Gifts

Gift Giving, Memories, Motherhood, Parenting

What Mothers Really Want for Mothers Day

April 30, 2019

For Mothers Day, I want to sleep in. When I wake up, I want a nice breakfast. Then I want to spend the rest of the morning relaxing and enjoying the spring weather. I want to have time to write in my journal and get absorbed in a good book. I’d also like to spend time with Rosebud, just being her mom and not having to worry about anything. I’d love to end the day with a bubble bath and maybe watching a little tv. It’s not too much to ask, right?

I got thinking. What do other mothers want? I posed this question to a group of moms and here’s what they said. The good news is that most of these things don’t cost a penny. there might be a little work involved, but the moms in your life will love you for it. Here’s what we really want this mothers day!

More Sleep
Cendu
This mom wants just one day to sleep in til noon 😍
You can find her over at Cendu Param.com.
Jacalyn from StopYellingPlease.com.

To sleep in on the weekends like my husband. No one asking me “what should the baby eat for breakfast” or “where are my shoes?” Just to sleep in without interruption and without my body telling me it’s 6 AM and time to get up.

Pamela
To sleep in, and then when I wake up, lots of kisses and a latte in bed.
Check out her blog at Brooklyn Farm Girl.com.

A Clean House
Mercedes from Mom To Girls.com.
I’d like to have a clean house, laundry put away, a good meal, and some time to relax in a bubble bath 😊

Mallory from Mom of War Hear My Roar.
I would absolutely LOVE for someone to do the dishes and the laundry. I don’t mean put the dishes in the sink that morning and… BOOM… done. But also start and empty the clean dishwasher and put the 100 cups that are used throughout the day back in there.
Victoria
I’d like a day where my house is clean and I’m not cleaning it, dinner is made and fresh flowers bought for me. Also, coffee made for me by my kids when I’d like.Xoxo
You can find Victoria at TitleFreeMom.com.

Liz from TheLifeYouDesign.com.
What I honestly want more than anything. I want a day WITH my husband and daughter out of the house. I want to celebrate a mother by being a mother. However while we are gone, I want a professional cleaning service to deep-clean my home and I want to order dinner for delivery and eat on paper plates so there are no dishes.

A Vacation
Kristenne
Aaah… A vacation from my family. Even just for 24 hours. A staycation at a 5-star hotel, with room service massage, a sauna, a pool, a buffet. Of course, I’d probably call a sitter or have my husband take time off work. As a WAHM, taking time out of the house without our baby is a luxury.

You can find her at MisisBlog.com
Hayley
To go somewhere memorable with my family, like a day out or travel to somewhere exotic! Making special memories would be a great Mother’s Day gift for me!
Hailey blogs over at Life As A Butterfly.

Kid Free Time

Mai from the Cheerful Nomads.

Alone time with my husband like we used to. I can’t remember the last time the two of us went out without the kids!

Talya
A trip to Target/Home Goods/anywhere really, sans kids!! With no time limit!!!
You can find her blog at The Mother Fix.

Family Time

Mallory from Mama On Parade.
I just don’t want to do anything for mother’s day. No dishes, no laundry, no work. Just have a fun and relaxing day with my family.

Emma
I just want a day with my own little family where I don’t have to worry about cooking, cleaning, or laundry. With my husband’s work schedule it’s hard to find the time to just have a fun day as a family, so I ask for this each year.
You can find Emma’s blog here at Muddy Boots And Diamonds.com.

Aimee from MommyBabyLife.com.
Call me crazy, but I do enjoy spending Mother’s Day with my family. My husband works a lot so we don’t usually have a lot of quality time with all 5 of us. I like to go to a small town, walk around the shops – picking out a few gifts for myself of course – and get lunch.

Relaxation
Shannon
A stiff drink! No, seriously, a pretty drink with an umbrella sitting outside in my lounge chair the radio blasting, kids playing, and the hubs grilling supper.

Find Shannon over at Southern Blessed Chaos.

Jessica from CareFreeMermaid.com.
Just something simple like a Starbucks brought to me in the morning 😉 & a nice quiet, peaceful bath with a glass of wine at night!

Tricia
I want to have a day where I can read a book, drink a glass of wine, or be lazy and not listen to my kids argue about who ate the last bowl of cereal!

Tricia can be found at HabibiHouse.net.

Lani from LaniOnLife.com.
I want a day at the spa; massage and facial. A day to take care of and focus on me with no stress or worries.

Jessica from Adventuring to Neverland.
A SPA DAY…. Not just a service, but an entire day. I know it’s wishful thinking, butttttt goodness wouldn’t that be graaaaand?!

Something for Mom
Jho
I want to have a Mother’s Day to pamper myself, but I thought of something else. I never had the chance to really pamper my mom, so perhaps it’s that time of the year where kids do something for their moms. Since my kids are still too small to do something grand for me, lol, I’d do something for my mom. And I hope that’ll make me feel good and set a good example for my kids.

Check out her blog, Empowered Moms At Home.

A Day Free From Planning
Lisa from Biscuits and Grading.
I want to spend the day outside. I want to go hike and bike the local trails with the coffee that my husband went out of his way to buy me. I want to eat a lunch (that he picked up) at the park with my family. I mostly just want to not have to plan one single thing. As a mom, all I do is plan and coordinate. I want a complete 24 hour reprieve from planning.

Angel
It’d be perfect to have a day of family adventure all planned out without me being the one picking the place. Surprise me and spoil me on Mother’s Day.

Visit Angel’s blog Mommying Differently.

Making Memories
Taylor from Accomplished Family.
I’d love for my husband to take time figuring out something that my girls could be involved in to make this mother’s day memorable. Doesn’t have to cost! I’m thinking a handmade card or even a painted rock. I’d want to spend time with my family. I’d love to go for a long walk or drive.

Jennifer
My kids are older and I don’t get to see some of them as often as I would like. For Mother’s Day I would love a mother’s necklace, but not initials or birth stones. I want a charm that each one has picked to represent who they are so I could carry around a piece of them always.
Find Jennifer atOneHoppyMomma.com.

Cooking

Lacy from Uplifted Simplicity.
My favorite gift is a day outside gardening and grilling with my family. We love to plant flowers in the afternoon and then eat whatever my husband has grilled up for dinner.

Jacqueline from MomMoneyMap.com.
I would want my husband to cook us a meal from scratch. No frozen pizzas or meals that just have to be heated in the oven, I want to see him chop the vegetables, and cook the grains and meat. A homemade pie couldn’t hurt either!

The Perfect Mothers Day
Stacy
My perfect Mother’s Day would be breakfast in bed with lots of coffee, time to take a bubble bath and get dressed in peace, A nice lunch with a fun family activity. That afternoon I would get some quiet time or a nap. A mix of some much needed “me time” and family time is the perfect Mother’s Day to me.
Find Stacy over at Protecting Your Pennies.

Jamilyn from SideKick Mama.
My perfect Mother’s day would be a full night’s sleep (we have a baby) and waking up to a clean house and finished flooring! We are so close to completing our kitchen flooring. It definitely would be nice to have it done!

Audrey from RosesRompers.com.
I would love a full night of sleep and having someone else cook breakfast for me. AND do the dishes afterwards. Gluten-free healthy pancakes please! And also having the house cleaned thoroughly for me. And at night, a long soak in the bathroom with a book by my favorite author!

Appreciation
Alexandria from Always Us.
Appreciation for all the things mamas do!
Check out her Gift Guide for Mothers Day 2019.

Erin from Lullaby Lark.
I made the decision to put my career on hold to stay home and raise my children, one of whom has special needs. I would love for my family to show me that what I do matters to them, that I’m making a difference.
Ayesha from WFHMama sums it up nicely!
I want Mother’s to be celebrated on more than just one day out of the year. ❤️

To summarize, we want plenty of sleep, a clean house, home cooked meals, relaxation, fun family time and memories that last a life time. Above all, we want to know that we are loved and appreciated. What will you be doing for the moms in your life this Mothers Day? Tell me in the comments.

13 Comments

Gift Giving, Parenting, Preschool, Shopping

10 Easter Gift Ideas for Your Little Girl

April 16, 2019

I know most people do egg hunts or fill Easter baskets with candy and other goodies, but when I was a kid, I rarely remember getting Easter baskets. If I did get an Easter basket, it was premade. Usually, my mom would buy me a couple gifts instead of the Easter basket. She thought the premade ones were a waste of money. I don’t know if she never thought to fill one herself or if she didn’t want to take the time, but she preferred to get me a toy or some other gift. I remember getting a game for my Nintendo one year. Another year I got a doll in a pretty christening dress. She would usually get me a plush bunny and some Easter related candy, so I never felt like I was missing much. However, I wanted to create some new Easter traditions with Rosebud. We do a small egg hunt because we love watching her find the surprises inside. I put together an Easter basket every year because like my mom, I believe the premade ones are a waste of money too and they usually have a bunch of junk in them. I have fun finding small items to fill the basket and I know there won’t be too much candy or too many things that will fall apart in a day.

I’m sure that’s enough for her, but I didn’t even realize I was doing this until I was shopping for gifts for Little Guy’s Easter basket. I took a trip down the girls toy isle and just had to get her something. A gift that was a little bigger. Something that wouldn’t be going into the basket, just like my mom used to do. These gifts don’t have to be expensive and some of them just might fit into the Easter basket anyway. If you’re like me and want to give a little extra something or are skipping the basket altogether in favor of a bigger gift, this post is for you.

Dolls and Accessories

This list mostly be for preschool age girls, but most of these gifts may work for children a little older or younger depending on your child. Within the past few months, Rosebud has really started becoming interested in her dolls. Feeding them, putting them down for a nap, pushing them around in the stroller and all things caring for babies. I love that she’s no longer throwing her babies on the floor. Girls this age really start to get into dramatic play and dolls are great for this. They can also practice dressing and undressing with doll clothes. Not only are they working on cognitive and social development, but they are working on physical development as well. There are so many dolls to choose from and the clothing options are endless, but here are a couple to get you started.

Play Food and Cooking

If your daughter is anything like Rosebud, she loves to cook. Her kitchen is her favorite toy and if I ever need to take anything away, the kitchen toys are my first go to. She loves them that much. We have baking sets, a hot coco set, a blender and a toaster to name a few. I really love the Learning Resources play food. They have a variety of options and the material is sturdy and easy to clean. These are great for boys as well. Little Guy loves Rosebud’s kitchen and especially loves to play with the cupcake sets.

Something Creative

You can’t go wrong with art supplies. Markers, crayons, glitter glue, collage materials or paints with paper are all great gift ideas. Art is great for sparking creativity and working on problem solving skills. It’s also fun and gets them away from the screen.

Outdoor Fun

Rosebud loves balls, sand play and bubbles. Since spring is a good time to start getting out the outdoor toys, it’s a good time to buy some new sand toys or a new ball.

Stuffed Animal

Why not get your little girl a new soft friend to hug?

Play-dough

I’m making Rosebud some Easter themed play-dough this year. Play-dough is so versatile and children can develop so many skills when playing with play-dough. You can either make it or buy it at the store and there are lots of options for toys. You can even just use items you have lying around the house.

Bath Time

Most kids love bath time and why not make it more fun with a new toy or bubble bath?

Books

You can’t go wrong with books. You can stick with the Easter theme or follow your little girl’s interests.

Something to Wear

Why not get her a nice dress, some jewelry or another accessory?

Experiences and Quality Time

This final item doesn’t have to cost a penny. You can spend quality time by just playing with your daughter. Let her pick what she wants to play and go with it. Sometimes Rosebud really appreciates when I just sit there with her and be present. I don’t even have to always interact, but she loves knowing that I’m there, watching and listening. If you want to skip gifts altogether and opt for experiences, that’s a wonderful thing as well. Maybe you want to sign her up for a swim class, go to an amusement park or go on a trip, you are spending quality time and also making memories that will last for years to come.

What are some of your favorite Easter traditions? Let me know in the comments.

4 Comments

Gift Giving, Infants, Parenting, Shopping

Baby’s 1st Easter Basket

March 22, 2019

As I’ve been working on filling Rosebud’s Easter basket for this year, I’ve been remembering her baskets from previous years. She was only a few months old for her first Easter and I had no idea what to put in her basket, so I ended up filling it with mostly practical things. That worked great for me because she wasn’t old enough to open her own gifts, she didn’t realize what she would’ve been missing and I was able to use these items for the rest of the year. If you’re like me and have no idea what to put in your baby’s first Easter basket, this post is for you.

Something Practical

Rosebud was around four months old on her first Easter and I knew that she’d soon be starting solid foods. I found this great set of bowls. They come in a pack of three. They are different sizes and come with lids. They also stick to the table so that your baby can’t pick them up. I still use these bowls to this day when I want to serve Rosebud a small snack or to store her food in the fridge. She can now unstick them from the table, but thankfully she is past the stage of throwing her food on the floor.

When I bought these, I only bought the bowls, so I’ve never tried the spoons from this company.

I got this set of spoons to go with the bowls. I chose these because they were soft silicone and had good reviews. They have a long handle which sometimes works great and other times it doesn’t depending on where you and your baby are sitting, but overall, I’d recommend these spoons. There are no sharp edges or anything for babies to hurt themselves on. These spoons hold the right amount of food for babies who are just starting out.

To round out meal time, I got a cup. I’d recommend either the Nuk trainer cup or the Munchkin 360. The Nuk is small and Rosebud had an easier time holding it because of the handles. She loved this cup. It was relatively easy to clean and the water didn’t spill everywhere even though it has a nipple. The Munchkin 360 is more like a regular cup. There are little holes on the side and the baby tips it up and drinks as if they are using a regular cup. This cup also does not spill and it comes in different sizes. Many of the toddlers I’ve worked with have these cups.

Bibs

To continue with the meal time theme, why not get a bib? It will help with all that messy baby food.
This bib would be nice for Easter.
 
These bibs are functional, wash well and Rosebud didn’t get irritated by them.

Books

You can’t go wrong with books and there are so many Easter books out there. It’s never too early to start reading to your baby.

Teethers

You can’t go wrong with a teether. Your baby will definitely need something to help soothe them while they are teething.

An Easter Outfit

I love dressing up Rosebud up in cute outfits. She had some beautiful dresses for special occasions when she was a baby. Even though we don’t go to church or do anything remotely religious, Easter was no exception. It’s just a tradition I suppose. There are so many cute clothes for Easter. You don’t have to get a fancy dress. There are plenty of cute outfits with bunnies or spring prints many of which a baby could wear any time.

Stuffed Animal

For Rosebud’s first Easter, I got her a plush rabbit holding a carrot. There are so many options and you can find a Easter plushy almost anywhere.

Toys

Since babies can’t have candy, I wanted to find other fillers that Rosebud could use as she got a little older. I did not put all of these things in her basket as I kept it small and simple, but these are all things I got her in that first year.

Squeeze and Stack Blocks

This is a great starter set of blocks. There are only eight, but they are good for babies to squeeze and stack. Each block has a little picture and number and they are textured.

Rattle

Any rattle is a great filler for an Easter basket. Rosebud loved any of the Oball rattles. This one was her favorite.

Baby’s Easter Play Set

I didn’t buy the Easter version of this because I didn’t know about it until later, but I bought the first birthday play set. Rosebud loved this with all the different textures and little soft objects. It’s a neat toy and makes a nice keepsake to save.

Sensory Bottle

If your baby is old enough, you can make this Easter Egg sensory bottle for their basket. It’s a form of sensory play without all that mess. Plus if everything is trapped in a bottle, there won’t be any choking hazards.

Is there anything else you’d add to the list? What are you putting in your baby’s Easter basket? Let me know in the comments.

8 Comments

Reviews, Shopping

Blended With Love Review

January 31, 2019

In a previous post about self care I’ve mentioned how I love candles and wax melts. They are little luxury items that I buy for myself. I love the cute wax warmers, all the neat wax shapes and how they make my house smell great.

The only problem I had was that most of the store bought scents gave me a headache, so a couple of years ago, I was browsing Etsy for homemade wax melts. I found this small shop that made the cutest cupcake melts. I love anything cupcake, so I bookmarked it and a few weeks later, I placed my first order. I don’t have pictures of my first order, but I remember a heart shaped cupcake, some strawberries and cream wax brittle and a black raspberry vanilla cupcake. Since then, I’ve been addicted, placing orders every few months.

Here’s what I love about Blended With Love.

First, the owner, Ashley is a work at home mom and I like to support other moms who have a small business when I can. I hope to have a business of my own while being with my child, so I feel supporting other moms on the same mission is a way to pay it forward.

Friendly Service

Whenever I’ve had a question, Ashley answers promptly and is always friendly. She posts updates regularly in her Facebook group. She shows us new melts she’s working on, beautiful wax creations and of course, there are giveaways. If there’s a problem with your order, she does her best to fix it. There was a mix up with one of my orders and she quickly sent a refund.

Good Quality

The best part is the wax melts. The Shop is restocked at different times. There was a restock last month and the next one is on February 2nd. To get specific information on restocks, check the Facebook group. Blended With Love offers a variety of wax melts depending on the season or requests from customers. Some of the common melts include owls, penguins, cupcakes, donuts, ice cream scoops, teacups, teapots, flower pots and drip cakes. There are a variety of scents to choose from. Most of them are unique blended creations.

Blueberry muffin cupcake

Fruity Pebbles Frosting donuts

Strawberry Float ice cream scoops

Barbies Tea Party tea pot

Berry Ice Cream ice cream cone

Customization

Ashley has a long list of people who are signed up for custom orders. Fortunately, I was recently able to place a custom order and I was impressed with everything I got. I ordered a variety of shapes. Some of them with a single scent and others with blended scents. What I love about these wax melts is I can melt them many times before they lose their scent. Many of the wax melts are large and have to be cut into pieces before melting, but that just means they last longer and I can enjoy the scent multiple times. I also love the little details. They are so pretty and look so much like actual baked goods, that I don’t want to melt them. They are works of art.

Mystery Boxes

Sometimes Ashley will create mystery boxes based on a theme. I love unicorns, so when she announced a unicorn mystery box, I had to get one. Most of these scents smell like candy and the little cakes are cute. They are the perfect size for my wax warmers and I love the little unicorn shapes. She’s also done a Snow White mystery box.

Crystal Creations

One of Ashley’s most recent additions are the crystal melts. There is another list of people who want crystal orders in the Facebook group. You get to choose your crystal, the shape you want and of course, the scent. I chose a rose quartz heart with a strawberries and cream cupcake. She’s combined three of my favorite things, crystals, cupcakes and things that smell good.

I’m sure there is more yet to come. I can’t wait to see what else she creates and I hope you head on over to try some of her wax. You’ll love it! I have not been compensated in any way to do this review. I just love her products and want to support another mom doing amazing work.

Blended With Love, shop Blended With Love on Facebook

Blended With Love on Instagram

7 Comments

Gift Giving, Infants, Parenting, Shopping, Toddlers

Valentines Day Gift Guide for Infants and Toddlers

January 18, 2019

Valentines day will be here before you know it. The holiday is so commercialized, but for me it’s about spending quality time with those I love. I try to do that anyway during the rest of the year. When I was a kid, my mom would always buy me a little Valentines gift and I have been doing the same thing with Rosebud. If you are wondering what to get your little Valentine, here are some ideas.

Valentines Day Themed Books

Books make great gifts. There are so many options, they are educational and they are relatively inexpensive.

If you are looking for more Valentines books for kids, check out this post.

Heart Shaped Stacking Cups

Stacking cups are simple, inexpensive and babies love them! They can scoop, they can pour and they can stack. These cups have little holes on the bottom. Rosebud would use these in the pool and pretend it was raining. These even have numbers inside if you wanted to do a counting activity. We’ve had these for a couple years and she still uses them in the water.

Rubber Duckies

How about these Valentine themed rubber duckies. There used to be this cool online shop called Rubber Duck Land that no longer exists. That’s where I found these cute little duckies, but I have found something similar to link to. It’s just a cute little novelty.

Stuffed animal

I’ve gotten a lot of Valentines stuffed animals over the years, but you don’t even have to stick to a Valentine theme for this one. Anything soft, cute and cuddly will do.

First Valentines Day Play Set

These are cute during the first year. I bought Rosebud the birthday play set and she loved it. They have these for most of the holidays. They are little soft toys with different textures to touch, colors to see and sounds to hear. They make great keepsakes as well.

Flowers

This flower toy from Green toys is a neat idea. It’s flowers. It’s spring. It’s educational and Green Toys is a company that makes all their toys from recycled milk cartons. Rosebud has a dump truck made by Green Toys and she likes it. Their toys are sturdy and well made. I’d recommend this toy for older toddlers.

Homemade Gifts

More often than not, the best gifts are free. If you are the creative type, take out the craft supplies and create a beautiful card or a meaningful keepsake that will be saved and treasured later. You can work together with your kids to make Valentines for loved ones. If you are looking for something that your kids can give to others, try these salt dough keepsakes.

Quality Time

The number one gift is quality time. Just be in the moment with your kids. Whether it be playing outside, reading a book or curled up on the couch watching a movie, take the time. They will treasure it more than any physical gift just as we would. The memories together is what they will remember.

If you are looking for some fun Valentines Day Activities, head over to Fab Working Mom Life.

If you are searching for a gift idea for oder children, check out these Love Buckets for Valentines Day

13 Comments

Gift Giving, Memories, Shopping, Winter

An Unexpected Christmas Gift

December 25, 2018

I had a few ideas for Christmas posts. I had settled on writing my Christmas list. The one that I have in my head that no one else knows about. The one that has all the things I want that I won’t ask for. Over the past couple of days, I’ve gotten something on my Christmas list, but it’s something I never expected. It’s the kindness of complete strangers.

Last week, there was a pot luck at work. I struggled to figure out what to bring. I always used to bring macaroni and cheese, but with my new schedule, trying to cook it and keep it fresh no longer works. I could’ve baked cookies or brownies, but I didn’t feel like it. The week was exhausting. I needed something quick and inexpensive, so I decided to stop at Dunkin Donuts for some munchkins, also known as donut holes. Someone paid it forward and I ended up with a free box of donut holes. In return, I paid it forward and bought someone’s coffee.

The day before Christmas Eve, my mom, Rosebud and I went to Walmart to buy my groceries for the week. I had to buy enough food to feed two kids this week as I have the week off from work, but will be watching a little boy. My mom was buying last minute items to make treats to fill our stockings. Our cart was pretty full. Once we had everything up on the counter and were about to pay, an older man comes up to my mom and offers her a gift card. My mom thanked the guy as the cashier finished ringing up the items.

Her bill came to around $40, but when the cashier checked the balance, she realized it was a $200 gift card. We were all in shock. Partly because we assumed it’d be $20 or less. I figured it was someone trying to get rid of the balance on his gift card. I’ve heard of people giving that much, but only on the news or viral Facebook posts. I’ve never seen it in my real life let alone it happening to me. The cashier even said that she’d never seen anything like that happen in person. It paid for my mom’s bill, my week’s worth of groceries and still had a small balance left over.

I don’t know why the man chose us. I can speculate, but it appeared that it was out of kindness and generosity. He wanted nothing in return. Maybe it is his way of getting into the holiday spirit. Who ever he is, I hope he is not alone this holiday season. I want to thank him for his kindness and for being so generous. He doesn’t know it, but I was looking at the balance in my bank account this morning and starting to worry about bills that haven’t been charged yet. Because of this man’s kindness, I don’t have to worry and will have enough to cover everything. It was a huge help to me.

They say that when you show kindness, it will be returned to you. It might not be reciprocated by the person you showed kindness to, but it will come back to you in another form. I might not be able to give a random stranger a $200 gift card, but in my own way, I will pay it forward to someone else. Thank you not only for the groceries, but for restoring some of my hope that kindness still exists in this world. Out of all the things on my Christmas list, this is the most important. I wish all my readers a happy holiday.

4 Comments

Childcare, Gift Giving, Toddlers, Work

Holiday Goody Bags for Toddlers

December 18, 2018

At work, we usually do a secret Santa gift exchange the week before Christmas. Sometimes we give to a family in need and fill a box with gifts. Some of our teachers make up bags for the children and some of them don’t. This year, I wanted to do something a little different. Right now, I don’t have a class of my own. I float, so I spend time in all the rooms, but I spend a lot of time with my toddler classes now and that’s who I decided to shop for.

I knew I wanted to put goody bags together, but most of the bulk items I found were for preschoolers or older. It took a little extra time and effort to find the right things, but here’s what’s inside the bags.

These sweet treat rubber duckies for the girls and these doggy rubber duckies for the boys.

I figured most kids love their baths and the novelty duckies would be a unique spin on a classic toy.

I found these bubbles at the dollar store in packs of three. There’s chocolate, strawberry and vanilla. 
Bubbles are always a hit with toddlers.

I included 1oz containers of play-dough. You can’t do much with only one or two ounces, but I was on a budget. These small sizes are great for travel.

I found packs of cars at the dollar store and included a car in each bag.

Here is a similar set of Matchbox cars.

What kid doesn’t love stickers? I found this sticker pack on Amazon that has a variety of stickers. There are letters, numbers, smily faces, hearts, animals and more. It’s a good buy if you are in the market for small puffy stickers.
 
Finally, I wanted to include a ball, but wasn’t sure what to do since most of the bouncy balls are too small for toddlers. I didn’t want to include anything that was a choking hazard. On the other hand, I didn’t want to find something too big for the bag. I was lucky to find these awesome jumbo bouncy balls that are the perfect size.

I found these paper snowman gift bags. They were the perfect size. For the final touch, I used gift tags with 3d stickers.
 
Is there anything I missed? What fun items have you included in goody bags? Tell me in the comments.

I’m sure the kids will be surprised. I hope they love them. I wish my classes a merry Christmas!

11 Comments

Activities, Art, Gift Giving, Parenting, Recipes, Toddlers

Salt Dough Keepsakes

November 11, 2018

I wanted to come up with an inexpensive and creative gift for my mother’s birthday. I also wanted Rosebud to be involved in making it so I decided to see what we could create with salt dough.

Ingredients:

1 cup salt,
2 cups all purpose flour,
1 cup warm water,
A pinch of cinnamon, (Optional)

Food coloring or powder paint. (Optional)

Directions:

1. Mix salt and flour together in a bowl.
If you are using powder paint to add coloring, you’ll want to mix it with the dry ingredients.
I added the pinch of cinnamon at this stage for a hint of scent, but that is totally optional.
2. Gradually add the warm water and stir until dough forms.
If you are using food coloring, add it into the water before mixing with the dry ingredients.
3. Once you have your dough, shape it into a ball and kneed for five minutes. the more you kneed, the softer it gets.
4. Time to have fun and see what you can create.

It took several tries, but I shaped the dough into a flat heart and Rosebud pushed her hand in the center to make the handprint. Trying to get a tired child to do something like this can be pure torture, but after the sixth try, we got our final product. The other handprints were missing fingers, missing part of the hand itself or barely noticeable.

To add some sparkle, I put some glitter on the heart. Finally, I poked two holes in the top so the heart can be hung as a decoration. I used a pencil to get good sized holes.

Next, I worked on the small rose. I roled out a coil for the stem and then made the leaf and rose petals by hand. You role the dough into tiny balls, shape them like a fingerprint and then smooth and bend the pointy ends into the stem. I start out with the outside petals which are larger and then work my way into the smallest center petals.

I baked the decorations for one hour at 200F and covered them with foil to avoid browning. The heart could’ve been baked a bit longer, but it air dried the rest of the way.

When it was cool, I painted them. For the heart and flower, I mixed white paint with a tiny drop of red food coloring. For the stem and leaf, I mixed the white paint with some green food coloring. When the paint was dry, I covered it with a coat of modpoj.

Rosebud was proud to give the birthday gifts and I was happy that we created something together. Have you made anything with salt dough? If so, what are your best creations?

6 Comments

Gift Giving, Parenting, Shopping

10 Stocking Stuffers for Preschoolers

September 24, 2018

This is the third post in my stocking stuffer series. Click here if you are looking for stocking stuffers for infants and here if you are looking for stocking stuffers for toddlers. There are so many options for this age group. It’s hard to narrow it down.

1. Art supplies

To encourage some creativity, why not go with something different than the standard crayons?

You could get these metallic crayons by Crayola that have a shimmer in the wax.

Make a drawing you can smell with these washable scented markers.

Add a little sparkle to your projects with this glitter glue.

Your child can get some practice cutting with child safe scissors.

2. Books

There are endless choices of books for preschoolers. I usually include a Christmas book or two in Rosebud’s stocking, but you could go with a book from any theme.

3. Felt story board kit

To go along with story time, a felt board story kit is a great idea. On Etsy, you can find homemade versions and support someone’s small crafting business or find a felt story on Amazon. The kids love moving the pieces to follow along with the story or creating a story of their own.

4. Items from our childhoods

How about this retro style mini Etch a Sketch?

This toy is similar to the Light Bright, but this one is travel sized without the paper.

Who else remembers these water games?

5. Puzzles

Puzzles are a great quiet winding down activity. Preschoolers can handle puzzles that are a bit more challenging.

6. Night light

Many preschoolers are scared of the dark and what may or may not be under the bed. Why not get them a cool night light to make night time a little less scary.

7. Games

Preschoolers can start learning games with simple rules.

8. DVD’s

These are good for a quiet rainy day afternoon inside or a long road trip. These are some of Rosebud’s favorite shows and movies.

9. Accessories

You could get hair bows, hats or jewelry.

10. Magnetic letters and numbers

Preschoolers can get some practice with letter recognition and learning sight words.

These aren’t magnets, but they are great for bath time.

I hope this post has helped you fill your preschooler’s stocking. Stay tuned for more gift giving ideas as the holidays get closer. Until then, happy shopping!

9 Comments

Gift Giving, Parenting, Shopping, Uncategorized

10 Stocking Stuffers for Toddlers

September 17, 2018

This is the second entry in my stocking stuffer series. If you missed it, here’s my list of Stocking Stuffers for Babies.
Click here for Stocking Stuffers for Preschoolers.

Today, I’ll focus on toddlers. Between one and three years of age, children become interested in a wider variety of activities and generally they put things in their mouths much less, so they can use toys with smaller parts. Of course, all this depends on the ages and developmental levels of your children. Rosebud still puts things in her mouth and chews on things that she shouldn’t, so there are still things I won’t let her play with especially on her own. The theme for her stocking last year was creativity. I included a lot of things that she could use for art projects, play-dough etc. Sometimes picking a theme for the stocking can help narrow down what you want to buy, but for this list, I will include a variety of items.

1. Large crayons

Toddlers don’t quite have the control and grip for standard sized crayons, but the larger sizes are perfect. Using crayons is a great introduction to drawing. Those scribbles will eventually become lines and the lines will eventually become drawings. Let them explore and imagine and before you know it, they’ll be drawing their own little world.

Don’t forget a mini notebook or drawing pad.

If you’re more adventurous like I was, you can try washable markers. Rosebud loves both crayons and markers and these particular markers by Crayola have washed off everything she’s drawn on.

Don’t forget to pick up a Magic Eraser to save your stuff and your sanity. Keep out of reach of children though because they are toxic, but they do an amazing job getting rid of scribbles on the furniture or walls.

2. Paints
To continue with the creativity theme, how about these water color paints? They aren’t as messy as finger paint, but you might choose to go that rout. Rosebud loves water colors. Now if I could only get her to remember to dip in the water first and then the paint. Not the other way around. You might want to include some extra brushes.

3. Play-dough

Play-dough is another great stocking stuffer. You can either make your own or get store bought. I’d suggest using homemade play-dough because it lasts longer, you know exactly what’s in it, you get a lot more than what’s in the little store bought containers and it feels smoother and easier to work with. Also, you can personalize it how you like. You can add scents, glitter, food coloring, textured items etc.

You can use tools specifically for play-dough, cookie cutters or items laying around the house.

4. Dramatic play

How about something for dramatic play? Maybe a small baby doll, stuffed animal or small set of toys.

This small tea set is for the bath, but it is small enough to include in a stocking. Rosebud loves this tea set.

This mini feeding set with bottles is another good choice.

5. Building

You could buy small cars, a mini block set or toy people to encourage building and pretend play. Another tip is to take things out of the boxes so they fit into the stocking.

6. Toothbrush

Does your child like a specific character they see on TV? They make lots of toothbrushes with characters on them. Some have lights, music and come in cool colors. Find a toothbrush that they will love and include it in their stocking. It’s practical, but it will get used.

7. Water bottle

It’s important to stay hydrated, so why not include a cool new water bottle. There are water bottles in every color, character and type imaginable.

8. Books
Books are amazing. They can introduce children to new concepts, reinforce things you’ve taught them or getting lost in a great story. I always include a book or two in the stocking.

9. Warm and cozy

Finally, why not include something warm for the winter? Rosebud loves slippers and there are so many options to choose from. Again, if your child has a favorite character you could buy something like this.

Maybe you want to buy something more cute and or fashionable like these.

Mittens or fuzzy socks come in handy during the winter as well.

10. Puzzles

Simple puzzles also make great stocking stuffers. They help toddlers use their fine motor and problem solving skills. I started by giving Rosebud puzzles with ten pieces or less.

If you are on a tight budget And are looking for thrifty and educational stocking stuffers for toddlers, check out this post from Organizing Chaos 101.
I hope you have gotten plenty of inspiration to fill your toddler’s stocking. Don’t forget to check out my other stocking stuffer suggestions. Happy shopping!

11 Comments