Confessions of a Not So Crafty Momma.

We love Halloween. Christmas is probably the favorite holiday in our house, but Halloween is such a close second. Since it is officially October now, we did our first Halloween themed activity of the year.

Materials Needed

• Construction Paper
• Glue
• Scissors

This activity is quick, simple, and can be done with very few materials, so it is perfect for days where you want to do something with your little ones, but do not have tons of time to prepare. Start by cutting out shapes. The colors you use are up to you. We used a brown for the hair and blue for the eyes so that our little one could see a bit of herself in the witch. We used a green face, but you can use any color face you’d like!

After you cut out the shapes, let your little one assemble the witch! Try to give them as little guidance as possible. For these shape activities, we usually just hand our toddler the shapes one by one and let her glue them on. The end result might hang off the paper or be a bit malformed, but it will be a perfect representation of who your child is at this stage in their life.

If your little one enjoys this one, check out our Open Ended Shape Fish or our Open Ended Shape Dinosaur!

 

Living with food allergies can be overwhelming and sometimes frightening. The effects of a reaction can range from mildly annoying to deadly. If you or your children have food allergies, then you know that it can be a full time job to keep safe. I have found the following five things really help when navigating food allergies.
**Nothing in the following post should be taken as medical advice. Please always consult a doctor if you have questions about managing food allergies**

1.  Always read labels carefully. Food labels include important allergy information, but it is not always have to find. Sometimes the information about allergens processed in the same facility as the product are listed in much smaller print than the ingredients. Make it a practice to read every label every time you purchase a product. Manufacturers regularly change ingredients and an allergen may be added at any time!
2. Separate safe and unsafe foods. This one is super important if it is your child who has the food allergy and they are old enough to grab their own snacks or meals. Assign areas of your cabinets and fridge for allergy friendly foods and for the unsafe foods so that no one accidently grabs an unsafe food when they are in a hurry.
3. Prepare an emergency plan. If you or your child have a life-threatening food allergy, people who regularly interact with you or your child (including teachers and school staff) should have a basic understanding of what to do in case of a severe allergic reaction. Because people can panic in an emergency, it is best to have allergies, medications, emergency contacts, and any other important information in writing. Your doctor may write you one, but if not, you can do it yourself!
4. Keep your guard up while dining out. Dining out with allergies can be tricky, because unlike at home, things are out of your control. Always let your server know about your allergy! You may also want to talk to a manager or someone from the kitchen. Specifically ask that your food be prepared away from your allergen. Most places will let you know if they can not do this. Some resturants will have a detailed notebook in the back that lists ingredients and nutritional information, but if the resturant you are eating at does not, do not be afraid to ask detailed questions!
5. Always carry your medication. This one sounds easier than it actually is. Do not forget to have your EpiPen and Benidryl in something that you carry everywhere! If you can, carry two doses just in case!

 

We would love to hear from you? Do you have any tips for living with food allergies? Do you have a favorite resturant to eat at that goes above and beyond?

In our house, free and clear laundry detergent is a must. Our toddler and I both have extremely sensitive skin. Mr. Not So Crafty does not have as sensitive of skin, but he does have asthma, so strong smelling products are out for him as well.

**We have been provided with a #freesample by Seventh Generation. The opinions expressed are all ours**

Since joining Seventh Generation’s Generation Good Program, we have gotten to try a few different products and it is always exciting to get a new package in the mail.

Seventh Generation’s Free and Clear detergent has the EPA Safer Choice certification. This means that every ingredient in the laundry packs has been reviewed by the EPA.
There are no added fragrances, dyes, or artificial brighteners. The most important question of course would be, does it work?

It works great! I used to for two loads yesterday. If you’ve never tried detergent packs, they are super easy to use. You just throw them in the washer, than put the clothes on top! The Seventh Generation packs got our clothes so clean and I’m wearing a shirt I washed right now with no problems at all for my sensitive skin! If you are looking for a new laundry detergent, this choice will not disappoint!

In our last post, we shared Ten Great Apple Books to read with your little ones. Yesterday, we did this simple paper apple that will go great with any of the books we shared!

Materials Needed

Paper Plate

Green Construction Paper

Red Construction Paper

Brown Construction Paper

Glue

Scissors

 

I started by cutting the red paper into squares. If your little one is over four, try letting them cut or tear up the paper. This activity is super simple, so it might not hold the attention of little ones over 6.

I let my toddler glue the squares onto the paper plate. We used liquid glue, but you can also use glue sticks and have your little one put on the squares one at a time. My toddler just does not have the patience for that currently!

 

After that, we put on the stem and leaf. This took about 20 minutes in total. It was an easy, but fun, little project.

 

 

If you want more apple fun, dont forget to check out the Paper Plate Apple craft!

Fall is officially here! That means it is time for everything apple in our house! We have already made a Paper Plate Apple. Today we’d like to share ten great books about apples that are perfect for little ones five and under!

**The following post contains affiliate links. We may get a small commission, at no additional cost to you, for purchases made from the links. The opinions expressed are all ours.**

Apples

Bad Apple: A Tale of Friendship

Apples and Pumpkins

Peppa Goes Apple Picking

Apples, Apples Everywhere! Learning About Apple Harvests

My Little Golden Book About Johnny Appleseed

Pinkalicious: Apples, Apples, Apples!

Apples (Celebrate Fall)

Apple Picking Day!

Amelia Bedelia’s First Apple Pie

We are not a totally crunchy household, but we do worry about chemicals in things that come in close contact with our toddler. There are unfortunately chemicals in many baby products. Baby wipes are probably the most versatile product we have in our home, so we depend on them to be trustworthy and chemical free!

**We were given a free sample of Seventh Generation Free and Clear Baby wipes and were asked to provide a review. The opinion expressed is all ours and we are not being directly compensated for a positive review**

We recently joined the Generation Good Community. They occasionally send out samples and we were thrilled to receive a free sample of baby wipes. Baby wipes have so many uses, but before we get to that part of the post, we want to tell you about these amazing wipes!

 

Seventh Generation Free and Clear wipes are a new favorite in our home. Our toddler can not use things with fragrances because of her severe eczema, so these are the perfect choice. They are also free of parabens and phenoxyethanols. Most importantly, they work great! They are thicker than some other sensitive skin wipes out there. They clean very well, but didn’t bother our toddler’s skin at all. As a bonus, they are really cute!

So, these wipes clean baby butt, hands, and face wonderfully, but did you know you can use baby wipes for a variety of other things? Here is a list of our favorite other uses!

Remove stains from furniture, carpet, and clothing

Clean car windows, dashboards, and interior

Clean your walls

Clean your pet

Clean dolls and toys

We’d love to hear from you! Have you tried Seventh Generation Free and Clear wipes? (If not, you totally should!) Do you have a favorite way to use wipes around the house?

 

 

 

This little paper ant is easy and adaptable for little ones between one and five. Our toddler had a blast making it. It is a great addition to any bug unit or just a fun craft to do at home!

 

Materials Needed

• Black Construction Paper
• White Computer or Construction Paper
• Googly Eyes
• Scissors
• Glue

This art project will take about three minutes to prepare for. I simply cut out three black circles, six long black strips, and two short black strips. The ease of getting it ready makes it a perfect choice for both home and classroom! We are working on shapes, colors, and numbers in our house, so I held up a circle before we started and told her it was a black circle. The only color she can say right now is yellow, but if you have a young toddler, describing things on a daily bases is the best way to introduce new words and concepts. If the child you are working with is preschool age, let them do the cutting if there is time!

 

I let her glue the circles on the paper one by one as we counted them. Then, I handed her the legs and the antennas.

Lastly, we added googly eyes. This didn’t take long and my little one absolutely loved putting on the legs. We are not good with coordinated snacks, but if you want to be super extra, you could serve the stuffed celery “ants on a log” for snack after!