Stars come out

I had something like this as a kid and if I'm lucky my mom still has it for my kids. If not, I will definitely make some of these!

Source: nature-watch.com via Celena on Pinterest

It's a great way to truly explore the constellations, their history and mythology.

A sorta unrelated picture

When I saw this pin, I thought several things that turned out to be a little off. The first was that the post was all about this board.  The second, was that it was a homeschool mom using this in the home.  I was really only interested in this board.  The teacher that wrote the blog post was sharing all sorts of things and the section about how she uses this was also focused on another tool she uses in the classroom.  Great stuff for a 1st grade teacher. That just isn't what drew me to this pin.  My son is starting to grasp the idea of days and identifying letters. I think something similar to this board might be a great way to bring this type of learning into our house too.

Daily Math @Tiffani Anderson

Source: theinspiredapple.blogspot.com via Alayna on Pinterest

There's nothing wrong with the image or the blog post attached to the pin. However, as someone who's become adjusted to my information coming in bite sized portions it just wasn't what I expected when I clicked through.  I did repin it though, and you know why?  Because i still think this board is a great idea and I didn't want to lose track of it.  Maybe a neat way to add learning to your fridge?

Approaching Valentines Day

An awesome aspect of Pintrest is the holiday ideas.  As we get closer to Valentines day, I've gone back into my holiday board to see what is there.  But I'm also seeing my friends pin all manner of neat ideas.  Of course, who is going to be able to try them all?  Not this gal!  But one I loved straight off, is the one below:

OMG these are too stinkin cute!!! "I'm glad we're in the same school." Valentine printout in a plastic bag with Swedish fish or gummy fish.

Source: everything-in-focus.blogspot.com via Alayna on Pinterest

Working through creating the design of the printable fishbowl was more troublesome and time consuming than I had expected.  I'm really glad I started with a lot of heads up time.  I've done tons of bagging things like this for up to 60 people.  I've pretty much always just bought from the store though.  So I may have been too optimistic about it.  Now that the hard part is done though, I can't wait to put them together!

Cute ideas and cuter kids

I saw this one right before Christmas and had happened upon early shoes for both my kids around the same time. In my tendency to simplify even the simple things, I just used the existing laces to hang them from the tree.

turn baby's first shoe into a sentimental Christmas ornament! write the year on the bottom!

Source: spritefresh.blogspot.com via Alayna on Pinterest

Now my son doesn't remember his shoe, so that one went by unnoticed on the tree. His sister's shoe was a different story. He knew it was hers and kept taking it down, quite adamant that it did not belong on the tree.

Highlighting the simple things

In day to day life, I often get bogged down with routine. Its easy to stay inside your own box. a great gift Pintrest has given me is how to keep things simple and try new things.  Something new, fun, and helpful only really gets added to routine around here if it is simple and I can wrap my head around it.  This one is beyond simple and too much fun not to share!

finger painting with plain yogurt on kitchen table! The baby even loved it!!

Source: meandherings.blogspot.com via Alayna on Pinterest

I've done this with my daughter, from when she probably 6 months old. She loved it.  It's a great way to keep her entertained while I'm doing dishes or prepping dinner.  And in the highchair its and easy peasy cleanup.

Making the rounds

Good things on Pintrest tend to show up again and again. They will come from different people, but and they often resurface because they are thought provoking, interesting, or really useful. Many times they are links to articles and I find that I will read them each time they show up. I do refrain from repinning them each time though! Today this article popped up in my pins. It's a good read and pretty quick too, definitely worth my time when it shows up.

7 ways to make the most of your time while they are little. This is truly an amazing read for mama's! I just read this and want to do each and every one of them!!

Source: 71toes.com via Alayna on Pinterest

Now I have only implemented the "Happys and Sads", but its a good reminder of things that can help me stay close to my kids as they move into elementary school.

The fake pin

Many times a simple pin, that is complete with the picture and description (i.e. requires no more instructions), will get all the way through the pinviornment several times. Before anyone gets around to testing it. Sometimes the info itself is good, great even, but if you click through to get more details it turns out to be spam.

Sometimes the info turns out to be completely bogus, like this one:

No helium needed to fill balloons for parties.....just vinegar and baking soda! i need to remember this

Source: vippins.com via Alayna on Pinterest

This does fill balloons, but not to make them float. In fact they are heavier than ones filled with regular air. That said, it was a great deal of fun to do with my kids and experiment with the way they dropped and moved compared to one blown up in a far more normal fashion.

Your own pin

When you find something you like, pin it! It's really that easy. Hopefully others will like it too!


Bricker's Game Den: Spot It! A great game to play with kids or adults! And a go to gift idea for families.

Source: brickersgameden.blogspot.com via Alayna on Pinterest

Don't let it stress you

I've heard people complain that pintrest makes them feel inadequate. It's really not necessary. Just have fun and let it inspire you, not make you feel like you are not living up to some impossible internet standard. No one can do all of the things you see. For instance, this pin,

A "bookcase" for the car - genius!

Source: justsewsassy.com via Alayna on Pinterest

It's a great idea, but I do not currently have the sewing skills to pull this off. It did encourage me to think about what I could do. It's nothing brilliant or earth shattering but it did get me to move a workbook to the pocket on the back of the seat. I offer it to my son when we will be in the car for long periods of time. He loves it, and I can easily hand it to him, even from the drivers seat.