Toy Space

When we first moved to Mississippi, we were so excited that our new house had what is called a "hearth room." I don't know if I lived under a rock in Texas, if it's a (more) southern thing, or if I'm just crazy, but I had never heard that phrase. For lack of a better explanation, it's a den. A den that is right off your kitchen.

Our hearth room has evolved quite a bit in the past two years. I used to go for pretty and tidy, but these days I'm going for comfortable and fun. I'm learning to embrace the fact that my hearth room now resembles a daycare. They're only young once, right? Mike reminds me often that a house is to be lived in, not admired, and I'm getting there. I will say that when I see how much fun Max has in here, I could care less that the space isn't as "pretty" as it once was!

I have a slight obsession with these cubicle shelves. I have the darker ones in almost every room in my house. They are just so affordable and functional. These particular ones are the Circo brand from Target. My favorite part is the open bin shelves you can add at the bottom.

I had to take these pictures during naptime...because it sure doesn't look like this the rest of the day. The wall decor is a find from Chi Omega Marketplace in Dallas this past Christmas. They are actually old magnetic ceiling tiles. I think it will be a fun place for kid's artwork someday soon!

Cereal Puzzles

Back in my teaching days, a friend shared with me a fun (and cheap!) activity for my classroom. I collected cereal boxes from friends, cut the front of the box off, laminated it, and cut it into pieces. Instant puzzles!

When Max started showing an interest in his wooden puzzles I thought of these cereal puzzles again. They could definitely be made for a younger audience. They are very customizable!

Now, I am not saying I have a genius 16-month-old who is putting together these puzzles by himself. But we can definitely play with them together, and it won't be too long before he can play with them alone!

Fun Time with Max

Max turned 16 months old today. Goodness gracious. This is such a fun time, but it's what I consider a very "in between" time when it comes to a lot of activities. He's too old to just hang out on a blanket and play with some toys, but he's too young to bust out the coloring books and fingerpaints. Not that he wouldn't enjoy those things. We're just struggling with the whole "crafting materials aren't food" thing.

I have been searching (Pinterest) for younger toddler activities, and when I saw an idea about sticking pipe cleaners through a colander it sounded like fun. And after I realized he was having a ton of fun with his straw and milk box I thought it may be time to try it. Unfortunately, my colander had long slits instead of holes. Too hard for little fingers.

BUT. The laundry basket was sitting right there, so I grabbed it, turned it upside down, and we had a ton of fun putting the pipe cleaners through the holes. I ended up cutting them in half to make them go through easier. Now every time he sees the laundry basket he thinks it's playtime! It's a very simple activity, but it's something different for these long winter days. And I mean long.

I have lots of other activities I've seen and want to try, so I'll let you know how they go!