Busy Lil' Hands MOVED

About a year ago, Busy Lil' Hands moved to http://huppiemama.com Thanks for visiting the newer site!

Giveaways Galore at Huppie Mama!

Have you checked out all the giveaways on my new website? Just click here: Huppie Mama

I have MOVED

Busy Lil Hands has actually rejoined Huppie Mama at a new site -- now that I bought my domain!

Please visit me at http://huppiemama.com

Thanks!! :-)

Best Friends Forever

by Carrie Wells, Ed.D.
Build-A-Bear Workshop will celebrate two major milestones this year. First, it is their 15th birthday ~ the first store opened in St. Louis on October 27, 1997. Second, they will be celebrating the sale of their 100 millionth furry friend. Congrats to Build-A-Bear!

Build-A-Bear is all about building friendships. Can't you tell? Lydia loves her Bears!

When Lydia was about a year old, I started thinking a lot about making her a best friend...because my parents made my best friend, my younger sister Jamie. We've gone through so much together, but regardless of what has happened or will happen, we know we always have each other. We come from a very small family - our parents are both only children, so we didn't have cousins to play with or big holiday celebrations. We went through so many friends over the years, relationships that didn't work out, conflicts with each other, our parents, and everything else best friends and sisters can get into. We know how to make each other laugh, cry together, and smile again. We try to always be there to enjoy the good times and support each other through the tough times.

I guess the best way to show our bond is through pictures...and reminding her daily....
Jamie, I love you. Thank you for being my best friend forever.

*By publishing this post, I was entered to win a gift card as part of a promotional offer from MomSelect and Build-A-Bear Workshop. All opinions expressed are my own.

Make-it-Yourself Felt Board

by Carrie Wells, Ed.D.
Have you ever looked at your craft supplies and gone...Duh! Why didn't I ever think to make that before? Yeah, that was me this morning. I have this cool die cut maker, I have a ton of felt, I have lots of cardboard, and I have a daughter who loves to mix and match different hair colors and outfits with the paper people I made using my die cut maker...um, why haven't I made her a felt board??

Make-It-Yourself Felt Board

Materials:

Piece of cardboard

Hot glue gun or craft glue

People die cuts (you could hand cut this, but that may be a bit challenging with felt)

Creativity

Scissors

Directions:

1. Cut the cardboard to the desired shape/size. Mine is about a 12" square.

2. Glue the background color(s) to the cardboard by gluing along the seam and wrapping it around the back. Glue along the edges to secure.

3. Cut various people, clothing, and scenery pieces out of felt. You can switch out pieces for each theme. I was thinking it would be really cool to make an alien scene by cutting people out of green and blue felt. A Halloween scene with different costumes and pumpkins would be so much fun, too! 

4. Endless play!

Wordless Wednesday ~ Busy Hands on My Couch

by Carrie Wells, Ed.D.
This is my couch :-(

Valentine Play Date

by Carrie Wells, Ed.D.
Inspired by Pinterest, Lydia had an awesome Valentine's Day play date with her friend Brandon. 

Here's our party agenda!

I prepared a heart-shaped fruit salad.

First Lydia & Brandon made chocolate marshmallow pops.

 Then they made heart-shaped pizzas.

Next they made valentine cookies.

They each decorated one card for each other and one card for their daddies. 

They ended the play date with a gift exchange and hug.