 An Easy Holiday DIY with 5 Dollar Tree Items By: Charissa If I am going to tackle a DIY project, I need it to be simple and inexpensive. I recently wanted to make a holiday decoration, and a quick stop at the Dollar Tree made my simple, frugal DIY possible! At the Dollar Tree I bought: a reindeer ornament, a picture display, thin ribbon, a package of bows, and a bag of pom poms. The only other item I needed was a glue gun which I already had on hand.
 Then I glued the reindeer, and bow making sure to cover the writing at the bottom. I ended by attaching some of the ribbon and pom poms to cover the rip that came when removing the clip. It was as simple as that! The Dollar Tree has a wide variety of ornaments, bows, ribbons, flowers, and more. It just takes a little time and creativity to make a festive holiday DIY.  Holiday decor doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated, so consider a quick stop at your local Dollar Tree and see what creative DIY you can make this December!  Charissa was born and raised on Cape Cod. After 9 years away from the Cape, she and her husband returned home to start their family. A former 5th grade teacher, Charissa has spent the last 12 years at home with her 3 children while working various part-time jobs. Just about a year and a half ago she decided to pursue something she had been thinking about for many years; she started a blog! She loves sharing her passion for living a full life without all the busy over at http://www.thenotsobusymom.com/. You can follow her on Facebook and Instagram (@thenotsobusymom) to learn more.
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A Mermaid/Pirate Birthday Party By: Molly  When I asked my kids what theme they wanted for their birthday party my daughter said a Secret Mermaid party based on one of her favorite books right now The Secret Mermaid and my son pirate because he loves all things pirate and the book On a Pirate Ship. So a Mermaid/Pirate party I started to plan. The party was planned for a Sunday afternoon 1-3pm outside.  For the first hour or so I planned activities. These activities included mermaid coloring sheets at one table, decorating booty bags (simple 12” drawstring bags I made) with markers at another, and mermaid tails at a third table.  For the pouches I used scraps of fabric that someone was giving away and embroidery floss I had already around. The tails I cutout of cardstock and got the stickers from Ocean State Job Lot for a $1. I also put out a huge box to use as a pirate ship.  Once everyone arrived around 2:15 we started the treasure hunt. For the treasure hunt I had hidden four treasure buckets around the yard. I then gave the group of party goers a rhyming clue and then they had to find each treasure as a group. After the hunt we had cake and open presents. My kids said it was an awesome party. Molly Hubner
Usborne Books & More Independent Educational Consultant. I am always looking for people to join my Usborne team, host parties (Facebook or home), or just share these wonderful books! For more information visit my website or contact me at mollyhubner@gmail.com. Plus follow me on Instagram www.instagram.com/mollyhubnersusbornebooks/ Keeping Kids Occupied By Molly Trying to get work done as a stay at home mom in the summer is not an easy task. As many of you may know back in November I became an independent consultant with Usborne Books & More and now I am a Team Leader as well as an Educational Consultant. Up until the end of June I could usually get 30 minutes of uninterrupted work done while my 5 year was at school and my three year old played or if necessary watched a video and then get my other stuff done here and there. But now that my daughter is home I don’t have a chunk of uninterrupted time so I feel like I only start things and never finish them leaving even more work to be done. With new book titles being released July first (Wahoo) I need to find time to book some New Title Parties and keep business rolling plus plan for the Fall when both kids will be in school! Enter Busy Bags… I was first introduced to the concept of busy bags (or boxes) when I was expecting my second child and was looking for things my daughter then 22 months could do while I was nursing the baby. Busy Bags are great because they can be tailored for different ages and easily store and pull out when you need them. When my kids were younger I participated in and organized Busy Bag and craft exchanges which is a great way to get lots of busy bags or crafts while only having to make X number of the same thing yourself: it is also more cost effective. Pinterest is a great source of busy bag ideas (find me on Pinterest Molly Hubner). Some of my favorite Busy Bags I have made (will include pictures below) are Build a Cupcake, Decorate a Gingerbread Man, Feed the Tennis Ball, Paint Strip cutting (no picture), Sorting Puffballs, Make Your Own Puzzle, Card Making, for older kids fuse bead sort and making and if you have some time on your hands an Alphabet Box (check out Pinterest for this).
If you are looking for quick busy bags to make get 8 big ziplocks in one bag put paper fold in half and crayons, in the second stamps (self inking is best) and paper, third beads and string, fourth stickers and envelopes, fifth a coloring book and “special markers”, sixth bag order Generic Men People Minifigures Toy (I got mine at Amazon) and have the kids assemble them then play with them 7th bag buy cheap kids bandaids and print out pictures of your child's favorite characters and the 8th bag a set of wipe clean cards on a ring or an Activity Pack.
Now when I am trying to finish a task or project I don’t have to stop everything to set up a project or activity I can just have the kids go grab a bag of their choice and have them work on it. Now does this work every time no but at least it gets me a little more time some of the time... Do you have a favorite busy bag? How do you get work done while the kids are around? Molly Hubner Usborne Books & More Independent Educational Consultant I am always looking for people to join my Usborne team, host parties (Facebook or home), or just share these wonderful books! For more information visit my website or contact me at mollyhubner@gmail.com. Plus follow me on Instagram www.instagram.com/mollyhubnersusbornebooks/ Ivy Kids Kit Review By: Molly  I recently had the founder of Ivy Kids at one of my Usborne Facebook parties; we got to talking about how I was a former kindergarten teacher and wished I had more time to make up boxes like she sold and she offered to send me a kit for an unbiased review. “Ivy Kids is a monthly educational subscription box for children ages 3-8. Our goal is to make every moment with your child "quality time." Have the tools at your fingertips to ensure your child has a solid foundation in math, literacy, and science. Help your child build confidence and be well-rounded in all disciplines to ensure future academic success. The activities in the Ivy Kits have been created by certified early childhood teachers with children of their own.” (http://ivy-kids.com/) The kids and I were very excited to find the box had arrived while we were away over the weekend. The kit arrives in a 12”x4”x8” boxes that also double as storage for the supplies. In each boxes are a book and 10 activities to go with it (for an extra $5 you can add sibling supplies). I received A house for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle (which happens to be a book I am very familiar with and used while teaching). When we opened the box the first item we saw was the book A House for Hermit Crab and a bookmark with questions and suggests for getting the most out of reading and rereading the book. Most of the other items come in bags sort by activity which is great so you can grab a bag and get started (some of the materials are shared between activities). Each activity comes with a sheet that tells you about the activity including materials provided, how to play, suggestion on differentiating the activity for different ages/skill level, questions to ask to scaffold learning and learning goals/developing skills list. So far my kids have really enjoyed reading the book A House for Hermit Crab and discussing what he chooses for his shell over the year. They have also enjoyed creating their own habitats for the hermit crab they “grew” in a bowl of water (one of those add water and grow creatures) and creating a special shell for their hermit crab using the plate as a shell and the stickers for decoration. The painting of the shells and sun catchers definitely was great for the kids fine motor skills and labeling/experimenting with colors. We are looking forward to pulling the boxes out in coming weeks and enjoying some Hermit Crab Facts, Identifying Hermit Crab Body Parts, Doing some Hermit Crab Shell Observations, Sequencing Hermit Crab's Year, Name decorating, Sorting Shells plus playing Hermit Crab Shell Race.  You can buy individual boxes or sign up for monthly deliveries of a box for a month to month, three months or six months. In each boxes there are enough activities/ideas to last about a month. I really enjoyed being able to just grab the box and let my kids (three and five) choice an activity and have all the materials right there. Hopefully I will find some time before my daughter finishes school to assemble some of my own boxes if not I will have to get a three month subscription to Ivy Kids which is totally worth the $36.95 a month cost.
To find more info on Ivy Kids or to order kit(s) visit their website http://ivy-kids.com/ Molly Hubner Usborne Books & More Independent Educational Consultant I am always looking for people to join my Usborne team, host parties (Facebook or home), or just share these wonderful books! For more information visit my website or contact me at mollyhubner@gmail.com. Plus follow me on Instagram www.instagram.com/mollyhubnersusbornebooks/  Felt Egg and Paper Mache Craft Project By: Molly I have always wanted to try felting but have never gotten around to it as I thought it was complicated. Then right before Easter this year my 3 and 5 year old and I attended a felt egg workshop at the Snow Library and learned just how fun and easy it is. Now I am going to share how with you! Plus how to make a nest for you beautiful eggs. What you need to make felted eggs: *wool roving (I used this one from Amazon as it was the best price I could find) *plastic Easter eggs *tape *soap *Very warm water *bowl *access to hot and cold running water
What you need for paper mache nest: *paper whatever color(s) you want the nest (brown lunch bags 2 per nest, construction paper, newspaper...) *Elmer’s Glue All multipurpose white glue (or similar) *water *one bowl the size of nest you want to make *one bowl for mixing *stirring utensil *scissors *plastic wrap *newspaper
 8. Let dry overnight
9. Remove paper from bowl by taking plastic wrap off then peel plastic away from paper and you have a nest for your felt eggs Molly Hubner Usborne Books & More Independent Educational Consultant I am always looking for people to join my Usborne team, host parties (Facebook or home), or just share these wonderful books! For more information visit https://w4728.myubam.com or contact me at mollyhubner@gmail.com .  By: Suzanne Golden, M.S., CCC-SLP As the weather starts to get cooler and we find ourselves spending more time inside, I am always looking for more activities to keep my daughter busy! This past weekend we decided to make some “pumpkin play-doh”. I love activities like this because we get to touch on a variety of skills and the end product is some awesome smelling play-doh that we can have fun with!  Here is the recipe we used: 3-4 cups all purpose flour 1/2 cup salt 2 tbsp vegetable oil 2 tbsp cream of tartar 1/2 cup pumpkin puree 2 tsp. cinnamon spice blend/pumpkin pie spice 1 1/2 cups boiling water 8-10 drops red food coloring 5-7 drops yellow food coloring  Directions: Mix flour, salt, cream of tartar, oil, pumpkin pie spice and pumpkin puree together. Add boiling water slowly and mix with a spoon until everything is combined. After mixture has cooled, take it out of the bowl and knead on the counter. Add flour as you knead it to make it less-sticky. (I added quite a bit of additional flour to make it a nice consistency. Just use your best judgment!). We let our play-doh cool and settle over night and then had some fun with it the next day! We decided to use construction paper to cut out shapes to make play-doh jack-o-lanterns. My daughter also made a giant “pumpkin cake”, which she then served to all of the stuffed animals in the house!  Here are some ways to incorporate speech/language skills into this fun activity.
· Talk about all of the terms related to following the recipe and explain what they mean, in child-friendly terms: o Measure, pour, scoop, measuring cup, stir, knead, ingredients etc.. · Have your child help you measure out the ingredients and have them help you find the correct numbers on the measuring cup · Once the play-doh is made, incorporate some pretend play into the play-doh. You can make jack-o-lanterns like we did or have your child come up with his/her own creations! You could set up a bakery and form the play-doh into some yummy baked treats or use the play-doh to form leaves. Whatever you decide to do, talk through it with your child. Help your child explain his/her ideas and encourage creativity! · If your child is targeting certain speech sounds, hide small objects that start with their sound in the play-doh and have them practice the sound when they find the item. I hope you and your child enjoy this fun fall activity!  By: Suzanne Golden, M.S., CCC-SLP We are getting ready for Easter and this upcoming weekend we are going to dye eggs. As always, I look for ways to tie in speech/language tasks to our activities! Here are some suggestions for how to incorporate speech/language skills into egg dying. Egg-Dying/Easter Vocabulary Words: · Dye · Mix · Dip · Dry · Egg Hunt · Crack · Fragile · Shell · Egg White · Yolk · Vinegar While you prepare the dye: · Talk about the different colors of egg dye that you will be using · Allow your child to help you measure and mix the ingredients · Consider blending some of the colors to create new colors and talk about how this happens Before you dye the eggs: · Use a white or clear crayon to write/draw on the eggs – once the eggs are dyed you will be able to see what you drew · Write letters to work on letter identification · Draw shapes to work on shape recognition · Have your child write his/her name  While you dye the eggs:
· Think and talk about some of the vocabulary words listed above as you mix, dip, dye and dry your eggs! After you dye the eggs: · Check out the letters and shapes you drew on the eggs · If your child is a beginning reader, use the letter-eggs to spell out some CVC words · Use describing words to talk about an egg and have your child guess which egg you are describing · Hide the eggs and use direction words to find the eggs · Crack one of the eggs open and talk about the different parts of the egg As always, every task can be a learning experience that is full of language if you make it that way for your child! Enjoy and I hope you and your child create some awesome eggs! Golden Speech Therapy Suzanne Golden, M.S., CCC-SLP Contact Info: 781-603-8529 www.goldenspeechtherapy.com www.facebook.com/goldenspeechtherapy By: Suzanne Golden, M.S., CCC-SLP I am fortunate to have some very talented preschool teachers as friends of mine. While visiting their classrooms recently I noticed an adorable valentine’s day themed play-doh activity center. The teachers had made chocolate play-doh and provided the children with candy boxes, cupcake wrappers and other chocolate/candy themed props. The children were then able to use their imaginations to create awesome chocolate play-doh treats! I knew that this was an activity my daughter would love too, so with the impending snowstorm last Wednesday, I purchased all of the ingredients and we set out to make some chocolate play-doh! Here is the recipe we followed:  Ingredients: 2 cups plain flour (all purpose) 1 cup salt 1/2 cup cocoa powder 2 tbsps cream of tartar 2 tbsps vegetable oil 2 cups of boiling water Directions: Combine all of the dry ingredients in a bowl Stir in the vegetable oil Stir in the boiling water and mix until combined Once cooled slightly, knead the dough on a clean surface until it loses all stickiness and becomes smooth and stretchy Once the play-doh is made, its time to create! We used some birthday candles, cupcake wrappers and ice cream cones to add to the fun. This activity was a great way to get our imaginations working on a cold-snowy day!
If you are concerned about your child’s language development call Golden Speech Therapy and schedule a free screening!
Golden Speech Therapy Suzanne Golden, M.S., CCC-SLP Contact Info: 781-603-8529 www.goldenspeechtherapy.com www.facebook.com/goldenspeechtherapy  By Kelli DiDomenico It’s that time of the year again when you start to think about decorating your house for the holidays. Argh… is one of the first thoughts that may come to mind for many adults, when we think about this hefty endeavor. Many parents are already tired, overworked and have too much on their plates. The thought of adding another task can be overwhelming. That is just when the kids will say, “let’s decorate the house, it’ll be fun!” You can make it fun. Let’s start by involving the entire family in the decorating festivities, instead of dreading the work it takes to decorate your house. You can follow some of these ideas and plans to get your family started.
  Some ideas for decorating…
*Another good tip for next year is to stock up at the after holiday sales to find some great decorations for good prices. Finally the ultimate goal when decorating your home is to have fun, spend quality time with your family and end up with a holiday display that everyone had a hand in creating. Remember that your family can add many of their own traditions to make it special. If you want to add a little zip to your holiday decorating you can always add some healthy snacks, warm hot chocolate and holiday music playing in the background. The point is to discover, as a team what works best for your family. Happy Decorating to all!  Kelli DiDomenico is Director of Parent and Community Relations at The Children’s Workshop. With over 20 years of experience, Kelli earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from Rhode Island College and ran her own child care business before rejoining The Children’s Workshop family team in 2010. The Children’s Workshop has locations in Bourne and South Dennis with early learning programs for children of all ages. The Children’s Workshop is where learning is child’s play! www.childrensworkshop.com  By: Liz S The holidays are a wonderful, magical time of the year. They are also an expensive and hectic time for families. I am always looking for a way to save some money while sharing an experience and making memories with my family. I love decorating inside and out for Christmas! Wreaths and swags are a festive favorite, but the price tags are sky high. Stop by any garden center and decorated wreaths can run up to $50. The bows alone can give me sticker shock, and all for something that gets tossed out after New Year’s Eve. We dabble in DIY projects but nothing hard core, yet we took on the task of making our own wreaths and swags. I promise you do not have to be super crafty to get a “WOW” result.  Step 1- Where to start? We went to our favorite local garden center and bought several plain-jane wreaths, 12-14” in size for about $8 each. You can use whatever sizes fit your need and of course, the plastic wreaths work if you are so inclined. I hit the Christmas Tree Shop and bought a bag of starfish, $5, and the Dollar Tree for ribbons, $1 each roll. I had some wire from an old ribbon making kit, but you can buy it locally for under $2 a roll. I wanted a Cape Cod feel to our wreaths hence the starfish. I used some pine cones that my daughter collected around the yard, and we sprinkled silver glitter on them.  Step 2- We simply attached the pinecones and starfish to the wreaths using the wire. Do as many as you like, placed wherever looks good to you. It’s all about self-expression and having fun. It is easy, I promise J I tied the bow around the wreath and we were done.  Step 3- My family was so proud of our wreaths, we decided to try our hand at swags. I grabbed a basket and pair of garden clippers and went off to our front yard. As many of us do, we have Leyland Cyprus trees and Holly bushes in our yard. All I did was cut a bunch of branches off. We played around with the branches to get a nice, full set, and then tied together at the stem with our wire. We added ribbon and in less than 5 minutes we had swags.  Making our own decorations was fun and festive. My husband, daughter and I had such a blast. The wreaths came in under $10 each and the swags were under $1.00!! Saving money allowed us to make some of these handmade gifts for friends and neighbors. We enjoyed being able to spread some holiday cheer and everyone loved them.
Whether it is making wreaths, a gingerbread house, cookies or candles- I hope you and your family can share a fun activity together this year. You may stumble on a new tradition like we have. Happy holidays from our family to yours. Peace and Joy, Liz |
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