I don’t want to think about the summer ending, but September is getting closer. For the kids, that means heading back to school. Last week, I posted a unicorn themed list of school supplies. This week, all the back to school items are cat or dog themed. If your child loves kittens and puppies, this post is for you!
Backpack
Supplies for Meal Times
Lunch Box
Ice PacksIn case your lunch box doesn’t come with one, here are some extra ice packs you can get. I couldn’t find any cat themed ones, but I found puppies and penguins.
Thermos
For those foods you need to keep warm. I also did not find cat thermoses, but here are a couple options if you are looking for one.
Water Bottle
I found plenty of cat and dog themed water bottles. Here are just a few.
School Supplies
Notebook
Folders
3 Ring Binder
Pencil Case
Pencils
Pencil Sharpener
Erasers
Pens
Markers
I didn’t find any cat or dog themed markers, but here are the standard ones for your convenience.
Crayons
Scissors
Tissues and Wipes
Extras
Well, that’s all for this week’s list. I hope I’ve helped you find something unique or have given you a place to start. I might do one more back to school themed post later in August. Are your kids wanting a specific theme for their back to school items this year? Let me know in the comments. to simplify your life, I’ll leave you with this back to school checklist. If you have younger children, click here for a list of what to pack for preschool.
I’m a childcare provider and there are so many instances where the children do not have the essential items that they need. I know there are a lot of reasons for this. Parents may be struggling financially, there is poor communication between teachers and parents or it may be that parents assume that we can provide these items. Each childcare program is different. Some programs include diapers and wipes in the cost. Other programs serve meals and snacks. Some programs provide swimming lessons or dance classes. With so many different expectations, it’s important to find out what your child needs to have with them when they are first enrolled. Whatever the case may be, here is a list of items your child may need based on age.
Infant and Toddler
Bottles
Unless you are fortunate enough to work close enough to your child where you can breast-feed throughout the day, you’ll need bottles. This is where you should check with your childcare provider. Do they prefer premade bottles or will they make them as needed? What is their policy on frozen breast milk? At the center where I work, we prefer premade bottles that the parents make up at home. This way, we can pop them into the warmer or crock pot and the babies don’t have to wait as long. It’s also easier to keep track of whose bottles are whose this way. We label them, but with eight babies under a year old, it really helps us to have the bottles ready to go. Sometimes, we might need extra milk or the child is there longer than expected, so we have a freezer for storing breast milk that is properly labeled with the child’s name and the date it was expressed. We follow the same procedures for formula fed babies, but I’d recommend leaving a can of formula with your childcare provider just in case.
Baby Food
If your child has started eating solid food, you may want to bring some baby food depending on the childcare provider’s policies. Our program provides baby food and regular lunches for older children. However, many programs do not provide food. Personally, I prefer that parents bring food. This way, you know exactly what your child is eating and chances are, they will eat. I see so many kids that refuse our food either because it is unfamiliar or they think it’s gross. Then the child is grumpy because they are so hungry. There are advantages and disadvantages to providing food or having parents provide food, but it can be a factor when deciding on a program for your family.
Diapers and Wipes
This is an obvious one, but some places. Provide diapers and wipes, so it’s definitely something you should ask about. Parents will usually give us an unopened package of diapers and the same for wipes, but occasionally there are parents who only provide a few new diapers each day. I find this is the hardest to keep track of and if you forget, your child won’t have diapers for the day. While we try to have extra diapers on hand, it’s not always possible. When diapers are not provided, we end up having to borrow diapers from other children. Then when the diapers are replenished, we have to give some of your diapers back to the children you borrowed from. Some places have policies that state that if your child does not have enough diapers for the day, they cannot stay at the program. It’s also important because some children have skin sensitivity issues and using different diapers and wipes can cause irritation or an extreme rash. that’s why we only like to use what you provide. If you use a specific diaper rash cream or powder, you should include that as well.
Infants, Toddlers or Preschoolers
Changes of clothes
I can’t stress this enough! Infants should have at minimum two or three changes of clothes. With the spit ups, food mishaps and blow outs, infants need ample changes of clothes. This should be obvious, but parents can forget in the midst of sleepless nights while holding down a job.
Toddlers and preschoolers need changes of clothes too. I’d recommend two changes of clothes and check back often to be sure clothing is replenished. Even though most childcare providers will keep track, it helps to work as a team.
Comfort Items
Does your child use a pacifier? Do they have a special blanket, swaddle or stuffed animal? If so, please bring those in. We want your child to feel as comfortable as possible and want your child to feel at home. Most programs welcome family photos. Especially for infants. In our infant room, we have family posters. Each child has a poster with several pictures of themselves and their family members that they can look at throughout the day. Other classrooms use little photo albums that children can keep in their cubbies. Your child misses you throughout the day and photos can help them feel closer to you.
Outdoor Items
This will change depending on where you live, the climate and the ages of your children, but here’s an idea of what your child may need outside.
Jacket, raincoat or sweatshirt,
Good sneakers for outdoor play,
Rain boots or winter boots depending on season,
Summer or winter hat,
Mittens of gloves for winter,
We prefer the water proof mittens, but they may be harder to put on and may not fit as well as gloves or knitted mittens. Also, some children find it easier to use gloves or knitted mittens because they can use their hands better.
Sun screen or bug spray,
This is important because you know which products if any will cause allergic reactions in your child.
Items for Water Play
Many childcare providers do some type of water play and here are some items you might need.
Bathing suit,
Water shoes,
Towel.
Food
As I mentioned above, some programs require you to bring your children’s food. The amount of food you will need will depend on how long your child will be in care and the meals the provider will or will not include. Some programs serve breakfast and a snack, some programs serve two snacks, but no lunch while others provide all meals. Some programs may not provide any food at all. If you need to bring your own food, carefully read the policies as many places have items that you aren’t allowed to bring. Many programs are nut free which rules out anything with peanut butter. Some items are choking hazards such as hot dogs, whole grapes or raw carrots. I recommend including food items from each food group for a balanced diet. Whole grains, protein, vegetables, fruit and dairy. I also recommend using a lunch box or container that helps keep items either hot or cold since most places don’t have the time or facilities to warm up so many lunches at once.
Optional Items
these are items that I’ve seen parents bring over the years that may be helpful, but not always necessary.
Bib,
Sunglasses,
Teethers,
Chap stick,
Tissues,
Journal for writing notes back and forth.
There may be other items your child will need, but this list is meant to be a basic guide for what your child will need to bring to preschool. Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments.
It’s been a busy month for me, so this list will be short. I have a recipe, a couple of books and some favorite articles to share. On the blog this month, I accepted my first guest post! I’m happy with how it turned out. The perk of letting other bloggers write for you is that you can take a break from creating content. The second change I’ve made is behind the scenes. I have a new blogging schedule. I’ve been using Saturdays and Sundays for writing new content. I try to write two posts per weekend. During the week, I add images, affiliate links etc. This has taken a lot of the stress off and while I was on vacation in June, I was able to write several posts, so if I’m not feeling up to writing posts on a certain week, I have some content ready to go.
For my favorites for July, I have the basics, a recipe, a book and a few articles. Enjoy.
Recipe
Rosebud happened to see them making an ice cream pizza on one of her favorite shows. She seemed excited about this, so I asked her if we should make our own ice cream pizza. We tried this simple Ice Cream Pizza recipe. Rosebud helped make it and of course, we enjoyed having it for dessert. This recipe would be great for a pizza themed party.
For toppings, we used chocolate sauce, M&M’s and chocolate chips, but you can include any kind of toppings you want.
Books
This time, I’ll include two books that can be used as resources. The first book I found by accident. There was a two books for one credit sale going on Audible. It was an educational themed sale, so most of the books were from the Great Courses series. I wanted to take advantage of the deal, but had no idea what to get. Time was running out, so I ended up choosing The Addictive Brain, by Thad A. Polk. This isn’t something I’d normally read, but I chose it because I wanted to understand. Addiction has been a problem in my family and I guess I wanted to try to understand what was behind their behavior. While people take different stances on addiction, this book focuses on the science and the genetic component of addiction. I tried to keep an open mind while reading it and it actually made a lot of sense. Overall, it was an interesting read and I learned something.
At the beginning of July, we had a new baby start with us at the childcare center where I work. He is the sweetest baby ever. He’s happy, cuddly and playful. He’s also deaf. unfortunately, this makes it harder to communicate with him. He doesn’t sign yet, but we are all learning. As someone with low vision, this is even more challenging for me because most of the time, I can’t see if someone is signing. I’ve been learning a couple new signs per week to practice with him. Since he’s usually laying on the floor in front of me, I can watch his hands closely or feel them, but he doesn’t sign back yet. At least he’s getting language in some form. I know it’s probably not good enough and that frustrates me. I want to do more and be able to communicate with him, so I’ve gotten a couple books to learn the basics. The most useful book I’ve found so far is Baby Sign Language Made Easy, by Lane Rebelo. It’s been the most useful for me because of the large images and good descriptions of the gestures. I need detailed descriptions, especially for the subtle visual things. I know it’s better to learn in person, but now this is where I have to start.
I like that the signs in this book are actual ASL and not made up baby signs. I have some ASL guides as well, but they are not as descriptive. This particular book is mainly for parents who want to sign with their hearing babies, but I’m using it since the signs would be the same whether the baby is hearing or deaf. If I’m showing him a sign, I show him the object right before and after the sign. If it’s a more routine task like a diaper change or nap time, I find that more difficult. I’m hoping that if I use the signs every time we do that activity, he’ll start making the association. If you are interested in teaching your baby to sign, this book is a must have.
Articles
An informative article about the dimensions of self-care. This article dives deeper into self-care going beyond the typical self-care rituals to explore the why and the how.
Are you having trouble getting your baby to sleep in his or her own crib? Are you thinking of transitioning your baby to a crib? This post is definitely for you. It’s packed with tips and tricks for baby sleep and one of my posts is featured!
A reminder that we need to be kind to ourselves. Our little ones are always watching.
There you. have it, my favorites for July 2019. I’ll be back next month with more, but come back to visit throughout August. You’ll be seeing some back to school posts and other fun surprises.
Welll, it’s that time again. It’s getting close to a new school year and that means buying brand new school supplies. Rosebud is starting preschool this year which is the inspiration for this post. I’ll mostly be focusing on supplies for elementary school kids since preschoolers don’t usually need many supplies. Rosebud and I are both unicorn fans, so here is a back to school list, the unicorn edition!
Supplies for Meal Times
Lunch Box
Kids love to have a cool lunch box and here are a couple options for a girl who loves unicorns.
Ice Pack
In case the lunch box you choose doesn’t come with one or you need an extra.
Thermos
If you want to pack soup or other warm food.
Water Bottle
Whether your child is going to preschool or elementary school, they’ll need a water bottle.
Backpack
Another extremely important item. Most kids love picking out their own backpack. Here are a few unicorn backpacks to choose from.
School Supplies
Notebook
Folders
3 Ring Binder
Pencils
Pens
I remember a lot of us having pens when we were in school. Although, I didn’t see pens on the back to school lists I looked at.
Erasers
These are more novelty than anything, but it’s fun to have some unique school supplies.
Pencil Sharpener
Pencil Case
Markers
I did not find a unicorn marker set, but I found some colored pencils. I’ll include those along with a standard marker set.
Crayons
I’ll include this novelty set as well as a standard crayon set.
Safety Scissors
Who knew there were unicorn scissors?
Extras Tissues and Hand wipes,
Glue
School Supply Luxuries
Have fun shopping for back to school items this year. Try not to stress and if possible, give your children some choices about what they would like. In my experience, it helps them get excited about the start of school. Stay tuned for more back to school posts in August! I’ll end this post with this simple back to school checklist.
Rosebud has been talking a lot about the bugs we’ve been seeing outside lately. She’s decided that a lot of them are scary which is why I put together the rice and bugs sensory bin. Honestly, I can’t stand bugs. there’s just something about them being creepy and crawly, but I didn’t want Rosebud to be scared every time she saw some sort of insect, so we’ve been reading some bug books as well. There are a lot of books out there about bugs. Some of them teach life lessons while others are educational in a different way, teaching us about how bugs are beneficial to our environment. While not all the bugs in these books are scientifically classified as insects, they are still apart of the bug category in my book. Whether your child is afraid of bugs or curious about them, you’ll find something interesting on this list of 12 bug books for preschoolers.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
By Eric Carle
I had to include this one because it is a classic and Rosebud loves still loves this book!
Description
In the light of the moon, a little egg lay on a leaf.” So begins Eric Carle’s modern classic,The Very Hungry Caterpillar. More than 12 million copies of this book have been sold in its original, full-sized edition, and the beloved tale of science and gluttony has been translated into 20 languages. This five-by-four-inch miniature edition is truly tiny, with tiny type, but it is a nice size for small hands to hold and flip through the pictures. Despite its diminished state, the book is complete in every detail, following the ravenous caterpillar’s path as he eats his way through one apple (and the pages of the book itself) on Monday, two pears on Tuesday, three plums on Wednesday, and so on, through cherry pie and sausage–until he is really fat and has a stomachache. And no doubt you know what happens next! Kids love butterfly metamorphosis stories, and this popular favorite teaches counting and days of the week too.
National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Bugs
By Catherine D. Hughes
While doing some research for this post, I found this informative book. I haven’t read this one yet with Rosebud, but I’m including it because it’s nonfiction and is perfect for our little scientists. Not only does it talk about our typical backyard bugs, but it also shows bugs from around the world.
Description
The experts at National Geographic present a delightful reference that introduces young children to bugs of all kinds: big and small, jumping and crawling, colorful and creepy. This charming book explores backyard favorites, such as ladybugs and lightning bugs, and introduces kids to more exotic species that inhabit rain forests and deserts around the world. Colorful photos are paired with profiles of each insect, along with facts about the creatures’ sizes, diets, homes, and more. This book will quickly become a favorite at story time, bedtime, and any other time!
The Very Impatient Caterpillar
By Ross Burach
A book perfect for any kid that struggles with being patient.
Description
Hey! What are you guys doing?
We’re going to metamorphosize.
Meta-WHAT-now?
Transform into butterflies.
Right. Right. I knew that…
WAIT?! You’re telling me I can become a BUTTERFLY?
Yes.
With wings?
Yes.
Wait for ME!!
Ross Burach’s hilarious, tongue-in-cheek exploration of metamorphosis will make you flutter with glee, while also providing real facts about how caterpillars transform into butterflies.
The Very Busy Spider
By Eric Carle
This is another classic by Eric Carle that Rosebud loves. I love that the illustrations are tactile as well.
Description
Early one morning a little spider spins her web on a fence post. One by one, the animals of the nearby farm try to distract her, yet the busy little spider keeps diligently at her work. When she is done, she is able to show everyone that not only is her creation quite beautiful, it is also quite useful!
This multi-sensory book allows children to feel the pictures as well as see them. And with its rhythmic text, The Very Busy Spider becomes an experience to touch, to see, and to hear.
How the Ladybug got her Spots
By Caren D Green
I had never seen this book before doing research for this post. This looks like a cute story with a message that all kids should hear. We are all different and that is a good thing.
Description
Once, in the leafy, green plants lived a small red and black bug that did not feel as special as all of her garden friends, and so she set out to find something to set her apart. Follow her through this charmingly illustrated, adorable tale that teaches how even the tiniest among us can be special.
Backyard Books: Are You a Dragonfly?
By Judy Allen
Here’s another nonfiction book. This one is about dragonflies.
Description
The most colorful wings on the pond belong to the nimble dragonfly, but this delicate flying insect didn’t begin life in the air. In Backyard Books: Are You a Dragonfly? by Judy Allen with illustrations by Tudor Humphries, the secrets of metamorphosis are unfurled through the story of a familiar backyard creature.
Ten Magic Butterflies
By Danica McKellar
This is a cool book that Rosebud and I read recently. It has magic, counting and the message that is a good thing to be yourself.
Description
Fairies, butterflies, and magic help to make this math-focused picture book from Danica McKellar, the New York Times best selling author of Goodnight, Numbers and star of The Wonder Years, positively enchanting!
Join ten flower friends for a night of excitement that mixes a little math with a lot of magic. As each flower turns into a butterfly, children will discover different ways to group numbers to create ten, an essential building block of math, all while watching each flower’s dream come true. (And keep an eye out for the adorable caterpillar who wishes he could fly, too!)
Alpha Bugs: A Pop-up Alphabet (David Carter’s Bugs)
By David A. Carter
If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you’ll have seen a post or two about interactive books. I couldn’t finish this post without including some. Here’s a pop-up book that includes bugs and the alphabet, so it’s perfect for a bug theme.
Description
From boogie-woogie Bubble Bugs
to upside-down Umbrella Bugs,
this fun-filled pop, pull, and peek book
makes learning the alphabet
exactly eight egg bugs excellent.
Review
Publishers Weekly “Where will they strike next? A jar of olives, a waffle iron, a rock — each conceals a daffy insect… They are wittily transformed into members of an odd but comical alphabet species… Amusing alliteration and a zany sense of humor deliver fun with every letter.
Bee & Me
By Elle J. McGuinness
This book not only has a story, but it has a short fact list about bees as well. The coolest thing about this book is the motion. Each page has something that moves. While some of the information in this book is over Rosebud’s head, she loves the colorful illustrations and the way the bee moves.
Description
The New York Times bestselling Bee & Me, in a new mini-Animotion format.
Just like the New York Times bestselling Bee and Me, the mini abridged Bee and Me is filled with all of the action of AniMotion windows, and the same great story and pictures that have won the hearts of legions of kids and parents all across the country. The heart of the book is a sweet tale teaching kids the important roll bees play in nature. This new smaller format is ideal for younger children and smaller hands.
“A beautiful, heart-warming book that helps children (and adults
Understand how essential bees are to the planet.
Bee & Me
By Alison Jay
You read that right. I’ve included two Bee & Me books. This one is a picture book and it is totally different from the first one. Not only does it show friendship, but it also shows the importance of saving bees.
Description
A beautiful wordless picture book brings a personal note to the plight of the honeybee and offers a message of hope.
A little girl befriends a bee that takes her on a journey of discovery, revealing an action that every child can take to aid in conservation. In a wordless story told through enchanting illustrations, Bee & Me tells a tale of friendship and offers an introduction to the ecology of the natural world. Alison Jay’s original artwork brings the story gently to life, pointing out the sadness of a world without bees. An afterword makes clear to readers the important role these endangered insects play.
The Very Greedy Bee
By Steve Smallman
A book that teaches us not to be greedy.
Description
A greedy bee learns a lesson when he “slurps and burps” too much nectar, falls asleep in a meadow, and needs help from other insects to find his way home after dark.
The Very Quiet Cricket
By Eric Carle
I’m wrapping up this post with another classic by Eric Carle. This book also has an interactive feature, the chirping cricket at the end. Even without the chirping cricket, it’s a great story.
Description
One day a tiny cricket is born and meets a big cricket who chirps his welcome. The tiny cricket tries to respond, but there is no sound. The quiet cricket then makes his way into the world, meeting one insect after another, each of whom greets the little cricket with a cheery hello–the hum of a bee, the whirr of a dragonfly, the whisper of a praying mantis. The cricket rubs his wings together each time, but nothing happens, not a sound. Until the day he meets another cricket, a female, and something different happens . . .
As children turn the page on this wonderful moment, they are greeted with a surprise–an actual chirp!
Are there any cool bug books that should be on this list? Tell me in the comments!
I’ll leave you with some more bug related items to explore.
Today, I have a wonderful guest post for you by Andee Schmidt who is working on her new blog. When it is up and running, I will add the link to this post. I often talk about personal development and the importance of self-care for moms, so I was happy when Andee approached me to share this post on affordable self-care for mothers. Thank you, Andee for writing this post and sharing with my readers. If you’re on a budget and are in need of some affordable self-care ideas, you’ll definitely want to check out Andee’s self-care suggestions.
Unless you live under a rock, you’ve probably heard the term self-care being floated about. Many times this idea conjures up a “treat yourself” mentality of shopping splurges and face masks, but that’s not always the case. Self-care can be accessible.
But, as mothers, it might feel like there’s barely any time –or money– to focus on you. Read on in this list of affordable self-care ideas to find out how mothers can prioritize themselves, because health shouldn’t be a luxury.
Self-Care for Mothers
Moms have the toughest job in the world. You’re probably feeling overworked and overtired, and that’s precisely why it’s important that you take care of both your mental and physical wellbeing.
Ultimately, self-care is the practice of taking action to improve your own health. Honoring your body, mind, and spirit will help you activate the best version of yourself you can be by improving your physical, mental and/or emotional health.
Although it probably sounds impossible to prioritize an hour for just you, treating yourself to time alone has been proven to improve overall wellbeing. In fact, according to VeryWellMind, it can even make you a better caregiver, because it reduces the feeling of burn out.
Free and Affordable Options
Flex your creativity
You don’t need to be artistic to benefit from an artistic hobby. In fact, the pleasure from art usually comes from the process of creation, not necessarily the final outcome. Whether it’s painting, knitting, drawing or sculpting, budgeting some time per week for a creative hobby can have very positive results. Finding your groove with something artsy is a great way to get into a flow state and let your mind relax.
Remember, coloring books aren’t only for children anymore, but you can always have your kids join the fun and color together!
Relax your mind
Meditation can be intimidating. I don’t know how to do it well or I get distracted are common concerns of those new to the practice. But, here’s the thing, meditating is just about listening to your thoughts and being present in the moment. You can even meditate while taking a shower or while winding down for bed.
Like anything else, meditation takes practice; but here’s a list of good –and free– applications that can get you started: The Mindfulness App,Headspace and Calm.
Become a yogi
You don’t need a large budget for yoga: as long as you have comfortable clothing and a nice quiet space for your practice, you’ll be good to go.
There’s no need to stress about flexibility, stamina or fitness levels. Yoga is more about the mind than the body: learn to be present and mindful of what your body is capable of without worrying too much about perfection. Plus, there are even positions that allow you to lay flat on the floor–mini nap anyone?
Oftentimes, reading is something that falls to the backburner when you have so many other things to worry about. However, reading can be excellent for self-care. Reading is a relaxing activity that helps you take a break from the stress of everyday. Plus, with the boom of audio books you can even read while taking care of your other tasks.
If you’re interested in learning more about self-care, you might want to start by reading some of the books on this list, or these, if you want to read about motherhood.
Take a walk
The good thing about walking? It’s free. And you can do it basically anywhere. Pop in your headphones, or put the kids in a stroller and just walk.
As long as you take the time to think about yourself and take care of your mind, you’ll be practicing some form of self-care. Plus, studies have shown that spending time outdoors can reduce mental fatigue, stress and elevate your mood.
Finding Time for Self-Care
Now this is all peachy… but, many of you might be thinking: how do I get enough time alone to do that?! Prioritizing yourself can be tough when you feel that every second is going to taking care of others. It’s certainly not easy, but here’s a list of quick tips you can use to find the time alone you need:
Occupy the kids
Use the time when your kids are busy as time to squeeze in your self-care. Play dates, nap time and after-school activities are great ways to both entertain your kids and get some free time for yourself.
Put it on your calendar
If you make alone time sporadic, it will feel abnormal for your family. But if you do it weekly and let your kids and partner know this is “mom’s time”, it will become part of their routine and yours!
Ask for help
The truth is, getting alone time while being a mother is nearly impossible, but don’t be afraid to ask for help. Make a plan with your partner or anyone in you support system so you can ensure you are getting what you need. Lean on the people in your life. Also, if you are able, there’s nothing wrong with hiring a babysitter to get a few hours to yourself.
Many of these activities can also be done with the whole family: take your kids out for a walk, to the movies, or the park and you will soon find yourself with time on your hands to think. But if you are able to get some precious alone time, don’t feel guilty for enjoying it. Remember, moms need to be taken care of too!
About the author:
Andee is a recent college graduate from Arizona State University with a love of writing, the outdoors, and funky cafes. You can usually find her hiking or planning her next trip. She is passionate about traveling, frugal living, her family, and the perfect cup of coffee. She is the writer behind the blog : xx . Find her on Instagram as @andee_schmidt or Twitter @andeeschmidt.
Last year, I wrote a post about all the reasons I didn’t use Pinterest. As I said in that post, I wanted to use it. I knew that Pinterest drives traffic to blogs. I knew that there were Pinterest users that would be interested in the topics that I write about. Topics related to motherhood and activities for kids are huge on Pinterest. Unfortunately, for me, there were a lot of barriers. When I tried to use Pinterest, I became very discouraged and didn’t know if I’d ever be able to use it properly. If you’ve been reading my blog at all this year, you’ll have noticed the pins on the newer posts and I’ve gone back and updated some older posts as well. I’m happy to say that I am now able to use Pinterest, but it took lots of learning and researching, trial and error and waiting for features to become accessible. Now I will explain how I’ve made Pinterest work for me as a visually impaired blogger. Plus, I’ll give you some Pinterest tips for beginners.
Pinterest Strategies
One of the things that put me off about Pinterest was that I had no idea how to use it. At first, I was just pinning my blog posts and other things at random. I wasn’t sure how many boards to have, how to organize them, when to schedule pins, how often to repin the same items etc. There is a lot that goes into pinning and promoting your posts. That’s why this free Pinterest Course for New Bloggers is so valuable. This is a free E-mail course that gives you step by step instructions on how to set up your Pinterest profile, set up your boards, find appropriate keywords for Pinterest SEO, create pins that convert and more. It’s free, so it’s definitely worth checking out and it’s a great starting point. Especially if you are new to Pinterest! One lesson from the course focuses on Pinterest group boards which are important for your blog content reaching a wider audience. If you’re not sure how to find or collaborate on Pinterest group boards, Marina from Tinylovebug has you covered. Check out her post, Everything You Need to Know About Pinterest Group Boards.
Equal Access on Pinterest
While I was researching and learning about Pinterest strategies, I was waiting for Pinterest to become accessible. If you’ve read some of my previous blog posts, you might know that I’m visually impaired. I use a screen reader to access everything on the web and sometimes, websites or apps are broken. Meaning, they do not function well or at all with a screen reader. I happen to use Voiceover which is built into all Apple products, but there are other Windows based screen readers as well. Some common accessibility problems with websites or apps may be that buttons or links are not labeled, buttons or links are not clickable or in some cases, websites or apps may be completely image based which means the screen reader cannot read the text or any of the features that may be clickable. Even though a link may be labeled visually for you with some text or an image, the screen reader may just say the word link or it may be a string of letters and numbers that don’t tell us what the link leads to. There are lots of accessibility bugs that we may face on a daily basis which I won’t get into here, but unfortunately, Pinterest has many.
Last year, Pinterest was almost completely inaccessible to me. I was able to create an account, but that was about it. I couldn’t read pin descriptions, the blog posts after clicking through a pin, the notifications tab, anything in the following tab and so much more. There was a huge laundry list of features I couldn’t access. When I asked other visually impaired bloggers about this problem, they just told me not to bother with Pinterest since it is so visual anyway, but that answer wasn’t good enough for me. Pinterest is the largest source of traffic for blogs these days. Why shouldn’t I be able to participate in that? It frustrated me, but I waited. Every now and then, I’d try again. One day, it worked!
I found that I was able to upload my pins, read the pin descriptions and blog posts of others, save and send pins, collaborate on group boards and access most of the profile settings. In the beginning, I could barely do any of that, but Pinterest still has a ways to go. There are still a lot of bugs. I can’t read my messages, so what I do is take a screen shot and then export that photo to an app that can read text from photos. I still can’t read anything in the notifications tab unless I’m in Safari. When I add hashtags, a menu pops up with other hashtags that I can’t read. I can’t read or respond to comments on my pins. The scheduling feature on the Pinterest app is completely inaccessible with Voiceover. Today, I discovered that I could finally read most of the items in the following tab. If a pin doesn’t have a text title, I can’t read it. In order for me to read an image, I have to zoom in and make it bigger and even then in a lot of cases I have difficulty. I’m happy that Pinterest is becoming more accessible over time, but I worry that coding will be updated and those features will be broken again. Is the frustration worth it? Right now, I’m thinking yes because it has brought more traffic to my blog, but time will tell.
Trial and Error
Speaking of frustrations, there are the graphics. That’s another interesting part of this blogging journey for me. I have done lots of trial and error to figure out a way to create pins. I know Pinterest is about eye catching images that draw the reader in. You have to think about the colors, the layout, the font etc. This is not easy for me since I have trouble telling most colors apart and see better with a sharp contrast. I don’t know much about fonts, so I stick to the basics.
The first thing I do is search the stock photo sites for relevant photos. If I find a large enough vertical image that either has copy space or a workable place for text, I export that photo to the Phonto app. It’s a simple image editor. I’ll mention that it’s really not that accessible, but it was simple enough to figure out. My only complaint is that I wish the text color options were labeled. After messing with the text, background colors, fonts and sizes, the image is ready for pinning. Let’s go back to square one for a minute. If I don’t find a large enough vertical image that is related to my blog post, I use an app called MA Long Image. This way, I can make a photo collage with two or more images. After I have my photo collage, I upload that to Phonto and repeat the process. Most people use Canva to create their pins, but I tried Canva and it doesn’t work for me. Most of its features are not labeled or accessible. I’m just glad to have found something that works even though it may be limited.
I’m not writing this post to complain, but I want to raise awareness of accessibility issues. I’m also the kind of person who pushes the boundaries of what can be done. People might ask why I care about Pinterest since it is so visual. As I previously mentioned, Pinterest is a great source of blog traffic, but it’s also a search engine. Many of my coworkers use Pinterest for lesson planning. The activities you can find for kids is endless. Why shouldn’t I have access to that information? While Pinterest is meant to be a very visual platform, most of the links lead to blog posts with text, so there is no reason why that shouldn’t be accessible. Pinterest is more than pretty images. It’s a great marketing tool, not only for promoting blogs, but for selling goods and services as well. I also want my readers to understand how I create my content and the work that goes into it.
Pinterest Tips
I’ll leave you with a few quick Pinterest tips I’ve learned so far.
1. Create at least two or three pinnable graphics for each blog post. This way you can pin the same post to a board more than once, but be sure not to schedule those pins too close together.
2. Speaking of scheduling, find a way to keep track of your pinning schedule. Many people use Tailwind, but that is even less accessible than Pinterest, so I don’t use it. Some people use an Excel spread sheet or word document. This way they can follow which pins were posted to which boards. This will avoid multiple pinning too close together. You don’t want to look spammy.
3. If you can, try to get premium stock images for pins if you can’t take your own. This can effect how well your pin does on Pinterest. If many people are using the same free images, Pinterest picks up on that. If those same free images are used for different pins in totally different categories, it can cause those pins not to perform as well. I happened to see this tip last week.
4. Use Pinterest SEO. Search for keywords before creating your pin description and hashtags. Find out what’s popular related to the topic you are posting about.
5. Don’t be afraid to try different things to see what your audience responds to. Whether it be a different pin layout, color scheme, different types of headlines etc. It may take a while for a pin to get traction, so don’t be discouraged if your pin isn’t a hit in the beginning.
6. Don’t forget to spread the love and pin plenty of other content from other bloggers. It will help you connect and reach a larger audience.
Do you want to learn more about how Pinterest works? Check out this list of 9 Pinterest myths.
As always, thank you for reading. Do you have any great Pinterest tips? Feel free to share them in the comments.
Here is another quick sensory bin that I set up for Rosebud. I love having a couple sensory bins on hand in the kitchen to occupy Rosebud while I make dinner. I’ve limited her screen time to a bare minimum which I’ll write about in another post, but I need plenty of activities that will entertain her. This one does the trick and it was super simple and quick to put together.
What’s in the bin?
Rice,
Plastic bugs,
Glass marbles,
Scoops,
Tongs,
A funnel.
I included scoops of different sizes and the mini tongs for picking up the bugs. The glass marbles were for buried treasures. I got two small bags of rice at the dollar store and that was enough, but you may need more or less depending on the size of your bin. These bugs that I found by Melissa & Doug are great! They are a hard rubber/plastic material, but they are slightly larger than other plastic bugs I’ve seen and they are well made. Also, they are not sharp, so I had no problem using them in my toddler class a few years ago. Unfortunately, I could not find the link for them, but I’ve had good luck with the Safari figurines which would work just as well.
So, there you have it. Another quick spring/summer themed sensory bin. What are your favorite sensory bins to do this time of year? Tell me in the comments. I have more sensory bins to show you in the next few weeks, so definitely come back and check them out.
One of the things I mentioned that you should pack in my list of baby beach essentials, is a book for yourself. If you get the time, sitting on the beach enjoying a book is relaxing. If you love reading and the beach, you definitely should do this at least once this summer for self care. I’ve been looking around for fun summer reads, so I have not read all of these yet. I’ve read a couple, but the rest have either been sitting in my Kindle library or I just found them while researching for this post. If you haven’t found your perfect summer read yet, here is this year’s list of books for your beach bag. Book descriptions are from Amazon.com.
All The Summer Girls
By Meg Donohue
Set among the sunsets and dunes, All the Summer Girls is the story of how three former best friends, their lives rapidly unraveling, are reunited at the beach town of their past–where the ambience of summer encourages them to explore new experiences they would never otherwise attempt.
When dark secrets threaten to surface, Kate, Vanessa, and Dani begin to realize just how much their lives–and friendships–have been shaped by the choices they made one fateful summer night years ago. In the hope of finally moving forward, the women turn to one another for forgiveness–but how can they forgive each other when they can’t forgive themselves?
Lighthouse Beach
By Shelley Noble
What was supposed to be an idyllic wedding leads to an unexpected journey of self-discovery…When Lillo Gray pulls up to Kennebunkport’s most exclusive hotel wearing a borrowed dress and driving a borrowed VW van, she knows she’s made a big mistake. She’s not even sure why Jessica Parker invited her to her posh wedding. They haven’t seen each other since they were unhappy fourteen-year-old girls at fat camp. And now they’re from two completely different worlds. There’s no way Lillo fits in the rarefied circles Jessica travels in.
Jess isn’t sure she’s ready to go through with this wedding, but she’s been too busy making everyone else happy to think about what she wants. But when she and her two closest friends, Allie and Diana, along with Lillo, discover her fiancé with his pants down in the hotel parking lot, she’s humiliated…and slightly relieved. In a rush to escape her crumbling life, Jess, Allie, and Diana pile into Lillo’s beat-up old van and head up the coast to Lighthouse Island. Once there, she hopes to figure out the next chapter in her life.
Nursing broken hearts and broken dreams, four lost women embark on a journey to find their way back into happiness with new love, friendship, and the healing power of Lighthouse Beach.
I’ll Never Tell
By Catherine McKenzie
Deeply buried secrets make for a disturbing family reunion in bestselling author Catherine McKenzie’s tantalizing novel of psychological suspense.
What happened to Amanda Holmes?
Twenty years ago, she was found bludgeoned in a rowboat at the MacAllister family’s Camp Macaw. No one was ever charged with the crime.
Now, after their parents’ sudden deaths, the MacAllister siblings return to camp to read the will and decide what to do with the prime real estate the camp occupies. Ryan needs to sell. Margaux hasn’t made up her mind. Mary believes in leaving well enough alone. Kate and Liddie – the twins – have opposing views. And Sean Booth, the groundskeeper, just hopes he still has a home when all is said and done.
But it’s more complicated than a simple vote. The will stipulates that until they unravel the mystery of what happened to Amanda, they can’t settle the estate. Any one of them could have done it, and each one is holding a piece of the puzzle. Will they work together to finally discover the truth, or will their secrets finally tear the family apart?
Firefly Beach
By Meira Penterman
When Beth LaMonte rents a cottage on the coast of Maine, she wishes only to withdraw and paint. A mysterious ball of light disturbs her peace and leads her to a secret beach where she finds the diary of a girl who disappeared in 1975. Now Beth is on a mission, not only to bury her own past, but to put to rest the spirit of Firefly Beach.
What You Did
By Claire McGowan
A vicious assault. A devastating accusation. Who should she trust, her husband or her best friend?
It was supposed to be the perfect reunion: six university friends together again after twenty years. Host Ali finally has the life she always wanted, a career she can be proud of and a wonderful family with her college boyfriend, now husband. But that night her best friend makes an accusation so shocking that nothing will ever be the same again.
When Karen staggers in from the garden, bleeding and traumatised, she claims that she has been assaulted—by Ali’s husband, Mike. Ali must make a split-second decision: who should she believe? Her horrified husband, or her best friend? With Mike offering a very different version of events, Ali knows one of them is lying—but which? And why?
When the ensuing chaos forces her to re-examine the golden era the group shared at university, Ali realises there are darker memories too. Memories that have lain dormant for decades. Memories someone would kill to protect.
The Summer I turned Pretty
By Jenny Han
This bittersweet novel by Jenny Han recounts the summer of Belly’s 16th birthday. When she and her family arrive at the beach house that June, her longtime summer pal, Jeremiah, appears standoffish and awkward in her presence. And his older brother Conrad – her secret crush – seems distant and cold. But her blossoming beauty isn’t the only reason for their change in behavior. For as Belly enjoys the sun and surf, she’ll ultimately learn the painful secret that dampens the spirit of her childhood friends.
Chicken Soup for the Beach Lover’s Soul
By Jack Canfield
There are many places we can go to enjoy time with friends, to have an action-packed vacation, or to enjoy a little solitude, but none of them have the same ability to soothe our souls as the beach. Perhaps it’s the magic portrayed by children building sand castles or the gentle sounds of lapping waves on the shore.
Vintage
By Susan Gloss
At Hourglass Vintage in Madison, Wisconsin, every item in the boutique has a story to tell . . . and so do the women who are drawn there.
Violet Turner has always dreamed of owning a shop like Hourglass Vintage. When she is faced with the possibility of losing it, she realizes that, as much as she wants to, she cannot save it alone.
Eighteen-year-old April Morgan is nearly five months along in an unplanned pregnancy when her hasty engagement is broken. When she returns the perfect 1950s wedding dress, she discovers unexpected possibilities and friends who won’t let her give up on her dreams.
Betrayed by her husband, Amithi Singh begins selling off her old clothes, remnants of her past life. After decades of housekeeping and parenting a daughter who rejects her traditional ways, she fears she has nothing more ahead for her.
An engaging story that beautifully captures the essence of women’s friendship and love, Vintage is a charming tale of possibility, of finding renewal and hope when we least expect it.
Firefly Lane
By Kristin Hannah
In the summer of 1974, Kate Mularkey has accepted her place at the bottom of the eighth-grade social food chain. Then, to her amazement, the “coolest girl in the world” moves in across the street and wants to be her friend. Tully Hart seems to have it all: beauty, brains, ambition. On the surface, they are as opposite as two people can be: Kate, doomed to be forever uncool, with a loving family who mortifies her at every turn; Tully, steeped in glamour and mystery, but with a secret that is destroying her. They make a pact to be best friends forever; by summer’s end they’ve become ‘TullyandKate’ — inseparable.
So begins Kristin Hannah’s magnificent novel. Spanning more than three decades and playing out across the ever-changing face of the Pacific Northwest, Firefly Lane is the poignant, powerful story of two women and the friendship that becomes the mainstay of their lives. For 30 years, Tully and Kate buoy each other through life, weathering the storms of friendship: jealousy, anger, hurt, resentment. They think they’ve survived it all, until a single act of betrayal tears them apart…and puts their courage and friendship to the ultimate test.
I Liked My Life
By Abby Fabiaschi
Maddy is a devoted stay-at-home wife and mother, host of excellent parties, giver of thoughtful gifts, and bestower of a searingly perceptive piece of advice or two. She is the cornerstone of her family, a true matriarch…until she commits suicide, leaving her husband, Brady, and teenage daughter, Eve, heartbroken and reeling, wondering what happened. How could the exuberant, exacting woman they loved disappear so abruptly, seemingly without reason, from their lives? How they can possibly continue without her? As they sift through details of her last days, trying to understand the woman they thought they knew, Brady and Eve are forced to come to terms with unsettling truths.
Maddy, however, isn’t ready to leave her family forever. Watching from beyond, she tries to find the perfect replacement for herself. Along comes Rory: pretty, caring, and spontaneous, with just the right bit of edge…but who also harbors a tragedy of her own. Will the mystery of Maddy ever come to rest? And can her family make peace with their history and begin to heall?
I tried to put a little something for everyone on this list, but I’m sure there are so many more great summer reads. What are your favorite books to take to the beach? Have you read any great books this summer? Tell me in the comments!
Besides the warmer weather, one of the best parts of summer for kids is the water play. Playing in the water is one of Rosebud’s favorite things. There are so many benefits to water play. It can cool you off on a hot day. It’s a great sensory experience for kids and you can practice almost any skill or concept using water. Plus, water is a calming activity. Are you wondering which water play toys to buy for your kids this summer? The options for water play are endless, but here is my list of the top ten water play toys for toddlers and preschoolers to get you started.
1. The Pool
One of my favorite summer time activities when I was a kid was spending time in the pool. It didn’t matter what kind it was. The pools they make these days are so much fancier, but no matter which pool you choose, they are all good for water play.
We have this pool in our back yard this year. Rosebud really loves the slide. It has other activities as well, the ring toss game and a mini basketball hoop. One of the coolest things about this pool is you can hook up your hose and there is a sprinkler that constantly gets the slide wet. I don’t have it running every time we use the pool, but sometimes I put it on for her for a treat if it’s super hot.
Other pool options:
2. Water/sensory Table
Rosebud spends lot of time at this water table. These tables from Step2 come apart easily, so when Rosebud was a baby, we just put the top part on the ground and she’d sit in there to play. It has gotten a lot of use since then. Sometimes I’ll add food coloring or dish soap to the water, but mostly I fill it with water and toys. then it’s up to her to use her imagination. She usually sings songs and tells stories about her baby ducks as she plays. I love water tables because they are open ended and you can use almost any kind of toy. Keep reading for more toy ideas for the water table.
3. Squirting Toys
Toddlers love toys that squirt. They are not only a fun toy for water play, but the squeezing really helps toddlers work on their fine motor skills. Plus, I mentioned needing toys for those water tables.
4. Sprinkler
What could be more fun than a sprinkler? Some toddlers take a while to warm up to this, but others jump right in. If you had older kids as well, it’ll definitely be a big hit!
5. Waterfall Wall
This is a neat concept. We bought this for Rosebud this summer. She played with it a lot at first before we set up the pool. What I like about this waterfall wall play center is that you can move the parts around to make the water move in different ways. The only thing is I wish there were more pieces.
This toy uses the same concept, but is a bath toy instead.
6. Water Wheel
A water wheel is a great addition to any kids pool or water table.
7. Floating Toys
Beach balls, rings or anything else that floats.
8. Household items
Measuring cups, funnels, strainers, scoops, small buckets. Watering can. Sponges or whatever else you can think of. The sky is the limit with this one. You can tie science and math in with these options. Seeing which toys sink or float. Using different sized scoops and or cups. Filling different sized bottles. You never know what kids will come up with when they have a few random items to work with.
9. Water Drawing Mat
Are you ready for some mess free water play? This toy is great if you want your kids to play with water, but don’t have the time for regular water play preparations. This could be an indoor or outdoor toy. I like how this toy incorporates water play into art. It’s a unique toy. Rosebud has one and she can spend forever drawing pictures on the mat.
10. Water paints, crayons and water blocks
I’ll leave you with some unconventional water toys that can bring out your kids creative side.
Are there any awesome water play toys that your kids love that I should add to this list? Let me know in the comments.
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