Works for me Wednesday

Something that works incredibly well at our house is the Car Toddler Kit. The kit is just a freezer size ziploc bag with several useful toddler items in it. I keep it ALWAYS stocked and in the trunk that way if I have to run a quick errand I don't need a diaper bag and if I go someplace with a diaper bag I have extras in the car in case I run out of something.

The toddler kit includes:
a change of baby clothing including matching socks
a burp cloth (even though we don't normally need them)
diaper rash cream & sunscreen
4 diapers & a travel pack of wipes
1 toddler warm up meal (you know like a gerber graduate) & a couple packs of snacks
an empty sippy cup and an extra pacifier
1 bottle of water

We keep a blanket in the trunk too because you never know when you'll have to change a diaper in a parking lot or want to sit at a park or when someone will be cold in the back seat and want a snuggle.

Works for Me Wednesday!

It's Works for Me Wednesday and one thing that works for me at Christmas time is having the baby make Christmas Gifts for other people.

I know... she's 1 but I like crafts and she likes playing with me during my craft time so I thought it was time she did a craft of her own.

I'm going to purchase wooden ornaments from Michael's for around 50 cents each. Mommy will paint them all white. Then Layla will get a paintbrush with red or green paint that she can sprinkle, dab or smear to her hearts content. Then mommy is going to put some glue around the edges and let her dip them in glitter.

Total cost... less than 75 cents a piece. But, they are a priceless lesson. It's a lesson started very young about how a hand made gift is worth more than a store bought one. It's a lesson about how hard work can make something beautiful. It's a lesson for Mommy about how to not curse when glitter is all over the kitchen.

And it Works for Me and my BUDGET! For more WFMW posts click here.

Works for Me Wednesday

One of the things that I find works for me around Christmas time is deciding to give FAMILY gifts. Instead of giving Uncle Max, Aunt Sheri, Billy and Betty 4 individual gifts I make one gift for the family. Here are 4 of my favorite FAMILY GIFT examples...

1. THE FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT- I take a box which is opened on top (no flaps) and wrap the entire inside and outside with Christmas paper. Then I fill the bottom with shredded paper (or other filler) half way. Inside the box I arrange (1) Traditional Family movie- I usually use an older classic movie or a gift certificate to rent or purchase a movie if I don't know the family well (1) Jiffy Pop popcorn skillet (1) package of Twizzlers or M&M's (sometimes both) and a jar filled with homemade cocoa mix with a small Christmas cylophane container of marshmellows (you can even get them shaped like Christmas trees.

2. THE FAMILY GAME NIGHT- For this one I take a board game (which is in a box) and wrap it. Then I find 4 boxes that can stack (smaller) like a pyramid on top of that box. In 1 box I put soda or tea mix or cocoa mix and the fixings with some cookies or brownies. Then the next box up I put a bunch of small bags of chips. The top box I put a prize in. I wrap each box and then tie the stack with ribbon in a pyramid. I put a big tag on the front saying that only the WINNER of the game can open the top box.

3. THE FAMILY CRAFT- For this project I buy a small plastic tub (shoe box size) and I fill it with all the items necessary to make homemade Christmas decorations (precut foam, paint and brushes, glue, kids scissors) and then I make a cute typed set of instructions for a Kid friendly craft and place them on top of tub. I close the tub and wrap it. The best one I ever did I gave the family a disposable camera, a $12 giftcard to get film developed and the supplies to make foam picture frame ornaments for the tree using this years pictures for next years tree.

4. THE FAMILY FOOD FUN- Make sugar cookies in assorted shapes. Don't decorate them. Place them on a round platter in the shape of a wreath. Buy puff paint containers at the craft store and fill each one with a different color of decorating frosting. Put a small tub of base frosting in the middle of your wreath, a few small tubes of different colored puff paint frostings and sometimes I even add a few tubes (or baggies) of sprinkles. Wrap the whole platter with green plastic wrap and tie it with a big red bow. Drop it off to family and friends and let them spend a night decorating cookies. (To upgrade this gift I have given it with disposable cameras or kid aprons to add more value to it)

Works 4 Me Wednesday

This week on works for me wednesday (W4MW) we're supposed to talk about toys that are actually worth buying because it's the once a month themed W4MW.

I think Layla's ultimate favorite toy so far was the First Act Fun in a Drum set she got for her birthday this year. Layla is really into drumming on things with things (she's 1 and her father is a drummer) and this set is small and light so she can carry it around. It also came with some other musical instruments which all fit inside the drum for easy storage. It comes with a variety of colors and designs and it's only $30. It's not the type of drum that gets a kid started for Marching Band or Rock Bands in High School but it was a perfect toy for my little one. You can purchase one at Toys R Us by clicking the link here.

Works for Me Wednesday- Ziplock Packing

I got this tip from someone else before I ever had a kid. My friend Bobbie (who doesn't have a blog sorry) once told me that when she packed her kids for trips she put each day into a ziplock freezer bag.

Example (in 1 bag):

1 pair of socks

1 pair of toddler shoes

1 pair of jeans

1 t-shirt

6 diapers

1 pair of jammies

Then she would write the name of the day "Wednesday" on the bag. Each day she could pull out a bag and use it all day...then put the dirty clothing back into it at the end of the day.

I now use this trick when packing my daughter for a day trip too... I put 1 spare set of clothing, diapers, a wipes container, 1 pacifier and a snack in a freezer bag and throw it into my purse.

It's perfectly waterproof, if I'm at church I can write her name on it and hand it over to the nursery in one bundle. And if I never get it back... I'm only out 1 outfit and 1 pacifier.

For more Works for me Wednesday please click the picture above.

My First Works for Me Wednesday~

So this week, I'm giving the Linky Love... this is my first Work's for me Wednesday! If you are a reader of my blog who has never heard of Work's for me Wednesday you can click the lovely linked picture above and go check it out (sign up for the Mr Linky and post your own great ideas... it's fun).

Now for my tip...

My daughter is 1. Brushing her teeth was a nightmare. She didn't want to let me brush...she just wanted to grab the tooth brush and chew on it.

I bought a Firefly toothbrush 2 pack. They can be found at T*arget because that's where I got mine. The Firefly has a timer built into the handle (which goes for 1 minute). That part didn't help my daughter at all ... because she's one. But for older kids the timer has a flashing light that flashes until it's time to stop brushing your teeth. My daughter finds the light to be highly entertaining... in my mouth.

So part of my tip is the toothbrush but the second part is...

I gave her 1 brush (which she "brushes" my teeth with) while I brush her teeth with the other one. I figure there is no such thing as too much brushing... even if it's horribly uncoordinated brushing by your one year old. So I open wide and she clunks her brush around in my mouth while I brush her teeth.

** Unrelated- For people who came here looking for my weekly Christmas giveaway please click this link**