Currently Creating: Toddler Quiet Book

Years ago I pinned a toddler quiet book and thought "I will make this for my child!" and it has since sat on my Pinterest board alone and covered in dust, like all of the other things I've pinned thinking I have free time (which, I don't). 

Well, this weekend I wrapped up my final freelance project of the year and in the spirit of utilizing nap time for myself when I can, I started a toddler quiet book for LW. Ideally, I will finish it in time for Christmas...which may mean I will need to work on it in the evenings after bedtime but we'll see what really happens.

I mentally started this project weeks ago. I began at step one, conceptualization. I sat on the couch for an entire evening pinning, reading, planning and sketching. Did you know there is an entire community of moms and nanas who create these little beauties?! It is fascinating.

I picked a cover design I wanted, a few pages that I thought were both adorable and would stimulate LW's thinking cap, and a back cover to start. I didn't want to make the project too overwhelming from the beginning because I know I am the queen of incomplete projects. However, I am constructing it with removable rings as the binder, so I will be able to add on pages as I go.

Here are some of the favorite pages I found in my research...I can't wait to share which ones I complete!

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This one is made on sponges. SPONGES!!!!!!!

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Now, the original quiet book I pinned is called the "100 hour quiet book" which before I read the article, I assumed "Oh! This will keep toddlers occupied for 100 hours!!! DEFINITELY making it" however, once I began my research (and realized that nothing on earth keeps a toddler occupied for 100 hours...) I learned that it actually took 100 hours to make that quiet book.

Since I started yesterday and aimed to have this book complete for Christmas, I am slightly chuckling to myself. It took so many hours just to construct the cover and lay out the first page. I even have sketches of exactly what I am doing for every page, with materials purchased and sorted...but these things just cannot be rushed!

This project absolutely a passion project for me, though. I think I will enjoy creating it as much as LW enjoys playing with it. I hope I finish on time!!!