Well, I haven't really had access to my computer all week because our power cord stopped working. We had to order a new one and just got it in the mail today, so now I'm good to go! What did that mean for me? I realized how amazingly obsessed I am with the computer. I found myself having withdrawals - that can't be good!
Computer issues aside, here's what I did from Pinterest this week. Click on the picture caption to link to the original pin.
*********************************************************************************
I love this laundry soap! It's amazing. It's better for the environment, uses way less material, and is much, much cheaper than store-bought laundry soap. I've made it two times now - just made my second batch tonight. (I use it with
my homemade dryer sheets!) I don't have any pictures of me making it because the blogger who did it originally did a great job of explaining and taking pictures.
Here's the link to her blog so you can have the recipe, too! (It doesn't look like her blog is being updated anymore, but I want to make sure she gets credit.)
********************************************************************************
This idea came from the blog
Play at Home Mom, a blog that I absolutely LOVE and gets tons of ideas from. The moms who post on the blog are amazing and deserve all the credit. Okay, all praise aside, I did this with my 17 month old today and she really enjoyed it. Play at Home Mom did this with a 3 year old and has some great ideas for that age (I love how this activity can span many ages). Working with a 17 month old is a little different. Here's how it turned out for us:
 |
Our balloon fillings -->
Top Row: avocado pieces, garbanzo beans, ketchup, couscous
Bottom Row: candy fruit belts, dry wagon wheel pasta, syrup, grapes
A note about the fillings..... The avocado and garbanzo beans had both gone bad and were going to get thrown away. I say, why waste? If you can't eat it, put it in a balloon and squeeze it! :) |
 |
| Picking up the first balloon. "Ooooohhh". |
 |
| She had to feel all the balloons at least once and then went back twice to the ones she really liked. |
 |
| It wouldn't be a normal activity in our house if it didn't go in her mouth. Of course, she had to bite it. |
 |
| The ketchup and syrup were both cold from the fridge and she liked feeling the coldness on her head. |
 |
| Squishing it down...Oh geez, please don't pop! |
 |
| Listening to the sound of the wagon wheel pasta balloon. |
 |
| I squeezed the avocado balloon so she could see inside a little. I wouldn't recommend this unless you have short nails. The balloon popped seconds later. :( |
 |
| Squeezing the wagon wheel pasta balloon to show her the shape inside. |
I loved this sensory activity. More importantly, Olive loved it, too. If you're worried about the mess that might be created if a balloon pops, fill it with things that won't make as much of a mess such as: fuzzy craft poms, any small shell dry pasta, cotton balls, water, dried beans, etc. Have fun finding different textures for your little one to play with!
