Retail Therapy

I have a few posts that I need to do, but was so excited about my latest project for Kylie, that I wanted to share it ASAP!



So some time ago, when we were with ITSJC (before they kicked Kylie out...sounds harsh, but that's how it felt), they had started us on this Stickids program. I remember thinking how great it all sounded, but it was kind of hard to implement. Not because it is difficult to work with, but because you really need to figure out all things sensory to know what to do and when to do them.



I remember when we got our sheets from ITSJC, it was like 5 pages worth of these little cards of activities...it was overwhelming to say the least. I felt hopeful because our OT at the time was going to set us up with a calendar of sorts and plug the activities in to help me see what to do and when to do things.....unfortunately that never came. Not just because Kylie's services were discontinued, but because there wasn't much follow through with the OT.



No worries, because our new OT at the Lee Ann Britain Infant Development Center is so AWESOME and is working on all of these things with us. So much so, that I feel like I can really know when to do which type of activity with Kylie....yay for progress for mommy!



So the good thing about having all the old sheets of activities was that I could use them to create this wonderful game for Kylie, without it seeming all too therapy like for me and Kylie....I have a hard time when I see these things as therapy, because I want to Kylie to have no bumps in the road with her learning and development, and when I see them in black and white, it makes me weepy.



So onto some clarity regarding the title of this post. Okay, so right now I have the little cards from the Stickids sensory processing program in these little envelopes that I picked up at Joanns. I labeled them for the different categories (Motion, Heavy Work, Retreat, etc.), but the problem is you can't really shuffle the cards around inside of them, so Kylie ends up picking the same activity over and over again.



Here is a pic of our current system:

As you can see, the envelopes are flat and the cards tend to just all lay on top of one another, and well...you get the point.









So are you ready for my creation?



I'm sure at this point you are trying so hard to figure out what Retail Therapy has to do with OT and sensory, and all things considered.



Okay so here goes:

Click on the pic to enlarge...way cuter when you can see them more clearly!



Isn't it the cutest thing ever :) I am just so proud that I thought of this all by myself, and best of all.... I created it. I often find things online and just recreate them...like a lot of my sewing projects where I just use someone else's pattern.



So the tops of the purses are open to put all of the cards into them. Plenty of room to shuffle around in there. There are 6 categories in the Stickids program, which is why I made 6 purses. We often only use 3 or 4 categories, so we can always use the extra purses to put in the cards that we used...to minimize any chances of repeating an activity.




Here is a pic of the cards we use....these particular ones are on a key ring that Kylie's new OT put together for me...so I can keep them in my purse for when we are not at home.

I just thought that since Kylie loves to play dress up and carry around a purse, that this was the perfect way to make things even more fun for her...and me :) She already loves playing the "card game" that is what we call it right now, but I'm sure she will enjoy it even more when she sees that she can pick the cards out of the purses.

So how in the world did I make this board of purses?

*First off, get a board of some sort and cover it with fabric....I used a cork board.

*Then make your little purses...I thought of using felt, but I felt like the options would have been limited and I would of had to do more crafty things to make them cute. I used some of my fabric scraps, and I used some fusible stabilizer to make them more sturdy.

-Note the internet is your friend...so use it to find different styles of purses, so you can create a variety.

*Then I got some velcro to attach them to the board...that way they can be removed or rearranged.

I still may get some jewelry and have Kylie help me decorate the board to make it more fun and a bit more girly :)

Feel free to let me know your thoughts and which purse is your favorite. I personally love the tote bag!