A VALENTINE WALL HANGING

 

Valentine's Day is not my favourite holiday. Before we had the kiddos, our celebration involved our favourite take-away meal and a film, a plan that really did not deviate from our standard weekend evenings in. I am a big believer that acts of love and kindness should happen every day with your loved ones. 

My attitude did change slightly when Monkey and Little Bean came along. I am still of the mind that love should be expressed on a daily basis, but now I embrace any holiday or excuse to focus our crafting energies. Taking inspiration from this Christmas decoration, Little Bean and I made this Valentine wall hanging yesterday. She was tickled pink! 

It's an easy craft with the added opportunity to go outside hunting for a stick. Here's a quick step-by-step guide ...

1. Using one piece of twine, tie a knot at one end of the branch and a second knot at the other end.
2. Draw (or trace if you have a heart-shaped cookie cutter) hearts on construction paper.
3. Cut out the hearts and with a needle, make a small hole at the top to feed through the white thread.
4. Tie the white thread to the branch at varying lengths.

Have fun!

(Source of inspiration)

ACTIVITY ADVENT CALENDAR

As a kid, I used to savour the little pieces of chocolate in my advent calendar every morning in the lead up to Christmas. I was eager to start this tradition with our family this year, but I was not keen on giving Monkey a daily dose of extra chocolate so I was happy to stumble on this activity advent calendar. Brilliant!

It is simple to make with strips of paper and a jar or paper bag. On each strip of paper, write an activity related to Christmas such as wear red today, bake gingerbread cookies, read a Christmas story or make a tree ornament. Each day, your little one pulls out a piece of paper and you have a planned activity. Sadly, I was not organized enough to start at the beginning of December so this year we'll be doing the 12 days of Christmas, starting tomorrow.

THE RED BALLOON FOR HALLOWEEN

The Red Balloon by Albert Lamorisse is one of my favourite children's books. It's a classic story about a little boy (Pascal) and his best friend, which happens to be a magical red balloon. If you're still looking for some inspiration for your little one's Halloween costume, check out this adorable one of little Pascal ...

Check out Oh Happy Day for more amazing handmade costume ideas.

HANDMADE HALLOWEEN COSTUMES

It's the beginning of October and time to get serious about Monkey's Halloween costume. Last year, he dressed up as the main character in Donnie Darko, which is one of my husband's favourite films. It was an easy costume that involved a skeleton outfit, grey sweatshirt hoodie and Adidas shoes to complete the look.

This year I'm determined to make his costume -- it's a fun project that tests my creativity and sewing skills. Here are some adorable handmade Halloween costumes from Martha Stewart to inspire me ...


Little lambs



Spring chicken



Superheros

(Top Image)

DIY: BIG BOX TRANSFORMATION

This is a photo of Monkey's little house. It used to be a delivery box for a pool filter. Now, it's his special place where he smells the flowers, opens and closes the door and enjoys his afternoon smoothie.

The next time you have an appliance delivered, ask to keep the box. It's easy to transform an ordinary cardboard box into a magical playland with just a few colours of paint and an exacto knife (utility knife). You can make an ice cream shop, a bakery, a horse stable...whatever your little one likes best. 



DIY: BACKYARD CHALKBOARD

I have my friend Jacquie to thank for this DIY project. This backyard chalkboard is so easy to make and it has given me one very happy little monkey.

Supplies:
Piece of plywood -- you can use whatever size fits your space
Paint primer
Chalkboard paint
2 paint rollers
1 paint brush

Directions:
Paint the primer onto the piece of plywood. Cover the front, back and edges as this will help protect the chalkboard from the elements. Let dry.

Paint the chalkboard paint on top of the primed plywood. Use the brush to make sure you get all the nooks in the wood. Let dry.

Now, hand over sidewalk chalk to your little one and prepare to be amazed at the wonderful creations!