The One With the Giveaway!

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!
Even if you don't have kids yourself, these would make great Christmas gifts!



The other weekend I went to Christmas in Cowtown in Fort Worth, which is basically my wildest dream come true. It is a mega giant Christmas craft show. I love, love, love craft shows. As in, to a point that is kind of embarrassing. I rarely ever buy anything from them, but it's kind of like looking at a real-life Pinterest. Bam. I rest my case.

Anyways, I found a booth there called "Tabletop Truths". I was immediately drawn to the cutesy pictures. They sell adorable kid's placemats. (You know you're a nerd mom when you are immediately drawn to colorful, thematic placemats.)  They had a table set out with 6 placemats, each with a different Nativity scene on it. The gal said, "Each placemat has a different scene, and tells a different part of the Nativity story."

Sold. How fun would it be to have these placemats around your table year after year? Your children could place the mats in order as a sequencing game. (First, the angel came to Mary, then they travelled to Bethlehem, etc). I love them.

Then I glanced around and saw their other themed placemats. They had Easter ones, birthday ones, Thanksgiving ones, and all sorts of other themed placemats. I wanted 2 of everything. I bought 2 of those Nativity placemats above.

(Thanksgiving placemat)

As a kid, my sister and I had placemats with maps of the United States, the continents, and even the presidents. We learned so much from these! My sister could identify tons of presidents by age 3.  Kids might as well learn while they are sitting at the table, right? Children are like little sponges, soaking up all sorts of different concepts. We should seize each teachable moment.

Now most Christian children's items basically say, "Jesus Loves Me!" and that's it. This is nice and all, but doesn't have much depth.  Why not dig deeper? Kids are capable of understanding more than that. Then I saw these additional placemats and was totally impressed.

(Clearly presents the gospel for kids to see and learn.  I love the pure hearts on the right!)

and this one:

(This teaches the different names/qualities of Jesus. Amazing!)

If you think all of this is bologna, then you should watch this YouTube video. An adorable little girl is learning all about Jesus, and it makes me want to cry. So sweet. When I bought my placemats at the craft show, the gal there slipped a paper in my bag. She said, "These are some activities to do with your family along with the placemat." Again, totally impressed. The sheet had applicable verses and different games/points to talk about regarding the placemat.  They are not just trying to sell a product. They really want to help you be successful parents and teachers. I love that this company is selling practical, educational, Biblically-based things that can help plant seeds of truth in your child's heart. 

I couldn't stop thinking about how awesome this company was, so I finally emailed the gals and asked if they would do a giveaway on my blog. They said yes! Here are the details:

All you have to do is look at their site and pick out 2 placemats that you would want to win. There are many more choices on their website than what I showed here. Comment below and say which 2 ones you would like to win. These could be great gifts if you don't have young kids. If you win, they will mail you those 2 placemats! Ta-da! 

You have until Friday to comment below and pick your placemats! Yay! Make sure you leave your name as well so I know who entered the contest! :)

Start Shopping Here!

www.tabletoptruths.com

The One With the Felt Pumpkin

Craft Time!

I've been seeing this super cute felt play Christmas tree on Pinterest. It's great for kids to play with independently. They can decorate and redecorate the tree over and over without messing with the real tree!

The tutorial online for the tree is here!

So I decided to make a big felt Jack-O-Lantern for the girls to decorate! I'm not hugely into Halloween, but I do love cutesy pumpkins. 

All you need is:

-1 yard of orange felt ($2.99)

-a few sheets of black felt  (25 cents a sheet)

-additional sheet colors of felt for optional "accessories" (brown for a stem, green for leaves, etc)

Total? Less than $5. Awesome.

All I did was cut the fabric into a pumpkin shape. (I just free-handed it.) 

To stick it to the wall, I tried a few different things. I read online to use command strips, but they didn't work very well.  I found that staples keep the pumpkin up there very well. 

Then I used black felt to make different shaped eyes, noses, and mouths. Wee! It took about 10 minutes for the entire project. 

Char decorating

Em decorating

(different piece options)

I really don't think that the girls understand the theory of decorating pumpkins, but they still are having fun. It gives them a new tactile experience. They love the way the felt feels.  We are also able to discuss the attributes of the pieces (oval, square, triangle) and body parts (eyes, nose, mouth) in order to gain new vocabulary!  I know that we will be able to pull this out again next year and they will really be able to understand and have a blast! You can't beat $5, either!

Hope you make one!

The One with Our Favorite Books

We are trying our hardest to read to the girls as much as we can. Here are our favorites for the girls at this age:

I have only introduced board books to the girls so far because they gnaw on everything. Also, they love try to turn the pages themselves and I'd prefer no ripped pages!  In this phase of life, we are reading books that have a fun rhythmic cadence that the girls can recognize when they hear it. When I read them narrative story books (like the Very Hungry Caterpillar) they like the pictures, but soon become disinterested.  I still read them those kinds of books for variety, but they like a sort of sing-song pattern to stay involved.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear: (Bill Martin, Jr and Eric Carle) The girls love this one. I would always recite it to them while changing diapers, etc so that they would be distracted. Charlotte first smiled when I read this to her. When kids are older, they can memorize this one. Its predictability makes them feel like they are "reading", which is adorable.

Barnyard Dance: (Sandra Boynton) All of Boynton's books are awesome! The girls love the rhythm and cadence of this one. It is fun and upbeat and just adorable.

Hand, Hand Fingers Thumb: (Al Perkins) Ok, I am not a fan of monkeys. They might eat your face at any minute. But this book (all about monkeys) has an adorable upbeat pattern to it. I'd recommend it!

In My Nest:  This book has an adorable finger puppet bird in the back. It pops through all the pages and the girls LOVE to grab its little wiggly body. There are many books in this series they are all ADORABLE. We have "On My Leaf" (with a ladybug finger puppet) and "In My Pond" (with a fish finger puppet).  Sadly, the books is a little short, (like, 4 pages) but worth the fun with finger puppet.

The Foot Book, Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? and Blue Hat Green Hat:   More awesome books by Dr. Seuss and Sandra Boynton. The girls love them all.


The Jesus Storybook Bible: I can't say enough about this Bible. My hubby would always read it to my belly when I was pregnant. He still reads it to them every night before bed. Precious. Every story relates back to Christ. The illustrations are whimsical and beautiful, and the people are actually Middle Eastern looking! :) It breaks down the stories in an easy-to-understand way. The girls can't understand it now, but we want to instill reading the Bible into their everyday life. Even I enjoy and learn from the stories!

What are your family favorites?

The One with Toys We Like

I thought I'd do a post on all of our favorite toys! It was hard to choose, but I narrowed it down.

When I look at toys, I try to follow these guidelines:
1. Will it drive me crazy?
(no elaboration needed)
2. Is it gender neutral?
I want future kids to be able to use it as well. Plus, I'm not very girly.
3. Does it require batteries?
If so, does the cool factor negate the battery factor? When it is running low on batteries, will it sound like a cat dying?
4. Is there educational value to the toy?
Anything from fine/gross motor to phonemic/alphabet skills or imaginary play all has value to me.
5. Does it serve more than one purpose?
Could this cup be used in the bathtub/sandbox/pretend kitchen later? Or is this singing frog a "one trick pony" ?
6. Will they use it for throughout their young childhood?
Other than teething toys, I'd like for them to be able to use their toys in other forms throughout being a toddler, etc.
7. Can they choke?
Sometimes things look big and deceptively non-chokey, but when gnawed on can break off into smaller chokey pieces.

from left to right
1. Bead Roller Coaster (Ikea, $9)
The girls love this! It's a mini version of the ones at the doctors office! They both can play with it at the same time. They can use it laying down or sitting up. I know they will like it when they are older as well.

2. Stacking Cups (Lakeshore)
I used to work at Lakeshore, so I'm kind of obsessed with their stuff. These stacking cups are awesome, and the girls LOVE them. They can't stack them now, but they love to gnaw on them, knock them over, and clank them together. They soon will learn fine motor and critical thinking skills as they are able to stack them appropriately. Plus, some of the cups have geometric shapes on the end that later can be used as play-dough stamps, etc. They are also dishwasher safe.

3. Soft and Safe Building Blocks (Lakeshore)
Again, obsessed. These blocks are colorful, have shapes on them, and are awesome! They are soft and squishy and totally munchable. They can't get hurt as they wildly hit themselves in the face with these. They are quiet and coated with vinyl so you can easily wipe them off with a Clorox wipe or something. I can see the girls loving these until kindergarten!

4. Washable Sensory Balls (Lakeshore)
Oops. More Lakeshore stuff. When I worked there, I could sell everything!
Ok, these are great because they are machine washable, come in 6 different sizes, and have all sorts of different textures. Some are jingly, some are crunchy, some are smooth, some are corduroy. The girls love to nudge and roll these around the living room. Balls and rolling toys help promote crawling and forward movement. They are also fun to gnaw on. I'm glad they are able to enjoy them now, but I know they will think of all sorts of fun ways to play with them later. They are also soft and quiet, so I know they won't be breaking anything with these later on!

5. Skwish Toy (Manhattan Toy)
I can't say enough about this one. Our favorite teething toy. It's wooden with beads, but has stretchy cables between all the joints. The girls liked this toy early on. Because of the many stretchy cables and its "atom-like" structure, the girls were very easily able to grasp and manipulate it. When they were on their tummies, they could gnaw on the different corners. I wasn't afraid of it choking them because with any pressure on it, the toy collapses flat. The beads quietly rattle as you shake it around. They still love it today.

6. Learn and Groove Musical Table (Leapfrog)
I have loved this toy for years. Everyone I nannied for had it. They had it at Pine Cove, and in the church nurseries I volunteered in. It's just the best. Worth the batteries. In the picture it is flat (on the far right), but there are detachable legs to make it a table later. The girls LOVE it. If we were trapped on a desert island for the next 2 years and only had 1 toy, it'd be this one. It has 2 modes: learning and musical. It teaches you everything from instrument sounds (I'm a band nerd) to the alphabet and opposites. It also has a Spanish setting (ole!). Both girls can easily play with this at the same time. I love that when it sings the alphabet it clearly separates "L M N O P" rather than ellemeno P. I don't know how many of my first graders thought "ellemeno" was a letter. I could go on and on. Just get this one.

This is what my living room looked like after the girls destroyed it. Yay! :) They had a fun afternoon.
What toys are your favorites?

The One where I'm a Mom - Snob

I'm pretty opinionated when it comes to raising kids.  I was basically an early childhood development major in college, I nannied all throughout college, and I worked at a family summer camp every summer in college. I saw tons of different amazing families in action, and others that were pretty dysfunctional. Through all of these experiences, I made up my mind on a few points. We could call them ideals, standards, goals, whatever, but I am now finding them pretty unrealistic.

All I have to say is, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. Here are some of my standards that have already been smashed, and my girls are only 7 months old.

1. My babies will never use toys with batteries/lights, etc.
I love classic wooden toys, puzzles, stacking cups, rattles, basic blocks, and toys that need imagination. Then Emily had to go to physical therapy because of her torticollis.  She literally couldn't turn her head to the left. We tried everything with no success. But as soon as her therapist busted out the obnoxious light up Winnie the Pooh singing toy, Emily attempted to turn her head to look at it. A miracle! Her therapist recommended we buy something similar so that I could continue working with her at home. My heart sank.  Crap. I swore I would never do it. But when it came to my baby's development, I knew I needed to get one. 98% of the girls' toys are still without batteries, but I know that they aren't going to die if they see a flashy toy.

2. My babies will never watch TV.
According the the American Association of Pediatrics, they say children under the age of 2 should watch NO television. None.  I really do understand why, though. It's not just the content, but also the speed in which the shows move. The way there are tons of camera angles flashing back and forth, cutting to and from different perspectives.  They say that watching lots of TV under the age of 2 increases the factor of ADHD greatly. Another study showed that pre-k children that watch fast-paced cartoons (Sponge Bob, etc) versus slow-paced shows had a much higher rate of ADHD. We still try to avoid TV at all cost.
But can I say that since day one these babies have been attracted to the TV like moths? We would always face them away so they wouldn't look. It's pretty hard to do! I will no longer judge mamas that let their kids watch TV. Our family has finally compromised that the babies can watch a Baby Einstein DVD once a day if they are super fussy. Sometimes its the only way that my hubby and I can eat dinner together without screaming in the background! I like that Baby Einstein has lots of fun colorful pictures and toys, but is slow-paced for babies' eyes. I recommend the Baby Mozart one for the early months! :)
                   *side note: The other day I pressed play and ran off to the bathroom. My girls got to watch  the first 5 minutes of Thor. Oops. Make sure you have the right DVD in!

3. My babies will never drink formula.
My body was not physically able to produce enough milk for 2 babies. Long story. At one point I was taking 16 pills a day to increase my supply, trying all the homeopathic stuff, pumping every hour, and I still made only 1 bottle a day. We needed 14-16 bottles a day. It broke my heart to give them formula, but they needed to eat! Sometimes we just fall short.

4. I will never get a mini-van.
Ok, so we can't afford one, but oh-em-gee I suddenly want a minivan. I don't care how I look. I don't care if it has wood paneling. Just please, get me a car where the doors open for me! Fitting 2 babies, a mega twin stroller, and groceries in my sedan is like the worst game of Tetris ever.  I give up.

I could go on and on. The moral of the story is: never say never. Of course, it's good to have high goals for your child and their development, but sometimes a few things are ok in moderation.
Where have you had to compromise your unrealistic standards?