One Fish Two Fish Bathroom, Dresser and Activities

To celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday this week, I’m sharing my One Fish Two Fish bathroom project I recently completed.
This all started with a One Fish Two Fish dresser I saw online 11 years ago when I was decorating my daughter’s baby room Dr. Seuss style. I knew I wanted to create one someday. Then I started collecting more One Fish Two Fish items and decided to decorate the kids’ bathroom with all of it.

This is a half bathroom with just a sink and toilet for our kids. The last owners did not put a shower in, but left the area as a closet. I keep linens and holiday décor in the dresser. At some point we will put a shower in here and the dresser will go to one of our kids’ rooms.

Decorating Tip: Search eBay for unique Dr. Seuss items

I got the Cat in the Hat in the tub toy (ERTL brand), the soap dispenser and fish bookends and book/bank all from eBay over the years. Check there for fun vintage items to add to your room. Search eBay for “One Fish Seuss”. I also search for sUess because many sellers spell his name wrong.

I added the words “1 Flush” and the fish image on the toilet using vinyl (see more about vinyl below).

I got the fish die cut images from Amazon.

*I am an Amazon affiliate and receive a small portion of sales made from Amazon links. Click the fish below to see details.

We used blue painters tape to apply the fish to the wall. The kids like to move the fish around.  I made the white and orange jumping fish using vinyl.

I got the yellow frame from Cut it Out. It was unfinished so I painted it bright yellow to add some color. I added polka-dot scrapbook paper then taped on a yellow fish. 

TIP: Frame Calendar Art

The black poster frame holds a Dr. Seuss picture from a calendar I purchased a few years ago. 

Before and after photos of the bathroom. The vanity used to be a dark 80’s brown. I’d still like to remove the medicine cabinet mirror but it is very functional for now.  The three circle mirrors came from IKEA several years ago.  Here is a 22 inch mirror they have now.

I’ve been wanting to create this for years. My sister-in-law told me she just painted her bathroom turquoise and she hated it. It was too overwhelming for her to have the whole room painted.  I asked if I could see the paint and it was perfect for my project so I borrowed it from her. The turquoise paint color is called Acapulco Cliffs by Sherwin Williams.  The kids helped me finish this project while dad was out of town on a business trip for 3 days.  We surprised him.
How I Did It
I hand drew the waves on the wall with a pencil. Then I painted right under that line with a small brush. My kids helped roll the paint onto the larger section.  I used a black sharpie permanent marker to trace the top of the waves and added some accent lines in the water and some splashes above the water.

One Fish Two Fish Dresser



I bought this dresser from our local classified for $20 a few years ago.  I got new knobs for $5.00 total at a yard sale. Notice how I used the knobs to dot the letter i.

I won the yellow spray paint from Krylon (paint name: Sun Yellow) when I created these Lego Jars.  The color was perfect to match the cover of Dr. Seuss’ One Fish Two Fish book.
Using Printable Vinyl
The thing that I waited the longest to complete was creating the vinyl words and fish images. I finally learned how to get printable vinyl, print the fish on it, then used my Silhouette cutter to do the intricate cutting around the edges.  There are some You Tube videos that explain how to do this. I found my fish images online. I imported them into my Silhouette computer program. Then I printed them onto the printable vinyl sheet with registration marks using my ink jet printer. Next, I traced the shape (this part was tricky) to create cutting lines around the fish in the program. Then I ran the vinyl through the Silhouette cutting machine and it cut the fish out.
This is the Waterproof Vinyl I purchased from Amazon. Silhouette, Cricut and Vinyl Expressions also offer printable vinyl. Click the photo >>>>

I had contemplated hand painting the fish on, but I love how crisp the vinyl looks. And as I applied it, I could peal it up and move it around if I needed to.  I can pull all of it off easily if I ever want it to be a plain yellow dresser again.
Dr. Seuss Fonts
I used plain black and red vinyl to create the words using this free Doctor Soos Font.  This link has a few more Dr. Seuss fonts if you need them for other projects.

I hope you liked our Dr. Seuss One Fish Two Fish bathroom and dresser.
Click here to find the Free printable fish matching game I created.

Try this Free Printable Fish game to work on numbers with your younger children. There are versions with addition and subtraction inside the bowls too.

We also love the One Fish Two Fish search game from Wonder Forge.

See game on Amazon here >>>> Click photo below

 

 I’d love to see your One Fish Two Fish projects. Share your link in the comment below.

DIY Lego Storage Container

If you’ve ever stepped on a Lego you know the importance of having easy Lego storage for kids.  I made these large Lego mini figure head storage jars out of plastic snack containers. They are easy and inexpensive to create and you're kids will love them.

STEPS TO DIY LEGO STORAGE HEAD:

1. Find a large container similar to a Lego mini fig shape. Empty the food.
2. Rip off label.  It leaves a sticky residue, you can’t paint over this well. I used detachol, soap and water to get it clean enough to paint. I recently saw some adhesive remover on the glue isle at Target you could try.
3. I used Krylon Dual Paint + Primer, Sunshine Yellow. I spray painted the outside of each container and lid (2 coats). Then I used a clear gloss to help protect it (1 coat).
4. I cut out vinyl using a silhouette machine using this method after finding a sample Lego face image online. These are simple enough shapes you could print a large face on paper and trace onto vinyl or onto the container and use sharpie markers to fill in the black. If you try the vinyl you’ll want a little black and white to complete the look. I also used vinyl to create a LEGO sticker on the back of the container to label it.
5. The containers with food cost $5-$8 then I spent $8 on spray paint (1 yellow, 1 clear can). I was able to create 3 containers for under $25 (and got to eat the food).

Before & After: Snack Containers into Lego Storage Box

 I think the Red Vines container looks the best.  I also liked the taller rounded shape of the Cheese Balls container too so I tried both. Look around for other containers at your local bulk food store or bulk food isle in the grocery store.  I really can’t stand cheese balls so we threw them away. We easily ate the Red Vines though so you may as well buy something you’ll eat so you don’t waste the food.


I love how they look in my son’s room. All three heads on his Lego style shelves. He can easily pull them out and find the Legos he needs then put them back away by himself.


 You may remember these baby food jars I turned into Lego party favor jars a few years ago.  See how I made them here.  One of my readers Mama Max made these jars and tried a larger pistachio plastic jar. She inspired me to make these larger jars so see her tips here.


 Here is my son with his 3 Lego storage heads.

Crochet Lego Blanket
His aunt made him this crochet Lego style blanket for his birthday last year and he sleeps with it every night. She lined the back with fleece. If you look closely you can see 6 bumps on each block that pop up to look like Lego bricks. I’m not positive where she got the pattern.


 We love all things Lego. See my LEGO Pinterest board for more inspiration.
If you don’t want to hassle with the mess and time to search for containers and paint them you can always buy them from the official LEGO. They have a head that sorts the bricks too. (disclosure *If you buy from these links I earn a very small percentage from the sale.)

Have fun and go play Legos with your kids today.

This post is not sponsored by or affiliated with the official LEGO. It is inspired by Lego because we build them every day at our house.

Easter Basket and Books

We’ve pulled out our Easter books and display them in this basket for the weeks leading up to the holiday.

Here are a few of our favorite Easter books.

*As an Amazon Associate, if you make a purchase from using the links in this post, I receive a very small percentage of the sale.  I always recommend checking books out from your library first, then buying them if you want to add them to your collection.
Classic Easter Books

• Easter by Gail Gibbons
  
• The Country Bunny by Dubose Heyward
  
• Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
  
• Here Comes Peter Cotton Tail by Steve Nelson
  
• The Golden Egg by A. J. Wood
  
• The Easter Egg by Jan Brett
• The Easter Story by Patricia Pingry

Popular Character Easter Books

• Where are Baby’s Easter Eggs by Karen Katz
• Fancy Nancy’s Elegant Easter by Jane O’Connor
• Honey Bunny by Mary Engelbreit
• The Berenstain Bears’ Baby Easter Bunny by Jan Berenstain
• Happy Easter Curious George by H.A. Rey

DIY CRAFT: FLOWER EASTER BASKET
I made the basket to match my daughter’s Easter dress.  I just found some simple daisy flowers at the dollar store and hot glued them to her simple basket to dress it up. You could pick any flowers to match what you need. This was so quick and easy and we received so many compliments on it last year at our neighborhood egg hunt.

Below is a picture of my daughter in her matching dress and hair barette.

I don't put up very many fancy Easter decorations. I normally just leave out the baskets and books as our main decoration.
I hope you pick up some books to celebrate this holiday with your children. What are some of your favorite? Share your ideas in the comments below.

Celebrate Dr. Seuss by Creating a Library

I’m sure the greatest gift you can give Dr. Seuss for his birthday is to read to a child today and everyday. Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss! 

CREATING A HOME LIBRARY
In honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday I am going to share my home library. I hope to inspire some of you to create your own classroom or home library so you can read to your child and instill in them a love of literacy.

Keep reading to see how to make your own library card.

Pin It

“Fill your house with stacks of books, in all the crannies and all the nooks.” – Dr. Seuss. ‘He knew the average child would pick up a book and pretty soon they’d be reading’ (pulled from the movie, in search of Dr. Seuss.)


FREE PRINTABLE BOOKMARK

Just right click to copy and save.

Pin It



CHILDREN NEED BOOKS
This is the quote that inspired me to create this blog. My wish is for every home to have books available for kids to read everyday.  I often take it for granted that I am lucky to have so many books for my children to read. The truth is many homes do not have this luxury. “According to the National Center for Education Statistics, nearly two-thirds of low-income American families do not own any books for their children.” See additional statistics that will break your heart.
Jan Berenstain, co-creator of the Berenstain Bears book series, passed away last week.  Like Dr. Seuss, Jan was instrumental in helping millions of children gain a love of literacy. As a memorial, her family has requested donations be made to Reading Is Fundamental to help get books into the homes of low-income families. Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) is the largest children’s literacy nonprofit in the United States providing new books to children in need. Find out how you can donate at RIF.

I think this is such an important cause to support. I’m making a donation and encourage you to consider donating if you have the ability to. Every little bit helps. $10 provides 4 books. 

First Book is another great organization that provides books to children in need. They also provide books from donations.


WHAT DO YOU DO WITH BOOKS YOUR KIDS OUTGROW?

• I know many local communities hold book drives throughout the year.  When you sort through your children’s books (or books you’re finished reading), consider donating to a local homeless shelter or reading program. Make sure books are still in nice condition.  In Utah, we have the Reading Tree that has donation bins in grocery store parking lots. They recycle books in poor condition but provide useful books to families in need.

• You can also pass books down to other family, friends or neighbors with younger children.  We often do this in our family – trade books for kids at different reading levels.
  
• Another option is to host a neighborhood book exchange. You could hold a party where everyone brings the books they have finished and trade with others. I’ve also been thinking about holding an exchange closet at our neighborhood church. There are a few empty closets that we could use one as the book exchange where people can ‘take a book – return a book.’ I’d love to have the exchange open all year long and see how it goes.
  
• A great option I’m exploring is to create a mini library outside your house available to the public. I just found out about the Little Free Library. They have tips on how to build a weather proof little house to store a few books in (larger than a bird house) to post in your yard. You can post your library on their site so others know about it. It works a little like free cycle if you’re familiar with that. It would not be public knowledge. Just the few that learn about it online, (on the Little Free Library listing) or people in your neighborhood that you tell would know about it. It would also work on the ‘take a book- return a book’ method.

CREATING A HOME LIBRARY CARD
Click to see my tips for visiting your public library with children, including ideas on what age kids should get a library card.

When my kids are around age two I’ve made these printable play library cards for them so they can play library at home. They get a little library bag then fill it up with books from our shelves. They bring it to me and I use a spatula to scan their card. ‘BEEP.’  Then we go to our reading spot (our special couch inherited from Grandma Great) and we read the books together.  We often have storytime which includes special crafts or activities that go along with books. This is where I've become the obSEUSSed Home Librarian.


 Any parent can try this at home. Now your young children can have their own library card too.  Have children write their own name on their card before laminating.

Free Printable created by me, obSEUSSed. For non-commercial use only (personal or classroom use permitted).
Save this image to your computer (right click). Put it into your word processor. Make multiple copies if needed. Here is a link to a PDF with 8 on a page. This takes you to Scribd, click the 'download or print' button.



How to DIY Printable Library Card:
Print them out. I hate using up color ink so I made them black and white, you can add red marker to them if desired like I did. Cut around the edges with round corners. Lay them in the laminate sheet. Run them through the laminator then cut them out with rounded edges again leaving 1/4 inch laminate around the edge.


REALLY SCAN AND TRACK YOUR BOOKS
With smart phones there are now apps that let you scan all your books into your phone to track them.  This would be cool to do at home or in a classroom. My kids have tried it and love scanning a whole stack of books, just to hear it beep. I'm not worried about tracking all my books at this point.  See a review of how it works at JulieDuffy.com. The RedLaser – Barcode and QR Code Scan app is FREE, by Occipital


HOW DO YOU ORGANIZE AND STORE YOUR BOOKS?
I made these Genre Book Signs out of red and white striped scrap book paper. I cut out the shape, added some red where I needed to for the brim, printed out separate text on white paper then glued the words on the white stripes. Then I outlined the hats with black marker, laminated them and placed them next to the books on the shelves or hung on baskets.

The kids each have bookshelves with bins for their more specific girl and boy books. Dinosaurs, Transportation, Super hero, Lego, animal boxes in my son’s room. Princess and now chapter book series in my daughter’s room.

We also have a return basket so the kids know where to put books when they are done. This way, I re-shelve them and they get put back in the right place.

At the top of our stairs we have a landing that is wider than a normal hallway. This has become our reading area and children's library. Here are a few things we've done to create a home library.

Pin It

I love displaying my favorite picture books in this plate holder. I rotate the books for different seasons or themes. I keep some books grouped in baskets and most shelved by genre.

Some of the signs are posted on the inside of the bookshelf, some are on the shelf in front of the books. My daughter is old enough to read the signs and knows where to put books back.

See the closet past the couch – yep – we use that as bookshelves too. Most of the time the doors are closed.

The closet holds taller picture books, activity books (that make noise or have pieces) and baskets of themed books (farm animals, bible story books, shapes and color concepts).

We also have a DIY bean bag I made that hold all our Dr. Seuss Stuffed animals. This acts as an extra chair the kids can sit on for reading time.

Pin It

We also love to set up McElligot's Pool for reading time. The kids love hopping in the pool. Click here for details and a printable McElligot's Pool sign.

I have a set of gallery info prints from The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss that I display across the top of the shelf.

Here are the bookshelves my husband built under our stairs. We have since moved from that house and I miss them so much. They were my favorite thing. Click here for more details on these under stairs bookshelves.

Pin It

Now my favorite bookshelf is this tree bookshelf my husband built for my son’s owl nursery. It fits perfectly behind his door. See more details here.  We keep about 50 board books in our baby's room.

Pin It

We use an old pie cupboard (pie safe) to store cookbooks with a small file holder to hold printed recipes. See more about how we promote literacy in our home diner.

LIBRARY BAG
Try to use the same bag each time you visit the public library so you always know where your books are.
This wonderful Dr. Seuss library book bag was created by Kari at U Create. Click the picture to see how she made it with a special Dr. Seuss font and her silhouette machine. If you'd like to pin this image, please pin it directly from the Ucreate site.

I love the idea of attaching your library card to the bag so you always have it with you.
JUST READ!
Now, after all these ideas, make sure you pick up some Dr. Seuss books and read.
Stop by the National Education Association’s Read Across America to pledge to read to your child Today and Everyday! They have great activities and ideas to celebrate.

This year they are working with the new Lorax movie to promote reading. I’m headed to the movie today and will post a review next week.

Make sure to visit the official Seussville by Random House books for the ultimate Dr. Seuss games, activities, printables and literacy resources for parents and teachers.
We will be reading Dr. Seuss books and e-books today (and celebrating with activities all month). Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

What are you doing to celebrate today?
If you have blogged about your celebrations, please add it to the Dr. Seuss Link Collection to share your ideas with everyone. There are over 200 fabulous ideas to choose from right now.