Archive for June 2017

4th of July Styles for Little Men

June 30, 2017

We're all packed up and hitting the road for a long 4th of July weekend at the lake. Heavens, I'm not sure there is anything more patriotic than a suitcase full of red, white and blue. I've rounded up all our favorite Independence Day styles for your little guys. From the beach, to late night fireworks, to bedtime; there's something here for every occasion. 



I'm signing off for the (long) weekend to enjoy some much needed family time, I hope you all have the very best 4th of July with your loved ones!!! 

Ice Cream Playdough

June 16, 2017

Ok Mommas, (Daddys, babysitters, etc.) It's the middle of June. Summer is in full swing. Are your kids bored yet? Are you pulling out your hair trying to keep them entertained? I've got an easy activity to add to your arsenal! It was a big hit here and I know your kids will love it too....

ICE CREAM PLAYDOUGH.


Ok so the name is a little bit misleading, it's not made with ice cream, but it does end up looking like ice cream once it's made. It's super simple to make: 

1 can of frosting (any flavor you like!)
2 1/2 to 3 cups of powdered sugar (until it's not sticky anymore)

Just add the whole can of frosting to a bowl and then 1/2 cups at a time mix in powdered sugar until it's no longer sticky. A stand mixer works best for this, or you can be like me and use a wooden spoon and get in your arm workout for the day. I'm all about two birds with one stone. 

You can use different flavors of frosting (think strawberry, key lime, funfetti!) to make different colored playdough that looks like various flavors of ice cream. Our frosting was chocolate so we made chocolate ice cream playdough. 

Once it's made you'll want to dump into a container for your kids to play with. Then you'll want to round up some play tools! If you have a sand ice cream set or a toy ice cream set those would work awesome for this, but I don't so I worked with what we had - silicon muffin liners, a waffle cone, sprinkles, various dishes, a spoon, and an ice cream scoop.





Jacob had an absolute blast scooping, dumping, decorating, and pretending to eat and serve his ice cream. If your kids get carried away and decide to eat some - no worries! Those two ingredients are completely edible, thought they MAY give your kids a major sugar rush. So maybe try this out after nap, not before. 


THREE.

June 10, 2017

Today you are the chattiest guy we know, narrating our whole lives step by step. When you aren’t talking, you are busy singing your favorite songs – ABCs, If You’re Happy and You Know it, Bad Romance, Skinnamarinky Dinky Dink, and Row, Row, Row your boat. You love to sing call and response style, singing a line and then waiting for us to sing the next one. 

Today you are a social butterfly who loves the attention of everyone around him. You love your friends, are good at sharing, and always cry when it’s time to part. 

Today you are still a champion napper, every day from 1-3. You go to bed a little later now – 8:00 and sleep in till around 7:30. You are still in your crib (for now!) and love the security of it around you. You sleep with your blankie hugged tight and lots of your stuffed animals around you. 

Today you are slowly getting your varied tastes in food back, but still prefer steak, pizza, PB&J, French fries, broccoli, and anything sweet. You turn on your charm and try to negotiate your way to get sweets instead of healthy food. 

Today you are obsessed with technology. You love to watch Pocoyo, Word Party, and Fireman Sam on tv. You love to play games on the iPad and our phones, especially My Talking Hank. We have to give you a time limit or you would play them all day!

Today you are silly and energetic, always on the go. You have the biggest, spunkiest smile that lights up the whole room. You love to join in other’s joy – shouting hooray and clapping when others are happy. 

Today you are stubborn, always wanting to do things on your own terms and proclaiming “No, I not.” When you don’t want to do or be something. You are strong, but sensitive, and get upset when others are upset or disappointed. 

Today you can give specific names for every construction vehicle, emergency vehicle, and anything else on wheels you see. Your favorite toy is your train set which you will play with for hours on end making up pretend scenes as you go. Your other favorite toys are bubbles, trucks, and your pirate ship. You love to read books and will sit quietly in your chair and read them to yourself, or curl in close on a lap to have a story read to you. 

Today you are smart as a whip – you can count, name most letters, name all your shapes and colors, and love learning new things. Once you learn something new, you love to share it with others and teach them too. You are potty trained too, only wearing pull-ups at night.

Today we love you more than we ever thought we could. 

Today you are THREE.


The Bare {Beach} Necessities

June 8, 2017



Summer is in full swing and for us Floridians that means lots of beach trips to the beautiful ocean!! When Daddy comes with us on the weekends we bring enough stuff for a small army - chairs, coolers, tents, and bags and bags of stuff! But during the week when it's just me and little man, and I need one hand free to hold his hand, I pack super light. I only bring one bag that I can throw over my shoulder, packed with only the necessities. Here's what I pack: 



1. Towels: One for each of us. We sit on these so there's no need for beach chairs which are heavy and awkward to carry with one hand. We also use them to dry off at the end of our trip. 

2. Sunglasses: One pair each. We don't lug the umbrella out on our solo trips, so shades help keep the sun out of our eyes. 

3. Sunscreen: Every time. There is always room to protect your skin from the sun!

4. A few small beach toys: When Daddy comes we bring every beach toy we own, but little man is just as happy with a few shovels to dig and build. 

5. Our portable radio: Happy summer tunes make everything better!

6. Baby powder: This is our secret weapon for getting all that sand off at the end of our trip. Just pour some onto your skin and then wipe it off and the sand goes with it! Voila! No piles of sand in the car. 

7. Kleenex Go Anywhere: These little portable packs are perfect for tossing in the bag, or even hanging from the outside. Some thing about salt water always makes my kids nose run, and they're also good for wiping off the baby powder! 

Right now you can save $0.50 on Kleenex Go Anywhere packs by clicking here! 



Happy Beaching! 

Let's Get Fizzical - 5 ways to get the whole family moving this summer

June 7, 2017





Sweet heavenly molasses. It's finally summer. As a teacher, I'm letting out a big sigh of relief. No more lesson plans, meetings, or classroom management for the next two months. It's SO nice to be able to relax and just focus on being Momma. I have to be careful though, or we end up relaxing a little bit TOO much, and never leave the house! 

It's so important for Jacob's growth and development that he get out and get moving, so I've made it a priority to get plenty of outside time into his summer schedule. Yes, I put him on a schedule. It keeps us all from going crazy! Here are some of our favorite ways to get the whole family up, out and moving this summer!


1. Visit the Playground - but don't just sit on the bench while your kids play, get involved too! Push them on the swings, race them across the monkey bars, climb, run and play! 

2. Go for a Bike Ride - If your kids aren't old enough to ride a bike or keep up on their own you can pull them in a trailer or get a bike seat for them. It ends up being extra exercise for you to pull around their weight too! 


3. Take a Hike - most states have miles and miles of hiking trails just waiting to be discovered. Don't forget shoes with good support and lots of hydration. If your kids are too little to keep up you can wear them on your back, which increases the effort you have to put in!

4. Go Swimming - nothing wares out my kid like a good swim in the pool or ocean. Work with what you've got - lake, pond, etc. Encourage activities like diving for rings, and swimming laps, to increase your activity level. 

5. Join a club or take a class - Mommy and me classes and sports exist for pretty much any activity you can think of. We all got in better shape when we signed Jacob up for soccer! 


No matter how you choose to get your exercise in, don't forget to stay hydrated! Summer heat means your body needs more fluid intake than the rest of the year to avoid dehydration. Water is a good choice, but can start to get boring after a while. 



If you're looking for a way to spice it up, be sure to try Sparkling Ice! You can skip the calories (zero points on weight watchers!) and keep the flavor. 15 flavors to be exact, all available on Amazon. You know how I love that free two-day prime shipping!