My guest today puts a great comedic spin on the daily duties of a mom. Kids are a handful regardless of how many are running amok, but double the amount mess, fits, and chaos and I can suspect what a day in the life of a mom with twins is like. (more…)
One of my newest favorite topics: curveballs. And, the timing is pretty fantastic. Let me set the scene…
Our son had a baseball game on Wednesday, and my husband got home early enough to attend. I was thankful since the girls had their respective shots that morning and were not feeling too hot. So, I went home, my husband stayed for the remainder of the game. (more…)
Unbelievably, Easter is hopping up around the corner again! But, as always, I LOVE the holidays and am soooo ready.
That means I already have gifts ready and just a few more items to get for the magic of Easter to happen in our home. Are you prepared??
If you need a few more ideas and are still tossing around what to do for your kiddos, here are five unique Easter basket ideas you may consider:
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One year, we chose to use rain boots as a basket and filled them with the goodies (books, clothing, toys, a little candy). Not only did they act as a gift themselves but with so many options of designs out there, the kids absolutely loved the individualized aspect of the boots. Plus, buying them a little on the big size meant they could use them for longer than just a month or two.
Sun hats, baseball caps, or cowboy hats… again, the choices vary so much as to what you could use. Also, upside down, they make for the best baskets ever. Each year, my son tends to gravitate towards wearing a baseball hat over anything else all the time. In addition, in his eyes, he can never have too many hats. So, fill that baby and watch their eyes light up.
I know, I know. You aren’t supposed to open an umbrella inside because it’s bad luck. But, an open umbrella upside down serves as a perfect container for larger items that don’t generally fit in a standard Easter basket. An outfit, sandals, sunglasses, bubbles, chalk, books, or anything of that nature. You are less limited or can fit it all in the turned up gift without leaving any sitting on the table. The kiddos are sure to find each item without needing to be reminded of it sitting there.
For those of you who hike, go on trips, or participate in camps, you can use this idea. My brother and sister-in-law did this for their little ones one year and I thought it was genius! A new water bottle, sunglasses, and other goodies zipped right into backpacks perfect for their personalities and needs. You can’t ask for a better “basket” than that.
Whether it’s a little camping chair, a gaming chair, a bench, or a simple bean bag, you’ve got a designated spot to place trinkets for your children. You’ll always need a place to sit, and you can get pretty creative with your choice of seat for this “Easter basket.” No child will be upset with a new chair to rest in – what a special treat.
Part of the fun in each holiday for me remains in finding some magical component to letting your child know how important they are to you and in the world. You get to create this remarkable moment for them in a span of rollercoaster ups and downs in their life. Therefore, these will be bits and pieces that they hold on to and remember throughout every year as a child and an adult. Maybe they’ll continue the tradition or put their spin on what you do. However, I also get to see the delight on their faces for that minute and treasure that when I need that memory most.
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I LOVE the holidays. Any kind, really. Any cause for celebration and I am all over that. Tie a ribbon around a pencil, I am done. Haha Not really, I’m terrible at tying ribbons but give me a gift bag and I will run wild.
Dressing up for Halloween never lost its appeal for me, either. If I have the opportunity, I find a pirate outfit or a minion and roll with it for work, school, or weekend growing up and now. Growing into a family meant instant themed costumes. Um, yes, please!
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Dorothy, Toto, and even The Yellow Brick Road itself are options with this amazing theme. Plus, if you haven’t introduced this fabulous classic to your children yet, may I recommend a before-bed reading and movie night? We chose this theme this year and I am sooo excited to get everyone dolled up; my husband is the Tin Man, our son is the Scarecrow, our oldest daughter is Dorothy, our newest is the Lion, and I am the good ol’ Wicked Witch. “I’ll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too!”
If you didn’t fall in love with Agnes, Minions, and all things despicable, you’re crazy. “It’s so fluffy, I’m gonna die!” I feel like we all re-fell in love with unicorns thanks to Agnes. Not only are there great family options here, but boys and girls alike should be pretty content with the decision to don a Despicable Me theme (whether you choose movie one, two, or three).
I feel like this theme will be a huge hit this year. As a family, who doesn’t want to be superheroes? And these guys are both. I mean, you could go the traditional Justice League or Avengers route, but the cartoon superheroes appeal to the younger crowd, I think. Violet, Jack-Jack, and Dash have some stellar abilities; we nearly settled on this theme ourselves.
By far one of my favorite family themes. And, with Octavia filling a lion role this year, we could have done this again. However, we decided a new setting was in order. When we donned these outfits, we were only a family of three and chose the ringmaster, a clown, and an elephant. Let me tell you, our son was THE cutest elephant you’d ever seen. Lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my!
With the third movie in this series making its debut, this theme will likely be wildly popular. Rightfully so. Dracula, Mavis, babies, Frankenstein… possibilities galore. Tell me you haven’t rolled this one around in your noggin? The costumes would be amazing and fun.
These Halloween themed costume ideas would look incredible (see what I did there?) and be winners for any family looking to coordinate. Many more come to mind. What have you decided on? If you have a younger family and still need help picking, my list is especially helpful!
Happy hunting and dressing up!!
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If you have a little in diapers but aren't sure which brand may fit the best for their little tush, feel free to try a mixed selection with the Diaper Dabbler!
The library in town provides phenomenal activities for kids to participate in.
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My son’s school includes a pamphlet during the last week of school to begin keeping track of summer reading hours logged in order to earn prizes. When we first went to collect on said winnings, we also grabbed a pamphlet for my daughters (they include babies in the program incentive to get parents to begin reading to their children, also). For someone like my son who claims to “hate reading”, I love that our library continues this each year.
So, we go to story time, listen to stories, dance to some songs, and make some sort of craft either before or after cashing in for a new treasure.
I feel like the summer reading program gives him something to work towards and enough reason to continue reading that he has found at least a book or two he has enjoyed (though I’m sure he won’t admit that).
Take a listen to this cute little song by PlayKids. The message that books are an adventure and important comes through in such a fun way for children:
Come with me and have an adventure
Come with me and see for yourself
All you need for hocus-pocus magic
Is that book on your little bookshelf
Tell me that isn’t catchy and adorably true. Reading has always been a joy for me — I am addicted to Laurell K. Hamilton, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Kim Harrison to name a few. After a long week, I could easily spend all day reading (though I prefer books over a tablet, so I haven’t read much since my second was born and my third and last baby is now 3 months old).
We try to read before bed every night. I like to try to keep up with that. Some summer days tend to make that difficult, so we switch it to the morning after we get up and about. If it’s done in the morning, we try to do the reading before beginning any other task so it doesn’t get overlooked or pushed aside. I use a Happy Planner to keep track of my day like this one:
Read TogetherWe recently picked out a chapter book to read together. Although my son can read by himself, he still very much likes when we read together. And my daughter just loves listening and pretending to read with us and working on word recognition. The babes doesn’t get much of a choice yet, but I’m sure she’ll be happy to be part of the group learning, laughing, asking questions, and broadening that imagination.
Thanks to my son’s school, not only do we need to notice the time we spend on reading (we try for 20-30 minutes a day at least), we also need to note which books are read and what he ranks them out of 5 stars. This has been a fun task for him as he gets to critique what he’s reading — apparently that adds a fun element for him. Try this reading log.
My son seems to like comics a bit, but we still switch it up. He has chapter books that are more difficult, the simpler chapter books that ease them into the tougher kinds, fiction, and non-fiction. He tends to like fact books like Weird, But True, also. My daughter likes silly ones and books with touch-pad music at the moment. We shall see how they develop and change, but allowing them access to all varieties give them the opportunity to find out which are their favorites.
This step is my favorite in all aspects of family-life. I tend to not let loose and go with the flow of what they want to do very often. So, when they bring me books, I say yes and we read. The balance of mom-life and work-from-home-life gets a little hectic and reading at night all cuddled together makes me a happy mama. I revel in that time and just love the closeness it allows. Beyond the reading, I hear about their days, what their minds come up with during certain points of the story, and sometimes find where their interests lie at that given time.
Remember, we’re all just doing our best — but let’s have fun in the process! Share your favorite books or stories you have about reading with me in the comments section below.
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All of my babies are home with me, the activities and hustle slows down, and the slower pace just makes for a less stressed, happier mama. June seems to be flying by, though, and I took the first few weeks enjoying being able to sleep in, take care of the new baby, getting tasks around the inside and outside of the house in order, and enjoying the end of dance and baseball.
Now, I get to fully immerse the family into a more fun “routine” of playing in our new little pools and on our slip and slide, doing arts and crafts, baking/cooking, and going for walks. Of course we’ll throw in picnics and park, visiting friends and family, and just relaxing. But, for the most part, being able to go at our own pace makes me so happy.
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I’ve considered homeschooling for this fact — no bus in our area means I tote all the kids to and from the school twice a day 5 days a week during the school year which totally eats at my day and makes me nearly constantly in a state of stress. But I really like the school my son attends and would hate to disrupt the progress he makes each year in that setting (plus he loves seeing his friends at school).
With that said, let’s get down to the nitty gritty. What activities shall we do regularly this summer to keep my littles off of their tablets and video games and out into the wide world to soak up the sunshine? Read on, fellow flawed parents, read on…
/Chalk – Our entire driveway isn’t paved, but we have a large enough chunk in front of the garages that we can certainly enjoy a little hopscotch, drawing, and bubble blowing. The backyard creates even more fun with bubbles as our dogs like to chase the bubbles and try to eat them (how dare they invade our home, you know?). 
Bikes/Scooters/Walks – My son learned to tie his shoes this year, at 7 years old. While this seems crazy to me (I learned when I was 4), the necessary tasks to learn seem to have shifted. This summer I’m dedicated to teaching him to ride his bicycle without training wheels (I learned this when I was 5). Last summer we were so busy moving into our new home, we neglected even getting our bikes out and he loves his scooter, so we allowed it to be substituted. However, I feel like the time has come to tackle this beast. Riding his bicycle without training wheels will be a skill checked off the list. My daughter’s a little more of a dare devil and a bit braver naturally, so I feel she won’t be too far behind brother on this one (she’s 3)… for now, she loves her strider bike and car (we let go at the top of the driveway and she flies down until the rocks stop her).Let me know your favorite summer fun activity (whether it’s boating on the lake as a couple weekends getaways or something you do more frequently) in the comments below. I would love to hear from you!
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