Simple Superhero Capes

This spring I made some quick and easy capes for Blaine and Rog. I wanted something non-specific, partly because I don't love all the character commercialization in the world but mostly because a more neutral cape= more diverse imaginative play. I settled on a soft brown fabric with chocolate grosgrain ribbon for ties and a first initial appliqued on the back.

This was a really satisfying project for an amateur seamstress like me. They were simple and quick, and turned out just how I'd envisioned.

You can make one, too. Here's how:

***Unfamiliar with applique? Try this
(she taught me everything I know on the subject).
***Not into sewing but like this idea? You could make the whole thing out of felt and a hot glue gun and never touch a needle and thread!

Happy Monday!
xoxo
anne

Summer Fun / Idealistic Parenting

inspiration

i got a bit of flack about my getting-ready-for-a-roadtrip post -- "overachiever mom" "what's wrong with electronics the whole way?" -- that kind of thing. and yea - it was over the top, totally worthy of some eye-rolls. truth: we didn't do most of the things i thought about; i didn't make a family favorites album, but i wish i had, we listened to enough raffi to make us (nate and i) looney. henry couldn't have cared less about the trip journal - flop. and i didn't have little packages for the kids to open every hour, but i did take a bit of time before we left to make sure I had a few tricks up my sleeve for the restless moments...

and! our time in the car was really great. we listened to charlie & the chocolate factory (on CD) and we were completely enchanted. (roald dahl is my hero). at one gas station stop we all hopped out and picked out a chocolate bar to enjoy during the next chapters. it was magical! and we chatted. and sang songs. and played the guessing game. and ate junk. and had fun.

so i'm pressing on in my idealistic ways; you can roll your eyes if you want to. this morning we made our *summer 2011 list* -- all the things we'd like to do while the fruit is ripe and the sunshine is warm and we're schedule-less.
our list is not 1/100th as cute as Meg's, (above) but it is magnet-ed to the side of the fridge and we will consult it regularly for inspiration.

here are a few things we're looking forward to:

*star gazing on mimi's lawn
*homemade ice cream, probably peach flavored
*making pajama pants & having a pajama party
(we're going to need someone with sewing skills to help with this one)
*sprinklers, splash parks, swimming
*making fruit popsicles
*sending a package to a friend
*making the kids room a more colorful, kid-happy place to be
*getting new sunglasses (mom & henry)
*eating a picnic on top of a (small :) mountain
*make-your-own pizza party
*late nights with friends
*breakfast in bed


fun starts today - we're spending the morning with our crayolas and then we're taking our creations to our dear elderly friend, ethyl.

what are you doing this summer?

On The Road Again...

car bingo game from pi'lo = love

The season for family road trips is upon us, which I cannot wrap my head around because wasn't winter break like four days ago?! Anyway. Seems like car trips are either a source of happy, funny memories or an absolute black mark on the family history...sometimes an amalgam of both. We've got upcoming travel plans and I'm trying to plan ahead in hopes that we can infuse our journeys with some joy.

Here's that I'm thinking:

* A trip journal with pages like...
- The W's - WHERE are we going? WHO will we see? WHAT would you like to do there?
- 5 THINGS (you've heard on this trip, seen on this trip, thought about, tasted...),
- Draw a picture of what you can see out the window right now.

* Books on tape that we've checked out from the library.

* Something we could memorize as a family - a short poem or scripture.

* Wishing we had this darling car trip bingo game (pictured above), but we'll improvise and come up with a fun "I Spy" game with things the kids can watch for while we drive. There will, of course, be a tasty reward for finding all the items.

* I like to be prepared with fun snacks, new stickers, plenty of paper and markers, a CD full of favorite songs, a new movie.

* I'm going to have a little note or surprise for the kids to open every hour - anything from a stick of gum or fun snack to a little note announcing that a family sing-along is about to begin (and then dedicate the next several minutes to playing and singing favorite songs - I'm already working on a Family Favorites album with plenty of Raffi, Elizabeth Mitchell, Disney tunes and pop songs my kids are familiar with).

* The guessing game is a stand-by family favorite of ours. "I'm thinking of something that lives in the forest..."

I realize some of these things take a bit of planning and preparation, but if we can stave off some of the boredom and bickering that inevitably set in on the road? Worth it!

Your turn: I'd really love to know what you do to pass the time peaceably

on a long road trip. Any suggestions you've got would be lovely.

Spring Fun Round-up

I've been searching the gazillions of blogs out there for Spring/Easter crafts and activities. It's easy to find scads of tutorials for decor or accessories that you can make when your littles are occupied elsewhere, but we wanted to highlight some that you can do with your children. Here are my favorites:

Every year I wish for more vibrant egg dye. HERE is the recipe!

There's nothing my Rog loves more than drawing on the sidewalk. I'm highly considering making this egg shaped sidewalk chalk with him.

I adore this simple (cheap!) paint chip garland. (If you have older kids, they could cut out the eggs.)

I love Dana's peeps garland and no sew flowers (also both for older kids to help, although your younger ones could help you with fabric/color selection).

I think we are definitely going to do this printing with leaves project.

This is my favorite of all the ideas I found: a letter recognition game with plastic eggs. Blaine is going to adore it.

More ideas or links? Do share!
xo
anne

April the First...

Happy April Fool's Day! Do you have some sneaky pranks lined up? Or are you not much of a prankster? Maybe you just need a little nudge...

We've gathered a few ideas to poke your inner thirteen year old and get you scheming to fool your friends and family.

* Rubberband the dish sprayer so the next person to turn the faucet on will get an unexpected shower. Such a fun one to spectate!

* Sneak into the bathroom while your lovie is showering and dump a big cup of ice cold water on them.

* Replace the shampoo with maple syrup or honey. We had a friend who did this to his dad a few years ago and his wife kept sniffing around, insisting that she smelled pancakes...funny!

* Put a fake bug in someone's slipper.

* Push a raisin down into the toothpaste tube...the next person to squeeze some paste onto his brush will get a mysterious surprise. (I totally want to do this to Nate).

* Make whoopie pies or cupcakes and frost them with white toothpaste or shaving cream.


Would you believe that the best prankster I know is my dear, darling grandmother? It's true! One year during college some girlfriends and I went up to her house for a weekend get-away that happened to coincide with April Fool's. My grandma, awake long before any of us sleepy co-eds, spread some Icy Hot/Mentholatum-ish ointment all over the toilet seat. None of us remembered that it was April first and we were all a little sheepish to admit that we had tingly bums. My friends were all wondering if maybe my grandparents had chapped behinds and lubed up the commode as some sort of remedy, but nobody dared bring it up. Finally, at breakfast my grandma said, "well, nobody's said anything about my little April Fool's prank...haven't any of you used the bathroom yet?!"

Oh my, did we laugh! My girlfriends were all shocked that my sweet little grandma had it in her to be such a prankster...if they only knew! She'd been making fools of her loved ones on April 1 for years - sewing the fly on my grandpa's underwear closed, frosting cakes with shaving cream, saran wrapping the toilet for an unexpected splash-back; she loved a practical joke.

What about you? What's the best joke you've ever played? What's the best prank someone else has pulled on you?

Colorful Chameleons

Henry has been a bit of a reluctant reader. I've tried go get creative thinking of ways to make reading more engaging and fun for him. One thing we've loved is doing art projects to go along with the books we read. A few weeks ago, Henry had a chameleon fascination; he was curious about how they change color, where they live, what they look like. So over Spring break we read Leo Lionni's "A Color of His Own" about a little chameleon who is trying to make peace with his changeable appearance. We loved it. (Of course we did. Have we ever met a Lionni book we didn't love?)

We also loved doing a little painting project after we read the story.


I traced the outline of a chameleon and made several copies.

We pulled out the finger paint. (Water colors would have been sensational, but the kids insisted on finger paint; it was fun to have a tactile experience, but the fingerpaint mess is formidable!)

And the kids had so much fun painting all kinds of colorful chameleons.

Next up, I think we'll do a torn paper series of Season pictures in the style of Lionni's "A Busy Year." So many fun ways to mingle art & children's literature.

xo,
Em

Art for Kids with Bloom Guest Dani Henriksen of Pineapple Paintbrush

I haven't been this excited about a guest or a topic for a long time! We're absolutely thrilled to have Dani Henriksen of Pineapple Paintbrush here today to share some insights about the importance of art for children, and to give us some practical tips on facilitating creativity for young children. Dani is also hosting a free online art preschool class that will begin March 14th. She's got all kinds of wonderful art projects lined up to share with you. You can read more about the class here. This is great, great stuff. You will love.

Welcome, Dani, and thanks a million for being here...

First, give us a little background about you and how you became so passionate about art, especially exposing children to art.

It is hard to pin down exactly where my passion for art came from but I know my father influenced me. My dad used to draw a lot, and he could draw things really realistically in his own unique style. I was amazed by his art.
I married my husband when I was 20 and we moved to Las Vegas so that my husband could attend law school. I had to change my major and my husband encouraged me to major in what I loved, Art History. That proved to be a great decision. I loved my art history classes and the incredible professors. As a requirement for my major I had to take a wide variety of art classes…. especially drawing and painting. That is when my personal love for painting began. I spent many hours in the painting studio.
I will never forget my Junior year of college; I was pregnant for most of the school year and delivered my son just one week after my finals. I was so nauseous during my painting classes. Ever since the day my first son was born I looked forward to spending time making art with him. Now, almost 6 years later, we have spent many hours creating art together and it has been so fun and unforgettable. Though our focus was always on fun, he has learned a lot in the process and has become an amazing little artist.

What are some must-have art supplies that you recommend for every family?
Also, I know for many parents, the fear of a giant mess keeps them from letting their children do art projects; what are your suggestions for preventing such a mess?

I laugh at this question about the fear of giant messes. It brings back all the memories of crazy art messes at our house. First of all I have to say that I LOVE a clean house…. I am a bit of a clean freak. It is kinda ironic considering I also love art, which is so messy. So there is often a fight going on inside my head against the side of me that wants to have a clean house and the side of me that wants my kids to have lots of opportunities to create art. Luckily most of the time art wins and I never regret that. There are no magic tricks to preventing messes, you have to supervise and teach your children how to use the art products and set some rules. I have found that close supervision pays off big time in the long run. I can now trust my oldest two children that they will only paint on paper and canvas and not on their bodies or the furniture. They also know how to put away their art supplies and clean their brushes. It was a big investment of time upfront but now art can keep them entertained for hours and they always clean it up. So invest the time and you will be so glad you did.
I think the most important art supplies for children are a variety of the basics: pencils, crayons, markers, tempura paint, acrylic paint (used only under adult supervision for safety reasons), watercolor paint, oil pastels, play dough, glue and scissors. Provide your children with these products and sit back and see all the fun that they have. It is important to know that young children (especially 2 – 4 year olds) like creating art that does not represent anything
specific. To them art is experimenting with different products and what they can do with them…. squishing paint between their fingers and splattering it on paper. Allow them to have fun with the materials and try not to find realistic looking figures in their artwork. If you say to a child, “Oh that looks like a car….” You are telling them that they have to try to make things look real. Art can be anything and try to encourage complete artistic freedom at a young age.

Tell us about a few simple/easy art projects that people might not think of...

I truly believe that art for children should be kept simple. Like I mentioned above… just give them some simple art supplies and allow them to experiment. It seems that well-intentioned parents tend to come up with a variety of cute art projects where kids are told to follow step-by-step instructions and every child’s project ends up looking the same as everyone else’ s. There is nothing wrong with those projects, kids do enjoy them and they can be fun.
However, they are limiting and I hope my online art class does a good job of showing parents how to encourage creative process-oriented art that allows the children to think outside the box and have a lot of fun experimenting.
You can start with these kind of projects when your children are little. Since I have 3 boys we have lots of toy cars and we set aside some of them to be used only for painting…. My kids run the cars through the paint and then run the cars across paper to see the fun lines it creates. We also have a box of a bunch of different object they can use for painting with such as a fork, feather, plastic knife, toothbrush, comb, q-tips, cotton balls and a variety of textured roller and brushes that are so fun to experiment with.

What does exposure to art and expressing creativity do for children and why is it important to give them those opportunities to create at a young age?

Wow, there are so many benefits to art that it is hard to know where to begin. First and foremost art is fun! Art is also a tangible expression of each child’s unique creativity. It gives the child something to show for him or herself. It builds confidence. Art offers endless challenges to overcome, and overcoming those challenges is rewarding. Art develops focus and dedication. Through art children see things more clearly, they pick up on details and they find beauty in things. Making art is the best way for young children to develop their fine motor skills. Since there is no wrong way to make art it encourages freedom of thought. Through these skills…. creativity, confidence, focus, control, and freedom… the child is learning the skills that will help him or her to succeed in school and in life. Wow, that is just the beginning and that is why we need great art programs in schools.

What are a few suggestions you have for us parents to help foster creativity in our children?

My biggest suggestion for parents is to encourage your child. Make sure you are complimenting their artwork from their first scribbles on paper. Hang their little doodles up all over the house and watch how their eyes sparkle to see them on display. Also, allow them to experiment with all the basic art supplies. Don’t interfere with their creative process or teach them the “right” way to draw something. Let them draw things as they see them, that is how they develop their own unique artistic style. Leave art supplies out that your children can have free access to. Make time for art. I try to make time at least once a week to sit down with my children and work on an art project.

A lot of times when I sit down to do an art project with my 5 year old son he gets frustrated because he can't draw very well. I used to think that I wasn't an artistic or creative person because I couldn't draw real-looking figures. How do you help a child not be frustrated by the fact that they can't draw a picture that looks like the Buzz Lightyear toy they're trying to replicate and still realize their creativity?

I would show your son a long list of some of the most famous pieces of art. He would be surprised to see that much of the art does not look “real.” For example surrealism, impressionism, pointillism and all of the different forms of abstract art and much more. There will be many fun art projects in my online class that will open your child’s eyes to the endless possibilities of art and he will realize that it doesn’t really matter if he is good at drawing things realistically.

I want to share with you a sneak peak into one of the art projects we will be doing for my online art class…..

This one is called “Drip Painting.” All you need is either paper or art board or a canvas to paint on, some level 1 acrylic paint, some gloves (see safety in the art room) and a spray bottle with water in it.
Water down the paint a bit so it has a runny consistency.
Have the child paint colorful horizontal stripes across the canvas – it does not matter if the lines
go all the way across the canvas as long as the whole canvas gets filled with stripes of color.

During painting the child can spray the canvas with water wherever they want the paint to drip. They don’t want to spray too much or all the paint will run down.

My kids love making paintings like this. It is so fun to watch them drip! This project will be taught during my week about color and color mixing.

I hope you will follow along with my online art class starting March 14th. I encourage you to share the class with your children’s friends and get together to share their artwork with each other. That is what I am doing with my son and his friends. We will be meeting at my house once a week during the class to share artwork and to work on a project together. We will also be going on a field trip to an art museum and holding an art exhibition night together at the end. I will be documenting it all on my blog. Please join us!

You can read more about the class here.
And you can find a list of the supplies you'll need here.

FF: Encouraging Independent Play For Young Children

We have received a few e.mails asking us to host a discussion about how to encourage independent play for young children. To this we say, of course! Sometimes just a few minutes to spruce up your hair or make an important phone call can be sanity-preserving and cheer-restoring!

For starters, let me say that I used to worry that my first child didn't have an imagination because at two, he was nearly incapable of playing by himself. Now I know that he was just young and depended on me for most of his stimulation and entertainment. At five, he has a very colorful, active, fantastic imagination.

It has also been my observation that less media=more imagination.

I'll share a few suggestions of my own and then we'll open it up so y'all can share your ideas and observations on this topic.

* Let your children have lots of different tactile experiences.Lily (2.5 years old) will play in the sink for twenty minutes with a few little cups or water bottles or even a toothbrush. I fill one side of the kitchen sink 1/4 - 1/2 way full and then turn the faucet to a tiny trickle. Sometimes we add dish soap to make bubbles! A waterproof apron will save you from having to change a soggy outfit when the fun's over. Let them play with water, sand, dry beans, play doh, rice, and some measuring cups, spoons, funnels. This might take careful supervision initially to help them understand boundaries and rules (ie "these beans need to stay on the table; don't throw them on the floor.") But soon enough they'll be able to busy themselves without too much damage :)

* Marta recently wrote a great post about simple toddler activities. One thing I'd never seen before was a WaterWow Paint Set - a paint with water concept. Coolest part? When they dry, they go back to black and white and can be reused! Brilliant.

* My mom has a plastic 1-gallon ice cream bucket that she turned into a great little toy for the one to two year old set. She cut a small square hole (1/2" x 1/2") out of the lid. Then she bought a set of clothes pins that fit nicely through the hole. You wouldn't believe how many times my daughter would drop those clothes pins in, one by one. Then dump them all out and start again. Sometimes the simplest toys hold the greatest appeal. Also - balloons. Blow up a couple of balloons (not very full so there's less risk of them popping) and let your kids bonk them around.


* You might also try keeping a special reserve of toys that you pull out only in moments where you really need your children to be entertained. They'll be more interested in things they don't see everyday.

* Also, children love things that look/feel/sound real. See if you can get an old computer keyboard from an electronics store. Hand down your old cell phone. Make a ring of old keys that they can play with. Designate a kids' flashlight - my kids love flashlights. Buy a wallet or purse from goodwill and fill it with obsolete cards or expired gift cards, a compact with a mirror, a tube of chapstick, a hair comb, etc.

Maybe I'll pop in on the comment thread with a few more ideas. True confession: I have, on more than one occasion, used the "if you know what's good for you, you'll go to the playroom and stay there a while! Mom needs a few minutes to get happy again" line. They most often disappear for a while. Also, if I ask them to clean the playroom -- they'll usually putter away a half hour or so, not cleaning :)

What about you? How do you encourage independent play for your young children, especially the 1-3 age group? What holds their attention for more than thirty seconds? What things have you found that you can do as a parent to encourage independent or imaginary play in children of all ages?

Can't wait to hear your suggestions!

Learned.

The little lady & I try out the the 3D glasses at Costco

Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.
- Marcus Aurelius

I get so distracted when I sit down to write a post. What should take one hour turns into three. It's ridiculous. I check in on other blogs (gathering inspiration, i tell myself. But all it does is fuzz up my head and swing wide the door for writer's block). Many times, I end up at my personal blog, reading the archives. Pretty schmaltzy and nerdy, but I love our story. I love looking back on the evolution of our family and the things I've been thinking/dreaming about over the years. Reminding myself how darling the kids are, and remembering all the funny things they've said and done. I'm already nostalgic for this time of life - even while I'm in the middle of it. I know how quickly it's going to tumble by - the reality and tangibility will evaporate into memories that I'll reach back for desperately with efforts akin to late night archive digging. But that's neither here nor there, just a little morsel of fact about me (Em). And a reminder to soak up what you have right now because it is beautiful and precious and you'll never be able to have it again.

Here's what I logged on to say:

I enjoy my children very, very much. Almost without exception. Almost. Of course there are moments when I look at my five year old and wonder where he ever learned to act so weird (then I help in his class and realize it's pretty much par for the kindergarten course!) Or wonder if my two year old is really making her whole body stiff and throwing a tantrum because I won't let her watch the Twinkle Twinkle Little Star video on You Tube a seventh (7th!) time. There are days that find me counting down 'til bedtime only a few hours after we wake up. But mostly, I love this job. I love the little people I spend my days with.

I think this is in part a gift from God. But it is also a choice - a way of thinking about my life. Something that's really helped me to enjoy my children more is changing the way I think about specific situations we're in. That sounds vague and horribly obvious, let me explain. When I'm cooking or baking with them, for instance, I don't think of what we're doing as getting the bread made. I think of it as giving my children a tactile experience. Teaching them about a ritual that's important to me. Experiencing joy together. It helps me take the mess in stride. It takes my mind off the clock - it is never efficient to cook or bake with young children. So when I need to be efficient, I don't involve the children. And when I involve the children, I take efficiency off my radar and replace it with objectives like: help them feel good about themselves, celebrate their curiosity, make this fun, laugh together, encourage them, foster a love of the kitchen, cooking, creating.

It works in other circumstances, too. Like bathroom cleaning. When I clean with the children I take the focus off of a spotless commode and put it on helping my kids learn to work, letting them feel satisfaction in their own effort, helping them build autonomy and independence.

In thinking of these experiences differently and changing my agenda, I am able to enjoy them, and the children, more. I'm not trying to get all Tony Robbins on you, but happiness starts in your head. Have joy. Find fun. Think happy.

xo,
em

Making Today Meaningful

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day! I know sometimes we're just grateful to have a day off to spend with our children, and we go along our merry way without even remembering why we can sleep in and enjoy a play day. I think it's so important to pay tribute to why today is an American holiday by teaching our children and reminding ourselves about the impact Martin Luther King, Jr. made on all of us.

A few simple suggestions on how to make today more meaningful for you and your children:

You can find some fun holiday activities--printable coloring pages and puzzles, art ideas, games, etc.-- here and here.

For your kids, here are some of our favorite Martin Luther King Day reads.

And for you, reading this is a must. I try to read it every year and it moves me every time.

Enjoy your holiday!

-anne and em

Re-Post: Beat the January Doldrums!

Good Morning! Here's another pertinent post from the archives. Anyone else feeling depressed that Christmas is over and January is looming? Read on...

Whenever I wake up and the calendar says December 26th, I sigh.

Ug.

That has got to be the most depressing day of the year!

And, quite frankly, that attitude often lasts all through January. I mean, honestly, what does January have to offer me? It's cold. I haven't skied for a decade. It's too early to decorate for Valentine's Day. Blech. (Am I being dramatic enough to get my point across? ;)

Then, a couple of years ago, I read a blog post by my brilliant friend, Lori, that inspired me to grab January by the horns and make it rad.

-For your littles-
Lori's post about "jazzing up January" is HERE. Read it! She will inspire you to create an advent-type January game for your little ones that will majorly bring January out of gloom and doom territory. Also, check out her follow-up post detailing some of their January fun HERE.

-For your older children-
I asked some mothers of older children for some January-depression-proof suggestions:
* Go bowling (seems that children of all ages love to bowl)
* Read a chapter book out loud together
* Go rollerskating
* Don't be afraid to play outside - even if it is snowing. Just get out! Take them to a vacant parking lot (a church, perhaps?) and let them have a snowball fight while you sit in the toasty car with a good book.
* Check out winter-themed books from the library
* Fill a spray bottle with colored water and draw pictures in the snow
* Use sheets & boxes to build a fort inside your house

-For YOU-
Our list of doldrum-beaters:
*Plan a hot night out with your sweetheart. Get gussied up, put your favorite scarf on, dare to wear lipstick! Make it something to look forward to all week.

*Plan a Girls' Night with some friends. Watch the girlie movie you've been dying to see (you know your husband won't mind if you see it without him!), go out for hot chocolate, or go out and sing karaoke! (I have a major testimony of Karaoke!)

*Set aside a few hours to do something you've been wanting to do, but always push aside for other things. Read a novel, give yourself a pedi, work on a new project, take a bubbly bath.

Now everybody say it with me.

Bring it on, January!

-Anne

More ideas? Pray, tell!

Grateful Tree

It's a misty Monday morning and I'm enjoying looking at the grateful tree we made last week on family night.

It used to be a spooky tree. See?

And soon it will be adorned with sparkly, glittery ornaments and ribbon. But for now it's covered in "I am grateful for" leaves.

{Grown up version, 4 1/2 year old version, 2 1/2 year old version}

Last year it was a paper chain, and maybe next year it will be something different. I don't care what shape it takes; I just want to remember this tradition every year. It makes us stop and consider all we have to be exceedingly grateful for. And it is SO.MUCH.

What are you doing this year to celebrate gratitude?
--anne

Dress Ups! Tips from Bloom Guest Kerstin McFeely

The moment we saw pictures of Kerstin's playroom, it was love at first sight. Anne and I were especially smitten with the dress-up area (don't you think that kid-height mirror on the wall is darling and brilliant?!). We both tucked the idea away hoping to garner some dress-ups between now and Christmas, and gift our children some props for imaginative play. With so many post-Halloween clearance sales going on right now, we thought this would be a great time to write about this and put the idea on your radar.

We e.mailed Kerstin to ask how/where she acquired so many fantastic dress-ups and what tips she could share for creating an awesome dress-up area. We were so tickled by her generous response, we couldn't wait to share it at Bloom!

Here's what she had to say:

-Look around your house for items first. Do you have old scarves, belts, hats that you
don’t use anymore? Ask family members and friends if they have anything they would
like to donate to your collection.

-Keep your eyes out. There are items such as animal masks and gloves often in the $1
bins and Target and Joann’s.

-Gather all the crowns, jewelry, make believe stuff and put them all in one spot.

-Search thrift stores, store clearances, after Halloween clearance sales! (Hurry!!)

-Keep dress up items accessible and let your child imagine away! It is a lot of fun to see
their little minds in action.

Where to find dress up clothes:
-Imaginarium makes great quality dress ups. Find some deals on ebay!
-yard sales
-craigslist (search for old dance costumes too!)
-thrift stores
-Disney Store clearance
-Costco (usually around this time of year they have a dress up box and Disney princess shoes
pack for less than $20)
-Joann’s and Target’s $1 bins (animal masks, and tea party gloves for example)
-make your own

Dress Up Must Haves:
-purses
-bandana
-hats
-old cell phones
-umbrella
-belts
-shoes
-wands
-apron
-scarves
-jewelry
-sunglasses
-gloves
-dresses
-old sports jerseys
-Police and firemen costumes
-tutus
-wings
-cowboy/girl costumes
-Halloween costumes

Other ideas:
-Doctor’s kit (I love seeing my daughter care for others)
-feather boa at Joann’s or Michaels (snag a couple with 40% off coupons)
-tea party set
-dishes and play food
-cowboy boots

Aren't those great tips? And such a thorough list of items to be on the lookout for. Thanks so much, Kerstin!

Many of those things might already be lurking around your home, and many of the others could easily be sewn or hand made. With a little forethought and creativity you could put together a smashing collection of dress-ups for not much money at all!

Insect Lore!

When I was a little girl, we'd constantly play in the vacant field next door and return home with monarch caterpillars and milkweed. We'd put them in jars and watch the whole process from caterpillar to pupa to gorgeous butterfly. Absolute magic.

Unable to duplicate that naturally for my children, I sought help from a company I've heard great things about for a long time--Insect Lore. They sent some Painted Lady caterpillars our way last month, and I could not be more excited to show you the wonder that followed.

One afternoon a delivery man rang our doorbell and the children (including cousin Mary) were so excited, they plopped right down on the porch to open our caterpillar package.

Insect Lore sends absolutely everything you need--the caterpillars (in a culture with all the food they'll need), a butterfly garden (for when it's time for them to hatch), and very clear, thorough instructions.

For a week we kept our eyes on the culture cup and watched the caterpillars change from tiny to plump (Eric Carle wasn't kidding!).

Then one day the caterpillars started toward the lid of the cup. By the next day, their pupas were formed and we followed the instructions for putting them into the butterfly garden.

Along the way, we did some simple corresponding art projects. The boys loved making egg carton and pipe cleaner caterpillars.

But Blaine was so disgusted with his imperfect tissue paper butterfly that he directly marched it to the garbage can. C'est la vie!

Insect Lore suggests you plan your butterfly hatching experience around any sort of vacations or things that would disrupt the process, but we had some necessary travel come up, so into the car went our pupas! They drove all the way to Grandma's house in Utah with us and began hatching within the first couple days of our stay there. It was so exciting to wake the boys up in the morning with the news, "The first butterfly is out!"

We followed the instructions to put something sugary in the garden (like flowers sprinkled with sugar water or watermelon) for our butterflies to eat. Watching them pop out one by one and learn to spread their wings was utterly inspiring. I loved how many questions the boys asked and how even the adults in the house were mesmerized.

After a couple of days of admiring our Painted Ladies in their garden, we knew it was time to release them to the wild.

Lucky for us, Grandma's neighbors have a butterfly bush, a perfectly fitting home, we thought.

It was hard to say goodbye, but we did it!

Sincerely, I cannot think of an educational experience I've loved more with my children. We had weeks of magic with this activity! At Bloom we try to focus on making our lives and our children's lives more meaningful. This is just the sort of thing that fulfills that goal so well that I want to shout it from the rooftops!

xo,
anne

P.S There are a lot of great products available at Insect Lore. Find exactly what we used here.