Busy bag swap!

A few weeks ago, I signed up to be apart of a Busy Bag swap with some local Mama's.  It ended up being a big group -- 14 women!  If you're unfamiliar with what this is, it's basically a "bag" full of activities for your kids to play with or work with quietly.  No batteries needed, just activities to keep their fingers busy and minds working.

The swap itself is a genius idea.... you make "x" amount of the same activity, then go to this get-together and come home with that same amount of new busy bags for your kids.  I think the key to all of the activities is using them "sparingly" so they don't get tired of them.  Ours are kept in a closet unknown to the boys, and I pull them out when we're bored of regular toys.

Lucky for me, 14 women participated in this particular swap, so I have a good amount of things for the boys to work on and play with! 

Here's what we came home with... 

Sponge Towers

A lot of fun!  We sort by color, count them, build towers, and of course... knock it all over. 

Felt board with shapes 

Cohen really likes this one.  His houses are always very... ahem, creative.  :) 

Jar lids to push through the hole in the container

One of the boys' favorites... the girl who made these saw the original idea in Parents magazine. 

The Clothesline

Cohen can't quite do this one yet, but that makes it extra fun for Jaxon :) 

Button snake 

Challenging for both boys, in a good way! 

Pizza Factory 

This is the bag I brought.  Not to toot my own horn, but so far, this has been the most played with.  The boys love to pretend to make a pizza for "Grandma" or "Papa" and follow the instructions on each card.

Busy Bag Roadways... designed by Life Well Lived

This was clearly the boys' first pick, straight out of the bag.  They love anything cars and roads! 

Letter tracing

Love the cards, they are printed on 3x5 picture paper!  Such a good idea.

Pom Pom Mats

Another fun one - it keeps both boys occupied for a long time! 

Paint chip matching

I was amazed that Cohen could do this one by himself... Mom fail, I didn't even realize he knew his colors! 

Popsicle Puzzles

This one is over Cohen's head but is challenging for Jaxon.  Great activity! 

Pom Pom Sorting

Another favorite for both boys!  Sort by color and dump it all out... fun for all! 

Playdough mat with homemade playdough

We haven't done this one yet, but the boys love playdough so I know they'll enjoy it! 

Mr Potato Head - made out of felt

Oh man, I love this one!  So cute, and I can't imagine how long it took this Mama to make 14 sets!  Both of the boys really enjoy this one too.  It's lots of fun! 

Threading stick

We also really like this one!  Jaxon prefers the string, and Cohen likes to do it with the straws.

~

I am also in the process of organizing a swap for some blogging friends... I can't wait to start getting them in the mail, and of course I'll be back to show you more once that swap is over.

If you're looking for something to do with friends, this is a great idea and fairly easy to organize.  You get to spend time with Mom's, PLUS come home with activities for your kids!  Have fun :) 

Writers block.

I keep checking my blog every couple of days.  Waiting for someone else to say something, because I'm not sure what to say.  Hopefully some of you can relate to that.

It's hard when every day feels like a Monday.  I do fine for the most part, but weekends are especially hard. And even though it's Friday, it still just feels like a Monday.

You know the movie "Groundhog Day"?  Yep, that's me!

Okay, enough whining.

Sunday after church I decided to be spontaneous.  This doesn't come natural for me because I'm a little OCD about staying on schedule, but when my good friend Andrea asked me to join her on a 4 hour trip west to see her parents, I was pretty quick to say yes.  It was a great escape from the norm of every day living.  We toured the (kinda small) town, found a coffee shop or two, ate some good mexican food, lounged in our pj's, and let the boys play.  Three days later we returned back home, and I feel refreshed and ready to conquer the world ... or, at least the laundry I'm drowning in.

I am so grateful for a friend that I can be myself around, spend 8 hours in the car talking and not run out of things to say... and someone I can just journey along-side in this crazy life we live in.

My husband picked me up Wednesday night in our new (to us) vehicle, a Chevy Traverse.  Dang, that man did amazing on this purchase.  We walked away paying about $45 less a month than we would have, if I would have had my way a few days earlier while we were there doing a test drive.  Oh, and let's not forget all of the upgrades: a DVD player, new tires, 2 sun roofs, leather seats, and more space than I ever imagined.  I am so thankful to be married to a WISE man who cares about nothing more than what's best for his (our) family.  Between my research on the vehicle, and his mad negotiating skills, we walked away extremely confident in our decision and mostly just feeling thankful.

Hold on to your seat, I'm about to get random.

Anyone ever heard of project life?  I am thinking about doing it.  It seems to be a happy medium between crazy scrapbooking and nothing at all.

I went to Trader Joe's for the first time last weekend... sad to see the store closest to me did not sell any wine.  Side note:  almond butter = ahhhmazing.

I want to make this, and this, and these.  None of them would go good with my diet, but diet schmiet.

This article made me feel really good.  Understood.

Considering these shoes for my next tennis shoes purchase... or maybe for my birthday coming up, hint hint.

I'm in love with chevron prints and I'm trying to figure out how to incorporate that style into my house.

The whole SOPA and PIPA thing has my stomach in knots.  If you don't know what I'm talking about, you can read about it here.  Please consider signing a petition, here is one from Google.

The next 'big' project in my house will be re-decorating our bedroom.  This picture is my inspiration.

Oh my, these seriously make me laugh.

Have I mentioned today that I love Jesus?  And coffee?

Loved this article about using YOUR words.

 where's cohen... peek a boo!

Ahh, feels good to be back.  I'll try and be a little more regular in my posting next week.

Happy Weekend!  Any big plans?