Snuggle Bunny Pillows

I think I still have every hand made gift and seasonal decoration my daughters created when they were young. My most memorable is the curious little potholder that my own mother helped three year old Mary Jo weave for me. This charming, unevenly matched riot of color still hangs from a kitchen cupboard knob - one of the first treasures I'd grab if I ever had to flee my burning house.

And the tradition continues. Now it's my turn to plot with the grandkids on secret gifts for mommies and daddies. It's the most fun when those are seasonal decorations, destined to reappear annually, turning homes into personal history growth charts and showcases of warm childhood memories.

This year we made Easter pillows. The kids learned that anything can be successfully drawn if it is broken down into basic shapes. Bunnies? Nothing more than round and oval forms in varying sizes!

Our pillows began on 16" squares of muslin. Acrylic paints were used.

Once the artists were satisfied with the painted bodies, we gave our bunnies nice beds of grass to nestle in - hand printed ones for a personal touch! 

Then the kids made fluffy yarn pom pom tails before turning everything over to grandma for completion.

I backed each square with batting and backing and hand quilted an all over pattern on each body, outlining facial features as well. The bodies were cut out, placed right sides together with a backing piece, sewn together, turned, stuffed, and hand closed along bottom edge. I attached the tails and popped a coordinating bow around each neck. All that's left is for the kids to sign and date their work and wait patiently for Easter Sunday's presentation ceremony! 

I think their mommies are going to be very "hoppy" with their Snuggle Bunny Pillows!

The Numbers Game

Would I be a mega ego-maniac if I said I wanted my grandchildren to think of me every day at school? Yeah, probably. But that doesn't mean it might not happen. Or that it hasn't already happened!

My grandchildren have wonderful parents who offer them many early educational experiences. But mom and dad also value and encourage contributions from invested grandparents. In this area I am more than happy to comply. And sometimes the results do bring good old grandma right into the classroom!

Like when teacher bounced in with a stack of newspaper, bag of flour and a chirpy, "Guess what we're doing today?" My pre-school granddaughter "just knew" it was going to be "a paper mache project - like at grandma's!"

The boys' teachers also didn't need to tell them how to locate the North Star because night hikes with grandma have been the perfect venue to observe and identify it. It's already known, too, that dinosaurs are reptiles who lay eggs because - well, duh! - a bunch of those were dug up right in grandma's backyard last summer! Words ending in "oo?" This one brought laughter at the memory of super-goofy grandma at the zoo - just flappin' her wings and makin' a fool outta herself by pointing at the word everywhere, wondering who could sound out and read it - and then repeat it with a new first letter. Sound effects and theatrical gestures? All included! Zoo. Boo. Moo. Been there, done that! - with grandma! (It's okay. We were out of town. I'll never see those gawkers again - I hope!)

Brielle has been counting to twenty in proper sequence since she was two, but not yet identifying corresponding figures. So, between the two of us, we checked that little item off our list in the space of one week with a "Numbers Game" we both had a part in inventing!

Awhile back I purchased, and squirreled away, a set of dot to dot books for the kids. It was time to bring them out! I love this series because number samples run along the top of the page, making it easy for Bree to match and connect dots to draw cute animal pictures. I was delighted when she asked to bring extra sheets home so she could teach mommy and daddy what she'd learned. They say, you know, the best way to learn anything well is to teach it yourself - and teach it she did! - sitting them down to take turns and search carefully for the correct figures!

The next step was making sugar cookies using the set of plastic number cutters I found at Hobby Lobby for two dollars. This made the game even more fun! Once each number was connected, the corresponding cookie could be gobbled up!

Today I sit here and watch Little Miss Smartie zip through the pages of her 1-10 book, knowing it will soon be time to bring out the 1-20 copy. Bree is full of confidence now, ready for teacher to ask if anyone knows what a "3" looks like. I just hope she doesn't raise her hand and say, "I'll tell you only if you give me a cookie shaped like one!"

Tic Tac TOAD!

Toad schmoad, frog schmog! Yes, I am aware that these are two entirely different critters. But the line blurs after I've spent several days frogging around in my basement, creating a toad-ally new carnival game for this year's family event! Last summer our calendars filled up fast and early with weddings, bridal and baby showers and baptisms, leaving no room for the carnival I initially promised would be an annual celebration. Well, this year is going to be different! I'm setting my date first, and breathless new brides and freshly hatched babies will just have to change their dates of arrival to accommodate me. This summer, grandma comes first! 

Our new attraction is built similarly to the others in my growing collection - over a large cardboard box. Small cups are glued onto a slanted board behind each lily pad hole to catch the plastic frogs headed toward them. Players attempt to sink three in a row.

I suppose most people design a game first, then decide on a suitable prize. Not me! Discovery of these froggie whistle pops made my decision for me - somehow, some way there would be frogs or schmogs or toads or schmoads hopping all over the place as kids lined up, anxious to win one of these pleasing little treats. And perhaps it will be the ensuing sugar overload that lulls them into complacency over grandma's blatant zoological blundering - you know, the way a generous cocktail bar reduces the likelihood that unsavory food at a dinner party will be duly noted!












"Ribbit Pops" are sold in packs of 12 at Candy Warehouse online retailers.  Tongues whip out when the whistle is blown.

Small plastic frogs are sold in a pack of 72 at Oriental Trading Company (online).

For the record, frogs are slim and speedy, live near water, and have smooth skin. Toads are warty, fat and sluggish. I kinda prefer toads though. Seems like they'd be more interested in sticking around to hear what I had to say. I like that!

More family carnival games are seen here and here. The newest one is here.

This original design, like all blog content, is intended for personal use only. Copyright 2014. All rights reserved. Thank you!

Of Little Boys

What are little boys made of?

I say "no" to the snips and "no" to the snails, "yes" to the puppies,
but not to their tails......

"Yes!" to the snow and how fast we can go......

"Yes" to the sticks, toss in some stones......
and an afternoon digging for dinosaur bones!

They're made of adventures, in water and dirt......



A cute sense of humor - and an honest opinion! -  sure doesn't hurt!

I say "yes" to the sugar, and "yes" to the spice,

because this grandma "poet" thinks everything about little boys

is wonderfully nice!

Are you the parent or grandparent of a little guy you adore with all your heart? I'd love to hear what he is made of! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts!

Sweetheart Nests

Brielle and I love our "girlie" crafts. And so we made something pretty and feminine for Valentine's Day! At age three, kids are old enough for a project that takes several sessions to complete, and they are delighted to make finishing touch choices from a generous pile of red, white and pink craft items.

We revisited paper mache to make charming Sweetheart Nests. They are bowls we'll fill with cards and cookies to take home to mommy and daddy on the fourteenth of next month. I like to introduce my grandchildren to a variety of art media, but this is one we've used more than once before because of its free spirited versatility. In this case, we built basic nests over woven baskets and glass bowls.

Invert the vessels and cover them tightly with aluminum foil. Make a flour and water paste the consistency of craft glue. Cut newspaper strips to two inch widths, dip them in the paste, and cover baskets or bowls with three layers. When the outside is dry - one to two days - carefully pry the pieces apart. Allow an extra day for the inside layer to dry before proceeding.

I painted our dried bowls with gesso so the light colored tissue paper we applied would be bright and clear. We tore a pile of scraps and applied them with Mod Podge - both inside and out.













The last session was the best! That's when our bowls became nests because Bree opted for craft punched paper birds and the accompanying "fluffiness" of tissue paper flowers. We folded and opened those together. Her little nest stood best on a tripod of wooden spool feet. Grandma's creation sported a marabou trim edging, but this accent proved to be its demise. What are the odds that at least one of six cats won't make sport of tearing it into a feathery mess? Not very good! So my own nest cowers safely behind glass, waiting for a home without predators! But where among our feline loving circle of family and friends? I'm afraid no such animal exists!



It's the season!.........people we love, places we love, things we love....!
Here's a blog I love!

The creative force behind "Mrs. Party Planner" is a joyful young mom capable of turning absolutely any event into a memorable party! The one she hosted to celebrate the recovery of her cat from a life-threatening illness is just one example. Wait until you see the litter box cake that graced the dessert table! Oh, and the "Christmas gift" that arrived for a holiday open house! And the witch who tended bar at a neighborhood Halloween gathering! Most of the featured events, however, focus on two sets of under-six twins and describe a lifestyle that celebrates family occasions to "the max!" Lots of cute ideas, great energy and handy recipes all included. And if the star characters look familiar to you, well, it's because they probably are! Those little boys are my grandsons, the girls my granddaughters, and the blog author is their mom, my oldest daughter!

Blog Hopping With Brielle

I spend a considerable amount of time with my three year old granddaughter, Brielle. It is my privilege to babysit for her on the three days each week mommy works as a registered nurse. Bree and I are very good friends, sharing many special moments and learning experiences.

I slip away occasionally (with Bree still in my sight), to read an email or something newly posted by a fellow blogger. Immersed last week in Frugal Little Bungalow, I sensed a presence at my elbow.....

"Oooooh, what a pretty dog!" Bree exclaims of Lily. Lily is one of three pets belonging to Debra - grandmother, photographer, gardener, quilter, friend, and author of that charming site, one of my very favorites. "Want to see more?" I ask. Bree pops up onto my lap, and together we're off. We're Blog Hopping!

We scroll down a bit once we've agreed that Lily is, indeed, a beautiful dog. And there she is again, snuggled up with "Jugsy," keeping warm together on a cozy little rug between dining and living rooms. Bree leans in closely and studies the picture. I am proud of her attention to detail as she animatedly describes what she sees - two well loved canine companions who couldn't look any more different from one another.

The next pictures are quilts and groupings of glassware that my friend collects and displays seasonally. I usually enjoy studying them, but this time I'm hurried along. "Hey! I want to see more dogs!" We move ahead, discovering instead, a close up of  "Kanga." She is "occupying" the sewing table, as cats are wont to do. I expect an exclamation of delight from Bree, but instead the screen is treated to a stern finger pointing and the declaration that "Kitty should not be playing with scissors!" Well, of course that is correct, and we mention it to Debra in the comment section.

We're back "hopping" the next day and what a surprise awaits us! Debra has appreciated the humor in our comment and has dedicated a post to Bree on another of her blogs. Showcased photos on both sites, like the captions beneath them, are wonderful. Simple and sweet. They describe a lifestyle sated with home, hearth, hobbies, family and pets....they are, in a word, "Homespun."

"Awww, look at that pretty brown bird," I exclaim. "That's a cardinal, grandma. A female," she replies. "Well okay, smarty pants!" I say to myself. "I knew that. Just wanted to see if you did!"

Jugsy is next. A striking close up. I explain to Bree that he is the white dog's "brother." Then I hold my breath, waiting for her to inform me that this is biologically impossible. But she lets it go. Whew! Dodged that one!

A flock of busy blue birds fills the screen. "Blue Jays," I am told, among other things. Bree chatters away about her feeder at home and how she watches it while she eats breakfast. Her cats observe too, from the window sill. There are lots of visitors, squirrels included. Mommy puts little ears of corn out for them so they don't grab the "bird stuff." Then they scamper up the big pine tree, eat the corn and drop cobs to the ground. Daddy picks these up when he goes out to scoop dog poop. Interesting!

I finally score when I correctly identify a sweet little feathered friend as a "titmouse." Bree didn't know that (HA!) but says these frequently appear at her feeder, bringing all of their friends with them. She fills me in on hummingbirds, too. They'll be back when the snow is gone, she confidently relates. My jaw is on the floor. How does this kid know all this stuff?

I find a picture of Debra's cute four year old grandson. He is working a wooden puzzle. Bree examines it closely and announces that she has one of those too. I tell her the little boy's name is Brent and he spends time cooking and crafting and playing at his grandma's too. She asks if Brent is a nice boy. I assure her that he is, omitting to say that if the two of them were to someday marry, I'd be guaranteed a terrific grandma-in-law for myself!

"Want to see some quilts?" I ask. "No. That's enough! I want string cheese now." And away she goes, leaving me, alone, to conclude with another comment for Debra:

"Visiting your blogs together in search of birds, squirrels, Lily, Jugsy, and Kanga is a new tradition for me and Brielle - unless your posts feature only cozy quilts or beautiful grandchildren or stunning landscapes or quaint collectibles or breathtaking flowers or savory recipes - then it will be only me who shows up to read them!"

Little Love Locket

My daughters each host an intimate annual Valentine's Day party. Grandpa and I have been invited to them, but so far we have declined to attend. So few celebrations on the calendar are exclusive to immediate family. I recall enjoying most that "just-the-five-of-us" feeling at our own candlelit dinner love fests - the girls animatedly sharing details of candy-overloaded classroom parties, counting and comparing cards received. The focus was on them alone....the loves of our lives. Once dinner was picked at long enough, tradition demanded daddy present each of his four (me too!) sweeties with a heart shaped box of chocolates. Love was in the air, and there it stayed until junior high after-school sports practices came along to pre-empt it - all the more reason to make the best of what is at hand now!

Just because we won't be there in person doesn't mean that grandma and grandpa don't send gifts, prizes, and Valentine cards to the parties. That we do, in generous abundance! But I like to contribute something hand made, too. Last year it was a personalized Family Bingo Game with prizes for everybody - inside a big, old Love Bug Party Bag. This year it's a gift for each mommy alone. Something meaningful and pretty for her to wear to the party. A Valentine on a string, if you will. A tidy collection of the cute little faces that make not just February 14th, but each one of her days a celebration of endless fun and love!

I relied heavily on craft punches to make the work quick and easy. It's pretty self explanatory by looking at the photos. Print individual faces in 1" x 1.5" contact sheet size. Accordion fold a strip of paper long enough to glue them all on. Attach first picture to center back of the "locket," fold everything together, and clip to hold with a tiny painted and decorated wooden craft store clothespin. Thread ribbon through a punched hole at top center back. Secure with beads.