Toddler Valentine Basket Ideas (On A Budget!)

While I was browsing the Valentine section at Target, I got the bright idea to make a Valentine’s day basket for my daughter, Hailey. I know that a Valentine basket technically isn’t a thing, but I love holidays and will take any excuse to celebrate. I started to ponder what I would put in my basket, and I was pretty bummed that I thought of the idea as we were essentially leaving the store. So, I made a list and decided to go back and grab what I needed another time (you know… before the inevitable meltdown began). I knew that I wanted my basket to be Valentine-themed, but I didn’t want to waste money on cheap crap or novelty items that she would only use for a day. This momma is on a budget and every purchase counts. So, I filled up Hailey’s basket with a few items that were fun, but could be used year round. Pretty much everything came from either Dollar Tree or Target!

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Here’s what I put in my Toddler Valentine Basket:

Red and pink snacks- Since Hailey is only 16 months old, I didn’t want to fill her basket with chocolates or candy. So, I grabbed some of her fave snacks and some new ones for her to try. She loved it and wanted her pouches and yogurt bites right away!

One stuffed animal- She’s not big on stuffed toys, so I grabbed this monkey from the dollar tree. She’s having a monkey moment since she knows how to make the sounds!

Bubbles- Hailey LOVES bubbles, so this big pack from the dollar store was perfect for her basket!

Toddler paint and paint brushes- I love to paint, so I decided to get a wooden heart from the Dollar Tree and some paints to go along with it. I can’t wait to paint with her again- we haven’t done it since she was a tiny baby!

Hershey Kisses- I had to give her some kind of chocolate! It’s a Valentine’s Day tradition. And what’s sweeter than a kiss?

Crayola Bath Items- I found these paint soaps at the dollar tree and I thought they would be a fun addition. At first she was very confused and even got mad at us for putting the paint soap on her! After a few tries, she realized she loved them and kept asking for more paint.

Valentine Book- Hailey loves the Halloween version of this book, so I decided to get her the Valentine version too! We’ve been reading it at night and she seems to like it.

Valentine Basket- This was actually something I had laying around the house if you can believe it! I was going to buy a basket but I figured I’d save the money. I have plenty at home I can use! Maybe next year (or for an older child) it would make sense to get a basket just for this- especially for a kid that likes to play with them.

Well, that’s all there is to it! There are so many items that you can add to a basket for your kids. You just need to be creative and think about what they like! Pick 2-3 colors for your basket that you’d like to stick to and it’ll be perfectly pretty. Or, just grab their favorite items and make it a “love” basket- you know, full of things they LOVE!

What would you put in your child’s basket? Let me know in the comments below!

Hailey's Faves: Best Books for a One-Year Old

Ok mommas, you know the drill- babies need bedtime stories and you need something that doesn’t bore you to tears after reading it 3,645 times. A lot of books you end up getting at your baby shower are way too long to keep baby’s attention. Or, maybe you’re just looking for something new that your toddler will love and hopefully won’t make YOU fall asleep while reading. Either way, I’ve got you covered! After 16 months of books, I’ve found a few that Hailey loves to read over and over again- and, I think your little guy or girl will love it too!

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These are all the books I practically have memorized but still love to read anyway. I’ve also shared more about them, including why I like them so much! They're in color order, because we all know I love a good rainbow to organize things.

1. Mommies are Amazing This book is filled with cats and their kittens and talks about all the amazing things mom can do! We are a cat-loving family, so this is one of our faves. There’s also a dad version that features dogs, if you prefer!

2. My Mom is Magical Another fave! Personally, I love all the amazing drawings in this book. The words are different than the typical book, featuring phrases like my mom is “sillier than a band of bananas” with matching drawings that are equally as silly and elaborate. Again, there’s also a dad version called My Dad Is Amazing which is equally adorable and funny, but Hailey prefers the mom version.

3. Toes, Ears & Nose! A Lift the Flap Book This is a newer book that we purchased using a gift card from Hailey’s first bday party, but it’s quickly become a favorite for her. She loves moving the flaps to see what’s behind! There is a whole collection of books in this series, so try the affordable box set to get more bang for your buck- and fun for your baby!

4. Where’s Boo? Although this is a Halloween book, it’s one of Hailey’s faves. She loves to “knock” on the door to reveal the final page. I just got her the Valentine version too, so hopefully we can keep the fun going year round! I like that this book is a quick read, but also love seeing her “knock” for Boo at the end.

5. Feminist Baby We got this book as a gift for my baby shower, and it’s really fun! Hailey loves the baby in the book, since she’s on most of the pages. Personally I find the words and phrases funny and I like the message behind them. Hailey also loves the sequel Feminist Baby Finds Her Voice. Her favorite page is “Feminist Baby says ‘ba’ for her bottle” and she always says “ba” as soon as she sees it! There’s also a boy version, but I think the other two are fairly gender neutral even though feminist baby is a girl.

6. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? This story itself isn’t the most interesting for me. However, the sliders make it really fun for baby. I remember when Hailey was really small, she figured it out and it made me want to cry with pride. It makes up for the fact that the story itself is insanely repetitive. Also, she likes to kiss the teacher and students sometimes which is pretty cute. Plus, it’s a classic!

7. The Wonderful Things You’ll Be I love the amazing pictures in this book. The message is really sweet and it has a foldout that Hailey loves to look at! Plus, it’ll grow with your baby as they get older.

8. A Parade of Animals This was one of Hailey’s favorite books, although she seems to have outgrown it a bit at this point. But, it covers a bunch of animals plus counting so I figure she’ll get back into it soon!

9. Alphaprints ABC This book is pretty cool because it has textured animals made with fingerprints! I like to feel the textured book (I can’t be the only one!) and Hailey likes to point at all the misc materials that are used to make the animals.

10. Disney Bunnies All Ears This book isn’t particularly interesting, but it has moveable ears. The best part is that Hailey figured out how to move the ears and was able to match the story on her own! She likes it because it’s interactive and essentially a stuffed animal.

11. Good Night, Little One This book is short and sweet, and teaches your baby all their various body parts (and animals) through good night kisses. I like to touch the parts of her that the book references (good night nose, good night head) and I also teach her about the animals. She now makes monkey noises when we get to the monkey and gorilla pages! There are some other similar books by the same author, like this one and this one.

12. My First Book of Things To Learn Although Hailey doesn't actually interact with the book the way it’s meant to (it’s kind of a matching game in a book) she does enjoy all the pictures. There’s different sections, like matching animals to their sounds and baby animals to their parents. It’s definitely something that will grow with her, although right now it’s more of just a picture book!

I don’t know when my little baby became a big girl, but here we are. These pictures almost look like picture day pictures! The kind you’d get in school with a fake background of books, haha. She loves to pull them out and read them, so I’m glad she has so many that she can grab and look at! You can find more details about her room and how I organized her nursery here.

These are some of my favorite books (and Hailey’s!) but I’m always looking for new suggestions! What books are a favorite in your household? Let me know in the comments below!

DIY Metallic Painted T-Shirt

For my first project on My Magic Mess, I painted a t-shirt. I wasn't 100% happy with the project but it's easy to do and still pretty cute. So, I figured why not do a blog post about it?! This is a project that anyone can do, which I think is the best part. It's the perfect way to give an old t-shirt a new look! I think we all have a few old ones lying around that could use an update.

You will need:

T-Shirt (similar here)
Paintbrush (similar here)
Metallic Paint (here)
Cardboard
Iron or Dryer

Directions:

1. Put a piece of cardboard inside your shirt to protect it.

2. Paint the collar of your shirt using 2 coats of paint. I started in the back then moved to the front.

3. Let dry for 24 hours, then heat set it using an iron or the dryer.

This project is so easy to do that literally anyone can do it! If you find that you can't keep the edge straight, then keep going. Otherwise, you can make the line "messy" intentionally and it'll still be cute. What do you think about this easy project? Will you be making one?! Let me know in the comments below!

Rhinestone Ribbon Headband

As a mom, it seems like I’m constantly rocking that mom bun. Whether it’s because my hair is dirty, or because I throw it up in a bun to focus, it always somehow ends up on top of my head. For this week’s My Magic Mess Challenge I decided to make something easy and fun to cover up all those baby hairs I now have. You know, the joys of postpartum hair loss, hah! In addition to being very easy to make, these headbands are super affordable. Pop on a movie while you make it (I watched The First Wives Club on Netflix for the first time!) or grab a few girlfriends and get to crafting together. Either way, you’ll easily have a favorite new hair accessory!

You will need:

Beacon Gem-Tac (here)
Rhinestones (similar here and here)
Ribbon (similar here)
Scissors (similar here)

Directions:

1. Measure out enough ribbon to make a headband and tie a bow. I used 42 inches.

2. Create a fun pattern with your rhinestones. I added a main design in the middle, with a matching design on the sides for extra sparkle.

3. Glue the rhinestones on with Beacon Gem-Tac. If too much comes out, you can use a toothpick to add a small dot of glue onto your rhinestone.

To tie the headband, I recommend placing it on your head, tying it once, and placing a bobby pin at the back to hold it in place. Then you can tie a bow and remove the bobby pin!

Now you can add some extra sparkle to every outfit.

My Baby Photo Essentials

When I first started taking photos of my daughter, Hailey, I wasn’t sure where to start. The truth is, taking pictures of a baby can be difficult since they can’t sit up, pose, smile, or generally cooperate. So, while my process was a lot of trial and error, I figured not everyone needed to go that route! So, I’ve rounded up my baby photo essentials, starting from newborn all the way to their cake smash session! Although you don’t need all of these items for a successful shoot, they will be helpful. You might even find items around your house that you can use!

For newborns:

Heater- newborns get really cold, especially since a lot of their photos involve being nude or barely dressed! You should invest in a heater for the photo session, which you can also use if it’s cold. We have a Dyson heater/fan, which we keep in Hailey’s room for the winter. It’s perfect for setting to a reasonable temperature (for us, it’s 75) and it comes on when the room goes below that temp. For newborn sessions, keep the heater high and closely to ensure baby stays warm and cozy.

Butterfly Pillow- Newborn babies can be a little “mushy” so one of these pillows will help you pose baby so that they look cute!

Donut Pillow- Ditto for this one, except it’s also perfect for putting inside a basket. You can adjust all the mini pillows inside too!

Swaddles- Swaddles are perfect for keeping baby in position, staying warm, and being comfortable so they don’t wake up. You can get a set of knit wraps or a few of these swaddles for your photos so that baby looks nice and “dressy”. As an alternative, you can use lacy or patterned fabric for swaddles. Check your local fabric store for something fun! Just make sure it’s soft and pre-washed for baby’s sensitive skin.

Fur Blanket- Give your photos some fun texture with a fur blanket! This will help your photo look “warm”, even when baby’s sitting around naked.

Basket- perfect for keeping baby in position and having some visual interest in the photo! There are tons of options and I’d recommend hitting your local Target or Home Goods for affordable options!

All ages

White blanket- This is my favorite backdrop for photos! I have a large blanket that’s probably full or queen size that I use to cover my headboard, lay on the floor, etc. It’s wrinkle resistant and easy to wash, which makes it perfect for photos!

Stepstool- If you want to take photos of baby laying down, you could use a bit of height! This step stool is SUPER light but also very sturdy. Perfect for taking around the house and being super safe while you’re at it! I fell off a chair and fractured my toe, so I don’t recommend using one for pics. Get a step stool. Better safe than sorry!

Boppy- you probably have one of these pillows already for nursing or bottle feeding baby, but they make perfect photo props! You can use them for tummy time pics, to let baby lounge, or to help them sit up in photos. There are so many uses!

Monthly Blanket- this is a really easy way to have consistent milestone photos plus it provides a nice backdrop for your pics. There are tons of different cute options for every style!

Monthly Milestone Markers- Use these to easily distinguish how old baby is! You can get stickers, wood markers, or even blocks!

Photo Equipment

A Great Camera- You can definitely use your phone for your pictures, but I would highly recommend getting a camera if you’ve been on the fence! I personally have the older version of this Canon EOS Rebel (mine is the T6) but this newer one has such great features! Touchscreen is a newer feature, plus this set includes a remote which means super easy shooting if you want to do some family portraits on timer mode!

Lightroom/Photoshop - these are my go-to apps for photo editing! You can do so much with these apps for only $10/month. If you want a more budget friendly option, try the LR phone app! It has tons of free features.

Tripod-  Perfect for taking photos with your baby! If you want to try and take your own photos, I would highly recommend this tripod! It folds up really small, plus you can tilt the head so that you can take landscapes or portraits! It's light, compact and folds up small. It's perfect for taking on the go and storing in a closet when it's not in use. This is the exact one I use for my photos!

Phone Tripod Mount- If you want to attach your phone on this tripod, you'll need a special adapter. I use this one, which does the trick! You just swap out the head it comes with and then expand it for your phone. The great part is that it's adjustable, so you can use anyone's phone. I'd recommend checking the measurements if you have a newer iPhone though. Those things just keep getting bigger and bigger, so I'm not sure if this particular one will get big enough.

Mini Tripod- If you want a tiny tripod for a tabletop or even easier portability, try this one! I haven't used this one personally, but it had great reviews on Amazon. I'm considering getting one myself, especially since I like to take videos of Hailey doing cute stuff. She always stops when she sees me holding the camera, so with this I can go into stealth mode! If you want something more affordable, try this one instead.

Box Lights- These are a bit of an investment, but I honestly can't recommend them enough! I use them for practically all my blog photos and occasionally whip them out when the lighting isn't ideal for portraits. Another option is these umbrella lights, which aren't quite as bright. Both of them fold up super tiny and can take up just a corner of a closet! It's actually pretty remarkable how mighty yet tiny they are. Just a note that these won't make a dark room bright, but they will assist in compensating when the room just isn't bright enough for a good picture.

Ring Light- These are perfect for low light situations. Full disclosure- I’ve never used one, but I know a lot of people have great luck with them. For the love of all that is holy, don’t blind your child with flash! You should never use flash- it’s just not flattering at all.

Cake Smash

Once your baby turns a year old, you may want to do a cake smash! These are so much fun and there are so many ideas on the internet (especially Pinterest!) that will help you decide on a theme. I’ve got a blog post all about my cake smash I did with Hailey, including what I used for it! No fancy lights or even a backdrop required! You can check that out here.

Once I started taking my own photos, I realized the importance of having the right equipment to be able to take the best pictures possible. Taking these photos helped me to feel more connected to my baby, and break up the monotony of the day!