Kissing ball

B and I made this cute kissing ball.  After looking through our wedding photos, she noticed our flower girls' kissing balls.  She wanted her very own, so we made it our project for the week.  (It wouldn't normally take that long to put together, but with a 3-year old and an active 18-month old, it was a bit more involved.)  Now it hangs in her room... very sweet.  

My Favorites... Bibs

In the beginning, I went through so many bibs that my babies used during meal-times.  These are the two brands I LOVE the very most... Bumkins and BabyBjorn.  

The Bumkins bib has an adjustable Velcro closure, is PVC, BPA, Phthalate & Vinyl Free, and they come in very cute fabrics.  My kids picked their own and went for Green Eggs and Ham.    Both have pockets to catch the bits that don't make it into their mouths.  Both are waterproof, which has saved a lot of clothing changes.  

The BabyBjorn bib was great because my daughter couldn't pull it off.   It comes in 4 different colors - bright red, ocean blue, spring green, sunflower, and pink.  We especially loved bright red. 

Let's Play

Trying to designate a specific play area in our family room was my goal.  It's a large room, however it is being taken over by the kids... not always a bad thing, but it's a space for Mom & Dad, too.  Now they have a place to put their books, toys, games, etc. on hand-me-down (but perfect) shelves.  We found the table at Pottery Barn Kids and the chairs online.   

 

I made their wall art from canvas, paper, craft letters, and paint.

 

decorating cents...

i needed something as original as my little gal...  i made the kids' windows fun with a bit of color and warmth.  this window treatment cost a total of $3.    

a few dots on the nursery wall with paint, coordinating fabric, 

and a soothing space for my little one was created...  

simple paint can do a lot for the look of a room for very little money.  i made the dots pop by adding paper balls above the crib.  and of course the bedding - the bumpers, quilt, and sheets, handmade by me.  they have been through two munchins, a girl and a boy.  can a girl go with the blues and greens?  in our family they do.  now she is 100% girl, pink and all the frills.    

A little country

We re-painted a hand-me-down dresser - bright red.  The pulls needed to be as fun as the color.  I could not find the right size and I wasn't about to spend a lot of money - it was a hand-me-down.  So, I decided to take some cute fabric and create my own version of a pull...  Kind of country, but kind of cute, too!

Letters...

Crafting, projects, paint, etc.  My little girl, B, loves to do any of these things.  We worked together to create her favorite letter - the letter "B," of course!  Paint, paper, glitter and ribbon came together to shimmer and shine on her bedroom door.

 For B's birthday I made her name - same concept, no glitter.  

Letters, glue, paint, and paper.  

It was a fun project and a colorful addition to her room. 

  

Picture Blocks

I crafted blocks for our family using pictures of the kids, scrapbook supplies, paint and glue.  I got my inspiration from the Martha Stewart Show - Martha and crafter Ashley Steele made wooden blocks on her show.  Ashley Steele sells her work on Etsy.  

I am Mom...

I did that?!  Five oddly-disgusting things we do as "Mommy" (you do it, but never thought you would)...

1. Pick your baby up and sniff their bottom to see if it needs changed.
2. During the "toddler-years" you will almost always head off to Target, Church, or a Play-date with some schmootz on your shoulder... it's your new accessory.  
3. Pull the biggest boogers you've ever seen out of your child's nose - like you've done it for years, often without a tissue... where do I put it now?!  
4. While changing a diaper, you think to yourself, "Ah Ha, there are the peas from last night..." 
5. You try to catch vomit in your hands... yum.  

Motherhood is full of surprises.