DIY Kids Art Display

 

If you have been keeping up with my posts you know that we recently started doing craft time every night. This has left us with a lot of art that we really have no place for at the moment. I want to hang her stuff up because she loves looking at the things she made, but I also want to stop poking holes in the walls with 1,000 push pins. 

IKEA has a really cool solution for this. It is this little metal wire with little metal clips. But it is like twenty dollars and you can hang maybe 5-6 8x10s on it. Not worth the price at all. So I decided to make one with stuff I had around the house.

 What You Need:

Twine or some kind of string

A Hammer

Two Nails

Clothes pins (Not pictured above)

All you have to do is pick where you want this to hang and then hammer two nails in at either end. Tie your twine or string to either end with a bow or a little curly like I left, or you could even have it stop right at the nail.

 

Now just hang up your picture with the clothes pins and you're done! It is so simple and easy. I really like the look of the twine and clothespins together. It adds a little bit of a country look and when we get our house finished I plan on doing a lot of walls up with this kind of thing.

 You can hang whatever you want on here really. Pictures, art, recipes. The options are endless! Which is my favorite kind of storage! It is also so easy to change these as she creates more and more things.

What would you hang on these? Would you rather buy the ones from IKEA?

Establishing A Schedule for a Toddler

It is important to me that Emma spends the majority of her time learning to love learning and exploring rather than immersing herself into technology. When I was growing up I had a fair amount of technological opportunities but I also spent a lot of my time with imaginative play and interactive activities. I want to teach Emma in the same way. I want her to embrace technology and learn to use it to her advantage, but I also want her see it isn't the only way.

While I realize it is impossible to get a toddler on an actual schedule, she determines what time she wakes up, falls asleep, takes a nap and gets hungry, I want to have certain things we make sure we do every day.

Outdoor Play
This is really important. There is an entire world out there for her to explore. Just being outside helps her realize temperature changes, visual changes, sensory changes, new coordination skills are developed as she has to balance over the uneven ground. There is nothing better to teach a baby than by letting her explore the back yard.

We spent an hour one day simply digging a hole in the ground. She loved getting to see her small actions of shoveling out some dirt making a bigger impact and creating a hole. She loves seeing the different types of birds and fish that are in the yard. One of her favorite things to do this summer was touch all of the different branches of the trees and smell the different flowers.

If I could pick one thing that I required her to do, it would be play outside. If you do not have a backyard, go to a park. If you don't have a park, bring the outdoors in. Let them plant seeds and see how they grow. Nature is the biggest most awesome thing a child may ever see. And it is your job to teach them to appreciate it.

Reading Time
I think pretty much every parent understands the importance of reading to your kids. Even my doctor asked to make sure we were doing it. I have been reading to Emma since she was in my tummy, so this is something I know she will strive in.

The important thing to remember here is not to force them into reading. So many kids will want to read but when parents put too much pressure on them they lose interest quickly. You simply have to provide them with the tools and if they see you taking time to read they will want to too. Hopefully. (Isn't parenting exhausting?)

Art Time

This is a new one we are working on. Every day before bathtime (if it is messy) or after dinner (if it is something that can easily be cleaned up) we are doing some sort of art or craft. This can get a little expensive, so buy in bulk and only get things you can do for multiple projects. If you're getting to a point where you want to spend a little less, all a kid needs is crayons to do so many activities and they are cheap. Coloring for example leads to a million possibilities. There are also a lot of crayon melting projects.


Even if it just taking ten minutes out of our day, crafting with kids can teach so many lessons. It is possible to make a mistake in art and still have it turn out beautiful (an important life lesson.) It teaches them to care for their art materials or they may not have it again soon (if they break all their crayons they can't color until they've earned some more). It is also a way for them to express themselves. Emma loves running around and pointing at all the things she made.

Dramatic/Imaginative Play 
This is something we don't get to do on a daily basis because she is so young and doesn't really get the imagination part. But it is essentially dress up and pretending to be characters. For example, she has this baby stroller where she takes baby dolls around the house and when she passes us she says "Bye!" like she is actually going somewhere. She isn't, and therefore is pretending.

This is easier with older kids, but it is still something I'd like to incorporate as much as possible.

Every Day Is a Chance to Create ♡

So I have been trying really hard to get Emma on some kind of schedule where she does some fun learning things each day like art time, reading time and other specific play times to help her develop and explore her new world. I saw each and every one of these ideas on pinterest, some of them I tweaked, some of them I didn't. All the links are in my pinterest under my holiday board if you are interested in seeing the original post.

Fingerprint Snowmen Christmas Bulb

What you need:

An ornament

White, orange, black paint

Small paintbrush

Tiny fingers

 

What you do:

It's pretty self explanatory but you just have to have your little one paint white (I used Crayola finger paint, but you could probably use any if you washed it off really quickly.) all over their hand and carefully grab the bulb. Emma's hand slid up a little, making her fingers look kind of short, but still adorable! Then you have them, or do it yourself if they are too little like Emma, paint the hats, scarfs, eyes, buttons and nose on their little snowmen. Let it dry and WALAH! You have a meaningful ornament you'll remember forever.

 

 

Handprint Wreath

What You Need:

Some sort of paper, I used a 11x14 canvas

Green (Red is optional) fingerpaint

(optional) Glitter sticker letters

What You Do:

Again, pretty self-explanatory, but you draw a circle in the middle of the canvas to help guide you and your child. Dip their hand in, or paint on for a little less mess, green finger paint. Have them press their hand along the circle until you have what looks like a wreath. Then have them dip a finger in red for the berries. You can get creative and draw a bow if you want too. Then, either you or the kids, stick the letters to the bottom and vwalah! Adorableness.

 

Glitter Snowflake Ornaments

What You Need:

Popsicle sticks

Glitter

Mod Podge or Glue

What You Do:

Again, this depends on the age of the kids. Older kids will be able to glue the popsicle sticks in the shape they want, but for Emma who is 1 and a half, I did that part for her. Then you simply paint mod podge or glue on, and let them drop the glitter on. Older kids can paint designs on in glue. But this one is particularly great for the little ones because they get to play in glitter and it is really hands on for them. Emma was bawling when we were done because she wanted to keep doing this craft, so we ended up doing several layers.

 

Melted Crayon Ornaments

CAUTION! This one needs to be done by or under supervision of adult. Possible burns!

What You Need:

Crayons (try to use the broken ones!)

Clear Ornament

Hair Drier

 Oven Mitt

What You Do:

Break up the crayons into tiny pieces and stick them inside the clear ornament. We started off trying to do one color at a time, but obviously that just melted for the second layer, so put all colors in at once. If you want one color to be more dominant, just add more of that crayon. Hold the ornament with a pot holder, I do not recommend letting your kids do this part because it gets hot, and put the blow drier near it. Rotate the ornament until the crayons look how you want them and you're all done!

 

What kind of activities do you guys do with your little ones? Any tips on getting Emma on a learning schedule?

Pandora's Genetic Box

Below is something I wrote for my Biology 1101 class after watching a movie featuring James Watson and his opinions on genetic engineering. These are my thoughts and opinions, along with some poorly cited parts of the movie. Please feel free to give your opinions on the subject below, but any disrespectful comments will result in the user being banned from the site. I appreciate varying opinions and would love to hear them, if you don't please be respectful anyways.

"Pandora’s Genetic Box

            Pandora’s Box follows around one of genetics most credible people: James Watson, and asks him the important questions of where today’s technological advances should be taking us. His very controversial answer is to the maximum of genetic alteration. Watson believes that we should use our growing knowledge of the building blocks of humans to alter genes and genetically control our evolution. If your child has an unfavorable genetic disease or illness Watson believes parents should have the right to abort that child. Watson believes people are ignoring the important truths of genetic science because they are afraid of change.

            Personally I can believe a lot of what Watson said although I do not agree with most of it. I can see how someone who is a pure evolutionist can say what he was saying. I think in order to have an educated opinion a person has to be able to see the facts of both sides before they can make a rational decision. While all of the things Watson mentioned, like changing DNA in an embryo in order to avoid abortion, may be said with the best intentions I do not think it is a path humans are ready to venture down if we ever should.

            The ability to alter things genetically is a road that is paved with nothing but good intentions. Watson says those who oppose who simply do not understand what they are trying to do. But it is too uncontrollable to pursue. Take the example of birth controls that are offered for women. Through numerous testing the drug was made safe for women and it was sent into the public through ads on television. Now ten years after the new drug was released you see ads asking if you had experienced several diseases or birth defects as a result of the drug that is no longer allowed to be offered and if you would like to be a part of the class action law suit. Who is to say the same thing will not happen with genetic enhancements but it will be too late and too severe to remedy. In the film Mario Capecchi even mentions going as far as adding an extra chromosome to humans. I cannot fathom something that would be a bigger mistake than messing with human chromosomes. Something that has been working and evolving on its own all these years does not need to be altered because humans believe they have the ability to. Until we can understand literally every aspect of the human DNA and the human brain and body to see if there is anything that can go wrong, it does not need to be attempted. How can people say that they know how to do it and that the effects will be positive if there is still so much about biology and life they do not understand? I am just a young woman in a first year college biology course, so I am not even trying to pretend to be knowledgeable on the subject, but it seems to me that sometimes people who do not know it all sometimes have the best view points because they are completely unbiased.

            As far as genetically altering plants, like what is done at the Monsanto Corporation, I believe this is also testing risky waters. We have no idea what the long term results of putting unnatural genes into our systems will be. Several hundred years from now we may be able to trace a new terminal illness to those with grandparents who ate or worked with genetically altered foods. However, I can see how the short term results are almost undeniable. The ability to end world malnutrition is at our fingertips.

            I cannot help but think the money is being spent in the wrong way. Millions of dollars are going into the research to be able to add an intelligence gene to children and while I think that is amazing, what if half those funds went to nourishing and education the children of today? What if instead of focusing on how to be able to genetically make it easy for a child to learn we focused on feeding children and helping families have the time to teach children. There is a reason the wealthy are always more intelligent than the lower class: because the lower class has to focus on what they will be able to eat that night and are only given access to poor education and the wealthy are given food that is meant for the body to process and taught at a level to be able to go to an ivy league school.

            In my opinion the world is in trouble no matter which way we go, and I can only hope people start asking the right questions again before it is too late."

Where I've Been

 

      I can't believe it. I turned around and summer was over, school was starting for me, and suddenly I didn't have a moment to spare. Not to read, not to blog or do Chapter Chicks things, only to take care of my baby girl (who is rapidly becoming less and less of a baby) and do the mountains of homework I have daily.

    Not that I'm complaining, but having a kid and trying to be in school is almost impossible. You can just kiss having a social life in the tuckas. Kiss having time to yourself goodbye and kiss having hubby time WAY goodbye (since mine is in school now too). When Emma was first born it was a breeze because she slept so much and even when she was awake she didn't move, but now if she isn't in the mood to play by herself or napping I can barely have time to open my chemistry book, let alone solve quantum mechanic problems.

    That being said we did force ourselves have time to go on vacation to Gatlingburg, TN with the great-grandparents, an opportunity we couldn't pass up. I will do a whole post on that since it was Emma's first vacation but here are two of the Old Tyme photos we got taken.

   
     Come on, aren't those about the cutest things you've ever  seen? We had such a good time eating delicious food and showing Emma all of the amazing things. So as a parent, our vacation was a huge success, but as a vacation it was not restful at all. I stayed up late after Emma went to bed every night to do vacation-y things like read and watch movies with Joshua, but still had to get up, no sleeping in for this mama! But I'm so grateful we were able to go.

     We also made a trip with my mom, dad and nephew to the zoo before summer ended. This little girl loves her animals.

     Not much has changed on the house, but we have started getting the ball rolling again. We just bought the wood floor for the living room, kitchen, hallway and laundry room. And we are trying to wrap up all the drywall mudding but it is taking forever especially since it is getting so cold.

     Emma is super healthy and apart from being busy we're all doing good. I promise to write more, even this little update is such a stress reliever. How has your fall been so far?

Work Out Update (1)

So I have been really trying to keep track of my working out so I can see what I'm doing that's working or what I'm doing that isn't working. O I figured it would be a fun thing to share on here and help me keep track of everything. I started this whole work out thing on a Wednesday, so my days are a little off. But it is proof you don't have to wait until a Monday!

Starting weight: 140 lbs

Starting Size: 8-10

Day One, Wednesday:

Elliptical

Level: 10 Time: 30 minutes Distance: 2.2 miles

At-home Sit-ups 

6 sets of 25 reps / total: 150

Gym Sit-ups with 4lb medicine ball

2 reps of 25 straight

5 reps of 10 to each side

Day Two, Thursday: 

Elliptical

Level: 10 Time: 30 minutes Distance: 3.1 miles

Gym Sit-ups with 4lb medicine ball

4 reps of 25 straight

5 reps of 20 to each side

Side-ups with 8lb weight

50 to each side

Day Three, Friday:

3 mile hike with the hubs

Day Four, Saturday:

Break Day

Day Five, Sunday:

Break Day

Old Candles to Glass Storage

There are some really beautiful candles out there. But apart from making your own candles with the glass jars, there isn't much to do once the candle burns out. Or is there?

What You Will Need:
Used up glass candle jars
Boiling water
Knife

 

Begin by taking your knife and cutting slits in the candle wax all the way to the bottom. Make sure you do a line around the outside of the candle to help the water get underneath the candle easier.

Put your boiling/extremely hot water in the candle and allow it to soak for several minutes. You can see that some of my candle is already floating to the top. Some of it won't float to the top however, so if you're getting a little impatient (I always am when it comes to waiting on crafting) just wait a few minutes and scrape the knife around the bottom again. Odds are it will come loose a lot quicker.

When you pour the water out of your container, please make sure not to pour the wax into your sink. Clogged pipes equal bad times, and who wants to explain the the plumber why there is candle wax lining your pipes?

 

My pictures didn't come out too clearly, unfortunately there is no natural light in my current kitchen. New house, why hast though taken so long to finish? But you can pretty much use these candle jars for anything now. I have some Wal-mart candle jars storing some green teas in my kitchen. It looks so neat to be able to see the teas I'm choosing instead of having them stored in a gross box stuffed in a cabinet.

And then I have a bigger candle jar storing some spring nail polishes in my room. It is a really cute way to have my frequently used polishes of the season out on display and right within my reach. As a mom I have limited time to paint and dry my nails, but as a 22-year old girl, I have a strong desire to have them painted. Sigh, its a constant battle.

I hope you guys enjoyed the tutorial! If you would like to see how I did the label on the nail polish jar check this post out! If you try these out please show me some pictures on instagram or twitter with the hashtag #thesaylors! I'd love to see some awesome ways you guys use your candles for storage.