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Delilicious: Easy to Make Chocolate Easter Lollipops
Here comes a chocolate Peter Cottontail! Get a jump start on your Easter dinner centerpiece and dessert by creating chocolate lollipops using a simple candy mold.
While the lollipops seem detailed, all you need is the pattern, chocolate to melt and lollipop sticks.
Tell Mommy: Do You Make or Knit Clothes For Your Children?
A friend of mine has been raving about the assortment of homemade baby hats at a tiny flower and card boutique called Willow and Bloom in Seattle, WA. I was bummed to find the selection isn't available for sale online — although you can order special one-of-a-kind gift baskets for new mommies — but, I was inspired by the designs on the company's website. One hat is shaped like a little Viking helmet and another is a simple cupcake design with hand-sewn "sprinkle" beads.
Sweet and Healthy Homemade Valentine's Day Treats For Tots
Stop the press and pick up the Conversation Hearts! According to parenting expert and Montessori school director, Lonna Corder, Valentine's Day is the new Halloween. Your children will be celebrating the day of love at school this week, but the actual holiday falls on Saturday so be prepared.
lil's Favorite Ways to Wrap It Up
The economy may have families cutting back, but creativity comes free of charge! Instead of tossing rolls of pricey wrapping paper into your cart at the store, take the time to teach your tots how to make festive prints with their hands, fingers and even feet. The colorful gift wrap makes presents extra special and the activity can become a beloved holiday tradition.
Wrap It Up: Snowman Gift Tag and Ornament
Wee ones love helping to wrap presents, but if their small hands make maneuvering the big packages more of a hassle, set the kids up with a quick art project that will hold their interest. Made from the cotton makeup cloths you have in the cabinet, these frosty lil snowmen gift tags double as ornaments for the recipient's tree. For directions on how to make these simple creations with items found around the house and for step-by-step pictures, read more
Wrap It Up: Recycle Newspaper
Newspapers normally end up stacked in the recycle bin so send your child on a lil mission to recover the black and white printed sheets and help wrap their holiday gifts. Simply pull a page, cut it to size and cover the present. Once that is finished, using their steady lil hand, some eco-friendly paint in the color of their choice (I like red for the contrast) and their own inspiration, have them "tie" a bow around the package.
Wrap It Up: Put Your Budding Artist's Work to Good Use
My daughter's backpack is always filled to the brim with paintings, pictures, and doodles that I can't bring myself to toss. Rather than tuck them away to collect dust, I'm putting them to good use this holiday season — let's face it, we can only keep so many! We're using her lil masterpieces — including completed coloring book pages — to wrap small gifts.
Kidoodles: Make a Sockmonster!
Sock monsters are one of my favorite on-the-fly entertainment tricks and a cost-free way to creatively reinvent solo socks. If the simple Sharpie-drawn monster is beneath your crafty standards, try Monster Munch's free downloadable pattern and instructions. It's a quick eight-step process that involves two socks, two buttons, a bit of felt, and some stuffing.
Kidoodles: Free Paper Play House Downloads
There's something magical about sitting down with your children during weekend arts and crafts time. It's the perfect opportunity for stories, creativity and inevitably, a whole lot of mess.
These adorable paper houses and store fronts will help you deliver the same soothing creative time without any of the paint or pencil marks.
ECOWEEN: Ghost Lollipops
If you're looking for an earth-friendly treat that may cause a bit of fright go with ghost lollipops. Toddlers love projects so enlist your lil ones help in wrapping each individually wrapped organic sucker in a sheet of recyclable tissue. Tie it off just under the candy with a piece of string, ribbon, twine or raffia found around the house.
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