Kids on the Field: Toys

Once upon a time, I talked about how we dealt with toys when it came to moving across the world.   Well, we since have moved across the world, and while we did bring a fair amount of toys with us, there have been other things we've had to improvise.  And honestly, there is something so satisfying about creating something for your family.  And it can be a mama sanity saver.

Ok, so I wanted to show you some of my favorite toys we've made since we moved here.  I am trying to pick examples of things that don't need a lot of fancy craft supplies or specially items because I know we are all living in places where these sort of things can be hard to find.  So here we go, my favorite homemade toys...

We made Quinn's (our baby) swing just a couple of weeks after we got here.  He was about 4 months old when we made it and he still loves it 10 months later.  It was really quite simple to make (I only sew straight lines!) Here's a bit more description of the swing and a link to the tutorial I used within the story.

For Christmas we made the big boys traditional rope and board swings.  And they love them as well.  These are so straight forward, a board, some holes and some rope.

And don't judge me because my kids swing over cement.  About the only trees in our yard are banana trees and those are more like an overgrown stalks and so they wouldn't be able to hold up a little boy pretending he's superman.   

Ok, so you all being super missionary moms already know not to overlook things like delapaded jeeps as a great clubhouse!  This one was in a friend's garage here in Costa Rica and it was a favorite hang out for all the missionary kids...I have to say, it is my dream car and it makes the coolest clubhouse EVER!!

We had a despidida (a going away party) for a family at our house in June and there were 15 kids 10 and under at this part.  We had to have some sort of activity otherwise we were all going to lose our minds.  So we got creative and make some great outdoor games like slingshots with paper wads and tin cans, tarp toss with rice bags and an old tarp and ring toss.  And shhhh, don't tell anyone, but I pretty much made all of it out of garbage.

Ok, so how about you?  What awesome toys have you or your kids come up with?  Are there local toys that delight or dismay you?

More Kids on the Field Series

Pintrest Fun

Welcome to Semana Santa...errrr...Holy Week...well, for some of us anyway.  Some of you are in parts of the world where the calendar is a bit different, right?  It's been a week around here, sorry for my lack of a brain!

free printable from aka design

Well, anyway, we are closing in on Resurrection Sunday.  I don't know about you, but we've been scurrying around here trying to get all our preparations done.  We are hosting Easter dinner at our house on Sunday, complete with a turkey because they were mega on sale here!  Like $9 USD instead of $60 USD around the winter holidays!  We also have a birthday on Monday and English Night with our college aged Costa Rican voluteers on Tuesday.  Yikes!!  That means a whole lot of cooking and creating.

But I enjoy the preparations, and I love the time it gives me to meditated on the season.

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."

                                                                                                                        Romans 5:6-11

Now that, my friends, is something worth making a big deal about!!!  With turkey or ham or fish or whatever!  Let's celebrate!!!


This also seemed like a good time to roll out our brand new Missionary Moms' Companion Pintrest Page.  After the response from the Valentine's craft post, we got to thinking, a Pintrest board just for missionary moms would be a great idea!  You know, no cream of something soup, or fancy craft supplies, but more like things we can make with the sometimes limited resources we have living overseas.

I spent time today pinning some fun ideas for Easter just for you all.  

So hey, click on over to  MissionaryMoms on Pintrest and start following us! 

Overseas Friendly DIY Valentine's Ideas

All last year in language school, holidays would sneak up on me.  As in, I would wake up one morning and be like, "awwww man!  How did it get to be insert specific holiday already?"  And the kicker was, we didn't own a car and getting to the store to find insert specific holiday food/decor item we equated with specific holiday  was challenging to say the least.  Even if we did manage to get to a store, usually that specific thing, you know, jelly beans, or whatever didn't exist here.  I would wind up feeling homesick and sad and maybe just a bit grouchy too.

Well.  This year I have set out to remedy this.  I am working to plan ahead and realize long ahead of time that a holiday is coming and then to make provision for it, which is working some of the time.  But I do feel like I am at least a bit further ahead then I was last year.

I am also trying to think outside the "normal" for each holiday.  You know, embrace this living in another country and coming up with our new normal.

So in honor of Valentine's Day (do they celebrate that in your host country?)  here are a few last minute ideas that you should be able to pull off even if you can't find heart shaped boxes of chocolate for your valentines.  I am going to try to give you variations in case you can't find specialties things like heart shaped sprinkles or fancy North American ingredients like chocolate chips. 

First up, an interpretation of said heart shaped boxes of chocolate.  I made these up yesterday and I am so pleased with how they turned out.  Basically, it's a big heart shaped pocket.  I had some felt in my fabric stash that I cut into hearts, like this.  The big thing you want to do is make sure that the side with the opening has an overlap on between the top and bottom.

Then with some red yarn I did a blanket stitch around the outside.  No fabric or pretty red yarn?  A couple of pieces of paper and some glue, or tape, or staples or ribbon or whatever you have on hand, and you could accomplish the same thing.

I filled ours with some gummie worms (what boy doesn't like gummie worms?) I found here and some leftover Hersey's kisses someone sent us at Christmas time.

Now here's something you could do even today.  Heart Shaped sugar cookies.  No cookie cutter?  Use a knife and cut out a heart shape (you could even make a pattern out of paper or cardboard).  Don't have a pastry bag to write cute sayings, making them cute conversation hearts?  Use a plastic bag of some sort, fill it with frosting and cut just the tiniest part of the tip off.  Presto chango, a pastry bag you don't have to clean!  Want some cute colored sugar to sprinkle on?  I found you can dye sugar with food coloring.  Just a few drops in your sugar and now you have pink, or red or whatever color you choose!

And one last idea.  A paper heart garland. 

Cut out hearts of different sizes, and sew them together either with your machine or by hand.

 No needle and thread?  Tape them to a branch, string, whatever you have.  And remember, go for the little wonky, bohemian look and then you don't have to worry about things being perfect.

So how about you?  What helps you make holidays special?  Did you do anything for Valentine's Day?

Getting Creative

First off, THANK YOU!!  Seriously, I was in a low, low spot last time we talked and you girls did a fantastic job at pointing me back to The Truth and letting me know I am not nuts to feel all lonely and weird.  You guys rock!  And I hope some of you who were right there with me in the Pit of Despair found encouragement in the comments too.

And yes, this last week has been much better.  We were able to make some connection at a church we've been attending, we invited some acquaintances over for the day and my two big boys went to day camp for two days giving me the break of having just the baby and the puppy.  Funny how that seems like a break now.

Ok, so now on with today's thoughts.

Something I really have enjoyed about living here in Costa Rica is the challenge of creating things that most people just run to Target and buy.  Like these coasters for example.  I made these yesterday out of fabric from my stash.  Our dinning room table has issues with watermarks and we needed something to help prevent that. 

There is something very important about creating, using the skills God has given us to make our environments better, more efficient, more pleasing.   I believe it's part of what makes us Humans, created in the image of God.  After all, He is creative God.

I think we probably would agree that a cultural value in the US right now is one of consumerism.  Instead of making, people buy.  Instead of using what they have, they buy something, usually plastic, to solve a problem.  Now, hear me out, I am not saying buying things or plastic is bad, but there is another way.  One that seems to be forgotten in my home country.  Honestly, I am glad I have been forced further down this path of making and creating to keep my family clean, feed and living in lovely surroundings.

In the hopes of inspiring you to continue what you are already doing, making do and making it awesome, here's a few of my favorite projects from the last few months.
 
Here in Costa Rica, so often what you're looking for doesn't exist, or is so astronomically expensive, it is out of reach.  And I realize Costa Rica is overflowing with variety when compared to some of the place you all are living in! 

Por ejemplo, baby swings.  When we came in September, Quinn was 3 months old.  We had to leave his baby swing in the States and I knew there was no way we could afford one here (somewhere in the $250 USD range).

My babies love to swing.  Quinn is no exception.  So I got to thinking, and with the help of a friend, found a baby swing idea, found a tutorial online and made it.

And before you think I have all sorts of mad seamstress skills, I sew straight lines.  That's it.  See, both sewing projects have straight lines?  Well, the coasters have some wonky ones too, but really, those are suppose to be that way.

I don't know about where you live, but here mold can become a problem.  Most people don't have dressers for that reason.  So when it came to clothes storage in our bedroom, we had to think outside the box dresser.  Here's what we came up with.

Now yes, we have to make sure to keep our clothes neat and tidy, but really, it's been working out just fine.  And the baskets are good for all our unmentionables.  Oh, and because things like dresses and dress shirts really should be hung, here's what my husband rigged up.

 And one last one.  Quinn is at the point where mobiles are great.  Again, many baby things here are a fortune, and really, I don't like the look of most mobiles anyway.  So for Christmas, I made him this bird one.  Again, I used fabric from my stash, found the cute bird pattern online, and stuffed them with old rags.  Then I went to our back yard, found two sticks, tied them together and tied the birds on.  He loves it!  He laughs and wiggles every time he sees it. 

Ok, so now I want to see what you amazing people have done with your God given creativity!

What is one of you favorite projects you've made to solve a problem (chances are, one of us is having the same problem, so help a sista out!), to make a more lovely environment, or to help your family in some way?  Make sure to link us to a photo if you have one!