DIY Dinosaur tails and dino party!

My beautiful boy turned 3 and a dino party it had to be!

We kept it small at his daycare but he had a lot of fun! I made the dino tails I mentioned in a previous post and they were a definite hit!  You can find the tutorial by Jessica from the Running with Scissors blog here.

My DIY dino tails

The kids each put on their dino tail and we proceeded to have a little dino dance party! Love that my hubby got it on video for him to see when he gets older!

Ready for a dino party!

Every day fun with his dino tail!

I also made the kids dino cupcakes and dino treat bags but of course forgot to take pics of both...

Simple and sweet!

These dinosaur tails would make a great Christmas gift for any young child! The parents of the other children at the daycare thought I bought them! Everyone will be surprised when you tell them you made it yourself!

Getting Organized: Front Entrance Hallway - Coat hooks

Now that we have a little bench for the little one to sit on to put on his shoes we need some sort of coat rack to hang our coats. We have a front entrance coat closet but if you have little ones at home you know how much easier it is just to throw your coat and your little one's on a hook when you're on your way in with your hands full.

Coat rack via Crate & Barrel

So I've searched and searched and I'm considering this one from Crate & Barrel. It has great reviews, looks durable and is affordable for a piece that should become a permanent fixture in our home. I like that the hooks are more like knobs so they won't stick out in our narrow hallway and hit someone in the head or shoulder. I also like that the knobs are not stationary so you can slide them around to use as needed depending on the garments & accessories you need to hang. You can find it as well as other nice options like the one below here.

Coat rack via Crate & Barrel

However the big debate began when I found these darlings. My son is VERY into animals right now and I love that these would add a touch of whimsy to our home. They would kind of alert all that enter our humble abode that we are definitely not an ordinary bunch and that we don't take ourselves too seriously. I know my son would love them and that I secretly would too! They're the kind of accents that just make you smile you know? The thing is, as pretty as they are, I'm not sure they would hold up to the abuse our family might unleash on these little hooks...Could they hold up my husbands heavy winter parka? Could they hold my son's eventual school bag filled with heavy books? Probably not, but that's what the entrance coat closet is for right? Ok...so the debate will have to go on!

Coat hook via Rockett St George

Coat hook via Rockett St George

Coat hook via Rockett St George

Coat hook via Rockett St George

Coat hook via Rockett St George

Want to go completely wild? I found them in color & dinosaurs too! Just one, two or three of these would be a really sweet gift for someone's nursery if it fit their theme!

Coat hook via The Modern Baby

Coat hook via The Modern Baby

Coat hook via The Modern Baby

Coat hook via The Modern Baby

Coat hook via The Modern Baby

Coat hook via The Modern Baby

Free Printables - beautiful gift for newborn

I was shopping for maternity clothing on Queen Mother Maternity's website and saw a link to On to Baby's website for these super awesome printables.  Click here for the link.

You can customize the name, initial and colour (22 colours to choose from!).

And all you have to do is print them and put them in a nice frame for a perfect gift for a newborn (or any child`s room given the variety of colour)! Great way to add a personal touch to your gift.  I absolutely love all the colour options!

Hello Monday!: Time to build a snowman!

How adorable is this? A snowman kit by The Hudson's Bay Company!

Snowman Kit via The Bay

What child would not be ecstatic to take these items and run out and build a snowman with his friends or siblings?? This is the stuff that childhood winter memories are made of!

Sure you can throw an old scarf, carrot, buttons and grandpa's pipe on a snowman or you can get this kit (now on sale for $20.99) and build memories of putting together Mr Snowman as a family at every first big snowfall of the season! Hmmm...he's just missing a top hat!

New Year = New Sheets?

Why not gift yourself some new bed linens? There's something about a bed being made up with crisp new quality sheets and fluffy pillows and duvet that just calls out to you! I've been on the look out for a fresh new set. White, black, grey or a mix of...I found these so far:

Chevron Duvet Cover & Shams via West Elm

Striped Duvet Cover & Shams via West Elm

Marimekko Black & White duvert cover and pillow case via Crate & Barrel

Alphabet duvet  cover and pillow case via Ikea for our little Mr of course ;)

Circles pattern duvet cover & pillow cases via Ikea

Crisp white with black piping via Restoration Hardware

There's something so calming to such a neutral combo as white and black or grey no? The search continues...

Friday Fabulous Find: Scholar's Choice

In my neighbourhood there is a store called “Scholar’s Choice”.  I have lived in the area for 4 years and I pass the store almost every day and never visited.  At first I thought it was a store for school teachers, educators, etc. but then I heard it sold toys to anyone.  So yesterday, I needed to kill some time as my son was taking a quick nap in the car (of course, I left him with my husband) and decided to take a peak in the store to see what this place is all about (for those of you who are very familiar with this store, this probably sounds silly and maybe a little ignorant on my part – too brain washed to just go to Toys R Us for toys).  As soon as I entered and saw all the educational and craft like toys and activities, I was so excited!  I immediately starting thinking of all the kids I know that are on my Christmas list.  It was like a great discovery...I even saw craft kits I would like to buy for myself.  The best part is that Scholar’s Choice has a website, a member's savings card and gift wrapping on site. 

Here are a few of my favourites.

Thinking I would like this for my 10 month old son.  He loves music and banging on things!

Via Scholar's Choice

I purchased this hair band making kit for one of my girlfriend’s daughter’s for her fifth birthday; I would love to try the kit myself.

Via Scholar's Choice

I know there are a lot of DIY projects you can do with your children, but not many mother’s have the time to come up with ideas or have the DIY in them, so I think craft kits like the following one by Alex is great for toddlers.

Via Scholar's Choice

This one I will definitely get for my 18 month old nephew who loves to look at pictures of animals, so this should be fun for him and very stimulating.

Via Scholar's Choice

I definitely recommend this store and I am happy I finally took a peak!