what i know / mothering babies

i thought i may as well start documenting what i know; lessons i've learned and the real stuff i believe in. i've been doing that from the start, but this year i want to pull all my tried and true tips, advice, ramblings into one category. i'll be touching on all kinds of topics. i am already excited for my future self to look back on these posts and see how my knowledge has (hopefully) expanded! here are a few things i know about mothering. this is a huge topic, i know there will be more posts on the subject...

routine. it's no question that i love a plan. but so do kids. i've read that children thrive on routine and like knowing what every day has in store. what a gift it is that we can give them; they aren't out there to make it up on their own. as parents, we cultivate this feeling of safety as we create boundaries, do chores, make games and set daily expectations. my kids know that we have naptime / rest time every day. of course there are days when i stretch out errands or we are with playmates or hanging out at grandma's.. but for the most part, kids like sticking to a schedule. it's no wonder they call it a bedtime routine.. kids need repetition to help them fall asleep and feel safe and secure. i've read that even saying the exact same sentence to them every night helps them fall asleep; they are called soothing phrases. i know a mama who serves green smoothies to her darlings in their ikea circus tent every afternoon! having a routine can be completely fun.

swaddling. we love baby burritos around here. dan and i always say 'we're big believers in swaddling.' i love wrapping my babe up in soft, thin blankets and dan has become a swaddling pro. swaddling works; it helps babies feel comforted, soothed and safe. it helps them feel like they're back in the womb. there is plenty of research out there on why swaddling babies helps them sleep better (and allows you to put them down without their little arms flailing and awakening them)! we like the soothing techniques in The Happiest Baby on the Block book by Dr. Karp (and your library may have the dvd for a quick show-this-to-husband tutorial. be warned, the movie was created a long time ago). dan is famous for holding seth all swaddled up while teaching in church.

it's just a phase. i am learning to NOT sweat the small stuff. by doing so i've relieved myself of many-a mothering headaches. i'm trying to focus on the real stuff and stop stressing about the phases that will pass sooner or later. here is what i mean: you can't celebrate yourself too much for getting your baby to sleep through the night. because, guess what? they start teething or get a cold or whatnot, and need to slug into bed with you and you start the cycle all over. suddenly you wake up with babies in your bed and think wait a minute here, i thought we were past this! i thought i had conquered this phase! i've learned to be slow to praise myself up and down or call my mom bragging about having my child potty trained in a day, etc. (i've learned you can't hang your hat on what your kid does. good or bad. but that's a topic for another time.) now i know that most everything's a phase.

here are some examples: while benji has always adored trains, when he was three he had a phase of being scared to death of (and frustrated by) the little thomas trains that are battery-powered. all of his friends had those and i figured he'd never be able to play with those kids ever again. thankfully in time he grew out of that phase. he also went through a phase of anxiety at the sound of running bath water. of course, you learn to deal with little quirks and try best not to upset your tiny one. i'd have to shut the door and fill up the tub and then turn it off and invite him in. sounds like something out of downton abbey.

even more than dealing with and getting through these inconvenient phases, i have realized not to wish them away. this is the stuff that life is made of. no matter how endless a phase may seem–it will surely (eventually) pass–and you may actually miss it! this is the good stuff of life. these phases are what life is made up of. these phases are important learning devices that make us who we are.

think about it; what do your parents always lovingly recall about you? (it was likely a funny phase you once went through!) remember when marta dragged that doll everywhere and called it pink baby? remember when marta would only wear doll's clothing (i was the youngest of seven kids. my mom was smart enough not to have the fight. in our family slideshow, i am wearing this tiny blue felt coat that was purposed for a doll not much bigger than a cabbage patch.) remember when marta wanted to be so independent that she'd turn to her mom in the department store and make the memorable request, mom, can we pretend that i'm not your daughter? i'm just your friend who's also a midget. i desperately wanted the salespeople to talk to me like i was a serious person, not just a kid. i will never live down the midget request. i also had a pretend friend named–simply–gnome. my mom was awesome and celebrated my belief in gnome. she went right along with it. i vividly remember her pretending to wipe his nose. he often comes up at family events. i'm glad his effervescent personality lives on.

caramel apples with homemade caramel and expert tips

dan's sister sarah taught me all that i know about caramel apples a few years ago on a family trip to sun valley. i finally had the courage to try them on my own, after a little refresher course from her a few weeks ago. you'll find her amazing homemade caramel recipe below. (after researching online, i found a few expert tips too, which i've included. please comment with your own if you have additional techniques!) i am posting this tutorial mainly to remember all of the steps and to readily admit that dipping apples is not as frightening as i once thought it to be. i hope you'll try them if you haven't already! i definitely want to make this a tradition (and improve my skills) each year. here we go!


we agree that green apples taste the best with the sweet toppings. i bought giant packs from costco. these were organic which means i didn't have to scrub so hard to get any shiny coating off of the apples. you want the apples completely cleaned off. sarah even uses a tiny drop of dishwashing soap to get the skins nice and clean. i read online that apple dipping experts use a bit of fine sandpaper (yes, real sandpaper!) on the apple skins before washing them to ensure a nice caramel coating.


dry and polish the apples until they gleam. they need to be very dry. any moisture will deter the caramel from sticking. all of this prep work is somewhat tedious (especially when you are working with forty-two apples!), but like i learned while painting the rooms in my house, prep work is oh so important for a job well done. no skimping! and whistle while you work!


stick the apples in the fridge overnight or at least for several hours. cold apples are best!


optional: gather all the stuff you'll need and head to a friend's house for the caramel making. it's much more fun doing something this messy and marvelous with a friend (bonus if her kitchen is big and fabulous too)! plus, her kids will entertain yours while you work. (see benji wearing star wars storm trooper costume below. he was in heaven!)


have one friend plant wooden sticks into each apple while the other starts the caramel in a heavy duty pot. i was too busy stirring and feeding and holding the baby to take pictures of the caramel bubbling (boy does it smell incredible). mainly you need to keep stirring it so it won't burn to the bottom of your pan. my candy thermometer was not behaving so we totally guessed on the firm ball stage. i dropped it in a cup of ice and didn't know what to look for, but it seemed good to me. for two newbies, we did pretty well! p.s. be sure to line your cookie sheets with parchment paper, not waxed paper! caramel will stick to wax paper. eek. experts pour the hot caramel into a clean metal bowl to allow it to slightly cool before dipping. obviously we skipped this step and just started dipping straight from the pan because we're adventurous impatient like that. luckily, it still worked like a dream. set the caramel apples in the fridge while you melt the chocolate.


now the really fun part. dipping and sprinkling! we had our assistant (my friend's super helpful and eager eight year old son) prep all of our toppings into separate bowls while we melted the chocolate. he even creatively concocted one bowl with all of the toppings mixed together for a 'suicide' type apple (always good to have options). you'll want the toppings ready to go before melting chocolate.

you can melt white chocolate in a double boiler, a pretend double boiler (does anyone really own a real double boiler?!) or in small increments in the microwave. whatever works. again, we threw caution to the wind and just started dipping after melting in the microwave. (hers had a special 'melt' button! if your microwave does too, you should be melting on a regular basis. you have no excuse. i am unbelievably jealous.)


some toppings to try: sea salt on plain caramel, crushed oreos, seasonal sprinkles, brown sugar & cinnamon, reeses pieces, candy corn, heath toffee, mini chocolate chips and then some. we had trouble with the heavier toppings sticking well; they just drooped down the chocolate. but the kids were happy to take those apples off our hands. i love the look of dark or milk chocolate dripping down the sides in a pretty drizzle design, but i ran out of energy for that final step. definitely will do it next time (you know, when seth is a year older and toddling around and pulling everything out of the cupboards and putting everything into his mouth. funny when you imagine things will be easier next time around...)


allow apples to set up in the fridge. wrap them up with cellophane, ribbon and tags. because everything is pretty with cellophane, ribbon and a tag! devour the apples or give them as gifts within 48 hours.

here is the recipe scanned in from my cookbook scrapbook. click and print out for yourself! enjoy!

10 expert tips for better photographs / guest post by jessica haderlie

after our baby boy was born, i received a lovely email from a local photographer (and blog reader!) named jessica, kindly offering a photo shoot for my boys. she explained how much she loved working with newborns. we've been lucky to work with some amazing photographers in the area and i was excited to check out her work. after a thorough examination & admiration of her portfolio, i was nothing less than ecstatic to have the chance to work with her.

i noticed a common theme throughout her website. her photos have a beautiful timeless and classic appeal; nothing frilly or unnatural about them. (i am not one for propping kids in luggage or on train tracks. ha!) just gorgeous lighting and happy families. i wondered if my family would be the right material for her lens. (lets just say i warned her that she might be up for a challenge!) jessica turned out every bit as wonderful (and talented!) as i'd hoped. she arrived bright and early and put me at ease in front of the camera (which is no small task). having children of her own, jessica was awesome with my kids. she was so good at swaddling and comforting my tiny babe. and my toddler turned into a flirt and immediately starting cheesing it up for her lens.

i wasn't sure if i had the right photo shoot 'props' or if my home was the best setting, but she showed up and assured me that what i had was just right. she didn't need much to get started... just beautiful babes as her subject! i love that she photographs kids just as they are and in their own setting too. i learned a lot from reading her tips below and look forward to working with her again. (stay tuned for a peek at our photo shoot with jessica!) for now, brush up on your photography skills with your own darlings and these ten tips. p.s. all of these photos were taken by jessica and used by permission.

10 tips for photographing your children by jessica haderlie



no. 01 Get close to the light. Snug up close to the windows, open the front door, and put them right in front of it. When I'm taking a picture indoors, my subject is usually facing the window and I will stand to the side of the window or below it. Experiment with light and your position. Try different angles. Here's something I do a lot before I start taking pictures with kids: I start with taking a few pictures of my hand; really what I'm looking for is great illumination of skin. So look for great tones on skin and that's when you've found great light.
 
 no. 02 Speaking of light, look for the catch lights in their eyes. What I mean is great reflections of light coming from their eyes. It can make a photo, those lit-up eyes. Have them face your light source or looking up can help.

 no. 03 Shoot at a quick shutter speed with kids. They say don't set your shutter speed below 1/250 with kids. It depends on how good your light is but it's a great "magic" number to keep in mind. Start there or above and then adjust your aperture and ISO.
 



















no. 04 Fill your frame. It's not for every shot but getting up close and personal makes for bold, meaningful shots. I like to see my babies faces up close because that's the way I see them every day and it's the way I want to remember them, so that's what I shoot.

  no. 05 Now that being said, try using negative space. I love me some negative space. Especially with kids, it can put in perspective just how little they are.

 


no. 06 Photograph them as they are. Let them be their selves. Keep it simple. Keep it natural.  I think sometimes the simpler the shot the bigger impact. You don't need bows and ruffles to make your kids' photos great. They don't have to be in their Sunday best. Get photos of them doing what they do everyday, messy hair and all.  Get them playing with the pots and pans, cooking in the kitchen, twirling to their favorite music. It'll help you remember them as they were at the stage they're at.

no. 07 Be silly with them. Kids love to play, so let them play. Make a game out of taking pictures.  Never tell them to say "cheese".  That will just get you cheezy pictures. Make them laugh. Ask them who their boyfriend is or what their favorite dance move is. This is the oldest trick in the book but telling them to not smile, that there is a rule about no smiling always works. Ask them to laugh really hard and after they are done, that's when you'll get those real, natural smiles, because they'll be in a playful mood. no. 08. Get down on their level. Half of the time I'm taking pictures of kids, I'm sitting on the floor or laying on my stomach. Meet them at their level and see eye to eye with them. It's the easiest way to take a normal photo and make it more interesting.
 no. 09 Capture connections. Show relationships in your photos. The most meaningful photos that I know I'll love when I'm a reminiscent old woman are the ones of our family being together as we are, not all dressed up, posing for the camera. Snuggling on the bed, hanging out in the hammock, the kids being silly together, these are the photos that I'll hold dearest, as sappy as it sounds.  Those are going to the the perfect photos to me. The perfectly imperfect ones are sometimes the best ones out of the bunch.


 no. 10 If you aren't already doing so, shoot in manual. You'll challenge yourself and learn so much faster. You'll have control over so much more. Learn about shutter speed and aperture and ISO. Practice focusing on each one individually. First, practice using shutter speed. Capture movement using a fast shutter speed like 1/2000 and then using a slow shutter speed like 1/125. Then, do the same thing with aperture. Set your camera to f2.0 and then for f22. If you don't know what I'm talking about, read up on aperture and shutter speed. Pioneer woman has a series of posts on aperture and has a way of explaining all of them that really makes it sink in. The more you practice the easier it will come. Check out my pinterest page for lots of links on photography tips. i loved these genuine tips, jessica! thank you for sharing a bit of your expertise with us.
find jessica haderlie on her blog and view her incredible portfolio on her website.

host a swap party / my 5 tips

i highly recommend throwing a swap party with your friends. the basis of the party is: you bring your junk and swap it with someone else's. i attended a friend's swap party while i lived in idaho and have been holding on to good-for-someone items ever since. it's a great reason to get a random bunch of people together (for a good cause - leftovers go to charity!), a fantastic excuse to clean out your own closets and a perfect way to break the ice with new friends! nothing like complimenting your friends on their fabulous taste and going home with their old wardrobes.

i am a bit sad i didn't get any photos during the actual swap party. these shots were snapped before the swap meet began. just imagine the backyard filled with a mix of gorgeous friends laughing and having fun, trying things on and getting excited when another swapper thought their old stuff was cute. the patio twinkle lights were perfect (thank you dan!), the citronella candles were burning and gals talked into the wee hours under the stars, brownies in hand. and, no rain! hooray. everyone left with baskets jammed full of treasures. i had a very helpful (and motivated) husband arrive in time to help clean up what was left. in fact, a few die-hards came back the following day to peruse the boxes ready for donation.

here are a few swap party hostess tips...

 #1. HOSTESS WITH THE MOSTEST. let me put this out there, hosting a swap party is more work than your typical book club meeting. it's like hosting a party and setting up a garage sale. (but it's way more fun than a garage sale, sans the making-money-facet.) to make it more manageable, choose one theme of items you'd like to swap; accessories, shoes, books, home goods, craft supplies, clothes or kid stuff. i went with anything and everything in good condition which provided a nice huge assortment and yet, still plenty of leftovers to donate. since we are all different sizes and shapes, it's fun to swap more than just clothes. p.s. hosting a swap meet is perfect for someone who is knee deep in nesting mode and also in need of a girls night out!

 #2. PREP AHEAD OF TIME. invite a number of friends and have them r.s.v.p. it is nice to have a vague idea of guest total and party size. the key to a swap party is to tell guests early on so they have lots of time to mull over their old stuff. i sent out a swap save the date (and save your stuff!) email (see sample below). when party week rolls around it's essential to have guests bring over their swap goods a day or two ahead of time! this way you can set up their items into neat categories (and take dibs on the best of the best). you may wonder what did i get myself into!? when your living room is bursting with boxes of junk, but forge onward. sorting their goods takes more effort but is well worth it for guests to feel like they're enjoying a shopping experience rather than hunting through rubbermaid bins in someone's garage. also a few guests may wonder if their stuff is swap worthy and feel sheepish about what they're donating.. if you receive it ahead of time, all the items are anonymous. no one knows who brought the hideous floor length taffeta plaid skirt, the sound of music drapes dress or the unopened bottle of contact lens solution. (awesome.) the randomness all adds up to good fun. more often than not guests were oohing and ahhhing over the wide selection. be sure to tell them to bring along a laundry basket to tote their new wares home!

 #3. ENLIST HELPERS. (i couldn't have done it without them.) plan to set the party up like a shop, with clearly defined sections. being completely me, i made to-do lists and mapped out a layout of how the swap party would be organized a few days ahead of time. people without kids won't want to wade through onesies to get to hot high heels and handbags. dan helped me set up tables outside (according to my maps / oh he is a patient one) and made sure the yard looked super nice. i made simple signs, got out tablecloths, baked snacks (including these pb cookies) and cleaned the house (and sent reminder emails). my sister-in-law babysat while friends and i set up the items beforehand. elizabeth dropped by and folded up all the shirts and pants in a rainbow color-coordinated fashion. genius! she scored a few items early for coming to my rescue. don't forget to set out a full-length mirror! we leaned ours in the crook of our apricot tree. it was so nice to host it in the backyard; the clean-up went a lot quicker. also-being outdoors–no one was confused of what items were actually mine and which were up for grabs. guests were welcome to use another room inside as a dressing room if they needed privacy. most gals were just throwing the clothes on over their outfits. this is what i refer to as H&M try-ons. i have many happy memories of trying clothes on like a crazy person in the aisles of the 5th avenue location in NYC.

 #4. CHOOSE A METHOD TO THE MADNESS. tell the guests what to expect ahead of time, as in what your rules for the party will be. there are lots of different ways for a swap to run smoothly. i read up on a few varied parties and decided to give out carnival-type tickets in exchange for each guest's swapping wares, 12 tickets for 12 items, etc. (however i didn't even end up doing this.) also, i figured anyone who did not bring anything could still come and browse the leftovers. it ended up that all of my guests brought approximately the same number of items to swap, so i let go of the whole ticket idea. we're not in sixth grade anymore. however, i did make them wear name tags. it was a swap meet and mingle afterall. to help the party run smoothly, i gave every guest a number and told them to remember it; first guest who arrived was number one, second was number two and so forth. as soon as everyone showed up, they had a chance to circle around and browse the tables for favorite items. i let them know that round one was beginning; the first three guests got to pick one item. then the second group chose an item and so on. no one was squabbling, everyone was excited and quite civil! a couple girls both wanted the same thing and kept offering it to each other. after three rounds of having guests choose a favorite item, i could see that i didn't really need to police the party any longer. i announced that the swap meet was officially a free-for-all. people tried clothes on, discussed home decor, tried out scarves and bangles and their stacks stacked up! i reminded them that anything left at my house at the end of the night would be donated.

 #5. PREPARE FOR CLEAN-UP. like any party, the dreaded clean-up may seem looming. be prepared, there will be stuff leftover! since your guests just purged their closets, most of them do not want to clutter their home with as many items as they brought in the first place. they are delighted with the handful of awesome treasures they just landed for free (and may be even happier they have excess room in their closets)! enlist a motivated helper to move that stuff right on out the moment the guests leave. i almost wanted to leave it all out and let my sisters come peruse the next day... but dan was motivated. i tend to hoard, so it was good to have dan's help load up empty boxes and dissemble the tables like a man on a mission. i started on the dishes so i wasn't tempted to grab anything extra that i don't actually need in my life. however i did score plenty of cute stuff; mounds of baby boy clothes (hooray), a new purse, some post-baby clothes, a miniature table for benji's room and a few pieces of wild (larger than my typical stud earrings) jewelry. plus a boatload of new friends. before midnight, the dishwasher was humming and there were five giant boxes ready for donation sitting on the back porch. the night was a big success. thanks to everyone who came!

   

how-to accept any gift

HOW-TO ACCEPT ANY GIFT
by Tori Rosin Szekeres from visforvictory.wordpress.com



Old copies of the National Enquirer. An 8-Track Cassette Tape. Fruitcake.

What do these things have in common? To paraphrase the Rolling Stones, you can’t always get you what you want during the holiday season. Sometimes, you don’t even get what you need.

Getting a bad gift is never easy. That being said, the person who struck out with the gift in question likely wasn’t out to harm, humiliate or hurt you with their choice of present. Don’t trample their feelings! Here are some suggestions to help you accept any kind of gift.

Come Clean: If someone asks you for gift suggestions, provide them. Don’t shrug and say, “I don’t know.” Everyone is busy during the holidays. While we should all be paying attention for gift hints throughout the year, most people aren’t built to do that. (And do I envy those who can pull this off!)

Don’t take gift questions as an annoyance; the giver-to-be wants to do right by you.

But what if they go forth and shop for you without your knowledge? When you get the gift in question, you better not pout. A Yuletide gathering is not the time to whine, shout or show displeasure in any way. If you’re hostile to a gift you receive, what are you teaching the children around you about generosity and gratitude? It’s not positive.

Write a Thank-You Note: It’s easy to blow this off. Don’t do it. “Oh, this is just a pair of slippers from my Grandma! I thanked her in person, even though they were two sizes too small! I don’t need to write a thank-you note!” should not be crossing your mind. If you dislike the gift, a thank-you note is necessary.

If you need further tips on writing great thank-you notes, read “How to Write a Thank You Note” by the late Leslie Harpold. She raises an interesting hypothesis in the article: thank-you notes improve the gifts you recieve. So take pen to paper. Who knows what will happen next year?

Keep This In Mind: In the long run, what you get during the holiday season is just stuff. Holidays are about more than what you can score from Etsy. When you think back on Christmas 2010, my wish for you is not that you get good gifts, but that you remember and experience the true meaning behind the celebration; family, friends and faith.

Stuff can be replaced. Memories can’t.

image source unknown.

this is the last how-to of the year. thank you so much for participating! i feel so happy that my little summer series idea grew into a weekly series, thanks to your awesome response. my goal was to give you an outlet to display your talents and special skills. i appreciate you sharing the stuff you know! i have enjoyed learning from you. please let me know if you'd be interested in seeing it in 2011. xo.

view the entire how-to series archives for tons of tutorials from readers like you. 

"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." - John Wooden 

how-to host a craft party

HOW-TO HOST A CRAFT PARTY
by jessica of Living the Swell Life

I had such a fine + fabulous experience hosting my first craft party, or more creatively entitled a Christmas Crafternoon, that I'd like to dedicate a post to sharing my thoughts and tips for anyone up to the challenge of hosting her own in the future! Although I could probably talk your ear off on this subject, I will try to simplify the matter into a brief, handy list. Also, if you are interested in examples of some of the crafts we made you can check them out right here!



1. If you build it, they will come. It's true. When I first posted an invitation for this party, I was a nervous wreck, thinking no one would show. But I learned that girls love a chance to get together, and they double love a chance to get creative when everything is spread out in front of them. So many of my friends say they wish they could be more crafty but don't have the time or inspiration. I shared a public invite both on facebook and this blog, hoping to meet some new crafty girls in the area and also share my love of crafting with some of my old in-real-life friends. In the end, I had such an overwhelming response that I had to turn some girls away. Stab me in the heart.

2. Plan, plan, plan. Even before sending out invites, plan what crafts you will to make. Not only will this step provide for a great teaser in the invite ("We'll be making X, Y, and Zs!!"), you'll also have more time to fine tune everything as the party approaches. Take inventory of the supplies you already have and make lists of the supplies you need to gather.

3. Time it. Be realistic about time frame. One project may take the entire duration of the party. Or teach your guests a smattering of techniques with 3-5 simple projects to fill the afternoon. Whatever you do, time yourself as you make each sample in order to guesstimate how long to schedule the party or when to quit coming up with more and more projects. (Ahem, super guilty here.)



4. Details. Don't forget about tools. This was an afterthought for me and I scrambled the day before asking people to bring extra scissors and paper punches. At the last minute, I was buying needles and tape and asking guests to sharpen their own pencils. Tools are just as important as the craft supplies themselves and although we're all grown-ups, let's face it; in this case, the less sharing the better!

Do double duty with party favors and set out bags labeled with each guest's name so there is a space for her to put finished crafts throughout the party and a handy way to tote home her spoils.

5. Don't break the bank. Don't be afraid to ask your guests to bring a small amount of cash to share in the cost of supplies. I've never known a craft party without a supply fee (at least when the hostess is providing supplies). Another reason it's so important to determine the projects before sending out the invite is so that you can set a realistic budget and a realistic amount to pass on to each guest. I'll be completely honest here and say that my party did cost more than $10/person. But my intention was not to break even, it was only to avoid breaking the bank and to bless my friends with a wonderful get-together.


6. Be firm on numbers. I cannot, repeat, cannot stress this enough. Can I be frank with you? I had a lot of unnecessary anxiety over the guest list. Here's why: I specifically asked everyone to RSVP asap, but received a ton of maybes. When planning this sort of party, it's really difficult to work with all of the maybes in the crowd. I 100% understand that life is unpredictable, but I urge you to make it a clear expectation that your guests commit. Tell them you need to have a firm number in order to buy the proper amount of supplies. Next time I am seriously considering collecting everyone's supply fee in advance via Paypal, just so that they are less likely to flake.

Also in this vein,
7. Know your limits. Have a maximum number of guests your home/venue can hold and don't go over it. If the party is too crowded to craft the fun factor will go down. I set my magic number at 20 and had to start a waiting list at this point. After a bunch of last minute cancellations, I believe the final head count was 16. I think that was a perfect number for my house. Why did I invite so many people that I ended up saying no?? Because I didn't want to be exclusive. I wanted to open it up to anyone and everyone who was interested in this sort of thing. The best part about craft parties is that they can be big or small--for a close circle of friends or for everyone in your social network. Know what is manageable for you and your life!

8. Map out your house. This is also key. Each separate craft should have a designated station. What rooms/areas would make good work spaces? Plan which crafts can be done on laps and which crafts require tables and chairs. Keep messy projects near a sink. Put projects that may take the most time in a large room and smaller-scale projects in a smaller area. If there is a two-step project, keep both stations adjacent to one another. This is one huge mistake I made. We made yarn wreaths, decorated with felt flowers. Half of the girls finished the yarn ring all at once and were wanting to learn the felt flowers. I had put the flower project in the smallest room with the least amount of workspace. Somehow I hadn't anticipated that people would spend as much time as they did crafting these to beautifully decorate their wreaths. People were sitting on the floor, tracing on the walls, and bumping into each other left and right. {And what dearies, they weren't even complaining!}


9. Feed them! I know this is basic, but I just want to reiterate simplicity here. One great way to keep party costs down is to ask guests to bring treats to share. I turned my party into half craft making, half Christmas cookie swapping. The spread was amazing--way better than I ever could have done by myself. It was so fun to sample everyone's baking talent. All I had to worry about were drinks! It's also important to consider that you'll be spending tons of time the day before cleaning your house and setting up your crafts; the last thing you need to fret over is food. If you choose to be more hospitable and serve your own treats, do yourself a favor and have things made ahead of time.

10. Enjoy yourself. Face it, you can't be all things to all people. You can't individually teach every guest every project, or hold lengthy personal conversations with everyone. That's why for large-scaled craft parties or for varied skill levels, make certain that you are not the only one who knows what the heck is going on. (i.e. delegate.) I asked a few of my craftiest friends to arrive early so that I give them a brief run-down of all the projects. My sis-in-law kept the coffee brewing and I felt free to mix & mingle. It was wonderful. Like growing extra sets of hands and eyes. I was able to relax and chat a whole lot more because I knew there were plenty of friendly resources bouncing throughout the house. It's also helpful to create multiple samples (if you have time!) of each project to not only present the basic concept but inspire variations on a theme.

*****  

Wow, so much for short. I really hope this is helpful! Feel free to visit my blog, ask questions, or add your two cents. I'd love to hear the skinny on your craft parties--past & future!  

view the entire how-to series archives for tons of tutorials from readers like you. 

"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." - John Wooden

how-to make a hot cocoa kit

HOW-TO MAKE A HOT COCOA KIT
by Destri of The Mother Huddle



There just isn't much that a three year old can create that isn't something only a mother would love. I thought and thought about what my little boy could make his friends for Christmas and finally came up with a Hot Cocoa Kit. Over the course of a week we worked on little projects to add to the kit, and I can't tell you how much fun we had with it. He got to mash things, melt things, sprinkle things, dip things, fill things....all sorts of sensory play. He is so proud of himself and can't wait to give them out. Plus I got to take some fun pictures, form some lasting memories, and scratch everyone off his list. Including his teacher, friends and the party favors for our Christmas party. All for less than twenty dollars!

If you find your kids getting restless for the big day to arrive this would be a great project to tackle until it comes.

HOT COCOA KIT
You may choose to only add one or two elements to the kit, but I will give you a list of what we used.

Supplies:
• hot cocoa
• almond bark or chocolate chips
• candy canes and sprinkles
• coffee creamer, cinnamon, nutmeg
• plastic spoons
• marshmallows
• mug
• various containers and baggies to package

Set The Stage

I have learned that my son has a max attention span of about fifteen minutes. If I expect him to focus on anything longer than that, it always ends up not as fun for him. So we did these projects on different days, at a time of day that I knew he could focus.

I would have everything out and ready before I even called him in the room. After showing him what we were doing I tried my hardest to just let him do it his way. I was amazed at how concerned he was with how everything looked!

Chocolate and Peppermint Spoons



I found that with most of these projects, sitting on the table was just the easiest. For the spoons I broke up a couple candy canes and put in a plastic bag. Then with his sister there to supervise, he went to town breaking them up. While he did that I melted the chocolate.



I then told him to just scoop up a little chocolate and then set the spoon on the wax paper. Even my two year old helped with this.



Then I had them sprinkle on the candy cane.



All done, and they did an awesome job! Onto the next project.

Chocolate Dipped Canes With Sprinkles



I had the chocolate melted and the sprinkles already in a glass for him when we started this. Again sitting on the table, I had him dip the candy canes.



Then place them on wax paper, and sprinkle on the candies.



Again, so impressed with how careful he was! And then I took a bajillion pictures of them. There is something about candy canes, they're just photogenic ya' know?

Nutmeg & Cinnamon Creamer




For this I just added a little cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg to a measuring cup and let him mix it up.



Then I helped him make a funnel to pour it into the fun little bulbs.



It was his idea to add the chocolate chips, you can never have too much I suppose.

Marshmallow Bags



This project was really easy. Just lined him up with some marshmallows and let him fill up the little bags. He was a little stingy on the marshmallows. He finally told me "mom, we have to save me some!"

Packaging It All Up



I picked up these cute little jugs at Hobby Lobby on sale for 75 cents. I had him help me fill them up then I added a the rick rack and label.



The spoons and candy canes were wrapped in a little bag and tied with ribbon.



I tied a tag to the bulbs and then using double sided tape added the fun pom poms to the top.



Then put it all in a box with the mug he insisted on, "cause they're fancy mom", that I bought at Ross for $3.99 for four. All done!

For his teacher we added a little instant coffee to the mix and a note.

For the party favors I just added a few packets of hot cocoa instead of the jug, and put it all in a cellophane bag minus the mug.

There you have it! A fun way to get your littlest ones creating, and keep 'em busy. This really was a fun project for my kids, and I learned that I have underestimated their abilities when it comes to these types of projects. I won't hesitate in the future!

view the entire how-to series archives for tons of tutorials from readers like you.
"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." - John Wooden