with twine.  I made the wire nest charm and glued it carefully to the twine.  Finally, I took a skeleton leaf, and traced a piece of cardstock to match the size and shape.  On the piece of cardstock, I wrote, "Fly home soon, Little Bird," and then glued the skeleton leaf on top of it to add a pretty texture to the leaf-tag.

It didn't take very long at all for me to make this, but when my friend opened it, 

she knew that the gift was heartfelt.

Pinterest Party #8

Happy 1st Sunday of the Month!

That means it's September.  I don't know if my heart is ready for it to be September...that means that my precious curly girl is turning   o n e    y e a r   o l d   in 24 days.

I'm not ready, I'm not ready!

But we're making the best of her adorableness and realizing that even though she's growing bigger every day, she'll never be this little again.  So, we're also celebrating her littleness.

By doing cute things like today's Pinterest Party project :)

If this is your first Pinterest Party, feel free to read about how I host them here.  Also, if it's your first, thanks so much for joining!  I hope you'll stick around.

I love the way that these Pinterest Parties challenge me to always try new pins.  It's the whole point of having a Pinterest account, isn't it?!? 

Well, the project I'm sharing this month has a little bit of a back story.  

All of Kayleigh's life, her Auntie Laura has had a special song just for her.  Whenever she sees Kayleigh, my youngest sister sings "Your Personal Penguin," and Kayleigh just smiles and smiles.

When Laura went to Ireland for a few months in the spring, she sent this video to Kayleigh.  It's not the greatest quality because of the poor internet connection she had over there, but it's so dear to my heart that the happiness I get from watching my sister sing to my daughter cancels out the pixelation, time/speech delay, and sound quality.  Laura has an incredible, beautiful voice, and I love listening to her sing--whether it's while she's sitting next to me, strumming her guitar, or whether she's on the other side of an ocean, singing a little ditty for her niece.  This video makes me so happy.

Laura is back from Ireland, but wasn't home for long.  Now she's halfway across the country beginning her first year as a college student away from home.  College is full of wonderful new adventures, but I remember being homesick for my family, and the university I attended was only 2 hours away from home.  I knew that Laura must be missing things from home, so I thought I'd make her something that was sure to bring a smile to her face.

I'm not sure whether we count Kayleigh as Laura's personal penguin, or if Laura is Kayleigh's personal penguin, but either way, when I saw this precious footprint craft by Jill of Meet the Dubiens, I knew that something like it was going to have to find its way to Auntie Laura's new dorm room.

Instead of doing Kayleigh's footprint on paper, I bought a 5x7in wrapped canvas and painted a cloudy blue background using acrylic paints.  Then, Jesse helped me coat the sole of Kayleigh's foot in black paint and gently maneuver those wiggly piggies onto the canvas (this is tricky business, people!)

Once the black paint dried, I painted white over it to make it more penguin-y and then added the beak, wings, and googly eyes.

I also added a red bow tie, because I figured any penguin of Laura's would, of course, be wearing a red bow tie.

I'm definitely not an artist (thank goodness Kate was there to tell me that my watercolor set from my Art 101 days was not going to work on a canvas!) but I had fun with this project.  I like thinking about the smile that will cross Laura's face when she finally figures out how to work the combination lock on her campus mailbox and finds a slip of neon paper letting her know that there's a package waiting for her down in the mail room.  (I haven't mailed it yet, Lou, but I'm hoping you don't see this post til I send it to you next week, anyway!  I love you!)

Well, now it's your turn!  What fun things have you been working on, lately?

I can't wait to see!

Please be sure to visit some of the other blogs and leave some Happy Homemaker love!

Make a Laundry Room Air Freshener

Oh, laundry rooms...as if the chore of doing laundry wasn't enough, sometimes the odor of dirty clothes (especially after Handsome Man's gym clothes are added to the mix) is enough to make me want to lock the door and never go in again!  It's amazing to me how much dirty laundry the three people in our little family can generate...and I know I'm only in trouble from here on out as our family grows.

Something that has helped make doing laundry a little more pleasant, however, has been the addition of my little homemade air freshener.  It's just a simple project, but its deodorizing abilities are sure to impress you :)

1. Take an old frosting container and remove the paper label.

2. Poke air holes in the top.  The plastic lid is soft enough to use a nail, toothpick, or large needle.  You want the holes to be big enough to let this little can work its magic, but not so big that if it tips over, you'll have a big clean-up job ahead of you.

3. Use scrapbook paper to dress up your little container.  Make it into something that will make you happy.  Write a Bible verse on it, a favorite quote, or just a simple reminder that you want things to be CLEAN!

4. Fill your container about halfway with baking soda, snap the lid back on, and set your new air freshener on the shelf in your laundry room.  Let it work its magic while you stand back and smile.

Postpartum Blues-Banishing Air Freshener

No one ever expects to come home from the hospital with a beautiful brand new baby and find themselves falling into depression.  Whether PPD creeps in slowly and deceptively, or slaps you in the face, you are not alone.  Every mother I know has run into some level of Baby Blues after their baby is born.  With hormones raging, new changes happening to your body, and a lonely, quiet house, it's understandable.  This spray is not a cure, but at least it can help lighten the mood and bring you a fresh perspective.  If you ever find yourself feeling depressed, spritz some of this in your house, and then sit down for a good chat with a friend, call your pastor, or meet a group of new mommies in your area.  If there isn't a friend you can call to lift your spirits, feel free to email me (bethany{at}happyhomemaker{dot}me) and I'll call you right away.  No one should be left feeling alone and afraid!

If you already own a few essential oils, this little spray is one of the quickest things to whip up.  Simply fill a little spray bottle (I bought mine in the travel/dollar section at Target) with distilled water and drop in a few drops each of your favorite essential oils.  I used lavender and vanilla, but geranium, bergamot, and cucumber-melon are mood-lifting oils as well.

Essential oils can be found all over the internet, and also in most craft stores (check the soap/candle making aisles).  I actually found my lavender essential oil in the pharmacy section of my local Target!  There is so much that you can do with essential oils, and once you invest in them, you won't regret it.

When things seem insurmountable, sit down, spray this little homemade air freshener, open your Bible, call a friend, and find peace.  

So do not fear, for I am with you;

Do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

Here are some favorite comforting verses:

Matthew 11:28-30

Psalm 147:3

Zephaniah 3:17

Natural Postpartum Recovery: Lavender Oatmeal Bath Sachets

I think my very favorite home remedy is this lavender oatmeal bath sachet.  The combination of lavender and oatmeal is so relaxing that I feel ready to fall asleep right there in the bathtub.  While this is a wonderful treat for anyone, it is especially soothing for new mothers.

I can't think of anything more lovely than to unwind in a lavender, oatmeal, and Epsom salt bath.

As I mentioned yesterday, lavender is a natural antiseptic, and oatmeal is a wonderful way to relieve itching and bring healing..  As this sachet steeps, the lavender infuses the water with healing oils to kill bacteria, help skin regain elasticity, and bring a sense of calm.  Simultaneously, the oatmeal is working into a silky cream that coats the skin to soften, soothe, and heal.  

 Epsom salt is known to reduce stress, inflammation, and relax sore muscles.  It also makes the water feel "soft"--I don't know how else to explain it.  The combination of Epsom salt and oatmeal leave the water feeling purely luxurious.

You could easily just pour all of these ingredients into the bathtub, but creating a sachet out of cheesecloth will keep you from cleaning out the tub of little bits and pieces when your bath is finished.  I highly recommend this simple little project.

What you will need:

♥ Cheesecloth (found in the baking aisle of most stores)
♥ Ribbon

♥ Sewing machine

♥ Pin

♥ 2/3 cup Epsom Salt

♥ 1/3 cup steel cut oatmeal

♥ 1 tablespoon lavender buds

Start out with two 4.5"x13" rectangles of cheesecloth.  You will want your sachet to be double-thick because it is so thin and gauzy that pieces will get through unless it's double or triple thick.  The easiest way to do this is fold the cheesecloth so that you have a length of 6.5", and then cut it into 4.5" strips.  The fold at the bottom gives you one less side to sew.

Next, take a 10" length of satin ribbon (I used 1/8"), fold it in half, and pin it to the inside of your folded cheesecloth strip, about 1-2 inches from the top.

Make sure all of the edges are matching (you don't really need to pin cheesecloth since it sticks to itself) and sew a strip down each side.

Turn your sachet right side out and check the seams to make sure you have a sturdy little bag

Now comes the fun part--filling your sachet!

Mix the lavender, oatmeal, and Epsom salt in a bowl and use a funnel to pour it neatly into your little bag.

(I don't have a funnel, so I just rolled up a piece of paper.  It works just about as well!)

Tie a dainty bow with the ribbon, and you have yourself a lovely sachet!

These wonderful little sachets leave you feeling pampered and refreshed, which is exactly what every new mother needs.

Add a few sachets to your natural postpartum recovery set, and you'll have one pampered momma.

Natural Postpartum Recovery for New Mothers

If there was anything I wasn't prepared for after having a baby, it was the long road to postpartum recovery. And I don't think I'm the only one.

In the days and months leading up to the birth of your little one, you spend all of your time focusing on prenatal care and preparing for your sweet baby's arrival.  Little or no thought is given to how your body will feel after giving birth.

And let me tell you, it isn't an easy road.  Muscles are stretched, tired, and sore; hormones are all over the place, making the simplest thing seem colossal; and tearing, bleeding, and swelling leave you very uncomfortable...and sometimes downright embarrassed.

It's an interesting place in life, because while you're overjoyed to have your baby in your arms, surrounded by visitors and loved ones, it's also very easy to feel overwhelmed, frumpy, and unattractive.

That's why I love using natural remedies for physical and emotional relief.  Some of my very favorite herbs, essential oils, and other natural products are wonderful for healing, lifting one's spirits, and relieving pain.

Lavender  is my all-time favorite herb.  I've found ways to incorporate it into my everyday life, and love that one of its best qualities is that it is a natural astringent.  Along with its calming scent that can whisk away postpartum blues, lavender can also be used to reduce swelling, heal cuts, and soothing headaches.

Oatmeal  is wonderfully soothing and can be used to relieve itching and reduce swelling.  It has also been used to ward off depression.  When added to bath water, it works into a creamy milk that leaves your skin soft and smooth, free of itching and irritation.

Witch Hazel  is a natural remedy to cleanse a torn perineum and reduce itching at the same time.  It works to repair open wounds, kills bacteria, and leaves your skin refreshingly cool.

Tea Tree Oil  is a natural oil derived from the leaves of the Melaleuca plant which is native to Australia.  I has been used for centuries to heal cuts, burns, and infections.

Aloe Vera   is most commonly used as a treatment for sunburns, but its healing properties go far beyond that.  Aloe Vera soothes irritated skin, helps cuts heal, and aids skin in retaining water for better healing in the future.

Over the next few days, I want to share with you how I assembled this care package for a dear friend of mine who just gave birth to her sweet little girl.

I will show you how to make:

♥ Lavender Oatmeal Bath Sachets--A soothing combination of Epsom Salts, Lavender buds, and steel-cut Oatmeal all beautifully packaged in a homemade cheesecloth sachet.

♥ Air Freshener--Some of Nature's most calming essential oils can be used as an instant pick-me-up to banish postpartum blues

♥ Refreshing Perineum Spray--A gentle spray made of Lavender and Witch Hazel to relieve itching and swelling.

♥ Soothing Compresses--An all-natural, homemade version of "Tucks" (something no new mother wants to be without!)

Whether you prepare these natural remedies for yourself or a friend, I hope that these simple tips will help smooth the way to a pleasant recovery.

Fingerpainting {the mess-free way}

Today is Auntie Kate's birthday.  We had to find a special gift for Kayleigh to give to her artistic auntie, and what better than her very first painting?

I knew that I wanted to have Kayleigh paint a canvas for my sister, but the idea of giving a bunch of paint to my 10 month old was crazy daunting.

What's the easiest way to let your baby do some fingerpainting?

Stick her in the bathtub!

I put paint on a paper plate and the rest was up to Kayleigh.

She chose the colors she wanted to use, squealed with joy as the paint squished between her fingers, and had so much fun making this canvas for her auntie!

Try and tell me that this kid didn't have fun!!

The best part was that once her canvas was finished, all I had to do was rinse the washable paints off of the sides of the bathtub, then fill the tub up again for her.

I'm pretty sure she thought it was the best thing ever :)

Summer Sensory Fun: Contact Paper

Welcome to Day 3 of our Summer Sensory Fun Series!  

If you've missed any of the fun activities, check them out :)

Monday--Creating a Summer Sensory Fun Box

Tuesday--Having Fun with Ball Art

Wednesday--Tactile Learning through Contact Paper

Thursday--Making Discovery Bottles

Friday--How to Make Colored Rice

Today, I'm going to show you how to entertain your kiddos with contact paper.

"Contact paper?  What?"

Absolutely!  Here's why:

Kids love tactile activities.  They love touching things that give them new and different experiences, and sticky is definitely a fun and new experience!  Little ones will giggle with delight when their fingers stick to the clear plastic, and older kids will quickly get into the challenge of seeing what patterns they can create and finding a variety of materials that they can use.

Back in my preschool teaching days, contact paper was one of our favorite mediums.  It cuts out the need for glue, and trust me, when you have 22 two-year-olds in your classroom, you are going to try to find ways to avoid washing good ol' Elmers off of 44 little hands!  (and noses...and shirts...and elbows...and shoes...and hair...)

One of the best parts about contact paper is that since it's clear, you have a great way to display their artwork--from the non-sticky side.  I used to have my students decorate contact paper with pretty tissue paper colors and then I would stick the contact paper to the windows--instant stained glass!  It looks so pretty and festive from the outside, and brings in gorgeous brightly colored light to cheer up a room.  During holidays, you can use holiday-themed colors, or make collages from themed magazines, or have the kids make mosaic images using construction paper...let your creativity go wild!

You can use just about any mostly-flat material you can think of.  For mine, I just used things that were in my Summer Sensory Fun Box, such as tissue paper, sequins, and rice.  Kayleigh is too young to help out with an activity like this, but it is ideal for toddlers/preschoolers who no longer put things in their mouths.  Even though Kayleigh wasn't able to make it with me, it has still provided her with hours of entertainment--she loves to look at hers, touch the pretty colors, and pull herself up to be near it.  

The easiest way to do this activity is to cut a piece of contact paper to your chosen size (I cut about about an 18 inch strip) peel the paper backing off, and tape it to the ground or a table sticky-side up.  Provide your kid with the chosen materials, and encourage them to leave about a 1 inch border all the way around so that you can use the border to mount their artwork later.  Once your child has decorated to his heart's desire, take the contact paper and press it sticky-side down to a wall or window.  Now it's time to stand back and admire! (And don't worry, the contact paper should come off of the wall/window smoothly and easily.  It's not made to be as sticky as it used to be).

Why Kids Love This:

Babies will love the stimulating colors and enjoy touching the completed project.  It gives them something exciting to focus on, and you can point to colors and shapes and begin teaching them.

Toddlers will love the sticky texture and the freedom that they can do this all by themselves.  They don't have to wait for you to glue things down for them, and as long as you've prepared ahead of time and cut all of the tissue squares or set out anything else that they will need, you can give them free rein on this one.  You can also turn this into an educational opportunity and show them what happens when you overlap a piece of blue tissue paper with a piece of yellow tissue paper.  You can encourage them to try to make shape patterns (square, square, star) or color patterns (blue, red, green).  They can also make shape pictures and do simple images such as a house, boat, or tree.

Older Kids can really get into this!  They can create intricate patterns with the paper and design beautiful stained glass windows that will be a pleasure to display.  You can give them a pair of scissors and have them cut out their own shapes, and also give them more freedom in choosing what they put on their contact paper.  Ask them what kinds of materials will stick well.  Could they try a nature scene  by using leaves, grass, and petals?  Could they use fabric and make a quilt?  Could they try colored sand or crayon shavings?  It is so much fun to see what they come up with!

Why You Should Love This:

Maybe you can tell by now that I am all about no-mess projects :)  Cutting out the need for glue is a huge plus with this activity, and watching your kids have a blast with this new texture will be enough to seal the deal for you with this one.  Adapting this project for each age group is so simple that you can turn this activity into a family affair.  Encourage your older children to help the younger ones--you can even put them in charge of cutting the paper for their siblings.  At the end of craft time, challenge the kids to see how many pieces of paper/rice/sequins/whatever you used they can pick up in under 2 minutes.  Look at that!  The kids had fun making the project AND cleaning up :)

Summer Sensory Fun Series: Ball Art

Welcome to Day 2 of my Summer Sensory Fun Series!  If you missed yesterday's post,  read about how to create a Summer Sensory Fun Box of your own.  Thanks to so many of you for pinning yesterday's post!  It was so exciting to see it all over Pinterest yesterday.  Thank you!!! And...keep it up :)  Pinterest is one of the best ways to get the word out about this happy little blog.  Thanks for sharing it with your friends!  It totally makes my day :)

Ok, now for the fun stuff...

Back during my preschool teaching days, ball art was one of my favorite go-to art projects.  Kids love watching the balls swirl around in the paint, creating different patterns. The best part: since it's done by tilting and moving the box from side to side, it can be completely mess-free!

Empty out your Summer Sensory Fun Box and put all of the contents on its lid out of reach from your little ones.  Place a piece of paper in the bottom of the sensory bin and drop some washable paint on it.  Add some balls, and shake, shake, shake!  This is something an older child can do, something a toddler can help you do, and something a baby will love to watch!

Encourage your older kids to help you find balls of different sizes and textures and see what results you get.  Spikey balls like the ones I used create a cool dot effect, but marbles, golf balls, bouncy balls, and even baseballs will each do something different.  Ask them questions while they play.  See what they are learning!

Why Kids Love This:

Ball Art gives kids fun control over a situation.  

Older kids will be processing questions such as, What will happen if I add two colors?  What will happen if I add 4 colors?  What does it look like if I shake it fast?  Slow?  Can I go in circles?  They learn how to experiment and create different effects while they play.  

Toddlers will be thrilled to be able to participate in something "big" and exciting like this.  You can help them hold onto the box and shake it side to side (hold on tight to prevent them from flinging painted balls everywhere!)  They will be excited to identify new colors they see ("Look!  Now it's making green!") and you can talk about how mixing colors makes new colors.  

Babies will enjoy watching the balls move around swiftly through the clear plastic sides.  The bright paint colors are mentally stimulating, and following the movements of the balls will encourage their eyes to learn how to track moving objects.

Why You Should Love This:

How many other ways can you let your kids paint without making a mess?  Have I said enough to win you over?  ;-)

This is such a quick and easy project to set up and clean up.  The mess is all contained in the box, so all it takes to clean up is a quick rinse in the sink.  If your family decides that this activity is enough fun to do regularly, you can designate an old cardboard box and a set of messy balls and not even worry about cleanup.  As a preschool teacher, I always used a cardboard box.  With Kayleigh, I used the sensory bin, and it was no trouble to rinse it clean.

     You have total control during this activity.  You can give your child as much freedom as you feel is appropriate, but ultimately, it's up to Mom!  If you feel that your child is old enough, you can let him pour paint drops onto the paper, choose the balls, and shake the box by himself.  If your child is a little too young, you can let her choose the paint, hold it/pour it with her, and then hold the box with her to guide her movements.  A baby doesn't even need to touch at all--you can do the whole project and she will be just as thrilled to watch!  

     Take advantage of the questions that you can ask while doing this activity with your kids.  Which ball's pattern do you like the best?  What colors do you see?  Would it change the way the painting looked if we only had one ball?  What about if we added more paint?  Do you like the way the box feels when you shake it?

Once the ball art painting is dry, you can hang it as a piece of art on its own, or you can let your older kids cut shapes out of it and make pretty collages.  You'll get some really great textures with this project.  See what your kids can think of to do with it!

Summer Sensory Fun Box

Monday--Creating a Summer Sensory Fun Box

Tuesday--Having Fun with Ball Art

Wednesday--Tactile Learning through Contact Paper

Thursday--Making Discovery Bottles

Friday--How to Make Colored Rice
Saturday--Fun with Shaving Cream

What a fun week we have ahead of us!  Today through Saturday, I'll be letting my former preschool/elementary teacher side out and sharing with you some of my favorite sensory activities for babies and toddlers.  Encouraging little ones to explore through sensory play is something that I am passionate about, and I hope these suggestions will inspire some fun learning time for you with your sweet munchkins at home!

With summertime just around the corner, I'd like to help you get ready for lots of good, messy fun!  Are you ready?  Let's create a Summer Sensory Fun Box!  The goal of this box is for you to have just about everything you'll need for exploratory play nicely contained in one place.

What goes into our Summer Sensory Fun Box?   Here's a list of things I included in mine:

♥ Shaving Cream
♥ Food Coloring (or Color Splash!--this stuff makes my teacher heart go pitter-pat, but I'm holding off until Kayleigh is a little older and will be able to use it herself)
♥ Empty plastic large-mouth bottles (I used Gatorade)
♥ Pom Poms
♥ Bouncy Balls
♥ Glitter/Sequins
♥ Dish Soap
♥ Colored Tissue Paper
♥ Colored Rice (don't worry, I'll show you how!)
♥ Washable Paints
♥ Sidewalk Chalk
♥ Jell-O (to make this playdough)
♥ Sweetened Condensed Milk (to make this edible finger paint)
♥ Ziplock bags
♥ Clear Contact Paper

There are so many activities you can do with these supplies.   Let the fun begin!

The plastic container serves two functions--as a way to store your items, and as a nice cheap sensory bin. Preschools and lower elementary classrooms always have sensory bins, but theirs cost anywhere from $20-$500! So, let's skip that and just run to Target instead, shall we? :) I used a small bin for my sweet girl, but if you have two or more kids, you might want to try an under-the-bed box for a large, flat play area with lots of elbow room.

The beauty of this Summer Sensory Fun Box is that most of these items are things that you already have at home.  If you're missing a few items, it won't take more than a run to the dollar store or Target to pick up a few things that will provide hours of fun.

There are so many fun activities that you can create for your child using just these items.  The possibilities really are endless!  If you're looking for some inspiration, remember to come back every day this week to see what I've got in store. (Check out my Playroom to see what activity I'll be featuring each day this week. Pin them as we go, or return to the Playroom at any time to see the activities again)

I had so much fun reliving my teacher days and choosing my favorite sensory activities to put into this box.  I have so many sweet memories of my little students experiencing the thrill of playing with colored shaving cream for the first time, creating fun ball art, splashing in a sensory bin full of sudsy water, or shaking bottles filled with various noise-making and visually stimulating objects.

Sensory learning is such an important part of a child's growth and development.  By getting down on the floor with your kids and giving them new things to touch, see,  hear, smell, and taste, you are helping your children learn--and experience--the world around them.

It was so much fun to share my love for sensory play with Kayleigh over the past few weeks while I prepared this series.  She loved, loved, loved getting to experience new sights, sounds, and textures while playing with these activities.  And don't worry if your little one is as young as mine--I'll be showing you how to adapt these activities for your children, whether they are babies, toddlers, preschoolers, or older siblings who want to lend a hand and have some fun, too.

The fun begins tomorrow, so go find a plastic bin, fill it with as many of the above sensory items as you can, and come back in the morning to learn how to make some really cool art with your kids.  We're going to have a blast!