Tales of a Crafty Mommy

I did an Ocean theme for my Little Guy's First Birthday party, as his birthday is the only one that falls in the middle of summer. I was really excited with the opportunity to do a 'summery' party.  Anyways, I chose the Ocean and it was a very easy theme to put together.  First of all, I looked for a set of digital papers to make the banner. I found one on Etsy that I thought was just perfect. I used the Cricut for cutting out the circles, the letters, and the ocean waves. Then we blew up balloons to recreate the sky and the sun. :-)  For the backdrop, I used a plastic table cover from Dollar Tree. It was a great size (covered the whole wall), easy to use material, and just perfect for the party.  The crabs came from JoAnn's and can also be found at most craft stores.  I also used ocean theme stickers like fish, star fish, and turtles to decorate the ocean.  My friend A came over and she made the paper boats for us. Those turned out adorable! 

My little guy turned ONE a month ago. I can't believe how quickly his first year of life went by! As a Mom transitioning from two kids to three is a huge change. However, I am so grateful to God for my little guy. I love him so much and I enjoy his daily smiles. He is a talker and enjoys playing with his siblings.  I think one of my favorite things about him is his laughter. He laughs anytime a new song starts, he laughs when we laugh, and he laughs to get our attention. Yesterday, though, he was clearly upset with me. We had left him at the church's nursery and when I went to get him, he looked at me, screamed and kicked his feet with a very serious look. No. smile. at. all. When I told my husband, he agreed with me. Our little guy was clearly upset. Soon after I talked to him, he started laughing and 'talking' again. If he just knew how difficult it is for me to leave him at the nursery as well. *sigh* He is now taking steps and today he was soooo confident! H

Hi! I'm working on a new set of clothes divider to organize a new new baby's closet, but I want to share an oldie with you.  I actually used this set last year for my baby boy (who is now 13 months and taking steps!) and it helped me out a ton! I especially loved it because I included a tag for winter gear.  I printed my labels on cardstock, laminated the sheet, and then cut it up. The slits fit perfectly in my closet.  You could print this at home or at any office store.  The file is a free download through Scribd. Just click on the picture and it will take you straight there.  Baby Clothes Organizer / Baby Clothes Divider  Happy Organizing! ~ Fabi

I have been using LeapFrog's Kindergarten Skills and Beginning Reading Skills with my four year old. She has been doing real well with them and even sounded out a word (c-a-t) and knew what it said on her own today. I was very proud of her! I'd recommend giving these books a try, even if you don't plan to homeschool but you still have preschoolers at home with you. I use them during nap time so she and I can sit down and work on the books together.  I'll post the links here so they can be easier to find through Amazon. I tried to find them through Toys r Us website, which is where I got them, but couldn't find them there.  Anyways, here they are: Beginning Reading Skills Kindergarten Skills :  Hope you find them useful! ~ Fabi 

*Note: This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own. This is one of our favorite books at home and I just want to share it with you. Hope you like it!  The book  Te Quiero de Scholastic  has 4 short stories with love being the common theme. My older kids ages 4 and 2 really like this book and ask me to read it all the time. There have been a couple of times when my daughter has asked me to read the entire book to her.  It's very easy to read, full of colorful pictures, and very heart warming. It's one of those books that will have you hugging your child and receiving hugs from beginning to end.  Image Source The book is also available in English. It's called I love You: A Keepsake Storybook Collection  by Scholastic.  Happy Reading Time! ~ Fabi

They usually pretend they are cooking fun dishes for guests. Most of the dishes they make are the same ones we eat home, their favorites. Sometimes they come up with such fun combinations and we talk about how it would taste. For example, noodles with chocolate .  This week, though, we used flour for sensory play inside our apartment.  Setting up: I put flour on two plates (one for each kid) and told them that would be their 'work station.' They enjoyed that name so much! My daughter said "now I'm at work like Papá !"  We discussed the following questions:  what color is it - qué color es? how the flour feels - cómo se siente la harina? what color is it - qué color es? que te parece la harina? - What do you think about the flour?  {my daughter said it's powdery} Then they poured water on the dough and began using their hands to mix it all together.  My two year old liked playing with the flour until he noticed it was sticking to his fingers.  My four year old

If you would like the original file to print the picture with the verse, send me an email at bilingualmami@gmail.com . I'll send you the file.  La version en Español: La version en Ingles: ~ Fabi

 ~ Fabi

My Mom's birthday is a very special date to me, I try to make sure I send her a card and find a special gift. Well, this year, I decided to make her a gift. It took me a little over 2 months to complete this blanket which measures 54in x 54in. This is a really good size to be able to have a blanket on while watching TV or reading a book on the couch.  {I got to watch Downton Abby a couple of times while working, ha!} Yarn: Michaels Loops and Threads Vanna's Choice I Love this Yarn  I love this yellow - mustard tone from Vanna's Choice collection. I thought that would be the perfect color to complete the edging.  I did a single crochet row in white in every single square and space, then I used mustard to do 3sc and 1 long sc to create longer lines.  Add caption Blanket ready to go in the box. Admiring it one last time before sending it in the mail.  My kids had a blast going to the post office that day while wearing their