Photo challenge (December 11): green
Ally sewed this green stocking with a real needle and thread by herself. I threaded the needle and tied it to the stocking but she did every stitch AND she didn’t stab herself. Win.
Here’s the ‘daily craft’ that we did for yesterday’s post (which I didn’t post until today):
I found this lovely candy plate on Pinterest and followed the link to here. Remember, arrange mints, 350F, 8-10 minutes.
I’ve always wanted to make a “Nailed It” picture. Winner.
Photo challenge (December 12): beautiful sight
I’m cheating a bit here (nothing new) but I really wanted to show you what I did this morning!
When we woke up this morning we discovered that Edie had chewed the legs off of Ally’s favourite dollhouse doll. My usual approach to toys that we aren’t ready to get rid of is to trim off the sharp bits and then wrap the limb in electrical tape. We have several amputee toys, but this was the first one that lost *both* feet. I got super creative.
And it counts as a Christmas photo because of the red ribbon and jingle bell, right?
After I wrapped her feet in electrical tape, I cut a small square of blue felt so that she could have a blanket for her wheelchair should she choose to use it.
The kids love it and are currently struggling to take turns playing with it. I don’t expect it will last, they are rather destructive, but while it is around this little doll will have the coolest wheelchair that I have ever made.
13 days until Christmas!
coffeepoweredmom 
That wheelchair is amazing! You’re awesome, haha.
So, what went wrong with the plate? I’ve been wanting to try that, so any tips will be very helpful!
I think my first mistake may have been using wax paper instead of parchment paper. The wax paper stuck terribly to the bottom after it was done. Then, perhaps a round baking pan of some form (like a pie pan) would help to keep it round instead of oblong. Also, I tried to put it in the freezer after to see if the wax paper would loosen it’s hold and I think that’s what made it snap in half. So…round pan, parchment paper, and more mints so it is thicker in the end. 😀
Ok, thanks! I’m going to have to try this, haha
OMGoodness, that wheelchair is phenomenal… I never would have thought of it!! Way to go! That candy circle is pretty amazing, too! 😀
Maybe the original candy circle, hahaha, mine kind of bit the big one. 🙂
Your brilliant!!!!
*blush*
For me it is so much more than how you were being creative & cheap! *And I say cheap with utmost respect because any way to extend the life of a toy means not having to buy a new one and that I respect*
For me it is more than this. I study (and live and breath!!) working with people with disabilities. I’ve been involved in so many initiatives and worked with many organizations to try to remove the discrimination and increase awareness for people with disabilities – mental, developmental, phsyical, etc. It is so difficult to teach people about the value of individuals who face barriers we (able bodied individuals) could hardly imagine being faced with on a daily basis. What I’ve found is that the most open, welcoming, and accepting group is children. That is where the education needs to begin. You might have just found a way to continue using a broken toy but you’ve also begun making it appear acceptable to be in a wheelchair – you teaching these values to your kids at an early age makes me so happy!!!!
Thanks! That is my secret motivation behind it. I became friends with a young man in highschool who used a wheelchair as his main mode of transportation, and to be honest it took me quite a while to learn that it wasn’t anything to be treated differently (or to, alternatively, be treated like it was EXTREMELY normal) it just was. Ally’s Barbie was the first toy to lose a limb (her arm below the elbow) and it reminded me of a woman I worked with years back who was born missing her arm below the elbow. I wrapped it up and told the kids that Barbie had an accident, but she was still just a capable as people who had two arms. Then I explained that some people have accidents or are born without two arms and that they are still able to do everything that we can do. I want my children to learn acceptance beyond actively thinking about being accepting. My acceptance is active. I think, consciously, about treating everyone equally. I want my kids to have it be a constant, passive thought. Something that they don’t ever have to work on. Like breathing.
That is beautiful!! Makes me feel all warm & fuzzy on the inside! My hat is off to you! The key really is in modelling these type of behaviours. It might just be a broken Barbie but what kids are exposed to during the first few lives so greatly impacts their internal beliefs, morals, values – all things that make us, us! I love what your doing for them right from the get go!
I think I love the Pinterest “fails” more than I do the successes! Bravo!
Some of them are really, really funny. 🙂 I knew after this was my end product that I needed to make a “Nailed It” photo.