Mix'n Match Pumpkin Magnets: Toddler Busy Bag Ideas

As I may have mentioned previously, I've been keepin' busy building a super fun "busy bag" for the kids.  It's a challenge finding ideas that are developmentally on target for our now 21 month olds, but I am glad to share with you some of my fabulous finds!

When I first saw these adorable little pumpkins from MamaMiss.com I fell in love.  What a fun, seasonal (yet not too spooky) idea for our bags.

Supplies Needed: 
Printable Pumpkin Faces from the amazing Melissa over at MamaMiss.com
Scissors
Contact Paper
Magnet Sheet (got mine from walmart)
Pie Pan or Cookie Sheet

What I did: This one was pretty easy-peasy... I downloaded, saved and printed the pumpkin face document, and then covered the whole sheet (front and back) with clear contact paper.  Next, I cut around the circles and across the dotted lines creating 12 pieces.  Finally I cut pieces of magnet from my adhesive sheets (about 1/2 inch by 1 inch) and stuck them to the back of the pieces.  SO easy!

Pros: Simple, inexpensive, seasonal and enough pieces for twins to share!

Cons: None that I can see!

Take a second and vote for me!  You know you want to ;-)

PomPom Pusher: Toddler Busy Bag Idea

As we've been looking forward to a nice LONG car ride to the beach with the babies, I've been spending a lot of time putting together our our Busy Bag!  I'm going to be posting each activity that I included separately so it's not too overwhelming so stay tuned for a future compilation post covering everything plus my favorite honorable mentions.

First up with a fabulous little PomPom pusher inspired by Fun & Engaging Activities for Toddlers.  This is the first home-made toy I created for the Busy Bag and Brayden was quite pleased to test it out!

Supplies Needed:
Plastic Tub with Lid (Sour Cream, Cottage Cheese, or Butter work well)
Pom Poms - we used the ones with shiny filaments
Exacto Knife or Sewing Blade


What I did: This was pretty self explanatory - I removed the tub lid, put it on a cutting board, and sliced little shapes into the lid.  Since we did a variety of sizes, I needed to make some larger than others - but generally, shapes slightly smaller than your pompoms are ideal so baby pushes through the hole vs. just dropping them in.  For us, there was one larger hole that the babies preferred since it was a little larger which to me, defeats the purpose a bit.  All in all, they used all the holes and shapes to squish the pompoms into the tub.

Pros: Cheap, easy, and occupied the babies for quite some time!  Because of my (too) large hole, the babies enjoyed the added benefit of shaking the smaller puffs out of the tub once they were all in which worked out kinda well in the end.  This one is one of Brayden's favorite activities and especially likes the shiny pompoms for some extra interest and texture.

Cons: Younger toddlers could swallow pompoms without appropriate supervision. This may or may not be super for your kid while eating out.  We did end up with a few pompoms on the ground, but for us - it was well worth the effort to pick them up in the end since they were content using it for so long.

Don't forget that you can vote for us every day! We could really use your help to keep up in the rankings!

Out and About

Last time I posted I promised I'd share my "out and about" experiences with my babes.  It's been a while (yes I know) since I posted about getting out of the house but hopefully, on this Twin Tip Tuesday, I can share a little bit about how we survive when we leave home.

In some ways, I must admit, my kids do pretty well.  At 18 months, they sit through restaurant meals with only an occasional crank, and hang out at target like a pro.  I like to think that that is somewhat due in part to the things I'm doing "right" along the way - but possibly just a fluke.  We do have our challenges though - Julie is a major flight risk right now, with legs ready to run but ears not ready to listen to "stop" or "no" or "JULIE!!!"  We take more adventures than most though, and so we've developed some tactics to make it a bit easier.  Here they are - in no particular order.

1 - Timing is Everything.  Tell me an hour on the clock, and I can tell you the temperament of my children.  There are these beautiful windows though where all seems right with the world and outings work SO much more smoothly.  For us, right after breakfast, right before lunch - when they're awake and full and diapers are dry - seems to be perfect.  After nap, when they've had a chance to get their diaper changed and munch on a snack is a similar window.  That's not to say that we NEVER leave the house in the afternoon, but I try to avoid it at all costs because I know sleepy/hungry/cranky babes lead to a miserable/embarrassed/frustrated Mama.  Find your window and make the most of it!

2 - Be Prepared to Entertain.  I'll be posting about my current diaper bag in the near future, but I'll share now that it is stocked FULL.  I have a container of toys that are small, portable, and hold their attention that they only get to see when we're out.  Sitting at a restaurant, hanging out at target, waiting in line for groceries - these toys offer just the right bit of novelty to keep them from hollering on high.  Some folks might have issue with my methods but my tablet is the all out in entertainment.  We especially love the Peekaboo Barn App (also from itunes) to keep them occupied wherever.  And I'm almost ashamed to say, the Bubble Guppies.  Yes, I'm well aware that the APA recommends no electronics before the age of 2 - but most of the APA never tried to take two 18 month olds shopping or out to dinner.  Our kids are just the right age to start using Busy Bag activities, and I'll be sharing more about those are in my Busy Bag exchange post in the near future!

3 - Snack at Hand.  My bag is also packed with food bribes snacks to keep them satisfied.  Before a meal out, we start with an "appetizer" of cheez-its, string cheese, or apple slices.  Nothing original about that I'm sure.  What IS original, is using mini MnMs to keep the screaming toddlers at bay while at the Optician's office.  My disaster of an eye appointment (hubby couldn't get back in time, couldn't reschedule) was salvaged by jumping out of the chair every minute or so to give the kids another MnM.  Is it the healthiest option?  Of course not - but it works for us (and all the folks around us who don't want to hear my kids scream).  Our local grocery chain even helps us out with this by offering free cookies to kids - a special treat to keep them busy while picking up the necessities.

So when we're out and about, playing with our special toys and eating our snacks, we ride in style.  Obviously with two, you learn to visit stores with double carts.  These usually work well, but there are so many stores that don't offer these options.  Our solution - The Buggy Bench!  Be on the lookout for a full review of the buggy bench soon, but we absolutely love this basket tethered "back seat" which keeps one kid in the front, and one in the basket, with everyone strapped in.  I've attempted pushing a stroller and dragging a cart, and pushing/pulling two separate carts.  This is BY FAR the best solution for Twin Moms or moms of multiple kids close in age.  Brayden is my back seat rider and he absolutely loves it.

That's about it for now, but I'm sure this post will be updated over time with links and new tips as things change daily in our world!  Happy Twin Tip Tuesday!