Around The House

Treehouse Holiday Fun – Part 1

2007-12-14T20:04:00Z

It’s the Holidays. Things are a little crazy; relatives are coming over, you’ve got a million meals to cook and the kids have eaten way too much sugar and are bouncing off the walls. But somehow you have to keep your tot occupied. So here are a few fun ideas that’ll get you in the Holiday spirit and that are fun too!

Alright, it’s the middle of the morning and your tot is rearing to go (as usual!) How about a Holiday scavenger hunt to wear them out a little? This will take a little bit of pre-planning but it’s a fun activity to do with just you and your tot or maybe if you’re having a Holiday kids party too!

Treehouse Holiday Scavenger Hunt

1. Gather an assortment of things for your tot to find: print off some of Treehouse’s colouring pages<link>, purchase some cute Backyardigans plush toys or Max and Ruby Bouncers. Create some fun Holiday ornaments such some Dora figures out of plastercine or you can make little notes with messages such as “Play Feedin’ Time on Treehousetv.com”.

2. Now hide your little treats and gifts in various places around the house. Maybe be mindful too, if you have any pets, of them finding stuff.

3. Create little messages and rhymes that will lead your tot to the things you’ve hidden around the house. Creating these can be a lot of fun and you can give little hints on what sorts of stuff they might find. For example: “Three hops forward and one to the right – behind the chair is something fluffy and white.” And then maybe behind the chair is where your toddler finds a Max and Ruby plush toy!

Bake Some Holiday Cookies

“More cooking?” You might be saying in exhaustion. Okay, okay, yes more cooking. But this isn’t slaving over a hot oven to get the perfect gravy cooking. Baking some Holiday cookies can be some serious fun for you and your tot. Well, maybe not serious, but definitely fun. Try this recipe:

Sugar Cut-out cookies

1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1. First, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Separate it into two bowls and give your tot a spoon and let them mix one bowl while you do the other. Then combine them.

2. Then mix the egg and vanilla.

3. Add flour and baking powder in intervals until it’s all combined. Let your tot get their hands in there and help you mix it up!

4. Divide the dough into four equal parts, wrap it in plastic and refrigerate about an hour or until firm.

5. Preheat oven to 375F and lightly grease baking sheets or line with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat. Probably a good idea to keep your child away from the oven at this point.

6. Help your toddler roll out dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper, about 1/4 inch thick for crispier cookies and 1/3 inch thick for softer cookies. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters and place on prepared baking sheets.

7. Bake for 7-8 minutes. For softer cookies, do not allow the cookies to take on color. Remove from oven, let cool for one minute and then transfer to wire rack. Can be stored in freezer undecorated for 2 months. Dough also freezes well.

8. Now it’s time to cut out shapes! You can either use Holiday cookie cutters available at most stores or cut them out yourself.

9. Try decorating them as your child’s favourite cartoon characters. You can make Dora the Explorer cookies – drawing her out with icing. Or maybe make cute Max and Ruby cut out cookies!

And now that the cookies for ready for eating – sit down with your toddler and enjoy some great Treehouse shows like the Are We There Yet? Christmas Market Premiere or Bob the Builder!

Keep your eye out next week for the continuation of this article – in Holiday Activities Part 2! We’ve got lots more for you!

Taking Control of the Clutter: More Tips for Organizing Your Child’s Room

2007-08-02T18:42:00Z

Okay, so you've organized your child's room into zones, hung the shelves and bought storage bins, but somehow the clutter is still running rampant! Here are a few ways to help further tame the beast.

Add a toy box to your child's room. Some hardware stores even have kits so that you can make and decorate your own. Make sure all toy boxes have safety hinges to prevent lids from slamming shut on little fingers!
Hang a toy hammock. Specially designed hammocks help remove the clutter of your children's stuffed animals, while giving them their own special showcase.
Tired of tripping over shoes? Hang shoe hangers on the inside of a closet door to keep them off the floor.
Wall hooks are great for storing backpacks, clothing, sporting gear, etc. Hang them in the corner of a room or on the back of a door.
Make sure your child has a clothes hamper in his or her room to help ensure dirty clothes don't pile up on the floor.
Remove any unnecessary items. When your child is through with old toys or clothes, donate them to a charity or store them in the basement or attic for safe keeping.
Store artwork in an artist's portfolio. This long-term storage solution not only helps to organize and de-clutter mounds of paper, it also protects your children's precious works of art.
Make a keepsake box using an old shoebox or wooden cigar box to help store souvenirs, medals and other odds and ends.
Finally, be a role model. If you want your children to live clutter free, then make your home clutter free.

By Rochelle Strauss

Organizing Your Preschooler’s Room

2007-08-02T18:40:00Z

The following are sure fire ways to help reduce the chaos in your child's room by overall organization.

Divide your child's room into areas - an art zone, a games/toy zone, a dressing zone, etc. Once the room is zoned, organize everything accordingly. By dividing the room as such, your child will also get a better sense of where things go at the end of the day.
Organize your child's closet so that what he or she uses the most is accessible. A combination of adjustable shelves, drawers and rods are a great way to utilize every ounce of space available or a modular shelving system will allow for closet layout modification as your child grows and needs change.
Use plastic bins with lids to store toys, clothes, books, etc. under the bed. Clear bins makes it easier for kids to find what they want or, alternatively, attach a label or photo to the containers according to their contents.
Consider purchasing open concept shelving units, divided into cubby holes of varying sizes. These systems are great for storing books and CD's as well as stacking games and displaying collections. Storage baskets also fit nicely into the cubbies to help reduce the visual clutter.
Hang some shelves low enough for easy access and others higher to display collectibles, models, photos, etc.
Consider purchasing a bed with a built in storage system underneath. The uniform design is aesthetically pleasing and the drawers are a great place to store clothes, linens, towels and/or toys.
If your child's room is particularly small, try designing a loft system for the room. A loft bed will allow ample room for a work table, storage systems and shelves beneath it.

By Rochelle Strauss

Decorating Your Child’s Room

2007-08-02T18:38:00Z

When it comes to decorating your son or daughter's room, you don't have to be a design guru to create an incredible space.

Here are some suggestions to keep in mind as you begin your decorating adventure:

Involve your children; after all, it is their room. Consider their favourite colours, their interests, etc. and listen to their ideas. Have them help you choose colours, fabrics and linens. And of course, get them to help with the work.
Do an inventory of the room. What does it have? What does it need? For example, if closet space is limited, consider adding an armoire. Or, if a rocking chair is no longer needed, replace it with a desk.
Don't limit your research to designer magazines. Look through story books to get ideas too!
Consider a theme. If your child is interested in space or the ocean, design the room around that.
Build in flexibility - what is cool today may be boring tomorrow. Keep the basics of the room simple enough to easily accommodate new components.
Keep in mind this is a multi-purpose room - a place for reading, playing, art, dress-up, sleeping and even eating! Consider dividing the room into specific areas for each perspective activity.
Make sure to include sufficient storage in your plans.
Assess your furniture needs and buy furniture that is not only durable, but has the potential to grow with your child.
Finally, don't forget the floors. These high traffic areas need to be durable and easy to clean. With that in mind, hardwood floors and area rugs tend to work better than wall-to-wall carpeting.

By Rochelle Strauss

Bedroom Themes for Girls

2007-08-02T18:35:00Z

Here are just a few ideas to help create an enchanting room for your daughter.

Butterfly Garden

Start by painting the walls about ¾ of the way up in a soft green. Paint the remaining wall and ceiling a light sky blue. Paint some white clouds on the ceiling. Next, create the garden by stenciling multi-coloured flowers along one wall. Paint butterflies on the walls around the room, adding birds and insects if you want. Add silk or paper flowers throughout the room and hang stuffed or paper butterflies from the ceiling. Add accents to furniture, lampshades, etc. by painting on butterflies, caterpillars, and flower designs. Choose bed sheets in complimentary colours.

Princess

The focal point of any princess room is the canopy bed. But if your budget doesn't allow for a new bed, here are two simple ways to create a canopy.

Attach two 1ft wooden dowels, on the wall above the bed, so that they hang on either side of the bed, about 2ft from the ceiling. Drape one large piece of sheer fabric from the two dowels, so that it hangs loosely, and touches the floor on either side of the bed.
Hang a 1ft wooden dowel on the wall, high above the headboard. It should hang centered over the bed. Hang two curtain gatherers about 2ft above the bed, on either side of it. Gather a long piece of sheer fabric and drape it, from its mid-point, over the single dowel. Next, gather back the fabric using the two curtain gatherers. (Note: fabric should touch the ground).

You can even add a painted castle mural and stencil on some unicorns. Embellish the room by decorating it with unicorns, beads and ribbons, crowns and tiaras, etc.

Jungle Adventure

Start by painting the walls a pale green. Use darker greens and browns to paint on accents, such as trees and vines, and brighter colours to paint flowers, insects and birds. Try painting some hidden animals around the room. Use stuffed or painted snakes, monkeys, birds and other jungle critters to spruce up shelves and furniture. A jungle-themed area rug and colour-coordinated bed linens complete the look.

By Rochelle Strauss

Bedroom Themes for Boys

2007-08-02T18:32:00Z

So...your son is ready for a new room. Though the possibilities are endless, here are a few theme ideas to help spark your imagination.

Rustic Canadiana

Use a pine log bed, with the bark still on, as the focal point of the room. Dress the bed with red flannel sheets and a matching duvet. Pine is great for the furniture and an old canoe cut in half makes an ideal frame for a bookshelf. Instead of a closet door, a simple unfinished wooden screen door, white-washed, gives a rustic look. The room itself can be decorated with images of fish, bears and moose. Wall shelves made from retro wooden sleds provide a perfect finishing touch.

Ocean Wave

Begin by painting the room a watery blue and adding clouds on the ceiling. Next, paint a seascape mural along one wall. A coral reef can be made using sponge painting. Use stencils to paint on colourful fish or create a border by stenciling sea creatures around the room. Hang aquatic mobiles or stuffed ocean animals from the ceiling. Use old surfboards or boogie boards as bookshelves. You can even try fashioning a bed frame from an old row boat! Then purchase colour coordinated blue bed linens.

Sports

Begin with the bed. Purchase sheets featuring a favourite team's emblem and add a duvet cover in an accent colour. Use a corresponding colour to paint the room. Buy a simple wooden headboard for the bed and stencil it with sporting images. Try using hockey sticks or golf clubs as curtain rods and painting a soccer pitch, football field or hockey rink right on the floor (or purchase a sports themed area rug). Hang a mini basketball net over the laundry hamper or garbage can. Then accessorize the room with pennants, trophies and other sports gear. Finally, use chalkboard paint to paint a score board on a wall in the room.

By Rochelle Strauss