Perfect Pair Pops + I Dig You...........{valentine project #4}

Okay, I'm back with lots of cuteness to share! I've realized I love, love, love valentine's day............not the commercial aspect of it (I'd rather receive a scribbled love note than a professional flower arrangement any day), but the cute crafts and sweet pink & red clad kiddos.

The little pumpkin and I finished some sweet valentines for the grandparents. I love crafting with Grace. The things she comes up with are just too funny!

Popping glue bubbles. Fairy dust full of sweet wishes for the recipient. Spelling out love notes... And signing her name! She's doing so good with that! First we spell it, then I have her find the letter in an alphabet, and then she'll look at it and write out her version of it. Happy (early) Valentine's Day, Mimi & Pop! "Perfect Pair" valentine treats for her school buddies. And some for family and friends. And finally, the sweet little treat bags with the cutest "I Dig You" mini shovels, adapted from this sweet craft by Family Fun found HERE. Best part, you can find the little shovels at iParty for just 40¢ each by clicking HERE!

Pink ones for the girls... and red ones for the boys! And the sweetest little polka dot whale stickers from Autumn Leah on etsy to tie it all in. Find more designs HERE. Only 4 more days 'till Valentine's Day!
Make something sweet for your loved ones!!

Oprah's Show on Child Molesters

WARNING: Long post / Serious topic

I interrupt my fun PINK & RED valentine posts to talk about something serious, dark, and ugly: CHILD ABUSE. The mere mention of the words sends chills down my spine. I should be used to it by now. After all, I've worked in the field for over seven years now. But it doesn't. It makes me angry, sad, vigilant, determined.

First, a disclaimer...I had a WONDERFUL childhood. The best kind really. Loving family, loving extended family members, lots of cousins, lazy afternoons playing barefoot with my friends, weekly trips to the beach, almost daily bike rides with my cousin on our neighborhood street, creativity encouranged, educational pursuits emphasized, and on and on and on...I say this because lots of people assume those who work in the child abuse field do so because of a negative past experience. Not the case here - just sayin'.

I've given more presentations than I can count on the topic and it always seems the same types of questions come about. Here's the top 2:
1. How do you do this, day in and day out, and not get burned out?
2. What can I do to protect my children?

I want to focus on the second one, but to answer the first one briefly - we all have our own coping mechanisms. Although creativity is my passion, my mind is very analytical as well and that's why I can work in this field. I don't often watch the 6 o'clock news (too depressing) and I don't read child abuse books, briefs, or the like in my off time. When I feel ready to throw in the towel (not to the cause, but to the job) I'm reminded of the children that have touched my life through their situations and how important it is for people to continue fighting on their behalf.

OK, now onto the second one...What can I do to protect my children? Wow, this one is a loaded question for sure. There's so much you can do and yet sometimes even when you do everything humanly possible to protect your children, the unthinkable happens and it is through no fault of yours that it does. But since there is SO much we can do to keep our kids safe, why not tilt the scales in your favor?

Here's my #1 piece of advice for parents: Know what your children are up to and who they spend time with. Plain and simple. That, in itself, is 99% of the battle. Be nosy. You're the parent - not the friend - and it's your responsibility to make sure you minimize all risks/potentially dangerous situations. Question the motives of those adults who spend unsupervised time with your children. No, they are not all bad, but preventing child abuse is an adult's responsibility, so make sure you really know who they are.

If you think it only happens to someone else...it only happens somewhere else, then please know this:

1 out of 4 girls and 1 out of 6 boys will be the victim of sexual abuse before their 18th birthday.

90% of children are abused by someone they know...and may I add (and trust).

I watched Oprah's webcast of yesterday's show with great interest. Click HERE to watch it if you missed the show. It's always interesting to hear what perpetrators have to say and how they rationalize abuse...it helps us learn how to approach the epidemic and how to teach prevention to kids and adults. One statement from the show that I know many have commented on is when Oprah said something to the effect of "if you (perps) are doing a good job, then the child feels no pain" meaning physical pain. It's so hard to grasp a statement like that, but I will tell you that from my professional experience there is some validity to that statement.

One of the points I like to emphasize in my presentations to mandated reporters / parents / adults when talking about how to react to a child who is disclosing abuse is this: Do not badmouth the perpetrator to the child. While a child wants the abuse to stop, they often love the perpetrator and do not want the relationship to stop. Your reaction to the disclosure is critical - it will determine whether the child continues to disclose or does not. Think about that for a moment. Perpetrators spend so much time grooming children and gaining their (and the family's) trust that it makes perfect sense the child feels a bond with the abuser. Often, this individual has gone through great lengths to lavish love, attention, gifts, etc. on the child and work the family so that he can have unquestioned access to the child.

Teach children what to do if someone tries to touch them inappropriately or just gives them the "heevie jeevies". Teach young children NO ---->GO---->TELL! If someone tries to touch them inappropriately, teach them to say words that mean NO (practice with them), get away, and tell someone (identify people they can tell...family/friends/teachers/etc.). Please teach children the correct names for their body parts, including the private parts. Little children are not embarassed by these words, we are. To them it's just one more word, right along with eyes/nose/mouth...And remember, perps rarely go for the child who is quite vocal, who they fear will tell. They select a child who they feel they can easily manipulate to keep quiet. This is one instance where being LOUD can work in your favor!

Just this past Saturday as I was giving Grace a bath, she pointed to her chest and asked me what those things were. And I must admit I had to pause and think about how I wanted to reply for just a second. I even thought about ignoring it, but anyone who knows the little pumpkin knows her questions don't go away :) She asked me again and I calmly (on the outside only) responded "nipples", to which she said, "Oh, okay" and went on about her business of creating a bubble soap tower. Yesterday, she asked me again as I was putting on her pj's..."what are these things called again?" Sorry parents at her school if she gives your toddler a body part lesson this week.

And just to lighten the mood a bit. After she went to bed I told Lance what she said and he said to me, "Yea, she asked me that a couple of days ago...I told her she needed to ask her mother that question." Thanks, hon. :)

One more tidbit...role play scenarios with your sweet kiddos. What if you got lost and couldn't find me? What if someone asked you to help them find their dog? (still happens folks) What if someone asked you to keep something a secret? (we tell kids all the time, "it's a surprise for their birthday...ssshhh, don't tell them!" It can be hard for kids to understand the difference between a good secret and a bad secret, so maybe no secrets is better?) Anyhow, if you think it all sounds silly, let me tell you, these role-play scenarios saved my life. Read about it HERE, number 6.

And finally, Darkness to Light has a wonderful brochure entitled, 7 Steps to Protecting our Children. You can read it and even order it HERE.

Let's do all we can to keep our kiddos safe!...And yes, that's why it's so hard for us to have babysitters (an extra BIG THANK YOU to my mother-in-law Judy and to my mom for watching Grace and Hudson 3 days each week)...and it'll be especially hard to work in sleepovers at friends' houses when the time comes (have seen too many nightmare stories from that one).

Alright, back to my fun PINK and RED posts in just a few.
~Jessica

a boy, a blankie, and a little mischief

Hudson's had a cold for several days now. This picture pretty much sums up how he's been feeling: My poor little guy :( but even sick isn't he so sweet and squishable?!

We've been cooped up a bit and I think we're all starting to get a little cabin fever. Even Hudson is tired of the same old toys in his room so we've been spending lots of time in the Playroom. But, what's a guy to do in a Playroom flooded with all things girlie? Why, try to find the few "manly" toys, like talking animals and other weird happy meal toys. Like a little ray of sunshine, a package from my friend Angel arrived in the mail a couple of days ago. In it, the CUTEST little baby blanket I've ever seen! Oh, how we love sock monkeys around here! It goes perfect with Hudson's vintage modern nursery. THANK YOU ANGEL for such a sweet gift for Hudson!!! Here's a closer look. I love that it has an "H" on the back side. So cute! And that minky...super soft! I must say I've kept it out of Hudson's reach for the past few days since his runny nose is a big 'ole mess and the boy hates having his face cleaned. But soon, really soon he'll be enjoying that taggie blanket to its full potential!

By the way, want a blankie of your own??? Check out Angel's blog where she gives step by step instructions on how to make your own Ribbon Baby Blanket. You can even learn how to applique a letter to the blankie or anything else your little heart desires through her tutorial HERE.

Hudson, being the sweet generous fella he is, decided to share a bit of his cold with the little pumpkin and I, so today we've both been coughing a bit. Since he's been feeling so yucky and having a hard time with all that congestion, I put him in his swing for a nap, to help him breathe a little easier by being UPRIGHT. You know where this is going don't you???

While Hudson was napping, I took Grace in her room to read books and make valentines and really to keep her coughing far away from Hudson so that it wouldn't wake him. One minute we were doing this then next thing I know I heard Hudson crying LOUDLY. The high pitch cry that only means one thing: I'm hurt/scared. My heart sank. I ran in the living room to find Hudson on the floor, on his belly, in a crawling position.

He had awaken and somehow managed to lift the bar that goes across his lap and between his legs (and locks into place, mind you) and toppled out of the seat onto the floor. I quickly scooped him up and checked him out. He's a tough little guy. As soon as I got him, he stopped crying. I think he was more scared than hurt. He does have a little bruise on his noggin', right where his hairline meets his forehead above his right eye.

Luckily it wasn't serious {THANK YOU GOD!}...I guess since he didn't fall very far...Still my heart ached for my baby. I felt so guilty for not strapping him with the 5 point harness. I felt he was safe with just the bar, but nope, this little monkey of mine is curious, very curious. From now on, it's full on 5 point restraint anytime he's in that swing...or the high chair.

And just to give you a better visual, here's a picture I took of our Graco Sweetpeace. Just another reminder...
Yes, I am the mother of a son.
Let the adventures begin!

school treats.................................{valentine project #3}

Valentine's Day is Grace's turn to bring treats for her class party. The sign-up sheet read "valentine cookies" but I think these RiCe kRisPIeS PoPS will do the trick just fine. I've made all kinds of rice krispies treats but never put them on lollie sticks before. I think they turned out rather cute. This was Grace's first time to help me make rice krispies treats too and we had lots of fun! "It's just like play-doh, Mama!" Yummy hearts And while we were doing this a certain little someone was doing this Thank goodness for that new vibrating teether! On top of having a bad cold, he's had 4 new teeth cut through all at the same time, for a grand total of 6 little chompers.

Dipped and sprinkled and looking so pretty! So there you have it, our own version of "school cookies"...yummy, cute, and a LOT less messy than chocolate chip cookies...all for twelve giddy 2 and 3 year olds to enjoy! And coming soon... Hope you're having a great Super Bowl Sunday!

30 minute clippie holder......................... {valentine project #2)

So this one is not technically a valentine's day project, but it's red and cute so I decided to throw it in. Grace has a million gazillion bows and little clippies. I like to add the snap type clippies to the center of her basic bows to add a bit of flair like in the picture above and at her 2nd birthday party below. The bows for the most part are neatly displayed on a bow holder behind her door. The clippies...well, they're so little they're all over the place. We never seem to be able to find the ones she wants to wear, so I decided to make her a cLiPPie HoLDer to make it easy on both of us :)

Going along with my current zest for re-purposing anything and everything in our house, I quickly gathered these: and turned them into this! Nothing fancy, just an old 8x10" picture frame we were no longer using, sanded a bit, spray painted with 2 coats of paint, and then distressed to cover imperfections. I used a glue gun to attach the fabric and the ribbon to the styrofoam, which came with the frame. You could also use canvas, cork or any other material that can fill the frame without the glass. Then simply decide how many rows you want, glue down the ribbon, squeeze your fabric covered board into the frame and you're done!

Such an easy and inexpensive project! Ours cost $0 since we had all the materials around our house already - yea! Depending on your frame you can either hang it on the wall or just stand it on top of a dresser. A fun little display and functional too! Ours, an 8x10" frame, fits 20 clippies. I'm thinking this would make a cute birthday present for little girlies. Just add a couple of clippies and voila! a one-of-a-kind gift...on a budget. Have fun creating!

old friends

{My little roly poly has been under the weather with a yucky cold so for the most part valentine projects have been on hold to allow for lots and lots of extra cuddling time with Mama. Luckily today's doctor's visit confirmed that he does not have RSV. Thank goodness! I'll be catching up on v-day projects in the next couple of days!}
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There's just something about old friends...they've been with you through so much of life's ups and downs...and they love you all the same :) This past week one of my two BFFs came to visit from New York where she's been doing her residency. Although she's seen lots of pictures, this was her first time to meet Hudson in person. Hudson has not been liking strangers here lately, but he took to Jammie right away and in spite of being under the weather really hammed it up for her :) The once shy little pumpkin is no more! She wasted no time talking "Ms. Aunt Jammie" as she called her, into reading her just one more book, pretty please???!!! We made yummy cupcakes and after the kiddos were in bed had a great time catching up with some girlie chit chat. Isn't that just the best? Those cupcakes were sooooo good, even if they were just right out of the box, that visions of sugarplums danced in my head all night and I couldn't help but enjoy a completely unhealthy, sugary sweet breakfast the next morning :) And just because she's almost 3 and wearing her siLLy PaNTs as she likes to call them, a little collage to show you what it's like taking pictures these days! Be back soon with more valentine projects to share!

hearts, hearts EVERYWHERE!...........{valentine project #1}

There's something about February...

or maybe it's just that PINK and RED happen to be two of my favorite colors...

whatever the reason, I always find myself tackling LOTS of fun little projects during the shortest month of the year.

Last night, a bunch of these from another project ended up like this Aren't they cute?! And such an easy and fast project, too! Here's a little close up: There's just something about little girls in knee socks...even better if those little knees still have a bit of toddler chubbiness :) Speaking of cuteness...a dreaded trip to Walmart for some cleaning supplies this afternoon ended up in the most delightful little surprise. Remembering THIS fun find from my friend Jenn C., I detoured to the girls section, where I stumbled upon this sweet little number with cute little pockets to boot! And for just $6 you may even want to get it in the pink colorway too! Hmmm...maybe another trip to Walmart is in my future. After all, I did forget the dish washing soap :)

And a little sneaky peaky at the other set of hearts I've been playing with...Tell me I'm not the only one bitten by the craft bug ♥