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