Decorations for an Alice in Wonderland Birthday Party

Decorations for an Alice in Wonderland Birthday Party

So for my daughter’s first birthday, I am throwing her an Alice in Wonderland-themed Party!

I have been looking for the perfect decorations and party supplies to match the theme while not being too crazy for my taste.

Here I have conspired a list of the perfect pieces I found on amazon.

What I am Buying to throw my Daughter an Un-Birthday Party

First, let me explain the color themes I decided to go with. I wanted to make the colors slightly more subtle, so I opted for pastels. I am not into super-bright. In your face colors, I never have been. It’s just not my thing. The primary colors are pink, blue, black, and white. Then I’ll use some accent colors like reds and greens. But Most décor sticks with the main colors. I also plan to take you guys along with me for the process of all my DIY projects! These are only some of the decorations the rest I will be DIYing with the help of some family! But let’s dive into the pieces I have bought so far.

Moss Table Runner: https://amzn.to/3uEhdUZ
I plan to use this to run down the center of all the tables as if it was a table runner.

Paper Tea Cups: https://amzn.to/3yuzMvR
I got some extra of these for people to use for their drinks!

Teapot Party Décor Garland: https://amzn.to/3NQm2kR
I plan on hanging this along the fence and around the tent we have set up.

Table Cloths: https://amzn.to/3NWEhoz
To cover the tables, I ordered light pink and light blue.

Vases: https://amzn.to/3nTWcSu
I want to spray paint these and place them on top of the moss along with the bunnies to create a whimsical centerpiece.

Ceramic Bunnies: https://amzn.to/3Rkgpya
Spray painting these gold for the centerpiece!

Tea Party Bundle: https://amzn.to/3OVc6aU
This is a bundle of disposable tea party sets perfect for the theme, and the colors go perfectly!

Signs: https://amzn.to/3uCyVbv
I am unsure where to put the signs, but I know I will use them.

High Chair Sign: https://amzn.to/3c5Tx5a
I was going to make one myself, but this is so cute, and I just wasn’t sure if I’d have the time. It is perfect for the theme and gives me more time for my other DIY crafts.

Craft Hats: https://amzn.to/3PbYzvk
I plan to have 2 craft tables set up. One will be a Make your own Mad Hatter table where you can use these hats and different supplies to make a unique hat!

Paintable Teat Pots: https://amzn.to/3c40W5h
This is going to be the other craft station, where we will have ceramic teapots available to paint!

Ceramic Décor Teapot: https://amzn.to/3Pd5Aw0
I am going to use this teapot as décor on the dessert table!

Dessert Trays: https://amzn.to/3ADFq1n
These are to display all the cute desserts I plan on making for the theme, which will be broken down in another blog post, so stay tuned for more!

I’m so excited for all of this to come together next month! Don’t forget to come back and check how I decided to use all these pieces to make Wonderland come to life in my backyard!

Top 10 Baby Summer Must Haves

Baby Beach Must-Haves

Now that summer is almost here in New York, we have taken a few beach trips, and I have realized what I need to do to the beach with a baby!

After forgetting things a few times, you start to make a list.

Here’s what you need to go to the beach with a baby!

My daughter is 10 months old, so she can stand, sit, and crawl independently. She is very explorative and loves to be on top of me. After our first beach trip, I made a list, realizing I had forgotten some things. I remembered basics like a hat, sunscreen, beach toys, a blanket, etc. But I forgot some things that seem obvious to me now, so let’s get into it…

Ten Things You Need to Bring to the Beach with a Baby!

  1. Inflatable pool – This is great because you can let your baby play and have fun while remaining cool! It’s even great to cool off in yourself! Plus, if you fill it and let it sit in the sun, the water gets warmer! This is good cause usually up here, you can’t really enjoy the ocean until august when It warms up!
    Inflatable Pool
  2. Large Bucket – You will need this to fill the pool, so you don’t have to walk back and forth 20 times! You can use an extra-large beach bucket or even a gallon bucket for yard work as long as it’s clean!
  3. Battery Operated Fans – This is a must! Especially if your little one is going to be napping at the beach! I bring three, but I am a little extra. Sometimes I use them for myself, but they’re a life saver if it’s a full beach day and she’s napping!
    Stroller Fans
    Mini Fan
  4. Toys – ok, this might seem obvious, but you need to bring more than just sand toys. I like to get one or two of her favorite toys that I know will entertain her!
    Sand Toy Set
  5. Umbrella or Tent – Babies can’t handle all that sun, so it’s essential to have some shade set up for them!
    Most Protection
    Striped Umbrella
  6. Sunscreen/Scalp Spray – Sunscreen is a must. You have to protect their sensitive skin! I also invested in a scalp spray because my daughter pulls all her hats off! This has been working great for us in protecting her scalp!
    Babyganics Sunscreen
    Scalp Spray
  7. Wagon – A beach wagon is a must because you will have many things to carry, including a baby. We got a basic one, but we are looking into the wonder wagon. I’d definitely recommend it if it’s in your price range!
    Affordable Wagon
    Wonderfold
  8. Sleep Set UP – We have this little pop-up pit that we sometimes use, but it takes up so much space. We sometimes use the wagon, or we lay a few blankets on the sand and have her nap on there, whatever works and feels safest for you! Sometimes she even naps on dad!
    Pop up Tent
  9. Water Shoes – If you are going to a rocky beach, definitely bring water shoes to protect your and your baby’s feet! I hate nothing more than trying to walk around in flip-flops or barefoot at the beach!
    Water Shoes
  10. Water Resistant Beach Blanket or Rug – This is a must. My daughter loves to pull the blanket all around, so we use a straw outdoor rug or a beach blanket that stakes into the ground!
    Beach Blanket

There You have it!

10 Beach Must-Haves to get you through the summer!

I use these every time we go to the beach and sometimes other places too! My favorite thing about many of these products is they come in handy all summer!

Arctic Animal Sensory Bin

Arctic Animal Sensory Bin

During the Wintertime, we all often feel couped up inside the house without anywhere to go or any way to use up our energy.

It always seems that our children feel the same way too. But then they get cranky cause they are bored, and there is nothing to do. Sound familiar?

This is when sensory bins can be such a fantastic tool! Not only are they so fun for your kids, but they are super fun to make as well, and you can get super creative depending on the age of your child!

Here’s how I made an Arctic Sensory bin for my daughter! I kept this one pretty simple because she is only six months. I’ll give some ideas on how to spice it up if your kids are older!

The first thing is. First, you need a bin. I’m going to use disposable tray for this one because it’s easier to clean, but what you want to use is up to you!

Next, we are going to fill our bin with snow. You can use cool whip, whipped cream, icing, shaving cream, or ripped-up cotton balls if you don’t want to get too messy. But do remember the mess is sometimes what makes it fun!
If your kid is a little older and you want to stretch out this activity, try making the icing or whipped cream together and filling the bin up with your little one!

Next, its time to add the animals ! You can look at Michael’s, target, amazon, and the dollar store!

Lastly, we will add a little more snow on top of the animals and then let your little one play for as long as they would like!

If your child is around 4/5 or a little older, you can make it a little more interesting by building an arctic environment in the bin. Dye some of your snow blue to be the water you could use crumbled up the cake to make mountains and land with icing over it. Get creative with your kiddo! Read a book about the arctic or watch a nature documentary together and create your little world!

DIY Edible Valentines Jell-O Sensory Bin

DIY Edible Valentines Jell-O Sensory Bin

A great way to make a sensory bin is using Jell-O! Kids love to play with it, it’s easy to find, and you can even make it together the night before for an added activity!

I like to spend the week doing Valentine-themed activities for Valentine’s day, similar to what I would do when I taught at a preschool.

This allows you to do lots of activities with your little one and spend time exploring a topic together.

This is how I made our Jell-o Valentine’s sensory bin!

Materials:

  • Plain Jell-O
  • Food Coloring
  • Teething toys
  • Heart molds
  • Strawberry puree

Step One, Blend up strawberries and breast milk or formula. If your baby is over a year, you can use regular milk. Pour the puree into the heart molds and place it into the freezer.

Step Two, make the Jell-O and add food coloring to get the color of your choice.

Step Three, Pour your Jell-O into the bin along with your teething toys. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Step four, once jello is done before the sensory bin is ready to be played with, you need to shred the Jell-O. Use a fork to shred the Jell-O.

Step Five, pop hearts out of the mold and place them into the bin with Jell-O.

Step Six, ready to play!

DIY Valentines Keepsake Craft

DIY Valentines Keepsake Craft

I love doing activities and crafts I can keep and hold on to memories with my daughter. But she is still young, so sometimes it’s hard to find things we can do together.

For Valentine’s Day, I decided to make a little keepsake on a canvas that we can have forever.

We made a valentine’s heart out of her feet, it came out so cute, and I just know In the years to come, I’m going to love looking back at this.

Here’s how I made her valentines heart keepsake.

What you need:

  • Small canvas
  • Washable Paint (I used Crayola)
  • 2 paint brushes (a thin one and a thicker one to apply on feet)
  • Wipes

Step One, first you will pour the paint you want the heart into a bowl or plate. Then using your paintbrush apply the paint to your child’s foot. Only do one foot at a time to avoid getting paint all over!

Step two, once the paint is on one of your child’s feet, stamp their foot onto the canvas on a slight angle and hold for a couple seconds, just not too long, or your child will probably end up smearing paint all over.

Step three, repeat step one just with the opposite foot.

Step Four, when you place this foot down, make sure you place the heel in the same spot as the other heal print and just angle the foot the other way, so it creates a heart shape!

Step five is optional, but I also choose to outline the heart in paint. Just to give it a little more and make it a little more evident that it was a heart.

Step six, using whatever colors you choose, write out “Happy Valentine’s Day 2022” you can even add your child’s name if you have room! You can also decorate with some hearts or anything you’d like!

Then you are all done, and you have your own little keepsake! We choose to display hers up for the month and then put it into a little box with all her essential memories to us.

I hope you guys have so much fun creating your own crafts with your littles! If you recreate this little valentine, please share so we can all see them!
Happy Valentines Day!

DIY Pumpkin Mobile

DIY Pumpkin Mobile

How to make a DIY pumpkin mobile for Halloween!

I wanted to find some way to incorporate Halloween activities for my newborn. 

I was looking through the target dollar spot when I saw a pack of 4 pastel pumpkins and I thought of a great idea!

I could make a Pumpkin Mobile! 

It was super easy to put together and took maybe 20 minutes!

Here’s how I made this super cute and easy pumpkin mobile. 

What you need: 

  • Four Mini Pumpkins
    • Hot Glue Gun 
    • String 
    • Stick or Play gym 

Step One: Cut your string into four parts. 

Step Two: Apply hot glue to pumpkin stems and wrap string around the glue and let dry. Repeat on each pumpkin. 

Step Three: You can use a play gym you already have or a wooden stick to create the hanging mobile. Just tie the opposite end of the string to the gym or stick and your done! I usually either tie my mobiles to my wooden play gym I have or our lovevery play gym!

Newborn Playtime Activities

Activities I do with my Newborn


First, let me say my favorite education theorist is Maria Montessori.
I am a big fan of the Montessori approach to learning!
When I graduate with my early childhood education degree, I plan to attend a certified Maria Montessori Program.

I know it’s hard to find some activities to do with newborns, so here’s a little list of things I’ve been doing with my babe, who is now eight weeks old!

  1. Reading – reading is a great activity to do even with newborns who love listening to your voice!
  2. Tummy Time – this is recommended to start with newborn babies. Most babies don’t love tummy time too much because it is uncomfortable for them, but they must strengthen their neck muscles! When we first started, I would use my boppy pillow or my chest to prop her up when we would do tummy time to help her before we did it on the floor.
  3. Color scarves – this idea is not my own; I got it from Milena Ciciotti. Using sheer colored scarves, you gently fan them over your babies’ faces to their toes, and they love it! It’s a sensory and visual experience for them!
  4. Lovevery Play Gym – I love the love very play gym! It is so excellent, not too colorful, and overstimulating for young infants! But I also love that it has little holders for cards which, when my daughter hit her first leap, was terrific because she loved looking at high contrast images, and I could have them up over her head for her!
  5. Walks – It’s excellent for newborns to spend time outside! During her second leap, I started taking two long walks a day because she wanted to observe so much, and she was extra fussy, so I felt the change of scenery was good for her! But there’s also tons of research about how great it is for babies to get fresh air and how it helps them sleep better even!
  6. House tours – I often did house tours after a feed because she had reflux, so we had to hold her upright, and before naps in a soothing, calming voice, we would also say goodnight to each room as we left it!
  7. High Contrast Flash Cards – these were great during her first two leaps! But in general, too, high contrast images are a staple for newborns because they can’t see very well. The high contrast helps them focus and see the images!
  8. Talking – Just talking to your babe is so good for their development. In the mornings, I would tell my daughter what our day was going to look like, I would explain to her what I was doing if she were in her swing while I cooked, or when we would be sitting hanging out, I would have silly little conversations! As foolish as you might feel, don’t forget to give them a chance to respond with coos.
  9. Rattles – An obvious staple for babies, rattles are great! I would shake them next to the sides of her head to help her learn where sounds came from but also hold them out in front of your babe and encourage them to reach and grab such a good activity!

DIY Octahedron Mobile

DIY Octahedron Mobile 

How to make your own Octahedron Mobile at home 

Babies love mobiles; it’s engaging for them and fun to look at. But I also like to make sure I’m providing my daughter with good stimulating toys to learn from. 

I am very into the Montessori approach to learning. Maria Montessori was my favorite theorist in school, and I have written multiple papers about her beliefs and approach to learning! Although my home isn’t strict Montessori, I follow a few of her ideas and tweak some things to fit our family’s lifestyle. 

I try to use the Montessori visual series mobiles because they are made to help them at the specific stages of their development! 

To make this simple DIY, you will only need five things.

Octahedron template 

Red, Blue, and Yellow paper 

String 

Hot Glue Gun 

Wooden Stick or Play Gym 

Step One: Print the Template

First, you need a template. I used this template. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/Foldable_octahedron_%28blank%29.jpg

  • Step Two: Trace the template onto your colored paper and cut! 
  • To make this part even easier, you can print it onto the colored paper you have if it fits into your printer when you print out the template. 
  • Step Three: Fold up your octahedron and glue on the little tabs they provide you with for gluing. 
  • Step Four: Glue the string to one of the tips of the octahedron and let dry. 
  • Step Five: Tie the other end of the string to either the play gym you have or a wooden stick. Even a stick from outside could do in a pinch! 

You did it! Now it is ready for your little one to play with!