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Category Archives: celebrate

A Special Day in a Box Gift Idea

11 / 21 / 1911 / 21 / 19

Adventure Day in a Box Gift | Mama Papa Bubba

With Christmastime quickly approaching, I’ve been thinking a lot about gifts for the kids…  We’ve kept it pretty minimal for the last few years and have just done a really good stocking for each of them, plus their usual book and jammies on Christmas Eve, but at this point, even filling a stocking feels unnecessary.  Our kids are truly the luckiest and really just don’t need anything at all. With the help of my friend Crystal {of Otherware}, I’ve come up with an experience gift I’m super excited about and I just know they’re going to LOVE it.  I’ll be sure to share it here afterwards, but it’s a lot like this ‘a special day in a box’ gift idea I used earlier this year to plan a special day with each of my kiddos.

Now a little back story first… As much as I’d love to take credit for the idea, Grae was actually gifted an ‘adventure in a box’ by her uncle and his girlfriend a few years ago and I just thought it  was the sweetest, most clever gift ever!  It was presented in a little box with a beautiful ‘Adventure’ sticker on top and inside were little notes and items that explained the day.  BRILLIANT, right?! Firstly, it meant a really special day with two people she loves, and secondly, it completely avoided the addition of STUFF.  Something I appreciate beyond measure. {Plus I just really love a good DIY kid’s gift.}

Here’s a peek at how I put together my version of ‘a special day in a box’ for Grae and Sam….

A Special Day in a Box Gift | Mama.Papa.Bubba.{this post contains affiliate links}

First up, supplies…  You’ll definitely want a box (I bought mine at the dollar store) and a photo representing each of the stops on your child’s special day (I snuck out one night after bedtime, quickly went around town and snapped them on my iPhone, and sent them off for printing at London Drugs that same night).  Once those things are ready, scour your drawers for items like paper, scissors, fine liners, tape, glue, baker’s twine, tissue paper, card stock, labels – whatever you think you might need to put it all together!

A Special Day in a Box Gift | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

Alright – now to put it all together!  First up, create a label for the top of your box.  It can say anything you like – I went for ‘a special day just for you’, but ‘let’s go on an adventure’ would be cute too.  Whatever floats your boat.

A Special Day in a Box Gift | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

Stick or glue the label on the box and that’s done.

A Special Day in a Box Gift | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

Next up, write a little note to your child explaining the gift…  I did this on a tag-shaped piece of paper with a little baker’s twine through the hole at the top and went for rhyming and cheesy and wrote:

Sam,

I’ve got a special day planned just for me and you,

So look in this box and see just what we’ll do!

Love,

Mama

A Special Day in a Box Gift | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

Now to prepare the activity cards…  Again, this can look however you like, so feel free to make it your own!  I had my photos printed as squares (4×4 if I’m not mistaken), then cut out card stock rectangles that were slightly larger.  When I glued the photos onto the card stock, I glued them nearer the top so the finished cards would look similar to polaroids (not that my kids would know what those are – hah!), and wrote a little note at the bottom explaining the stop and what we’d do while there.  I finished off the activity card with a number sticker in the top corner just because I had them and I knew they’d provide Sam with some good exposure to numerals {do teachers ever stop thinking like teachers?!}

A Special Day in a Box Gift | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

Here’s a look at what Sam’s special day in a box included, though keep in mind that we live in a small town with very limited options and I gifted these to my kids for Valentine’s Day, so smack dab in the middle of our cold, snowy winter…  Had we lived in Vancouver at the time – oh my gosh – the possibilities!  Or had it been when the weather was nice?  So many outdoor options!

Anyways, with that disclaimer out there, his special day included a stop at the dollar store to pick out a Hotwheels vehicle (his absolute favourite), a trip to the mall to ride those cars you put a dollar into, a stop at the bookstore to browse and select a book, and a visit to his favourite cafe to have a warm drink, play with the trains, and enjoy a baked good.

Now I will say this…  As much as I maybe felt like some of these options were a bit lame and more focused on STUFF than I would have liked them to be, Sam thought each stop was absolutely incredible and was nothing short of STOKED throughout our adventure.  I actually don’t think the activities matter a ton.  Of course you want them to be things your child enjoys, but I think it’s more about the time together and the fact that this is a dedicated ‘special day’ than anything else.  I could have told him that we were going to the park right by our house that we go to all the time and my guess is that he would have been thrilled with that too.

A Special Day in a Box Gift | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

And here’s a peek at what Grae’s ‘special day in a box’ included…  You can actually pop over to CBC Parents to read my ‘Build an Adventure Day in a Box’ post all about G’s day.

A Special Day in a Box Gift | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

A Special Day in a Box Gift | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

Alright, time to finish off the gift!  I lined my box with a strip of tissue paper, then set the activity cards in, making sure they were in the correct order with the last stop in the bottom of the box and the first stop on the top.

A Special Day in a Box Gift | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

Then I wrapped the activity cards up in the excess tissue paper, put my little note on top, closed up the box, and that was that…  A special day in a box ready for gifting.

A Special Day in a Box | Mama Papa Bubba

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Quality Items to Put in Your Child’s Easter Basket

4 / 15 / 194 / 15 / 19

Quality Items to Put in Your Child s Easter Basket | Mama Papa Bubba

Oh how I love spoiling my kiddos on special occasions like Easter!  My goal is always to fill their baskets with quality items that they’ll actually USE, even if it means spending a little more or purchasing less.  Their baskets vary year-to-year of course, but usually include three types of things…  Books to read, supplies to create with, and open-ended toys to play with.  I also love using holidays like Easter to add to their most loved collections (things like their LEGO, animal figurine, musical instrument, and Maileg mice collections).

You’ll find all of my recommendations in the ‘Easter Basket Goodies’ section of my amazon shop, but in case it’s easier in list form, here are some of my favourite quality items to put in your child’s easter basket…

Books to Include in Your Child s Easter Basket{this post contains affiliate links}

Books for Little Kids

Pat the Bunny

Bunny Roo, I Love You

Richard Scarry’s Bunnies

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

The Runaway Bunny

Richard Scarry’s I Am a Bunny

Planting a Rainbow

Books for Older Kiddos

Outside Your Window 

Over and Under the Pond

A Seed is Sleepy

A Nest is Noisy

Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt

Botanicum

Farm Anatomy

An Egg is Quiet

Nature Anatomy

A Butterfly is Patient

Outdoor Items to Include in Your Child s Easter Basket | Mama Papa Bubba

Things to Use Outside

Hape’s adjustable bamboo telescope 

rainbow umbrella

bamboo & metal gardening tools for kids

lemon umbrella

Melissa & Doug Magnifying Glass

Pustefix bubble solution with wand (seriously the BEST bubble solution)

egg-shaped sidewalk chalk

Green Toys Gardening Kit

Creative Supplies to Include in Your Child s Easter Basket copy | Mama Papa Bubba

Creative Supplies

Do A Dot Art! Ultra Bright Shimmer washable markers (like bingo dabbers, but washable!)

Set of 23 thin rainbow coloured washi tapes

MT pastel washi tape set

Lyra Colour-Giants Skin Tone coloured pencils (the quality and colour range of these is lovely)

Play-Doh Spring Eggs Easter pack

Crayola Silly Putty Eggs

Melissa & Dough Farm Puffy Sticker Play Set

Crayola egg-shaped crayons

Usborne Easter sticker book

Elmer’s translucent colour glue

Only pastel markers

Toys to Include in Your Child s Easter Basket | Mama Papa Bubba

Toys

Green Toys’ mini race car in pink

Ezri Wooden Vegetables

Wood Eats!  slicing veggies play set

Jellycat Stuffed Bunny

Pastel PLUS PLUS building toy set

Janod fruits & veggie basket

Grimm’s Pastel Wooden Doll set

Grimm’s Pastel Rainbow Forest Set

Grimm’s pastel tree slices building blocks

Grimm’s large pastel stacking tower

Grimm’s blue & green wooden wobbling stacker

Plan Toys pastel car

Musical Instruments to Include in Your Child s Easter Basket | Mama Papa Bubba

Musical Instruments

Shumee Organic Wooden Egg Shakers

HABA musical eggs

PHEVOS porcelain bird water whistles

Homi Baby organic wood baby rattle

MVPower kid’s xylophone

TSLIKANDO natural wooden shaker eggs

Lightwish metal hand bells for kids

Collectables to Include in Your Child s Easter Basket | Mama Papa Bubba

Collectables

Maileg Ballerina Mouse

Baby Maileg Mouse in Carrycot

Little Sister Maileg Mouse

Baby Brother Maileg Mouse

Racer Dad Maileg Mouse

Wooden Holztiger Goose

Wooden Holztiger Chick

Wooden Holztiger Hen

Wooden Holztiger Pig

Wooden Holztiger Bunny

Wooden Holztiger Calf

Wooden Holztiger Rooster

Wooden Holztiger Rabbit Eating a Carrot

Wooden Holztiger Duck

Wooden Holztiger Sheep

Schleich Chick figure

Schleich Drake figure

Schleich Lamb figure

Schleich sheep figure

Schleich hen figure

Schleich black and white calf

Schleich brown and white calf figure

Schleich goose

Schleich mama pig figure

Schleich farm world figure set

Schleich farm animal set

Mini Brown & White Bunny Finger Puppet

Folkmais mini jack rabbit finger puppet

Folkmanis mini duckling finger puppet

Folkmanis mini monarch butterfly finger puppet

Folkmanis mini chick finger puppet

Folkmanis mini lop tarred bunny finger puppet

LEGO BrickHeadz easter bunny

LEGO easter egg hunt building kit

LEGO easter chick

Alright, there you have it…  My recommendations for quality items to put in your child’s Easter basket.  Ooh – and don’t forget a couple of sweet treats of course!

For creative plastic egg fillers, pop over to my CBC Parents post, 10 Awesome Non-Candy Easter Egg Fillers Your Kids Will Actually Use.

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Spa Bath for Kids

1 / 31 / 192 / 5 / 19

Spa Bath for Kids | Mama Papa Bubba

You know those times when your kiddo needs a little something extra special just for them?  Like time alone that doesn’t feel like forced time alone?  Well this spa bath for kids has become one of our go-tos in those situations and is exactly that… Time alone that feels special {maybe even a little bit luxurious} and not at all forced.  It’s the perfect really chill, relaxing way to end the day and such a good mood booster for us too.

Spa Bath for Kids | Mama.Papa.Bubba.{this post contains affiliate links}

The set-up is really simple and can really be anything you want it to be depending on what your child loves and what you have in the house.

Spa Bath for Kids | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

I always fill the tub up with a good amount of water and set out a towel, a washcloth, and a little ‘welcome to the spa’ of some sort. {Nothing fancy, obviously…  This one is a piece of scrap paper from the junk drawer written with blue pen, but I often just write ‘welcome to the spa’ right on the tub with washable marker like I do for all of the little things I put out next.}

Spa Bath for Kids | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

Alright – the little spa goodies… These are put in plastic containers (ancient apple sauce container collection for the win!) and I label each one by using a washable marker directly on the ledge of our bathtub.  You can play around with different types of markers {washable obviously!} to see which ones work best on your surface, but regular old washable Crayola markers tend to be my go-to as they go on alright and wipe right off without any effort at all.

Spa Bath for Kids | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

What you include is totally up to you, but I always go with the same 5 labels… ‘wash’, ‘scrub’, ‘soak’, ‘sip’, and ‘snack’.

Spa Bath for Kids | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

‘Wash’ is almost one of two things…  A couple of pumps of Moon Baby (or go to wash for both kids) or castile soap from our foaming soap dispenser (just put castile soap and some water in a foam dispenser that we always have on hand). BUT – how fun would it be to put out a chunk of our awesome DIY squishy soap?!

‘Scrub’ is almost always a big squeeze of the maple brown sugar scrub from Back to Earth that I love, but we’ve also done our homemade lemon vanilla sugar scrub and our funfetti sugar scrub when we’ve had them, and both are super fun and delicious smelling too.

‘Soak’ is usually a locally made bath bomb or some of our beloved coconut oat milk bath that Miss G can just pop into the tub when she’s ready.

Spa Bath for Kids | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

‘Sip’ is usually fruit water (plain water with frozen fruit instead of ice cubes) with a paper straw to make it fancy…

And ‘snack’ is usually some type of cut up fresh fruit.

Spa Bath for Kids | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

And that’s basically it!

Spa Bath for Kids | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

When everything is ready I usually put on a calming Spotify playlist, dim the lights, and invite my little guest to enjoy some time at the spa.

Spa Bath for Kids | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

She enjoys some time on her own and when she comes out afterwards…  You can just tell –  she feels sooooo good.  Also, Mr. Sam had his very first taste of the spa bath the other night, soaked it right up, and then asked for another one midday the next day – hah!

Calming Spa Bath for Kids | Mama Papa Bubba

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The Very Best Gifts for Kids

11 / 19 / 189 / 5 / 19

The Very Best Gifts for Kids | Mama Papa BubbaTrue story?  Every year for the last *at least* 5 years, I’ve wanted to put together the awesome holiday gift guides filled with personal recommendations that so many bloggers put out…  BUUUUUT – it’s never happened.  Why?  Well a) because they’re a lot of work and b) because they usually go out early to mid-November, which means you really have to be thinking about Christmas in October… which just isn’t me.  I’m very much an all-things-Christmas-can-begin-on-December-1st kind of gal.  So getting gift guides out in early November just never happened for me.  UNTIL NOW, that is.  I’ve not talked about it here yet, but Amazon has this cool new feature where affiliate members can create an ‘Amazon shop’ filled with things they love and personally recommend.  {You can check mine out here.}  Well, not only is having an amazon shop super helpful for being able to quickly answer all of the ‘which brand is that?’ / ‘which model is yours?’ / ‘where can I find that?’ questions I receive on Instagram, but it also makes putting together gift guides much easier, which is why I finally got around to rounding up a collection of the very best gifts for kids {in my opinion, of course}.

Here’s a peek at what an amazon shop looks like…

The Very Best Gifts for Kids | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

I’ve got my gift guides organized by age for babies through 6 year olds, then I’ve got a section for ‘older kids’, and I’ve got one for mamas too {plus other things}!  Now two things…

First off, many {if not most} of the items I’ve selected for these gift guides are great for kiddos of many ages… After all, that’s the goal when buying toys for kids, right?  Buying things that are open-ended enough to grow with them over time?  I simply sat down at my computer, thought about the things I love gifting 2 year olds, 3 year olds, etc. and those were the items that got added to that particular age category.

Secondly, I will be the first to admit that I love Amazon.  It’s crazy convenient, you can’t beat many of the deals, and when you live in a small town like we do, it gives you access to alllll the things you can’t get locally in one spot.  That being said, I really, really try to support small, locally owned businesses whenever I can and while I truly appreciate people making their purchases through my amazon affiliate links {amazon affiliates earn a teeny bit of commission on each purchase made through their link at no extra cost to the buyer}, I think shopping small is really important.  Some of our very favourite places to get kids’ items are Dilly Dally Kids, Collage Collage, Welk’s, Little Earth, and Beansprouts {all in Vancouver}.

Alright, that being said… ready for a little peek at some of the items I think make the very best gifts for kids? Now keep in mind that the images below show only *some* of my recommendations, so be sure to click the links and see the full collections.  I add to my shop regularly as I re-remember old favourites and find new ones, so do check back.

click here for gifts for babies

click here for gifts for 1 year olds

click here for gifts for 2 year olds

click here for gifts for 3 year olds

 

click here for gifts for 4 year olds

 

click here for gifts for 5 year olds

click here for gifts for 6 year olds

click here for gifts for older kids

Okay, and while I was at it, I haaaaaad to create a list of stocking stuffer ideas – stocking stuffers kids will actually use – because in my opinion, stockings are the very best part.  In fact, for the last couple of Christmases we’ve done only stockings for our kids and this year will be the same.  We’ve got all of the big ticket items they need {and more} and they  get SO MUCH from their grandparents that a great stocking is more than enough.  Click on the photo or link below to check out stocking stuffers for kiddos of all ages.

click here for stocking stuffers kids will actually use

 

Okay, last thing.  Promise.  While I know that this is supposed to be the very best gifts for KIDS, I’m sneaking in my gift recommendations for mamas too because mamas, you deserve it!!!  From my beloved Vitamix and espresso machine, to my go-to diffuser, a solid starter set of essential oils, and a few of my absolute faves from around our home, these are some of my very favourite things.

To take a look at all of my personal picks for mamas, click here.

The Very Best Gifts for Mamas | Mama Papa Bubba

And while I wish I could have put together a list for dads, I’m the VERY WORST when it comes to buying gifts for both my husband and my own dad…  Why are they so hard to buy for??  Let me think on it and one day when I have an idea past what I think will be my new go-to gift for Brad for the foreseeable future (a Tesla day rental from our friends’ company, Power Trips – seriously such a good gift for a tech lover like B!), I’ll update my post.

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Witch’s Brew Slime Favours

10 / 30 / 18

Witch s Brew Slime Favours | Mama Papa Bubba

I can’t believe Halloween is nearly here…  Didn’t we just start the school year?!  Miss G and I haven’t talked about brining something to share with her classmates this year {yet at least – I’m guessing this little tradition just dies off as the kids get older…?}, but we made these witch’s brew slime favours last year and they were such a huge hit!

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Witch’s Brew Play Dough Kit

10 / 15 / 1810 / 19 / 18

Witch s Brew Play Dough Kit | Mama Papa Bubba

Oh how I love putting together play dough kits!  After years and years of them being one of our play staples {as well as our go-to homemade gift}, Miss G sort of moved onto really loving other types of play around the time Sam was born {#sadday}.  Then when Sam was finally ready for it, we stuck with our taste-safe baby play dough and our go-to no-cook play dough for a long while before moving onto full-on play dough kits with loads of fun loose parts included, so it’s been a minute.  Recently we’ve done a really awesome Little Blue Truck play dough kit {which I’ll be sure to share soon} as well as an autumn spice dough with whole spices, but this witch’s brew play dough kit is our newest kit and it’s been oh so much fun.

Witch's Brew Play Dough Kit | Mama.Papa.Bubba.{this post contains affiliate links}

To make it, I started out by making three separate batches of our go-to super squishy, no-cook play dough.  This time around, I skipped the Kool-Aid and Frosting Creation packs and simply made unscented doughs in vibrant Halloween-inspired colours using my favourite Wilton gel colourings.

Witch's Brew Play Dough Kit | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

Then it was off to our Halloween bin downstairs to find some fun loose parts to add to our kit.  Here’s what Sam and I found {all purchased at Dollarama in previous years}…  Some small plastic rats, mini spiders, flies, and ants, some purple bats, and some monster googly eyes.

Witch's Brew Play Dough Kit | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

Of course a play dough kit means a GLIS divided container from Ikea, so we dug one of those out too.  {Seriously one of my very favourite things to buy at Ikea.  So much so that I always keep a few extras on hand for gifts and fun projects.}

Witch's Brew Play Dough Kit | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

Alright, so here’s how we organized our kit!   Our freshly made play dough in one of the big spots {I’d first place this in a big zip-close bag if giving the kit as a gift or storing it for any amount of time as the containers aren’t air-tight}…

Witch's Brew Play Dough Kit | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

Our little creepy loose parts in the small slots in the front…

Witch's Brew Play Dough Kit | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

And some mini ‘cauldrons’ {aka apple sauce containers} and some play kitchen utensils for stirring the brew along the side.

Witch's Brew Play Dough Kit | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

We also tucked our rats in with the cauldrons and utensils as that’s where we had space.

Witch's Brew Play Dough Kit | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

Here’s the finished kit!  Wouldn’t this make a lovely gift when paired with a copy of Room on the Broom?  Especially for a kiddos with a birthday or party around Halloween?  I also love the idea of making these and gifting them to your child’s preschool or Kindergarten class… I mean which teacher wouldn’t appreciate a ready-made sensory activity for her munchkins to enjoy??

Witch's Brew Play Dough Kit | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

The best thing about play dough kits like these?  ANYTHING GOES.

Witch's Brew Play Dough Kit | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

Miss G opted to use one of the big cauldrons we use for Halloween goodies for her witches brew…

Witch's Brew Play Dough Kit | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

And Sam stacked his brew up nice and high and layered creepy crawlies in between.

When they were done, the kiddos removed the little bits and bobs from the play dough, sorted them back into the container {awesome sorting practice for kiddos Sam’s age}, and I popped the play dough into a zip-close bag before putting it back into our divided container and closing it up.

Witch s Brew Play Dough Kit || Mama Papa Bubba

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Gifts Kids Can Make for Adults

5 / 8 / 185 / 11 / 18

Gifts Kids Can Make for Adults | Mama Papa Bubba

If you know me well, you know that my love of gift giving runs deep.  Like REAAL deep. {Embarrassing but true?  One year in university I took out an additional – *ahem* unnecessary –  student line of credit and I’m pretty sure my motivation was largely not wanting to ‘skimp’ on Christmas presents that year. Sooo irresponsible and silly, but that’s how much I loved giving gifts even as a newly minted 20 year old.}

Fast forward a few years and I seem to have passed my love of gift giving on to Miss G {though no silly Christmas shopping loans in her future – hah!} Over the years we’ve put together some really fun and unique gifts for the people she loves and while none of them have been fancy or expensive, they’ve been from the heart and super sweet, which I love.

{this post contains affiliate links}

Here’s several of them – creative gifts kids can make for adults {or at least make with help}…

IMG 7967
Hand Shaped Ring Dish – One of my most prized possessions and definitely something I’ll cherish forever.  That’s Miss G’s little four year old hand turned into a ring dish and to this day it sits out on my vanity.  It’s been through three moves {one of which was from the Middle East to Canada} and a power cleaning mishap {notice the scuffed fingertips and the glue on middle finger} and I still think it’s just beautiful.  {This package of clay (CAN) is enough to make at least 3 hands, though you’ll probably get more out of it.}

IMG 9060

‘I Love You’ Pillowcase  – The simplest gift ever, but I’ve always wanted one for myself.  I think it’s especially precious when kiddos are just first starting to print, but special no matter what.  {We really like these markers (CAN) for this project.}

IMG 2461

Creamsicle Sugar Scrub – Mmmmm…  Citrus and vanilla?  Yes please!  Truly the easiest homemade bath product out there and while you most likely have everything you need to make it already in the house, it still feels luxurious.  {This non-alcoholic vanilla (CAN) is our go-to at the moment – smells SO GOOD.}

IMG 3071

Family Portrait Embroidery Hoop – Isn’t this the sweetest thing?  Definitely kid made, but combination of the white fabric and the natural wood makes it totally hangable, even in the most put together of homes.  {In addition to being the best for general kitchen use, dishtowels like these (CAN) are perfection for this project.}

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Footprint Butterfly Pot Is there anything cuter than little feet?  Nope.  Definitely not.  Fill this post with a beautiful plant or with soil and a packet of seeds and you’ve got a lovely gift. {This paint set (CAN) looks gorgeous and would be perfect for this project.}

IMG 3310

Coconut Oat Milk Bath – Ahhhh…  Skin soothing relaxation in a jar.  We LOVE this stuff and use it nightly.  It’s 2 ingredients and is naturally soothing, moisturizing, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory among other things, which makes it a perfect for treating skin irritations and eczema. {How perfect are these jars (CAN) for gifting it in?}

IMG 9868

Homemade Beef Jerky – Anyone else have a meat lover in a meat-free home?  That’s my husband’s situation, so we try to make an exception come his birthday and Father’s Day.  Last year we made him this incredibly easy beef jerky and it was gone in no time at all.  {These racks (CAN) are perfect for making beef jerky at home.}

IMG 5719

Coffee Sugar Scrub – The scent of warm coffee and vanilla filling the air while having a shower?  YES PLEASE.  This sugar scrub is incredibly easy to make and believe it or not, it’s a great way to put used coffee grounds to good use.  {I’m obsessed with these squat little jars (CAN)… Wouldn’t they be perfect for gifting sugar scrubs?}

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‘I Love You’ Teacup – If there’s a reoccurring theme here, it has to be simple gifts that people will actually enjoy and use.  And this little teacup is just that.  How lovely would it be to be reminded that you’re loved with each sip of your evening tea?  {We used these markers (CAN) for this project and I’m anxious to see how they hold up as it’s our first time using them.}

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Potted Salad Garden – The perfect gift for a gardener or someone who just loves salad {me! me! me!}  and it truly keeps on giving!  {The style of pot we used for this project wasn’t easy to find, but check your local garden centre.}

IMG 0182

Ombre Wooden Beaded Necklace – A kiddo-made necklace that anyone in their right mind would proudly sport while out and about!  In fact, I’ll take one in each colour of the rainbow, pretty please.  {This set of beads (CAN) includes assorted sizes and will make many necklaces!}

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Handprint Memory Box – You know all of the sweet little notes and drawings kids give you that you just can’t bear to recycle?  A little memory box like this is perfect place to keep them.  {This box (CAN) is affordable and perfect!}

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Handprint Baking Soda Clay Keepsakes – Another one of my favourite projects ever.  Clearly I have a thing for handprints {and I absolutely love that the clay allows the little hand creases to be seen}, but wouldn’t this make such a special gift for a grandparent?  {We made ours around Christmastime and went for golden glitter, but I’ve had my eye on this glitter set (CAN) for ages and would happily take a handprint keepsake in each colour.}

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Family Portrait Mug – I mean how sweet is this?!  A kiddo-drawn family portrait on your mug??  Plus, kid-drawn people are the very best.  Miss G made this as Brad’s work mug and that little family portrait lasted for just over 3 years until we finally put it into the dishwasher not long ago.  {Back then we used these special Sharpies (CAN).}

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Painted Wooden Bead Necklace with DIY T-Shirt Cord – I truly adore these necklaces and the best part is that kiddos can fully customize the colours, patterns, and t-shirt cord to what they think their special adult will like best.  {This bead set (CAN) is great for this project.}

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Potted Flower Pens – Wouldn’t this be the best gift for a teacher or someone who works in an office?!  Not only are flower pens the prettiest, but no one is going to walk off with your pen without being noticed when your collection looks like this!  {We picked up our faux flowers from the dollar store.}

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Fingerprinted Love Tokens – Little heart-shaped tokens with your loved ones fingerprints on them?  The sweetest!  We actually made this set for Miss G when she was going through a bit of a tough transition (one has Brad’s fingerprints, one has mine, and the other has hers), but wouldn’t a his make a sweet gift for a parent or grandparent?  Each child or grandchild could make one heart and the recipient could keep all of the little ones he/she loves most on his/her bedside table or in his/her bag. {This is the clay we used for this project.}

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Kid-Drawn Phone Case – For the tech lover!  Or anyone who uses a cell phone really.  I find sentimental Father’s Day gifts especially tricky for Brad, but this was something that he actually used {at least for several months before switching back to his other case} and I think the little drawing Grae did is the sweetest!  {You can find all kinds of clear phone case here (CAN).}

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Sweet & Spicy Sriracha Cashews – For the person who is tricky to buy for and loves spicy snacks!  These are incredibly easy to make and kiddos can totally help make them.  They’re delicious too!  {I love baker’s twine and little tags like these (CAN) for homemade gifts.}

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Hand-Drawn Tea Towels – Such a sweet and easy gift.  Go in with a plan or let your little one’s imagination run wild – you really can’t go wrong here.  Plus, who doesn’t need tea towels.  {These towels (CAN) are my favourite because not only do they dry really well and not leave little fibres behind, but the fact that they don’t have any stretch makes them much easier to draw on.

Well that’s it…  All kinds of gifts that kids can make for adults.  What would you add to the list?

Creative Gifts Kids Can Make for Adults | Mama Papa Bubba

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Easter Weekend {2018}

4 / 7 / 184 / 15 / 18

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Oh Easter long weekend, how I adore you.  Also?  I sort of love that spring break ran straight into Easter weekend this year. Between 4 days in Palm Springs with my girlfriends, a week in Vancouver with our little fam jam, and a low key long weekend of Easter fun at home, I feel like definitely made the most of our break.

Good Friday was a travel day for us, so Saturday morning the kids and I hit the ground running and went out first thing to get groceries and pick up a helmet for Sam while Brad slept in.  When Sam went down for his nap, Grae, Brad, and I got started on setting up our trampoline after having stored it in pieces for the winter.  It was a big job and Brad and I nearly gave up at one point, but we ended up getting it put together in about 3 and half hours, which is two hours less than what it took the Springfree guy when we first got it, so yay us for sticking it out!

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On Sunday morning we woke up to snow {yes, in April!} so instead of crying and packing the kids into the car and immediately heading back to Vancouver {I kid… sort of ;)}, I mixed up some pancake batter, I pulled out my griddle, and put together these little bunnies for a late breakfast.  Sam dove in immediately and had his first ever taste of dark chocolate {not sure why I didn’t replace his chocolate chips with raisins, but what’s done is done – hah!} while Miss G admired her bunny and ensured we could make another if she ate the first.

{this post contains affiliate links}

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After breakfast we got to some egg decorating, which was a total blast.  We’ve done all sorts of decorating methods over the years {silk dyeing, fruit and veggie dyeing, marbled shaving foam dyeing, good old wax resist dip dyeing…} and this year we decided to try volcano dyeing – a fun, science-y twist on egg dyeing!

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You can get all of the details over on Toddler Approved, but basically you create baking soda-based paints, paint your egg with them, let it sit for a minute…

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And then give your egg a vinegar bath which creates a super fun, fizzy reaction.

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We didn’t follow the instructions exactly and chose to swap out the food colouring for washable liquid watercolours {CAN}…

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But I think our eggs still turned out just beautifully!

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After Sam’s nap, the kids got dressed in their little matchy-matchy overalls and fox socks {CAN}, which pretty much was the cutest thing ever.

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{For the record, I will dress them in coordinating clothes forever and ever so long as they let me.}

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With matching outfits on and baskets in hand, we headed out into our {very brown, very in need of attention} backyard for an egg hunt.

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This year we did the same thing as we did last year and had Sam search for blue and green eggs and Miss G hunt for pink and yellow ones.

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I love this method because a) at this point, Sam’s eggs and Grae’s eggs are filled with very different things and b) because it allows Sam’s eggs to be fairly easy to spot and Graes eggs much harder to find.

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The best part?  How into it Sam was this year!  Last year he found a few eggs, discovered they had raisins in them, and it was game over.  He quit searching and began eating. This year he was a total egg hunting rockstar.

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As was Miss G, of course.  Despite some of her eggs being in super tricky spots, I think she finished off the day missing just 2 of her 30 something eggs.

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When they were mostly all found, it was time to find out what was inside, which was so much fun.  Both kiddos found treats, stickers, animal figurines, egg-shaped sidewalk chalk, and finger puppets for our collection, and Sam had little ankle socks, a vehicle-themed threading set broken up over several eggs, and a small toy fire engine in his.

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Miss G had sticky notes, stamps, and loads of different type of hair ties in hers.

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For a late lunch I decided to make something I often make on the weekends – a family snack platter.  As usual, it included loads of fruits, veggies, and nuts, but I decided to make it a little more Easter-y just for fun.

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I whipped up a chocolate peanut butter spread with natural peanut butter, cocoa, and pure maple syrup to put on little multigrain baguette rounds, I included some of the eggs we’d dyed, plus Love Ducks and bunny crackers, and cut pineapple, cantaloupe, and tofu into fun spring shapes using cookie cutters. I finished the whole thing off with just a few dark chocolate covered cashews and then it was time to eat!

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Needless to say, Sam loved it…

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As did Grae.  In fact, I’m pretty sure she ate all four purple hardboiled eggs.

A post shared by Jen Kossowan (@mamapapabubba) on Apr 1, 2018 at 11:13pm PDT

I don’t have anymore real camera photos to show for the remainder of the day, but it was basically spent out on the freshly set-up trampoline and then it was into our usual eggy bath at the end of the day.  Plastic eggs, a couple of scoops, and a bin or bowl that will float on the water are always a hit!

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Early Monday morning we kicked off our annual Easter basket scavenger hunt, which is always so much fun but was even better this year because Sam was old enough to really participate. I sometimes go a little bit overboard with Easter baskets because a) I’m a bit of a squirreller and by the time Easter rolls around I’ve often collected more than I intended to and b) because we’re not really people who buy things for our kids other than on special holidays and occasions, so I can happily justify it.  Also, I just love spoiling my kids a few times a year. :)

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Our kiddos were up with the birds as usual, but we managed to hold off the scavenger hunt until 7 a.m. until they could wait no longer.

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The last couple of years Brad has come up with rhyming clues and I’ve written them out onto little card stock eggs or bunnies, but this year we went the lazy route and printed off these pre-made scavenger hunt clues and they were perfect!

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They took the kiddos all around the house until they finally found their baskets in our laundry room on top of the dryer!

Here’s a peek at what was in them this year:

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First up, a close up look at what was inside little Sam’s basket {oh, how I looooove putting together Easter baskets}…

  • a little tee and shorts for spring
  • a Hugo & Debra Naturals coconut bath bomb {CAN}
  • Make It Grow by Debbie Powell {CAN}
  • a metal kazoo to add to our collection of musical instruments {CAN}
  • a Constructive Eating utensil set {CAN}
  • a few Holtztiger animals to add to his collection {CAN}
  • some Annie’s Homegrown snack mix
  • The Little Rabbit Who Lost her Hop by Jedda Robaard {CAN}
  • Stabilo’s Woody 3-in-1 crayons (these are amazing and can be used on windows too!) {CAN}
  • a little garden rake
  • Bilberry fruit snacks from Ikea
  • a red truck he fell in love with while visiting Dilly Dally Kids
  • a packet of AuraCacia Calming Foam Bath {CAN}

I’ve provided Amazon links above because I know it’s easy for most people to order from, but I picked up the majority of these items from our very favourite kids store in Vancouver, Dilly Dally Kids {you don’t even know how happy I was that we were in Vancouver just before Easter!} If you can ever pop in and check it out, I highly recommend you do.  Their shelves are stocked full of very carefully curated kids’ items and books and sometimes I feel like whomever does their ordering is inside my head because their store is pretty much a collection of all of my favourite brands, books, and toys.  I picked up the bath products at Nature’s Fare, the fruit snacks while at Ikea obviously, the little outfit and snack mix from Target while I was in Palm Springs, and the Stabilo crayons from Collage Collage {our favourite Vancouver kids’ art studio}.

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Next up, Miss G’s basket…

  • Draw, Colour, & Sticker Nature Sketchbook {CAN}
  • a Papo unicorn {CAN}
  • a slide whistle to add to our musical instrument collection {CAN}
  • a sweet little ruffle sleeved romper
  • a Hugo & Debra Naturals coconut bath bomb {CAN}
  • strawberry fruit snacks from Ikea
  • Pür bubble gum (the girl is gum obsessed) {CAN}
  • a small garden shovel
  • a few little Scheich animal figurines to add to our collection {CAN}
  • a Denman Island dark chocolate bunny
  • a packet of AuraCacia Cheering Foam Bath {CAN}
  • a Spirograph set (best fun ever!) {CAN}
  • Nature Anatomy by Julia Rothman {CAN}

Again, I found most all of this at Dilly Dally Kids while we were visiting Vancouver, but the romper is from Target, the fruit snacks are from Ikea, the gum is from Winners, and the bath things and chocolate bunny are from Nature’s Fare.

Easter 2018

The kiddos enjoyed their Easter basket goodies for a good couple of hours while Brad brought our car into the shop {yes, on Easter Monday!} and I very leisurely made an Easter brunch of wholewheat cinnamon buns, egg and potato bake, tofu scramble, and berries before we all sat down together and enjoyed it.

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The rest of the day was spent outside in the sunshine jumping on the trampoline, getting some yard work done, and doing a spring texture hunt as a family.

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{Aren’t these sweet?  You can get both free printables here.}

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Until next year, Easter weekend…

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Valentine’s Day Tea {2018}

2 / 17 / 182 / 26 / 18

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My goodness…  Our EIGHTH annual Valentine’s Day tea.  Can you believe that?  This little tradition started when Miss G was just a tiny little nugget and we were living in an apartment building in Kuwait surrounded by all of our closest friends and colleagues.  I think back to that time when there were 5 of us first time mamas, all on leave from work, all living in the same building, all with wonderful housekeepers to help take care of our homes…  How lucky were we to have our journeys as mamas start out that way?  We filled our days with coffee mornings, walks along the gulf, potluck meals, and loads of conversation about motherhood, babies, marriage, life abroad, and everything in between.  It was lovely. And while hosting gatherings and little events was certainly easier back then, I’m so glad we’ve kept up our Valentine’s Day tea tradition.

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In my post about last year’s Valentine’s Day tea, I finished off with:

My goal for next year?  To take at least one photo of our Sam and maybe get to planning our little tea earlier than a few days before the get together – hah!

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Well, one out of two isn’t bad, right?!  This year I DID manage to get a photo that includes our sweet Sam {albeit a bit out of focus – oy}, but did I manage to plan the tea out with time to spare?  NOPE.  Not even close.  With Brad gone the long weekend before Valentine’s Day {the weekend we’d usually host it}, I decided there was no way I was managing 5 days of solo parenting, plus preparing for the tea, and having our house not look like a tornado had run through it.  I didn’t know if we’d just skip it or do it at a later date, but after spending most of the week playing catch up, Thursday night I decided that tradition is tradition and we were going to pull it off.  On Friday I grocery shopped, did some snack prep, and cleaned the house a little bit, on Saturday morning I got the house ready, and on Saturday afternoon, we hosted our tea!  It was certainly a tight timeline, but I’m so glad we pulled it off.

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I kept things incredibly simple this time around and set out a few big batches of our super squishy homemade chocolate play dough with some heart shaped cutters and lose parts…

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Placed some fresh tulips and heart-shaped balloons around the house…

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And then focused on the food, although even that was kept very simple.

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Our friends brought a big platter of crackers, cheese, and fruit which was a total hit, and then we had some simple heart-shaped pb&j sammies…

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A variety of our favourite Love Child Organics snacks and a few of our favourite bliss ball varieties {we did a seed / fruit free version of our chocolate cranberry pumpkin seed bliss balls, a pecan version of our date-based chocolate almond bliss balls, and a batch of our oatmeal chocolate chunk energy balls}.

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We also had some root veggie chips…

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Some homemade banana muffins, some not homemade multigrain croissants with butter and fruit juice sweetened strawberry jam…

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And some dark chocolate dipped strawberries. Plus a fruit and veggie platter.  Plus coffee.  Lots and lots of coffee for us tired mamas and papas.

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And that was it.  I think all of the kiddos spent some time playing with the chocolate play dough, everyone got something to eat and drink, and the majority of the afternoon was spent down in the play room with the kiddos running amuck and us adults chit chatting over the mild chaos.  It was great fun and I cant wait to do it all again next year.  Though I WILL throw my plans together a little earlier next time (*I think I can, I think I can, I think I can*).

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Will You Be My Valen-SLIME? Valentine’s Day Slime Favours

2 / 2 / 182 / 3 / 18

Valentine s Day Fluffy Slime Favours | Mama Papa Bubba

One thing both Miss G and I just LOVE doing is creating little favours for her classmates on Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day.  Okay, and maybe on the last day of school too.  ☺︎  And while we have given other things {these heart balloon valentines are proof}, our go-to is usually play dough or slime.  A) because both are super fun, and B) because they’re something outside of the usual candy / chocolate.

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Holiday Bucket List

11 / 30 / 17

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One of the things I try really hard to do as a mama is make to carve out a little bit of time each day to spend just with my little Miss G.  It’s usually not a ton of time, but being that she was our one and only for more than 5 years, I think it’s important. Sometimes we read together, sometimes we read side by side, sometimes we chat, sometimes we colour, sometimes we watch a show, and sometimes we work on a project together… The list goes on, but  a few nights ago, we sat at my computer together and created a holiday bucket list filled with all of the things we hope to do while she’s on break from school.  {I can’t wait!}

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Party Trampoline

7 / 18 / 177 / 30 / 17

Party Trampoline | Mama Papa Bubba

Oh my goodness… It’s heeeeere! The first official day of summer vacation!!  If I’m being honest, I’ve been ready for this day since mid-May and I could not be more excited to kick off two full months with all four of us at home together.  Miss G’s been very anxiously awaiting this day too {well except for the bit about us most likely buying a home and moving cities}, so I figured we’d kick things off with a fun little surprise out on our new Springfree Trampoline {the kids’ absolute favourite spot these days} and turned it into a party trampoline!  

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Homemade Father’s Day Gifts

5 / 30 / 176 / 4 / 17

Homemade Father s Day Gifts | Mama Papa Bubba

My gosh… I can’t even believe that it’s already almost June.  {I feel like I say it constantly, but honestly – I just don’t know where the time goes these days.}  Of course June means Father’s Day, so my little miss and I have been brainstorming ways to spoil her papa this year.  

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Celebrating the Sun With A Trampoline Party

5 / 22 / 177 / 30 / 17

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You know what’s awesome about having a trampoline?  More motivation than ever to have friends over!  And with the summer sun officially here, we decided to host a little get together to celebrate.  The best part?  The kiddos happy playing outdoors for hours without any real effort on my part.  

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Easter Weekend {2017}

4 / 27 / 172 / 3 / 18

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I’ve been pretty terrible at sharing day-to-day life sorts of things recently…  When I do actually find the time blog, I seem to share mostly kids’ activities, which means that all of the fun milestones, monthly Sam updates, and birthday celebrations get to continue their stay in my drafts folder. :/  The thing is, when I go back and look through the now thousands of posts on my site, it’s the more personal posts that I love best.  The ones that tell about our decision to move back to Kuwait or how Miss G puked all over me while riding the metro home from the Eiffel Tower or how we told Grae she was going to be a big sister or about finally bringing Sam home.  And so, my effort to share more of our personal family life begins once again…  with our recent Easter weekend. {And gosh, was it ever a good one.}

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