DIY: Trunk Protector Mat

Today we are making a Trunk Protector Mat!  We're finally getting snow in Toronto and the stroller gets pretty messy with the snow and salt.     

I'm a Mama who doesn't like to clean.  I like to cover things when possible to make my life easier.  When Joshie was a baby, I made this stroller liner just so I wouldn't have to clean out the stroller so much.  We recently got a new car and said goodbye to our tiny two door car.  When we were using my old car, I didn't mind tossing my stroller in the trunk.  However, with a new car, it's nice to keep it clean - at least for a little bit.  

Here's what you need:
Clear packing tape
Large cardboard

Table cloth - waterproof on one side and fuzzy on the other.

How to:

(I didn't take pictures of the "how to" because it's pretty easy to put this together.)

1.  Measure your trunk and cut your cardboard to size

2.  Wrap the cardboard with your table cloth (water proof side should be facing up)

3.  Tape tape tape everything so that the table cloth is firmly attached to the cardboard

4.  Pop it in your trunk and don't worry about the mess!

Game: Find the Heart

Here's a really simple idea that my toddler loves.  We call it the "Hearts Treasure Hunt".  This started last year when Joshie was 2.  We were watching a Max & Ruby episode called "Grandma's Treasure Hunt".   He loved it and wanted to do a treasure hunt too.  We used to hide my painted eggs from our trip to Poland, but when I found some foam hearts in my craft box, we began using those instead.

Here's what you need:

Lots of imagination
A messy play space
Foam Hearts in different colours and sizes

This game is so easy to play.  Just hide the hearts in your house and have your kids look for them.  You can change it up each time... you can focus on finding the small hearts, or the pink hearts.  You can make it easy or hard depending on your child.  We like to play "hot" or "cold" too.   Joshie likes to hide the hearts so I can find them.  He's usually too excited to wait for me to find them so he tells me where he's hidden them.  It's great how something so simple can be a lot of fun too!  Happy hunting! 

 

Back in Chatelaine Magazine....

My internet shop Josh & Teo Handmade for Babies and Mamas is back in the February 2012 Chatelaine magazine!

Back in November, I had posted that I was so excited to get my first feature in Chatelaine magazine.   My Sophie the Giraffe Toy Leash was featured in the Family Travel 2011 Edition,  with the caption: "never lose Sophie again with this clever tether". 

This time we are back due to a publishing error and so we have been upgraded to page 20.  The reprint was actually larger than the original feature!

Here it is again but wait... there's a typo this time!  The toy leashes are $10 not $11. 

 Like I said, it's nice to be featured.