Nap Trapped {Sleep tip of the month}

Around the time that your little one graduates from being a ‘newborn’ to a ‘baby’ you will notice that their daytime sleep habits change.  Once able to snooze in the car-seat, Ergo, or stroller in loud, bright places, they now start to fight napping in exchange for people watching…  

This is your cue that the time has come for a quiet, dark, peaceful space for your baby to take their naps.  Unfortunately for Mom & Dad this means being stuck inside the house for what feels like forever.

"You think you're trapped at home! Do you have any idea how many hours I spend in this crib?"

This is even harder when you have other children that don’t find sitting at home ‘being quiet’ very much fun!

I don’t have a one-size-fits-all solution to this, and I strongly believe naps should be taken at home in order to establish a good nap routine, but here are some tips on making it more manageable:

• Try to keep the morning nap(s) at home, and the afternoon nap(s)s can be on the go.  The morning naps are always the easiest for babies to master, so give them the opportunity to get into a good routine at home.  Some babies really struggle with the last nap of the day, and if this is the case, let them sleep in the car/Ergo/stroller while you’re out.  Don’t expect these naps to be very long, but they will at least carry them over until bedtime.

• Invite friends over to your house for play dates so that you and your older child(ren) can still have a social life, and you and keep up with the nap training.  Win win!

•  Know that it won’t last forever.  If you have other children, you will remember that sleep patterns change pretty quickly in the grand scheme of things, so enjoy the down time.

Thanks Lauren! This is soooo my life right now! Our once busy mornings have turned into too much TV time and not enough active play for my almost three year old. I keep reminding myself, "This too shall pass."  

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Lauren is a certified sleep coach and DONA trained postpartum doula.  Her passion for helping tired parents began when her own newborn daughter's constant crying and terrible sleep habits finally got the best of her. Visit her blog and Facebook page for more information.

Check out Lauren's other featured posts on Leilaland:

Sleep coach * Postpartum doula {About Lauren}

Babies and Children Sleep Better with a Friend

Sleep: Quality vs. Quantity 

Falling asleep too fast?

Less is not always more

Newborn sleep

Sleep cycle awareness

The 'Big Kid' bed

The Breastfast Club: My first experience

Six weeks before the birth of my first child, Leila, I clearly remember my friend Bridget talking candidly with me about breastfeeding. Her words stuck with me and have become my go-to words to newly breastfeeding mothers. She said, "...For something "natural", it doesn't seem natural at first."

For my first experience, those words couldn't have been more true.

Breastfeeding was something I always planned on doing. When I was pregnant with my daughter Leila I read breastfeeding books, researched online, and talked to friends and family members about their experiences. I thought I was fully prepared for our breastfeeding journey...then I had a baby.

Read my full story over on Sarah's blog, Nurse Loves Farmer. While you're there you can read other mothers' stories about breastfeeding. The Breastfast Club has featured many bloggers and has turned into a valuable breastfeeding resource for new and seasoned moms.

The 'Big Kid' Bed {Sleep tip of the month}

Lauren is back with a sleep tip...just in time! Leila is napping in her "big girl" bed this week. I will fill you in on how the transition is going later this week.

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Jen and I have been talking lately about Leila's upcoming move from the crib to the 'big girl bed' and I thought it was only fitting this month's sleep tip be on the topic of the move to the big bed.

I told Leila to pretend to sleep. Can you see she's smiling behind that pacifier?

Children under the age of 2 1/2, and even up to age 3, may not have the ability to cognitively understand what 'stay in your bed all night' means.  This is why some parents with otherwise great sleepers will see a big regression in sleep if they move their little one into a toddler bed before they are developmentally ready.

As with any major change, it will take your child a few days to adjust to their new bed, and the freedom of no crib rails, but if you move them and after a week they are still struggling to stay in bed, and stay asleep all night you might consider moving them back to the crib and waiting a couple of months to try again.  Unfortunately there's no real 'test' to check your child's readiness except by trial. 

Some parents think moving their child back to the crib is a regression, but in fact, you're simply allowing your child to do what they are developmentally able to do.  

If you are having trouble with a nighttime 'Jack in the Box' and moving back to the crib is not an option, you will likely have to do some sleep coaching to teach your child what's expected of them (staying in bed all night, quietly).  A wake up light can also be helpful if your child understands colors.  These clocks change colors when its nighttime and daytime and you can use this tool to help them understand when they need to stay in bed.

If you'd like more info on the 'big bed' check out this link.

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Lauren is a certified sleep coach and DONA trained postpartum doula.  Her passion for helping tired parents began when her own newborn daughter's constant crying and terrible sleep habits finally got the best of her. Visit her blog and Facebook page for more information.

Check out Lauren's other featured posts on Leilaland:

Sleep coach * Postpartum doula {About Lauren}

Babies and Children Sleep Better with a Friend

Sleep: Quality vs. Quantity 
Falling asleep too fast?
Less is not always more
Newborn sleep
Sleep cycle awareness

Sleep cycle awareness {Sleep Tip of the Month}

If it's on at bedtime, it stays on all night long.

This goes for anything that makes noise or emits light (think: Twilight Turtle, white noise machines, fans, humidifiers...).

Your baby's sleep cycles are anywhere from 30-60 minutes long. Between each sleep cycle they come to an almost awake state. If they fell asleep to a CD playing music or a nightlight on in their room, and it's not on when they wake up in the night, it can be disorienting or even scary for some kids.  This could be the cause of middle of the night cries or calls for mom or dad to come and help soothe them back to sleep.

Most parents out there are familiar with the 'Sleep Sheep' and other products in that line... Cute and well-intentioned as they may be, they can actually wake kids up! The soothing white noise or heartbeat sound it plays turns OFF after just 45 minutes (the average length of a sleep cycle!) which does not help your child push through to the next sleep cycle.

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Jeff and I have been using this white noise machine in our room forever.  Jeff has had it since living at his parents' house!  It stays on all night long and blocks out most noises.  We ended up buying one for Leila's room and gifted one to my sister for her new baby.  

(source)

We are guilty of using some of the sleep aids Lauren discussed (CD and Cloud B Twilight Ladybug), but luckily they don't interrupt Leila's well-established sleep. 

While we were using the  'Sleep Sheep' when she was a baby, I do remember it causing issues!  Just like Lauren said, when it turned off, Leila woke up.  I plan on using it for Carson only for the stroller and car when another cycle of sleep isn't necessary!

What do you use to help put your child to sleep?  Could it be interfering with their nighttime sleep?

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Lauren is a certified sleep coach and DONA trained postpartum doula.  Her passion for helping tired parents began when her own newborn daughter's constant crying and terrible sleep habits finally got the best of her. Visit her blog and Facebook page for more information.

Check out Lauren's other featured posts on Leilaland:

Sleep coach * Postpartum doula {Guest post}

Babies and Children Sleep Better with a Friend

Sleep: Quality vs. Quantity 

Falling asleep too fast?

Less is not always more

Newborn sleep

Creating a Time Capsule For Your Kids {Guest Post}

Hi again! It's Heather from Everything Eatherton and Mama Dish. I wrote my first guest post for Jen last summer while I was about to pop with my second son. I figured that she might appreciate some help keeping Leilaland moving while she was busy caring for her newborn, so I'm back for another visit. Thanks for having me!

Since Jen just gave birth (like, less than a week ago), I figured it would be good for her to start thinking about what she might put aside as her little boy grows, for his special keepsakes.

Two of the best gifts we received when we were pregnant with our first son weren't purchased at a store (well, technically they were, 30+ years ago...) They were items that my mother-in-law had saved from my husband's childhood-- his favorite blanket and his baby book. A baby book chock full of useful and entertaining information!

I enjoyed reading through page after page of sleep habits, favorite friends, first foods, first steps and other first milestones. The book contained his birth announcement, birthday party invitations, and magazine clippings about local events from when he was little. It also contained damning information like, when he was potty training he was caught urinating on the radiator (ewwww!)

My Mom started a baby book for me when I was born, so I have a few notes from my first months, but she didn't really keep up with it. And as far as I know, she doesn't have any other keepsakes for me from when I was little. {Tear}

I'm a saver by nature, so I've always known that I wanted to keep a time capsule for my children, with memorabilia from throughout their life. I want them to be able to look through these precious items and ask to hear stories about important milestones in their life, and hopefully share some things with their children one day (nothing warms my heart more than seeing Brady sleeping with my husband's blankie!)

Choosing items for their capsules hasn't been easy. On one hand, I want to save absolutely everything of theirs, but on the other, I just don't have the space! And having a second boy further complicated things, because all of Brady's clothing, shoes, etc. are reusable. I decided a good rule of thumb is to try to collect no more than 3-5 items per year for their capsules, and to shoot for big-themed pieces or items that tell a unique story.

Here are a few things I've collected for the boys so far. Most of these are in Brady's capsule, but I plan to save the same things for Cole as well.

• Pregnancy journals
• Their (well documented) baby books
• Hats worn in the hospital
• Coming home outfits
• Tiny blue bear given as a newborn gift that says, "It's A Boy"
• Baptism outfits
• First pair of shoes
• First favorite book (Brady's is Big Red Barn, by Margaret Wise Brown)
• First baseball cap
• A piece of wall art from their nursery
•  Lock of hair from first haircut
• Birthday party invitations
• Their Your Birthday Books
• Tickets from his first flight (and wings!), first baseball games, first train rides, etc.
• Photos from each visit with Easter Bunny and Santa
• Family Christmas card from each year
• A piece of paper that chronicle's their signature each year (starting this year with Brady now that he can write his name!)
• Sticky Bellies monthly stickers

Some items I anticipate adding them as they get older are:

• First pair of soccer cleats
• First baseball glove
• T-shirts from their first sports teams
• Blankies (when they outgrow them)
• Special stuffed animals (when they outgrow them)
• First lost tooth (or is that gross??)
• School photos
• Report cards
• Awards/ribbons/trophies from important competitions

So much for keeping the loot under control. It looks like I'm going to need bigger containers....

Have you been saving memorabilia from your little ones' lives? What other key items should we be saving? How did you decide where to draw the line in order to avoid being featured on an episode of Hoarders?!

Newborns {Sleep tip of the month}

I think it's only fitting that my sleep tip this month be focused on newborns as the arrival of Jen's second baby, Carson, is just around the corner! I look forward to being able to help Jen get little C sleeping like a champ.

Newborns don't know night from day, so you will have to help them learn the difference.

During the day...

• Keep the curtains open and the lights on when he's awake.
• Get outside when the weather is nice - research has shown that exposure to sunlight during the day helps babies sleep better at night (this won't be hard since we live in a city with 321 sunny days each year!)
• Feed him every 3 hours - even if you have to wake him up.

During the night...

• Pull down the shades, dim the lights.
• Switch to quiet activities, like massage, quiet reading or singing.
• Keep nighttime feedings brief and boring.

I feel so lucky knowing Lauren will be here to help me get Carson on the right track with his sleep! 

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Lauren is a certified sleep coach and DONA trained postpartum doula.  Her passion for helping tired parents began when her own newborn daughter's constant crying and terrible sleep habits finally got the best of her. Visit her blog and Facebook page for more information.

Check out Lauren's other featured posts on Leilaland:

Sleep coach * Postpartum doula {Guest post}

Babies and Children Sleep Better with a Friend

Sleep: Quality vs. Quantity 

Falling asleep too fast?

Less is not always more

Less is not always more {Sleep Tip of the Month}

Less Daytime Sleep Means Less Nighttime Sleep...

No, that's not a type-o... Have you ever heard the saying "Sleep Begets Sleep"? Well, it's very true, especially for babies and small children.

My nephew, Jaxon, at 12 days old.

If kids are under-napped during the day, their bodies produce stress hormones to keep them alert (think: second wind). These hormones build up in their systems over days/weeks and make it more difficult for them to sleep at night.

If your little one is having a hard time sleeping at night, take a look at their daytime sleep habits. Click here for a handy reference showing the amount of sleep hours children need by age.

This is such a difficult concept for new (and seasoned) parents.  I find it to be very true with Leila.  What is your experience with the saying "Sleep Begets Sleep"?

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Lauren is a certified sleep coach and DONA trained postpartum doula.  Her passion for helping tired parents began when her own newborn daughter's constant crying and terrible sleep habits finally got the best of her. Visit her blog and Facebook page for more information.

Check out Lauren's other featured posts on Leilaland:

Sleep coach * Postpartum doula {Guest post}

Babies and Children Sleep Better with a Friend

Sleep: Quality vs. Quantity 

Falling asleep too fast?

Falling asleep too fast? {Sleep Tip of the Month}

Is your little one taking long enough to fall asleep at night?

Kind of an odd question, I know.  

I think most parents believe that the quicker their child falls asleep at bedtime, the better, but this isn't always the case.  

A well-rested child that knows how to fall asleep, and stay asleep on their own, should take about 15-20 minutes to fall asleep at bedtime!  Of course, they shouldn't be crying during this time, but will be laying in bed, getting comfy, cuddling their lovey, or even quietly singing or talking to themselves.

  
Experts say that if you're "asleep before your head hits the pillow" you're probably sleep deprived.  This applies to adults and children alike.  

If anyone in your family is falling asleep 'too fast' you might consider making bedtime earlier.

Speaking of bedtimes...What time does your child go to bed each night? Do they take a bit of time before falling asleep?

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Lauren is a certified sleep coach and DONA trained postpartum doula.  Her passion for helping tired parents began when her own newborn daughter's constant crying and terrible sleep habits finally got the best of her. Visit her blog and Facebook page for more information.

Check out Lauren's other featured posts here on Leilaland:

Sleep coach * Postpartum doula {Guest post}

Babies and Children Sleep Better with a Friend

Sleep: Quality vs. Quantity 

Quality and Quantity of Sleep {Sleep Tip of the Month}

Lauren Boston is back on the blog this month sharing another sleep tip just for you.  Lauren is a certified sleep coach and DONA trained postpartum doula.  Her passion for helping tired parents began when her own newborn daughter's constant crying and terrible sleep habits finally got the best of her.

Lauren's Sleep Tip of the Month:

I think it's safe to say that almost everyone knows that sleep is important for babies and children alike, but what some parents don't know is that the quality of sleep is just as important as the quantity.

I don't think this counts as quality sleep.

This means getting:

• The right kind of sleep - unfragmented, uninterrupted, and "motionless."  Don't wake your baby to eat unless they physically need to eat (most babies on a normal growth curve don't need to be fed in the night after 6/7 months of age).  Don't rock, swing or put your baby in the car for their naps, as movement keeps the brain in a lighter sleep, which is not as restorative to the brain as a deep sleep.

• The right timing for sleep - as in consistent bedtimes, wake-up times, and nap times.

• The right amount of sleep - have a look at how much sleep your child should be getting based on their age, and your child shouldn't vary from these averages by more than 1 hour in a 24 hour period.  

Visit my website or Like me on Facebook for more information, and the latest updates on children's sleep!

According to the experts Leila is getting more sleep than the average child needs. 

Did you read the last line of the second paragraph... 
The expert said it, not me.  ;)

Is your child getting enough quality sleep?

Sleeping with a "Lovey" {Sleep Tip of the Month}

Lauren Boston is back on the blog this month sharing a sleep tip that I swear by.  Lauren is a certified sleep coach and DONA trained postpartum doula.  Her passion for helping tired parents began when her own newborn daughter's constant crying and terrible sleep habits finally got the best of her.  Visit her blog and Facebook page for more information.  

Lauren's Sleep Tip of the Month:
Babies and children sleep better with a "friend".

My daughter, Charlie, getting ready for bed with her loveys.

By "friend" I mean a security object, or "lovey".  It could be a stuffed animal, a favorite blanket, or even one of your T-shirts.  It will help your child feel safe and secure if they have the lovey when you're not around - like when they wake in the middle of the night.  

If by the time your child is 6 months old they haven't fallen in love with something on their own, you can pick a lovey for them, and include it in their bed & nap time routines.  

Choose something cuddly and soft, if your child is old enough, let them pick it out at the store or from their existing toys.  Let them hold it when they nurse, play peek-a-boo with it, make it an important part of their day.  

If your child doesn't seem to bond with it right away, give it time, put it in the crib or bed every time your child goes to sleep.  Eventually they will take to it.  

Consider buying duplicates if possible, loveys are notorious for going astray at shopping malls.

Does your child have a lovey?  Did they pick it out or did you choose it for them?

Making Rainbows {Guest post}

Hello, fellow citizens of Leilaland!  I'm Rulissa and I blog over at Mustard Seeds in Oklahoma. Jen is on vacay in Chicago this week (have a slice of pizza for me, darlin!) so y'all get me instead - you lucky dogs!!

I'm an (almost) 40, stay-at-home mom of three monkeys who drive me bananas on a daily basis!  I blog about my life, projects, DIY stuff and how I put my faith in God into practice.  We are ranchers here in Oklahoma, so I talk about cows some, too!  But today, I'm sharing a fun art project my Monkey Princess and I did one rainy afternoon.  She's asked to do it again and again and again, so I guess she liked it!  Enjoy!

Making Rainbows

I love rainy days.  They make everything clean and smell nice.  But...they also keep us inside and a little stir crazy.  So the other day while the boys were at school, Princess and I decided to brighten up the gloomy day and make our own rainbows.  We just got out the watercolor paint and a couple of coffee filters and went to town.

But, first - a warning... You will need to cover your workspace with newspaper or something because the paint will bleed through.  But that's actually the cool part of using coffee filters!  You'll see in a minute...

We flattened out the filters and started with a circle of color in the middle.  (I did this part for Princess, so she could get started.)  After the first color, just pick another color and paint around the circle, then another and another until you have made rings of color to the very edge of your filter.  You can go the traditional ROY G BIV rainbow colors, or you can just let loose (which, if you are doing this with a toddler, is probably what will happen!)

Now you have to let it dry...  This was the hardest part! But after it's dry, cut your filter in half and... voila!  Instant rainbows!!  We taped them to the back door and since the color bled through the coffee filter, you could see the rainbows from the inside and the outside!  Cool, uh?!

I hope you enjoy this little project.  Feel free to hop on over to my blog for more fun stuff! And, thanks for hanging out with me while Jen's away!

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Thanks Rulissa for the window art idea!  I am always looking for fun activities to do with Leila.  I haven't tried using watercolors with her yet.   Sounds easier, and not as messy, as washable tempera paints.

The World Through Your Child's Eyes {Guest post}

If there is one piece of advice that I would give to parents and parents-to-be, it is to take the time to view the world from your child's perspective as often as possible. This small change in perspective is so critical to being responsive, empathetic and for enjoying the baby moments.

I remember when Elodie was a newborn and her cries still sounded all the same to me. There were so many times I felt exasperated and just wanted to ask her "what do you want?" but if I took a deep breath and thought about her point of view, (sometimes even speaking out loud for her) it allowed me to be more understanding and patient with her.

For example, as much as I wanted Elodie to sleep in her cosleeper, she had other plans. I would actually explain to myself "but Mommy, when you're so far away, I don't know where you are and I get scared. I want to be right in the crook of your arm so I can smell you and my food is there in case I get hungry and need to eat RIGHT AWAY!". (P.S. I was incredibly sleep deprived, so, yes, I might have seemed a little crazy.) If I imagined being so new in the world, being alone in a bed in a dark room, away from the one source of comfort and nourishment that I knew, I would cry too. It's completely reasonable.

As Elodie got older, it was useful for me to take the time to stop what I was doing and get down by her and try to see what was wrong when she was upset. Was she too hot? Was the floor cold? Was the stuffed bear just out of reach? I couldn't always figure it out or solve the problem, but usually it snapped me out of my own frustrations and allowed me to be compassionate to my child.

Even when your child is not upset, it is still useful to stop yourself and crouch down by your child and to give them your complete attention every so often, and to put yourselves in their shoes for their playtime. This is an easy way to show your children that you value and respect their imagination, thoughts, ideas and personality. This communicates to children that you value them! Try to imagine the way they see their toys and experiences. Elodie is 18 months old but is truly clever in the way she uses her toys. I get joy out of watching her play and explore the world around her.

This might be the icing on the cake about the child's perspective: having a child means that you do get to be in the presence of someone who is utterly enthralled with the world. Every new place is a journey and adventure for your child. So much of our trips to the beach or the zoo is spent with me just gazing at my precious girl to see the wonder in her eyes. It's living vicariously through your child, in a good way! Seeing the joy on her face brings joy to mine. Her moments as a child are fleeting, so getting to deeply enjoy her first few years of life helps make the years go by as slowly as possible.

About the Guest Blogger:
Kari is Mommy to Elodie, and friend to Jen and Leila. When she's not busy watching her daughter feed cheerios to her dolls and make phone calls on blocks, she blogs about life in San Diego and her journey to find balance and simplicity in Mommyhood.

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Thanks Kari!  Great advice, we really do need to slow down sometimes!  My favorite thing about being a mom to a toddler...

"Having a child means that you do get to be in the presence of someone who is utterly enthralled with the world."

This could not be more true!    

Sleep coach * Postpartum doula {Guest post}

Hello faithful readers of Leilaland!  I was so flattered when Jen asked me to guest blog this month. 

I'm Lauren, Mom to (almost) 2 year old Charlie. You may remember Charlie from such blog posts as: {Our big plan} Skipping a toddler nap.

I'd like to use this opportunity to (shamelessly) plug my budding business.  Here goes:

I recently moved to beautiful San Diego from Vancouver, Canada and have just started a sleep coaching business.  Having had major sleep issues with my Charlie, I am very passionate about helping other tired parents get their sleep back.

Please check out my website www.laurenboston.com and my Facebook page.  

Spread the word!

P.S. - anyone who books a consultation with me and mentions this blog post will get 15% off my services.

Hopefully Charlie and I will continue to be regulars on Leilaland - see you next time!

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I am so happy to know Lauren in real life!  Not only is she my first mommy-friend, she also happens to be an excellent resource for all things related to parenting.  

Luckily I checked out her "Favorite Things"  page on her website before I started packing for our trip.  Otherwise I would have forgotten the baby monitor! 

Road trip survival {Guest post}

Hiya folks!

I'm Shaun from Living with Peanut, my lovely little corner of the internet where I talk about being a mom, raising Peanut, weight loss, and tons of random stuff :)

A super huge thanks to Jen for having me guest post while she's on vacation...lucky lady! Hope you're having a great time!!

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Recently, we had our first family vacation. We didn't plan anything large as money's a bit tight, but we definitely had a great time. We broke out all of Paige's toys from her birthday, spent some quality family time together, took a trip to York's Wild Animal Kingdom and did the tourist stops on the way home. To cap off our fabulous week, we brought Paige to Storyland.

Storyland is a 2-3 hour drive from our house, depending on which route you take. I had timed our departure so that we'd be leaving around lunch time and her nap would *hopefully* begin about halfway there :)

I packed a box of goodies to help keep Paige entertained since I have an older car (no rear entertainment) and don't have an iPad or portable DVD player.

I started with a small box (bigger than a shoe box). I loaded it with about 8-10 books - a variety of very simple books, touch and feels, to a multi-Princess story book. I also included some Dollar Tree flash cards, a small pad of paper and crayons, a small stuffed animal, and a fully-charged Kindle with kids book already loaded on it.

It definitely helped keep me and the husband sane during the 3 hour drive and kept Paige entertained in the motel room when the rain kept us stuck inside for a few hours.

Anytime we head out on a road trip, I'll definitely be making one of these boxes to keep her entertained. It took only a few minutes to create!

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Thanks Shaun for filling in on Leilaland!  

I keep something similar on the floor of my backseat at all times. You just never know what you may need...and I like to be prepared.

Toddler Activity- Sorting cups {Guest post}

Hello! I'm Heather. Once a full-time advertising professional from Chicago, I now reside in Northern California and work from home as a Social Media Manager. I've been married to Matt for 7 years, and we have a son Brady (3) and another little boy on the way (only 3 weeks to go!!) I created our family blog, Everything Eatherton, in 2008 to chronicle my first pregnancy... but now it keeps our family updated on “all things Eatherton” after our big move in 2010. Last year, I started the blog Mama Dish with 6 of my high school friends, as a way to keep in touch (we live in 3 different states and in 3 different countries!) and to share all the different Mama tips and tales we would on a regular basis if we all lived in one place. I hope you'll come by for a visit and see what we're serving up!

I'm excited to be a guest blogger on Leilaland today because I have known Jen for over 20 years (oh boy, did I just age us?!) We lost touch for awhile after college, but our paths crossed again a few years ago over... wait for it... blogging!! It's been wonderful to reconnect with an old friend and to have so much in common after so many years. Thanks Jen for having me!

Because Jen likes to post suggestions for fun Toddler Art/Activities, I thought I would share a recent learning activity I "created" the other day when I needed Brady to occupy himself for a few minutes while I responded to some emails (oh the life of a WAHM!) I didn't have time to set up for/clean up after a messy art project, but I wanted him to spend the time doing something constructive instead of {ahem} watching more TV. 

While wracking my brain for a quick solution, I remembered that when I was grocery shopping last week, I came across a bag full of mini letters and numbers in the dollar bins at Safeway (I know, I didn't know they had these bins, but they do!) I put them in my cart thinking, "I'm sure I can put these to good use at some point". Brady knows his letters and numbers, but he can get confused sometimes so I like him to practice, and I'm always looking for new ways to keep him interested.

So I decided to pull out the foam letters/numbers, as well as 10 small plastic snack containers. I lined up the cups into two rows and placed one number (0-9) at the bottom of each cup. Then I gave him the remaining numbers in a pile and told him to sort them into the correct cups, saying the number out loud each time he dropped one. Sounds silly, I know, but he really liked doing it. And the repetition is good for his memory! Here is how it went down...

{I apologize for the quality of the photos, they were taken with my phone. In bad kitchen lighting.}

The start of the "project"

Brady sorting his numbers

The letters were a bit of a challenge because I don't have 26 cups. So instead, I just lined up individual letters along a piece of construction paper and had him place the letters in a stack.

He liked doing this so much that he asked, "what else can we play with?" I had some old cut outs of shapes that I made from construction paper lying around, so we did those next.

At this point, he had enough, but we ended up staying busy for about 30 minutes learning and playing together. I was able to step away for a few minutes to take care of some things I needed to do, and he was able to continue on without me. He was really proud when he finished his piles.

What I like most about this activity is that it's so simple. You can use it to teach something for the first time or to reinforce a variety of topics: numbers, letters, shapes, colors, textures, animals... anything. And you can use whatever you already have lying around the house-- cups, buttons, beads, plastic characters, cut outs made from construction paper, stickers, etc. Or, next time you're out and about and come across little "gems" in the dollar bins, think about how you can incorporate them into this easy learning activity with your little one.

What super-simple activities have you "created" to help keep your toddlers busy? What other topics would you suggest that we learn/explore with our cups?

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Thanks Heather!  Has it really been over 20 years?  That is a scary thought.

Your toddler activity ideas are exactly the kinds of things I did with my pre-K students last year.  I am impressed with Brady's skills.  I know he has a few years, but his Kindergarten teacher is going to LOVE him!

The Last Bite {Guest post}

Hi there everyone! My name is Sarah and I blog over at It's a Vol! I write about my handsome hunky husband Chris and our beautiful daughter Evie. We are also parents to our six (!!!) furbabies; we have four dogs and two cats. Between the nine of us there is always something exciting happening! I am also a post-partum depression and anxiety survivor. Along with blogging about my family I use my blog as a voice for myself and other women who are suffering from or have survived this disease.

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The Last Bite

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A few weekends ago we took Evie out for ice cream. She has recently discovered that frozen sweet treats are delicious and so we've been spoiling her a bit more than we should with frozen yogurt, coconut ice pops and trips to Baskin Robbins.


Once we arrived we all settled on our flavors. I picked some baseball themed flavor that had raspberry swirls & cashews on a sugar cone, Chris got butter-pecan and Evie had orange sherbet. We settled down to eat out treats. Evie was happily eating her orange sherbet when I naively offered her a bite of my cone.


"Mmmm!" she exclaimed, her little eyes lighting up and her mouth opening up for another bite. So we sat there quite contentedly for a few mintues sharing bites of my ice cream cone and making faces at each other. Until, we reached down to the very bottom of the cone. The last bite. The bite that is the best, it is a mixture of soggy and crunchy with the perfect ratio of cone to ice cream.


Evie eyed that last little bite of cone excitedly. I requested a sticky sweet kiss and handed it over to her. She expressed her delight with a toothy grin and one last "Mmmm!". We went about our merry way and it wasn't until later that I realized I'd just experienced a hallmark of motherhood. Without even thinking we give so much to our kids.


Then, I thought, it's not enough to take our bikini bodies, give us chin hairs, deprive us of sleep and cause stretch marks; now they're stealing ice cream cones too? Sheesh. I'll take all the physical alterations, but NOBODY said anything about stealing ice cream cones.

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Thanks for letting me take over for the day Jen! And if you're kind of possessive of your ice cream too, stop on by It's a Vol and say hey! 
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Thanks Sarah!   Definitely a lot of ice cream eating happening on this vacation.  Leila can have my last bite any day, and I bet my mom would give me hers.