Button Sensory Bag

Sensory Play doesn't have to be complicated or messy! This easy button sensory bag is perfect for keeping little hands busy and eager minds learning. Best of all, it comes together in just a few moments!

Hair Gel Button Sensory Bag
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Sensory play is awesome for kids. It is fun, and can be as simple or as complicated as you wish. I love to give my kids the tools they need to play, learn, and relax. This button sensory bag is easy to make and can serve several purposes.



The button sensory bag is perfect for quiet reflection time. I made this for Harper on one of those rough days when she needed a chance to unwind. As she got herself together we used this bag for sorting colors and shapes. Manipulating the buttons is awesome for fine motor practice.



                                                          This post contains affiliate links.

Supplies Needed:
A zipper seal sandwich bag
Hair gel


Directions:
Place aout 1/4 cup of hair gel in a zipper seal bag.


Add glitter to the hair gel. I thought blue was a nice touch, but you can use whatever color you like.

Add assorted buttons.

Seal. If your child is young or has "rough hands" You might want to reinforce the edges and opening with duct tape.


Invite your child to explore the bag. Squish it, sort colors, or sort by sizes.

You can find more sensory activities ideas here:
Birthday Cake Sensory Play is always a hit!
Flower Garden Sensory Bins are perfect for rainy days!

15+ Halloween Books for Toddlers


Don't miss our Halloween reading list for little ones! Rolf and Harp hand picked most of these 15+ Halloween Books for Toddlers. These are some of the ones they remember liking the most when they were "babies". 

From colorful picture books to touch and feel titles, this list has a Halloween book for every toddler! Please be advised that I am participant in the Amazon affiliate program. If you make a purchase I earn a small advertising fee, which helps keep the site up and running!



Where Is Baby's Pumpkin? (Karen Katz Lift-the-Flap Books)
Little hands will love exploring this lift the flap book and helping baby find her very own pumpkin!


My First Halloween
With warm and friendly illustrations this book focuses on the moments that become memories for families.



Hoot Howl Halloween
It is Halloween night and the moon is bright, as your little one discovers the haunted house, they can press a button to activate one of ten spooky sounds.



Babies Love Halloween: Lift-a-Flap Board Book
This book offers a fun way to practice sentence structuring while introducing Halloween to little learners with the fun of discovering what lies under the flaps of the book!




Biscuit Visits the Pumpkin Patch
Biscuit visits the pumpkin patch. What could he find there besides the perfect pumpkin? Toddlers will love the friendly surprises that await in this book!



Little Blue Truck's Halloween
Hop in and go for a ride with Little Blue as he picks up his friends for a costume party! Toddlers will love lifting the flaps to see who is in the costumes!

Related: Paper Plate Spiders




Llama Llama Trick or Treat (Llama Llama Board Books)
Llama Llama picks out a costume, finds a great pumpkin and heads out with Mama Llama for a fun night of trick or treating!


Disney Baby My First Halloween
This board book is perfect for little ones. It has friendly Halloween images and touch and feel elements for an engaging experience.



Winnie the Pooh Pooh's Halloween Pumpkin
While walking in the hundred acre woods, Pooh finds a marvelous pumpkin. Toddlers will love what Pooh and friends do with it!



Halloween ABC
This book gives kids a chance to practice their abc's with a festive touch!





Little Cat: Finger Puppet Book 
This little book has a lot of fun hidden in the pages with a little finger puppet friend to help tell the story.

Related: Glam Pumpkins


  

Little Friends: Trick or Treat: A lift-the-flap book
Tag along with some little friends for trick or treat fun! Little hands will love to discover what is hiding behind the flaps.



The Cheerios Halloween Play Book
A snack and an activity that are perfect for Halloween fun await toddlers with this book!




Boo! (Leslie Patricelli Board Books)
This book covers all of the bases for fun with costumes, pumpkins, treats and a boo or two!




Pop-Up Peekaboo! Pumpkin
This fun lift the flap book is packed with pop up surprises. Toddlers will enjoy this friendly book.

What is your toddlers favorite Halloween book? Leave a comment to inspire young readers everywhere!

Leaf Fox Craft


Fall is near and we can't wait to start decorating, crafting and buying pumpkins! This easy and cute leaf family craft is perfect for kids this year and only requires a few supplies!


I saw these craft leaves at Hobby Lobby, and I knew I had to make something with them! I decided on a cute and easy leaf fox craft. This is so easy, it requires cheap supplies and creates something adorable that the kids will love to make and display!

This post contains amazon links. If you make a purchase I earn an advertising fee from amazon.

Supplies:

Glue
Small Black Pom Poms
Craft Leaves


Instructions:

Add 2 craft eyes towards the top of a leaf
Add a black pom pom at the bottom point for a nose.

Repeat as desired.

I thought they ended up looking pretty cute! We made 36 of these for under $3. I LOVE economical crafts for the kids!


If you make this cute and easy leaf fox craft I want to see a picture of your creations! Hop over to facebook and share a photo with me.

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How to be a Boss at Renovating Your Own Home


Renovating your own home can seem like a daunting task. Learning how to do some basic DIY, woodwork, and interior decorating is no mean feat, particularly when you’re completing it on your own. While many of us would love to have the budget to hire someone else to do our renovation for us, we don’t always have the budget to do so.

Get creative with paint
It’s no secret that a brand new lick of paint can do wonders for any room. If you’re worried that your bedroom, living room or kitchen is looking a little tired, then it could be time to get out the rollers and drop cloths. If you really want to paint in style, it’s time to get creative. Taking your time to look through swatches and experiment with color could see you creating something truly unique. Pairing deep slate greys with pale yellows or bright creams with vibrant furniture could give you a home that looks as if it belongs in a brochure.

Make the most of small rooms
Small rooms often feel like the most difficult to renovate in many ways. While there’s less space to conquer, you often run the risk of accidentally cluttering the room. There are a few gospel rules when it comes to smaller rooms, and those include:

No dark paint
No busy patterns
No dark curtains

These focus on getting as much light into the room as possible, which is always a wise approach. You can also use clever tricks of the light to make it feel like a much bigger room. Adding mirrors is just one way of doing this, as they give a slight illusion of extra space, as well as bouncing light around the room.

Don’t be afraid of cosmetic changes
Cosmetic changes to a home can include changing the tiles in a room, re-painting a room, or adding wallpaper. While these jobs might require a bit of elbow grease, they are well within most people’s capabilities. There also some unique hacks you can try to spruce up some features in your home. Did you know, for example, that if you unscrew the doorknobs in your house and boil them with baking soda you’ll be able to get rid of any accidental paint spills? Don’t be afraid, either, to switch up some of those smaller features. Purchasing quirky and artistic doorknobs to fit in your home will give it a stylish boutique feel.

Be bold with your front door
It’s surprising how small aspects of a renovation can make it feel like a much bigger one. For example, changing your front door can have a surprisingly large effect on the overall appearance of your abode. If you can’t afford an entirely new front door, then why not paint it? Opting for a bold and vibrant color such as yellow will give your home an immediate sense of character.

Go bargain hunting
As you may have already surmised, renovating can be an expensive project. Cans of paint, new artwork, and new furniture can all come to quite an expensive price. This is where sales become your friend. Bargain hunting for materials way in advance could save you plenty of money. Take trips out to DIY stories and browse through online retailers’ stock until you find the best possible bargain. While there are some features that shouldn’t be scrimped on, items such as paint can be affordably purchased at a much cheaper price with very little consequence.
Leave the tough work to the professionals
If you find yourself wondering if it’s possible to fit a toilet by yourself or maybe do the re-wiring in your kitchen – don’t risk it. Some jobs are best left to professionals, particularly when the condition of your home is at stake. It might end up costing you a fortune to repair the damage caused. By searching “plumbers in my area” online you can find tradespeople to get the big jobs executed successfully.


The easiest way to be a boss at home renovation is to be brave. Get creative with your color use and accept the challenges that learning DIY can bring. While some bigger tasks are best left to professionals (plumbing and wiring, for example) there are still plenty of home improvements you can complete yourself. Start hunting around for inspiration and DIY sales; you never know what you might come up with.

Apple Dessert Recipes to Fall For

It is only August, but we have picked our first apple of the season and now I have all of the symptoms of seasonal obsession. I MUST MAKE ALL OF THE YUMMY APPLE THINGS!


Apple Dessert Recipes to Fall For



If you too suffer from seasonal apple obsession, you are going to adore these tips for picking the best apples and these awesome apple recipes I am crushing on this year.

Tips for Picking the Best Apples


  • Pick apples from the outside of the tree first, as these will be the ripest.
  • Select apples that are firm to the touch.
  • Fragrant apples are also a good sign of freshness.
  • Avoid bruises, nicks and apples that have fallen to the ground, as these may have insects feasting inside!
  • If an apple isn't quite ripe, it won't ripen more after picking. 



Now that you know what to look for in apples as you are picking them, let's get on to more important matters, what to make with these lovely apples!


Baked Honey Crisp Apples
Crockpot Baked Apples This is perfect for dessert on crazy busy days.
Apple Butterscotch Snack Cake
No Bake Caramel Apple Cheesecake
Baked Apple Chips These are perfect for healthy snacking!
Apple Cheese Danish
Heirloom Apple Cake


Which of these recipes will you try first? I think it has to be the Baked Honeycrisp Apples for me! They look perfectly delectable! We made a really cute apple tree window cling last year you might want to make your own.

Find all of my apple posts here