Earth Day

What is the best way to celebrate Earth day? Well, building a terrarium, of course!!! :) :)
My children are eager to have a pet, but since it would not work right now, they have happily "adopted" several pill bugs and snails from the garden... They are actually feeding them everyday, and making sure they have enough water, so the little bugs are thriving....

We made our little "home" for the creatures with a clear Dollar store shoe box, some mosquito net, a cutter and the glue gun. It is very sturdy and it can be reused many times...

Enjoy a nice, relaxing nature walk!!

Because the mommy needs her sanity, too...

We all know the feeling...there needs to be something to keep us sane, especially when surrounded all day by our wonderful children :) :) Don't get me wrong, I would not have it any other way (most of the days, anyway:)) but I feel I need a creative outlet, too...

So this is what I do. Knit, knit. And recently, I started designing... So here are some of my designs on Ravelry... It's so much fun!!!

Portable spindle "box"

This is my version of the Montessori Spindle box, (you can see how this material is used here) which allows children to learn to count to 10, and to learn the symbols for each number.



Ok. Technically I did not use spindles. And it is not a box. But it works!!! What I love about it is that it is portable,takes 30 minutes to be made, and achieves the same results!! :)

All you need is felt, scissors and a glue gun. (and the 7" spindles/sticks/ of your choice = 45 of them :))

Basically you glue ten 3" x  6 " pockets onto a felt 50" x 10 " felt rectangle. Cut out the numbers in felt and glue on top. That's it :)

Use a ribbon to tie it up (or any method you feel appropriate for your child to use independently) and make a 4" by 6" felt pouch to store the sticks.