May 2014 - Bare Feet on the Dashboard

30
May
2014

How to Host a Creative Playdate #UltimatePlayDate

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser. Ready to host a playdate where the kids get to explore creative activities and have a blast? I’ve got a few easy tips and ideas to share with you so you can host the #UltimatePlaydate. I love giving kids room to create and express themselves artistically, so we hosted a group of sweet little friends and their mommies for a lovely morning of creative play. Creating your own artsy playdate is easy and so much fun.

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25
May
2014

Play Outside: Five Fun Uses for Sidewalk Chalk Paint

categories: kids, play

Summer is here and we are ready to play. We were recently send a set of the new RoseArt Washable Sidewalk Chalk Paint
to try. We had a blast with it, and were able to use it for quite a few different activities. I love that you can mix up only as much paint as you want your child to use each time, and save the rest indefinitely. The paint washes off so easily and gives you a clean slate each time. I thought I’d share five fun uses for sidewalk chalk paint to help get your kids playing outside and learning this summer. (more…)

22
May
2014

Play Outside: Five Fun Games for Your Backyard Kiddie Pool

categories: kids, play, toddlers

To kick off the summer I’m celebrating Backyard Games Week with a group of fabulous bloggers and sharing our ideas for playing fun games outside with your kids. We love to spend time outside playing our yard, and as soon as it is warm enough we break out two little inflatable kiddie pools. Most of the time the kids splash around and create their own fun, but occasionally I add a game in to the mix to keep them entertained longer. Mama needs time to drink her coffee, right? All of my game ideas are simple and geared towards the 0-3 crowd.

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20
May
2014

Children Have Only One Childhood {Free Printable}

categories: baby, free printables

A quote hangs on the wall in my friend Betsy’s kitchen that inspires me and challenges me in this role of mother. I wasn’t able to find a source, but I love it so much a created a little free printable for you below. The statement, “Children have only one childhood” is such a great reminder that they are only little once, and then the magic is gone. I want to enjoy it, soak it up, let them be little and revel in their littleness. I want them to be free and to explore and to get messy and to be wild. I want them to run barefoot and climb and jump and discover. If there is a child in your life to love, you hold a responsibility to their childhood to let them experience. You don’t have to force it to be magical. Childhood is magical on its own. Don’t rush them, don’t overschedule, don’t make them grow up too fast. Protect them from harm, but give them freedom. Let them be little, they only get to do it once.

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19
May
2014

Meal Plan: Kid Friendly Meals with Tyson Panko Chicken Nuggets and Addictive Orange Dipping Sauce Recipe

categories: meal planning, recipes

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser. The only way we can stick to our grocery and dining out budgets is by planning out our meals. We are always on the look out for quick, easy meals that the kids will actually eat, and we love to try to recreate our favorite restaurant meals at home. We all love the new Tyson Panko chicken nuggets from Sam’s, and they make a perfect kids’ dinner when paired with healthy fruits and vegetables. The Bear is big on dipping, so we experiment with new dipping sauces for our kid friendly meals. Jed whipped up this fabulous zesty addictive orange sauce to pair with our nuggets. It is quick and easy to make at home and tastes very similar to that of our favorite chicken restaurant. I will warn you – it really is crazy addictive.

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19
May
2014

Simple and Frugal First Birthday Party Ideas

categories: baby, birthday

We like to keep our birthday parties simple and frugal around here, but we always want our kids to feel celebrated on their special day. Obviously they won’t remember their first birthdays, but we have photos for their baby books and traditions to build on. Today I’m sharing a few of our simple and festive birthday party ideas as well as some of the best from my fellow Ultimate Baby bloggers.

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18
May
2014

Play Outside: Five Ideas for Playing Outdoors with a Baby

categories: baby, kids, play

If you follow me on Instagram, you know we love to play outside. We spend as much time as possible playing in our yard, at the park, and exploring our world. My kids ask to go outside immediately after breakfast if not sooner, and they both recognize the sound of the door opening and come running. Playing with a baby outside can be a challenge because there are dangers to avoid and they can’t do what their toddler friends are doing. I’m sharing five ideas for playing outdoors with a baby, all of which are super easy and simple. You can read about our discovery garden ideas here. (more…)

16
May
2014

Our Absolute Favorite Baby Products for the First Year of Life

categories: baby

After two babies we’re up to our elbows in baby gear at the Eby house. We tried so many great products (and a few that we didn’t love). Today I’m sharing my absolute favorite products for baby’s first year strictly based on what worked best for us. These may not end up being your favorites, but they were ours’ and we highly recommend them. Jed will chime in and share his thoughts on a few items as well. This post is not sponsored in any way, and all opinions are our own. It does contain affiliate links, and purchasing through those links costs you nothing but helps support the Bare Feet on the Dashboard blog and family. Our favorite cloth diaper products are not on this list, but you can read more about those here. You can read our ideas on saving money with a baby here.

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15
May
2014

Make a DIY Baby Book with a Handwritten Style Font with Free Printables {2nd Edition}

categories: baby, crafts, diy, family, free printables, pregnancy

My sweet Pearl Girl is already one, and I just now finished her baby book. I am the Queen of Procrastination. I found a handwriting style font I love and recreated my DIY baby book I made for the Bear with the new font. You can find my original DIY Baby Book with free printables post here. I ordered an 8 1/2 x 11 scrapbook album off Amazon and printed the pages at home on colored 8 1/2 x 11 cardstock. I am happy to share these free printables with you, for personal use only. See below for more information.

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14
May
2014

All I’ve Learned About Cloth Diapers {After Three Years}

categories: baby, cloth diaper

After almost three years using cloth diapers on two children, I’ve learned a lot. We’ve tried 14 different kinds of cloth diapers and found our very favorites. You can read my post about what I learned the first two years here, and my great cloth diaper trials here. Read about our cloth laundry routine here. Our cloth diaper preferences and routines have evolved as we’ve adjusted to two kids, potty trained the Bear, and moved in to a new house. Today I’m sharing our favorite diapers, our simple laundry process, and my favorite things about cloth diapers.

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Month: May 2014