– Hello! Long time no type. I am happy to report all is well for the quality gang. We are enjoying our summer and had a very eventful move across the US. Going from the South to the North is always an adventure, but I have to say hands down, this was the best thing we could do for our family. We found our new home, my husband is now working full-time again and I am focused on getting all the services set up for our son.
The July Ivy Kids Kit was amazing! Perfect for all of those Finding Dory Lovers.
– I have fallen off the review wagon a bit. Not for lack of trying new awesome things with the kids but, more just a timing factor. I will try to be more present in the future. As for now, B and I decided to go short with our hair for the summer (huge move for me), we are starting to move into our new home tomorrow, getting ready to go camping this upcoming week and find ourselves surrounded by teenagers and college students regularly. Life is good. Oh, and lets just say Pokemon have come to stay and we are walking a lot more, lol.
– Is it just me or is this summer absolutely flying by? This week has been interesting to say the least. I went to Urgent Care the other day and I am still not recovered. When mom goes down, the house goes down and everyone with it. However, not even illness can stop me from dreaming about future projects and subscription reviews.
– Speaking of projects, we have so many Legos around the house, buckets upon buckets. Thanks to Pinterest, I think I may have found one way to get them organized. I love this picture and it is perfect for a young boys room! We may make a few and sell one.
agirlandagluegun.com
– All week I have tried to talk myself out of starting Fit Body Boot Camp and even though I am a little nervous as soon as I feel better I am there. I really want to get in shape again so I can start doing 5Ks throughout the year. I have bad gym anxiety since I have gained so much weight. A is two, and I am healthier now, it is time to get back in shape.
– I am still waiting on my Erin Condren planner and several boxes, one of which is sadly almost a month late now.
– This week will mark my first giveaway on this site and it is kind of ridiculous how excited I am. I feel like I am going to give someone a wonderful present..stay tuned.
– I set up a Twitter account finally this week and oh is it confusing. I definitely see my age here. I will work with it some more this week, especially since it is part of the giveaway raffle copter.
– Although I am newer at blogging I really love it and plan to continue. Hopefully this blog only gets better and better.
– The holidays are such a busy time for me and I find that I am not reviewing boxes right now. Today, I am partnering with Jen over at Ramblings of a Suburban Mom to give you my top travel finds in her Thursday Thoughts segment. I will get back to reviews soon. I am looking forward to reviewing my first Quarterly boxes this month and I still need to get November’s book review up and running.
– Paris was amazing but I found I was completely out of shape and unprepared for the amount of walking and climbing steps that was needed to tour. I can only imagine that China is going to be just as difficult (the Great Wall), so I have been focusing my purchases this month and my requests for gifts around future trips. China is this March and then we are planning an Italy/Greece tour in 2016. With future trips in mind I compiled a list of must haves.
– Around five-years ago, before my last two babies, I lost fifty pounds with the help of the site Beachbody.com (Turbo Jam) and Bowflex. After five children, with my sixth, I had to have an emergency C-Section for the first time. I had serious complications and I have put on a lot of weight. I am cleared to begin working out again and this program looks easy. I like that your on for 21 days, you work out with a 30 minute tape every day and you use the cups for portion sizes. I will let you all know how it is going when I start the program; hopefully sometime next week.
Item Two: Good Shoes
– It became very clear early on my trip that my old sneakers were not supporting my feet anymore. I know I need a great pair of sneakers but I need shoes that look professional as well. I love Zappos.com and I have been scouring their site for nice travel shoes. I purchased these Dansko Pavans for work and I am wearing them today. They fit perfectly, but I am not sure they are the support I will need for long walks. As I break them in I will report back. They do look fantastic though, if you don’t mind a clog style.
– I noticed a lot of individuals traveling with hard case luggage. I definitely could see the benefit as I watched my luggage getting thrown in to a plane. The hard case is a bit more pricey but I think down the road the investment is there. I found this Tumi Tumi Vapor International Carry On bag at Zappos.
– One of the biggest mistakes I made on my trip to France was to not bring my Lingo traveler with me. The picture below is just one of many versions. I have a Lingo that translates over 55 languages. I will not make that mistake when I go to China. Highly recommend!
Item Five: Travel Guides
– I strongly recommend anyone going on a trip purchase a travel guide months in advance. I love guides because they tell you the history, location and best tourist attractions. You can also find maps and emergency locations. The following site is what I am using to choose a guide for my china trip. I love how it gives a breakdown of different guides and what they include: http://www.farwestchina.com/china-travel-books
I received Rick Steves’ Paris Guide in my Escape Monthly and it was very helpful.
– There are already nerves when you fly to new locales, especially when currency, geography, culture and even language are unknowns. Any products that make the transition easier are so important. I would also recommend you call your bank to let them know you are leaving, order currency ahead of time or stop in the airport at hubs that have currency exchange (expect a charge), and have a first aid kit with you with necessary medications that may not be easy to access. Also, pay attention to cell phone plans. Friends recommended a program called Viber for free international calls, but it requires you and your loved ones to download.
— Halloween week is here and it is going to be a blast. I love everything about the fall, changing leaves, cool nights, and of course the holidays. I thought I would share a few of B’s costumes over the years with you all today.
One Month Old Snow White B.One Year Old Lady Bug B.Two- Year- Old B as Boo.Three-Year-Old Lilo B (A was Stitch).My Four-Year-Old Dorothy B. She takes Toto everywhere now, lol.
–My Sundays are truly never simple but I love using this time to contemplate my simple abundance.
Trim Healthy Mama Serene Allison and Pearl Barrett October 2014 Book Review
—Trim Healthy Mama (THM) is my first formal book review on this blog, but I should explain that I have reviewed books since I was eighteen, some for money, others for education and many for fun. I also have a few published works, nothing too exciting, and more on the academic end. Over the years I have acquired a cookbook collection that is in the 400 book range, many pages marked from use, and have attended numerous cooking classes from around the world. I love to cook for family and friends, but unfortunately after six pregnancies I have to be discerning in terms of what I eat. Aging, lack of healthy lifestyle, gestational diabetes with five pregnancies, a removed gall bladder and the the need for community led me to discover Trim Healthy Mama, a common sense guide to satisfying cravings and energizing your life.
Boneless Buffalo Chicken Bites p. 324
—I originally approached this book from an academic standpoint; is it safe, does it work, is there any credible quantitative data that backs up what the authors’ purport? I even contacted the authors’ several times. and they gave me some insights into the choices they have made when it came to the creation of THM. There is a level of freedom that comes with this book that makes it hard to evaluate. Different individuals take the plan and shape it in to what they feel is safe (sugar replacement choices) and really it comes down to stabilizing your blood sugar, in very simple terms, the elimination of white sugar and high carb meals. diet.
A enjoying a THM snack.Peanut Squares (S) p. 377
—As I began to discover the pro’s and con’s that come with the THM lifestyle, I discovered something that I felt was even more important, a recognition that I am not living in a way that is consistent with my priorities. I have always believed that health needed to be the top goal for everyone and yet I have not stayed on that course. I am a busy woman, and I often take care of others and their needs with no recognition that my own health is slipping through the cracks. I am not budgeting my time or my money in a way that is consistent with my priorities and beliefs. It is in this spirit of understanding that I wrote the following review.
Pearl’s Chili (S) or (S helper) Feeds Large Family p. 328B eating Pearl’s chili. She did eat the whole bowl.
—The most wonderful part of trying out THM was that I did lose weight (6 lbs) and felt more energetic while just doing the lifestyle part-time. I can’t even imagine what is going to happen next month when I try to do this book full-time. My husband and I made breakfasts and dinners from the book for over two weeks. Believe it or not, I usually skip breakfast and lunch, drinking nothing but coffee with sugar laden creamers. Once I started eating breakfast again I did find I had more energy and I really wanted to eat lunch.
—Trim Healthy Mama begins with a prologue from the author’s husbands. I actually knew from the way I smiled through their husbands’ words, that I would enjoy the book. It is written in a very informal tone and I can only describe the book as “real”. This is real life, written by real people who have been trying to live healthy for years.
Breakfast Quinoa
—The authors are sisters, and you can clearly tell they have similarities, but are also very different people. They even share their recipes; the same recipes but their very own versions. Pearl hates exercise, Serene keeps her on track and so on. There are funny drawings of the two throughout the book, and in a way you feel like you get to know them both through the pages.
Serene’s Fantastic Meat Loaf heading in to the oven (S) (p. 316).
—The first few chapters examine different women and their lifestyles. I actually found in some ways I fit in with all four, just depends on the day. One of the best features of the book is you identify your downfalls (too much takeout) and they give you ways to change (quick and easy recipes so that you are not too tired to cook).
–Another interesting item worth mentioning is the THM community. It is huge! I subscribed to their Facebook page and different Forums while reviewing this book, and was so surprised at the amount of good ideas not to mention yummy recipes that were offered. If you do purchase this book, I strongly suggest you go to their Facebook page and find a community. They really have amazing success stories and organization and budget friendly ideas.
—I am going to condense the rest of the book into pros and cons.
Pros:
The Pizza Crust Recipe!!!!! I felt like I was eating deep dish Chicago Pizza. We made this several times and everyone in the house loved it. I used organic pizza sauce without sugar and turkey pepperoni.
THM is user-friendly and readable. The authors are charming and appear very authentic. They approach leading a healthy lifestyle from a Christian perspective and interweave bible passages and their faith into the text. As an educator I value any text that opens me up to different perspectives and respect that you do not have to believe what others do, but it is important to learn and create dialogue.
The recipes are good, really good. I have a list of favorites at the end of this review. They are not time consuming and once you cook it for the first time, it really becomes a breeze to do again.
The lifestyle works! After having a bit of sugar withdrawal on days three and four (at least that is how it was for me) you will begin to crave sugar less and when you do eat something with sugar it tastes way too sweet.
Concerns, not necessarily cons:
The safety of the sweeteners (taste, calories etc). I am not an expert on Stevia or sweeteners so I would encourage readers to do a bit of digging. I did, and there are a lot of claims but very little credible scientific evidence. If the sweeteners are going to keep you from looking at this book or lifestyle, I would suggest that you do what others have done; consider replacing stevia/truvia with coconut sugar, maple (grade B) or honey and look at the plan from a whole foods approach.
You will spend a bit of money restocking your pantry, but, a little does go a long way. I keep telling myself I am worth the expense and if that doesn’t convince me….my family is most definitely worth the expense.
Lack of measurements and portion sizes in recipes. I am a bit torn on whether this is a concern or actually a positive because for some the freedom will be much appreciated, for others that are more black and white, it may prove to be an obstacle. I actually contacted the authors for an explanation as to why they do not give exact portion/serving sizes and their response was a bit of a surprise as it was clear there was a lot of thought in to their design.
We don’t like to assign portions to our meals, since portions tie in with legalism and we don’t like legalism in our plan. We are about food freedom. We’ve found that as you stay on plan and your insulin levels balance that your hunger hormones also balance, which make portion sizes unnecessary.
—I found that my recipes turned out very well even when I was not sure how much of an ingredient to use. My recipes always had leftovers and I have a large family. I think the authors are trying to get people to figure out what is best for their families. I listed this under cons because in the beginning it may be a bit overwhelming for some but it appears this is purposeful and the author’s are attempting to help readers develop their own unique imprint on recipes.
Neither a pro or con: My kids were very picky as to what they would and would not eat on this plan. The little ones ate everything, the teenagers not so much. I wish I had started them out younger.
Some of our favorite recipes:
Muffin in a Mug: My new quick go to for lunches and breakfasts. Easy and very yummy.
Breakfast Quinoa: I already eat homemade oatmeal and quinoa. The kids are not big fans but I really like it on a cold day.
Creamy Crockpot Chicken (S) p.314
This was actually delicious and so easy to put together with just a few ingredients. My husband and I enjoyed it.
Pearl’s Chili:
The little ones love chili and we had a lot of leftovers for lunches during the week. The beans are a little tough when you do not have a gall bladder but once in a while it is okay to eat.
—I really do believe this book is a game changer in the healthy diets department. Mainly because it has family friendly recipes that are quick and easy, and the authors help parents get back to what they really value. There is so much more I could write, and I strongly encourage you check this book and the success stories out on your own.
As I prepare for the holidays, these animals look exactly how I feel! Lets see if we can take the frazzle out and replace it with some holiday dazzle.
If you have been reading this blog you know by now that I am a planner….And so it begins, my annual holiday list. I cannot believe how quickly the holidays are approaching.
Who knew there were so many lists you could download right from the internet!
Yesterday I began to create my holiday list and budget. It is a bit difficult to configure because I plan to pick up gifts for many while I am in Paris, but I am not sure what my budget will look like afterwards. I have even scaled back on subs for a bit to have more money. You can imagine with a large family this is an incredible task. You all know I have a family of nine, but what I have not shared with everyone is the crazy size of my extended family! My father has 13 brothers and sisters and my mother six, so you can imagine the cousins. To top it off, everyone is scattered all around the US and abroad!!! My family is huge and yet somehow we always attempt to make Christmas manageable. In my search to make the holidays go smoother here are a few tools and goodies worth mentioning.
I plan on picking up these letters for A and B. They come in Pink and Red and are personalized with the child’s name like the one below. Santa letters are a great way to make sure you have an idea of what your children really desire for the holidays. We also use our letters as a chance to discuss what the holidays really should mean and how we can make holidays better for others. We sponsor several children during the holidays. You can click here to check out this shop.
2. Lists, lists and more lists.
As I put together this blog I was surprised by the free list images I found. If you love organizing your life as much as I do, consider printing off many of the holiday lists found under images. Some examples are the list above for baking from the blog orgjunkie.com, and the Holiday Gift List found below.
In keeping with the list theme, one of the items on my Holiday list is a 2015 Organizer. I seem to have some type of secret love affair going on with Erin Condren and her planners. I am keeping an eye out for sales for myself and my teacher friends at work.
School is out and its a wonderful time, if you can keep your little ones from running you ragged (not to mention the teenagers). Last year Kiwi Crate really helped us out. For Thanksgiving Break we completed a single Crate that included Turkey Game and Turkey Place Cards. They are being sold individually in a mini crate but only the place cards and a new mini (turkey napkin holders) are available for $12.95, the game has now sold out.
Turkey Napkin Rings (available ) $12.95 and additional shipping. We may need to pick this new kit up.Turkey Place Cards: These were really cute on the table.B and I had a lot of fun with our Turkey Game.
The Holiday crafts are so much fun and help you decorate your tree, house or make great gifts. Last year B and I completed Gingerbread House and Swirly ornaments. They are both offered again this year in mini form.
Gingerbread House $12.95Swirly Ornaments $12.95 plus shipping
There are several other kits to choose from including Penguin Bowling, My Clay Ornaments, My Felt Tree and My Little Tree. I think I will be picking up a few of these for the holidays.
4. Subscription Gifts
My family is spread all over the United States and gift giving can be difficult. This is the first year I will not be heading to New York for Christmas which means I have a lot of gifts to mail out this year. I have been asking loved ones if they could choose a gift what would they want and many are asking for subscriptions.
Many of my family members will be receiving Love with Food Boxes this year. I have written about this company several times. For each box they give a meal to a person in the United States in need. They are transparent as to who their donations go to and they have a wonderful tasting box. To see my past Love with Food reviews click here.
My daughter Kate (22) asked for a year of Ipsy. Ipsy is only $10 a month and sends five beauty products (some samples, some full size). We started it a little early and she is loving it!!! She messages me every time her glam bag arrives. She has incredible patience and does not look at spoilers so she is always surprised. To see my past Ipsy Reviews Click Here.
I have been searching for the perfect boxes for my boys and my 9 year old A informed me he wants Nerdblock Jr, so I have picked up a subscription for him but my older boys are a bit more elusive. I may continue to create my own boxes for my son at college (soon to be two sons at college) and gift them each a box that gives them grooming products.
5. White Plum
In keeping with gifts. Another blogger (Mom’s Got Mail) showed me these awesome leggings and I am thinking about picking up a pair for my Little Sister. You can find these from $10.99-$19.99 plus shipping at White Plum. I think these are gorgeous and they fit size 0-12.
6. Keeping my little ones warm
Etsy is one of my favorite places to shop. I feel like I am supporting small business and receiving beautiful quality pieces. I am currently in love with this Dino Spike Hooded Cowl for A and this fox or raccoon hat for B.
7. Have a gift theme
I receive a lot of request from family members for gift suggestions. I actually create themes for each child. For A and B we are focusing on their bedroom. B is wanting new bedding, curtains, pictures etc. A is a little young so we have decided to upgrade his side of the room too. J, my 14-year-old is also asking for room upgrades. I go to Amazon.com and search with my older kids and create lists for family members to view. They do not have to purchase anything from the list, the don’t have to purchase anything at all, but it is there if they are wanting to get something for the kids that they know they will love.
I think this would look adorable in A and B’s Room. Little Life Designs at Etsy.
8. Food, food and more food.
I start planning menus early. We are a meat and potato kind of family and with all of these strapping young men, food comes and goes quickly. We also do our annual cookie decorating for the holidays and that requires hours of preparation to make sure it runs smoothly. I not only have to make a budget, but I also do a lot of menu planning.
I include table setting in this category as well and will give some table ideas in Part 2 of this series. Most of my recipes are family favorites, but I do have a marvelous cookbook suggestion and I have turned to it many times over several years. Rebecca Rather aka The Pastry Queen and owner of Rather Sweet Bakery in Texas has some of the most beautiful cookbooks I have ever seen, and her recipes are amazing. I have made several of her recipes including her sugar cookies for the holidays, and I return to this cookbook over and over again. Her Totally Rummy Pound Cake is Amazing!!! I plan to try her Red Velvet Cupcakes with Mascarpone Cream Cheese and Icing this year for my husband’s family get together. (p. 30-Christmas).
Amazon offers a sneak peek into both of these books and gives away two scone recipes: Sweet Potato and Cranberry.
I have several other upcoming holiday tips and ideas in the continuations of this Super Saturday Holiday Edition. Stay tuned 🙂
–J
Note: We are reworking the blogs’ theme and it will not be done for another few weeks. Please be patient as we make a more attractive layout. You can find me in photo shop 🙂
Disclosure: This post includes referral links which help keep the site running.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate/referral links.
At the end of the work week I like to reflect on what was accomplished, exciting, negative and just memorable. This week was eventful because:
Fall Break is here. My Ky is home from college, I sent Kaitlyn (22) a big package and was able to sit down and have a long conversation with her about her Ipsy Glam Bag and life, and I am catching up with the house, kids and everything else that needs to be done.
As I was choosing what subscription to get my husband this holiday. I kept returning to Verbal from Fancy Box. My husband is a bit eccentric and loves everything about Japanese Pop Culture. He saw me looking and informed me that he used to adore Verbal and has all his CD’s from his Teriyaki boyz days. I feel like I hit the holiday jackpot and you all will get to see the reviews 🙂
Out of the blue a student’s mother asked me if I would like to use a Keurig this year in my classroom. I don’t think I could reply yes fast enough. I went to our local grocery chain (Reasors) and they had almost half an isle dedicated to K cups. I had no idea they had become so popular and come in such a large variety. I purchased a new brand of K cup because they were on sale and as I am typing I am sipping on a Gevalia Mocha Latte. All I can say is YUM!
I have found numerous recipes that call for coconut sugar and coconut oil. I am still researching safe alternatives to sugar and I may give coconut a try. I found both at Sam’s Club which is a huge plus because I can buy in bulk.
Fall Festival is coming! I have the little ones Wizard of OZ costumes ready to go. We have a big festival every year at the school I teach at and I bring the family. I sponsor two groups and we put together two separate booths. One of my clubs runs the design your own coffee/tea/hot chocolate bar and the other runs a booth with candy from around the world, and has a “guess how many” candy display where participants guess the amount in large jars by purchasing tickets. Winners get to take home the jars. We also are in charge of the Costume Competition and last years prize was a Loot Crate Subscription.
Other than my little one giving us a scare and having pneumonia, this week has been pretty great. How was your week?
—Is it me or did this weekend just fly by? There is nothing sunny going on outside, we have had rain since Friday and I believe it is continuing through this week. I had planned to take B on a nature walk with her collection box and lantern that she made with her Kiwi CrateNature Explorer Box but it is a bit too muddy out there. (If you are interested in Kiwi you can get $10.00 off your first kit by clicking my link). I think that is why I was so excited to see spoilers for some of the kids crates yesterday, we are getting to the point where we will be inside a lot more. When A and B are restless pulling out these kits really helps.
—Despite the rain, I am not giving up hope to get out, maybe the day will get a little nicer as it progresses. If we do I will post some pics later. I have not purchased rain boots for B yet and it may be time.
—This week is going to be a lot calmer and I couldn’t be happier. It is Fall Break at my school so we only have a three day work week and then four days off. On Thursday I will finally be getting out my first Formal Book Review and there are several September boxes that came in late that I need to get on the site for organizational purposes. One of my goals is to try the box items before the posts so I can tell you not only what the items are but whether we enjoyed the products and if the value is there.
—I am also in the process of working with Influenster,which is a product review site open to the public (you can click on the logo to the right to enter the site).
—Influenster has an interesting premise, they use social media to review products so business are hooking up with them and then choosing people to review their products and post. One of my blogger friends recently received the new Keurig brewing system to review and I am getting ready to receive a new hair care box to try out for a month and then write a review on a few different sites. If you are interested in trying out new products head on over and check the site out. I have written great reviews and not so great reviews and they seem to appreciate my honesty. I appreciate that and will continue to work with the site.
I hope you all have a maybe not so sunny but a simply abundant Sunday.
In my last blog I mentioned some of the subscription boxes I was using to make my transition to work a tad easier. I am going to talk a bit about my kid subscriptions but then share some adult boxes that I am trying for the first time. I really can’t believe the value on some of the boxes and when you combine your orders with coupons it is a pretty amazing value.
I started work today so last night I went a little crazy and took the kids to Big Splash and then we made the recipes from this months Kidstir crate: Taco Truck
In all truthfulness, my almost four year old really did not help with much and I found myself really cooking for a good hour and a half. Husband came to the rescue and helped. Despite the work, my husband and I loved the food. The 1 yr old and 3 yr old ate a little of the chicken but mainly wanted the rice pudding. It was interesting to make your own taco seasoning and despite a lack of measurements I think it turned out great. Guacamole is always yummy!!!
I recently received an Escape Monthly (India) and I went ahead and purchased the Paris box (the basic box has sold out but there are still some mini boxes available). I was not blown away with India but I did learn how to cook some pretty amazing food from India and actually purchased some more Ghee (amazon), Korma Sauce, and Maya Kaimal sauces. The Korma sauce was surprising yummy when you use the ghee as the chicken cooking base and it is really low sodium and low fat which was a huge plus for our family.
I also just received the July Glossybox and was pleased with its contents albeit I received it on August 11th. I was told that the late delivery is common but worth what you get and I have to agree. My only real complaint was the smell of the Body Cream (I would not purchase this) and the smell of the Philip B hair detangler. The detangler smells like apple cider vinegar which is a main ingredient. Despite the smell it works wonderfully and I would purchase this outside of the box. I really like the Glamglow but not sure I can justify the price tag on a full sized bottle.
I am using coupons for all of my boxes and then deciding each month what to keep or pause. Last month I was able to use a code on the fourth of July to receive 1 $7.00 Citrus Lane box. I wanted to make sure my one year old was not left out. I actually was pleasantly surprised with my first box but I paused for this month because I am on a tight budget. I plan on purchasing a year subscription for his birthday in the upcoming months. I borrowed this image from another blogger to show my box for a 22 month old boy. I received the exact same items except a different flavor of the Plum pouch. The Aqueduck was perfect for my 3 year old who is potty training, a little early for my son to use.
I have to say, it is nice when you work to once in awhile come home to a surprise and my daughters and I have a ton of fun sharing the make up and skin care samples. I am getting ready to get a Bijoux Box and Ipsy Glam bag for the first time. I feel like I am getting little gifts in the mail and most of the time the value is wonderful. I also love the look on my kids faces when they receive their boxes.
Disclosure: This post contains referral or affiliate links.
– I have not posted in awhile. Life definitely went a little crazy. My debate team won states in April in Lincoln Douglas Debate and the school year ended with a busy bang. I have found myself drowning in mommy duties, wife expectations and work load. This summer, I decided to really focus on rest, my kids and finding ways to make my life a little easier. I am going to try to blog more often now because this journey took me to some very helpful places. We spent three weeks in New York with the kids and family and life’s busy pace slowed down a bit. As I get ready to go back to work I am grateful that I had a chance to find ways to make the transition go a little easier. So in the next few weeks I am going to write about some amazing finds and maybe pay it forward to some other working parents.
My kids range from 22-1 and I want to make sure each of them get the mom they deserve and need. My first obstacle I tackled this summer was working on getting my 3 year old pre-school ready. She misses the pre-school deadline by three weeks which may be a good thing in the long run. Baileigh is behind in verbal skills; puzzles she can do with amazing skill but she rarely speaks. I spent this whole summer trying to help make her ready and I had some success thanks to the following:
– This is the holy grail of activities for young ones. There are different subscription services but they run about 39.00 monthly. We just began our first box “Mouse Paint” and Baileigh is saying all her colors and is even mixing colors and understands what color will appear (red and blue makes purple). An added bonus for me is that my one year old wants to participate so we found different ways to help. Check out the site:
2. Kiwi Crate
This subscription was my original box and what really began my addiction to subscription boxes. As a working parent I found it easy to come home and open the boxes and do a craft or two each night. What little one doesn’t love getting mail. Baileigh’s face just lights up when she sees her boxes. She knows exactly what each box is and immediately wants to start.
Baileigh loves cooking and baking with me each day. I felt like I hit the holy grail with this subscription service. Kidstir teaches children how to make healthy snacks and meals in a fun way. Each child receives their own recipe book that they can build each month and fun tools and recipes in each kit. I really loved that they email you the shopping list ahead of time so that when the kit arrives you can go ahead and dive right in…a three year old always wants to dive right in 😉
Our first box was the Welcome Kit and the Juice Barrista came shortly after. My eight year old and the little ones absolutely loved the Magic Melon-ade and we had about two hours of fun using the melon baller and made this wonderful all natural drink. We didn’t stop there. We made several other items as well. Pictures to come. Until next time 🙂
– I am still waiting on my Erin Condren planner and several boxes, one of which is sadly almost a month late now.
qualitytimes7.wordpress.com 