Best Books for One Year Olds

Best Books for the Under 1 set, as determined by Scarlet Jane, age 23 months.

I’m so glad Jacinda posted some Easter books (and for your suggestions in the comments) because Scarlet and I are ready for some new reading material.  Actually, Scarlet is fine with reading the same books over and over (and over and over and over) again: it’s mom & dad who are ready for something fresh.  I think we parents often stare at the bookshelves reminiscing about our favorite books and wondering which of these new ones might create similar awesome memories for our child.  I remember always wishing someone would tell me if she would actually like it before I shelled out for a book, and wondering which books to buy at which age. So I thought maybe it would be helpful if I looked back and shared with you the books she adored around age 1.  Maybe your little beans will enjoy them too.

I wonder if you agree that getting books as gifts for your child is the foolproof present? I love watching her open a new book more than anything.

Get Scarlet’s suggestions for the Best Books For One Year Olds after the jump…
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Super Quick Wrap Scarf Crochet Pattern


Y’all had a lot of fun with our first Chunky Scarf Crochet Pattern so maybe you’ll like this one too.  It’s shorter and just wraps twice, and works up SO QUICKLY.  You could use this pattern to make a crochet toddler scarf, I actually made it for Scarlet to wrap three times, but she just doesn’t like scarves so I stole it back, sorry daughter.

Get the full Crochet Wrap Scarf Pattern after the jump…
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DIY Leather Baby Shoes with Free Pattern


Ever look at a cute baby item and all of a sudden want another kid? That’s how I felt when I finished these shoes.
I made three prototypes and created a downloadable pattern for newborns I think you’ll enjoy. Yours don’t have to be leather, but I suggest recycling an old purse or jacket, or picking one up at Goodwill. I machine sewed these, but in reality I think hand sewing would work really well. I hope you like them and make many pairs and send us pictures of them all!
Get the full DIY Leather Baby Shoes Pattern and Tutorial after the jump…
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GIVEAWAY: Book Journals from Ex Libris Anonymous DAY 7


Good Morning you Lasagna Gocco Netflix, I never announced our winner yesterday! So we have two new winners!

The winner for day 5 was…Jaime (weird) but as a Prudent Baby employee (volunteer?) she was disqualified. So the real winner of the California journal is CraftyRachael who said… “You are a hand-knit Paris potato chip.”

The winner for day 6 was Mel, who said…”You are a turquoise gummi bear newspaper!” Imagine my delight when I went to her blog and saw this and this!

Rachael & Mel, send us your addresses by using the “contact us” form.

But don’t fret my little Newport Bla Bla Birthday Cakes. There are still 3 days to win a gorgeous  Ex Libris Anonymous Journal. Find the instructions and enter here.

And if you don’t see the journal you want, please support our generous partner in this giveaway and pick up the journal of your dreams! There are three on their homepage that I want!

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New Reversible Baby Bib with Free Pattern Download!


Our DIY’s for the Pocket Bib and Tie-Back Bib seem to be useful for you, but I know some people feel better with an actual template to work with.  So I present this Reversible Scoop-Neck Bib with downloadable pattern! make one for your husband:

Get the full DIY and Free Downloadable Baby Bib Pattern after the jump…

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Easter Book List


*Editor’s note: Please forgive the disgusting display of Easter enthusiasm that follows. It’s true, I love Easter this much but, really Jacinda, this is just gross. Carry on:

I LOVE Easter. I love the treats, I love the beautiful eggs and the cute baby animals and new dresses and bulb flowers for moms. I love ham (with mustard.) I love memories of searching for and finding the most beautifully arranged baskets of treasures. I love the color palette and bonnets. I love all of the symbols that represent renewed life in such a sweet and celebratory way. Easter makes me think of my mom and remember my Nanny. As a mom, I’m VERY excited (and feel so lucky) to be planning beautiful baskets for two little girls. While I have a few handmade gifts up my sleeve, I’m also planning to stash a few new books in the baskets. I went to my local bookstore this weekend, did a little research, and picked up a couple for the Easter stash. Find the scoop on our Easter Book List after the jump! And once you have some new books, don’t forget to add some of our Spring Critter Bookplates.

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Spring Critter Bookplates – Free Download


My mom sent the girls an Amazon Gift Card for Valentine’s Day with instructions for me to pick out a few new books. Score! We picked up a copy this amazing Peter Pan pop-up book and the last Pigeon book that we were missing. Then my mom suggested that we needed to add bookplates so they would know they were from her! Genius! So here are the spring critter bookplates that we made. They are designed to fit on Avery Label 8164 which makes a 4″x3.33 bookplate (quite large.) I simply printed them at 75% on my favorite high quality printer paper, ran the sheet through my Xyron 900 and cut them on my paper cutter. Then I rounded the little corners with scissors.

Click here to download FREE BOOKPLATE Template
                                                    

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Quick Tip: Baby’s Point of View


This room seems innocuous enough, right?  Well, this weekend my daughter experimented with crib-vaulting which resulted in head-bruising, so we (reluctantly) decided that it was time to convert the crib to a toddler bed.  She’s always had a bit of a tough time going to sleep, and just recently learned the word “scary”, which she’s been using despite the nightlight and reassurances from mom and dad.  Honestly, I thought this was just another bedtime stall tactic, but when the crib wall came down and I could get into her toddler bed I got a different point of view. I finally saw what she was scared of…it even scared me!
Find out what it was after the jump…
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