DIY CARDBOARD KITCHEN

I have been eyeing Ikea's kitchen for a while now for the LO.  But when we went to Ikea, it was still a bit high for her, so I did the next best thing... I made her a kitchen made of cardboard box.

DIY ACCENT PILLOWS

Lately, I have been in love with the Scandinavian decor -- clean lines, open spaces, white walls and black accents.  Can it be any more be my style? I am all about the neutrals.  I shy away from color because it just does not work for me.  But Scandinavian? I like.  Actually, I LOVE.  One of the things I love about Scandinavian design is its simplicity.  I love love their accent pillows but they are too expensive! So, I decided to make them!

BUSY BIN: COFFEE CUP HOLE FILLER

Do you know there's a lot of free stuff out there for the taking? Amazing what you could come up with a little creativity.  Here is the LO playing with coffee lid hole covers (I am not sure what you actually call them lol) that I got from a coffee shop. 

BUSY BIN: STRAWS

 Are you familiar with task boxes? I LOVE them.  Task boxes aims to help children concentrate and focus on a tasks.  Task boxes are very structured.  They have one goal in mind -- transferring one object from a container to another container, sorting objects by color or completing a pattern.  They could also be easily made using a shoe box.  Though I love the idea of task boxes, I do not like the idea of how much space it will take if I were to make them.  We live in a 480 square feet after all.

PHOTO BOOTH PROPS

Aren't these the cutest? These were from last year.  I made them for the LO's birthday party but never got to use it.  All you need are cardstock paper, some sticks and sharpies!

DUKE'S CARDBOARD KITCHEN

How cute is this? This is Duke's kitchen made out of a cardboard box! My friend Cita made this for the little guy using a box, markers, tape and paper!

DIY PALM TREE

This is one of the projects that I did for my daughter's birthday but never got to post.  It's a simple DIY palm tree using things you probably have in your house.

 

HOW TO INTRODUCE A SHAPE SORTER TOY TO A TODDLER

Does your toddler get frustrated when playing with a shape a sorter toy? Mine does.  Shape sorter toys are great for toddlers. It helps them with their eye hand coordination, pincer and palmar grasps and problem solving skills.  Introducing a shape sorter toy is a little bit tricky.  The LO is only 16 months and she gets frustrated that she can't fit a shape into a hole.  So, I had to go back a step and teach her to put objects into a container first.  I started with an open basket then moved towards to a plastic container to a pringles tube.  All sucesses!! The key is to gradually introduce a smaller hole opening.  Now, here's the next dilemna, as you introduce a new concept, you need to make sure that it is challenging enough that it pushes the LO to persevere but not difficult enough that she will just give up.