My son is all about pretend play and he especially loves “cooking”. I thought about getting him a kitchen set but then I thought about all the space that it would take up let alone the cost of it! So I put on my creative cap and designed a stove top table cloth that could be placed on his existing table since he ALREADY plays with my real pots and pans!

Here’s what I did:

1) I dug through my fabric bin and found a neutral fabric for my son’s table. I measured 40″ X 80″ to allow for a good drape below the table top surface. I then cut out paper pieces to outline the stove “coils” and “knobs”:

2) Next, I outlined the pieces with chalk so that I could then sew on the ribbon and felt appliques:

3) Here’s the fun part: I sewed on the ribbon “coils”, added the felt knobs and for additional interest and color, stamped on the alphabet in the middle section. No reason why he can’t learn while playing, right?! Now I have a Top Chef in training!

BONUS: You know how I love multi-functional stuff, right? Well, this table cloth also has a red-checkered underside that I can flip over and/or use as a picnic blanket. I also sewed on corner pockets to store items (keys, toys, etc.) that will keep the blanket from blowing away!

Wait, what? The Children’s Museum is free? Not every day but it is on every third Sunday of the month thanks to Target Corp.

There are 4 levels to the museum and many different play areas.  The Little Peanut had so much fun that we’re planning on heading back whenever we can. We had to drag her away from World Works, the water filled “action-packed, hands-on environment that encourages investigating, experimenting, problem-solving, and observing.” She also had so much fun grocery shopping and cooking in Our World, the “unique neighborhood experiences encourage kids to connect, cooperate and communicate.”

An added bonus for us: she took about a 2 hour nap when we got home! If you know our girl then you know that on a good day her naps are just about an hour long.

Some tips:

• Get there early. It can get a little crowded in some areas by lunch time.
• Speaking of lunch time. If you park in the ramp you’ll probably have to make a stop at McDonalds once the kiddo’s get a glimpse of it! It’s going to be crowded there at lunch time too. So either pack some lunch or plan to eat earlier/later then normal to avoid the lunch rush.
• Parking in the ramp is only $3 with validation. Or if you’re lucky enough to get street parking it’s free.
• The museum suggests leaving strollers in the car. It really is a good idea if your kids are able to walk. You’ll be busy chasing them around!

With the weather warming up and my daughter getting older now I’ve been on the hunt for fun things to do in the Twin Cities. It also just happens that everything I’ve found so far is also FREE, which is great because an outing with the family can get pretty expensive these days – and so starts my new series “Fun & free 4 kids!”

Fun & Free 4 kids ~ Stillwater, MN

A few weekends ago I delivered some consignment goods to Darn. Knit. {Anyway} in Stillwater. (DKA is a great store btw! Yarn and fabric galore with an amazing boutique of local crafters/artists.) It had been awhile since we vistited and thought it would be a fun day trip for the family. The Little Peanut had a lot of fun exploring the shops along Main Street, the St. Croix River and Teddy Bear Park.

Teddy Bear Park was our first stop. It’s just off main street but seemed like quite a trek because of the hill we had to climb! The effort was well worth it though. The park has got to be like heaven for kids! There are multiple play areas with slides, tunnels, monkey bars and a lot of climbing opportunities.

The whole ride home we kept wishing that there is a park similar to this in Minneapolis, so if you know of any please let me know!

After dragging the Little Peanut away from the park we headed around Main Street visiting shops and taking in the sights. There are tons of antique stores, art galleries and boutiques to visit. When our legs got tired we went to the river front. There is a large area that would be perfect for a picnic and if you time it right you can see the lift bridge in action.

We had a great time and only had to spend $$ on gas and lunch! A bonus was that the Little Peanut took a 2 hour nap after we got home! (If you know her then you know she ususally only does 45 minutes or an hour if we’re lucky.) The only thing I would change is packing a picnic lunch for us to enjoy on the river front.

Some tips:

-Most of the shops in town have a free map that you can pickup so you can make sure you don’t miss a thing!

-There is free parking in the parking lot adjacent to the Brick Alley Building from October 31st to May 1st.

-For more activities in Stillwater visit Discoverstillwater.com

As my little peanut’s first birthday comes closer and closer I’ve been thinking about what type of party to have for her. Of course I turned to some of my favorite blogs for inspiration- and boy am I in awe of some of these party themes. Check these out…

Tinkerbright theme from Hostest with the Mostest blog

When I do buy clothes for my daughter I tend to go with the brightly colored ones since we get a lot of pastels as gifts. That’s what drew me to this one – the bright bold colors used as a twist to a Tinkerbell theme.

Super Mario Brothers theme from At Home with Kim Vallee blog

Mario Kart is one of my favorite Wii games. I instantly fell in love with the Yoshii and Mario statues, the coin boxes and the colors this mom chose. I just might have to steal this idea for my own birthday and make it a Wii party too!

Robot theme from Hostest with the Mostest blog

How darling is the robot centerpiece?! I just love the plates and cups as well. Find out more about how the robot was made and where this mom got the darling plates and cups in her post at HWTM.

Ladybug theme from Hey, Bubbles blog

My baby shower theme was ladybugs so of course I had to include this one!

Fairyland theme from Hostest with the Mostest blog

This one by far is my favorite. From the color theme to the decorations (see the place settings below!!) to the entrance to “Tinks workshop” this party seems like every girls dream. It makes me want to find my own paper wings to decorate.

My little peanut has many more birthdays to come and I can only hope some of them will be as amazing as the ones above are. I’m still recovering from the slew of ladybug things my mom has gotten for my girl since the baby shower so I’m avoiding one type of theme, but I’ve got some ideas and can’t wait to get started. I’ll also share some of them after the big day so stay tuned!

*photos are from the respective blogs they are posted on.