Train Name Plaque for the Boy

Because Andyroo loves trains, here's yet another fun train project, just for him.

It was super easy and took me all of an hour to complete. And it only took that long because I kept getting interrupted.

I found the wooden train plaques (I actually purchased 2 - not sure how I'm going to use the other one) on clearance at Hobby Lobby. I found a cute train paper, traced the train shape, and mod podged that baby on. I used my Silhouette to cut out Andyroo's name and there you have it.

Easy peasy. And cheap too!

Thanks to all the fabulous bloggers out there who take the time and effort to host these spectacular parties!! We're linking up here:


Mondays:
Just Something I Whipped Up, Craftastic Monday, Turquoise Lovin', Making the World Cuter Mondays, Making Mondays Marvelous, Creative Me Mondays, Made By You Mondays, Craft-O-Maniac Monday, Made with Love, More the Merrier


Tuesdays:
Get You Craft On, Tuesday Confessional, Who's Got Glam, Ta-Da Tuesdays, Tip Me Tuesdays, Take a Look Tuesdays, Show Me What You Got, Tuesday Tutorials, Too Cute Tuesdays, Craft & Tell, Tutorials & Tips Tuesday


Wednesdays:
Whatever Goes Wednesday, Idea Sharing Wednesday, What I Made Wednesday, DIY Under $5, Woot Woot Wednesday, Wow Me Wednesday, Your Whims Wednesday, Lil' Luna Link Party, Hoo's Got Talent, We Can Do it Cheaper, Look What I Made, What I Whipped up Wednesday, Wow Me Wednesday


Thursdays:
Strut Your Stuff, DIY Diva Thursdays, Hookin' Up With House of Hepworths, Get Your Brag On


Fridays:
Frugal Friday, Creative-ly U, Feature Yourself Friday, PityParty, Look At Me, Show & Share, Fantabulous Friday, Tickled Pink Fridays, I'm Lovin' It


Saturdays/Sundays:
Lovely Little Linkup, Weekend Wander, Sundae Scoop, Sunday Showcase Party, Think Pink Sundays, Anything Goes, Whatcha Got Weekend, Free For All

Train Costume Part 2: The Train

Last week I posted about part of Andyroo's costume - the Train Engineer Outfit and the Train Engineer Cap. But no train engineer would be complete without a train to drive.

I asked Andyroo which train he wanted to be. Of course he couldn't be the one that everyone knows - Thomas. He wanted to be James. While we were at the trunk or treat, everyone kept asking him, "Are you Thomas?" He corrected a few people and then must have gotten tired of that because he just started saying, "Yeah," when someone asked.

The train is simply two boxes, some paint, some glue, and whatever you want to use for the straps. The big box was about 11-12" wide, about 12-13" tall, and around 20" long. I added a smaller box on the top that was about the same width and about 3-4" tall. I stuck the boxes together with some hot glue. Add some black, red, gray, and gold paint and you have James!

Here's a close up of the face. I'm no artist (seriously, I'm good at stick figures and that's about it) but I really channeled my past art classes and was able to make James' face. I painted it while Andyroo was napping and when he woke up, I showed him the face and he got a big smile and said, "Mom! James is perfect!"

And a close up of the side.

The wheels are additional circles that I traced, cut, painted and then stuck on with glue dots (because my hot glue gun stopped working).

The train was actually a pretty easy project. It only took about 2 nap times to finish.

So cute!!!

Train Engineer Cap

Sorry it's been so quiet around here this week. I've been busy finishing up Andyroo's Halloween Costume! Yay! Hopefully I'll have the train part of Andyroo's costume finished and posted tomorrow.

As part of Andyroo's Train Engineer costume, he needed a hat! I've never seen them in a store anywhere, so I just decided to make one. I searched around online and found an awesome Train Engineer Cap Pattern over at Aesthetic Nest.. Here's what I came up with!

I made it with the same blue material I used for his Train Engineer Costume. I also purchased some lining as a remnant and some heavy weight interfacing (with a coupon, of course).

I did a couple things different than she did in her pattern. Because Andyroo's head is so big (seriously - that's the large pattern and it has maybe an extra 1/2" of room), I skipped adding the elastic. I also made some stitches at the top of the cap to keep the lining and canvas from separating.

I also didn't add the lining to the brim of the hat and made the interfacing in the brim of the hat 1/2" less all around. I was trying to cut down on the thickness so that I wasn't constantly having to fix my machine. The hat still turned out perfectly!

The pattern and pictures that Aesthetic Nest has posted were such a great help. I was able to whip this up in just a few hours. But it would have taken less time if my machine wasn't always getting jammed (have I mentioned lately how much I need a new machine).

Andyroo loves his hat though, which makes every frustrating stitch and all the jammed needles worth it!

Halloween Costume: Train Engineer

We've stuck with a Peanuts theme for Andyroo's costumes for the past couple Halloweens, and though we could have stuck with that same idea and made him Linus or Woodstock, I thought he'd have more fun being a train!

Things are pretty tight financially speaking so I didn't want to shell out $30 for premade costume. Instead I decided to use what I had on hand and make him into a Train Engineer (or conductor, or driver, or whatever the guy who drives the train is called)! I did end up purchasing a few supplies (extra thread and binding) but I made this with a pattern I created using what I already had.

The outfit required a bit more time, mostly because I wanted it to be something Andyroo could use after Halloween. I knew he would absolutely love it wouldn't want to just put it away after trick-or-treating. Right now it looks a little big on him, but it's something that he can continue growing into. Yay!

For the outfit I used the following supplies:

-Light blue Home Decor fabric (like a light weight canvas - I picked it up as remnant about 6 months ago when I was contemplating making my own fabric bins but then found my Dollar Store Storage Bins)
-Dark Blue cotton (leftover from making my Mother-in-Law a KitchenAid cover last Christmas)
-Dark blue binding (because I wanted a little more contrast, you could also just hem all the sides)
-Coordinating thread
-Scissors, pins, measuring tape, etc
-Tissue Paper for making a pattern
-Coordinating ribbon for ties at the shoulder and waist
-Accessories for the costume. Andyroo has a small flashlight, train tickets (not yet finished but I'll be offering the printable soon), toy wrenches, and a walkie talkie/toy phone. You could also do some old keys, a hole punch, etc.

I took all of Andyroo's measurements and got to work. He's about 23 inches around at his widest, so I made the front and back of the costume each about 11 inches wide. His shoulder to knee measurement (remember I want him to grow into this) was about 23", so that's how long I made front and back. I cut out a curve around the neck, left a partial "strap," and then rounded the bottom corners using a bowl. If he's anything like his daddy (which he certainly seems to be so far), he'll be tall and skinny. I have no doubt that this will fit him for years to come.

I also cut some pockets to hold all of his accessories. I put on 3 pockets, but you could do however many you want. I didn't create an actual pattern piece for these. Instead I used my rotary cutter and made 2 squares that were about 3"x3" and another square that was 3"x4". I came up with those measurements after laying the pattern out on my cutting mat and just figuring out what looked proportionate. If you're making this for a different-sized child, you might want different sized pockets.

Before you attach the pockets, you'll want make a small (think 1/8" - 1/4") hem around the sides. I only did 3 sides because I knew I was going to attach binding to the top. Make sure to miter your corners to get a crisp point - not that mine look that crisp though!

I wanted some contrast, so I hemmed the pockets using a dark blue thread. After doing the three sides, I also sewed a strip of binding along the top of the pocket.

I suppose I should have put the binding on first, then turned in the sides, but I didn't. Instead I just tucked the corner of the binding in at the top and sewed it to the apron. Make sure you have your pockets straight. If I had used a real pattern, there would have been marks to transfer to the fabric. Instead I just laid it out my cutting mat and used my big grid ruler to make sure everything was even and straight.

I put the binding on the apron piece before adding the pockets. I did this so I would have a better idea of where the pockets should actually be placed.

The binding really wasn't too hard to work with. I think the hardest part to maneuver was the corners. I'm sure there's a better way to finagle it, but I did something that we'll call a modified or half miter. It worked for me!

To finish the binding, I probably should have turned under the edge of the outer layer of binding, but my machine doesn't like it when I try and shove too many layers through. If it feels that there's too much going through, the needle jams and I have to take the bobbin, bobbin holder, and the spinny thing the bobbin holder sits in out. Then I have to put it all back together and it's a complete pain. At this point, I was working with essentially 9 layers of fabric so I opted to just sew across the raw edge of the binding. If it frays a bit, oh well.

So now I attached the pockets - again using a contrasting dark blue thread. No pics. :)
I thought about adding a little strap to the shoulders with buttons and a button hole. I've never attempted a buttonhole with this machine and when I pulled out my manual, I found that I didn't have the buttonhole foot for the machine. It's a freebie from freecycle, so I can't complain. I attempted it on a scrap piece of fabric and while I probably could have gotten it to work, the in and out of the needle really did a number on the blue canvas and I didn't want to chance the actual costume. So I just decided to do a simple ribbon tie at the shoulders and waist. So much easier than a button - and I get to escape the whole buttonhole thing once more!

At this point, your costume could be done. Put it on your little one and enjoy!

However, I decided it needed something a little more. I had some leftover iron-on inkjet paper leftover from doing the Train page in Andyroo's Quiet Book. I used the images I created for Andyroo's Thomas the Train Wall Decor and a couple other clipart images I found online. Simply print, cut, and iron.

Unfortunately the image didn't adhere very well to the canvas fabric. So the patches look a little...faded. We'll call it vintage-y. Yeah, vintage.

I'm also doing a train for Andyroo to wear. It will be easy - some cardboard boxes and some paint! I'll be posting that later this week so be sure to come back and check it out.

All aboard!!

Train Matching Game - Free Printable!

Andyroo loves his Toy Story Matching Game that he got for Christmas, but he's moved out of the Toy Story phase and is currently obsessed with all things Trains - especially Thomas & Friends. I thought it would be fun for him to have a new matching game, so I found some free clip art and put together my own version using images that I created for Andyroo's Thomas the Train Wall Hangings.

And, as an added bonus, I thought I would offer to all of our wonderful readers! I know my son can't be the only little boy out there obsessed with trains! C'mon, please tell me there are other mothers out there who know way too much about Thomas and the island of Sodor. Does anyone else find it really weird that the trains are the ones in charge? That the drivers and other people that work on the trains have no control over those "silly" trains? It's not just me, right?

Anyway, click here to download the PDF version. Print it on some card stock, cut them out, and let your little ones have fun. There are about 30 cards or 15 total matches. You could also make this into a file folder game. I think I'll be doing that for a new church quiet game. The printable is free, however we would love it if in return, you would become a follower of Life in the Motherhood! It's also for personal use only, please. You're welcome to share it with others, but please link them back to this post. Thanks!

Enjoy!

(The images I used were either created by me (the Thomas & Friends images) or were found through free clip art sources.)



Thanks to all the fabulous bloggers out there who take the time and effort to host these spectacular parties!! We're linking up here:


Mondays:
Just Something I Whipped Up, Craftastic Monday, Turquoise Lovin', Making the World Cuter Mondays, Making Mondays Marvelous, Creative Me Mondays, Made By You Mondays, Craft-O-Maniac Monday, Made with Love, More the Merrier


Tuesdays:
Get You Craft On, Tuesday Confessional, Who's Got Glam, Ta-Da Tuesdays, Tip Me Tuesdays, Take a Look Tuesdays, Show Me What You Got, Tuesday Tutorials, Too Cute Tuesdays, Craft & Tell, Tutorials & Tips Tuesday


Wednesdays:
Whatever Goes Wednesday, Idea Sharing Wednesday, What I Made Wednesday, DIY Under $5, Woot Woot Wednesday, Wow Me Wednesday, Your Whims Wednesday, Lil' Luna Link Party, Hoo's Got Talent, We Can Do it Cheaper, Look What I Made, What I Whipped up Wednesday, Wow Me Wednesday


Thursdays:
Strut Your Stuff, DIY Diva Thursdays, Hookin' Up With House of Hepworths, Get Your Brag On


Fridays:
Frugal Friday, Creative-ly U, Feature Yourself Friday, PityParty, Look At Me, Show & Share, Fantabulous Friday, Tickled Pink Fridays, I'm Lovin' It


Saturdays/Sundays:
Lovely Little Linkup, Weekend Wander, Sundae Scoop, Sunday Showcase Party, Think Pink Sundays, Anything Goes, Whatcha Got Weekend, Free For All

Preschool Planning & Filing System

Last week, I showed you the printable that I use for planning preschool activities with Andyroo. This week, I'm going to show you how I put the printable to work for me and the system I use to keep myself organized. It's ridiculously easy - and cheap!

This is a simple rubbermaid-type container that I've had sitting around for years - since high school, I think. It wasn't holding anything important (some old ugly scrapbooking paper, some page protectors, etc) so I threw out the unnecessary stuff and put it to good use!

Starting from the front, it contains:

1. An extra notebook for paper purposes. I don't have any filler paper, so if I need to add anything to the folders or write down ideas, I just use the notebook, tear it out, then put it in the appropriate folders.

2. A file folder with extra blank preschool planning pages and tabs. That way if I get an idea for another "unit" I can easily add it to my files.

3. Various 3-pronged pocket folders that hold all the ideas and plans that I've found that need a home. Each one is tabbed and marked so that I can easily see which folder it is when I open the box.

The folders that I purchased (for $0.05/ea during the back to school sales!!) have the whole ridge thing on the side. I had leftover sticky post-it tabs from my coupon binder that so I cut them down and stuck them in the middle.

As a plus, the tabs are erasable/rewritable, so if I ever need to change out what's in the folder, I can easily just change the tab. The tabs are also removable so I can easily move them around or take them off if the need ever arises.

Inside the folder, I have a planning sheet for each of the items written on the tab. So using the folder above, I have a sheet for: Into to the Alphabet, The Letter A, The Letter B, & the Letter C. I'm still accumulating stuff, but if I find something online that I want to print out or copy, I just slip it into a page protector that is behind each planning page.

I chose to add the page protectors so I wasn't always having to 3-hole punch everything and shuffle papers around to get it in the right place.

4. Various preschool (and older) workbooks that I've found. Keeping them in one place makes it handy to find when I need to pull them out.

5. Extra page protectors (you can't see them in this pic) for adding to the folders.

When we're going to be learning about something new, I can easily find the folder with all the information. Easy enough, right!? And super cheap (at least in my case) too!!! Yay!

Car Seat Use and Safety

(A note before continuing: Car seat law vary greatly between countries and even states. I can only attest to the requirements of The United States - specifically here in Utah. If you're in another state or, especially, another country, PLEASE check the laws and regulations regarding the use of car seats. And if something I say isn't correct, is misleading, or causes question, PLEASE let me know. I'm no expert! I don't want to mislead anyone out there. I want all of our little ones to be safe and sound!! I also won't be making any specific car seat recommendations. But I will provide trustworthy sources where you can find recommendations.)

Besides providing shelter, food, and a safe environment, one of the most important things we can do for our children is to obtain and correctly use a car seat. At least in my opinion it is! There are a lot of people out there (especially those in my parent's generation and before) that don't quite "get it" when it comes to car seats. Believe me, I've had to listen to all the arguments against car seats!

My father-in-law especially doesn't care for them. When Andyroo was about 6 months old, we were visiting my in-laws and ended up taking a 2 hour car ride (both ways - 4+ total) with Andyroo's grandparents. Andyroo has a cousin just a few weeks younger than him and their little family was there too. So after a whole day of 2 babies who were DONE with car seats, we spent almost 2 hours on the ride home discussing why car seats are or aren't necessary. Longest car ride ever! And, you know, I really can't blame the people who don't get why. I mean, for most of my childhood, I didn't ride in a car seat. My mom said they brought me home in a little bassinet that just sat on the seat - no buckle or straps. I survived without a car seat. So did my sisters and millions of other babies before us. And, as was pointed out during that crazy car ride, who is the government to tell me that I have to buy an expensive piece of plastic for my baby? Am I really so fearful of being pulled over and given a ticket (or worse) that I'm going to keep my child strapped in "unnecessarily"?

It isn't the government that makes me afraid. It isn't being pulled over that scares me. It isn't that I like seeing my child crying to get out or getting agitated because he's tired of sitting in the car seat. I keep my child strapped in a car seat (while we're in the car, of course) because I love him. I want him to be with us for as long as he can be. I've seen the evidence that car seats keep children safe. I've heard the stories of children who weren't properly restrained and were thrown through the windows of cars and died. I don't want that to be my child! I love him and I'll do whatever I need to in order to keep him safe. If that means a car seat, then so be it! Compared to 25 years ago when I was a baby, there are more cars on the road, more distractions (for yourself and other drivers), and cars driving at faster speeds. It just makes sense that our children need more protection.

The reason this is on my mind is because Andyroo is quickly outgrowing his current car seat - and it's time to search for a new one. I thought that it might be useful to other parents out there to share some of my research and information.

Use Your Car seat Correctly
The first thing that I want to say is that no matter which car seat you purchase (whether is a $40 Cosco Scenera or a $200+ Britax), the most important thing is that it is installed and used correctly every single time!! It doesn't matter what you use, just use one and do it correctly. If you have any questions about whether your seat is installed properly or about how to use it, there are certified car seat technicians available to help and answer your questions.

If you need installation help, please use the following information to find someone to help you. (And don't freak out, the CPS acronym means "Child Passenger Safety," not the feared Child Protection Service)

If you have questions or need help installing your car safety seat, find a certified CPS technician.

Lists of certified CPS technicians and child seat fitting stations are available on the following Web sites:

• NHTSA (or call NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888/327-4236)

• SeatCheck (or call 866/SEATCHECK [866/732-8243])

• National Child Passenger Safety Certified Technicians (or call 877/366-8154) This site provides information in Spanish and also provides a list of CPS technicians with enhanced training in protection of children with special needs.

(Above information found at this link) 

I also know that here in our town, about 2 or 3 times a year, I'll hear about Car seat Check stations that are being set up so that, if a parent/guardian chooses, they can have someone inspect and check their seat.

Extended Rear-Facing
You should also know that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has changed their recommendation for car seats for children under 2. You can find more information here, but in a nutshell, the AAP

Car seat Recommendations
As I said, I won't be giving any specific car seat recommendations. I only know the ones I've used - the Graco SafeSeat and the Cosco Scenera. At each new car seat, I've done some research about the current seats on the market and the current recommendations. The car seat that works best for you is based on a few things - your child (height, weight, age, and growth rate), your car, your budget, and your needs. In our situation, we could have eliminated the infant car seat, but I liked the option of removing the car seat from the base and being able to transport the baby wherever. I wasn't too hip on the carriers at the time, but you could use a convertible car seat from the start and just plan to use a stroller or carrier at all times. When we bought our Scenera, money was really, really tight. Even spending the $40 was really pushing our budget. It's a no-frills car seat that served it's purpose. It's what we needed at the time. We knew we would have to buy another (or possibly two) car seats in the future, but it's what we could afford. It served it's purpose. It was installed correctly and used properly and I know, had we ever been in an accident, it would have done it's job and kept my son safe.

There are forums out there where you can get specific car seat recommendations. I haven't specifically asked the people on the message boards for a specific recommendation, but I peruse the boards and can often find someone in a similar situation and work from those recommendations. The two forums that I've found the most helpful are:

The Car Seat Message Board on iVillage - You do need to be a member of iVillage to post, but membership is free. They also have lots of other parents articles and forums that you can join!

Car Seat Forum on Car-Safety.Org - Again, you have to be registered to post in this forum.

There are many knowledgeable people that can answer your questions there. They both have CPSTs on the board to help you. If you're looking for reviews about a specific car seat, you might considering checking out sources like:

• ConsumerReports.org - Your local library probably has hard copies of the magazines in which the reviews are published, then you don't have to pay to read specific reviews
• ConsumerSearch.org - Much like Consumer Reports, but you don't have to pay for specific reviews and information
• Viewpoints.com - This is solely based on what consumers have to say. All of the reviews are submitted directly by consumers. Great for getting firsthand opinions about everyday use.
• CarSeatReview.org - Kind of like a blog format. Lots of good firsthand experience and reviews
• The Baby Bargains Book - I picked up this book soon after I found out I was pregnant. I can't attest to the most current edition, but the one I used had lots of reviews for car seats. You could also check out the website associated with the book.
• Friends and Family! Word of mouth is great. They may not all be Certified Technicians, but they've used car seats too. Your best bet is to talk with newer mothers - ones that are still buying car seats. They're probably more in the loop with current car seats and information.

Using car seats that are used, expired, or have been in an accident
I've seen a lot of posts on sites like Craigslist and Freecycle offering or selling their old car seats. In my opinion, it's not something I would ever do. I might consider borrowing someone else's car seat if I knew them well enough to know it had never been in an accident. Why not use a car seat that's been in an accident? Even at slow speeds, there could be damage done to the frame of the car seat - damage that you can't see. Most insurance companies will cover the cost of a replacement car seat if you've been in an accident. The other reason I wouldn't purchase a used car seat - most car seats are only good for approximately 6 years. They do actually expired. After so long of being subject to heat and cold and dust and everything else, the plastic starts to wear down, belts could come loose, etc. You just can't always see or know what's going on with the car seat.

Curious if your seat has expired or when it will expire? Most car seats have a sticker on them with the manufacture date and the expiration date. If it isn't there, consult your owner's manual. Don't have the manual anymore? Go to the manufacturer's website and find the manual online.

Are you using a car seat that you know has been in an accident? Talk with your insurance agent to see if it qualifies for replacement!

Also, don't use any aftermarket parts that don't originally come with your car seat. By that I mean any additional headrests or strap covers. Their use hasn't been approved by the manufacturer and could alter the ability of your car seat to protect your child in an accident. Using them could also void the warranty that comes with your car seat. Blankets and other covers are fine but anything that comes between your child and the belt or the carseat (besides their clothing) shouldn't be used.

Other options for purchasing a car seat
Car seats are expensive. There's not denying that. There are affordable options out there though. Like I mentioned earlier the Cosco Scenera is about $40 and can be used for children 5-40lbs. If you can afford that, check with your local agencies. Some WIC (Women, Infants, & Children) offices can either provide or cheaply sell car seats. If they don't do it through their office, they could definitely point you in the right direction. You could also talk to your pediatrician to see if he or she knows of any local resources for cheap car seats. You won't be getting a Britax or Diono, but you'll be getting a safe seat for your child to use.

Some other resources
It can be daunting to try and narrow it down to the right car seat. It can be overwhelming to figure out what kind of car seat you should be buying next - Convertible, High Back Booster, Belt Positioning Booster, etc. I've found a few resources that you might find helpful.

HealthyChildren.org - This specifically links to some great, basic information about the different kinds of car seats available and provides some great resources on using car seats correctly.

Car-Seat.org - This links you directly to the FAQ section of their website which has a lot of great information on car seat usage and installation.

I hope you've found something in here that was useful to you. If you still have questions or if I didn't go over something well enough, then please feel free to ask. And I know that car seats can cause a little bit of a debate (especially with the new AAP recommendations and the whole front-facing vs. rear-facing thing) and while I don't mind discussion, I don't want this post to become the source of intense debate or anything of the sort.

Preschool Planner Printable

We're kind of in a tough spot right now. I really think Andyroo would benefit from preschool, but we don't have the money for it and I don't want to commit to a program (that someone else is doing) and then have to back out in a few (*fingers crossed*) months when Hubs gets a job. I don't want to leave someone high and dry with the loss of income or something that like that.

So, instead of sending him out for preschool, I've been looking for options and ideas for doing preschool for him here at home. I've found TONS and TONS of resources (which I'll do another post on later) and I'm trying to kind of narrow down what I want to do. There's so much information out there that it's a little overwhelming. My head starts spinning just thinking about all the possibilities. I can handle the head-spinning if I have a place to organize myself - something where I can write down everything and reference it later.

And that's where my new printable comes into play.

It's nothing fancy and colorful (I'd end up printing in B&W anyway), but it gets the job done. And I'm really happy with this method. I have plenty of space to write and different catories to utilize. And no "dates" to make me feel locked in. Afterall, what if I really don't want to talk about birds one day? What if I want to skip ahead or just skip it all together. It must be something about calendars, but i always wind up feeling like a failure if I didn't accomplish something that was written on the calendar. So no dates - though if you prefer, you could write it into either of the top two spaces, or anywhere else on the page.

Before I created this, I was using a calendar to map out exactly what we were going to do when. It was just a printed monthly calendar. Writing so tiny I can barely read it is not my idea of easy. And it was so cluttered that I just stopped using it. It didn't have any really pertinent information so I still had to go lookup things elsewhere. I was able to write 2 or 3 words about the activity or idea and then either a book or website abbreviation. I need more than that! Needless to say, that method only lasted a couple of weeks before I stopped using it.

Want to use this for your own preschool ideas? Of course you do! Just click here to download the PDF file from google docs. If you do use it, let me know what you think - any improvements or changes that need to be made?

Next week, I'll be showing you the filing system I actually use for all of our preschool stuff. Be sure to come back and check it out!

Book Review: Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth

Have you heard of this book? It literally saved my sanity!!

This book, Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth, was recommended to me by another mama, and I'm soooooo glad I took the time to read it! I know I can't be the only mom who struggles to get her children to sleep and I thought some of you other mamas might like some help!

Andyroo was NOT a good sleeper. Not by any stretch of the imagination. Even in the hospital, he didn't want to sleep in the little bed/box they had him in. If one of us was holding him, he would sleep great. Unfortunately that carried over at home too. He would only stay asleep if he was sleeping ON us. I would lay him on my chest and he would stay asleep for a couple hours at a time. But *I* wasn't sleeping well. I was already dealing with all of the new mom stuff (hormones, emotions, trying to nurse, etc) and had to deal with EXTREME lack of sleep. I know I shouldn't have given in to letting him sleep on us, but I was so tired and frazzled and I just wanted to sleep. As long as I could lay in bed and pretend to sleep, I didn't really care where he slept. I couldn't deal with putting him in his crib or bassinet and having him wake up every 20 minutes. I tried it. For about an hour. It was too much to handle.

Finally after about 2 months (I think - again, extreme fogginess), I discovered that if I left him in his car seat, he would stay asleep! Hallelujah! I knew that letting him sleep in his car seat wasn't the best idea, but he was sleeping! For more than 20 minutes at a time. Without being held! I didn't really care. I just wanted to sleep!!! To save my sanity (and my child), I let the car seat sleeping continue. When he fell asleep, I would go put him in his car seat that was on the floor next to our bed. When he wanted to nurse, I'd wake up and nurse him and then put him back in the car seat. But then I even started getting lazy about putting him back in the car seat. Instead I'd just lay him next to me and we'd both fall asleep while he nursed. I really don't mind co-sleeping. But it didn't help Andyroo learn to sleep on his own. This was my life until Andyroo was about 10 months old. 10 months, people!

About that time, a friend told me about Marc Weissbluth's book - Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. She told me that she's used the methods in there for each of her children and that they were such good sleepers now. I found the book at the library (along with a few others) and go to reading. Let me tell you - this book made the most sense and made me feel the most comfortable. I wasn't comfortable with just letting him cry it out without going in. His approach is a little more gentle and, while still hard on the mommy emotions, was doable for me.

I made sure that Hubs was around for the first couple nights. His work schedule varies between day and  evening shifts and I did NOT want to be doing this alone. So we finally put Dr. Weissbluth's methods to the test. The first night was hard. The first time Andyroo finally fell asleep, he was sitting up in the corner of his crib closest to the door, gripping the bars of his crib. But he fell asleep!!! Luckily it took Andyroo less than a week (maybe around 4 days??) to get the hang of it. I think by about day 3 he was only crying for about 5 or 10 minutes. By the end of the week, he wasn't crying anymore! Success!!!

He was finally sleeping in his crib, waking only once for night-time nursing (I know by that point he didn't need them anymore, but I didn't want to change everything so quickly). Do you realize how wonderful uninterrupted sleep is?

If you have a horrible sleeper, you NEED to read this book. Even if you decide that his methods aren't for you, he has a LOT of really good information about sleep habits and cycles that every mom needs to know. Most moms just think that their babies will know when they're tired and just fall asleep on their own. That may be true in some cases (especially younger babies), but a lot of babies actually need to be taught to go to sleep. That's right, on top of everything else we have to teach them, we also have to teach them how to go to sleep. Dr. Weissbluth also writes about sleep cycles and how daytime sleep is different from nighttime sleep, explains how being overtired actually prevents good sleep (and how it's important to put your child to bed before they get to that point), why a sleep schedule is important, and how getting enough sleep will make your child happier and healthier. This book is also for all children - not just babies or toddlers. He also talks about how to deal with things like bed wetting and nightmares.

I cannot stress enough how having a child who gets enough sleep definitely changes their temperament and makes them happier. Andyroo was NOT a happy baby before he we started this at 10 months. He was a cranky, crabby mess that spent most of the day crying. And I was too! But once he started getting enough sleep, his temperament completely changed. He was happy and smiling and so was I! It's amazing what good sleep habits will do (for children and adults)!! Implementing the things in this book changed (and saved) our lives.

Have you read through this book? Do you have any helpful tips for parents who might be struggling to get their child to sleep? I'd love to hear what you have to say!!

(This is not a paid review. All of the opinions in this book are my own. My life was changed by this book and I thought there might be other mommas struggling too that could be helped by this book)

Felt Playhouse

Felt playhouses were all the rage in blogland a couple of years ago. Seriously, I saw a ton of playhouse ideas floating around out there. At the time I was in school and was taking a sewing class. We had to come up with our own final project. I thought about doing a diaper bag (Andyroo was about 16 months at the time) but couldn't find a pattern I liked. I wanted the bag to actually be functional, so I didn't want to wing it. It was Christmastime and I was in the mood to really make something. So instead I came up with the crazy idea to make not one, but two felt playhouses. One for Andyroo and one for his cousin that is the same age (we had their family for Christmas). Yes, I know. I should have been put in the crazy house for that. When I told my professor, she okayed the project and then quietly added, "But if you change your mind and still want to do a diaper bag, that's still okay too."

But I did it. I completed two felt playhouses. One was before the semester ended (so that I could turn it in and get it mailed out) and the other was finished December 23rd (only because we were spending Christmas Eve at my mom's).

Yes, I fully lined and decorated the inside too. Can you see the "fish tank" through the door?

I'm almost positive that the inspiration for the side pictured below (the tree and vegetables) came from Homemade by Jill. This was in 2009 though, so I don't really remember exactly where all the inspiration and patterns came from. I don't recall using a lot of patterns, just pictures for inspiration. That's just how I roll.

I'm pretty sure I used patterns for the apples and other vegetables here. If I remember right, she painstakingly sewed on individual leaves for the trees. I love Andyroo, but I was on a deadline here folks.

There's a birdhouse complete with birds and butterflies on the side opposite of the tree and garden.

And the back is pretty plain. There's a window and a "doggy door." I wasn't really sure what else to put on there because there wasn't a lot of open space. Don't judge the PVC pipes that you can see through the window. We had the guy at Lowes cut the pipe for us into all even widths, but then when we got home some of the pipe needed to be trimmed. I was taking pictures so that I could send instructions and pictures to my sister- and brother-in-law so they knew what it was supposed to look like.

And the front of the house. The flowers are pickable and plantable. The door rolls up and is held up with a piece of felt and velcro (you can see it if you look carefully).

I didn't get pictures of the inside, but along with the fish tank, there's a cabinet for food, a table, and a clear vinyl slot for a family picture. You can't have a home without a family picture. The inside is lined with a simple buttercup color cotton. I also sewed some pieces of ribbon on the inside of the 4 corners of the house to tie around the PVC pipe just to keep it in place.

Andyroo loved playing in this thing! He loves to hide when he knows someone is coming over (Grandma, daddy coming home, friends coming over, etc) and this was his go-to hiding spot. He also liked to read stories in there. He would pull me inside and bring me arm fulls of books to read to him. Or we would just sit inside and play toys. It was well worth the time, effort, and blood required to make this thing. Yes, blood. I caught my thumb in the needle once while putting all the sides together. Ouch is right.

Luckily I got on A+ on this project.

Like I said, these were huge a couple years ago. Did you attempt your own playhouse? I'd love to hear about it!

Some Fun Kids Ideas!

I've been linking up at a few blog parties and I've come across some fun kids ideas that I just had to share.

With back to school sales in full swing, I was thinking about picking up some watercolors for Andyroo. But then I came across this recipe to make Homemade Watercolors on I Can Teach My Child. Using some simple and common ingredients, you can make this...

Sweet Little Smoothie introduced me to using Mason Jars in place of your usual blender jar. Brilliant idea!!!! Andyroo loves to share my smoothies and this will be so easy to make a smaller amount!!

Polish the Stars has a tutorial/recipe for DIY Moon Sand. I think Andyroo would LOVE this stuff!!!

Preschool Alphabet (which is one of my favorite sites, btw) shows us how to make your own musical instruments!!!! Andyroo will love these too!

I see lots of fun in the near summer future (what few weeks we have left, anyway).

Quiet Book Page #6 - Notebook & Pencil Pocket

Remember the Quite Book Overview I did a while back? I'm going through the book page by page and explaining in more detail how I did everything and linking to any patterns that I used. Be sure to check out the other quiet book pages and the Quiet Book FAQ!

Quiet Book Page #1 - Train Tracks
Quiet Book Page #2 - Shapes and Colors
Quiet Book Page #3 - Barn & Finger Puppets
Quiet Book Page #4 - Letters
Quiet Book Page #5 - Counting

I don't remember where the idea for this page came from. I think it might have been from Homemade by Jill - but I honestly don't remember. I made this book way before I started this blog, so yeah.

I didn't use a template or pattern though. I just cut out a rectangle of felt that would fit on my page. I think it's I 6.5"x5"? I also cut out a smaller rectangle for the top flap. I think mine is about 6.5" wide (make it the same as the width on the other rectangle) x 1.5-2" tall. I sewed around the two sides and the bottom of the big rectangle. Make sure to leave the top open so that the notebook and pen/penciI l have a place to slide in. I also sewed all the way up the rectangle about 1.5" inches in from the left side (you can do right or left) to make separate pockets for the pencil and notebook.

Attach the smaller rectangle about an inch or so above the larger rectangle (make them overlap, but don't put the top of the flap directly above where the pencil/notebook are. See how I left a space? This just makes it easier to get in and out of the pockets

The original pencil and notebook have been lost, but I just used a small pocket notebook in here. It was small enough to not be bulky but still big enough for Andyroo to easily handle.