iSpy Bottle DIY

  About that in-flight, time-consuming activity.....

I've been seeing this concept in all the toy stores recently, and I figure it's one of those toy fads. Anyways, I figured it was easy enough to make one of my own. All you need is a collection of small trinkets from around the house, a good (dry!) water bottle, and rice. Plus, a camera to photograph the objects before inserting them into the abyss, and some hot glue to keep things tidy. :)

I gathered a slew of little toys and random house objects, and lay them out on a white paper to photograph. I then began layering rice and toys into the water bottle. Make sure you leave a nice amount (more than an inch) at the top of the bottle so that the kids have room to shake it and move things around. Cover the bottle, and glue it shut. I printed the photo and laminated it so that Freida can hold it and go from object to object on her own. We assembled it together (which was part of the fun), but then I hid it away until on the flight, at which point she was ecstatic to play with it, and spent ample time problem solving with each little shake.

Enjoy!!

Bouncy House Now

At the final Mommy & Me meet of the season, Morah Chanie whipped out one of the most wish-listed toddler activities - a bouncy house. But not just any ol' rented bouncy house, this one came out of a simple lidded box - from a classroom closet!! Apparently Little Tykes makes a line of these inflatable party-on-the-spots - just plug it in and watch in pop up! What an incredible thing to have in your garage repertoire - takes play dates to the next level, and birthday parties are cake! You can check it out here.

Grill, Baby!

Barbecue season may be in full swing from Memorial Day through Labor Day, but Father's Day always seems to be peak grill zone around here. And while kids love to imitate their Mamas in the play-kitchens, there's something to be said for Daddy role models; and these play BBQ grills sure bring the heat! MoMA Store BBQ set, $60.00  

Melissa & Dough tabletop grill set, $20.00

DIY toy grill tutorial

Weekend Round-up!

Happy June weekend, ladies!! I'm feeling the season all around, and love getting gifts of weekly seasonal fresh flowers (thanks love!!). Gladiolus like these would make for a lovely buffet table arrangement by adding height and color to the food layout, don't you think? I'm sure you are all in a recipe/tablescape buzz right about now, getting ready to ring in the summer holiday via dairy deliciousness! Thought I'd take a minute to link some of my favorite things around the web this week...

- The most adorable kids craft/play idea for Shavuot!

- I need to remember this more often...

- My latest article for the Algemeiner: Born this Way?

- New on the Market: modern House Numbers @ Heath.

- Simple + Charming + Convenient DIY for Father's Day gift.

- HOTmilk Maternity/Nursing Bras ridiculously reduced at Zulily!

Some holiday-relative posts you may have missed:

- Cultivate social conversation at the table via big buds/low florals.

- Idyllic Ice Cream Sandwiches.

Also, for those of you who asked for a white cream sauce recipe when I posted this pasta dish, the most important part of any cream sauce is a good Roux for the Béchamel (white cream sauce). I learned this technique within the first few months of marriage (while watching much-too-much Food Network!), and it has come in so incredibly handy so far, and I've used it countless times since then. Here's the best step-by-step directions! I personally use that starter recipe + a cup of grated parmesan cheese and some crushed garlic cloves. From there you can add to what you'd like it to be (mushroom cream sauce, white wine reduction, salmon, pink sauce, florentine etc.) Enjoy!!

Indian Princess: from Play to Go

I don't know if ya'll (sorry - I'm Scotty-ed out!) remember when I posted about a fantastical collection of childrens goods over at a boutique called Wovenplay, but they had been featuring the most darling feathered headband (keeping with the feather trend!) and I've been waiting for it to hit rock-bottom sale since last spring! It still hasn't made it that far, running somewhere between $54-$44 (here, here, and here), and after creating a little feather headdress for Freida's Indian-Princess Purim costume I thought I'd tweak the headband a bit - so it can function from dress-up play to day-out accessory - before giving it to my little costume loving lady. I went with this Wovenplay inspiration:

And - for about 7 bucks - landed this:

I used a sequined headband (I had bought a pack of 3 for $1 at Forever21), scrapbook gems and craft feathers from an art supply store, a strip of craft felt, and some hot glue to hold it all together. Voilà! :)