Mothership Confessional

I have always had an eye for creating fun things for kids as a preschool teacher, and now that I am a mommy, I have been anxiously awaiting Ava to "come of age" for some DIY toys from household items! We recently emptied a roll of paper towels, and my instinct was to just throw the empty roll away.  But I stopped myself. What can I make with this? A baby rainstick! It's not fancy by any means, but my baby loves it! Here's What You'll Need: Empty paper towel roll (or a toilet paper roll) Clear packing tape Jingle bells (or other fillers - see below) Tissue paper Here's What to Do: Begin by taping one end of the paper roll closed. You will want to fold the tape over itself so the items inside won't stick to the tape. Tape well so the contents will not come out. Fill your paper roll with the jingle bells. And by fill, I mean toss a few in . There really doesn't need to be that many "noisemakers" in there...

How can it be that my Ava baby is 6 months old!? When I imagined my baby during pregnancy, I mostly imagined a tiny newborn. I didn't really think much about life with a bigger baby. She continually surprises us with her new skills and her ever-emerging personality. Here is what she is up to at 6 months: Sitting!!!  This is her latest skill. All of a sudden, Ava could sit for like 10 seconds before she would wobble and lean over! I think new Christmas toys were a big incentive for her. Within a week, I was able to set her next to me with her boppy pillow around her and let her play without having to have my hands at the ready behind her. She plays for quite awhile now until she is all done! Table food! We are giving Ava her first taste of food tonight! She's having avocado! If you are curious about Baby Led Weaning, I encourage you to read this book . It explains the idea of skipping purees and spoon feeding so well and answered every question I had! Fir...