Uncategorized

3 signs that indicate you should break up with your child's school

Celebrating Moms and ‘Difficult’ Women Everywhere!

First off…Happy Mother’s Day to all! Hoping all of you enjoyed your day: celebrating the amazing women who helped to give us life or brought light to our lives. I wanted to take this opportunity to send a heartfelt “thank you” to all of those women who have made astounding impacts on our lives everyday…those seen and those who are, literally, behind the scenes.

Picture of the cover of In Praise of Difficult Women

Breaking the Rules…

“Difficult” Women

I was  scrolling through the news feeds on my phone this afternoon, (during naptime of course), when I came across an amazing article on National Geographic titled : Difficult Women Who Wrote Their Own Rules. This article is an interview with the Karen Karbo, the author of In Praise of Difficult Women. Her book focuses on a select group of twenty-nine women who were really anything but “difficult”. Instead, it celebrates women who were portrayed, through the eyes of society, as “difficult”. Despite criticism, these women stayed true to themselves, and continued to shine. They  followed their dreams, wrote their own rules and created a life they loved. I wanted to send this article out to all of you as I was so deeply inspired by these carefully selected women; some of whose stories I knew and others, I only briefly glimpsed at.

Karen Karbo, the author of this amazing book, speaks so profoundly, not only of the women she has highlighted, but to all women. To you and to me. To your daughters, your grandmothers, your moms. Her words are so poignant that they prompted some serious self-reflection. I began to think “what am I doing to act on my dreams? Where am I in the stages of crafting a life that I love?

 

If you don’t care too much what people think, you risk being called a difficult woman because you’re not staying in your lane or doing what is expected of you. For the most part, any time a woman doesn’t do that she can be called difficult. When a woman inconveniences somebody she can be called difficult. A woman who believes her own needs, goals, and desires are at least as important as everyone around her risks being called difficult.(Karbo)

What is “Difficult” and Why is it Women?

How much of the above quote made you pause and say “wow-nooo kidding?!”  I mean, how easy is it for even women to call other women “difficult”. How often have you heard “oh, she’s difficult to work with” or “watch out, she’s difficult to talk to”. Why? Have you ever asked why these women who you were warned about, (or warned others about), were so “difficult”? Perhaps these woman just have a different way of thinking and…HOLD ON…DON”T actually care about conforming to make others feel comfortable. Wow. Definitely a different way of looking at the term “difficult”, isn’t it? 

Would you consider women like Carrie Fisher to Ameila Earhart to be “difficult”?  Karbo’s book highlights these women whose lives were meticulously messy (all in best ways possible). She features J.K. Rowling (who she describes as  “scrappy”) and Rachel Maddow, ( a “brainy” lady who people passed by as a “know it all”). Certainly, being “difficult”, as Karbo reveals, might not make life easier. But it can make it more fulfilling–whatever that means for you.

Inspirational? Without a doubt. Motivational? The interview alone made me want to purchase the book. A must-read? In my opinion, ABSOLUTELY! 

   

LOVE What you see? Want more? We’ve GOT it! Check out ways for you to take those first steps so you can dream AND achieve (really–you can have your cake and eat it too) HERE: 

 

 

 

The Only Way to Fail…Is to Stop

failure is awesome

Avoidance. Why does anyone avoid doing anything? Well, I can’t speak for everyone but I know the source of my avoidance and it’s the question that I ask myself all the time: What if I fail? With this nagging question comes it’s best friend, fear, there to stop me before I even try to fail. This happy realization came just the other day when I realized that almost one month had gone by and I didn’t move toward any of my goals established months ago. What was going on? What was I afraid of? For myself and I’m sure many of you,that fear has a name, an ugly, powerful stench that can stop even the most driven individual in their tracks. For many of us that long time friend of fear, failure,  is all too familiar.  Why do we fear failure?  Is it that feeling of despair and anxiety ? The change in how we view ourselves? How others view us? Whatever the cause, it’s time to stop letting that fear STOP us from achieving our goals…its time to let go, be afraid and step anyway.

Don’t Stop Believing~It’s Not Just a Song

Browsing my computer today, a random article popped up about J. Simioff. Ever hear of him? Nope, nor have I. Here’s a quick tid-bit on him: this gentleman just landed a 1.4 billion dollar deal with amazon after being rejected by some of the foremost investors…ever.This story, while amazing, didn’t seem to resonate with me. I’m a new blogger, a stay at home mom–what in the world did I have in common with this self-made millionaire? All of this ran through my head as I breezed needlessly through this article until one bold faced quote came up: “The only way to fail…is to stop”. Hmph. Here I was at a full stop. I mean, I’ve been avoiding writing this piece since, well, before Easter. I had stopped. Eek. After all, writing about crafting, home décor, teaching the kiddos…that’s, well, that’s the EASY “stuff”. Writing about your fears takes a bit more gumption (I LOVE that word). However, that key phrase “the only way to fail is to stop” was the cold splash of water I needed to shake that fear off my back.

That Little Voice Inside You….

As a one-time educator with a very detailed plan for my life and career,  I never had to worry or question where I was going or what I was doing with myself for the next 20-25 years. My income: all set, predetermined. My daily routine, done. Check, check and, well, check. I would get my Master’s Degree ,(check!), continue to teach and enjoy the classroom environment, the students and my summers to relax…for the next 25 years.  Hmph. Sounded good for awhile, but….what if that’s not exactly what I hoped for? What if a little voice inside started saying “this is not where you’re supposed to be” (sorry…we are on a Moana watching marathon right now in our house). Do you feel a burst of excitement, (possibly mixed with that forbidden “F” word–aka-fear), when you think about those dreams? Have you ever imagined yourself somewhere else, doing something you completely LOVE only to squash it because of fear? Because it was “too big?” It’s time we all started listening to that little voice inside and realizing our own dreams.

Where you are NOW…

Do you have a career you like or, perhaps, tolerate (to say the least? Perhaps you really enjoy the path your on?  Maybe you have an income that works and a routine that’s “doable”. So, why change it?  Why fix what isn’t “broke”? When I was teaching, I really enjoyed my career. The predictability, the income; there was little I had to be concerned with. I was comfortable. However, every now and then, in the midst of a motivational speech given by administration at an all school meeting, something inside of me would “burst”. I would feel this amazing urge to get up and apply their “dream one size too big”  speeches to my own life…outside of teaching. What was holding me back? If you said “fear” and “failure” you’re exactly on point. I was stuck, like knee deep in fear and failure-stuck. I knew something had to change.

Taking Steps!

Taking Steps to Walk Through Fear!

Take it Slow…but TAKE Steps!

So where did I begin? For starters-I just began taking steps–tiny, baby ones. It was better than staying still.  After all, if you’re  starting from zero, there’s nothing to lose…right?  For me, it was starting to write outside of my teaching career. Starting to freelance write. One day, I even dared to call myself a “professional writer” HA! That was a huge step…but one that I needed to take-one we ALL need to take. We need to start building the bridge away from fear, we need, as Ruth Soukup (an amazingly, inspirational entrepreneur), states, to “exercising your courage muscle”. So, what should you do to start exercising?  Identify your dream. Then STEP!

This is Just the Beginning

If you’re just starting to “exercise” that fear away, you’re not alone. I’m in the midst of this journey as well! I will tell you, that my current success from that first step of becoming a freelance writer, to diving in and creating this blog entirely on my own started with those small steps and “willing” the fear out of me. Seriously. I became so excited about the prospect of starting this adventure and so frustrated with the fear itself, that I just started walking THROUGH it.  Don’t get me wrong, at times you need to be your own cheering section through this process and it isn’t easy! I’m still getting stuck(i.e…writing this blog). As I moved through the steps, however, I began to realize that this was just the beginning and that it was ok. That I WAS, in fact, moving toward my goal…not away from it. I was paralyzed last month by fear and decided it was good to take a small break in order to regroup, reenergize, and reconnect. How did I get to the point where I felt like I could write this? I found some outside inspiration. Let me introduce you to Ruth Soukup.

I’ll take my Goals- 86 the Fear and Add the Inspiration, Please!

Let’s face it, sometimes we all need a little push, perhaps a little inspiration to get over those days (or weeks, in my case), where fear takes over your beloved dreams and stops them faster than quicksand. In the last months, I began reading one of my favorite blogs, The Work at Home Woman. In that time, I grabbed a lot of  inspiration from Holly and her team as I was feeling pretty defeated.  It was at here that I discovered Ruth Soukup, a successful entrepreneur, blogger, NY Times Best Selling Author and more! I read and read all about her personal story, her professional background and countless case studies surrounding her online course that she developed. After taking a big breath, I sucked in my fear (literally), and enrolled in her Elite Blogging Academy course. I’m just at the beginning of this course but, I LOVE it. Point is…if you’re stuck in the muck with fear, your first step may be opening your eyes and seeing what’s out there for some outward inspiration.

Here are some ideas of where you can look:

  • Seek people who are in your niche who have risen above obstacles:
    • online (i.e. search how to overcome fears about…and insert)
    • inquire with friends
    • tap into networks of coworkers

These are the people who may have been in your same shoes and will provide some additional advice on how they rose above their own fears to achieve their goals/dreams.

The DO IT SCARED Movement: Like the Honey in my Coffee

Sometimes life has a sense of humor-right? I mean, in a good way. Flash forward a few weeks later and I’m back at it…trying to fight fear and move on with my goals. All of a sudden, quite out of the blue, I’m reading a post from Ruth Soukup about fear and she states: “Courage doesn’t mean we are never afraid. Instead, courage is being scared but taking ACTION anyway, despite our fear”. HOLY mackerel-now why haven’t I thought of that? Being afraid is actually OK…letting the fear STOP you…not so much. I’m just at the beginning of these podcasts, but they are pretty AMAZING!  What’s so  awesome about this podcast? There are worksheets, full transcripts AND there you may be topics you love, there may not be–choose what you feel resonates with you…its all up there, and it’s all FREE. Check it out here: https://doitscared.com/episodes/  

Moving Forward…

Here’s a few ways to start off if you’ve found that fear is sabotaging you the way it has me recently:

  1.  TAKE A STEP–any step. Remember-the only way to fail is to stop. Perhaps start off  by writing down your dreams/goals-or draw them out, or look online for ideas.
  2. Find some Inspiration! Ruth Soukup’s messages through her online courses and now, in her podcasts, are moving and motivating–listen to one here:https://doitscared.com/episode1/
  3. Remember-it’s actually good to be scared…just don’t let that fear stop you!
  4.  Failing? FAIL better…if it’s one thing I’ve read over and over that seems to make the most sense is that through failure, we learn, we grow, we get one step closer to those goals. Keep moving toward what you love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Excellent Easter & Spring Crafts!

 

Easter and Spring

Spring has sprung!

It’s official, spring is here! While Mother Nature may be singing a different tune, (hello New England snow), yesterday officially marked the first day of a new season and with it, of course, comes new crafting, learning and decorating opportunities-YAY! I absolutely LOVE decorating for a new season or holiday…and the BEST part is…so do the kiddos! I use every opportunity imaginable to let our kids change over the décor in the house in celebration for the newest season. They love making crafts, looking through bins to find crafts from the year prior, and finding new ideas to create items for the house! Honestly, kids are so super creative, that I’ve learned to let go of my “gotta control the perfection” bit in lieu of adorable kid décor. IT’s amazing! Our kids get so excited to see their art work or crafts adorned all over our house; it’s super fun!

In preparation for this season of “newness”, we’ve located some amazing crafting/learning opportunities (that double as awesome decorating ideas) to share with all of you (double YAY!)

Whether you celebrate Easter, Passover or the entering of a new season, we have you covered with five of the most adorable ways to teach, celebrate and decorate the start of this awesome, new season.

Easy-Peasy Foam Eggs

Easter and Spring Crafts!

Easter and Spring Crafts! Foam Eggs-created by your littles!

Want an adorable way to celebrate Easter and spring? Try creating eggs using foam pieces or find a kit with all of the goodies already created for you! Here are some fun ways to create AND decorate:

What you will need: (affiliate links below)

        • Foam pieces to cut out the egg shapes
        • Glue sticks
        • Cute Foam Shapes such as these:

IF you’re super short on time or just excited to dive in and leave some of the cutting to someone else–here’s another option for you (this is exactly the one I purchased last year–it lasted me until this year!)

Here are two other kits that come with everything you want to create and decorate:

 

From there we just got down to decorating our eggs! We made a wreath and used extra eggs to make a decorative banner above our plain cabinets! So fun!

Excellent Easter/Spring Crafts!

Decorate for Easter and Sprig

Spring-up those boring spaces with kid art!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why We LOVE this

Why We Love This: A Plethora of Teachable Moments

 

  • Builds fine motor development for littles learning how to use scissors or apply intricate, decorative pieces.
  • Offers the chance to for children to express creativity (check out the “flying egg featured above left).
  • If teaching colors, it provides a great sounding board to discuss the different colored eggs.
  • If teaching counting, how may eggs do you see? How many green eggs? Yellow eggs?
  • Teaching patterns-use different designs to create patterns such as: polka dots, lines, polka dots, lines.
  • Discuss/show animals that hatch from eggs (chickens, snakes, other birds, turtles).

More adorable crafts: for Easter or Spring–Whatever your Thing!

 

Peek-a-boo Clothespin Eggs from One Little Project at a Time:

How cute are these? One Little Project gives an easy tutorial for creating these adorable eggs!

Want to check out this tutorial? Here’s the link! http://onelittleproject.com/peekaboo-clothespin-eggs/

Peek-a-boo Clothespin Eggs

These peekaboo clothespin eggs are so easy to make and they look SO CUTE! Each one takes less than 5 minutes to make and they look adorable! They're an awesome low mess craft idea and are such an adorable Easter craft idea!! My kids loved seeing the surprise chick inside the egg!

peekaboo eggs from:http://onelittleproject.com/peekaboo-clothespin-eggs/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Science and art fun with coffee filter flowers

 

Science meets Art and Spring:

Coffee-Filter Flower Water Color Craft!

Awesome idea found on fun-a-day: https://fun-a-day.com/colorful-science-and-art-experiment-for-spring/#comment-179649

Two years ago, I explored the concept of chromatography with our, then, four year old budding scientist. Flash-forward two years later and she ABSOLUTELY can’t get enough of science or chemistry! You can bet this project from fun-a-day is on our list this week!

This great project combines art and science all within an AWESOME spring theme! Exploring color and how they combine to create other colors is just one awesome learning tool that you can go over with even your littlest of learners!

Why We LOVE this

Why We Love This:

The combined learning, hands-on fun! Fun-A-Day breaks down other learning possibilities with this such as:

  • Color absorption (rates of absorption)
  • Saturation
  • Fine Motor Skill Practice-using eye droppers

Other awesome reasons to love this crafty learning experience:

  • Accessible to younger learners–I’m not afraid to try this with our three-year old!
  • Can be easily modified for older budding scientists.
  • Simple to access supplies! I’m actually trying food coloring with this first, then the watercolors!

 

 Catch that Caterpillar Craft!

15 Very Hungry Caterpillar Crafts for Kids

Adorable clothes pin caterpillar found on teachingmama.org can be created after reading the Very Hungry Caterpillar, (affiliate link below) by Eric Carle, or you can create your own multi-colored caterpillar using a clothespin! (more to come here!)

 

Colorful Coffee Filter Butterflies!

Find this fun idea on Honey & Lime: http://www.honeyandlime.co/2012/03/spring-crafts-for-kids-coffee-filter-butterfly-craft.html

Yes…I’m one of those peop that if I have already bought coffee filters for one fun project, why not keep it going? What’s spring without a mini-lesson on metamorphosis? Well-stay-tuned! Aside from this adorable craft from Honey & Lime below, we have a book recommendations and a way to take this spring learning experience to the next level!

This adorable craft can be created on a separate day as your caterpillar craft or on the same day!

All you really need to transform a caterpillar into a butterfly can be found on Honey and Lime! White coffee filters, paint and pipe cleaners!

Wrapping it Up:

For these spring-inspired ideas, our kiddos took center stage! Most of these ideas are Pinterest inspired but instead of searching, you can always stop by here to grab some quick go-to ideas (rather than searching yourself!). All of these crafts are great to use for learning, crafting, and decorating–a win, win, WIN in my book any day! Stay tuned for some add on ideas to the caterpillar theme!

 

Saint Patrick’s Day Learning Fun!

St. Patrick's Day Felt Board Fun

St. Patrick’s Day Learning Fun! From The Teaching Mamas:https://www.etsy.com/listing/586480850/st-patricks-day-felt-board-fun?ref=shop_home_active_1

With the month of March living up to it’s “in like a lion, out like a lamb” motto, I was quickly searching for some additional Saint Patrick’s Day learning fun to eat up time after snow-day activities wrap up. I found it took me a little bit of time to go through all of those awesome pins and posts for the next, (and arguably -by my husband’s criteria-most fun), holiday in the line up leading to Easter.

While celebrating the luck of the Irish, (Irish or not), we’ve nailed down some adorable crafts combined with learning that surely aim to please!

Hands on Learning Age Preschool and Up! 

http://www.growingajeweledrose.com/2016/02/kids-science-for-st-patricks-day.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+blogspot/VvbGJ+(Growing+A+Jeweled+Rose)

Handprint Rainbow

Handprint Rainbow Keepsake by The Logans

Hand Print Rainbow:

Have littles learning their colors? What better way to talk about the legends associated with Saint Patrick’s Day than to incorporate making their own rainbow and “pot of gold”? Not only is it fun, you can put it in a sheet protector or laminate it and have it for years to come !

BONUS Activity: Do you want a way for your kiddos to reflect on how lucky or blessed they are this St. Patrick’s Day? Put gold coins out for them to add what they feel “lucky” for. You can ask your little ones what is so special in their lives that they love! Then write it down on a gold coin like this:

Awesome learning~ OUTSIDE THE BOX!

Saint Patrick's Day Learning Fun!

St. Patrick’s Day Learning Felt Activity from The Teaching Mamas:https://www.etsy.com/listing/586480850/st-patricks-day-felt-board-fun?ref=shop_home_active_1

Want to pull off some awesome hands-on learning activities but find that your day just seems to slip away from you? NO WORRIES! The Teaching Mamas, a new and upcoming store filled with AMAZING hands-on learning opportunities, has the perfect solution!

This awesome Saint Patrick’s Day themed box can be used throughout this month leading into spring!

Teach Colors with Felt!

Teach Colors with Fun Felt!

Teaching Numbers

Teach numbers using felt coins!

 

Counting Fun with Clovers!

Counting Fun with Clovers

Counting Fun!

Counting Fun with Gold Coins!

 

Why We LOVE this

Why We Love This:

  • Multiple teaching opportunities: colors, numbers, and fine-motor skills
  • Inexpensive: Only $15.00 on Etsy!
  • Learning board can be used over and over again.
  • Kiddos LOVE felt–the soft feel, bright colors, interchangeability, AND the fact that you could apply other felt activities to this one!

Link to purchase: https://www.etsy.com/listing/586480850/st-patricks-day-felt-board-fun?ref=shop_home_active_1

Religious Focus for Saint Patrick’s Day: I found this AWESOME packet on TeacherspayTeachers:

St. Patrick's Day Bible Activity Pack

Grab it here:https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/St-Patricks-Day-Bible-Activity-Pack-3026510

St. Patrick's Day Bible Activity Pack

Why We LOVE this

Why We Love This:

Cost: SUPER INEXPENSIVE! ONLY $5.00!

*Extremely easy download–after purchase it took me about 2 minutes to complete

*Great for littles (age 2+) all the way through Grade 1

*Multiple Activities! This pack includes coloring pages, mazes, a shamrock craft to create highlighting the Trinity and much more!

 

I've read that everyone's Irish on St. Patrick's Day, so we show show our lucky side with awesome homemade slime. Our last name is Irish, so of course we had to make a St Patricks Day slime recipe this year. Our St Patricks Day slime is a fun activity for science and sensory play all in one!

Saint Patrick’s Day Slime!  

What’s more fun than creating slime? It’s an activity EVERYONE LOVES!  FOUR SIMPLE recipes to do so!  This awesome website: Little bits for Little Hands gives you the run down: https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/st-patricks-day-slime-recipe-holiday-sensory-play/

This awesome site gives you four different ways to create that “can’t get enough of” slime!

  1. Fluffy Slime with shaving cream
  2. Borax Slime!
  3. Liquid Starch Slime!
  4. Saline Solution Slime!

Below are the recipes provided on Little Bins for Little Hands:

 

Valentine’s Day Ideas for Every Budget!

Looking for the not-so-obvious Valentine’s gifts? Try including your kiddos in on the fun to create a sweet statement for your loved one in the next couple of days!

Looking for a different way to express your love this Valentine’s day? Maybe the chocolate, dinner, flowers, thing is too much of a “been there” done that? OR maybe you want to break away from tradition and celebrate your love JUST BECAUSE on February 15th! Whatever your reason, if you’re searching for something new, different, and, otherwise, UNEXPECTED, for you and the number one love in your life…we have some awesome ideas below:

We’ve sectioned out these ideas into categories and spending brackets…just in case the holidays are STILL wreaking havoc on your budget!  We included a price-indicator sheet just in case you weren’t certain what our symbols meant!

$-Least Expensive…or in some cases, FREE! (we will scream it out—FREE—if that’s what it ends up being)
$$-Mid-Range Cost—usually under $60.00
$$$-Most Expensive—looking at $100.00 or more in cost

Hello, Valentines? Party of 6? Getting the Kiddos Involved:

Think it’s too late to get original? No Sitter? NO problem! Check out these sure-fire ways to show the L-O-V-E and have fun with the kids in the process…win-win!

Get Crafty This Valentine’s Day!

$

Here’s two ideas we’ve done in the past when time and money weren’t necessarily on our side:

1.Make art pictures in the snow! Last year, we made art in the snow using food coloring (also works with washable paint in plastic ketchup and mustard bottles), then we took pictures of our designs to frame and give!

2.Handprints on Cardstock to look like flowers (adorable).

 

CREATE YOUR OWN POTTERY PLATE OR MUG

$$ *time sensitive–we have an idea on how to make it work!

Have your kiddos create their own plate or mug at a pottery studio. *NOTE—many of these places have timeframes which could include up to a week’s turnaround time to fire up the creation. Here’s how to get around that tricky little detail:

  1. Take kids to create pottery at pottery studio.
  2. Take pics of kids creating their works of art!
  3. Print up pics at local shop and have kiddos place them in a box or bag for your special someone!

IF you can get the items in time for the big day OR even if it’s after Wednesday….here’s what you can do:

On Valentine’s morning, afternoon or evening, make breakfast, lunch or dinner for your loved one with the kiddos…and serve it in their newly designed plate or mug. An adorable, unique way to say “WE LOVE YOU!”

RECREATE THAT SPECIAL PLACE!

$$$ *time sensitive–but COULD BE DONE IN THE NEXT TWO DAYS!

You and the kiddos could recreate a favorite place, moment for your loved one. Does your wife, hubby or partner love the beach but it’s all of 20 degrees outside? Bring the beach home. Here’s the beach theme idea:
1. Two or more plastic kiddo pools (find them here)
2. Blow up palm trees (find them here)
3. Blue cellophane to cover your floor for the look of the “ocean” Find it here:
4. Buy or create moon sand (recipe here—kids LOVE making this)
5. Use shells from last summer’s favorite beach trip OR purchase some extras here:
6. Download ocean waves sounds on your wireless speaker or phone(we have a wireless speaker and it’s AMAZING-check it out here)
7. Beach chairs by the pool filled with sand (if you need new ones-grab a couple here)

You and the kiddos could create tropical drinks and a tropical menu for dinner!  Certainly, to be a Valentine’s your lovey won’t forget!

 

Letter Learning FUN Name Game!

Learning thise letters

Inspired by our littlest guy, this letter learning name game is fun to make and play! Here’s a little background history on this game: Our daughter knew her letters before the age of two.I mean–not even just knew the “big” letters (capitals), she knew how to distinguish between “big A” and “little a”. She is our little “sponge”, soaking everything up and loving learning since she was born!  Science, Math, Language Arts–you name it, she can’t get enough! We used sign language early on and graduated to lettered blocks, flash cards, tracing and independent writing as she was deciphering letters and letter sounds. She was definitely happy with any teaching method we presented-traditional or non.

Moving forward, we knew with our littlest guy,who also loves learning-(what child doesn’t?!), that we needed to take a little bit of a different approach to teaching and learning. Honestly, I was psyched about investigating other ways of presenting ideas to him (like letters/letter sounds), because I love discovering new ways to teach!  In my search for something that would connect well with his interests,I stumbled upon an idea and turned it into our very own fun letter learning name game! Here it is:

 

Fun. easy DIY letter game

Letter Learning Name Game!

Letter Learning Name Game!

Learning Goals:

  • Practice letter recognition
  • Letter sounds
  • Letters associated with their name
  • Practice fine motor grasping skills

Age range: This game IS fun for all ages with supervision! However, it may be a bit redundant for children over the age of 5 or if the child already knows how to spell their name and knows their letters.

Supplies you will need OR can easily purchase below:

To create the close pin letter game pieces:

      1. Close pins (larger ones not the mini ones)–enough for the letters in your child’s name or the whole alphabet
      2. Acrylic Paint or washable water color (unless the close pins are already painted–see option below).
      3. Marker or pre-printed letters to adhere to the close pins
      4. Modge Podge–a crafters favorite!

     

Supplies for the “game board”

Please remember these are just ideas! If you think of something else, we would love to hear from you so we can post it and add on!

  • Pre-printed letters OR a marker to simply write the letters down.

Ideas for material to use as the base for your game board:

  • Construction paper-(to add letters)
  • Paper Plate (also a base for the letters)
  • Stock paper

Additionally ADORABLE IDEA:

Ask your kiddos to get involved in the creation of their board game: Have kiddos cut/create the board game using one or more of the materials above into a shape of something they love-shape of a truck, animal, a basketball or baseball…you name it!

Steps for Creating these Easy Letter Learning Name Game Pieces: 

Painted Close Pins Ready for Mod Podge!

***There are affiliate ads present below!***

Step 1: Painting

If painting: paint all of the closepins with two separate coats. Let dry.

Step 2: Mod Podge


  • Add one coat of Mod Podge to seal the paint.
    • Tip: Paint on Mod Podge thinly, careful not to over paint it as it will dry in clumps.

Step 3: Letters 

  • After the Mod Podge is dry, add letters with Sharpie Marker OR pre-printed letters.
  • Allow Marker to dry or letters to stick onto close pins.

Step 4: MORE Mod!

  • Add one-two more coats of Mod Podge, allowing each coat to fully dry before adding another.

Game Time!

First: we played with the close pins, opening and closing them. We also reviewed the letters we were using by calling each one out on both the close pins and the game board!

  1. Simply calling out the letters to see who can find them and attach them to the right spaces.
  2. A timed/see whose faster game where each person (adult and kiddo or kiddo versus kiddo) takes their game boards and yells out each letter the find as they quickly scramble to see who can “build” their name first! ***

**For the second game option–we did this one after much practice with our little guy. He needed to learn the letters and feel secure before the fun of timing it took place! Let me tell you, though, once we timed it, he wanted to play over and over again!

 

Yummy Eggs!

 

Our daughter, typically, WILL NOT touch anything green. Don’t get me wrong, she’s an awesome eater in most other colors of the rainbow…all EXCEPT green. She didn’t start off with a distaste for the color green. From the time she started investigating solid foods through age 2, she wouldn’t hesitate to gobble things up like plain avocado or even avocado and peanut butter sandwiches! After reading an article on the benefit of using the rainbow to do a nutrition check on the types of foods your kids get in a day, it quickly dawned on me that we weren’t great at offering things like salads, peas or, anything green for that matter to our little girl. After quite a few failed attempts, I decided that I needed to get creative and fast. So, I started with breakfast. Our daughter already loved eggs, now it was time to improvise: “Scrambly” Egg, meet, Mr. Spinach.

Green Eggs…Minus the Ham

(Affiliate Ads are BELOW!)

Have kiddos that love eggs? This easy, yummy scrambled egg concoction is now a hit with all the kiddos…even our littlest eater! Aside from being absolutely awesome, spinach is a GREAT super food!  Here are some super health benefits according to the Mayo Clinc spinach is:

  • High in vitamins A and C
  • High in folate
  • Antioxidant compounds
  • Great source of magnesium
  • Carotenoids found in spinach like beta carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin are protective against some vision diseases.
  • Protective against heart disease and certain cancers.

Win-Win! The last reason why these eggs are EGG-ceptional? These eggs are so quick and easy, our kiddos LOVE to make them.

Here’s the SUPER simple way we cook up some “scrambly” eggs in our house:

Heads UP:….we use our own measurements for taste–meaning our kids use their own measurements…NOTHING is exact here!

Second HEADS UP:  MOST of our ingredients are organic but you don’t HAVE to use those!

  • 2-3 Organic or Free-Range Eggs
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese–(if your kiddos like it cheesy…add more!)
  • 4-5 spinach leafs….AGAIN–no EXACT amount here!
  • 1/4 cup Organic Milk….dependent on egg amount and if you want to add or not!
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper…or more! Some like it hot!
  • 1/2 teaspoon of butter or olive oil–we use butter!

Heat pan gradually on low-medium heat. Crack eggs, scramble and add the rest of the ingredients! Put butter or oil in pan after all ingredients are stirred.

SIDE SUGGESTION: We also cook up some toast or a bagel and fruit! Pure YUMMY!



A few of our ingredients….

Breaking up those spinach leafs!

Shake that pepper!

Stir it up!

That’s all we do! Of course, we have our kiddos wash those hands after preparing this tasty breakfast dish, but one of the best parts is that they made it all on their own!

Organize- Don’t Fear the New Year!

Organizing, organizing, organizing…eeek. Tis’ the time of year where some of us might begin to analyze certain areas of life that could use well…let’s say…some revamping.

Today, being New Years Day, (and being that my three year old is yet again enjoying his nap across my lap), I began to seek out some fun, easy ways to organize and de-clutter certain unrecognizable areas of our home (my crafting/Pinterest obsession has begun to oooze its way around the furniture like some alien infestation).

Taking action is something I’m a bit slow at…but, wait, let me clarify. I’m SPECIFICALLY slow in areas that seem so encompassing/overwhelming.  Knowing this about myself, I devised an action plan to help organize some deliberately ignored space in our home. ALSO realizing that I’m probably not alone in this organizing expedition, I decided to share this brave adventure of mine.

Part One: Search and Seizure:

So, as I began earlier, I started this plan while planted on my couch today with our three year old completely cozy and loving his “lap nap”. As I was “forced” to sit, (I secretly –or not so secretly if you know me–LOVE this cozy time with him), I began to ponder what it was that I wanted to “take on” in this New Year. Yes, I’m “one of those” who gets  immediately  ramped up to start some KIND of SOMETHING upon the dropping of the ball with Ryan Seacrest. There’s just this indescribable drive I feel with the start of a new, ANYTHING. New Year, new season, new dress…you name it. I just get an insatiable “spark” of energy and the ball gets rolling. In this case, it rolled myself into the dark realization that I needed to organize. LIKE, BIG TIME- check out exhibit A below). All I know is that this invisible energy seems to propel me into each New Year like a bull after a red cloth. I’m pretty much ready to take on the world. Right now, though, I’m starting with my home. My space. Well, one space in particular.

Step 1: Space it out: Pick one and ORGANIZE IT!

Simply put: identify one area of your home, office or wherever that you feel the clutter has truly gotten out of control. For us: it was our bedroom for certain.

Here’s a little glimpse at ONE corner I’m focusing on. (Oh there’s more…so much more):

 

I Spy….EVERYTHING— EVERYWHERE!

Step 2: ” I Spy with my Little Eye…”

As you look at the chosen one in terms of space, ask yourself “what’s really going on here?” What’s making this space unusable? What do you “spy” that doesn’t really belong? Firetrucks and Legos in the way? How about remains from last years awesomely Pinterest’ed birthday party extravaganza? Mementos from that great Hilton Head vaca? You really want to identify the “stuff” so you can move it where it belongs..whether it’s back to the play room or into the trash bin!

Step 3: Take Action… (aka..Amazon it)

Affiliate Site associate with this at the bottom!

Now that you know you actually have a science experiment growing in your mudroom…search out some great, cheap fixes that  might help with the declutter.

Below are a few Amazon picks I found quickly today. Be on the look out for Part 2…which will have oh-so-more!

 

Don’t know but there’s just something about cubbies….Even if you have

Loved this! Comes in different colors…can TOTALLY picture this at the end of our bed….perfect for when I have NO clue on where I want to put some things but need somewhere to place them– and fast!

Are the toys the culprit? Here’s an awesome toy storage box with great reviews, won’t take up much space AND it’s $22.00! Win, Win, Win!

Have little guys that like to see what’s out there to play with? Here’s another toy storage option with a little more accessibility for your little ones! Colorful, not a huge space eater, receives great reviews AND it’s eleven bucks more than the option above. FAN-TASTIC!

If your budget line is “anything under $100.00”, look no further. This next option is made of wood, comes with 12 plastic cubbies, and has multiple color combinations!


Run Mama Run!

 

I haven’t run since June. J-U-N-E. It’s November. Almost two full seasons have passed. Five months. Whoa. As this very real piece of my reality waved over me,I stood in the shower this morning and recalled another another significant number. The number of days it’s been since I’ve taken a shower. THREE. Yikes. Those poor parents at story time. Whoa. Time to run, mama, R-U-N.

Perhaps you’ve seen it. I know I’ve lived it. The mom who enters the grocery store, cell phone in one hand, baby in another, purse wildly dangling from her shoulder. Her hair in a lopsided ponytail (perhaps some reminisce from playing “hairdresser” with her toddler), and she smiles all the same while pulling a shopping with her right foot, balancing her precious cargo with her left. Ah…the great balancing act. Many of us live it twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week and by the grace of God, we attempt to manage it all. However, without fail, we also manage to forgo one key factor in this crazy balancing act: OURSELVES. Yes…Y.O.U. ME, I, the forgotten, the abandoned, the wounded without the advance of chicken noodle soup to calm our souls. The one left lying in bed at night making lists and figuring the schedule out for the holidays months in advance. YES…Y.O.U. You remember her, right?

To Run or Not to Run….

I love running but I don’t consider myself a runner.  Let me clarify by saying  I’m not the get up at five a.m., strap on sneakers in twenty-degree weather, (although those runners are my heroes), get up and go kind of runner. I’ve never run a marathon or even a half marathon. Honestly, 5k’s are usually my BFF’s and, honestly,  I haven’t been a great best friend to those either… not since five months ago.  I’m the runner who loves to run but puts everything else above it. Honestly, I get caught up balancing everything else that I even forgo showering at times. Somewhat commendable but, as time wears on, so does my ability to balance everything and feel good about it. Essentially, I needed to return to those things that make me…well, ME.

The Ah-Ha Moment

Self reflection is not necessarily my forte. OK, there were times when I would pause to make a mental note whilst whipping by a mirror that low lights were great if your hairdresser purposely puts them in. But these “pauses” were simply not enough. Eventually, after weeks of going and going, I would inevitably become irritable and after a month, I finally realized, why I was slowly losing my gumption, my ability to be more positive. I actually hadn’t been out alone to go running, shopping, reading, or even to simply sing out loud in the car without the occasional “mama can you please NOT sing” requests in over FOUR WEEKS. Ah-ha.

So this is WHAT Self Reflection Looks Like…

After some serious contemplation, I went upstairs to do something, anything that might trigger a starting point. So, I started with the most obvious (and easiest), the mirror. My hairdresser hadn’t seen my face (or sparklers that were starting to sprout), in about a year. Hmph.  In the midst of some rather vain self reflection and excitement by my revelation of possibilities ( do I goto the gym, grab a pedi, or a wax of any kind),  it dawned on me. There it was. Staring at me-stubble and all, (yes, I needed to shave my legs too), all I needed to do was to take care of ME.  I needed to be my best in order to be everyone’s best. That could mean an array of things.

Treasures NOT Chores

I wanted it all. The most perfect balance between wife, mommy, friend, and myself  (or as close as I could find it for myself). I wanted to feel great about teaching my kids day in and out, all while knowing I could leave and go for a solid run and maybe, just maybe, pick up on that book I put down in 2010 (true story…I’m staring at it lodged under some crafting materials as we speak). I recently stumbled upon an article about self-care in parenting in the Washington Post where writer Lindsey Roberts really resonated with what I was discovering that night. She simply states that being on and ready for your children at all times can cause burnout and make things that could be everyday treasures feel like everyday chores. Wow. A chore? EEK. I certainly didn’t want to get to the point where spending time with my “littles” felt like a chore. I loved it. I mean genuinely. every. second. That’s when it dawned on me that this could very well effect my family as well. That’s when I felt the good ol’ kick in the tush to change-and quick.

Take care, YOU

Remember that line in Pretty Woman where  “Vivienne” (Julia Roberts) tells her best friend “Kit” to “take care, you”? Well, as ridiculously corny as it may seem, for some reason, that line continually popped into my head as I continued to think about how I really needed to take care of ME. That it wasn’t a selfish act to take care of myself and, that in fact, it was a necessity.

Self-Care is NOT Selfish

In that same Washington Post article, Roberts offers a salient reminder to erase the guilt and remember that self-care is NOT selfish.  When was the last time you grabbed a sitter so you could do something because you liked it? How about asked your spouse or partner for alone time? Below are some quick tips which combine some things I’ve tried and LOVED as well as some ideas from Roberts to help you get back to being YOU:

  • Find A Day…any day

As soon as I discovered that all I really need was some “me time” I spoke with my husband to try to work out one day a week where I could get some “daylight” hours alone. Prior to this, I was getting out a little here and there…but at 9:00 at night.I felt like some strange nocturnal mommy who never sees daylight alone. We were able to work out Tuesdays as my day to get out (in fact this week, I got a haircut and highlights! YAY!)

  • Get a Sitter:

If the weekly day out doesn’t work for your schedules right away, start slow and choose a day every other week or on the weekend where you can snag a sitter or family member.

  • Make a List About YOU:

So, what do you do when you finally DO get that moment to yourself again? Grab a coffee? Go for a run? Call a friend? If you’re like me, it’s been way too long since I ventured out alone and even longer since I even entertained a thought of what it is I like to do when I am alone. I made a list that answered these questions:

  • What are things  I really enjoy? (Think-outside or inside? Crafting or Biking?)
  • A place I love to go? FOR ME.
  • Do I need alone time or a space that has many people?

Right at the top of my list–the gym. Not because I thought I needed to lose a few pounds, but rather because, for me, that was where I knew I could start to revive my running and a little piece of me.  So, without hesitation,(or much money in my pocket), I opened up a membership at a nearby YMCA to jump start running again (I run treadmills in the winter..I know, I know–I haven’t broken into the cold yet).

  • Go Out or Stay In

Some of us find pure bliss in the idea of getting outside to fulfill our much needed alone time. Others need time alone, simply at home. Figure out what will help you to feel more refreshed as an individual–then ask for it!

Run if you wanna Run….

Is this a perfect system-NOPE! I balance my new found weekly “three hours for me” figuring out which road I would enjoy most (a quiet gaze at the magazines at Barnes and Nobles or go for a run at the gym). However, I DO know that if I want to run, I’ve got the time and, by golly, I’m gonna run.