Jenny Garland

Get Some Cents

... sorry for the dorky title, I couldn't help myself :)

There are lots of little spurts of time during the day when I have time to do something with Kate while Sara Paige sleeps. But, they're LITTLE spurts and oftentimes I don't have time (or energy, frankly) to do something that requires a bunch of time to set up or clean up.

Alas, I present to you the first of a bunch of quick, usually free activities to do with your toddler:

Step One:

Grab some change.

Step Two:

Acquire an old toothbrush (or steal your husband's and apologize later).

Step Three:

Fill a bowl with water and a few squirts of dish soap. If you want to remove the tarnish on pennies, throw in some salt and vinegar too.

Step Four:

Let your kiddo scrub the dirty coins and then put the clean ones in a new container.

   

Step Five:

Admire shiny coins and happy kid. Kate liked this a lot. We've done it twice and each time she cleaned about 15 coins before losing interest. You can also have your child sort the coins by type, count them, etc...

A Lazy Weekend and a New Discovery

We've stayed around the house for the most part this weekend. It's been really nice to be lazy :) Friday evening our friends Chris and Becca dropped by for dinner with their precious three month old baby, Gabe. Here's a picture of him with Sara Paige. I love how she's already being a diva with her hand. It's like she's saying "Don't try anything, buddy!"

Last night we went out for sushi with my parents (oh, how I love you salmon sashimi). Kate loves miso soup and edamame. She calls edamame "popping beans" and the best part is obviously just that. Particularly, when a soybean projectiles across the restaurant onto another table. I'm sure the management loves to see us coming.

During dinner, Nana took Kate to the bathroom and taught her how to make streamers and do a happy dance with toilet paper. I wish I had a video. It was really funny.

We came back to our house after Starbucks and played Rock Band. Kate's favorite songs to drum and sing are Living on a Prayer, Heartbreaker, Jesse's Girl, Beat It, and The Joker. I like her taste.

This morning, Brad read a book on his Kindle and snuggled with Sara Paige:

While Kate and I painted with Crayola's Hassle Free Watercolors:

Okay, friends. Can I just tell you how much I love these watercolors? You don't need a cup of water that your kid is going to splash all over the floor in a matter of seconds. You dampen that white sponge, open up your paintbrush, glide it on the pad, dip it in the paint, and create away!

I am flying to New Mexico next Saturday by myself with the girls and think this will be a great activity for Kate to do in the air. She loves anything with paint and is a big fan of the Color Wonder line. The Color Wonder stuff is not cheap but the markers and paint last forever and clearly, there is no mess. I let her paint on the couch and don't have to worry.

When I bought the watercolors, I saw Crayola has a new Color Wonder glitter paper set with princesses.

Painting, princesses, AND glitter in one? Yippee! That's a product that screams Kate Garland. Here's hoping it's enough entertainment for the plane.