Tummy Stuffers - A great gift for a 2 year old (sponsored post)

My two year old loves to fill things and dump them out and fill them again... and dump them again... It seems to be a common stage that many two year olds experience.  As Azariah approached his second birthday, we were presented with the opportunity to check out Tummy Stuffers.  I have to admit, I thought they were kind of silly at first.  I also knew that my boys would love them.

Guess what: Azariah (and the other boys) love this alligator! In fact, it was one of the few toys I packed to keep my boys entertained during a youth convention while I worked as a vendor.  This little guy held all of their toys and scrunched up to fit inside their special toy trunk!

The boy's play trunk, ready to go to youth convention.

He gobbled up toys and spit them back out.  He chased little boys around to gobble them up.  He even worked as a hat!

Azariah, wearing the Tummy Stuffer as a hat!

Our alligator was out last week when Azariah's therapist was over to work on speech.  She adored him and used him with Azariah to prompt some words!  I never thought that our Tummy Stuffer would also work for therapy, how excellent!

Whit considers fleeing the scene

While our kitten is not so much a fan of the Tummy Stuffer, I think it's a fantastic gift option for toddlers and preschoolers!  Christmas is coming, who is on your list?  I'm positive that my 3 and 5 year olds would love to have Tummy Stuffers of their own (in fact, they've already told me which ones they wish for)!  Tummy Stuffers sell for $19.99 plus shipping and handling.  13" seat pets come with a free 8" buddy (for a limited time)
!

Last Minute Quick DIY Gift Ideas

I don't know about you, but I'm done with shopping.  I mean it.  All of my holiday shopping is complete.  Well, mostly.  Note I didn't say my gifts are done.  I am working on making as many gifts as I can on my own this year.  One problem is that I'm not great at arts.  I'm not a fantastic sewer, I can't crochet, I don't really paint.  So I thought I would share a few of the things that I'm working on for gifts in the next 13 days.  If you are receiving one of these - act surprised and pretend you like it!

Cheap & Easy Toddler Sleeping Bag

 This is a toddler sized sleeping bag.  The material cost me $2.88 at Walmart.  The project took about 15 minutes to complete.  I made 2 more out of some slightly more expensive fleece from JoAnn Fabric.  They turned out beautifully, I can't wait to give them to my boys as part of their camping play set.

Felt Camp Fire & Logs

Along with the sleeping bags, I've made a felt campfire and logs.  (I'm not quite done with the logs).  I find that felt is extremely easy to work with and my felt projects are pretty rewarding.  My fire is poofier than this and I'll add pictures at a later date (after the logs are completed).  The total cost for this project was approximately $1 because I already had poly-fill on hand.  No money?  Don't limit yourself to poly-fill.  I used socks to fill a bean bag for the boys.

Tent Kit

Next is a tent kit (called a Fort Kit) in this link.  Mine is not even as complex as this.  A fabric bag with a couple of twin sized sheets (we have extra) and some clothespins.  This is all stuff we already have at home, it will just be repurposed into tent making supplies!

Easy Storage Canister

I'll come back to the boy stuff in a bit.  I'm working on a few fun things for some favorite adults in my life.  You may or may not be one of the people on my list.  I found these super easy, cheap repurposed canisters.  I also found some really cute knobs at Hobby Lobby on clearance.  I love clearance.  These will be filled with different things for the various people who receive them.


One will have a pancake mix as part of a breakfast set.  Another will have a salad topper mix as part of a salad kit.  One might have crayons as part of an art set.  There are others - I just have not exactly figured out what will go into them!

DIY Apron

Along with these crafty, kitcheny gifts, I am making aprons.  I have a pattern with several styles in it!  I also have some fun reclaimed fabric to use!  This is not my pattern.  There are so many cute tutorials and patterns.  I can't wait to try a few for my friends!

We are putting together a cookie kit for someone as well.  This will be complete with an apron, cookie cutters, hot pads, tray liner, and a few other trinkets.  It may also include the necessary supplies for a LARGE batch of sugar cookies and frosting.  It will not likely fit in these cute jars.

Another set we are putting together is an arts and crafts variety box.  Each kit has a variety of crafty odds and ends tucked into shoe box for hours of bonding fun with the families that will receive them.  No pictures or tutorials available on this one.

One final project: Knight costumes.  These will be for my older 2 boys and my middle 2 nephews.  They'll all get them when we celebrate Christmas together.  I anticipate an amazingly fun time (but isn't it always?).  These costumes were SO easy to make using old pillow cases and a little bit of felt.  The total cost for each was around $3.  The crowns are double sided, one side has 3 shapes, the other has 2 shapes and an initial.  Even a so-so sewer can do it!


What are your Christmas projects?  Share a link in the comments below!

Cheap & Super Easy Toddler Sleeping Bag

My "big" boys are getting new mama-made sleeping bags for Christmas as part of a camping play set that I'm putting together.  I got some incredibly cute fabrics the day after Thanksgiving at an amazing price and am looking forward to putting those together very soon.

We were at Walmart the other day and I got to thinking that the little guy is just starting to get to the point that he wants to do what his brothers are doing.  He will probably want his own sleeping bag for playing camping in the very near future as well.  We happened to walk past a big bin of cheapo, thin fleece blankets - they were something like $3 or $4 a piece.  I picked one out that I didn't think looked TOO girly, and had a fun print on it.

Seriously, this is how simple his sleeping bag is... I opened it up, found the halfway line, pinned some ribbons on the OUTSIDE of the fabric.  I made the pattern on the ribbon face outside, next time I'll reverse it so that when I tie the bag together the pattern shows easily.  I measured my ribbon by wrapping it around the rolled blanket and giving it enough slack to make bows.

Next I pinned the blanket sides together, leaving the ribbons on the outside of the fabric - which became the INSIDE of my pins, they were hidden while I sewed.  I used a quick straight stitch about 2/3 of the way around the folded blanket, leaving room to fold the top open for easy entrance/exit.

Here is the finished bag, ribbon closures in place.  I folded the corner down, which you cannot see at all in this picture.  One thing I like about using the blanket is that it already has finished edges, so it looks like I did a lot of work.

Rolled, tied, ready to wrap for a Christmas morning surprise.

If you were putting together a camping play set for preschool/kindergarten aged boys, what would you make sure to include?

Happy 2nd Birthday, Crackers

Dear Crackers,

2 years ago you came into our lives.  Dr. Wheeler assured us that we would "pick a day without too much snow" since we were going to be driving an hour and a half to deliver you.  We picked the wrong day.  There was a blizzard and it took us nearly 3 hours to get from our house in Goshen to the Dees' house in Fort Wayne, where we dropped your brother off with the plan of being home together in a couple of days.

Big brother, Monkey

When we arrived at the hospital, they told us that their records indicated I had delivered you earlier that week.  I hadn't, I was certain of that.  Less than 10 hours after we checked in, you came rushing into the world.  You were round and red.  You were beautiful.  We instantly knew your name (we had narrowed it down to 2 choices).  Your name means "empty" like a vessel waiting to be filled.  Daddy believes you are an empty vessel for God.

Things did not go as planned.  You did not eat well, but they discharged you anyhow.  The day after we got home you were yellow.  You were very yellow.  When Daddy took you to the doctor, they discovered that your body temperature was dangerously low.  We couldn't get you warm.  You ended up back in the hospital. After multiple tests and more than a week in the hospital, the neurologist came to us with devastating news.  

They told us that part of your brain was missing.  The part that helps the brain interpret movement to help you balance.  It would mean that learning skills like sitting and walking would be very difficult for you to accomplish.  They also told us that there was a lot of "white matter" on your brain.  It looked like you had a stroke some time before you were born.  The white matter is damage to your brain, that is unpredictable.  It could mean that he is mentally handicapped or that he struggles with motor function.  Life is going to be difficult.

Cross-eyed Crackers - before surgery

You were referred to First Steps for therapy at 11 days old.  You had visits from therapists every week for 20 months.  They worked on your motor skills.  You were behind for a long time - slightly behind.  You caught up and they released you before you even turned 2.

Now, at 2 years old, you speak in sentences, using 7 or more words.  You walk and run.  You are very independent.  You're stubborn - if you want to do something you will figure out how to do it.  You really want to use the potty by yourself.  You'll get there soon.

You are a blessing.  God is filling you already and using you to help fill us.  You are a miracle.  You're doing so many things that the doctors believed you would struggle with.  You are loved by so many people.

12-30-2011

Happy Birthday Crackers.

Love,

Mama

Wordless Wednesday: Making Pumpkin PIe

Woombie Toddler Donut: Review & Giveaway

I have to say that I never expected the Woombie Toddler Donut to be such a big part of everyday life at the Crum house.  When I first considered reviewing it, I thought about how great it would be for holiday travel - and it is, but it has become an essential part of this mama's daily routine!

Monkey was SUPER excited when the Donut came in the mail.  I let him open it and while opening it - I cooked up a plot to get him to sleep at naptime that day.  I told him it was his "special nap bed".  That is the beginning of the Toddler Donut's daily use at our house.  Monkey laid down in it as soon as we were ready for nap time.  He uses it for naps, and even sometimes for bed time, while he waits downstairs for Crackers to fall asleep in the room they share.

The Woombie Toddler Donut is amazing for travel.  My initial thought was that it would help when visiting my parents.  They have 2 pack'n'plays, we have 3 children.  Monkey is VERY possessive about the square pack'n'play, and really he is getting too big for it.  Having his "special nap bed" along with us at Thanksgiving made helping him transition out of the baby bed a little easier.  (It would have been even easier if Mr. Crum had not set the square one up).  This bed will be traveling with us all winter for visiting friends and family.  When we start camping this summer, it will continue to travel with us!

photo from woombie.com

Poor Crackers feels left out.  He often runs and jumps onto the Toddler Donut to antagonize his big brother - but we also find him sleeping on it sometimes if it's been left in their bedroom instead of folded up downstairs!  When we have the money to spare, we will look at one for him too.

What Mama Loves

I love that this helps us solve some nap dilemmas.  The Woombie is wonderful for easy travel.  I also love that it is: Foam Free, Glue Free, Odor Free, Hypo Allergenic, Non Toxic, Lead & Phthalate Free, Non Flammable and Recyclable!

What Mama Would Change

Well, Monkey still wets the bed... I would love it if Woombie would get him sleep trained.  His wetting made me quickly aware of the need to wash our Toddler Donut.  This has to be done in a front loading washer.  We don't have one, so it requires a trip to the laundry mat to wash it.  I would love it if Woombie offered some kind of slip on cover that would soak up bodily fluids and dirt and could easily be washed in a top loading machine.

What the Boys Love

The boys adore the leopard print, Monkey likes to sleep with a stuffed leopard and thinks it's extra cool to have a leopard bed.  They also like the soft feeling of the plush material that covers the top of the bed.  Monkey thinks it is nice to be able to move his bed to different parts of the house, or to other people's houses!

photo from woombie.com

Want One?

You can buy your very own Woombie Toddler Donut in "spring" or "leopard" for only $68!  Your kids will thank you and you will thank yourself!

You can also win a Toddler Donut RIGHT HERE.  Fill out the easy Rafflecopter form for your chance to win the choice of either color.  One winner will be selected on Friday December 9th!

Mommy Lesson #11

Moral: Clear the table before you feed the baby.

Story:

Okay, so we finished our spinach artichoke dip dinner (yum) and Mr. Crum needed to run an errand - QUICKLY.  He was kind enough to take Monkey with him, leaving me with 22 month old Crackers, and 3 week old baby.  

Naturally, baby got hungry - leaving Crackers somewhat unattended.  Mr. Crum had cleaned up a few of the dinner dishes, but not all.  There were still cups and tortilla chips on the table. 

Crackers is a scavenger.  He loves food, he hunts for food, he FINDS food.  He was climbing from chair to chair, doing his typical after dinner search - making sure to get every last morsel.

He emptied everyone's cups (except mommy's because I did not want him drinking coffee).

As soon as I was able, I put baby down and cleared the table.

When Mr. Crum got home, he started getting the "big" boys ready for bed.  Crackers was emphatic that he was not ready for bed.  In fact, he was very vocal about this for about 3 hours.  This is VERY unusual for our little guy.  He's generally pretty easy, we put him in bed, he talks or sings until he falls asleep.  Tonight he would not stay in bed, he screamed he yelled, he cried... I could not figure out what was going on.

That is, until about 10 minutes ago, when Mr. Crum said, "I should finish my coffee from dinner..."

Oh... there was coffee in your cup?  I thought it was empty.  Crackers finished it.  How much was there?... half a mug... oi.. no wonder he couldn't sleep.

Next time - we clear the table while baby screams his head off.  My toddler does not need the coffee, especially at bed time!

Mommy Lesson #6: Move quickly

Moral: Move quickly when they say "oh no".


Today it was hot outside.  REALLY hot.  Monkey brought me the juice from the fridge while the other boys were playing outside - and I felt obliged to let them all have a drink.

They were thirsty.  Maybe because they VERY VERY rarely get juice... but they each drank several servings of juice.  Crackers is always thirsty - so I didn't think much about it.

Until....
Mr. Crum got home at about 4 (we'd been inside for half an hour already).  Crackers was stinky, and Mr. Crum (my hero) was getting ready to change him.  We saw that Crackers was getting ready to fill his pants some more.  Soon, he was sitting down, poking at his diaper and saying "oh no"!

I was so stunned at what was happening that I froze.  What a dork.  I couldn't think of what to do when I saw that "oh no" was the best sentiment possible - his dipe had leaked and was spilling onto the floor... and he was poking at it... and then.. THEN... he rubbed it in his hair.

Aghast, I was incredibly thankful for Mr. Crum, who had much more sense than I did and quickly moved for a towel, clean diapers, some wipes, and a bag... he took care of cleaning Crackers while I started the bathtub.

Note to self: limit the juice... and get up quickly when that little boy says "oh no".

Mommy Lesson #5: It really might be that bad

Moral of the story: Sometimes they're right.

Today was a rough day for my boys.  First thing this morning, Monkey slammed his fingers in the door.  He cried and screamed, and grabbed his fingers and curled up on my lap... and cried and screamed and....
You get the point?  He was miserable.  I kissed his fingers, loved on him, soothed him, rocked him, hugged him, did all those things that mommys do when their little guys get hurt.

Then - he asked for a bandaid.  He's mostly gotten over that NEED when he gets hurt.. he insisted he needed one, and well, to be frank: I had other things that needed to get done.  Besides - bandaids don't help squashed fingers.

But he was right.  He opened up his little hand again and suddenly there was a pool of blood on one of his fingers - seriously, I had looked at his hand several times and there had been no blood.  I don't know what that's about.  Anyway, he got a bandaid.

It really was as bad as he made it seem.

***
Step forward in time several hours.  We were back outside, I was on the phone with my sister, picking up a toy from one side of the yard.  Crackers started screaming.  I turned and he was laying on the sidewalk, entangled in his Elmo airplane.  In his 19 month old wisdom, he decided to try out one of Monkey's favorite games - the one where he rolls on a "bike" down a hill.

I quickly scooped him up and loved on him, kissing his ouchies, comforting him, snuggling him.  He recovered very quickly and went off to play.

A couple hours later, I discovered he had a large knot on his head and had scraped it up pretty well.  His hair was covering it, so I had missed the real ouch.

It really was as bad as he made it sound.  He was right.

Fun & Educational

Some of the fun and educational activities that we have participated in at the Crum house this week (some yet to come):

Monday  

Fire Station Tour (totally free activity)

Ultrasound (fascinating for Monkey)

Tuesday

Finger Painting (haha, read yesterday's post)

Tower building (Duplos are my current favorite thing)

Wednesday
Box Day (playing with recyclables - using imagination)
Homemade Play Dough (mama made it, boys played)
Park Exploration with Daddy

Thursday
Bath Splash - fun water play
Relax day - free time while mama works

Friday
Mom Time - mama gets to play with friends, so do boys

Saturday
Possibly Kid City - local educational event

TOTAL COST FOR THIS WEEK'S EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES: $0

YEP, FREE ACTIVITIES ALL WEEK

Wordless Wednesday: Fire Station Tour

"Why not"

This is the response we get for EVERYTHING right now, if it is not in agreement with Mr. Monkey's wishes.  Heck, even if he's just confused, "why not we going backwards" (when the van is backing up and he wonders why).

So we get into the old dilemma - answer it with a good explanation, or tell him, "because I said so".  (or something along those lines).  We try to answer his questions honestly - we want him to feel free to ask questions and know it's safe to challenge authorities at the right time.

Our struggle is when it's not the right time to challenge authority.  For instance - when Mommy or Daddy said, "no candy right now" - "Why not" is not an appropriate response.  We have been working to teach him "yes ma'am" and "yes sir".  He gets it, with visual reminders.

But - he's 3... so, "why not" answer him when we can.  He'll learn to trust our decision making (eventually), and learn that sometimes asking "why" gets answers longer than what you really want to hear.

How do you deal with the "why" or "why not" age?

Keeping cool

It's hot out, has anyone else noticed?  Last night we pulled out the baby pool and put some water in it so it would be warm-ish this morning.  I thought the boys would spend most of the morning in it, keeping cool.  I was so wrong.  Monkey spent about 20 minutes in the pool and was done, "it too cold"... Crackers spent a little longer - mostly standing next to the pool and pouring cups of cold water down his chest.  Our friend the Roamer, didn't go in at all!

The plan for the rest of the day?  I don't know yet.  We'll have lunch around 10:45, then naps.. after naps - staying cool, somehow - maybe I'll keep them in their shorts and give them a popcicle.  I hate sitting them in front of the television.

Any ideas?  What are you doing today to keep cool at home?  What are your toddler & preschooler's favorite summertime activities?

Dandelion Natural Tableware: Review & Giveaway

Summer picnic time is here.  The Dandelion company has a great natural solution for your toddler picnic needs.

 Here is why I love Dandelion's tableware:

 The size:  The Dandelion bowls are perfect for cereal or snack time.  They have helped us immensely at breakfast as Mr. Crum needs a reminder about how big a toddler sized portion is, and the boys are content with knowing they get only one serving.
Dandelion's plates are excellent for helping us see that our boys are not getting too much food.  They are just right for both of our boys to pick up and move to the sink when they are done with a meal.  We rarely have arguments about needing more, because they are big enough for toddler appetites, but not so big that my boys gorge on food.

  The material:  Corn.  Yep, Dandelion's natural tableware is made from corn!  I was skeptical about how these would hold up and extremely curious about what they would feel like.  I couldn't imagine that they could stand up to plastic tableware for my toddlers.  I was so wrong.  These wipe clean easily, they stand up to being dropped, thrown, and stepped on.  They feel like plastic but do not seem to stain like plastic does.  It is important to note that corn-ware should not be microwaved or cleaned in the dishwasher.

The price: The bowls and plates come in 2 packs for $7.99.  The truth about me is that I am thrifty.  I do not like to pay any more than I have to for ANYTHING.  We have several cheap plastic plates that I have picked up on sale at various store.  The cheap plates do not last - they crack, they stain, they get thrown away.  Not to mention, they are really too big for toddler portions.  I would absolutely pay $7.99 for another set.

The quality:  Dandelion's natural tableware is fantastic quality.  The material is smooth and easy to clean.  It stands up to toddlers use and abuse.

Another fantastic Dandelion product is the organic stuffed turtle.  This guy is SUPER soft.  He is about 12 inches long.  His outside is made of organic cotton and he is filled with soft corn fibers.  This turtle is so lovable that I couldn't decide whether to hide him from my boys until baby came, or let him play with them right away.

I let the boys play with the turtle, they fell in love.  Crackers likes to carry him around and give him lots of squeezes.  I don't have to worry about the boys getting him dirty, because he is machine washable.

BUY IT: 

 Check out all of Dandelion's great natural products on their website.

WIN IT: 

 Dandelion, Earth Friendly Goods has offered to send one of my readers an assortment of their great corn tableware!  This contest is limited to residents of the US.  Contest will close on Friday, July 22.

Enter:

You may enter using any or all of the following methods.  Leave 1 comment for each method used to enter.  Please remember to put your email address in each comment.

1) Visit Dandelion, Earth Friendly Goods website and tell me your favorite product.

2) "Like" Dandelion on Facebook.  It's polite to thank them for the giveaway.

3) "Follow" Dandelion, Earth Friendly Goods on Twitter.

4) Follow this blog via Google Friend Connect.

5) Subscribe to Crum's This N That email newsfeeds (upper right hand corner of the page)

6) "Like" Crum's This N That on Facebook.

**Disclaimer:  I received a product free for the purpose of this review.  All opinions are my own.

Wordless Wednesday: Examining Creation

Wordless Wednesday: A day in the life of a 2 year old