Dress Up Play Kits...for Moms

Beth loves books.

....and since I was lucky enough to get her family for the Christmas gift exchange this year...

....I didn't get her any.

Mean, I know.

Instead, I put together a "librarian play kit" for her.

Weird, I know.

Still, it did have a bookish theme, and I just picture Beth with her own personal library...or playing "space library" with her kids.

It's old school librarian, since I found these am-A-zing library cards and pockets. I almost hate to tell you about them, since I plan to gift them to a couple other people who may or may not read my blog from time to time.

Beth also needs a typewriter to put all of her book names on the cards...but I didn't feel like mailing one. 

Lame, I know.

...but I did find a cute date stamp and ink pad to use with the library cards.

(Available in the scrapbook section at Target...or at Michaels or AC Moore.)

It even lets you stamp snarky remarks about your books, so you can give "mad props" to J.K. or J.R.R.

I also got her a call bell...kids love them...and they're so annoying....but also fun.

I picked mine up at Target, but you can also find them at Staples or these cute ones at World Market.

...and the aforementioned squirrel-themed earrings...

...and librarian glasses.

Cozy helped me make a bag to put the glasses in.

If I weren't so lazy/busy I would have appliqued the glasses on. I tried my hand at a quicky freezer paper stencil instead.

Just iron it on...then stencil. 

....meh....

We made it a little snazzier with some buttons.

I totally wanted to include a beaded glasses lanyard. I didn't get around to it. However, I suspect you could get one at the dollar store...or any drug store....or steal one from your grandma.

So, I threw all of that stuff in a cute wire basket like these ones (but no liner...and from the dollar section at Target....which I should probably not be admitting)...and that was the crazy gift I sent Beth.

Sure do like her.

Squirrely Gifts

I just love me some theme gifts, so when we decided to give our cousins The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game (Cozy's fave!) , I had to come up with some accessories for it.

...like finger puppet kits....

...and a redecorated olive jar....

(We don't actually recommend feeding peppermint m&ms to squirrels....just squirrely little kids.)

...and squirrel earrings. 

(I know. They are some pretty weird-looking squirrels, but you try and find squirrel earrings. They're the lazy man's version of a Ms. Frizzle dress.)

And that was my bizarre theme of the year.

Ah, Christmas

Leading up to Christmas, we had so many obligations. The kids had school clear up thru the 21st. Bleh. Whatever happened to two weeks off for Winter Break? 

Once the weekend hit, we were all very determined to be as lazy as humanly possible.

Lazily hanging out with Grandparents.

Lazily watching movies.

Lazily hanging out on the computer.

...and then Christmas hit and we had to get off of our rears and play with the little kids.

Cozy got her coveted no-bake cake pop kit from Grandma and Grandpa R.

Sound gross to you too?

3-year-olds think they're yummy, so we non-baked them together.

James was super-thrilled with his eagle talon castle (which had more bells and whistles than I knew before I bought it) and repeating catapult....

...and the Hess helicopter.

They kept him busy for a while, but Tony still had to help him assemble his giant lego stuff...

(and those are root beer bottles - just for the record)

...and make a plaster baking soda volcano.

And now I hope we're back to lazy again.

Sewing Lessons

Sofia's beginner sewing machine has been in a closet since we moved in....Cozy's closet. She noticed it and wanted it. I just kept telling her, "Sorry, it's Sofia's." ....trying to put off sewing with a 3-year-old. Finally, Cozette asked for the cute little machine in front of Sofia, who was happy to pass it on. Dang.

Now my 3 littles are learning to do a bit of sewing (with varying degrees of enthusiasm).

Cozette is thrilled.

She was working the pedal and lifting and lowering the foot, while I helped guide the fabric.

She was so proud.

(Isn't it fun seeing a tiny person concentrate on a task? I don't know why. It just is.)

...jumping for joy...

...and giving the beloved pillow a squeeze.

The pillow James made:

Cute little toothless guy. James loves working the sewing machine - anything mechanical.

Jonny (my only kid who got to use the iron during our sewing lessons) pretending to sleep on his creation.

That was fun. I think we're going to make tote bags next. ....and Jonny would probably appreciate it if I bought World of Geekcraft.

Lilium

One of my amazing children:

Sofia was so disappointed last year when she didn't make it through the "international night" auditions at her school. After hearing the acts that did make, we decided her song selection just wasn't international enough. This year she hedged her bet with a latin song from a japanese anime. Top that!

I was so nervous for her (because, in her shoes, I probably would have got on the stage...and then vomited.) She was wonderful.

Wonderful enough to draw lip-syncing accusations.

:)

Ok. If the video isn't playing for you (like it isn't for me), simply put the mouse in the upper, left-hand corner of the video box and click on "Sofia singing". That will take you to the youtube channel, where it will play instantly...instead of not at all.

Just a Crack

I dropped my ipod on a hard tile floor. Well, I didn't actually drop it. I was holding it by the case, and it fell out. I think I can just have the glass replaced, because it's still totally functional. 

Of course, I did have to hide it, to keep kids from picking off little pieces of glass.

So, between that and my charger, I'm looking pretty awesome.

Tony calls it my post-apocalypse technology. 

A Handmade Gift

I figured out part of my organizing problem earlier this year. For some reason, I didn't feel like I could put projects away until they were finished. As it turns out....things are more likely to get finished if I put them away neatly, in an accessible place. So, several months ago, I got 6 projects to a "put-away-able" stage, hung them neatly on hangers, and put them in my closet.

And, what do you know, when my friend had her baby, it was super easy to pull one blanket out and finish it up. Finally - a handmade gift!

I used my walking foot to quilt some simple zigzags and stripes.

...and, not to brag, but I just love these fabrics. Cute boy stuff is so hard to find.

With some of the prep-work already done, I even had time to hand-stitch the binding. yay!  

Happy day.