Well, if you are just joining us, I'm Chelsea and I blog here on Grow as a way to document and share our life. I have an amazing husband, Cody, a one year old little boy, Chandler, and one on the way expected to arrive April 2012.
Here are a few more things about me:
How do you spend your free time? Ha, right now I am in the first trimester "napping every chance I get stage". Usually, I love watching shows and movies at night with my hubby, reading, do crafting/sewing projects and taking pictures.
When you were a child, what was one of your favorite ways to spend your day? I LOVED playing board games. My parents would both tell you I begged to have family game nights all the time.
Fondest memory with your mom as a child? Either baking for family holiday meals or going shopping at a thrift store in Dallas.
What does special time with your children look like? I love snuggling before bedtime. Chandler loves to lay his head on your shoulder when he is tired, so I soak up every minute.
Favorite outdoor activity with your kids? Swimming at the pool. I have to honest and say I really don't like outside much, especially right now, it is WAY too hot. Chandler does most of his outdoor activities with his daddy!
Favorite blog for children's activities/crafts/parenting? I mean, there are so many good ones. Here are a few I love. I mostly use Pinterest these days though.
Crafts: http://www.makeit-loveit.com/
Sewing: http://www.dana-made-it.com/
Children activities: http://delightfullearning.blogspot.com/ and http://totallytots.blogspot.com
A favorite tradition that you want to pass down with your children? I love tradition so there are probably too many favorites to list but one of my favorites is celebrating advent together as a family each Christmas.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Busy Bag
Materials Needed:
1. felt: [pictured above is what I have left, so I obviously over estimated]
-cream (2 yards)
-light brown (1 yard)
-purple (1 yard)
2. embroidery floss [I bought 10 and only needed a couple of each color]
-tan (DMC brand, #437)
-black
3. needle
4. gallon bags, snack size bags (optional)
5. scissors: sewing/regular
6. brown paper bag (optional)
7. PB&J pattern {from Wild Olive}
9. paint: I used Anita’s All Purpose Acrylic Craft Paint
-cream (11188 Desert Sand)
-light brown (11044 Coffee)
-purple(11030 Grape)
10. fabric pen
11. paintbrush
12. 1 inch wooden cube
To Make:
1. Cut out all the PB&J template pieces, except die, unless you choose to make it with felt.
2. Cut out 2 jelly, 2 peanut butter, and 8 bread per bag, using templates. (only 1 sandwich shown below)
3. Use fabric pen to draw the face using the template. Split black embroidery floss in half (3 strings), embroider a face with thread on two single pieces of bread.
4. Split tan floss into thirds (2 strings) and use a running stitch to sew bread together with tan thread (1 face piece to 1 blank piece). I wrapped the string around the bread to measure how long I should make it.
note: I had no idea how to sew anything by hand until this. I went here to learn how to do the face and the running stitch.
5. Use paintbrush to paint die, 2 sides tan, 2 sides brown, and 2 sides purple.
6. For variation number 3, draw smile face on 1 tan side and a dot on one brown side. Also, print out the playing card template, cut out and laminate.
7. Use snack size bags to put playing card and die in. Store baggie and sandwich in brown paper bag.
Oh and if you are making LOTS, I found this method to be helpful. I cut all the supplies for each bag, laid it all out, put everything in the bags and then worked on them one at a time.
Cost Breakdown:
I tried to save all my receipts but somehow I lost a few, this is my best estimate for what 26 PB&J busy bags would be.
-felt {$5/yard for purple and tan (1 yard each), $3.50/yard for cream (2 yards)= $17}
-embroidery floss {39 cents each= $2.34}
-needle {had}
-gallon bags, snack size bags {$2 each= $4}
-scissors: sewing/regular {had}
-brown paper bag (optional) {had}
-cardstock for playing cards and direction cards (around $5 for 150 sheets, some leftover}
-Anita’s All Purpose Acrylic Craft Paint {59 cents each= 1.77}
-fabric pen {had}
-paintbrush {had}
-1 inch wooden cube {$2.99 a package, bought 2= $6}
Total: $36.11, $1.39/per bag
To play:
1. Take turns rolling the die to collect pieces and assemble your sandwich in order. The color on the die indicates which piece you get when you roll. (ignore face and dot on die: see variation #3) If you don’t get the piece you need when you roll, pass the die to the other player.
1. Take turns rolling the die to collect pieces and assemble your sandwich in order. The color on the die indicates which piece you get when you roll. (ignore face and dot on die: see variation #3) If you don’t get the piece you need when you roll, pass the die to the other player.
2. When building your sandwich, you must start with the blank piece of bread, then add peanut butter, then jelly, finish with the smiley face bread.
3. The first one to complete their PB&J sandwich wins!
Variations:
1. For little ones, model and tell how to build a sandwich with one set and have them copy you with the other. (or, if they are really little they can make a hat!)
2. Put all PB&J pieces in brown paper bag. Have kids pass the bag around, pulling out one ingredient at a time. The first player to draw a complete sandwich is the winner. Put piece back in bag if it is not the next piece you need.
3. Use playing cards. Play with original rules except for now, use symbols on die.
-Roll a dot= draw a card, follow directions on card
-Roll a smiley face= gain top bread (cream blank side for bottom bread)
Other activities:
-Storybook
Check out a copy of "Peanut Butter and Jelly: A Play Rhyme Book" with its matching CD from the library. Read the book to the children several times and then read it leaving out key words that they can shout out. Give them an opportunity to sing along with the CD.
-Jelly Tasting
Go to the store and pick out a few new flavors of jelly. Go home and try a spoonful of each flavor. (You can also have them close their eyes and try to guess which flavor). Give kids plastic knives and let them create miniature peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on crackers or bread using their favorite jelly (if younger, have them help you or make it for them).
-Watch PB&J Video
-Group Game to Play
Play Who’s Got the Peanut. In this cooperative game in which kids take turns passing a peanut to one person in a circle, players have to guess who has it. Kids love saying the rhymes that go with the game while they practice following rules and waiting patiently for their turn.
Game instructions: http://www.education.com/activity/article/peanut-game/
Downloads:
