Nativity Sets for Toddlers

For as long as I could remember, my favorite part of preparing for Christmas wasn't putting up the tree, but setting up my mother's elaborate nativity set.  Each year we would try to find a new figurine to add to it, and now as I unbox them I can recall the stores we purchased them it, the look on my mom's face as she unwrapped it, and the placement it's been given over time within the set.  Now that I host Christmas for the family, my mother has passed down the set to me, and it's my most treasured decoration of the season.

Because Hannah is at an age where every decoration is up for grabs, I'm only unpacking a small portion of the nativity set, but this is an example picture of the style of my Fontanini set.

Hannah was very interested in the figurines, and I used it as an opportunity to again explain the meaning behind Christmas.  While the figurines aren't easily breakable, I have been discouraging Hannah from playing with them. 

It's a little too late to get Hannah her own nativity set for this Christmas, but I'd like to get her one next year when she's three.  Her brother will be about 9 months old so it needs to be baby and toddler friendly.  Here are a few I've found so far:

1.  Little People Christmas Nativity Set

At about $25, this set is reasonably priced.  We own a few Little People sets and they are perfect for babies and toddlers alike - they're not breakable, light weight, and fit easily in tiny hands.  This set is also high in cute factor, and plays Away in a Manger if you add 3 AAA batteries to the stable.

2.  One2Believe Nativity Set

This price runs under $30, but I'm not familiar with the brand or the quality of their products.  I do like that there is a stable, multiple animals and angels included.  I also like that the figurines are more realistic than the Little People set.

3.  Playmobil Nativity 

With a list price of $45, this set is probably not going to be the one I select.  I like that the figurines are posable with movable arms, but I wish it included the three wise men.

4.  Melissa & Doug Nativity Set

Coming in at under $30, this set is at a good price point, and everyone knows I love my Melissa & Doug toys.  The wooden blocks are durable, I'm just not sure they're as enticing as the other sets.  I WANT Hannah to play with her nativity set.  I want it to be a toy that inspires conversations and storytelling.  While my set is meant to be enjoyed visually, I want Hannah to be excited to play with hers.

Although it's a little 'babyish', I have to admit that I'm leaning towards the Little People set.  I trust the quality, I like all the animals included, and I know Hannah will respond positively to it.  

That said, I have a year to make up my mind and I'd love some reader feedback.  Do you own any of these sets - or perhaps a different one I didn't find during my search?  Reviews, both positive and negative, are welcome.  

  

Orange Zested Cookies with Sweet Orange Glaze

I'll be 27 weeks pregnant in a few days, and so far the only cravings I've had are for clementine oranges and green apples.  I blame the clementines craving partly on Hannah.  She brings me 4 of them, "two for mommy and two for Hannie!", bribing me for that I'll peel them for her.
It works every. single. time.

So the other night, when I was on Pinterest and saw a recipe for Orange Zested Cookies with Sweet Orange Glaze, I was a goner. I had all the ingredients on hand, so it was just a matter of time.

Shopping List:
- all purpose flour
- baking powder
- salt
- 2 sticks of butter
- granulated sugar
- confectioners’ sugar
- 3 oranges for zest and juice
- 1 egg

I followed the recipe from Stephanie's Kitchen to a tee, and these cookies turned out beautifully. The recipe started out like most cookie recipes: The dry ingredients were sifted together in a medium bowl, and the room temperature butter was put in the mixer to cream. But then the recipe took a fabulous twist. The orange zest was added to the granulated sugar, and I mixed them with my fingertips.

The essential oils in the zest turn regular white sugar into this light, fluffy, orange tinted sugar that smells amazing.

Once you add it to the butter to cream, you add some orange juice and an egg and finish creaming together. I scrapped down the side of the mixing bowl and then slowly added the dry ingredients (flour, salt, and baking soda) with the mixer on low until a sugar cookie consistency dough is formed. The dough is dotted with the orange zest and is slightly drier than a chocolate chip cookie dough.

The oven was preheated to 350*, and my cookie sheets were lined with parchment paper. You're only going to cook these until the bottom is slightly golden, so the parchment paper helps to get these cookies off the sheet quickly and prevents browning.

I use a small ice cream scoop so that the cookies are a consistent size.

Since the dough was a drier style, I figured they wouldn't spread out very far. I used a flat bottomed glass bowl dipped in a small bowl of granulated sugar to flatten each ball to a consistent diameter. After baking I noted that the cookies didn't flatten much more, so smush to your desired size. The sugar just keeps the glass bowl from sticking to the dough.

Each batch was baked for 10 minutes and the bottom was perfectly golden, but it might take up to 12 minutes depending on your oven. Don't overbake or they will be too dry.

Once the cookies were baked and cooled on racks, I mixed up the glaze. I added the remaining orange zest to some powdered confectioner's sugar and thinned with orange juice until runny, but not watery. I tried to spoon the glaze over the cookies, but I found that I got better coverage if I just dipped each cookie's top into the bowl of glaze and tapped off any extra.

Make sure you put the used parchment paper under the cooling racks to catch all the dripping glaze and make clean up easier.

I let the glaze set up for an hour while Hannah napped, and the recipe made about 3 dozen cookies.  I reserved 6 for Hannah and I to eat as a snack (Chris HATES citrus desserts) and boxed up the rest to bring to my husband's coworkers. They lasted 15 minutes, and got rave reviews. Not only are these cookies delicious with a bright citrus flavor, but they look beautiful with the zested glaze.  This recipe has made the cut and been added to my recipe book.

For the complete recipe, click here.

Swinging into Fall

Hannah's big birthday and Christmas present from her grandparents this year was a swing set - a fabulous Craigslist find that will last for years.  Whenever we get a break in the weather Hannah begs to swing or slide on it.  Unfortunately, the weather has been pretty 'soggy' lately - according to Hannah - and so she's gone quite a few days without playing on it.

But she woke up from nap time today, and the sun was shining!

First things first, she loves to hang on this bar as long as she can.  

(click to enlarge - the face she makes in the last picture makes me snicker.)

And then she has to take the slide for a test drive.

(click to enlarge - again, the last picture is the funniest.)

But she spends most of her time gliding on her 'rocket ship'

and swinging on her belly.

Sometimes I look at a picture of Hannah, and I can get a 

glimpse of what she'll look like as a teenager.  

This is one of those pictures.  My little girl is growing up so fast.

And when she was all done, we had some hot cocoa to warm up.

Autumn Activities for Rainy Days

Here in the Pacific Northwest, Autumn means changing leaves, apple cider, and RAIN.
Lots and Lots of Rain.

Hannah is an active kid, and just a few days into the rainy season she was about to climb the walls.
This mom needed to figure out some activities to help pass the time - and fast.

Here is a video where I detail 3 cheap and quick activities that are fall themed.  Best of all, you can edit them to fit your child's developmental age.

The first activity is a painting project.  Hannah and I discussed the changing (and falling) leaves in our backyard, and the various colors we saw.  I used finger paint, and each color had a dedicated plate and champagne cork.  You could also use wooden stamps, cut up sponges, or fingerprints for older kids.  I painted the tree trunk and let it dry for a few minutes before we started.

Here's Hannah adding the orange layer:

And showing off the red stamp.

She was so proud of herself when she was all done!

We're going to frame it and add it to our Autumn decor.

This next project was done with die cut foam leaves, and a sharpie.  You could substitute cardstock or poster board and cut whatever seasonally appropriate shape you like.

If your child does well with small objects, and there aren't younger children in the home, you could add another layer to this activity by having the child add and count beads.

This is how I stored the activity on our shelves:

tip: Goodwill is a great place to find these wooden trays.  They're usually from Melissa & Doug toys, but I always see them for less than $2 in various sizes and configurations.  They're great to have in your supply closet. 

The third activity is detailed in the video:

I've added this blog post to my Pinterest account. 

Check it, and my other pins, out!

What is your child's favorite rainy day activity?

Halloween Costume

I always laugh when someone suggests that I let my toddler decide their birthday theme/their Halloween costume/what to eat for lunch.  Either they've never met a toddler, or my toddler is the most indecisive one on the planet.  The girl changes her mind fifteen times and then crumples in a mess of uncertainty when posed with such life altering decisions.

For Halloween this year I suggested that she either go as Foofa or a Pirate.  

Her current mantra is 'I LOVE Captain Hook' after catching an episode of 'Jake and the Neverland Pirates' while I was in the shower.  Now if she picks up all her toys then she can watch an episode before naptime.  Not so surprisingly, she loved both suggestions and couldn't pick between the two.  

Since it's Oregon, and 9 times out of 10 will be drizzly on Halloween, I went with Foofa made from a sweatshirt and long pants.  Cute & Warm was the goal, and I think I succeeded.  If you ask Chris, the goal was not to spend $40 on something she'd wear for 20 minutes and pose for a few pictures in.  This homemade version came in at right about $12 (plus some mommy craftiness time).

I have the pattern for the eyes and flower, as well as a discussion on how to make the 'neck petals' (seriously, what would you call those things?!), but my computer is having a hard time creating a PDF, and Hannah is having a hard time watching me sit on the computer, so it'll have to wait until tomorrow. In the meantime, here are some pictures from the quick stroll around the neighborhood:

And for those that have NO idea who Foofa is, she's a character from Yo Gabba Gabba, a kid's show on Nickelodeon.   A picture of the pink wonder and the rest of the Gabba Gang can be found here.