Easy Craft: Tye-dye Coffee Filters!

I'm usually the last to know about everything so it doesn't surprise me that it took four years of being a Mom to learn about these nifty little things.  Have you seen these?  They are color dabbers and you can get them just about anywhere and I'm just now finding out about them:

Then we opened them up and found the most beautiful result!



Normally Munchkin Girl gets bored with stuff eventually, but this time, she would have kept doing them all afternoon.  I finally had to put a stop to it before Daddy ran out of coffee filters. 




I'm sorry to repeat myself so often, but I wanted to say thank you again to all of you for your support on my book!  I have been humbled by the response and so thrilled that the book continues to rank high on Amazon in the categories of Motherhood and Babies and Toddlers!  If you haven't seen it yet, I hope you will take a minute to read the reviews...you can even download the first chapter on your Kindle before you buy it!

If you have ever asked yourself questions like, these, then this is the book for you!

• Why do my kids drive me so crazy sometimes?
• Why do they just want to watch TV all day long?
• How am I ever supposed to get anything done when my kids won't stop pestering me?

In this book, I teamed up with former Kindergarten teacher, Susan Case, and we worked together to give a Mom's point of view and a teacher's point of view, so that we could give you activities that not only keep the kids busy, but also keep them motivated to learn and develop their natural curiosity. 




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Mommy Needs a Break! From Guilt, from Diapers, From Everything!

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Outer Space Crafts: A Review and Giveaway for Kiwi Crate

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A Low-Maintenance Princess Party? Yeah right!

 



 


 



If you liked this post, you will LOVE my new book (which is currently ranked#4 on Amazon in the category of Motherhood!).   If you have ever asked yourself questions like, these, then this is the book for you!

• Why do my kids drive me so crazy sometimes?
• Why do they just want to watch TV all day long?
• How am I ever supposed to get anything done when my kids won't stop pestering me?

In this book, I teamed up with former Kindergarten teacher, Susan Case, and we worked together to give a Mom's point of view and a teacher's point of view, so that we could give you activities that not only keep the kids busy, but also keep them motivated to learn and develop their natural curiosity.  Here is what one of the reviews says on Amazon:

"This book seriously saved my sanity. I've read a bunch of parenting books but this is literally the only one that actually gave me real and specific advice and ideas for things to do with my daughter. I'm a stay-at-home mom to a 2-year old and I was at my wits end trying to come up with ideas of fun, easy, creative things to do with her that will keep her busy and occupied and help her learn. I wasn't very good at following through on ideas that I heard about from friends or read in other books or online because they seemed too complicated (aka: messy!) but this book broke it down and made it so simple. I highly recommend it!"





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Yes, We Watch TV Sometimes and I'm Not Ashamed!

The other day I let the kids play by themselves in Munchkin Girl's room, which is risky, I know.  But at almost 4 and 2, they are really starting to play well together and I want to encourage that, so when the begged me to go to her room to "play", of course I agreed.  I was pretty shocked actually.  They did great and I could hear them up there, discussing things and having a great time.  Mostly Munchkin Girl bossed her brother around and delegated room-cleaning to him, but he happily agreed and kept saying, "Okay, sure."

Then after about 20 minutes, I suddenly heard, "Nooooo!!  That's MYYYYYYY fox!!!  Mommy help!!!!"

I went running and found them wrestling around on the floor, fighting over some stupid stuffed fox.  I broke it up but then I noticed that look in Little Buddy's eyes.  It was a look that said, "I have now tasted what it's like to irritate my sister and I'm ready for more.  I want to make trouble."

At that point, it was almost nap time and I quickly decided that if I didn't want more stitches or knocked out teeth (yep, those both happened recently, feel free to read about it!), TV was a great solution.  Yes, I'm not ashamed to admit that when it's nap time and the kids are wound up, I think TV is a wonderful way to calm them down, especially if it's a show that is nice and soothing.  So one of our favorites is Little Bear.  It's on Nick Jr. and he is always playing outside with his friends and using his imagination to come up with songs, games, etc.  In fact, sometimes I wish I could live with Little Bear.  Life would be much simpler.

Photo courtesy of epguides.com

I know experts say you shouldn't let your kids watch TV, but I would like to tell the experts this...one day when Munchkin Girl suggested that we paint outside, I was inspired.  There was one episode where Little Bear was painting on a tree so I got out a few simple materials.  I love using old egg cartons for paint holders because then I can just throw them away without washing them.  Then all I needed was some construction paper, paint brushes, and a few large thumb-tacks:


The kids were really excited about this.  They just loved acting out something Little Bear has done and an added bonus is that it really eased my guilt they are using creativity and benefiting from their TV-watching!  Now, as someone who almost got kicked out of art class in 5th grade, I have admit that I was very proud that day to look out at my little artists! (Oh, and yes, Munchkin Girl is in her PJs...this was first thing in the morning and I never said I was a perfect Mom!)



Surprisingly, Little Buddy (2) stuck with this longer than his big sister.  He went through several pieces of paper and I was shocked that his attention span has improved so much in the past few months!  I guess imitating his friend, Little Bear, paid off!







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Fun ABC Activity for Your Preschooler

Why Kids Brains Need to Be Nourished and How to Do it

My daughter was two when her little brother was born.  I was convinced that our transition would be smooth and easy.  She'd always been an easy toddler and an independent girl.  I couldn't have been more wrong.  She became whiny and needy and I found myself yelling at her and then feeling so bad after I yelled.  She was just a little girl at the time and really didn't know any better, but a Mom can only take so much.
When I suddenly found myself trying to cook dinner with one hand while my newborn cried and my toddler clung to my leg, I knew something needed to change. 

It turns out that my daughter just needed more meaningful time with me.  She needed to be challenged and complimented for something she had truly accomplished.  In other words, I wasn't nourishing my daughter's active mind so when I suddenly wasn't giving her my full attention, she started acting out.  I always figured that my daughter would start learning what she needed to know when she got to Kindergarten.  What I didn't know is that only 25% of the human brain is developed at birth and a lot of the neurons are connected and formed before the age of five.

Yet I know what you're thinking.  How can I possibly find the time to teach my kid when I barely have time for the laundry, the cooking and taking care all the day to day house stuff?  Well I'm here to tell you, that if you do this right, you will end up with MORE free time.  I promise.  Even if you don't care about connecting neurons, you will care about this: once I brought home some basic stuff from Hobby Lobby, like sand, funnels, buttons, colored rice, Pom Poms, etc. and started spending thirty solid minutes with her each day, she became a new kid.  Suddenly she wasn't clinging to me every day.  She was challenged and felt loved and connected with me during this time and suddenly she had the confidence to play alone again.

I want to share with you that after months and months and months of hard work, waking up at 4 am to write, my book is finally ready!  I have teamed up with former Kindergarten teacher and author, Susan Case, to write a book called, The Happy Mommy Handbook: The Ultimate How-to Guide on Keeping Your Toddlers and Preschoolers Busy, Out of Trouble, and Motivated to Learn.  This book is written in a unique way: from the perspective of both a mom and a teacher.  Not only do you get my "Mom" view, you also get advice from a Teacher.  Each chapter introduces a problem that I have actually faced in my real life.  Susan Case is a former Kindergarten teacher who offers advice after each scenario and educates the reader on skills that young children should be working on, such as fine motor and sensory skills.  At the end of each chapter, we introduce dozens of games and activities that we have developed for you to do with your small children, including photos and detailed instructions.  If you've been a reader of my blog, you will understand what the book can offer to you.  We have compiled some of the ideas from my blog, along with dozens of new ideas and put them into an easy-to-read format.  You will understand how each activity can truly benefit both you and your child.  This book is not about fancy projects that are difficult and time-consuming.  It's about having fun with your kids and helping them learn so you can have a more peaceful house-hold.  Not every Mom is a crafting genius so the book also gives practical advice on what you should buy and how to organize your supplies and the activities are generally inexpensive and easy.    

The goals of this book are simple: to give you more free time, smarter and happier children, and most of all, to allow you to enjoy and make the most of the early years with your children because kids really do grow up fast. The book is available in both paperback ($9.99) and on Kindle and iBooks ($3.99)

Chapter Titles:

Chapter One: Keeping Kids Busy With Sensory Activities

Chapter Two: Keeping Kids Busy With Fine Motor Activities

Chapter Three: Crafts and Art Projects

Chapter Four: Playing Inside

Chapter Five: Playing Outside

Chapter Six: Nurturing Yourself So You Can Nurture Your Children

Chapter Seven: Enjoying Your Kids to Fullest by Developing Wonderful Behavior

Chapter Eight: How to Prepare Your Children for Kindergarten

Chapter Nine: Helping Your Child Learn to Read

Chapter Ten: Helping Your Child Learn Math and Science

Chapter Eleven: Summary and Resources

 


 


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20+ Ways to Make Caterpillars With Your Little Ones

I've been a Mom now for four years and sometimes the things I don't know amazes me.  For example, I only found out about squeezable applesauce about six months ago.  Little portable applesauce packages that don't need to be refrigerated!?!?  I don't know where I was living for the first 3.5 years of Munchkin Girls' life, but clearly I missed out.

A similar thing happened not too long ago when someone mentioned the author Eric Carle.  Now clearly, as a Mom and a blogger, I should know this person.  Everyone is always talking about him.  Yet I didn't and as usual I felt worried that I was depriving my kids of an important and education opportunity that would likely stunt them for life.  Harvard was clearly out of the question if I didn't do something fast (Don't worry.  If you're new to my site, you will realize that I'm mostly being sarcastic).  Still, I rushed out to Barnes and Noble that day and bought The Very Hungry Caterpillar. 

I proudly presented it to my kids and started reading in my most animated voice.  Now I'm going to admit something that will make most Mom bloggers cringe....My kids really weren't interested.  Their eyes glazed over and they wandered off for something more fun to do.  I'm not sure what that means.  I was pretty surprised because most days we read at least 10 books.  They usually adore book.  They just don't seem to like Eric Carle books.  They seem really smart in other ways, but they will never be appraising fine art, because from what I have heard, Eric Carle is truly the fine art of kids books.

To be honest, ever since we introduced the magnifying glass, my kids are much more interested in this book.  Why?  Because it came with 10 little fake bugs that they carry around the house to scare people.  And they also like to look for bugs and caterpillars outside.


Still they do really love to make caterpillar crafts so the other day we got out some beads and pipe cleaners.  First, I strung one bead around the end and secured it for Munchkin Girl:



Then she spent thirty happy minutes stringing the pipe cleaner with the beads





In the end, she really loved her little caterpillars almost as much as her outdoor caterpillar friends.  I felt like it was time well-spent because she worked on her hand strength as she laced the beads, which will help her later when it is time to learn to write.  Not only that, after we spent this quality time together, she wandered off for an hour and played happily with her dolls.  I have found that after we do a project, she feels fulfilled and it really allows her to open up her imagination and feel secure enough to play alone, giving me some much-needed time to pay bills, do laundry or whatever I need to do.  To find more simple ways to keep your kids buys in productive ways, check out my new book, The Happy Mommy Handbook: The Ultimate How-to Guide on Keeping Your Toddlers and Preschoolers Busy, Out of Trouble and Motivated to Learn.

The Worst $700 I Ever Spent

Let's play a little game.  See this mouth?  How old would you expect this child to be?  Five?  Six?  Even Seven?


Nope, this is my three year old.  Let me tell you what happened and then I'll tell you about how the money comes in.  A few weeks ago, I was changing Little Buddy's diaper (poopy of course) when and Munchkin Girl was in the other room, looking out the front window, hoping her little friends were going to be coming out to play.  I heard her fussing in there.   Not crying, just almost like whining.

"What's wrong?" I yelled.  "What are you fussing about in there?"

She came running in and honestly I expected something stupid.  Like a dead fly on the floor or a hair in her mouth.  Instead, her front tooth was sticking straight out all weird.  She reached up and I yelled, "No!!  Don't pull!!"

Yet my three year old yanked her own tooth out, right before my very eyes.  Blood started gushing and I was elbow deep in a poopy diaper so you can only imagine the mass chaos that ensued.

Somehow she had knocked her tooth against the front door while looking out the window.  Don't ask.  I'm as confused as you are about what happened.  Anyway, we had the tooth fairy come.  We told her how cute looks and how grown up she is.  We went to the dentist.  He took X-rays and assured us that there was no permanent damage, but that it would likely take 3-4 years for the permanent tooth to come in.  He did say that we could have a fake tooth made.  He made it sound super easy...no anesthesia, nothing permanent, just quick and painless!  

At first we didn't even consider it, but she kept looking up at me with sad eyes, and saying, "Mommy?  I can't chew my food very well.  I want my tooth back."  So I finally talked to her about it.  I explained that the doctor could make her a new tooth but it would take awhile and might hurt just a little bit. She agreed that it would be worth it and was so thrilled that ran around yelling for days, "Guess what?!?  I'm getting a new tooth!!"   

It wasn't a bad process to have it made, but then it came time to check out.  As I've said before, I'm a bit of a dingbat.  I started to walk out without paying or anything.  I figured insurance would cover everything and they would bill us later for the difference.

"Ma'am?" they yelled.  "We need to charge your card.  That comes to $350."

"I'm sorry?" I sputtered.  "That wasn't my understanding."

"Oh yes, you pay the other half when the tooth comes in a few weeks."

I about peed my pants.  $700 for a new tooth??!?!?  The dentist didn't mention that part.  He made it sound sooo easy.

Fast forward again to two weeks later when the tooth finally arrived.  Of course, by now Munchkin Girl is used to her missing tooth and she's telling me that she doesn't need a new one anymore.  I figure she'll be happy when she sees the new one in her mouth and we head out for the dentist.  We arrive and it is the scariest-looking contraption I've ever seen.  Wires wrap around the back teeth and then a long wire goes along the back of the rest of her teeth to keep in the fake tooth.  She looks terrified and I don't blame her.

I whisper in her ear that I'll buy her a new doll and a cookie if she's brave.  She lays down, but clings to my hand.  They struggle with getting stupid thing in her mouth and when it's done, she's like a caged animal.  She's squirming and screaming, "Take it out!  I don't want a new doll or a cookie!  Just take it out!!"  That's when I knew she meant business.  Since when does she not want a new doll?  Or a cookie for crying out loud?!? I've never seen her like this.

Now, what's a Mom to do?  I've already spent $700 on the stupid thing.  Yet, the only reason I even did it is because she said she wanted it.  I honestly don't care.  I think she looks kind of cute with a missing tooth.  Yet now I'm torturing her and traumatizing her and she'll probably hate the dentist for life and frankly it doesn't look that good anyway.  The color doesn't even match. 

"Let's take it out," I said softly.  "We're not putting it in.  We'll call you if we change our mind."

And that's how I spent $700 on a fake tooth that is now sitting permanently at the dentist's office instead of in my daughter's mouth.  Yet I know with 100% certainty that I made the right decision.  Sometimes you just gotta trust your gut, even if everyone, the nurses, the dentist, everyone, thinks you're crazy.  Plus, it makes a great story.  And she looks cute as a button with her missing tooth...and just think how fun it will be when her new tooth comes in!  It should only take about four years.

Of course, if I had to do over again, I would ask more questions.  But you live and learn, right?



Don't forget to check out my new book!  It will seriously help you save your sanity.  If you have ever tried to cook dinner while your kid clings to your leg and cries, this is the book for you!  It was released in July, 2012 and was co-written by me and Susan Case, a Kindergarten Teacher.  We worked together to give a Mom's point of view and a teacher's point of view, so that we could give you activities that not only keep the kids busy, but also keep them motivated to learn and develop their natural curiosity.  Kids behave better when they are given challenging projects to work on, which will in turn give you more free time to do the things you really need to do, like washing dishes, paying bills, and relaxing so that you can be a better Mom!