Category Archives: Crafts

Handmade Christmas–Part 7: Christmas Eve Nightgown

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A lot of people I know have a pajama tradition for Christmas. Usually it’s a gift that each child can open on Christmas Eve – brand new exciting pajamas! I think most years my mom made my sisters and me matching pajamas, and I think the handmade-ness of it is kind of special. There’s nothing…

Handmade Christmas–Part 6: Coloring Wallets

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I decided to make a few of these little travel coloring clutches for Anneliese and some of her toddler friends. I thought they would be easy to throw into a diaper bag or stroller to take along anywhere you might need a little distraction. A doctor’s appointment or a trip to the DMV or whatever….

Handmade Christmas–Part 5: I Spy “Scavenger Hunt” Boxes

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This simple-to-make toy is sure to bring lots of “I Spy” scavenger hunting fun. Make yours themed, or make a more general one like mine. I’ll show you step-by-step how to craft your toddler game!

Handmade Christmas–Part 4: Hand-painted Rainbow Matryoshka Nesting Dolls

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This handmade Matryoshka project took about a week of evening sketching and painting, but the labor of love was well worth it! A little rainbow nesting doll set for my daughter was the result, and I hope she loves playing with it as much as I loved nesting dolls when I was a kid.

Handmade Christmas–Part 3: Wooden Matching Game (Pegs and Cups)

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Here’s another little gift I made for Anneliese. I haven’t really made much of an effort to hide them as I made them, because she’s a year old and doesn’t really “get” Christmas yet, so she has already seen them and has been VERY interested in playing with them. I’m excited to set them up…

Handmade Christmas–Part 2: Crocheted Tea Set

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Inspired by the Land of Nod Crocheted (“I’m a Little Knit Teapot”) Tea Party Set, I decided to make a teapot, cups, and saucers for my daughter.

Handmade Christmas–Part 1: Decorations

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You know those cinnamon scented pine cones that are always in grocery and craft stores around Thanksgiving and Christmas? I’ve never bought them before. I have no idea why. They smell WONDERFUL. So the first decoration I made involved those, some ribbons in my “theme colors” for this year (and probably several years after this)…

Christmas Books Advent Countdown – A New Family Tradition

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I have so many winter/Christmas/Hanukkah/Holiday children’s books, and this tradition will make sure they are all read and enjoyed each year. I’m looking forward to seeing how this tradition evolves, and how my kids become more involved in it as the years go by.

25 Handmade Gifts for Toddlers (or Preschoolers)

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I had a list in my head of things I wanted to make for Anneliese for Christmas this year. Then I kept adding to it, so I had to jot it down on paper, but after a bit the list was quite long, and some of the projects were a bit complicated for me to…

Catching Up–Part 2

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Gorgeous spring weather has come to the Central Valley, so we decided to celebrate it with a picnic with friends. We met up at Hidden Valley park, which has rolling hills of grass, a duck pond, and playgrounds. Anneliese got to wear her new sun hat, and I got to break in my awesome waterproof-backed…

My Latest Projects

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My mother-in-law is visiting this week, to visit with the baby and help out and keep me company while my husband is away again. Very sweet! And it’s been a nice week so far. The other day, we went to JoAnn fabrics, where I didn’t really need anything, but came out with about $60 worth…

Another week’s gone by

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… in (mostly) Instagrams. As I said before, most of the time I have my phone on me so I can keep in touch with friends (near and far)with facebook, twitter, and instagram, even if I don’t see another adult soul all day (though lately I’ve been seeing a lot of adult souls, which rocks!)….

Hi! I'm Emily. I'm a Navy wife and brand new stay at home mom. I cook simple, delicious, grain-free recipes, do crafts, decorate on a budget, and keep a happy home. I breastfeed, babywear, cloth diaper, and co-sleep, but I'm not a hippie.Want to know more?