Category: toddlers


Oct
2013

An Easy Fall Pumpkin Craft for Toddlers and Preschoolers

categories: crafts, play, toddler school, toddlers
Crafting with toddlers and preschoolers can be a bit of an adventure, but it is great for their fine motor development and can kill major chunks of time with no tv involved.  This one is crazy easy, turns out really cute and festive, and will give you about 20 minutes of peaceful fine motor practice.  Go for it.  Everybody needs a festive pumpkin to hang on the fridge, and your little one will be so proud of their handiwork.
Materials Needed:
construction paper or cards tock
scissors
one sheet of orange tissue paper
glue stick or spray adhesive
Directions:
1) Trace a basic pumpkin shape on to your card stock or construction paper and cut it, or just cut it out freehand with scissors. It doesn’t need to be perfect.  An oval with a stem will do.
2) Let your toddler tear the tissue paper up in to tiny pieces.  Really let them get in to it.  To contain this part of the process I put Bear in his art box and let him go to town.  He LOVED it.
3) Spray your pumpkin shape with a light coat of spray adhesive or cover with your glue stick.  I recommend the spray because it won’t get your little one sticky and holds the tissue very effectively.
4) Show your wee one how to stick the pieces of tissue on to the pumpkin.  Encourage them to cover the whole thing.  Back away slowly and watch them work.
5) Take a photo of your babe with the finished product and then pat yourself on the back.  Craft accomplished.  Mischief managed.
What’s your favorite fall craft for little ones?

 


Oct
2013

Sneaky Veggie Double Chocolate Whole Wheat Muffins

categories: recipes, toddlers
Parenting a toddler comes with a special set of challenges, one of which is trying to get them to eat things outside of their favorite food groups.  Similar to Will Ferrell’s Elf character, most toddler consider the main food groups to be candy, candy corns, cake, cupcakes, cereal, milk, and juice.  We fight toddler meal battles on a daily basis around here, and utilize a variety of techniques to get our growing boy the nutrients he needs without losing our sanity.  I make sneaky veggie smoothies every week, and have started baking sneaky veggie muffins quite often.  I’ve tried a few veggie muffin recipes, and have come up with the one I’m sharing today through trial and error.  This recipe maximizes the good stuff without compromising on taste.  We all love them, and I hope you will as well.
Sneaky Veggie Double Chocolate Whole Wheat Muffins
Ingredients:
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup applesauce
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 eggs or substitute 3 tbsp flax seed mixed with water
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup grated carrot
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 and grease your muffin tin or line it with paper liners.
Beat the eggs or flax seed mix.  Add the rest of the wet ingredients and mix well.  I use a stand mixer.
Add the dry ingredients slowly, mixing and scraping the sides as you go.
After the other ingredients are well mixed, add the chocolate chips if desired.
Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop the batter in to your muffin tin, filling each spot 2/3 of the way full.
Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes.
Enjoy.  These bad boys are not just for picky toddlers.  They are popular with all members of Casa de Eby.
I wish the Bear would eat his vegetables, and I continue to offer them at lunch and dinner every day.  Someday he will choose to eat them.  For now, I’m getting his nutritional needs met in the form of baked goods.
How do you get your kids to eat vegetables?

Oct
2013

Saving Kid Art {No Hoarding Required} ~ Make A Kid Art Mini Bunting

categories: decorating, family, frugal, kids, toddlers
We have entered in to the classic parent dilemma.  What do we do with all of the treasures our wee ones create without ending up on the show Hoarders?  The Bear is quite the prolific painter, and can turn out 5-6 masterpieces in one sitting.  I know we don’t need to keep all of them, but my mama heart has a hard time parting with his first creative endeavors.  I’ve seen some great ideas out there I want to try, and came up with a few of my own.  I’ll share them all with y’all, starting with today’s mini bunting.  This project is super easy, taking less than one nap time.  Let’s be honest, that’s how we measure our free time.  

 To make the bunting you need a pile of your child’s paintings or drawings, a 2 inch circle craft punch, a hole punch, and a length of twine or hemp cord cut a little longer than the desired length of your bunting.

 Start punching circles out of the paintings.  Be strategic about your cuts and get the precious details: little finger and palm prints, great color mixing, etc.

Punch holes at the top of each of your tiny circle paintings, and string them on to your cord.  Tie a knot after each one to help them stay in place.  Leave extra room at one end of your bunting to add more later.  
Because I’m a tad bit ghetto fabulous, I used duct tape to secure my bunting to the back of the mirror in the Bear’s room.  It is hidden, so know one knows except the internet.  I can easily adjust the length and add or subtract as needed.  
This project could easily be one your child helps with, or a surprise gift for them.  I surprised the Bear with it, and he LOVES it.  He calls it his rainbow upside down.  Precious boy.  Below you can see a bit more of his room and how mini the bunting looks next to his gigantic wall art.  My plan is to add additional layers of bunting as he creates more art work.  
How do you save your child’s artwork? 

I love linking my ideas at these blog parties.  Click the links to check them out and find crafty inspiration.  If you’ve never visited a blog party, you will be blown away by the creativity shared and imaginative ideas.
Monday: CraftOManiac, Mad in Crafts, Sew Chatty,  Keeping It Simple, C.R.A.F.T., Boogie Board Cottage, and Sumo’s Sweet Stuff   
Tuesday:  Hope Studios, Today’s Creative Blog, Coastal Charm, and New Nostalgia
Wednesday: The Trendy Treehouse, Polka Dots on Parade, Lil Luna, and The Thrifty Home
Thursday: All Things with Purpose, Somewhat Simple, The Shabby Creek Cottage, The Girl Creative, and House of Hepworths
Friday: Sugar and Spice, Kojo Designs, Diana Rambles Pin Me Party, and The Shabby Nest
Weekends: Sweet Tea Social @ Texas Women Bloggers, Tatertots and Jello, Serenity Now, Buttercream Bakehouse, and Candace Creations


Oct
2013

Life to the Full: Joy and Discovery

categories: life to the full, play, toddler school, toddlers, travel

This sweet boy is at such a fun, wild, crazy, stage of exploring his world and learning through discovery every day.  I love being there for every minute of it, even though I sometimes just need a minute where someone isn’t asking me a question.  His speech has really taken off and he is asking new questions nonstop.  He found the shell above and decided it had tiger stripes like the tiger he saw at the Dallas Zoo.  I’m completely biased, but I’m pretty sure he is a baby genius (just like every mother in history).  I long to be the mama who is all in with my kids, loving them fully with the love of Jesus and guiding them through these childhood years.  

Daily I marvel at his inquisitive nature and the pure joy he finds when he learns something new.  He inspires me to look at the world around me with fresh eyes.  He laughs with wild abandon and is so free.  Do you laugh like that?  I hope I do.  In the midst of this depression battle, moments of pure joy and freedom are illusive.  I’m soaking them up and trying my best to be in the moment, on the floor, playing, laughing, teaching, and fighting for freedom from this struggle.    

I hope to laugh like this every day of my life.
What brought you joy today?
You can find more from my Life to the Full series here.


Sep
2013

Family Travel: Our Family Beach Trip

categories: beach, family, florida, toddlers, travel
I am a beach girl at heart, and love it all the more when my family is with me.  This year we were blessed to join my parents and siblings in Navarre Beach, Florida for an amazing week.  It was crazy and fun and so sweet to be with everyone.  Look at these two.  Aren’t they the cutest?!  My sister and I had babies 6 weeks apart, so this was the first time we got to meet the newbies.  There was a lot of baby snuggling happening in that beach house, let me tell you.  

 We attempted to get a photo of all five grandbabies, but it proved above our pay grade.  Luke was NOT having it.  At all.  Note to self: next time have the baby entertainers stand directly behind me so the kids are not looking to the side.

 Then it was time for everybody’s {least} favorite part of the whole week, the group photo.  I always end up organizing it because I’m the oldest child and it’s just what I do.  My mom bought matching outfits for the kids and the rest of us wore any shade of blue, brown, or white.

 We traded photo shoots with our neighbors because I forgot my tripod.  This was WAY easier than running back and forth after setting the timer.  I need a remote.

 We all survived and had a blast.  We are pretty low key when we go to the beach, and spend most of our time just enjoying the sand and water rather than tourist activities.  We eat fresh seafood we cook ourselves every night and do a lot of laughing and playing.  Best week ever.

 This one is my favorite because we are all laughing.  Caroline’s face (in the middle) is the best.

Do you have a favorite beach? Where?


Aug
2013

Toddler Meal Battles and Sneaky Veggie Smoothies

categories: parenting, recipes, toddlers
We used to brag about what a great eater the Bear was, how he would eat anything, loved veggies, and wasn’t picky at all.  When he hit 18 months, everything changed.  All of a sudden he started drinking cow milk when previously he wouldn’t touch it and started refusing foods.  We continue to put all the healthy vegetables we eat in front of him at every meal, but he refuses them most of the time.  So frustrating! Desperate to get vegetables in to the boy, I’ve turned to sneaking them in to smoothies and baked goods.  Just like his mama, Bear will eat just about anything disguised as juice or a muffin.  I learned the smoothie trick from my dear friend Betsy, whose children are always slugging down a cup of veggie smoothie.  I’ve experimented extensively to find a recipe that maximizes the amount of vegetables while still tasting great.  It is a fine line, let me tell you.  I don’t have a fancy blender, but it gets the job done.  My recipe doesn’t add sugar or honey, but the Bear describes it as “dewishous”.  Perfect.  You could definitely add honey, but I’m not trying to clean that junk out of my blender on the regs.  Here we go…
Sneaky Veggie Smoothie Recipe:
2 cups water
2 cups (ish) baby spinach
2 cups full sized carrots, chopped to finger sized pieces if your blender isn’t fancy
1 cup Greek yogurt
2 cups frozen fruit of your choice
2 tablespoons flax seed
For the fruit I use blueberries every time, but vary the other fruit.  I’ve used peaches, bananas, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, etc, and they all work.
Directions:
Add water and spinach.  Blend well.
Add carrots.  Blend well.
Add remaining ingredients.  Blend, then liquefy.  Enjoy.
If you have a fancy pants blender, you can probably just throw everything in.  I have to go slowly as to not make my machine angry.  If your toddler battles you at meal time, give them “juice” in a cool straw cup and call it a win.  The Bear asks for his special Bear juice all the time.  Little does he know he is getting great nutrition and making mama’s heart happy.
How do you win meal time battles with your kids?
I’d love to hear your tips in the comments section or by email.

 

 

Aug
2013

Family Travel: Enjoying the Road with a Baby and a Toddler

categories: baby, family, toddlers, travel
Who’s ready for a road trip? This girl.
Last summer we traveled for ten weeks and it was glorious.  The Bear was a one year old toddling machine and the Pearl Girl was just a glimmer in my eye.  We hiked all over Colorado and New Mexico and loved every minute of it.  This year our budget kept our adventures more limited, and we have a new baby.  Even these circumstances couldn’t keep us contained for long.  My amazing parents rented a beach house for the entire family (I’m the oldest of four) in Navarre Beach, Florida.  We miraculously made it work with our budget, mostly due to money coming in from this blog.  Let me pause here to say thank you.  Seriously, thank you.  I love telling stories in my little corner of the web, and every time you visit it helps support our little family.  I’m not sure if you know that it actually makes a difference in our budget, but it does.  It really does.  Thank you.
The Pearl Girl was ready to roll.  She did so well 98% of the time.  She has a gypsy soul like her mama, I can already tell.  The number one key I’ve found for traveling with kids is well timed pit stops.  We try to make our stops count and do the big three every time (gas/food/bathroom) as well as run time for the Bear and leg stretch time for the Pearl.
A mall in a teeny tiny town in far east Texas provided serious energy burn off for the Bear.  He sprinted up and down the mall as I nursed the Pearl on a nearby bench and Jed chased him.
Enjoy the ride.  We had the Bear searching for gators in every mile of Louisiana swamp we drove past.  There is beauty in almost every landscape
We packed a backpack full of books and toys for both kids, and pulled them out whenever the natives got restless.  We sang songs and did a puppet show and when all else failed we put in a DVD.  For the first time we used separate headphones for the Bear with mixed success.  He didn’t really like wearing them for long, but did use them long enough for Jed and I to enjoy a few Dave Ramsey podcasts.
We had planned to stay in a hotel on the way, but were blessed with the hospitality of a friend’s parents in Lafayette, Louisiana along the way.  Zeke and Becky Ducote welcomed us in to their home with open arms on the way out AND back, and we are forever grateful.  They loved on our kids, fed us, and gave us beautiful beds to sleep in.  If you can ask to stay with friends or friends of friends, I highly recommend it.  You will always be more comfortable than a hotel and you never know how you might be blessed by the visit.
This is the Ducote Family’s backyard.  Isn’t it beautiful?! It backs up to the Vermillion River.

Isn’t this front porch the dreamiest?  I could just live there.

How do you keep you sanity when traveling with kids?  Tell me in the comments section.

Follow Becca’s board Family Travel on Pinterest.


Aug
2013

Family Fun in DFW: Rough Riders Baseball

categories: DFW, family, review, toddlers, travel
The DFW metroplex has so much to offer when it comes to watching sports live.  My personal favorite is minor league baseball.  Don’t get me wrong, I love watching the Rangers.  I prefer minor league baseball because it is amazing to watch the players pursue their dreams with passion and talent, and tickets are much more affordable.  Many of them may never make the big show, but they work hard and spend countless nights on uncomfortable buses traveling endlessly around the south playing their hearts out.  That kind of dream chasing is inspiring.  
The Rough Riders are the AA farm team for the Texas Rangers.  This means we have the unique opportunity to watch players develop and then see them play in the big leagues as well.  It is so fun to see someone you’ve cheered for make their dreams come true when they get called up.  On rare occasions we get to watch Rangers stars play close up when they are rehabing an injury.  We had such an opportunity when we visited Dr. Pepper stadium, because Rangers pitcher Matt Harrison was on the mound. 
Here is the Pearl Girl at her first baseball game.  Please note she is dressed in a cowgirl dress in honor of the home team mascot.  

The Bear loved his first game, though he didn’t make it all the way through.  He has asked several times to watch baseball this past week.  I grew up watching the Arkansas Travelers play with my parents and grandparents.  My Grandmom and Grandad rarely missed a home game, and even had their picture featured in a Southern Living article on minor league parks. There is nothing like cheering on the home team with your family, and I hope this was the first of many games for us.

If you are interested in taking your family to watch the Rough Riders play in Frisco at Dr. Pepper Ballpark, you can buy tickets and get more information on their website here.  There are still plenty of home games left this month, and the season starts again in April of 2014. The team offers fabulous season ticket packages to fit every budget as well as meal packages with unlimited food and drinks.  Rough Rider season tickets are the perfect holiday gift for the baseball fans in your life.  You can also follow the team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
**Thanks so much to the Rough Riders organization for providing tickets for our family in exchange for this post.  All opinions are strictly my own.  
What is your favorite sport to watch live?


Aug
2013

Family Fun in DFW: Beat the Heat at the Children’s Aquarium at Fair Park

categories: DFW, family, frugal, kids, toddlers, travel
We are in the seriously-too-hot-to-live phase of Texas weather, and constantly trying to find ways to keep cool and entertain our family without spending too much or staying glued to the tv.  If you follow me on Instagram, you know that recently we visited the Children’s Aquarium at Fair Park in Dallas and had an absolute blast.  We received free passes in exchange for this review, but all opinions are strictly my own.  We love exploring the city we call home and enriching the lives of our wee ones on the way.  The Aquarium has been around for a long time, but was recently completely redesigned as a Children’s Aquarium.  EVERYTHING is on a child’s level, completely accessible, and perfectly placed to grab their attention.  Bear was enthralled.  He has been talking about the alligator we saw for over a week now.  
Isn’t this jelly fish amazing?
There are two sides to the main aquarium, salt water and fresh, as well as a touch pool, shark tank, and stingray touch pool.  Everything is included in the admission price except for stingray food (if you want to feed them) for and extra $2.  Bear was a little intimidated by the stingrays, so we didn’t try feeding them.  

Spike wants to bite your toes.  Thankfully thick glass protects you from this 190 pound 75 old year old titan snapping turtle.

The jelly fish were truly beautiful to watch.  They float so gracefully like aquatic ballerinas.  It almost made me hate them a little less.  I’ve been stung one too many times.  

The touch pool is surrounded by a step rock formation to make it the perfect height for every kid.  The staff guide was so patient with Bear and showed him shells and sea urchins, helping him touch them gently.

The outdoor shark and stingray tanks were fabulous.  There are several different vantage points to watch the sharks, but this was my favorite as well as Bear’s.  He waited for each shark to swim by and chased it down the glass.  I couldn’t get a non-blurry photo, but it was such a fun memory I had to share.  
If you are a fan of the tv show New Girl, you probably recognize the lion fish.  These beauties were so incredible to watch. 

In my opinion, the best thing about the Children’s Aquarium is the price.  Admission is only $8 for adults, and $6 for kids 3-11 and seniors.  If you have a membership to the Dallas Zoo you get $2 off admission.  An even better deal is the annual membership.  For $20 ($15 for zoo members) you can buy an annual membership and visit any time.  If you’ve checked out the prices on any of the other aquariums in town you know that price is unbeatable.

**Holiday Gift Idea** A season pass would make a perfect gift for the fish loving child in your life.  People (children included) remember experiences far more than material things.  Do you remember what toy you got for Christmas at age 6? Probably not.  But I bet you remember a favorite visit to the zoo, aquarium, or special museum.

I would highly recommend the Children’s Aquarium for families with kids 1 and up.  A visit takes 1-2 hours, depending on your child’s attention span.  The Children’s Aquarium also hosts groups, birthday parties, overnight guests, and summer camps for kids from pre-k through 5th grade.  
Visit the Children’s Aquarium at Fair Park any day of the week from 9 am to 4:30 pm, except for Thanksgiving Day and Christmas.  Click here to visit the Children’s Aquarium website for more information.  For more information about the Dallas Zoo visit their website here.  You can also follow the Zoo and Aquarium on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.    
What is your favorite species to see at the aquarium?

Jul
2013

Play Time: Stress Free Finger Painting

categories: kids, play, toddler school, toddlers

Does the idea of letting your preschooler play with paints make you cringe and give you the beginnings of a headache?  No worries.  We’ve been painting like crazy all summer and the Bear and I have it down to a science.  Yes, it’s messy, but it is also fun and can be stress free.  Here’s how we do it.

What You Need:
washable non-toxic paint
paper (really any kind will do, but we prefer cardstock or construction paper)
a 20-30 minute time slot
a hose or kiddie pool
an outside work space


Make It Happen:
We set up on the picnic table my husband made for the kids.  He’s working on a tutorial if you’re interested.  Use one sheet of paper as your child’s palette.  Let them pick 2-3 colors to start with and put a dollop of each color on the palette.  Take off your child’s shirt.  Show them how to dip their fingers in the paint and use their finger as a paint brush.  We also read a book about Curious George mixing paint before we painted for the first time to help with the concept.    


Step back and let them create.  Resist the urge to correct.  Let them mix and swirl and get messy.


Every few minutes bring in a new sheet of paper.  Show them how to make hand prints, a useful skill for grandparent gifts later.  Take some photos and enjoy the flowing creativity.

After about 20 minutes, ask if they are ready to be done (if they haven’t stopped already).  Grab your hose (and possibly and inflatable kiddie pool) and strip them down to wash off.  This might be as fun (or more) than the actual painting.  Give them 2 cups to fill up or and help facilitate a little rinsing.  While they are rinsing, lay out the masterpieces to dry and pick up the paints.  Give your table a wipe down, then dry off your now clean child.  You’re done, and you both survived with your sanity in tact and you get the fun mom of the year award.  Everybody wins!

What’s your favorite preschool art idea?