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Build Fine Motor Skills with these Christmas Toys!
Christmas is quickly approaching and I have gotten a lot of questions from parents about toys that are fun, but can also help their littles with their development. I recently shared a list of toys that will help with gross motor development and I wanted to share a list of fine motor toys as well. Fine motor development is so important, especially now that I have a toddler!
Fall Sensory Bin for Less than $10!
Looking for a fun, festive, and educational way to celebrate the most colorful time of year? This simple Fall sensory bin costs less than $10 to make and is great for toddlers or preschool-aged kids. Read on to hear how easy it is to make this sensory bin and celebrate fall!
GRAVE DIRT & SKULLS - Halloween Sensory Bin for Less than $10!
We’re bringing you another Halloween activity with this simple GRAVE DIRT & SKULLS Halloween sensory bin! It’s inexpensive (less than $10!) to make and is great for toddlers or preschool aged kids.
SLIMY WORMS & EYEBALLS - Halloween Sensory Bin for Less than $10!
Looking for a fun Halloween activity for your kid? This simple SLIMY WORMS & EYEBALLS Halloween sensory bin costs less than $10 to make and is great for toddlers or preschool aged kids.
Ultimate Hospital Bag Packing List
The first time around I had no idea what I needed to pack in my hospital bag and ended up WAY over packing some things and completely forgetting other things that would have been really handy. This time around I have a better understanding of what to expect so I can be better prepared! I wanted to share with you what I will be packing this time around. Here’s my Ultimate Hospital Bag Packing List:
Swinging and Sliding and Spinning Oh My: Vestibular Activities for Toddlers
Kids love to run, climb and jump on everything in sight. This constant need to be on the move is completely normal and is their way of stimulating their vestibular system which is important for balance, coordination, and motor planning which allows us to be aware of the world around us
Age Appropriate Household Chores for Toddlers
There are so many wonderful benefits to having kids help out around the house! Performing chores can help kids feel important, teach personal responsibility, build life skills, and work on fine and gross motor skills. Here are some of the chores our boys help out around the house
Ikea Antilop vs Stokke Clikk - High Chair Comparison
There are hundreds of options out there when it comes to high chairs, so we did our research on which one would work best for us and narrowed it down to the Ikea Antilop and the Stokke Clikk. Here are the things that we considered and why the Ikea Antilop High Chair was the winner for us.
Gross Motor Activities for Toddlers - Backwards Walking, Single Leg Balance & Jumping!
Once your little one has mastered walking and is falling down less often (who are we kidding, they’re still always falling down) they will be ready to start running, jumping, and climbing! As parents, these can be scary new skills to let them learn - we never want our little ones to get hurt and bumps and bruises often accompany these new skills. It’s important to help little ones develop these skills - like backwards walking, single leg balance & jumping - through play!
Taking a Baby to the Beach!
We are fortunate enough to be a quick 45-minute drive from the beach so we go all the time in the summer! Some days it’s a quick after-work drive to eat a picnic dinner and watch the sunset. Some days it’s spending the entire day relaxing on the beach, playing sand volleyball or Spikeball, and swimming. Chris and I couldn’t wait to take E to the beach for the first time last year, but we quickly realized that there were a few adjustments that needed to be made to make beach days with a baby easier and enjoyable for everyone involved. Here are our tips and tricks for taking baby to the beach and having the best beach days!
Sleeping in Paradise - Tropical Bohemian Nursery Inspiration
Along with bringing in botanical life, we also recently brought home our newest family member! Eleanor Kay Wellman was born Tuesday, February 16th and she is practically perfect in every way. And even though she'll be sleeping in our room for the next month or so, we wanted her nursery to be the first room completed in the new house.
SNOO vs mamaRoo Bassinet - Smart Bassinet Comparison
There are a few options currently available for smart bassinets, bassinets that rock the baby, or play white noise to help soothe baby to sleep. We did extensive research and were able to narrow it down to two options, the 4Moms mamaRoo sleep bassinet and the SNOO smart sleeper. Here are the things that we considered and why the SNOO Smart Sleeper Bassinet was the winner for us.
Father’s Day Gift Ideas for New Dads
I think any Dad’s first Father’s Day is a milestone and a special chance to celebrate them! As we approach our husband’s second Father’s Days, Katie and I wanted to share some of our favorite items for new Dads!
Yoto Player vs Toniebox - Audio Player Comparison
I was very pleasantly surprised when I discovered the Yoto Player and Toniebox Audio Players. I did some research on the differences between these two devices before we made our decision on which to get him. Here are the things that we considered and why the YOTO Audio Player e was the winner for us.
Camping with a Baby
With the truck loaded down, we headed out for our first camping trip as a family of three, and even though Eli was cutting his first two teeth, our trip went off without a hitch. We were able to camp for two nights in Empire, Michigan, hike Pyramid Point and check out a few local breweries and wineries. This was our first camping trip and we were already planning our next one on the drive home.
Making Tummy Time Fun – Gross Motor/Vestibular Activity
Tummy Time! I feel like for so many Mom’s this term can be triggering. Is my little one doing enough tummy time? My baby hates tummy time, do I really have to do this? I know these thoughts have crossed most mom’s minds.
Mother’s Day Gift Ideas for New Moms
As we approach our second Mother’s Day, Katie and I wanted to share some of our favorite items that remind us of our little ones, that we think would make perfect Mother’s Day gifts for any new mom.
Working Out with a Baby - Back Exercises
I touched on the importance of upper back strength in my recent working out with a baby post targeting chest and arms. Building upper back strength helps improve posture and decrease upper back and neck pain that plague new Moms who are constantly hunched forward feeding baby.
Dreamegg vs Hatch Rest - White Noise Machine Comparison
There are plenty of white noise machines on the market, and wading through all of the research on which is the best can be overwhelming. After doing some research we narrowed our white noise machine choices down to the Hatch Rest or the Dreamegg White Noise Machine. Here are the things that we considered and why the HATCH REST White Noise Machine was the winner for us.
Toddler Friendly Easter Basket Stuffers (that aren't candy!)
Check out these non-candy Easter basket stuffers for sensory friendly ideas for your toddlers. They'll help with hand eye coordination, fine motor skills, visual perception skills and more all while your kids have fun playing with them.