Paper Dolls for Cold, Wintery Days

While winter in the desert isn't necessarily snowy, it can be cold and definitely very windy! It's on days like this, when it we can't play outside, that I like to find free things I can print off on the internet for the children to to do!

Photo Copyright 2009 Domestic Legacies

Our family recently watched the old Disney classic Polyanna. We were dazzled by the gorgeous Victorian era clothing and extravagant sets which depicted the richness of the homes and lives of some of the people in those days. We decided to look online to see if there were any free Victorian paper dolls that we could cut out and play with. The good ol' internet came through again!...There are quite a few sites from which you can print Victorian paper dolls, and many other types of paper dolls as well! And, wouldn't you know it, we also found Polyanna paper dolls to play with too!

Here's the website we found for the Polyanna paper dolls as well as a number of other Victorian era paper dolls. Some of these are already colored, and some are in black and white for you and your children to color:

Victorian Paper Dolls

The other page I want to share with you lists many other paper doll websites. (It is from this list that I found the above Victorian Paper Doll website.):

Hazelruthe's Paper Dolls Galore

Happy cutting, coloring, and transporting yourselves into a wonderous era from the past...with paper dolls!

Copyright 2009 Domestic Legacies

Snowflake Craft- A Sparkly Winter Wonderland Indoors

Photo copyright 2008 Domestic Legacies


Snowflakes are not often seen in the desert, but inside our house we have a wintery wonderland! This past week we made snowflakes out of paper. They are so pretty, and it was so EASY that I wanted to share how we made them with you!

I found the free templates for the snowflakes on the internet at Marcel's Kid Crafts. These templates are not just your ordinary snowflakes: within the designs of the various snowflakes are snowmen, trees, bells, and other wintery things! The detail is extraordinary! I hope you are able to see the snowmen in this picture:

Photo Copyright 2008 Domestic Legacies

All you have to do is print them out on your printer, easily fold them according to the directions on the website, cut away the gray areas on the template, and unfold your snowflake!

Photo Copyright 2008 Domestic Legacies

The children and I went one step farther and dabbed some school glue on the snowflakes and sprinkled them with glitter!... Photo Copyright 2008 Domestic Legacies



Once I learned how to fold the paper for the snowflakes, I folded some paper for the children and let them cut out their own designs for larger snowflakes. We put sparkles on these snowflakes as well and hung them on our fireplace mantle. They shine and glisten in the light!

Photo Copyright 2008 Domestic Legacies

This snowflake craft takes no time to make, and really does do a nice job of decorating for the winter months. So, while you're busy with Christmas preparations, why not sit down, take a break, and cut out a snowflake or two?!

Copyright 2008 Domestic Legacies

Craft Sticks Everywhere!

Imagine what your children could create with 1000 craft sticks, or popsicle sticks as they are sometimes known as?! My children have been asking me to buy craft sticks for them to build with, so a recent trip to Walmart led us over to the craft aisle. I'm always so motivated to create something when we visit any craft store! We purchased the gigantic box of 1000 craft sticks, which was really not a bad price at all, $3-4 if I remember correctly.

Photo Copyright 2008 Domestic Legacies

By the time everyone was finished, we had craft stick swords, craft stick people, craft stick letters, and a craft stick fort...along with stray craft sticks everywhere! I can only imagine, as the children grow older, what even bigger and better creations their imaginative minds will come up with!

The craft sticks and glue were a great activity to keep everyone occupied for good long time. Along with things like Playdough, I like to have such things on hand that we only get out every once in a while, as something special the children look forward to. Do you have things like this, that the children don't have access to all the time, but makes a great activity for for special times? Please share them with us so we can share in the fun at our house too!

Copyright 2008 Domestic Legacies

He Said, She Said- Noting Memorable Quotes from Our Children

Children can say some of the sweetest things, can't they? Their naivete and innocence lend to some incredibly entertaining, and sometimes deep thoughts! How many times one of my children have said something especially adorable, and I thought to myself, "I'm going to remember that...", only to forget days, or even hours later!

I read somewhere awhile ago an idea which has helped lessen the number of times a memorable quote out of the mouths of one of my babes has escaped my memory, and I want to share it with you! It's as simple as keeping a notepad and pen out--just for the purpose of jotting down a precious saying, as soon as it's spoken! My notepad is in the kitchen where it is easily within reach. While it's still on my mind, I'll run and jot down what I want to remember. Sometimes it's a short sentence, and sometimes it's a part of a conversation my child and I have had.I include what I have said and what my child has said. I make sure to include the name and age of the person whose quote I am writing down. That sounds too simple, but having the ability to write--the pen and paper is right there, HAS enabled me to just go do it while it's on my mind! I also use my notepad to jot down other immediate things, like a phone number or grocery item, but I keep those special quotes, for the most part, on separate pages so I can tear them out and file them all together.

With my file of quotes, I began a journal of sorts on the computer. I not only type out the quote, but sometimes also give a little background to the conversation or write a quick memento or accomplishment the child had achieved. (So-and-so just lost his first tooth...she is becoming quite a reader....he has been helping his daddy with ...) I am quite behind on typing out all the quotes, but, because I have them together in the file with names and ages, it shouldn't be too difficult to catch up, if I can just get a chance to sit down and do it!

There are other things you can do with some of the extra special quotes you collect. Using a nice font on your computer, print out a sweet quote and perhaps add a nice snapshot of the child. Find a small frame for the printout and you have unique gift idea for grandparents! The Dollar Store often has some nice frames for very little money.

I encourage you to jot down those memorable quotes and conversations you have with your children. I regret the many sweet things my oldest said years ago that have long escaped my memory! May you and your family create a legacy of precious quotes with which to reminisce in the years to come!

Copyright 2008 Domestic Legacies

The Birth of a Legacy

There's a whole lot of talking going on in cyberspace these days! It seems everyone has something to say! Today I join in adding to the sea of words flowing from keyboards across the globe!

It is my observation that many of us live our lives in the virtual world of the internet; it has become a refuge from reality... from the tangible. As a wife and mother I want nothing LESS than to take away more of the precious time others could be sharing with their families.

Rather, it is my desire to share with you things that have made my life a little easier, the journey more fulfilling. Perhaps you, in turn, might find something useful and practical to free up your time, so your focus can be on creating the legacies your family will treasure and pass down for generations to come! Perhaps together, we can inspire each other in birthing those legacies that come most beautifully from the heart of the home.

If you're like me, an unlimited supply of time and money is not your reality, yet you have a full heart that desires to bless your family. Domestic Legacies was created to share practical helps, ideas, recipes, and solutions...with some fun thrown in along the way!

So, feel free to kick off your shoes and be at home here!...It's a good thing to get away every once in awhile and recharge your batteries...But, don't stay TOO long!...

Go and create joyful, tangible memories in your OWN home...Legacies are often built from the simple things that touch most deeply the hearts of the ones we love.

Copyright 2008 Domestic Legacies