WINNER!! Shabby Apple Giveaway!

A big congratulations goes to Shanny, winner of the Shabby Apple $50 gift card!
Check your email for details Shanny!!  

  The 10% off code for polka dot dresses is good for the rest of the month! Just use the code: pokadot10off  

Peace on {Earth Day} Cupcakes

Each year we have an Earth Day party at our house. Which means that we need cake.  Of course.    

 
These yummy cupcakes were preceded by a lesson about the creation of the earth (what more persuasive way is there to talk about why we should take care of the earth than to talk about Who made it and Why it's for us?)

  We also made a "creation art project" and "creation party mix" before the cupcakes, which I will have to share on a later post...   Inspired by these, we decided to make "Earth" cupcakes for our party.  
 I started out with a white cake mix (since the kids were helping with {this little project}.  We divided the batter in half and put blue in half and green in half.   Then we dolloped each color into cupcake liners.      My sweet friend gave me some darling mini cookie cutters as a birthday gift this year and we decided to use them to showcase some of God's creations on the earth.  
First I cut the tops off of the cupcake.  

Then I frosted the "new top" while the kids cut out a shape from the "muffin" part.
Then we replaced the tops.  One bonus of this method: less frosting all over faces and hands!  

 

We also tried some where we cut out the inside of the cupcake and filled it with frosting.

 

Loving the Earth is wonderful.  We need to be good stewards of the incredible gift we have been given.

But to me, these cupcakes are more like: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever would believe on Him would not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

For whatever reason, Jay and Kay have been fighting/teasing/bothering each other like crazy this week.  One night I named these cupcakes "no-contention cupcakes."  They couldn't have one if they were causing contention.  It got their attention.

The next night (we couldn't eat them all at once!) I called them "Peace on Earth" cupcakes.  And the name stuck.  These cupcakes were just the reminder my kiddos needed about what is important.

Makes me want to make these {little} yummies again!

And my {little} boy hit the 5 month mark around Earth Day.  I can't believe it.  Since I haven't been blogging much since his birth, I haven't shared much about him.  He's the sweetest {little by little} major project there ever was!  I'm one lucky mommy!

onesie sticker by Purple Possum
In other Earth Day projects, our Cloth Diaper Project is up and going again with Baby M.
And since we're talking of Earth Day and babies, I read this today about children and motherhood and loved it.
(you can see past year's party ideas and Earth Day Projects here)
Also, today is the last day to enter the Shabby Apple giveaway (below) --don't miss it!

Shabby Apple Giveaway!!

Hi friends, long time no blogging....let's just say that between Baby M arriving and winter bringing sickness here I haven't been around to share the {little} things we've been up to.  
But today is a good blogging day!  I'm here! 
And to celebrate I have a Shabby Apple Giveaway for you!

Shabby Apple is an online dress boutique that specializes in vintage and retro dresses. 

Just looking through the Shabby Apple Catalog online I am drooling.  I can't get enough of the charming style, the vintage fun, and adventurous photography.  Just "window shopping" feels like a vacation!
Have you seen their Ferris Wheel collection?

Seriously fun summer fashion!

The other day I was Skyping with my sister (is skyping a verb? If so, I don't know how to spell it!) And she was wearing this very Shabby Apple dress!  She looked fabulous! 

It's cute here, but even better on!

I am a big fan of polka dots, just ask my husband :)  So, naturally I love this polka dot dress.

And to celebrate, I'm giving you a code for 10% off any Shabby Apple polka dot dress!

Just use the code: pokadot10off

I also have a $50 Shabby Apple gift card to giveaway to a lucky reader!

Here is how to enter--be sure to leave a comment for each entry:

1.  Like Shabby Apple on Facebook

2. Go to the Shabby Apple website and tell me what you would get with a $50 gift card.

3. Follow This Little Project (either via email RSS or box on right)

4. Like This Little Project on Facebook

5. Tell me what your favorite "Collection" is at Shabby Apple

The giveaway will close on May 1st at midnight and the winner will be announced May 2nd.

The 10% code is good for one month :)

Butterfly Learning Fun

Originally shared at abcand123learning.com

We are enjoying a lot of butterfly fun at our house right now.  We rescued a monarch from the middle of the road this past week and have been watching a friend raise some monarchs from egg to chrysalis.  Today I want to share some ideas that go along with that beautiful transformation from caterpillar to butterfly that will get you MOVING and enjoying MUSIC too!

 

My kids and I have been hanging out at our local butterfly exhibit.  We can't get enough of them...

It's a miracle every time!

This movie shows the transformation of of a butterfly from an egg to a monarch butterfly.  It's perfect to watch before learning and singing the songs below.

  

 This movie is a song about the life cycle of a butterfly, with pictures.  It's short and easy for young kids to sing.  (Note: usually the "house"a butterfly makes is referred to as a chrysalis and the one a moth makes is a cocoon.) 

 

We made some fun Butterfly Finger Puppets to fly around the room.

 

By using pieces from a glove they are easy to make and slip on little fingers.

  

For directions to make yours, go here.

Here is another song about the butterfly life cycle-no pictures, but the kids would love coloring this one to go with it.  Just cut out each piece and glue to it a popsicle stick and hold it up for each part of the song.

  

I love this way of acting out the life cycle.  You just need a blanket, some butterfly wings, and some "leaves to eat".  This is a wonderful way to incorporate movement into learning.

  

 A Snack Craft! is a fun way to do some hands-on learning.  This gummy worm is the caterpillar and then the kids turn him into a butterfly.  For peanut allergies, substitute marshmallow cream for the peanut butter spread. Directions here.

 

How do you learn about butterflies and the world around you?
I love to hear your ideas!

Relief Painting Easter Art

We had fun with this easy {little project} for teaching about relief painting. 

 

To make {this little project}, we used:

paint in bottle caps-one color per cap

painter's tape

fancy scissors

printed egg paper

stickers (foam work well)

The painter's tape with the fancy scissors helped define the space for each color.

Then the kids just picked their stickers and added one color of paint for each section.

 

After the paint dried we removed the painter's tape and foam stickers:

 

 

They were surprised to find all that white space still there. 

What a nice {little} surprise!

 

Easter Hand Stitching {From the Invention Box}

 

{This Little Project} is courtesy our Invention Box.  We've done some stitching like this before.  But this time we had an egg design in mind as we practiced our sewing skills.

 

Chenille stems make great kid-friendly "needles" for sewing.  

Just knot the yarn to the looped stem on the back side and the kids don't have to worry about it slipping from the "eye" of the needle.

 

I used an avocado bag for Jay's stitching and a clementine box wrapper for Kay's.  

Both worked really well.  

 

Easy and fun--to see the patterns through the materials.