Category: RELATIONSHIPS

A Sweet and Simple Toddler Easter Basket

Dear Easter Bunny,

Thank you and your helpers for all that you do! Since I was a little girl, your operation has grown into something that could rival Christmas morning! It’s enthusiastic and impressive to say the least, but I don’t think our little girl needs all the bells and whistles this year.

My daughter is a 19th month old toddler this Easter and I would like to request up to six items for her Easter Basket that are simple, sweet and more useful than not!

Thank you for taking a look!

DIY Spring Sensory Bottle

Happy Spring everyone! Spring has now sprung and it’s a time for fresh growth, vibrant colors and new life! Part of the fun in raising Zoey is making things that teach and fascinate her. And, if I’m being completely honest, I find sensory bottles fascinating too, so let’s make one!

SUPPLIES

  • A 16 ounce clear, plastic bottle
  • A funnel
  • 1 1/2 cups of white rice
  • 3/4 teaspoon of white vinegar
  • Green food coloring
  • Miniature insect (or other spring inspired) erasers 
  • Glue (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Place the rice in a resealable plastic sandwich bag.
  2. Add the vinegar and food coloring to the rice. You can add however many drops of food coloring you’d like, I added 20 drops.
  3. Seal the bag and shake well until the color is well dispersed throughout.
  4. Spread the rice onto a baking sheet and allow it to dry overnight.
  5. Place the funnel in the mouth of your bottle and use it to fill the bottle with half of the rice.
  6. Remove the funnel and add half of the insect erasers.
  7. Screw the lid back onto the bottle and shake until well incorporated, then remove the lid and replace the funnel.
  8. Add the rest of the rice and the rest of the insect erasers.
  9. Replace the lid onto the bottle and shake well again until well incorporated.
  10. If your child is older and you worry about him/her undoing the lid, you can coat the inside of the lid with glue, then screw it back onto the bottle. This will secure the lid and make it harder for little ones to unscrew the lid and create a leak or spill the bottle’s contents.

Enjoy!

The Benefits of Reading to Children

Stack of Children's BooksZoey’s Bedtime Story is a nighttime ritual I started last year, and this year, the adventure continues! I made a New Year’s resolution to read to Zoey every night this year and we have yet to miss a day!

Reading has always been very special to me. I remember my mom reading to me as a child and I believe it had a profound impact on my love for reading and books, not to mention my performance in school. I want to continue that tradition with Zoey. I want her to hear my voice, hear the diction and the pronunciation, see the beautiful images and eventually enjoy the stories. I imagine her sitting in my lap or lying cozy in her bed while I sit next to her and read, her eyes on the book with rapt attention. In reality, she sits on my lap for about five to ten seconds then tootles all over the room while I keep reading and trying to pull her attention back. I keep going because I know tat the more we read, the more she’ll settle in and pay attention.

There are many benefits of reading to children, no matter their age!

  • Increased attention span
  • Bonding between parent/guardian and child
  • Cognitive and language development
  • Creativity
  • Expanded vocabulary
  • Life lessons
  • Listening skills
  • Social and emotional development

So if you haven’t started reading to your little one(s) it’s not too late to start today! And if you’ve started reading to your little one(s) and their attention is anywhere but on you and the book don’t give up! Consistency is the key!

Please come follow along on my Instagram where I post which book we’re reading each night in my story, and every book I’ve read to her has been saved to the highlights on my profile.

I’ve started a Pinterest Board of all the books I would like to read to Zoey or share with her someday. Check it out to get inspired and please let me know if there are any children books you would recommend; we love sharing stories!

A Dr. Seuss Children’s Book Bibliography

Dr. Seuss Children's Book Bibliography

Another of my favorite children’s authors is Dr. Seuss!

See my Bill Peet bibliography here!

So many of this man’s books were read to me throughout my childhood and I’m sure you’ve had a similar experience! The artwork is uniquely appealing, his wordplay is masterful (have you read Fox in Socks?) and above all each story has a good moral that can teach all who read it!

I am starting to collect Dr. Seuss books to read to my daughter, so I’ve created this one-page handy dandy bibliography to keep track as I go! Please feel free to use it too if you need it!

POSTHUMOUSLY

A Bill Peet Children’s Book Bibliography

Bill Peet Bibliography

One of my favorite children’s authors is (you guessed it) Bill Peet!

I remember my mom and I would make frequent trips to the library throughout my childhood and I would always borrow as many Bill Peet books as I could find each time. Every story is entertaining and has a good moral, but most of all I love the art!

I am starting to collect Bill Peet books to read to my daughter, so I’ve created this one-page handy dandy bibliography to keep track as I go! Please feel free to use it too if you need it! We currently own Chester the Worldly Pig and Kermit the Hermit, but I’m always keeping a look out for more!

What’s your favorite Bill Peet book? It’s so hard to pick a favorite, but I believe mine is The Pinkish, Purplish, Bluish Egg.

Family Friendly Christmas Movies and Specials – G Rated

Family Friendly Christmas Movies and Specials - G Rated
Welcome to the cozy and magical month of December my friends!

My family and I have created a list of family friendly Christmas movies and specials for you and yours! Christmas may be celebrated a little differently this year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t kindle a little Christmas spirit!

This year we’ve decided to focus on movies and specials that are rated G for general audiences, or good for all ages. Some of the older content has never been rated, but they were created under the Motion Picture Production Code, which was a set of moral guidelines used by motion picture studios from 1934 to 1968, and are thus pretty tame.

Please let us know if we missed or left out any of your family friendly (G-rated) Christmas favorites you feel should be included! We’d love to hear from you!

Organized alphabetically by title:

“Almost There” Lyric Page from Disney’s The Princess and the Frog

"Almost There" Lyric Page (The Princess and the Frog)
I love singing to Zoey and she loves being sung to! I used to know all the songs from Disney movies by heart, but I’m a little rusty. I’ve started making lyric pages to refresh my memory or teach me new songs I’ve never known!

“Almost There” from Disney’s The Princess and the Frog is so inspiring and invigorating. I typically sing this to her or play it for her while we’re playing and/or dancing. She can’t necessarily understand its positive message yet, but one day she will!

Please feel free to save these for quick reference, and let me know if there are any songs you would like to see lyric pages for!

Family Friendly Halloween Playlist 2020

Family Friendly Halloween Playlist 2020Welcome to the spooky month of October my friends!

My family and I have created a playlist of family friendly Halloween music for you and yours! Halloween may be celebrated a little differently this year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t kindle a little Halloween spirit!

This year we’ve decided to focus more on jazzy halloween inspired music with a few other songs sprinkled in that fit the mood. The Disney and Danny Elfman presence in this list is strong and I found myself wishing I could find more jazz covers of the Disney Villains songs.

Please let us know if we missed or left out any of your family friendly halloween favorites you feel should be included! We’d love to hear from you!

Family Friendly Halloween Playlist 2020

  •  Linus and Lucy | Vince Guaraldi Trio
  • Monsters, Inc. | Randy Newman
  • Charlie Brown Theme | Vince Guaraldi Trio
  • The Scare Floor | Randy Newman
  • Great Pumpkin Waltz | Vince Guaraldi Trio
  • The Piano Duet (The Corpse Bride) | Danny Elfman
  • Overture (The Nightmare Before Christmas) | Danny Elfman
  • This is Halloween | The Citizens of Halloweentown
  • Grim, Grinning Ghosts | The Haunted Mansion Happy Haunts
  • Sally’s Song | Catherine O’hara
  • Jack and Sally Montage | Danny Elfman
  • Jack’s Lament | Danny Elfman
  • Ball & Socket Lounge Music #1 | Danny Elfman
  • Remains of the Day | Danny Elfman
  • They Don’t Scare Me | Mickey Mouse
  • Monster Mash | Bobby “Boris” Pickett
  • The Munsters | Jack Marshall
  • Trust in Me | Scarlett Johansson
  • Snuff Out the Light | Eartha Kitt
  • Witchy Woman | The Eagles
  • I Put a Spell On You | Screamin’ Jay Hawkins
  • Friends on the Other Side | Keith David
  • Man with the Hex | The Atomic Fireballs
  • The Headless Horseman | Thurl Ravenscroft
  • Superstition | Stevie Wonder
  • Remains of the Day (Combo Lounge Version) | Danny Elfman
  • Cruella De Vil | Dr. John
  • Ball & Socket Lounge Music #2 | Danny Elfman
  • Little Birdie (Instrumental) | Vince Guaraldi Trio
  • Thanksgiving Theme | Vince Guaraldi Trio

Family Friendly Halloween Playlist on Spotify

Family Friendly Halloween Movies and Specials – G Rated

Family Friendly Halloween Movies and Specials - G Rated

Welcome to the spooky month of October my friends!

My family and I have created a list of family friendly Halloween movies and specials for you and yours! Halloween may be celebrated a little differently this year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t kindle a little Halloween spirit!

This year we’ve decided to focus on movies and specials that are rated G for general audiences, or good for all ages. Some of the older content has never been rated, but they were created under the Motion Picture Production Code, which was a set of moral guidelines used by motion picture studios from 1934 to 1968, and are thus pretty tame.

Please let us know if we missed or left out any of your family friendly (G-rated) halloween favorites you feel should be included! We’d love to hear from you!

Family Friendly Halloween Movies and Specials (G-rated)

DIY Autumn Leaves Sensory Bottle

DIY Autumn Leaves Sensory BottleI love Autumn, it has to be my favorite season of the year!

After creating a Summer-themed ocean wave bottle, I felt inspired to create a sensory bottle for each season and I immediately thought of swirling multi-hued Autumn leaves!  Part of the fun in raising Zoey is making things that teach and fascinate her. And, if I’m being completely honest, I find sensory bottles fascinating too, so let’s make one!

DIY Autumn Leaves Sensory Bottle

SUPPLIES
  • 16 ounce clear, plastic bottle
  • 6 ounces of hot water
  • Clear glue
  • Slender whisk
  • Glycerin
  • Leaf-shaped glitter
  • Regular glitter (optional)
  • More hot water
  • Glue for the lid

DIY Autumn Leaves Sensory Bottle DIY Autumn Leaves Sensory BottleDIY Autumn Leaves Sensory Bottle

INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Pour the 6 ounces of hot (as hot as your tap will run) water into your bottle.
  2. Add 2.5 to 3 ounces (or more) of glue to the hot water in your bottle. The more glue you add, the slower your leaves will swirl and fall.
  3. Whisk the glue in the hot water until well incorporated. You can also replace the lid of the bottle and shake, however this created a lot of foam bubbles for me. They will go away, but it will slow down your progress.
  4. Measure 1 to 2 tablespoons of Glycerin and whisk or replace the lid and shake again.
  5. Add your glitter. I used several different hues of leaf shaped glitter and a few pinches of regular gold glitter.
  6. Pour more hot water into the bottle. Stop before reaching the top, replace the lid and turn the bottle over several times to check how everything moves. At this point you can add more glitter, more glue to make it fall slower, and/or more glycerin to smooth everything out.
  7. After you’re satisfied with the flow of the bottle’s contents, remove the lid again and fill the bottle all the way to the top with the hot water.
  8. If your child is older and you worry about him/her undoing the lid, you can coat the inside of the lid with glue, then screw it back onto the bottle. This will secure the lid and make it harder for little ones to unscrew the lid and create a leak or spill the bottle’s contents.

DIY Autumn Leaves Sensory Bottle