Family time! Craft #2

This week we did craft #2. She drew her activity and we got colored rice. Surpisingly, this one was super simple and she loved playing with the bags of rice (which helped mommy a lot).
What you need:
A bag of rice
Vinegar
Food colors (preferably liquid, I used neon)
Slide lock baggies (the size you need depends on how much rice of one color you will be making)

1. Seperate the rice into your designated colors. I just scooped it into baggies until I was happy with the number of colors we would end up with (we got 7 good ones and one weird one). This also gave us a chance to play with colors and mix them to create new ones.
2. Start with one baggie of rice. For every cup of rice you will need 1 tablespoon of vinegar. I did 1 cup per bag so the math was simple.
3. Add your food coloring to the vinegar. The vinegar may look really dark, but it lightens up when you mix it with the rice. We averaged 6-10 drops per tablespoon.
4. Add the mixture to the baggie, seal, and let baby squish it around!
5. Lay the rice out to dry. I made foil "pans" and laid them in that overnight.

My runt had a blast with this. She got to smash and squish until she was happy. The final result was some awesome vibrant colors. Later, we will use the rice for a few different activities. They are in her jar and I hope she draws them soon. I really don't want to store it for another year!

Potty training!

So, we aren't going full on with potty training just yet. I mean, my kid turned one not even a week ago. However, we got her a potty chair for a birthday gift figuring we would use it in the next few months (and it was free thanks to fisher price). Two days after her birthday I pulled it out and assembled it. I figured "let's see what happens". Couldn't hurt. At the very least, it would get her used to the chair. So I sat her on her seat next to the big toilet. I sat next to her and waited. Not even two minutes later her chair started singing. It only sings when it senses the child has gone to the bathroom. I thought it was malfunctioning. I mean, no way this kid went the the bathroom. It wasn't! She had gone! I figured it was a fluke and the next time would be torture. It wasn't!  I'm not sure how, but she goes to the bathroom every single time within a few seconds of sitting down. It sings (which is great because she LOVES music) and she dances. We cheer and she claps. We still aren't going full force with it, but she has done great! Now, the question becomes, how do I teach her to tell me when she has to go? For right now, I'm not concerned. I take her in every hour and she goes without fail. So, I'm hoping in a few weeks she will make the connection. Until then, I'm just glad she is trying! I honestly couldn't be more proud of her for at least giving me that!

Building sticks

So, I got a little too excited and instead of waiting a couple days (I had planned on having her pick an activity on sunday, using it as incentive during the week, and completing the activity on Friday or saturday) I made my husband go out and pick up the items today. It was super simple and she loved them. Plus, she can learn fine motor skills, shapes, counting, colors, and the velcro adds a little sensory play.
Items you will need:
Popsicle sticks- you can color them on your own with 20 drops food coloring and 1 cup hot water. Let them soak for at least an hour. I just bought them already colored because it was thirty cents more.
Velcro rounds

Take the popsicle sticks and place one velcro round on each end. You can put a scratchy one and a soft one, two soft ones, or two scratchy ones. I mixed it up so she can learn how velcro works.

Lastly, I got a pencil pouch. Really, any small container will work for taking them on the go (amazing quiet activity for waiting rooms), but I like the pencil pouch that fits in the binder best. Soon, we will be taking a lot of 2-3 hour car rides to visit family. So, she can pick a few pencil pouches for her travel binder and they will be nice and organized in the car. Simple and amazing.

JUST DO IT

Yesterday was my daughter's first birthday!  As exciting as it seems, I actually hate it, but that's another post entirely. This post is about one of the gifts I made her. I call it her "just do it jar". Basically, it's a jar filled with fun things for her to do. I gathered 52 fun activities, put them in simple categories (takes planning, everyday, nice weather, and costs more than $5), and then printed them on colored paper. All of the activities will actually cost about $3! Not only is it super cheap, but it gives us all a chance to make memories. Every week, she will pick one new activity and we will complete the activity as a family. I put in everything from colored spaghetti for dinner to going to the zoo. She will get her jar refilled every year on her birthday and have a whole new list of activities to do. She made her first pick and the winner is..... making building sticks. Every week, I will be sure to post instructions and lots of pictures!