All posts in Kids

Potty Training Survival Kit

by Vanessa Brady on 17 June 2013 in Kids, Tutorial with 10 Comments

Make a Potty Training Survival Kit that will help both kids and parents through the stress of potty training!“This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and GoodNites, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #BetterNights  http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO.”

My two year old son is getting close to starting the whole potty training process and I’m so looking forward to it! <insert sarcasm>

His brother, Jack, was relatively easy because we waited until he was old enough to really grasp the idea of the toilet and big boy underwear. We stopped and started the process with Jack a handful of times (something the experts probably tell you never to do, hah!) but eventually he told us he would be potty trained by 3 and then pretty much decided he was done with diapers forever, day and night. Pretty easy, huh?

As with most kids, Max is cut from a different cloth than his brother. He’s a bit more carefree and opinionated in general so while I’m optimistic that potty training will go well, I’m also realistic that there might be a certain amount of stress involved. If not for him, almost certainly, for me. We will definitely be using GoodNites Disposable Bed Mats to help cut back on some of that stress!

Potty Training Survival Kit: GoodNitesSo, since I have potty training on the brain, I thought it would be fun to put together a Potty Training Survival Kit that you could give to kids who are starting potty training and to the parents who will be cleaning up after them! Some of the stuff is humorous (stress relievers), most of the items are really useful (like the bed mats) but all of it will make potty training a little easier!

My Potty Training Survival Kid includes:

  • GoodNites Disposable Bed Mats (use this link for a GoodNites coupon from Target. Score!)
  • Disinfectant Wipes
  • Potty Training Board Book
  • Progress Chart & Stickers
  • Certificate of Achievement
  • Certificate of Survival
  • Parental Stress Relievers (Wine & Chocolate)

Potty Training Survival Kit: CertificatesPotty Training Survival Kit: ChartPotty Training Survival Kit: IncludesPlanning on making a Potty Training Survival Kit for someone you love? Feel free to grab my free printables to include in your basket! (Potty Training Survival Kit Label (back, front), Certificate of Achievement, Certificate of Survival, and Progress Chart)

Potty Training Survival Kit: Supplies

Hope this helps lighten the load! Hah, pun totally intended! :D

Reusable Chalkboard Summer Bucket List

by Vanessa Brady on 14 June 2013 in Kids, Original Prints, Tutorial with 2 Comments

A Summer Bucket List you can use year after year!We’ve hit the triple digits over here in Texas and I’m already daydreaming about pumpkin patches and hot apple cider…and it’s not even technically Summer yet! We totally use this Reusable Summer Bucket List that I originally wrote for Crafts Unleashed to help me keep my head in the game and enjoy fun Summer activities with my kiddos (even if I’m sweating buckets!)

Summer is coming and those of you with kids are probably already wondering what you’re going to do with them for two whole months. Why not make a Summer Bucket List to make sure you squeeze in all those fun summertime activities? And then in August, as you walk the kids to their first day of school, you can erase the entire list and pack it away to reuse next year!

Supplies need to make your own reusable summer list:

1. Print out the “Summer Bucket List” Free Printable. Sandwich a piece of  the transfer paper between the chalkboard and printable, use a pencil to trace around the letters.

Reusable Summer Bucket List2. Lightly trace the transferred outline with your paint pen.

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3. Use extra fine sandpaper to lightly distress the image. Don’t worry if you sand too much, you can go back over the letters with your paint pen.

Reusable Summer Bucket List : Distress4. Glue the rusted tin embellishments in place. Remove the black cord that may come with the chalkboard. If thin enough, re-thread the jute through the existing holes. If the holes are too small (like pictured below), just tie two knots at the ends of a strand and glue them in place over the holes.

Reusable Summer Bucket List : Decorate5. Once everything is in place, all that’s left to do is come up with your bucket list and enter it in! I used a chalk marker to make it look cleaner but any chalk would do. Don’t forget to season your chalkboard with a layer of chalk before using it the first time though!

Reusable Summer Bucket List : Activities!Hope you all have a wonderfully fun and active Summer!

I received some of these craft supplies as partial compensation from Consumer Crafts. This tutorial may also contain affiliate links that help me keep Tried & True tutorials and printables free!

Sci-Fi Story Stones & Summer Inspiration Link Party

by Vanessa Brady on 7 June 2013 in Kids, Tutorial with 12 Comments

Sci-Fi Story Stones will provide endless story variations!Summer is close enough to touch and you’re probably already trying to figure out activities to do with your kids, right? I’ve got the perfect project for you! (Scroll down to the bottom of this post to add your own projects to the Summer Inspiration link party!)

Have you heard about story stones? They’re pretty popular on Pinterest (follow me for more fun activities!) and are basically stones or discs with images on them to help a kid come up with a story. They usually reach in a bag, pull out a few stones and then create a story out of them. Easy, right?

Kids like them because of the surprise factor, parents like them because they can keep a kid pretty entertain while learning the basics of storytelling. Win/win!

Sci-Fi Story Stones : PickOf course, in our geeky house, we couldn’t just have your regular, run of the mill story stones. Instead I had my husband draw up (again, so handy having an artist for a husband!) 24 classic images from different science fiction movies/shows.

Can I just tell you how proud it made his geeky parents to hear Jack come up with a little story with Uhura, a Phaser, the Moon (which he called the Death Star…how could we forget to draw the Death Star!?) and the Millennium Falcon? Be still my heart!

Sci-Fi Story Stones : Variation
Star Wars. Check.
Firefly. Check.
Dr. Who. Check.
Star Trek. Check. Check.

We’ve even got a couple Lost In Space ones. Of course, we had to narrow it down a bit and couldn’t include such iconic figures like Yoda or Capt. Kirk but there’s always series two!

Sci-Fi Story Stones : Fun

Making them was super easy. Just print off my Sci-Fi Story Stones free printable, cut out the circles (a 3/4″ punch would help!), and Mod Podge them to 1″ wood discs. I added a couple protective layers of Mod Podge as well. Allow to dry completely before even thinking of showing them to your kids. If our boys are any indication, it’s impossible for them to keep their hands off these!

scifistoSci-Fi Story Stones : Free Printablerystones_printable_Sm

I’m super excited to be taking part in the Summer Inspiration: Crafts Link Party
with Create. Craft. Love. and The Happier Homemaker!

Join in the fun and show off your best Summer Craft!
I’m really excited about seeing all your great Summer ideas and will be
featuring and pinning some of my favorites next week!

Summer-Inspiration-Link-Party

Party Rules:

1. Please link up any project, old or new, that relates to the party theme: Summer Crafts. Any links not related to the theme will be deleted.

2. Please include the party button or link on your post so we can spread the word! Any additional sharing of the party would be greatly appreciated!

This post contains affiliate that help me keep the Tried & True projects and printables free!

End of School Year Flip Flop Pops

by Vanessa Brady on 5 June 2013 in Kids, Tutorial with 2 Comments

flipfloppops07smmainOh no, you totally forgot that your kid’s last day of school is tomorrow and you need 20+ little (and cheap!) gifts to give their classmates! What are you going to do?

Flip Flop Pops to the rescue!

Flip Flop Pops

Materials:

Step 1: Ok, first things first…you’re going to have to flatten one end of all the lollipop sticks (compare sticks below) so that they will fit better between the cookies. I found that my super heavy marble rolling pin worked amazingly well, but use anything heavy that you have hanging out in your kitchen. (Rolling pin, bowling ball, elephant…) :D

flipfloppops01smStep 2: Melt wafers using one of the suggestions listed on the bag. I used the double boiler method and found it to be super easy. There are two ways to go about covering the cookies:

  • 2A. You can dip the cookies until completely covered in the candy coating, place on a rack, and then insert the lollipop stick through the end. Then, add a little bit more of the melted candy over the edge of the cookie to make sure the stick is secure.
  • 2B. Separate a cookie, spoon a thin line of candy coating in the center of one side, lay down the stick, and then squeeze the two cookie sides together again. Allow to harden before dipping the whole pop back in the candy to coat completely.

flipfloppops02smStep 3: Fill three of the disposable decorating bags with the rest of the melted candy. Cut off the tip and pipe the flip flop “strap” onto the pops. Continue to add any decorations you desire.

flipfloppops03smStep 4: Trim the clear treat bags to size, pinch center and then secure with a small piece of Baker’s Twine and free printable Flip Flop Pops labels.

flipfloppops04smDone and done. Now all you have to do is try and keep the kids away long enough to be able to gift these!

flipfloppops08smLet the Summertime fun begin!

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Disclosure: This post was originally written for Crafts Unleashed for which I received compensation. Affiliate links may be present.

“Be Good” Free Printables Series

by Vanessa Brady on 2 June 2013 in Home, Kids, Original Prints with 13 Comments

"Be Good" Series - Free Printables from Tried & TrueI keep this blog pretty lighthearted and fun so even though I was deeply touched by the tragic events that have happened recently, I didn’t really know how to express my heartache here without feeling opportunistic. And then I read this quote by Mr. Fred Rogers…

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” — Fred Rogers

Almost instantly, the first print in this series came to mind. Maybe these printables, in some small way, could make a difference. Really, they’re just simple little pieces of paper but their messages are so much more and if I want to teach my children how to “Be Good,” there has to be other parents out there who are trying to do the same.

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And then I starting thinking about a few other things I wanted to teach my children. Spreading love and finding joy? Kids seem to do these naturally and yet, as we age, we somehow forget them. Maybe subconsciously I made these prints for myself…begood05sm

Regardless of who they’re for, I’ve decided to offer these printables without any strings attached! Well, maybe just one string attached…please be good and only use these prints for personal enjoyment. Thanks! :)

"Be Good" Series - Free Printables from Tried & True for personal use

Be A Helper Free Printable
Spread Love Free Printable
Find Your Joy Free Printable

As always, thank you for reading my blog and for being absolutely amazing people!

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If you liked these free printables, you’re sure to love all these other
prints available from some of my bloggy friends!

Debbiedoo’s

Creative Cain Cabin

On Sutton Place

Cottage at the Crossroads

The DIY Village

a little CLAIREification



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