Click on the following topics to learn more.

 


To receive email notices when this site is updated

or if you have questions or comments

email me

info@memoriesbymindy.com

 

 

Puppet Theatre (04/14/08)

For Christmas I made my kids a puppet theatre.  I saw several very expensive versions in catalogs and decided to make one myself.  I bought inexpensive fabric and sewed it together like a curtain.  You do not have to be good at sewing to make this.  Believe me because I am not a good sewer!  All you need to do is sew a straight line.  Fold the fabric over at the top and sew two straight lines where a curtain rod can fit through.  Fold the bottom up and sew a straight line for the hem.  Use an adjustable spring curtain rod and it will fit in any doorway.

 

Waitress Kit (03/11/08)

For my daughter's birthday this year I made her a waitress kit.  It was very inexpensive and she loves it!  Most of the items in the kit we already had at home.  All I had to do was buy a few items at the dollar store and make her menus which cost less than $5!  I gathered the apron and fake food that we already had.  I made her a menu with words and pictures of the food in the kit.  I put the pictures on so her little brother can play too.  I also put prices for each food item so she can learn about money.  I made a smaller version of the menu that she can use to take our order on.  I laminated them both and gave her a dry erase marker to use on the order card.  I purchased fake money from the dollar store and the tote that the kit is kept in.  The lid of the tote doubles as the serving tray.

Here's a copy of the menu and order pad.  They are both two sided.

Waitress Kit

 

TV Tickets (08/28/07)

My daughter loves to watch tv.  I had to find a way to limit the amount she watches so I came up with my tv tickets.  Each day she gets three blue tickets that are good for one show each that day only.  Or, she could use all three tickets for one movie that day.  If she's been good during the week she'll get a green ticket she can use to stay up later on Friday nights and watch a few shows.  Sundays we don't watch tv but if she's been good at church and the rest of the day, she'll get up to three red tickets she can use any time during the week.  If she misbehaves, she loses her tickets.  I'm hoping this will help her behave better and limit her tv exposure.  We know when she's out of tickets, the tv goes off for the rest of the day.  One ticket is good for one show or three tickets for one movie.  You could use any number of tickets you want per day.  I thought 1 1/2 hours of tv was plenty.

Here's a copy of my TV Tickets you can download.

TV Tickets

 

Library Book Bag (06/07)

My daughter loves to go to the library.  I purchased an inexpensive tote bag and used iron on transfer paper to add the photo and the words, "Ella's Library Books."  She loves having her own bag to carry to the library and fill with books.  At home, she keeps the books in her bag which keeps us from searching the house for the lost library books.  I also limit her to 6 books she can check out at a time.  I do this so we always know she has 6 books and they are kept in the library bag. 

 

Chore Chart (06/07)

This is the chore chart I made for my daughter.  Each day she has five things she needs to do.  The chores are hanging down on the ribbons.  Once completed she moves them up on the square.  If all five chores are completed that day she gets to move a star up for the day.  At the end of the week she gets an allowance based on the number of stars received that week. 

Here is a copy of my chore chart you can download.

Chore Chart

 

Money Bank (06/07)

I purchased an empty paint can at the hardware store and covered it with paper.  Then I used foam core that I cut and glued to dived the inside of the can into three sections.  I labeled the outside of the can with three sections and cut slots to drop the money through the top plastic lid.  The three sections we use are tithing, savings, and fun money.  Now, when my daughter gets her allowance we help her divide her money between the three sections.  She's learning to pay her tithing, save money for the future, and to live within her means (fun money)!

 

Baby Book (07/07)

When I got pregnant I started looking through baby books.  I saw that my book wasn't completely filled in and neither were my sibling's books.  I decided I wanted to be organized and keep my children's baby books filled in.  I made a template for my book in Microsoft Word and I fill it out in my own handwriting.  I think my children will like to see someday what my handwriting looks like.  I started with pregnancy sheets to keep track of each month of pregnancy.  Then when they were born I started filling out their baby book pages.  I keep it updated monthly until they are two years old then I switch to every six months.  It keeps track of things they have accomplished, or silly things they've done or said.  It has a page for things that I hope I never forget about them as well as monthly notes about things they are learning and doing and their likes and dislikes.  I really treasure these books and I keep all the filled out pages in page protectors in their own notebooks.

Here is a copy of my pregnancy and baby book pages you can download.

Pregnancy Worksheets

Baby Book Worksheets