Homemade toys

Before I had kids, I scoffed at those who had every toy imaginable. Now that I'm a parent, I can understand the desire of a parent to give their child fun gifts—you just love your kids so much you want to give them everything!

Well, as a parent with a limited budget—and the understanding that a child having everything their little heart desires isn't the best for them!—I have learned the beauty of making stuff out of random household items, especially cardboard.

Here is a picture of my oldest son with some fun glasses I made for him a few months ago out of cardstock! (That's his fake smile... I think he's saying, "Cheeeeeeese....")


Another of Brandon's homemade favorites is a "car city" we drew with crayons on the back of a sheet of cardboard (wish I had a picture to show you)—complete with roads, grass, houses, stores, etc. He LOVES it. He covets it, in fact..... hides it from his little brother.... we're still working on the character quality of sharing. :)

And this weekend I made a stove/oven for Brandon using an empty diaper box. I cut out two circles of black construction paper and taped them to the top for the burners, and then cut an oven door out of the front of it. (Note the homemade chef's hat as well.)


He had a blast "cooking" for Grandpa & Grandma this weekend!


Oh, and speaking of money-saving... I am currently sipping on a Caribou vanilla latte... I bought a large today, which I divided into two or three portions to save for another day! :) La-tee-dee... la-tee-da... that's how us one-income families make it...

Enjoy this sunny autumn day! :)