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Archive for the ‘Mom & Tot Time’ Category
Toddlers…What Do You Do With Them???
tod·dler
ˈtädlər/
noun
plural noun: toddlers
a young child who is just beginning to walk.
synonyms: small child, infant, tot, preschooler;
A toddler is a child between the ages of one and three. The toddler years are a time of great cognitive, emotional and social development. The word is derived from “to toddle”, which means to walk unsteadily, like a child of this age.
Developmental milestones · One year old · Two years old · Two and half years old
Urban Dictionary: Toddler: Tiny bipolar humans under the age of 3, who can swing rapidly between endearingly cute antics and screaming, kicking, biting fits of rage …
The Toddler Year Must Do List:
Play Together:
- “I spy” in the car or at the park
- Building towers and knocking them down
- Rolling along toy cars
- Movement Games
- Puppets
- Dress up
- Peek-a-boo, patty cake, hide and seek!
- Pretend to be tigers and chase each other
- Pretend you can’t find their hands when you’re helping them get dressed
Exploring Nature:
- Feeding the ducks, or chasing them…
- Feed a baby goat
- Fly a kite
- Walking in the rain…
- Puddle splashing!
- Play outside in fresh snow.
- Hop over waves at the beach.
- Look for crabs in the rocks, starfish in the rock pools.
- Plant a spring flower to watch it grow.
- Pick fruit off of trees
- Watch a caterpillar become a butterfly
- Explore the forest, touching everything.
- Play ‘look high/look low’ and see what types of creatures or plants they see.
- Run in the fields.
- Toss leaves
- Collect rocks
For more fun “to-do’s” with your tot Click Here!
Information courtesy of creativewithkids.com
Image courtesy of Pixabay.com - Greyerbaby
A Fun Recipe You Can Make With Your Kids!
NO-BAKE HONEY NUT CHEERIOS SNACK BARS
YIELD: one 8-by-8-inch pan, 12 snack bars PREP TIME: 10 minutes COOK TIME: 3 minutes, microwave TOTAL TIME: 2+ hours, for chilling
courtesy of www.averiecooks.com
INGREDIENTS:
- 1/4 cup creamy unsalted butter (half of one stick)
- 1/4 cup honey (light-colored corn syrup may be substituted and will keep the bars firmer at room temp than using honey)
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups Honey Nut Cheerios (or similar store brand cereal; plain Cheerios may be substituted for a less sweet bar)
- 1 cup raisins, optional (1 cup honey-roasted peanuts, 1 cup chopped almonds, or 1 cup trail mix may be substituted)
- about 1/2 cup chocolate-covered sunflower seeds, optional (I used Trader Joe’s)
- pinch sea salt or Kosher salt for sprinkling, optional
DIRECTIONS:
- Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil leaving overhang, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine butter, honey, brown sugar, and heat on high power for 1 minute to melt.
- Stop to stir. Mixture will be on the granular side, this is okay.
- Return bowl to microwave and heat for 1 more minute on high power. Stop to stir
- Return bowl to microwave and heat for 1 more minute on high power. Stop to stir. On this third and final burst, mixture will become quite bubbly and foamy; use caution when removing from micro because this is boiling hot caramel and can cause burns.
- Stir in the vanilla using caution because mixture could bubble up.
- Stir in the cereal.
- Stir in the optional raisins (or nuts).
- Turn mixture out into prepared pan, packing it down firmly with a spatula and smoothing the top.
- Optionally, sprinkle evenly with sunflower seeds and salt (the salt cuts some of the sweetness and I recommend it).
- Cover pan with a sheet of foil (to prevent fridge smells), and place pan in fridge to set up for at least 2 to 3 hours, or overnight, or until bars are completely set before lifting out with foil overhang, slicing, and serving.
- Bars will keep airtight in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 6 months. I recommend storing them in the fridge rather than room temp because they soften and get loose.
Use what you have on hand and enjoy. Almost any dried fruit, nut, or seed can be substituted. The bars are perfect for quickie breakfast or snacks on the go.
Recipe courtesy of www.averiecooks.com
Swimming & Water Safety for the Upcoming Months
With Summer just about a month away and temperatures already spiking, I thought I’d address the safety issues for parents so we all hopefully have an incident-free Summer. Pools, water parks, hot tubs/spas, splash pads, and water playgrounds are great places to have fun, be active, or just relax. Having fun while you swim this summer means knowing how to stay healthy and safe while enjoying the water!
Swimming is one of the most popular sports activities in the United States. And just 2.5 hours of water-based (or other forms of) physical activity per week has health benefits, we each need to do our part to minimize the risk of illness and injury.
Make a Healthy Splash: Share the Fun, Not the Germs 
Swimmers, parents of young swimmers, aquatics and beach staff, residential pool owners, and public health officials can minimize the risk of recreational water illnesses (RWIs).
Prevent Illness
RWIs can be caused by germs spread by swallowing, breathing in mists or aerosols of, or having contact with contaminated water in swimming pools, hot tubs/spas, water playgrounds, lakes, rivers, or oceans. RWIs can be a wide variety of infections, including gastrointestinal, skin, ear, respiratory, eye, neurologic, and wound infections.
Most outbreaks linked to the water we swim, relax, and play in are outbreaks of diarrhea. These outbreaks are caused by germs like Crypto (short for Cryptosporidium), Giardia, Shigella, norovirus, and E. coli O157:H7.
These germs—sometimes millions at a time—can spread when someone who is sick has diarrhea in the water. Other people can get sick if they swallow the germy water—even just a mouthful.
Pool chemicals, like chlorine or bromine, are added to the water to kill germs. But they don’t work right away. If used properly, they can kill most germs within a few minutes. However, some germs, like Crypto can live in properly treated pool water for several days.
The job of pool chemicals is to kill germs. But when pee, poop, sweat, and dirt rinse off our bodies and into the water, the chemicals break down these other things instead of killing germs. This uses up the chemicals’ power, which means there’s less to kill germs.
Remember, we share the water—and the germs in it—with everyone. To help protect yourself, your family, and your friends from germs, follow these easy and effective steps each time you get in the water:
Keep the pee, poop, sweat, and germs out of the water!
- Stay out of the water if you have diarrhea.
- Shower before you get in the water.
- Don’t pee or poop in the water.
- Don’t swallow the water.
Every hour—everyone out!
- Take kids on bathroom breaks.
- Check diapers, and change them in a bathroom or diaper-changing area—not poolside—to keep germs away from the pool.
- Reapply sunscreen.
- Drink plenty of fluids.
Check the free chlorine level and pH before getting into the water.
- Pools: Proper free chlorine level (1–3 mg/L or parts per million [ppm]) and pH (7.2–7.8) levels maximize germ-killing power.
- Hot tubs/spas: Proper disinfectant level (chlorine [2–4 parts per million or ppm] or bromine [4–6 ppm]) and pH (7.2–7.8) maximize germ-killing power.
- Most superstores, hardware stores, and pool-supply stores sell pool test strips.
FREE Healthy and Safe Swimming Resources
- CDC Healthy Swimming brochures (available in English or en Español)
- CDC Pool Chemical Safety posters (each available in English and en Español)
- Water Quality & Health Council (WQHC)’s Healthy Pools page.
Remember: Think Healthy. Swim Healthy. Be Healthy!
References
Image and Information courtesy of www.cdc.gov/
Five FUN Outdoor Activities For Toddlers & Kids
As you know Spring has Sprung and Summer is just around the corner, us Mom’s (and Dad’s) need to keep the little ones busy. Here’s some creative and fun ideas that promise to do just that!
1. Stone Faces - Use this FREE printable to turn a collection of stones into funny stone faces. These face part stones are quick and easy to make and once made you can get creative making all kinds of funny stone faces. Toddlers and Preschoolers will love making these silly faces on stones, you can place them by your walkway, in your garden or give as gifts. Click image for step by step instructions and printable.
2. Make your own chalk paint for awesome outdoor fun! This is super easy to make, with very little ingredients. Your children and toddlers will have a blast expressing their creativity outdoors (or indoors if you’re brave). It’s also safe, nontoxic and the best part…it will wash off with a hose or the next rainy day! Click the image for step by step instructions.
3. Make Enormous Bubbles - Oh my! Science does not get much cooler than this, you have to see the size of these bubbles! You might enjoy this even more than the kids will. This is a very simple and fast mix, in no time at all you will be creating the most amazing bubbles. Click the image for instructions.
4. Alphabet Bug Spray - All you need for this fun project is a spray bottle and chalk! Draw on the sidewalk or driveway, a bug with a letter inside of it and well, it’s super easy and kids seem to love it and they forget they are learning. For game instructions click the image.
5. Magic Sidewalk squirt paint - You don’t need to purchase much for this one either. The clear plastic squirt bottles are about $1 each. The kids will love this and beg for a refill when their bottles are finally emptied. What a fun way to spend some outdoor time! Click the image for full instructions.
Five Awesome Apps For Toddlers
Some of these apps are really awesome! I only wish they were around when my kids were toddlers. These apps are not meant to be baby sitters, but definitely they help out when us Mama’s have our hands full (most of the time). These apps help with your toddlers eye-hand coordination, and some are learning apps as well! Okay back to making toddler belts for me!
Baby’s Musical Hands - A wonderful first app for toddlers who are developing hand-eye coordination and learning about cause and effect. There are no buttons, distracting menus, instructions, or commercial tie-ins — kids simply tap anywhere on the screen to receive instant audio and visual feedback. As kids get more coordinated they can press specific colored squares to hear different sounds, too.
Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android
Bubl Ice Cream - is a toddler-friendly exploration app. There’s no right or wrong way to play; kids simply tap or drag ice cream onto cones, bowls, or glasses and add toppings. The interface is kid-friendly with only one back button that could take a random tapper back to the home screen. Visual prompts plus whistles and cries of “Woo hoo!” get kids’ attention to encourage them to tap and play.
Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android
Busy Shapes - an exploring-to-learn activity for toddlers based on Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development. Piaget believed that the youngest children, in the stage of development he called “sensorimotor,” learn about their world by exploring and manipulating it. Busy Shapes gives kids a digital playground to explore and has lots of features in place to make it easy for the youngest users to play without crashing or accidentally swiping out of the app. It uses artificial intelligence to automatically adjust to keep kids challenged. Parents can set up different accounts for several kids (up to 40) and review how long kids played and the concepts they explored. Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
Moo, Baa, La La La! - an interactive version of the classic board book by Sandra Boynton. Like the book that inspired it, the app is aimed at toddlers. They can read the book with or without narration, and can hear individual words spoken aloud when they are tapped. There are lots of interactive hotspots for kids to find as they explore the pages, and tilting the device also creates some small movements on the page.
Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Fire phone, Kindle Fire
Nighty Night HD - a short, nearly wordless interactive book about going to bed. Kids get to tap the rooms of the house (or barn) that still have lights on, and then, once they’ve entered that room, they get to turn off the light and put the animals to sleep. There’s not much of a story and the few words are only spoken, not written, so parents shouldn’t expect this to be a reading app. It does however, have nice cause-and-effect lessons for toddlers (and will be just plain fun for preschoolers and kindergartners) and is accompanied by soothing going-to-sleep music. Devices: iPad
Images courtesy of individual apps and information courtesy of Common Sense Media.
An Easy Recipe For All Busy Moms (with picky eaters)
As a mama with no extra time away from the toddler belt factory, I need an easy and fast recipe for dinner. I just have to try this!
Root beer Pulled Pork…just the name makes my mouth water. Add these simple ingredients to your crock pot in the morning and 8 hours later…viola! You may want to add some honey or buttery buns to the grocery list. Yum!
Slow Cooker Root Beer Pulled Pork
Ingredients:
- 1 (4 pound) pork shoulder roast
- 1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle root beer
- 1 tsp liquid smoke flavoring (or to taste)
- 4 cloves garlic
Prep time - 15 minutes
Cook time - 8 hours
Directions:
- Place pork roast in a slow cooker and pour root beer, liquid smoke, and garlic over the top.
- Cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours. Remove pork to a bowl. Strain liquid through a fine-mesh strainer, discard liquid, and add garlic to pork. Shred pork using two forks.
For extra easy clean-up try using a liner in your slow cooker.
*Image and recipe are courtesy AllRecipes.com
I nursed all three of my boys for the first 6 months then incorporated the formula to satisfy the need for constant feeding while growing constantly out of their britches. Because I chose to breastfeed, I was able to save money, apply convenience because it is always accessible, comforting for the baby and very healthy for the mother mentally and physically. I believe the economic benefit of breastfeeding would be for the social services and assistance programs such as WIC (Women Infants & Children Program) and the EBT Food Stamp Program by decreasing the amount spent on formula and allow those funds to be spent on food for the mom to keep up a healthy milk supply for an ever-growing infant when ready to feed.
MOMMY-TO-BE & My Pants Wont Fit Me !!!
MOMMY-TO-BE and MY PANTS DON’T FIT ME!!! It wasn’t long ago you found out the exciting news, you’re going to be a mommy! There’s a bun in the oven and you’ve got a whole nine months of baking. Now, we face the changes of our bodies, our moods and maybe what we invest. Whether this is your first baby or your fourth our wardrobe will change. Then there’s the shopping for some maternity clothes, cause we still have to get dressed. Depending on how your body handles the pregnancy we may start to get a little bloated around 9-12 weeks. Shortly after our belly’s get a little tougher and start to expand. It’s hard letting those favorite pants go for the next six months, especially if they are your comfy pair. But what if… you could keep them on for at least another month or two? When our family designed the Dapper Snapper for toddlers, we kept you mommy-to-be in mind. By creating a front end belt that allows an expandable support for the belly, you can wear your favorite pants for another month or so. Boy? Girl? Both? lol, we have all boy and girly girl designs that will suite your trending themes for expanding accessories. Congratulations!
https://www.dappersnappers.com/Belts-for-Adults/Adult-size-Dapper-Snappers-Belts.html
Holiday Coloring Pages
Happy Holidays Moms & Tots! We sure hope everyone has had a wonderful Thanksgiving. As the older children may have returned to school, parents may be very busy preparing for Christmas and New Years as it so quickly approaches. Attached are some printable coloring pages for you to share with your little ones. Just add a couple of crayons and inspire a moment of holiday creativity.
