Wow lots of great suggestions, will certainly try these out
Re: does your toddler
Definitely cut back on your own screen time and engage in other activities. My kid is 2.5 and already knows how to get into the guest profile on our computer and use the mouse to open the browser, click on the YouTube bookmark and surf to his favourite videos! It’s pretty shocking how observant they are and how quickly they learn, so we’ve started switching off the computer entirely. Everytime he tries to log on, we tell him it’s broken and we need a new one. I work when he naps or is in bed so he doesn’t see me at it. It’s not easy but I didn’t enjoy the amount of screen time he was demanding, and while, yes, I am the parent there is no negotiating with a 2.5 year old having a meltdown. This way, he knows it’s not available except for half an hour or so in the evening, and I don’t have to deal with a temper tantrum. Those are the worst. (In somewhat related news, he had a crying fit today because he thought his blanket was broken because he jumped on it and a crease appeared 
)
Does your kiddo have Lego or other blocks? Mine stays occupied with those for an hour at least. As others have suggested, I also second puzzles, activity books and finger painting.
And lastly, if she does want to watch the occasional show or cartoon and it ends up being an hour, don’t be so hard on yourself. Sometimes you need that break for an hour just to stay sane, and so long as it’s not hours and hours, it won’t damage her for life or anything. After all, all our kids do it from time to time (or daily!) and all of us parents let them, whether we want to admit it publicly or not! 
Re: does your toddler
^^Lol at the blanket crease.Hope you fixed it…
To the OP..you got tons of great suggestions so do try those.Also I know it is hard to keep them entertained while staying at home all day long.It was my daughter’s second birthday when we got her a play kitchen and she got another gift of a baby carriage.She was very much into pretend play and her kitchen used to keep her busy for quite a while (even upto an hour) as compared to other toys.She used to put her stuffed toys in her carriage and play ‘mommy’.Kept her quite busy.
Yes please do use share some links that you found especially useful. I’ve tried a few ideas off the web but not a high success rate
Re: does your toddler
you got some great advice here.. here are some websites that I have looked at but honestly these activities can only last 30-40 mins so its not like you can keep them busy with this all day long. For us, going out has worked the best- he gets to spend time out in fresh air, run around, and there is no technology around to distract him.If you cant drive out more often, walks are good too 
The Stay-at-Home-Mom Survival Guide
50 Activities for Toddlers - hands on : as we grow
Re: does your toddler
Lol chips yes, I had to “fix” the broken blanket to stop the fat tears rolling down his cheeks. What a kid!
Omg tell me about it. I hate the concept of a timeout, just don’t like it for my 2y.o. so if. Tantrum surfaces then my best bet is distracting her with something. Otherwise, like you said, there’s no negotiating with them
Thanks GTG the simple little home website is awesome, thanks so much for sharing
And also big thanks to all the other super moms for sharing practical ideas. It’s so nice to be able to discuss this cause I definitely DO NOT want my dd to be a tv or laptop kid no matter how many people say “all the kids do it these days”.
I think the biggest challenge is the self sacrificing of screen time and a change in attitude of becoming more active rather than passive. Hopefully things improve over the next few days as I implement these ideas inshaAllah
Thank you all again 
This is a guilty confession - i’ve actually tried numerous times to get my almost 14-month-old to watch TV. I needed some times to clean up the house but he hates it. =\ There are now 2 videos he can stand to watch…Hakuna Matata (his absolute fav) and What Does The Fox Say. That’s it. I know i should be happy but omg it’s so tiring running after his chubby little bum and cleaning up the disaster zones he leaves behind lol.
Re: does your toddler
^ Lol give it time! 14 months is still too little for him to have much of an attention span.
Re: does your toddler
They don’t really work for mine either. He stands in the corner, mostly fake crying and hollering, and then wanders over to me, at which point I have to daant him back to the corner and real tears appear. It ends up being really stressful for both of us so I’m not feeling it. Distraction is the best!
Yeah 14months is too young. My dd wasn’t into tv at that point either but they slowly grow their attention span and now at 2yo age can watch it for hours on end which I want to change
Re: does your toddler
^ MY 2 year old is not interested in watching TV at all. She loves Elmo and Dora but even if I put those on, she’ll stare at the screen for a minute then wander off. I do let her use the iPad for an hour everyday…30 mins in the morning and 30 mins in the evening. I think she has gotten so used to using the interactive apps on the iPad that she finds TV really boring. She wants to be able to touch and move the icons.
During the summer I used to take her out but since it’s freezing now, I have to think of ways to keep her busy at home. How about getting her a play kitchen? Toddlers love playing with those. Also get her a wooden cooking set and a tea set and she would love to have tea parties with her stuffed animals.
Amazon.com: Plan Toy Tea Set(Solid Wood Version): Toys & Games
Amazon.com: Hape - Playfully Delicious - Gourmet Kitchen Starter Set - Play Set: Toys & Games
I also got her a picnic basket that she loves.
Amazon.com: LeapFrog Shapes and Sharing Picnic Basket: Toys & Games
As others have mentioned, try finger paints and help her make hand prints. The best way to engage them with arts and crafts is by getting an easel. I have this one:
Amazon.com: Melissa & Doug Deluxe Standing Easel: Toys & Games
Also get play doh…my daughter loves play doh and can easily spend 30 mins (which is a lot!) playing with it and making different shapes. Here is a great play doh set. It’s a lot of fun!
Amazon.com: Play-doh Scoops 'N Treats: Toys & Games
I know it would be great if they could just entertain themselves with their toys but you have to sit with them and engage them. But if you need a break, there is nothing wrong with giving them an iPad for a couple of minutes and letting them entertain themselves with an app. I personally think iPad apps are a lot more educational and engaging than mindlessly watching TV.