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Free Printable Mother’s Day Book From a Child to Someone Special
This Mother’s Day, your kids or students can create a personalized gift for any woman in their lives. This Mother’s Day printable book would be wonderful as a standalone gift, or as a card or addition to another gift. Each page provides fill-in prompts about the special person. The kids (or you) can write in answers and then draw pictures throughout the book. I have intentionally left the name blank so that the child can personalize it: mom, stepmom, grandma, abuela, nana, and so on. This will also give early writers some spelling practice on a special name! It also does not reference Mother’s Day specifically, so it could be…
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25 Sensational Mother’s Day Gifts for Grandma
Mother’s Day offers an opportunity to celebrate all the moms in your life, including your own grandma or your kids’ grandma. Grandmas spend so much of their time lending a helping hand, offering advice, and supporting their grandkids. You’re sure to find the perfect Mother’s Day gift for grandma on this list of personalized items, grandma jewelry, and thoughtful gifts that celebrate what she means to you. Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, meaning if you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn on qualifying purchases. Personalized Mother’s Day Gifts for Grandma These Mother’s Day gifts for grandma are…
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8 Basic Ways to Help Your Family Stay Healthy (When Everyone Else is Sick)
It’s like slow motion. A kid’s nose wrinkles. She sniffs. Her mouth opens. A sneeze is coming. And you know what might happen if that sneeze leads to a bad cold—weeks of nursing one kid after another and yourself back to health. Days missed from school. Days missed from work. Heaps of tissues and a huge dose of misery. You throw your whole body in front of any other kids around you like a human shield to avoid the wrath of the sneeze. This is one of the downsides of having a large family. If one person gets sick, it might be a months-long ordeal as the germs have a field day,…
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5 Free St. Patrick’s Day Printables for Kids
My three oldest kids had so much fun with this set of five St. Patrick’s Day printables! I hope you will enjoy this variety of activities for your own children or the students in your classroom. When you download this set of free St. Patrick’s Day printables, you will receive a PDF that includes: St. Patrick’s Day printable coloring page of a leprechaun hat “I’m lucky to have…” shamrock writing and reflection activity Shamrock color by addition worksheet Coloring and drawing activity: “What would you like to find at the end of the rainbow?” “Wanted” Leprechaun poster fill-in-the-blank story activity The short form at the bottom of this post will…
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12 Mistakes Parents Make When Hiring a Nanny
Families with two working parents have a variety of childcare options they might consider. Many opt for a traditional daycare facility, which usually incorporates education and play in an institutional setting with trained teachers. Alternatively, parents might drop their kids off with a fellow parent or licensed provider who offers childcare out of their home. A third option is hiring a nanny to care for their children inside the family home. Benefits of Hiring a Nanny When you consider hiring a nanny as opposed to alternative childcare options, there are many benefits. Large family needs. When we found out we were expecting our fourth baby, the family friend who had…
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23 Awesome Artsy Toys That Keep Kids Entertained
Artsy toys for kids are a lifesaver at my house. Let’s just say I was not born with the “craft” gene. It’s not that I’m not a creative person, but music and writing are my fortes, not making magnificent creations out of coffee filters and clothespins. Personally, aside from lacking raw talent in the crafting arena, I am simply not all that interested in finding a craft project, procuring all the necessary materials, doing the prep work, and demonstrating each step for my kids. I know that this kind of thing fills many a mom’s cup. I’m not one of those moms. I send my kids to school and take…
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31 Extraordinary Catholic Baby Baptism Gifts
We have now had four babies baptized in the Catholic Church and are blessed to be godparents to our niece. A Catholic baptism is such a special occasion! Even though babies are usually too young to remember the experience, godparents and other family and friends can give them gifts that will commemorate the experience and help them live and learn their Catholic faith in the years to come. This list of baby baptism gift ideas is perfect for Catholic baptisms, but many of the baptism gifts listed are also suitable for any Christian baptism. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, meaning if you click through and make a purchase, I…
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27 Perfect Games for Kindergartners to Play (and Learn From)
Kindergartners are at a perfect age to play games with friends, family, or classmates. Board games, cards, and other fun party games are not only a fun source of social interaction, they also help the kindergartners develop some crucial skills. Sarah Gorden has been a teacher for ten years, more than half of those teaching either kindergarten or first grade. She says, “Games are a great way for families to practice skills like one-to-one correspondence, counting, turn taking, sharing, number identification, and talking about rules and directions.” In addition, games can help kindergartners work on problem-solving, strategy, communication, and collaboration. This list contains games for kindergartners that I recommend because:…
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25 Engaging STEM Toys for Toddlers Under 3 Years Old
It’s never too early to start nurturing science, technology, engineering, and math skills in toddlers. Learning Liftoff shares that an early introduction to STEM can encourage the development of language, communication, and problem-solving skills. They add that it will also set them up for future academic success because they will be able to transfer these skills to other areas of study. Similarly, the Center for Childhood Creativity at the Bay Area Discovery Museum reports that children are already laying roots for abstract reasoning before they turn one. “These roots,” they say, “must be encouraged through engagement and play in order for inherent tendencies to develop into lifelong STEM thinking skills.”…
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7 Valentine’s Day Printable Activities for Kids
Are you looking for a set of Valentine’s Day printables? These seven Valentine’s Day free printable coloring pages and activities will keep your kids or students festively busy! When you download this free printable activity packet, you will get a PDF that includes: 4 Valentine’s Day printable coloring pages 1 Valentine’s Day printable word search 1 Valentine’s Day fill-in-the-blank story (like Mad Libs™) 1 Valentine’s Day printable activity sheet Valentine’s Day Printable Coloring Pages This set comes with four Valentine’s Day themed coloring pages: A heart with whimsical decorations inside, including a flower, rainbow, and crown Four “talking hearts” with empowering and encouraging phrases, such as “Be Kind,” “Be Brave,”…
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Smart Ways to Smooth Out Your School Morning Routine
If you struggle with your kids’ school morning routine, you’re not alone. It’s not easy getting everyone dressed, presentable, fed, and out the door with appropriately-packed bags every morning – especially not without nagging, whining, or a sense of impending doom. But having a smooth morning helps set everyone up for a successful day, so here are a few ideas to help you get on your way to a stress-free morning routine. At the end of the post, I’ll share the tool that helps my second-grader and kindergartener to get everything done, often with time to spare, in the mornings. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, meaning if you click…
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Simple Pizza Party for Kids: Everything You Need to Know
Ever since she was in preschool, my oldest daughter has said she wants to be a pizza maker when she grows up. Therefore, it seemed fitting to throw her a pizza party this year for her eighth birthday. There are local pizzerias that offer make-your-own-pizza parties for kids, but we decided just to have a few friends over at home and let them top their own personal pizzas. It turned out to be quite a fun evening for our daughter and her friends, even though it was not much work for us! Here is our blueprint for a simple, inexpensive pizza party for kids. Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.…
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Creating New Year’s Eve Traditions Your Kids Will Cherish
New Year’s Eve offers a chance to look back and plan ahead, to have fun, make noise, stay up late, and celebrate with family and friends. Memories of New Year’s Eve with my family’s traditional chips, dip, and board games stay with me to this day! You can easily create a fun, exciting, memorable traditional New Year’s Eve with your family. Here are some simple ideas of New Year’s Eve traditions your kids will look eagerly forward to each year. Choose a few ideas (small or big!) and make it a point to do the same thing annually to solidify the New Year’s Eve traditions for your kids. Disclosure: This…
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An Elf on the Shelf Twist that Shifts the Focus for Kids
We have an elf who visits our house each year leading up to Christmas, popping up in a different hiding spot every morning. His name is Jon Snow. (We were in the thick of Game of Thrones the first year he arrived, but it just sounds like a wintry name to our kids!) We tell our kids he is here from the North Pole, reporting back to Santa about their behavior. No, we are not one of the families whose elf causes all kinds of meme-worthy mischief and shenanigans, but my kids have so much fun looking for him first thing in the morning. For us, it adds to our…
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28 Exciting Gifts for an 8-Year-Old Girl
Are you getting ready to purchase a gift for an 8-year-old girl for a birthday or holiday? What a fun task! The eldest of my four children is an 8-year-old girl, and I think she is at a really enjoyable age. 8-year-olds are getting more independent and savvy about how the world works, but yet they still love to play, create, and have fun. My daughter just loves rainbows, butterflies, sparkles, fairies, and dressing up — such a whimsical spirit about her! If you’re looking for just the right gift for an 8-year-old, consider these 28 recommendations. Many are items we have in our house and can recommend from experience,…
Parenting ideas and encouragement from a mom of 4
