~Giveaway Winner!~

Congratulations to Amber Miller (#12)! She is the winner of our Tea Time with Me Belle Doll by Disney Princess Enchanted Tales!  We've emailed Amber to let her know. 

Thank you all so much for entering our giveaway and participating in the Blog Hop!

New ~ Mixed Media Wall Art By Dixie Dirt Road Designs!

"Impress these words of Mine on your hearts and souls, bind them as a sign on your hands, and let them be a symbol on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates" Deuteronomy 11:18-20 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

This is one of the newest items carried by Bear Hugs Baby Boutique. Handmade by Dixie Dirt Road Designs, it's called "Red and Yellow, Black and White, They are Precious in His Sight." It was inspired by the Christian song, "Jesus Loves the Little Children." It is made from mixed media and measures 10 inches by 10 inches.

Perfect for a child's room or playroom! This wall art is completely unique and would make a wonderful accent. Children will love the primary colors and fun patterns.

For more information or to place an order, please click over to Bear Hugs Baby Boutique.

Make sure you subscribe and keep checking back - we'll have more wall art by Dixie Dirt Road Designs soon!

~Frugal Fun~

As a former preschool teacher, I happen to love messy art projects, high shrieking laughter, the smell of crayons, and playing with playdough!

Bear Hugs Baby Blog is beginning a new series of projects that your children and your budget will love.  We'll be featuring frugal, fun, and easy projects that you can make with your child.  Today's project is -

MAKING PLAYDOUGH!  Several recipes are listed below, but the all time, hands down favorite in my classroom year after year was playdough colored with koolaid.

***TIP*** If you have an electric skillet - use it for making playdough. Place a towel on your table and place the skillet on it.  This is a much simpler method that makes it easier for little hands to stir. And use CAUTION with all of this (I am assuming here that you are letting your little ones help add ingredients and stir) - everything is HOT (including the outside of the electric skillet).

Now, get out those cookie cutters and rolling pins and have some fun with your kids!

Traditional Play Dough* -
1 cup flour
1 cup warm water
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon oil
1/4 cup salt
Food coloring

• Mix all ingredients, adding food coloring last. Stir over medium heat until smooth. Remove from pan and knead until blended smooth. Place in plastic bag or airtight container when cooled. Will last for a long time.

Kool-Aid® Play Dough -
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 package unsweetened Kool-Aid
1/4 cup salt
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
1 cup water

• Mix flour, salt, cream of tartar and Kool-Aid® in a medium pot. Add water and oil. Stir over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes. When mixture forms a ball in pot, remove. Knead until smooth. Put in a plastic bag and refrigerate.

Peanut Butter Dough -
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup honey
1 cup instant nonfat dry milk

• Mix together until smooth!

***Bonus Christmas Craft!  Your children can make adorable gingerbread men cutouts for your Christmas tree with this recipe:

Cinnamon Christmas Ornaments -
1/2 cup ground cinnamon
1/3 cup applesauce
1 Tablespoon Tacky glue

• Mix in bowl and stir until well blended. Work mixture in hands for three minutes to form a ball. If it is too dry, add applesauce, if too wet, add more cinnamon. Knead ball on cinnamon-sprinkled surface until it holds together well. Roll the dough out and use cookie cutters for the shapes and make a hanging hole with a straw. These can be air dried for 24 to 48 hours. Turn several times. They can also be baked in a low oven.

Below is a salt dough recipe. I STILL have ornaments made from this recipe that my daughter (who is 22) made when she was just a toddler!

Salt Dough -
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup salt
1/2 cup water at room temp.

• Mix the salt and flour in a large bowl and then add the water. Knead the mixture for about 5-10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. Cover with plastic wrap to stop the dough drying out and let the dough sit for 30 minutes before using. 
• Let your children cut out Christmas shapes with cookie cutters and make a hole with a straw at the top for hanging.
• These can be baked at the lowest oven setting (150 degrees) for a few hours. Check every so often to make sure they're not burning. After 30 minutes you may want to increase the temp to 200 degrees. Be sure to check for over-darkening of the dough. Cover lightly with foil if that is happening.
• The ornaments will be hard and sound hollow when they are done.  Any rough edges can be sanded off. An emery board/nail file works well for this!  Now, let your kids have fun painting their masterpieces!  Once the paint is dry, seal the whole thing with a clear acrylic spray and then add a piece of yarn for hanging.

What is your favorite frugal project? 

***Also - don't forget to enter our giveaway!  We're giving away Tea Time with Me Belle Doll by Disney Princess Enchanted Tales!  Just scroll down to our previous post to enter!

*All playdough recipes from Teachnet.com.

Bear Hugs Baby Blog Giveaway!

Announcing Bear Hugs Baby Blog's Giveaway for that special little girl in your life!

Bear Hugs Baby is participating in the My SEO Gal's Blog Hop.  Make sure you read our previous post and hop through all of the blogs listed!

Here's a picture of MY little girl having a tea party with her furry friends.

My little girl is all grown up and married now, but she will always and forever be my little girl.

In honor of little girls everywhere --- Bear Hugs Baby Blog is giving away ---

~Tea Time with Me Belle Doll by Disney Princess Enchanted Tales~

Belle REALLY moves! When you lift your cup, Belle lifts her cup and sips tea with you.

When you squeeze Belle's hand, she will sing a tea time song for you.

Here's how YOU can have a chance to win -

1. Leave a comment on this post
2. Follow our blog
3. Tweet about the giveaway
4. Tell your friends on facebook
5. Follow us on Twitter (@bearhugsbaby)
6. Mention our giveaway on your blog 

Leave a separate comment for each thing that you do. All entries must be in by October 21st before midnight eastern standard time. We'll choose a winner using random.org. The winner will be announced on our blog on the 22nd. We will also email the winner directly, so make sure that your email is included in your comment. Please email us if you have any questions! (bearhugsbaby@gmail.com)  (This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.)

Also, make sure you keep checking our website - Bear Hugs Baby Boutique.  We will be stocking toys for Christmas!

~Blog Hop!~

We're excited to announce that Bear Hugs Baby will be participating in My SEO Gal's blog hop.  A blog hop is a great way to discover new blogs that you may not find otherwise.  This blog hop will take place October 5th through October 21st.  Make sure to check back with us!