Baby Carrying Babywearing Mama? What style Sling are you?

What Style Baby Carrier Sling is Best for You?

Those cumbersome Baby Slings got little love when I was a babywearing mama. Apparently, I'm too uncoordinated to pull it off. I could never pull off carrying the baby in back. So, what style baby carrying device is best for you? A Sling? A Pouch? Read on and then tell us your favorite. Will your baby be a fashion statement or are you more practical? Enjoy!

Wear this baby carrier forward or Reverse.

So, my babies faced forward- eyes to the world, and not to their babywearing mama. What a lucky baby who gets to snuggle tightly next to his mama and star in her wardrobe as a fashion statement. 

Purple Boa Baby Wrap Sling Carrier. 

As a new Aunt again- and a soon to be (ahem) step grandma, I decided to see what kind of baby carrying new moms are wearing these days. I can't believe all the fashionable baby sling options.

Grandaughter with her Uncle.

I was always afraid my baby would suffocate, but these fabrics are breathable. The water carriers are mesh. Sure wish I'd had one of those when we went to the beach!

I love the MAYA WRAP Baby Carrier it is totally me, but the hip carrier seems more sturdy for baby security. Either way, baby is cuddled and snuggled to his Mama or Papa! So, what style baby sling best fits your personality and fashion style?

Recommended:

Sensory Baby Play with Music

Whimsical Nursery Ideas

*This post contains affiliate links.

How to make your own DIY Edible Face paint Ideas & Recipes & Build Self-Esteem: The Thing About Monsters is

How to make edible face paint and recipes for Toddlers and Kids of all Ages

Remember, You Can do it with Creative Play and a Can-do Attitude. Recently, we did a post about Monster Trouble (Our first KCC Kids Video) check out the fun here. SCROLL DOWN to see DIY Face Paint Recipes for face paint/makeup, lip gloss, sensory play and Witchy Me.

Monster Trouble?

Face Paint Kit by Alex Toys.

In the video in the post, a sneaky monster is made with items from our costume trunk/creative play stash and Alex Toys Face Paint Studio. Not once, have we posted pictures or recipes of our homemade and edible face paints. During our creative play and messy classes playing with face paint has been a staple. So, read on to discover many ways to create self-esteem, a fun day of creative play, how to make less of a mess, and enjoy the little time you have with your littles and not so little ones.

Sneaky Monster peeks out of the brush.

I see you and your Monster Face paint.

It's hard to see, but he was modeled after the Connect a giant Monster kits above from Alex Toys. The Monster has a purple and green nose and red and orange eyes. This is a great kit for your older kids. Give them a mirror and a book of silly face ideas and let them go wild! Creative Play is a great self-esteem builder. Let them try out different faces, remove the paint with a little water or vaseline on a cotton ball, and be sure to tell them how great it looks. No buts or maybe ifs allowed.

Homemade face paint.

What's that you say? You don't want to have to clean up the mess? Put them in an empty tub the mess will clean itself, but make sure your little Max Factor helps. They might complain, but cleaning up after themselves teaches responsibility and independence. I can do it! Yes, you might have to tidy up- just don't complain about it.  You don't want your child thinking they can't do anything. If they can't even clean up after themselves they'll stop trying! So, count to 10, take a deep breath, and then say, I love how you are learning to clean up after yourself; it makes me so proud!

Do you want to be remembered as the Mom with the spotless house or the Mom who was so fun and positive? Your choice, you decide.

Crazy Blue Face Paint Fairy.

How to Make your own Face Paint (Recipe):

Cold cream, Food coloring, Cornstarch, Egg Carton.

Start with 1 C. of cold cream (Noxzema type)

Slowly mix in 1/2 to 1 C. cornstarch until it is a smooth, creamy consistency.

Divide into an egg carton or muffin tin.

Add 1-2 drops of food coloring. Experiment with more or less and color combinations.

Use cotton balls or paint brushes to paint a masterpiece on your face.

Most colors will wear off quickly or wipe off easily with water due to the cold cream. Sometimes, yellow requires a little petroleum jelly to remove all the residue. 

With experimentation you can get professional results with these ingredients. It does dry and get crackly. Some kids don't like this sensation others think it's cool.

Homemade Face paint and makeup recipes.

Make your own Edible Face Paint for Preschoolers and Toddlers:

Caregivers, do you need 20 minutes of me time? This is AMAZING. If you don't want to leave the little alone in the bathroom spread an old, white sheet or vinyl tablecloth on the floor. Cornstarch, food coloring or colored drink mix, water, white flour, big spoons, and mixing bowls.

Start with 1/4 C. of flour

Mix in 1/2 C. of cornstarch or powdered sugar (think icing)

1/2 to 1 C. Cool Whip (Readiwhip doesn't work.)

Sift with fingers to mix and enjoy the sensory aspects.

Slowly add 1/4 to 1/2 C. water stir with spatula

Water and cornstarch make an interesting science experiment so make sure to add the flour and Cool Whip first. Mix to a creamy icing consistency ~ Spreadable.

Divide into egg carton and add food coloring or Drink Mix powder (Kool-Aid) works best.

The little will have a blast studying their face and admiring their handiwork  Let them remove their shirt and paint tattoos on their belly or  bugs on their hands. This is a fun way to teach babies eyes, nose, mouth, etc.

The ingredient measurements are guidelines. Warm water vs. cold, warm house vs. cool all of these can affect the makeup- experimentation is key.

Mixing paint is great for fine motor skills and sensory learning.

Make your own EASY FACEPAINT / MAKEUP

Kid’s Yummy Lipstick Recipe:

Petroleum jelly, honey, maple syrup, or non-imitation vanilla, unsweetened drink powder for color and flavor.

Put Petroleum jelly into microwave safe dish

Microwave the petroleum jelly for 30 seconds to one minute until 

warm, remove and stir.

Add Kool Aid and Honey

Mix well
Spoon into gift containers, refrigerate.

Changing Hair Color:

Experiment with Conditioner or Petroleum Jelly and unsweetened drink powder, & Baby Powder. Spray Aqua Net to set the color. May take several washings to wash out. We found a YouTube Video here.

Happy Halloween and Haunting  or Go break a leg!

Recommended Reading:

Fun Face Painting Ideas for Kids

Wordless Wednesday: Make a Recycled Pumpkin Snowman

Need pumpkin decorating ideas? 

Okay, he's not a recycled pumpkin just a leftover- "Make a Snowman Jack-o-lantern". Jake likes to keep his pumpkin in the house to protect it from would be smashers. He's been doing this since he was one. As long as no one uses them as a kickball or a chair, they last until spring, at which time we toss it in the garden and pray for pumpkin babies. Use Velcro to attach felt/foam shapes, and change his face. Enjoy!

No Snow, Pumpkin Man, made from a Snowman Kit.

Do You Want to Build a Snowman?

Creepy-eyed Pumpkin Man for Halloween.

A picture is worth a thousand words. One of these days, I'm going to start using my new camera, but it seems like such a chore when my phone is so handy. I guess my phone pictures are only worth five-hundred words! :-)

Let your picture tell the story, thanks for linking up!

Recommended: 

The Biggest Snowman Ever*

Pumpkin Decorating Ideas

Creative Snowman Ideas for Preschoolers

Doll Collections: Are you a Crafter? Collector? Or just a plain, old Hoarder?

Collecting Dolls and Crissy Babies

Doing more surfing than crafting for kids lately? After Christmas and year end clearance specials are amazing. We all need to stock up on junk  more craft supplies for the new year. My favorite clearance sale is always the one on Toys and Hobbies. Doll collecting is my downfall. 

I've been collecting dolls since I was born, literally. Here's a picture of the first doll ever given to me, shortly after my birth in...  1969. (collector, collector, collector)

This post contains Amazon Affiliate links.

Doll Collecting Habit

My Grandmother crocheted her a beautiful, new outfit many, many years ago, but I still have her chartreuse and lace dress. (hoarder, hoarder, hoarder)

I also have a jingly, wobbly, Mickey Mouse, baby toy given to me the same year (1969) with perfect tag intact ~ Walt Disney World ~ I think I may have chewed off one of his ears. (Ebay, Ebay, Ebay)

Then, there's Crissy Baby. I never actually owned one as a child but always wanted one. Now, I have several. (collector, collector, collector)  

And Barbie... mostly from garage sales. (dumpster diver, dumpster diver, dumpster diver) The Bubble wig 1960's version.

These girls sit in boxes in my closet sharing space with my most prized possession-  a Dennis Rodman doll with interchangeable heads to showcase his Kool-Aid dyed hair years. That's right, my friends, Dennis Rodman with interchangeable heads.  They even make a Dennis Rodman in Wedding Dress doll.

Here's an old creepy doll that I dressed up and gave a new wig.

Michael Jackson is there too with his glove and Grammy glimmer jacket, but he was born a collectible doll. Even though we attended college together, (yes, you read that right, I took a doll to college) but he isn't my favorite doll.

I mean, you probably know someone else with an MJ, but how many of you know someone with a Dennis Rodman?

Crissy Baby Doll ~ Growing Hair.

Interchangeable heads.

OMG, I didn't realize this doll existed. Want.

Want to make your own Kool-Aid hair dye?

So, when Marie Osmond started designing dolls, I had to have one right up until I found out they were "collectible" and expensive. I don't collect anything considered collectible. In my opinion, that's what separates the collector from the hoarder. It's okay to laugh here.

Who doesn't love them some Donny and Marie?  I'd dumpster dive for a set of Donny and Marie dolls. 

Donny and Marie Osmond Dolls.  Is this TMI?  

Ahem, I'm surfing browsing the Marie dolls when I come across Marie Osmond Crafts.  She sings. She dances. She dolls. She gains weight. She loses weight. She crafts. Love her!  I'll bet she uses bonding tape to hem those doll clothes.

Did I already mention how much I adore these cute Russian dolls? I first saw these at a friend's house and I instantly decided to get a set to add to my collections. It wasn't hard finding these dolls because you can now get them online. I got mine from https://nestingdolls.co/ and they look great!

I just bought a mini-sewing machine for simple craft projects... Forget about Martha Stewart (Sorry, Martha). I wanna be like Marie. If I design some collectible dolls with Kool-Aid dyed hair would you collect them? (hoarder, hoarder, hoarder)

Crissy doll collecting.

This Crissy doll looks a little like my son. Okay, a lot. How weird is that? 


Recommended:

Follow me on Pinterest 

How to Make a Doll Purse for a Gift Bag

More Animal Nesting Dolls

Get Books on Doll Collecting

Wordless Wednesday: Things to do with Peanuts: Sensory Play

Packing Peanuts are Fun for Sensory Play

Baby Shipment via U.P.S. Baby had so much fun, even though he looks serious. Careful though, playing with packing peanuts makes a fun, sensory experience for babies and toddlers. Make sure you stay close, peanuts are a choking hazard and with this many peanuts baby could sink and get frightened in the pile of peanuts.

Baby playing in Packing Peanuts.

We never left his side, packing peanuts are a serious choking hazard.

Serious thinking while playing in packing peanuts.

"I feel like I'm inside a peanut avalanche."

Chillin' in Peanuts; now that's a fun thing to do with packing peanuts.

Dudley's Spin an Egg Art Easy way to Color and Decorate eggs: Best $5 Ever Spent on Easter Egg Kit

"Dudley's Spin an Egg" is truly the best $5 I ever spent on Easter Egg Coloring Kits: How to Decorate Eggs

It is so easy to color and decorate eggs and make them beautiful. Learn How to decorate Easter eggs with this fun Easter egg coloring kit. These eggs are the best ever. Enjoy!

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.*

Dudley Spin and Egg Easy Decorating Kit.

This is so cool! The kids had a blast and I loved it! It is the good, old faithful Dudley brand, "SPIN an EGG," I got mine at Meijer for $5. Look for them on clearance, so you can have a couple for next year. It is so easy, and there is virtually no clean-up. My kids all give it 2 thumbs up (the teenager too)!

Easy way for Toddlers and Preschoolers to color Easter eggs.

How to Decorate eggs for Easter

Boil your eggs, the old cook books have a recipe for how to boil eggs. I am terrible at it. My eggs always crack or are underdone. Let the eggs cool in the fridge for about an hour, then wipe them dry with a paper towel before coloring.  

Decorating Easter Eggs with Preschoolers with no mess.

'Dudley Spin Art' comes with several coloring packets and the box has color mixing instructions for all your budding little Picassos. If you run out you can make your own Easter egg dye with food coloring. The recipe is at the end of this post.

Start with a clean dry egg. 
This is essential for the dye to properly adhere to the egg.

Cut open a pouch and drop 8-10 drops in the spinner or use homemade Easter egg dye. Add the room temperature, dry egg, place the lid on top, and have the kids push the button to watch it spin! Kids love to watch the process.

Marbled Eggs with Dudley Egg Spinner.

The kit comes with a Dudley "Puppet" (or use a plastic baggie) to retrieve the eggs from the spinner. Between colors, just wipe the spinner with a paper towel to remove excess dye.

Voila! Beautiful one-of-a-kind decorated Easter Eggs.

Look at these beautiful, shiny eggs. Imagine laying them in a homemade nest for a glorious table setting. You can buy perfect nesting material at Walmart. It comes in various colors. It is a string-like, candy substance (looks like colored coconut). The package describes it as edible Easter grass. It would be the perfect complement to these artsy, marbleized Easter eggs. 

How to make homemade Easter egg dye (not die) for Dudley refill 

Can you use food coloring for Dudley Spin an Egg Art? Of course,  you can!

You need: Food Coloring, Vinegar, Water
Optional: White Crayon

In a ceramic cup, mix together 1/2 C. of room temperature water, 1 Tbs. vinegar, and several drops of food coloring. Neon food coloring works best for vibrant eggs. You will need several drops for maximum color. You can also experiment with Kool-aid packets. Use a white crayon to draw circles or shapes that will resist the egg dye.

Use 1 Tbs. of color in your Dudley Egg Spinner or Spin Art kit. 

Recommended Reading:

Crafts For Easter (Holiday Crafts for Kids)*

175 Easy-to-Do Easter Crafts: Creative Uses for Recyclables (Easy-to-Do Crafts Easy-to-Find Things)*

Easter Egg Games for a kid's party

Get your own Dudley Spin an Egg Art*
















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Easy Donut Recipe? Santa's Doughnut Maker Mistake

Easy Donut Recipe? 

In 2010, Santa brought the little one a doughnut maker.  She asked for a cupcake maker, but it was the hot item and hard to find that year.

Mommy was tired after all of the Christmas doings, so Daddy was in charge of making the doughnuts. I never even saw one. I heard, "They were so good!"  Mommy has been very busy.  Mommy experienced the Easy Bake Oven with the teenager.  It took Mommy over a year to make the doughnuts.

As a kid, I had a Holly Hobbie, Old-fashioned,  Easy Bake Oven.  What fun I had baking cookies and cakes on the floor of my bedroom...  Wait that seems like an odd memory, true, but odd.  I have no memory of my mother helping with this endeavor.  I do remember my Dad eating the results. As a matter of fact, I remember my Dad eating teenager's Easy Bake Cookies and Cakes.

Remember how the cookies tasted baked in your Holly Hobbie Easy Bake Oven.

I also had a Baby Alive growing up.  You mixed the baby food  and she pooped and peed.  I liked her food.  I thought. "It was so good!"  Easy Bake and Super Doughnut Factory food tastes exactly like Baby Alive food. My, how my tastes have changed. And, for those of you who read my post on doll collecting, yes, somewhere, I have both of these items.  (Hoarder, Hoarder, Hoarder)

This year (2011), my son wanted a doughnut maker.  He knew exactly which one he wanted. Grandpa took us shopping and when we explained that we needed to leave the toy aisle and find the small appliance aisle both Daddy and Grandpa were perplexed. My son is very practical.  He also asked Grandpa for a new, winter coat. So, he got this one.

Mommy has been ridden with guilt. Knowing she should make the little one's doughnuts but not wanting to make the doughnuts. So, I had a brilliant idea.  We'd have a doughnut maker bake-off. Doesn't that sound like fun?

What I learned from said Doughnut Maker Bake-off:

Good ideas- aren't always. The genius idea to rid the house of Easy-Bake and Super Doughnut Maker packets would be more genius if I secretly tossed them. Easy-Bake is a Misnomer. Super Doughnut is a Misnomer.  

What's Super about it?  Doughnuts are tiny.  You mix them in a tiny bowl with a tiny spoon, put them in a "machine" that squeezes  supposedly squeezes them back out into a tiny muffin tray. We are not elfs, we are humans. The extra step is not easy, super, or fun. It works better if you use the tiny spoon to place the batter in the tiny muffin tray. Then you add the filling.  HA ha ha ha ha. Finally you stick it into the microwave for 45 seconds. Voila! Easy.  

Mommy taught the teenager how to use the microwave with her Easy-Bake supplies when she kept getting the pans stuck in her oven. I should have invented the 'Super Easy Cake Maker', I would be swimming in the dough. Yep, dough.

If you put something off for an entire year forget the guilt; I'm sure you had a good reason. Someone's got to clean this thing! I've made my last Easy-Bake or Kiddie Baker item ever.

It might be possible to persuade me into feeding Baby Alive.  Thank goodness the little one doesn't like dolls, especially babies. I've changed enough diapers in my life. After she ate microscopic, microwaved, mini-doughnuts made from year old ingredients, we grabbed a box of cake, followed the recipe for cake-like cookies, spooned them into the practical doughnut maker, popped them out after two minutes, and coated them with powdered sugar. Now that was easy.

Daddy ate the doughnuts. None of these doughnuts are fat-fried, I guess that's a plus. Here are some of our other Easy doughnut/fun food recipe attempts that really work!

Refrigerator Biscuit Doughnuts (Powdered Sugar Recipe)

How to make maple glaze

Valentine Pretzels

Cinnamon Donut Recipe (These were made in donut maker. They are good and beautiful)

Recommended Reading:

Doughnuts: Simple and Delicious Recipes to Make at Home

Looking for Gifts for Teen Boys

Thoughtful Gifts for Teenage Boys this Christmas

Choosing perfect Christmas gifts for teenage boys is difficult – they're not an easy group to please. Perhaps they might not tell you what they'd like, or they might seem disinterested in everything except gaming and sports items. That’s why we've compiled a list of unique and thoughtful gift ideas for teen boys which are sure to bring a smile to their face on the big day. We’ve picked a couple of ideas below, but if you need further gift inspiration, you'll also want to check out this list of ideas for a 13 year old .

This post contains affiliate links.

Christmas Gift List for Teen Boys

• Being a Teenage Boy Book

First on our list of thoughtful gifts for teen boys is this book for teenage boys aimed at 11–14 year old boys. Though the book is only 50 pages, it gives teen boys tons of important life skills and messages that they should know. Including things such as respecting girls and women, that it’s okay to fail sometimes, and the importance of having a strong work ethic. This is a great book to show teen boys you're thinking about them and want to help develop them into fine young men.

• Gamer Socks

Socks might not top the list as the most exciting Christmas gifts for teenagers, but these gamer socks are sure to appeal to those who love playing video games! They have a non-slip design on the sole, making them ideal for hard flooring. The socks are made from cotton and polyester and are comfortable and soft. The moisture-wicking technology is designed to repel odor, so your teen’s feet will always smell fresh! Gamer socks fit sizes from 6 –12, so gamer socks for teens are ideal for most teen gamers.

• To My Son Dog Tag

Jewelry is a nice choice when it comes to unique Christmas gifts for teenagers. This dog tag necklace shows teens how much they means to you. It’s made from stainless steel to ensure it's long lasting and won’t rust and it will remain shiny and new for years to come. Versions are available from grandma, grandpa or dad, so you can customize the gift depending on your relation to the teen boy. The rear of the tag is left blank so you can take it to be engraved with the recipient’s name or another special message to make this a really personal gift idea for your boy. Find more personalized gifts for kids.

• 97 Things to Do Before You Finish High School Book 

Books are a thoughtful gift idea for teens. This thoughtful Book gives boys ideas of fun things they should do some day but won’t learn about in school! It shows them how to do all sorts of fun things such as planning a road trip, making a time capsule, or more practical skills such as doing laundry. The book acts as a kind of bucket list of things that teen boys should do before finishing high school. Teens will find it packed full of fun and exciting ideas to try.

• Mom & Son Journal

Finally, last on our list of thoughtful Christmas gift ideas is this journal book for boys. This book gift idea is a precious mother and son journal that's great for homeschoolers. The mother son journal is filled with questions which require brief answers, either by filling in the blank or using multiple choice answers. With its mix of fun and more serious questions, it's a great way for teens to bond with mom. It’s ideal for promoting discussion when conversation dries up, yet is intended to be lighthearted and fun. The book is perfect for young teens or preteens who aren’t always talkative or open and is a great way to bring them out of their shell. Older teens may find it it silly or embarrassing, so know the teen your shopping for before choosing this option.

Recommended:

Teen Party Ideas

For more unique gift ideas for teens, check out our Amazon store.

Gift ideas for everyone on your holiday list from Kids Creative Chaos.

Gift Ideas for Babies.

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