Toddler: 1-3 years

I grew up with Christmas insanity.  It originated with my Grandfather – he did every holiday BIG.  Big tree, the whistling train set circling the bottom complete with a village, outdoor lights visible from a block away, a weekend baking dozens of cookies, copious amounts of food, and a house…

We are so excited to present our first Guest Blogger. Blaise is the Founder of Viva La Cloth, a cloth diaper company featuring easy styles that use great fabrics, simple colors at a price point that makes cloth start-up affordable for all families. As a recent cloth convert myself, I…

Who remembers making these simple, DIY ornaments when you were a kid?  When we put up our tree last weekend, I found one I made nearly 30 years ago, and decided I had to make them with Big M this year. DIY Ornaments with Cinnamon Dough It’s a perfect, low maintenance recipe…

My favorite crafts for my munchkins are based on anything I already have in my house.  This homemade Christmas wreath fits that bill. Shopping List: Paper plate Glue Green construction paper Pom poms Ribbon Cost: Free – Less than $5 Prep Time: Less than 5 minutes Clean-Up Time: Less than…

How many times have you been told – don’t compare your child to anyone else’s because every child is different.  From the pediatrician, from the preschool teacher, from fellow moms, we hear this mantra again and again.  I remember when Big M was little, she was the mellowest, easiest baby…

Believe it or not, this is actually an activity Big M evolved all by herself at just 2 years old!  I had purchased a giant bag of assorted Christmas pom poms at Michael’s to stock the craft closet for the holidays.  We first opened it to use for our Santa’s…

This is a super easy and quick Christmas countdown activity you can do each morning with even very young children at the breakfast table.  We did it last year with Big M when she was only 2… Shopping List: Santa beard print out White pom poms or cotton balls Glue…

It has been a very, long winter… So long, that I’ve been willing to do just about anything to keep Big M happily entertained in doors. Enter, Massive Floor Mural… Rainy Day Fun with Massive Floor Murals This requires very basic craft supplies, that you can turn to again and…

St. Patrick’s Day is a BIG deal in our house… My husband and I both went to Notre Dame, so though we may not be Irish by blood, we are definitely Irish by devotion! Big M is very into painting these days, so this was a perfect festive craft for…

Big M has her own entourage – like a movie star or professional athlete; she has ‘people’. At first, I thought it was just my kid. I mean, I knew nearly every kid, myself included, had a security item – be it a special ‘blankie’ or teddy bear. But she…

Sleep… you will never talk about how much your child sleeps, or more likely, doesn’t sleep, as you do in those first few weeks you bring your child home from the hospital. Or when they consolidate down to one nap. Or when they learn to stand up in the crib,…

My husband is mess-a-phobic. If it were up to him, all paint, glitter, glue and any toy with more than 4 pieces would be banned from our household. However, as the one home with the kids all day, I know the value all these things provide. It’s important to expose…

As a full-time, SAHM, I wanted to make sure I exposed my daughter to all the wonderful things she was missing out on by not being in daycare. We go to playgroups, story times at the library, and MyGym to expose her to other kids her age. We read about…

I am constantly scouring the internet for craft ideas for my toddler, Big M… this is by far one of the best I’ve ever found, albeit modified quite a bit.  The original idea called for painting with fly swatters on paper, which was never happening indoors at our house… so…

At first, I was lucky – 6 of my best local girlfriends were all pregnant with me. We were our own instant playgroup. The babies arrived and, content with eating, pooping and sleeping just about anywhere, we gathered for weekly lunch dates, shared advice, laughs and helped maintain each other’s…