From the category archives:

Preschooler

5 flippin’ awesome ways to spend Valentine’s Day with your little boy

February 12, 2011

When I began to see pink Valentine’s Day stuff flying across my screen about three weeks ago, I wanted to share something about making it boy-friendly. My six-year old son told me that Valentine’s Day is the most “humongous holiday of the year”, after Christmas and Halloween. He probably has a future at Martha Stewart [...]

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Activity #243: Play hopscotch inside

January 28, 2011

The only thing missing from this idea is the description of how I’m blissfully catching a few minutes on the laptop or drinking a cocoa while this is all going on. I love the toddler and preschooler games where I can sit in one place and still participate like if I’m the toll collector while [...]

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Activity #239: Play with magnets away from the fridge

January 19, 2011

Whoever invented refrigerator magnets must not have minded their children blocking access to the refrigerator. I don’t get this. I like to take the magnets off the fridge. Put them in muffin tins or on a cookie sheet. Lots of fun and much more portable than the fridge.

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What’s a toddler pillow? (Giveaway!)

January 13, 2011

You know how some words seem really weird if you say them over and over again? Well, “toddler pillow” is one of those for me. I said it a bunch and then I started to wonder if it even is a thing. Toddlerpillow? But it is! It is a thing! My kids both have toddler [...]

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The case of the misguided helicopter parent

December 29, 2010

How you can tell I am still a rookie: I am fumbling through preschool soccer lessons! I signed up Milo for his first organized classes (since Music Together years ago) to celebrate his love for ball-sports (and his favorite red shorts). Soccer drills and skills are taught along with songs and games (which he also [...]

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Activity #208: Pitch a tent

December 28, 2010

My friend Jeanine once told me there’s lots of fun time to be had with a baby at an outdoor store like REI: you just set up a sweet pad in the display tent with several of the Thermarest mattresses, chirping bird toys, and bright colored water bottles and have a blast. The first time [...]

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7 gift ideas and 4 family outings

December 16, 2010

Last week on BabyCenter.com, I wrote up gift ideas for toddlers and preschoolers. (Hint: one of them is a ukelele.) Hop over there to read through them all 7 flippin’ awesome things for your kids! This week on BabyCenter, Heather shared four FUN outings for your dysFUNctional family.  Don’t keep a houseful of related people [...]

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Build your toddler a play kitchen

December 9, 2010

I love a kid-sized kitchen and the creative ways that my children can stay focused with their pretend desserts and imaginary pasta dishes (while I make a real dinner they may or may not even taste).  I have been soooo close to purchasing a miniature kitchen for my boys the past couple years, but something [...]

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6 date night ideas that don’t require a babysitter

November 3, 2010

With the economy totally sucking, we’ve modified our babysitter retainer model slightly and are trying to have a few more date nights at home. If you thought it was totally unrealistic when I told you to put your kids to bed before 7pm and have a date-night, I feel you. Here are six slightly more [...]

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Boxy but good: The Evenflo Momentum™ 65 carseat

October 19, 2010

Our UPS man carelessly left the enormous box containing our new Evenflo carseat on the pathway between our driveway and our front door. It was half-hiding under a bush. I wasn’t worried that he had mistreated the package, however, because hey, it’s a car seat. It’s supposed to protect a small baby in the case [...]

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Back to preschool: wardrobe battles

September 12, 2010

Tell me, fellow parents, how do you get your kid to pose for those cute pictures in the cute outfits? Is there a candy bribe involved? Threats? I’ve already mentioned my obsession with capturing that perfect back-to-school moment. Holden, though he wouldn’t let me take a picture, allowed me to dress him any which way [...]

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Sleeping with the enemy

August 18, 2010

You know what’s probably really good exercise for a mom? Sneaking out of a toddler bed six times in one night. Slowly lifting one’s head from her sleeping daughter’s pillow, raising chest to the ceiling, wiggling arm out from under said child, keeping that core steady, holding a side plank position while taking a deep [...]

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