It's finally Friday! It's been a hectic week and I'm ready for the weekend. I was over at momtastic earlier this week posting on how to make a nature bowl with the kids and more family friendly finds from around the web. I've been reading A LOT of interesting parenting posts lately so I thought I'd share some of my favorites. In no particular order, here they are: The New York Times is talking about raising siblings to be friends. They mention the book … [Read more...]
Why One Big Blogger Says “Do NOT Take Your Little Ones to Cars 2”
Hi all, I'm off enjoying the holiday with the family today and I hope you're doing the same. I just wanted to stop in quickly and share this with you in case you were considering hitting up a showing of Cars 2 with the kiddos today. Rookie Moms makes a short and convincing case on why that might not be such a good plan. Check it out and have a happy 4th! Similar Stuff: How Thomas the Tank Engine Can Make Your Kids Smart & Popular Do You Mighty Machine? Dolls for Boys in Honor … [Read more...]
Top 3 Resources for Getting Out and About with Young Kids
Very, very soon I'm going to find myself in the precarious position of being a mom to a 2 year old and a 1 year old. To be honest, I'd say we've actually been managing activities, nap times, and errands pretty well since S arrived into the world. For some reason, though, the thought of having two kiddos only a year apart kinda freaks me out! This is partly because it can be a challenge to find appropriate activities that are fun and engaging for both of my little ones. But believe … [Read more...]
Quotes for Kid Spaces
Isn't this play room stunning? It was featured in the spring edition of Lonny Magazine (and spotted by me at Chic & Cheap Nursery). My favorite part is the large scale quote on the wall. You may not be ready to make such a grand statement in your home, but there are lots of other ways to incorporate the written word into kid spaces. And I just happen to have a whole file of quotes saved up. For example, I found this free printable over at Making It Lovely a while … [Read more...]
Two Super Cool Ideas to Get Little Ones Reading
Due to Blogger being down, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to post today so I went the lazy route and planned on a 3-day weekend. Then, of course, Blogger came back to life and I'm feeling like I have to give you something for today. So how about a little reading-to-kids inspiration? First is this amazing closet turned reading nook I spied over at Ohdeedoh this week by Thrifty Decor Chick. Seriously - I'm about to build a closet somewhere in my house just so I can convert it to a … [Read more...]
Mini-Tutorial: Super Simple Baby Blanket
I've been meaning to share a mini-tutorial on these easy-peasy baby blankets for a while now. But then things got a little crazy and I thought I missed my window - cotton flannel blankets don't exactly scream spring time. But now it seems that someone forgot to tell Mother Nature about Spring (it's down-right nippy in Seattle today). Maybe I didn't miss my window after all? Plus, even spring and summer babies love to be swaddled and these can easily be made with a lighter … [Read more...]
Why You Really Do Need to “Squish” Your Toddler Into a Rear-Facing Car Seat
This is a picture of C (age 21 months) and S (age 1 month) after a particularly exhausting trip to the zoo. If you're the parent of a toddler you might think there's something funny about this picture. C is still facing backwards despite being a full 9 months past the 1 year mark when most parents turn their children to face forward. That's because I'm fortunate enough to have as one of my closest friends a woman whom I've dubbed the car seat guru. We met in a mommy group when C was … [Read more...]
Honoring Kids’ Artwork: Part 5 – Transform It
For the conclusion of this series, I've got one last way to keep kids' art over the long term - by turning it into something else. There are a ton of options out there for doing this, ranging from homemade crafty to high tech and professional. Above is a beautiful example of a blog header made from a finger painting. photos via lilla a And here is lilla a's transformation of a child's drawing into a cuddly doll. If you'd like to try this but aren't sure where to start, check … [Read more...]
Family Dinner Conversation Starters
I recently posted about some clever placemats that help get kids talking about their day. If you'd like to foster even more communication at the dinner table, be sure to check out these Family Dinner Questions over at HowDoesShe? They've compiled an impressive list of topics to cover while you're chowing down. Themes are varied and are sure to generate answers ranging from surprising and silly to sweet and insightful. … [Read more...]