Projects and Ideas- milk jug lid upcycle into memory game or pretend coins

Milk jug lids become pretend coins, poker chips or a memory game- practice counting, play memory  or matching games, sort by color or types of stickers (animals, numbers, cars, etc). 

Collect your old difficult-to-recycle milk jug lids and upcycle them!  Using a sturdy pair of scissors or shears, carefully cut off the threaded edges of the lid, leaving the top coin-shaped piece.  Sand the edges to smooth them out, then add stickers, or draw on numbers or letters with a permanent marker.  Watch young children closely as these small pieces present a choking hazard! 

Projects and Ideas- mixing colors with ice

Color Mixing with ice- Fill an old fashioned ice cube tray with water then add 1-2 drops of different colors of food coloring to each cube.  Try to stick to primary colors.  After they freeze, pick two different color ice cubes and put them in a zipper seal bag (tape closed if you have curious children…food coloring will stain).  Let your children push the cubes around inside the bag on the counter, or hold the bag to melt the cubes faster.  Talk about what color combinations result!

Projects and Ideas- kids' grocery list

Grocery list- a great tool to keep toddlers and preschoolers busy while you shop for groceries.  Find a couple of grocery store ads and cut out pictures of the items you purchase most often.  If your child works well with scissors and glue sticks, they can help- they don’t have to be perfect.  Use a glue stick to attach the pictures to both sides of note cards (preferably used ones or some that your child has found and scribbled on almost every single one).  Write the name of the item on the card with each picture.  Use a hole punch to punch holes in the corner of each one and attach them to a sturdy ring.  During your shopping trip, ask your child to find a picture of the next item you will pick up, or find a picture of a vegetable, something green, or something that starts with the letter C, for example.

Projects and Ideas- towel holder using bulk packaging loops

I hate throwing away plastic, especially plastic loops.  Maybe I'm having flasbacks to all those media images from the 80s and 90s showing poor birds and marine animals with soda loops stuck around their necks.  Our local recycling program is very limited, so I've been really trying to reuse as much as I can.  I finally figured out a way to reuse the thick plastic loops that come on the bulk packages I purchase.  Unfortunately this only keeps one out of landfills (unless you give them to all of your friends), but it is a start.  Now the kids can dry their hands and my kitchen towels don't end up on the floor!  Hooray!

Projects and Ideas- NO SEW old cotton t-shirt into a cute toddler skirt

This one speaks for itself...
I really needed to figure out a way to use all the t-shirt tops left over from making my upcycled t-shirt scarves (www.etsy.com/shop/utilitarianmom) and came up with this.  PERFECT for 1-3 year olds in men's sizes large to XXL, but obviously the waist size will vary with the neck size of the shirt.  Be sure to pick one without any logos or writing- they don't turn out as well.  You can easily add elastic to the neck/waist if you want, but you probably won't need it if you put them on over onesies (and then you don't have to worry about diaper covers or bloomers!
Have fun with this one and feel free to send me pics of your creations and variations (utilitarianmom@hotmail.com).  I'm excited to see what people will come up with- bleach prints, tie dye, permanent marker designs- anything is possible!

TILTHW- Tiny Diner Placemat

Things I learned the hard way- Consider purchasing a rubber placemat to keep in the diaper bag for travel or restaurants.  I really like the Kiddopotamus Tiny Diner placemat.  It has suction cups on the bottom which work very well on flat smooth tables.  They aren’t as great on tablecloths or wood grain surfaces, but they don’t have to attach to use the placemat.  It also has a small trough to catch dropped food that is soft and flexible enough to seat your child very close to the table.

TILTHW- Save money on nursing pads

Things I Learned The Hard Way- If you plan to nurse, consider buying re-usable cotton nursing pads.  They are also very easy to make your own with layers of terrycloth, microfiber fabric or absorbent fleece sandwiched between outer layers of plain woven cotton.  The disposable type can trap moisture and give many mothers rashes or sensitize the skin, making nursing very uncomfortable.  Cotton pads allow the skin to breathe.  Safety pin the cotton pads together or put them inside a mesh delicates bag before you wash them so you always have a pair, and wash them with your infant’s clothing in a mild detergent (Dreft, All Baby, etc).  Don’t use fabric softener or dryer sheets because they can increase the risk of skin irritation.

TILTHW- Stop the stairclimber workout retrieving tossed toys

Things I Learned The Hard Way- If you have open staircase or patio railings, you can purchase plastic or mesh sheets to secure to the railings to prevent your child from sticking arms and legs (or their heads) through, or throwing toys down.  An inexpensive clear shower curtain liner and zip ties work well for this too.  Just thread the sheet through the rails, alternating which rails you go in front or behind, or thread behind every third or fourth rail depending on their distance apart.  Punch holes with a hole punch and slide a zip tie through to secure.

TILTHW- No more missing parts!

Things I Learned The Hard Way- Purchase a plastic or mesh drain cover for the kitchen sink.  It will prevent endless searching for the tiny plastic spoons, bottle parts or breast pump parts that slip down the drain during washing- especially if you have a garbage disposal!

TILTHW- Easy crib sheet changes

Things I Learned The Hard Way- Consider purchasing quick zip crib sheets ( www.cloudsandstars.com ).  They are more expensive than regular crib sheets, but you only need one full mattress wrap and about 2-3 top flat sheets with zippers.  Plus, they are MUCH easier to change, especially if you’ve had a cesarean,  if you plan to get pregnant again before your first child is out of the crib (usually around age 2), when you lower the crib mattress to the lower levels, or if you are less than average height.  You won’t have to lean over the crib rail as much, putting pressure on your abdomen or chest, depending on your height.  Plus, you won’t have to completely or partially remove the crib mattress to change the sheet which is a lifesaver on laundry day or for leaks.