Tiny tip for busy mommies.

I find one of the hardest things about staying at home is that I have so much to do but I also have a little one needing my attention.  

So I love finding something that provides her entertainment and gives me a few minutes to work uninterrupted.  

I saw this idea on Pinterest or Facebook or in a magazine.  It is not original to me.  I love that it is simple and not hard to set up.  It is something that I can pull out and have ready in just a few minutes.

All that you need is a jar of any size, some tape and some buttons.  I have a little collection of buttons that the kids love to play with.  You can buy packs with buttons of varying shapes and sizes for a few dollars.  I got a pack at Hobby Lobby.

The idea is to give them a slot in which to push their buttons into.  I know it sounds silly but Micah LOVED it!  

I took a mason jar and used duct tape layered in a way that left a tiny "coin slot."  You don't want to make it too big.  You want there to be a bit of resistance when they push the buttons through.  It seems to be satisfying to the toddler mind.

Here Micah is demonstrating.  

(She doesn't look like she is having fun but she is!)

 See here how she is having to push the button into the hole with her thumb.  That is the resistance.

Just a pile of buttons and a jar and you have created yourself a little block of time to get something accomplished!

 This entertained her for about 30 minutes.  She asked for more buttons after she got these put away.  

She is motivated by being a helper so I told her I need her to help me by putting the buttons away.  It was fun to watch her concentrate.

As a bonus this is a great fine motor skill for her to work on!  We even upped the skill level by adding bigger buttons and cutting a bigger hole so she had to decide which hole a specific button could fit into.

And some icing on this cake, I got 2 loads of laundry folded and put away! 

 This baby needed something to entertain her too.  A soup bone did the trick.  She left me alone for about 5 minutes.  Whew.  Border collie puppies have a lot of energy!