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Post Nap Fun: Toys R' Us

A while ago, we were at that circle of hell known as Toys R Us looking for a gift. We were wandering down one of the aisles, when my mini spotted the motorized kids car section. She spent the next 20 minutes climbing in and out of kid-sized Escalades, Dora Jeeps and firetrucks. Pure heaven for her. Kinda boring for me but hell, it's air-conditioned, she loves it and it gives us something free to do during that post-nap dead zone. Depending on the location of your nearest Toys R Us, you may build up enough good will to get a quick Costco or Target run in.

Dress Up

Little Girl is getting more and more interested in dressing up. I've been looking for simple and non-character (a.k.a. cheaper) ways to do this. These tiara and tutu patterns look pretty simple and you can make something princess-y (if needed) without having to help her figure out which Disney Princess she identifies with. Here are instructions to make fairy wings. Not in the mood to make something? Chinatown has cheap n' fancy brocade mary janes, parasols and brocade jackets. Most party stores have fabric leis and kid's hula skirts right now. And the good ol' 99 cent store has plastic fireman and construction hats.

Kids Craft Weekly

I love Kids Craft Weekly. Every week, there's a theme such as 'The Night Sky' or 'Ladybugs' with related crafts and things to do. What's more, you get all this for free. Sign up for the email list here.

Homemade Play Dough

It seemed like the Universe was trying to tell me something: everywhere I turned there were recipes for homemade play dough. So last week, I decided I'd go ahead and make some while Baby Girl napped. What a fucking mess. The recipe in the toddler craft book I bought calls for 5 cups of flour and 2.5 cups of salt. Now for most people, that would be a warning sign - how much homemade play dough do you really need? But not me. No, I was being a Great Mother. Her play dough was going to be lovingly made by her mother the same way it has been done for generations (or something like that). I was reclaiming our right to make simple, old fashioned crafts in an old fashioned way. Instead, I found out that yes, you can botch up play dough. That incident hasn't deterred me, however, and I am committed to making it work. In the meantime, I ran over to Target and bought some Playdoh playdough for $.99.

Wanna try your hand at homemade play dough? Here are some recipes:

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Check in next week to see how this how play dough thing is working out for me.

dolls

I guess it's inevitable that sooner or later little girls (and little boys for all I know) will want dolls. After hijacking every toy stroller and baby doll she could get her hands on, I decided it was time to get baby girl one of her own. So, we went shopping.

There are some really ugly ass dolls out there. Thankfully, I found these aesthetically pleasing and completely machine washable dolls by Corolle. They're great. Baby girl has carried, pushed (in her new toy stroller), fed, and bathed her "baby" for over a week and shows no sign of losing interest.

Handprints

Handprints are an easy craft, keepsake and/or gift for grandma that you and your mini can make. All you need is fingerpaint, paper and your mini's hands. Here they talk about grandparents and grandchildren making 'generational handprints' together.

Tip: If you have a toddler, I recommend you have them wear only a diaper for this - minis have an amazing ability to get completely covered in paint before you even know what happened.

Orange Cat

If you spend a fair amount of time in Pasadena, South Pas, or any other community in the San Gabriel Valley, check out the Orange Cat. Their free bimonthly newsletter has (what must be) a complete list of events, classes and things to do in the San Gabriel Valley.

Stained glass window craft for you and your mini

One of the great joys about having a kid for me, is getting to make crafts. Now I've been known to enjoy a little knitting, but what I'm talking about are good, old fashioned kids' crafts. Things like handprint turkeys and pasta necklaces. Kiddley, a great kids' activity site, has instructions for making a stained glass window using contact paper and colored cling wrap (you can also use tissue paper). It's easy enough for toddlers to make (with your help, of course) and will look good in your kitchen window this summer.

Scribbling

I want to encourage my mini's artistic side. So, when she started scribbling a few weeks back with pens on random pieces of paper, I was excited like any new mama and put them on the fridge. But soon she was getting pen all over. That kinda sucked. So I bought these Crayola washable markers, hoping they'd actually work - and surprisingly enough, they did. The pen comes off easily from her skin, her clothes, the floor... The only downside is that they're made for older kids, so you'll have to take the pen caps (choking hazard) and put them somewhere your mini can't get to while they're drawing. A small price to pay to encourage your little Pollock.

1st birthday gifts

One day your mini is having playdates with a few kids you met at your local moms group, park, enrichment class, whatever; the next you are going to a different 1st birthday party every weekend. Here are a few ideas for gifts under $20:

Books
You can't go wrong with Eric Carle, Leslie Patricelli, Taro Gomi, or any DK picture book.

Put and Peek Birdhouse
Toddlers love to take things out of containers and put them back in. The Put and Peek Birdhouse has four cute little birds that your mini will carry around everywhere they go.

IKEA toys
Not satisfied to fulfill only your Lingonberry syrup, cheap wall art and Billy bookcase needs, IKEA also wants to help out with the kids. Check out their Mula push along toy - great for new walkers.

Melissa + Doug Jumbo Knob Puzzles
Colorful and easy first puzzles with pet and farm themes.

eeBoo Tot Towers
What toddler wouldn't want to knock over a wonderfully illustrated Tot Tower?

LEGO quatro blocks
LEGO Quatro buckets come in three handy sizes depending on how much floor space you hope to take up.