Category Archives: Nanny life

A Fun Father’s Day Gift that even an infant can do!

Father’s Day is just around the corner, in case you haven’t noticed. For some reason it always seems difficult to come up with a special Father’s Day gifts that isn’t overdone, lame or ridiculously out of most of our budgets.

FD magnets
… that even an infant can do
How about a fun Father’s Day gift that even an infant can do!

I’ts quick, personal and requires a minimum amount of supplies and creativity. And it will last a bit longer than a bag of beef jerky and be more meaningful than a new neck tie. Yet, it won’t cost near as much as a new grill or fishing boat either!

I nanny a little guy a few days each week and wanted a fun little gift that I could do with him that would bring a smile to mom and dad’s face. It needed to meet the requirements above and it had to be something this little one could actually do. So the sweet little guy provided the foundational art work and I covered the rest of the DIY.

Commissioned
Commissioned artwork by the little guy.
Supply list
  • small art canvas squares
  • acrylic paints, one or two colors for a little variety
  • pictures of your child(ren)
  • stickers, optional
  • printer
  • scissors
  • Modge Podge
  • strong magnet
  • hot glue, or another strong glue
  • paper plates, paper towels … for clean up
Assembly Instructions

The first step is to paint each of the canvases. This can be done in a number of ways – with an actual picture, a geometric pattern, or a more abstract piece for younger ones. For an abstract look squirt some paint onto a plate, smoosh their little hand into the paint to cover their palm and fingers and smear it on each canvas. I would also recommend stripping your little one down to a diaper and having plenty of wet paper towels on hand for clean up.

While that is drying, edit a few pictures to fit your canvas and print them out on a piece of card stock. You may decide to use stickers on a few of the canvases also, for a little variety. We did two canvases with stickers that said “I *heart* Mom” and “I *heart* Dad”.

When your canvases have dried, simply spread a thin layer of Modge Podge on each canvas and the back of each photo that you’ve cut to size and adhere the photo to the canvas. Smooth the edges down and apply another thin coat of Modge Podge over the entire canvas with the photo on it.

Modge podge
Painted, Modge Podged and waiting for a second coat.

You can apply a second coat of Modge Podge if needed to ensure that the photo won’t pull up along any of the edges. Finally, glue your magnet to the back of the canvas and you’re all set.

You can add your canvas magnet collection to a gift bag with a favorite snack and invitation to a date with Dad doing something of his choosing. Be sure to snap a few pictures on your date with Dad for him to hang up with his new magnets.

mom dad day magnets
A Mother’s / Father’s Day set featuring their little guy that is sure to make them smile.

And don’t forget to tell him what you appreciate about Him. It’s amazing how much a simple thank you can mean!

Which paint background is your favorite? An actual picture, a geometric pattern or an abstract painting?

 

Raised Beds and Raising Bedheads | Kid-tested Mom-approved Gift

One of the perks of our house is that the deck is right off the kitchen. It’s a great place to eat breakfast and lunch and the perfect spot for a potted herb garden. When our “bedheads” were little we had herbs in a raised bed garden in the back of our yard. It’s so much nicer having them right outside the kitchen door.

As I was perusing Pinterest a week or two ago I came across these adorable plant markers by Amanda over at Wit and Whistle. I love everything about the ones she made. The color, the size, the simplicity. I decided to try some as part of this series, and chose a bright color that I’m quite sure my kids would have gone with a few years ago.

I tried it died
This plant marker by Chelsea over at Sweet Thyme Design may actually be more appropriate for my garden, but I opted for a different approach. Is that hilarious or what?!

And while we’re speaking of plants, I’ve finally learned that it’s good to keep a garden journal of some sort from year to year. How else can I be expected to remember types of plants, colors I preferred, what worked in which spot and how I killed each plant? Welcome to the ugly reality of my world. FYI – hydrangeas are a very thirsty sort of little beauty.

Supplies needed for the Raised Beds and Raising Bedheads Kid-tested Mom-approved Gift Set
  • Polymer clay – one package will make 4 – 6 plant markers
  • Rubber stamps
  • table knife
  • oven
  • Thin line permanent marker
  • blank journal with write-able cardstock type cover
  • calligraphy pen – I use a 2.0 mm size in black
Making the Polymer Plant Marker

You can click here to read Amanda’s post about her plant markers.  The basic steps are as follows …

plant markers 1-2-3
Roll your clay into a 1″ ball, roll that out like a preschooler making a play-doh worm and flatten it with a rolling pin.
plant marker labeling
Spell out the name of your plant by gently pressing a rubber stamp into your clay, and using the dull side of a table knife cut the bottom of your marker to a point.

Place your plant markers on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake according to package directions. Once they have cooled, you can go over each letter with a permanent marker to make them stand out a little more.

That’s it! This is such a quick, inexpensive project that can be done by children of all ages. And it’s easy to add your own little touches by changing the labeling, or mixing colors of clay, or even the size and shape of the marker itself.

Making the Garden Journal
Garden journal scribbles
Click here to see a quick video of ideas on making a Garden Journal.

The Garden Journal is a very simple project that you add your own quotes and touches throughout. Click on the link or picture above for a quick video of how I did mine …

Tips and Tidbits that I may or may not have learned the hard way

Wash your hands before you start either of these projects. If not, you may realize after shaping the plant markers that remnants of chalkboard paint that had dried on your hands during a previous project will become part of your polymer clay. It doesn’t come out. That’s  just a hypothetical situation for you.

You may also want to read the directions on your polymer clay before throwing it in the bottom of the trash can where you can’t dig for it. Or at the very least, remember exactly which clay you finally settled on and purchased, since the baking times and temperatures vary from clay to clay. There are some great tips on baking polymer clay here at polymerclayer.com

So what color clay would you use for a plant marker? And if you have good quotes to add to a Garden Journal, we would love for you to share them.

Enjoy!

A picture book sort of day

I started a new job a few weeks ago. I just might be in love … with a few special kids and this whole nanny gig.

I mean how many people get to “go to work” and create Play-Doh sculptures, bump up and down staircases,  go for walks and read picture books. Yeah, I’m lucky like that!

Today was a day off. With a few crazy travel weeks just wrapping up and company on their way, I figured I’d spend the day tidying and catching up.

Instead, I opted for a few picture books of my own…

picture book sort of day
Picture books, Mama style, and pear trees in bloom

It was a decision heavily influenced by those gorgeous allergy inducing pear trees you see blooming out the window, and maximum doses of meds.

It’s always good to have a few books around that can be used as a picture book when processing words is a little too much to ask.  And who doesn’t enjoy time to dream and plan new projects?

So what are your favorite “picture books” and authors? Do tell!