motherhood Archives | Page 3 of 4

10 best toddler toys under $20

August 14, 2015 by Abby

Encouraging imaginative play doesn’t have to be expensive. Ditch the electronics and get creative with these 10 best toddler toys under $20.

When it comes to buying toys for our toddlers- G. is almost 5 and B. just turned 3- we try to buy toys they can both enjoy. We look for options that encourage them to create and imagine. While there are plenty of expensive toys out there to invest in, we’ve found that all our favorites are each less than $20, and some can even be made at home for just a few bucks.

1. sort and snap color match
We bought this activity as a birthday gift for one of the kids a couple years ago. I don’t remember which kid because, within a month, we bought a second one for the other child. I love that this toy practices fine motor skills while encouraging creativity.

2. homemade kool-aid playdough
Speaking of encouraging creativity, I love watching G. and B. play with this homemade playdough. We talk about the scent and the color and the texture, and then I watch them make pancakes and trains and caterpillars. This recipe is easy to make and can be colored to suit any holiday or preference. (Playdough is a great way to practice shapes and letters with fun cookie cutters)

3. floor puzzles
Our kids love to do puzzles, but sometimes sitting still at the kitchen table isn’t realistic. For times like this, we love to keep them active yet engaged with floor puzzles. We especially love this fire truck and these zoo animals.

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5 daily habits of happy families

July 3, 2015 by Abby

Creating a happy family in today’s fast-paced world takes thought and intention. Here are five tips to help make it happen.

Hey! The month of July has me crisscrossing the country, from a road trip to Chicago to a plane ride “home” to Oregon. While I’m away, I’ve lined up some awesome guest posts for y’all. Today, Debbie is sharing tips to building a stronger, happier family.

How can you create a loving, happy family and enjoy a meaningful life together?

Happy families take the time to create positive habits and incorporate them into their daily lives. Here are five daily habits that are simple to implement and help create strong relationships.

1. Hug and kiss goodbye when you are leaving the house.
Take a quick moment to give and receive affection. Hugging your children helps them relax and deal with daily stress better. The power of touch helps build strong family bonds. This strong bond helps your child grow into a confident adult.

2. Greet family members when they return home.
This makes them feel valued and welcome when they return and can lead to better connections between family members.

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how to make kool-aid playdough

June 24, 2015 by Abby

Adding a packet of Kool-Aid to homemade playdough is a simple way to give your batch a vibrant color and a fun, fruity smell.

Summa summa summatime! My Facebook and Pinterest feeds are full of creative outdoor activities to keep kids occupied this summer. Soda bottle sprinklers, lawn-size board games, any number of homemade paints and chalks; you could try a different craft every day all summer long.

But can I tell you a secret? I don’t like outside. I live in Mississippi, where summer is really freaking hot and humid. I’m a fair-skinned (read: I burn like toast) mom of two fair-skinned ginger kids. We avoid the sun with vampiric skill. So when school’s out for the summer, we turn to creative ways to have fun indoors, including this Kool-Aid playdough.

I love that it’s easy to make and it’s easy to double or triple the recipe. This playdough is soft and smooth, not grainy like the store-bought version. You can customize it using your child’s favorite color, and along with the rich color comes a pleasant smell.

Kool-Aid playdough is an excellent opportunity to discuss the five senses: your kids can touch the smooth dough, they can smell its fruity scent, they can see its vibrant color, they can hear it plop on the table, and they can even taste its salty flavor. [Read more…]

how to make a pool noodle busy bag

June 12, 2015 by Abby

We’ve all seen this craft idea, right? While I can’t say I ever read a tutorial or a blog post about how to make it, I’ve been seeing pins of this pool noodle stringing activity since Pinterest was barely a thing. It’s one of about a million busy bag ideas floating around the interwebs nowadays. Since it seems to be one of the most frugal, and since I knew my kids would enjoy it, I bought what I needed and sacrificed eight minutes of my life to put the whole thing together.

And since I thought maybe, just maybe, there’s someone out there who wants a step-by-step photo tutorial of how the whole thing went, I took pictures to share here.

pool noodle busy bag

-pool noodle
-3 feet of rope
-plastic shoebox size container (optional)

Begin by cutting your noodle in half. Unless you want a ton of circles, one noodle makes enough slices for two busy bags.

Using a sharp knife- I used my all-time favorite Rada bread knife– and a cutting board, slice each half of the noodle into one-inch sections.

Do you have $2 and 10 minutes? If so, you can create an activity that encourages creativity, develops hand-eye coordination, and earns you a few minutes of quiet.

Don’t worry about the noodle holding up when it’s cut. Before I got started, I wondered if the Styrofoam would crumble or break off, but it doesn’t. It holds it shape perfectly, so I imagine this activity will last a while. (Note: the noodle certainly isn’t indestructible; if your child still puts things in her mouth, she should be watched while playing with her busy bag.)

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how to make a toddler good behavior chart

June 5, 2015 by Abby

Summer is a tricky time for discipline. Even though our kids are only in preschool, and their school schedule remains the same during the summer, they still know that things are off. Mom and Dad are home with them when they aren’t at school and the months are filled with trips that interrupt the routine they crave. This year, in an attempt to combat the behavior issues that often accompany summer break, I decided to make a toddler good behavior chart.

I had two main criteria when creating this system. The first was that the concept be uncomplicated. G. is four and B. is nearly three; I didn’t want something they’d have difficulty understanding or following. It would completely defeat the purpose of the chart if they didn’t know what they were working toward or how to get there.

The second criteria was for this to be specifically a chart to track and reward good behavior. We already have punishments in place for when the kids disobey; this chart wasn’t designed to supplement or replace those consequences. We won’t take stickers away when they misbehave.

Now, I know there’s controversy over rewarding children for doing what’s expected of them. I’ve learned, though, that positive reinforcement is a great teaching tool. No, our kids won’t always get an ice cream cone for picking up their toys, but I don’t think this chart is teaching them to expect that.

If you read the tutorial, you’ll see what I mean.

[Read more…]

how to make mom cry happy tears on mother’s day

May 4, 2015 by Abby

I conducted a poll on my Facebook page, asking my friends and followers what no- or low-cost gifts they would love to receive for Mother’s Day. The responses I received were creative and heart-warming, so I’m sharing my favorites here with you.

1. Write her a letter

Most moms, even those whose children are grown, feel unappreciated at times. One of the friends who commented on my post suggested something so sweet and simple that I wondered why I hadn’t thought of it yet myself: a handwritten letter.

Your letter could discuss any number of things: favorite memories, special lessons learned, hopes or plans for the future. If you’re a parent yourself, you could mention all the ways your mom has influenced your own parenting. If you don’t have kids, consider telling her all of the best parts of your childhood that you plan to incorporate into your own family.

Bonus points: continue the handwritten letter theme with these placemats.

2. Create a photo book

Photo albums are so 1999. These days, it’s much more efficient and fun to create a photo book online. Use your digital photos, or scan your old prints, to create a book that you can customize with text and templates. My favorite site to create photo books is Shutterfly <– (this is a referral link, but if you use it, you get a free 8 x 8 book).

Bonus points: rally your siblings and do something wild, like recreate photos from your childhood.

3. Take care of something she hates

Maybe mom loves having a clean, detailed car, but she hates washing it herself. Perhaps she’s been dreaming of repainting a room, but hasn’t yet found the time and effort. Maybe mom constantly reminisces about a memorable meal, but she lacks the skill or equipment to recreate it.

To really make Mother’s Day special for your mom, think about the projects or goals she has and how you can help her reach them. Often, the tasks she needs or wants done require more time than money, so this is an especially good option if you’re short on cash.

Bonus points: create something with your own two hands.

4. Gather everyone together

If you have siblings that are spread far and wide, gather everyone together to celebrate mom. Even if it can’t happen right on Mother’s Day, having all of her kids in one place will definitely induce happy tears. Most moms of grown children would tell you the greatest gift you can give is to get all of her babies in one place.

Bonus points: get professional photos taken while everyone is together.

5. Make it Mother’s Week

I remember wondering, when I was a kid, why there was a Mother’s Day and a Father’s Day, but no Kid’s Day. I didn’t really get it when my mom replied that “every day is Kid’s Day”.

I definitely get it now. Moms are incredibly underappreciated, so this year, fake her out by turning what she thinks is a Mother’s Day celebration into a week’s worth of love. Get her seven gifts to open, or plan seven special meals. The work you put into a weeklong show of appreciation will tell mom just how grateful you are for her.

Bonus points: create a theme for the week and center every gift, meal, or act of service around that.

Need Mother’s Day recipe inspiration? Check out these simple and tasty brunch recipes.

What Mother’s Day gift make syour mom cry happy tears?

(this post contains affiliate links; to learn more, see my disclosure policy)

10 Simple & Tasty Mother’s Day Brunch Recipes + a Blog Hop

April 29, 2015 by Abby

Welcome to our April Blog Hop!

This month we are focusing on all things Mother’s Day…it’s only a couple of weeks away! Get ready for some great ideas, inspiration and how -tos as you move along through the blog hop.

You may just be starting, or may have come from Anna International on our Living with Style Blog Hop. If you get off track at any time, the full lineup below will help you move along from blog to blog so you make sure to see and learn from all of the articles featured here today.

[Read more…]

march’s most popular posts

April 1, 2015 by Abby

Um, where did March go?

Between the whirlwind of the end of one term and the start of another, a week out of state for spring break, and all of the final decision-making before construction of our house is complete in a couple weeks, I feel like I barely blinked and the month is gone.

I did manage to write some posts in the midst of the craziness, though. Here are the most-viewed posts of March:

5. cinnamon roll bars

This is a recipe I posted a couple months back. The fact that it’s still getting a lot of hits is a testament to how ridiculously tasty it is.

4. how to maximize your wardrobe on a budget

Have a budget? Want to be clothed? Check out this post.

[Read more…]

my 5 favorite toddler products under $10

March 30, 2015 by Abby

As a parent of two toddlers- G. is four and B. is two- the internet would have me belief that there are a ton of products out there that I have to have. As a mom who’s tried many of those products, I can attest that there are few worth spending money on. Here are my favorites.

1. baby food pouches

These pouches aren’t just for babies. In fact, as a mom of picky eaters, I plan to buy them for as long as my kids will eat them. With flavors like Spinach, Pea, Pear and Sweet Potato, Apple, Carrot, I feel zero guilt giving my kids one of these as a snack. The bonus is that they’re great for tossing in a diaper bag when we’re on the go.

These pouches can be purchased individually at the grocery store for anywhere from $1.00 to $1.75 each, depending on the the brand and the ingredients, but the best deals are on Amazon.

2. these sippy cups

We’ve owned a lot of sippy cups. A lot. I’ve chosen them based on price, reviews, characters. I’ve regretted some of the purchases I’ve made because, for one reason or another, the cups didn’t live up to expectations. After several false starts, I finally discovered our favorite sippy cup brand.

These Gerber Graduate Fun Grips cups are durable, leak-proof, and easy to clean. The lids are mix and match, so we don’t have to worry about keeping each cup with its lid.

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5 favorite beauty products under $10

February 23, 2015 by Abby

Those who know me are probably perplexed. “What business does she have writing a post about beauty products?”

It’s true. I don’t wear much makeup, my hair is pretty low maintenance, and I don’t use any fancy creams or serums. I’m going to suggest, though, that my no frills beauty routine makes me that much more qualified to write this post. If I only use a handful of products every day, each one must be pretty special to make the cut.

So even though I don’t spend too much time on my hair and makeup, I do know what products I like, and I’ve tried several different brands of most of those products, searching for the best.

fiber mascara

I’m pretty sure I originally ordered this product by accident. I didn’t mean to add it to my cart from my phone, but then I forgot to remove it and checked out the next day. Best mistake ever. I love what this mascara does to my eyelashes. I’ve never worn false lashes, but I would guess this is as close to those as you can get with a mascara. I think I have pretty average lashes; they’re definitely there, but they need help. This mascara makes them look longer and fuller than any other brand I’ve tried (and I’ve tried a lot of different brands).

Note: the mascara works by attaching tiny little fibers to your lashes. For this reason, I would recommend not using it on your lower lashes, to avoid getting the fibers in your eyes. Also, as the reviews on the product suggest, you should follow up the fiber mascara with a coat or two of your regular mascara, to seal in the fibers.

coconut oil

Maybe this scenario is familiar to you: I didn’t have great skin in high school. I never had acne, but I struggled with breakouts and never could find a product or a skin care routine that cleared things up. My mom would say, “it’s your teenage hormones; you’ll grow out of it.” Fast forward through college and beyond. I never really grew out of it. My skin got much better, and there were times it even looked great, but breakouts were never completely behind me.

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