101 Things To Do With Your Toddler

Winter hasn't even hit, and I'm already searching my house for things to entertain Tatum with.  We're sick of our house.  We're sick of our toys.  We're sick of our books.  We're simply sick of everything!  Thanks to Pinterest, and suggestions like {this}, we're on our way to happier days at home.  Here are 101 things to do with a toddler:

1. Color
2. Blow Bubbles
3. Play Hide-and-Seek
4. Peek-a-Boo
5. Play Chase
6. Do Finger-plays
7. Sing a song
8. Collect rocks in a basket
9. Make an obstacle course out of cushions and/or furniture
10. Make a fort out of cushions and sheets
11. Go for a Walk
12. Make a Car out of a Box
13. Read a book
14. Go to the park
15. Finger-paint
16. Play with Play-Dough
17. Toss Bean bags into a Bucket
18. Play the shell and pea game
19. Dance to music
20. Download games for toddlers from the Internet
21. Practice putting things in and out of boxes and bags
22. Make a temporary slide out of a table leaf and your couch
23. Roll a ball back and forth on the floor
24. Scoop dirt or sand into a child's bucket (or use a serving spoon and bowl)
25. Practice climbing by stacking boxes on top of each other (only with adult supervision)
26. Put on a puppet show
27. Go fishing with a yard stick and yarn
28. Make a Horseshoe game
29. Make a Shape Puzzle
30. Play paper basketball
31. Run through a Sprinkler
32. Play with a bucket of water and a sponge
33. Make a Drum out of an oatmeal box
34. Play with a kazoo
35. Wash windows together
36. Bang on Pots and Pans with a spoon
37. Brush each other's teeth
38. Play dress-up with stuffed animals and your child's clothes
39. Stack canned or boxed food on top of each other
40. Let child stack mixing bowls inside each other
41. Make a playhouse out of a large box
42. Let child play with a sticker sheet
43. Put stickers on fingers for finger puppets
44. Play a musical instrument together- i.e.recorder, piano, etc.
45. Go on a Smelling Hunt
46. Frost Cookies
47. Plant a flower or vegetable plant together
48. Roll a tennis ball into an empty trash can or bucket
49. Draw on a mirror with dry-erase markers
50. Play hide and seek together- trying to find a stuffed animal or other object
51. Have a splash party together in the bathtub
52. Put a leash on a stuffed animal and walk around the house
53. Record each other on a tape recorder (great for scrapbooks or journals!)
54. Make and try on paper hats
55. Give a piggy-back ride
56. Play "Horsey"
57. Talk into an electric fan (it distorts your voice)
58. Play tug-of-war with a blanket
59. Collect flowers (felt, artificial, real...)
60. Make a camera and go on a Safari
61. Play games with frozen juice lids
62. Disconnect your phone and pretend to make phone calls to relatives
63. Leave your phone connected and really make phone calls to relatives- let your child talk too
64. String large beads onto or along a shoelace
65. Squirt each other with squirt bottles
66. Glue shapes onto paper
67. Make sock puppets
68. Make paper puppets
69. Fill an old purse with toys
70. Use a paper towel tube as a megaphone
71. Make binoculars and go "Bird Watching" or "Stuffed Animal Watching"
72. Put snacks in different fun containers (paper sacks, empty canisters, etc.)
73. Act out a story from a book
74. Walk on a balance beam- use a 2x4 placed on the ground
75. Draw with chalk on the sidewalk
76. Sketch an outline of your child on the sidewalk or paper with chalk
77. Paint child's palms with tempura paint and blot on paper. Makes a great card for loved ones!
78. Put lipstick on child and kiss a mirror
79. Make a puddle on cement and splash barefoot in it
80. Let child decorate and eat an open peanut butter sandwich
81. Make a toilet paper barricade for child to go under, over, or through
82. Do the Hokey Pokey
83. Make a super-hero costume out of household items
84. Do Knee-Bouncing Rhymes
85. Play "Red Light, Green Light" saying "Go" and "Stop"
86. Make a shoe-box train for stuffed animals
87. Make a pillow pile to jump on (keep it clear from any hard surfaces, including walls!)
88. Make an easy puzzle with felt and Velcro
89. Make bracelets or collars for stuffed animals out of pipe cleaners and jingle bells
90. Learn numbers from a deck of cards
91. Play the matching game with a deck of cards
92. Make a domino chain
93. Have a picnic in the park, backyard, or living room!
94. Play dress up in Mommy or Daddy's clothes
95. Make a tin cup telephone and talk to each other in it
96. Make a nature collage
97. Mirror each other
98. Make a "Mummy Mommy" with toilet paper
99. Make a tape recording of short music selections and instructions to move in different ways
100. Make and walk along a toilet paper trail
101. TAKE A NAP!

Up to my Elbows

Definitely trying to squeeze some extra hours out of the day around here.
I'm up to my elbows in photo shoots/edits, wedding plans, work/research, the day-to-day to-do's and spending time with my two favorites.
And to top that, I've been in a major cleaning/organizing mood (Labor Day weekend was spent laboring), so my energy is completely spent at the end of the day.

So again, the ol' blog will have to be put on the back burner until "free" time comes along...

hello august...

... goodbye july.
seriously?  i'm feeling jipped right about now.
i woke to dark and rainy skies and it reminded me of october mornings.
summer is quickly slipping away and panic mode is starting to set-in.
the thought of being cooped up in the house all day is enough to make anyone depressed.
ok, don't think about that yet.

i'm off to make a "must do before summer ends" list...

what do you feed your kids?

{Plates from Neato Shop... such quirky gifts!}

Maybe it's because Tate is teething and has suddenly lost his appetite (huge deal),
Or maybe it's because day after day I lack creativity and variety...

Either way, I'm curious to know what you feed your kids?
Be honest... what do you really feed your kids?  What do they prefer?
I could use some new ideas.

Tips for flying with toddlers

Tate and I survived his first two flights.  He didn't sleep on either one, so I had to keep him busy the whole time.  But to be honest, it wasn't as stressful as I thought it would be...  just a little tiring.  So here are a few tips I learned (flying with a 15-month-old boy) that will hopefully help any of you first-time mamas...

1. ARRIVE EARLY.  When you're in a hurry and stressed, your child can sense it.  It also gives them extra time to get the wiggles out and do one last diaper change.

2. MAKE FRIENDS WITH NEIGHBORS.  Thankfully, my mom was with me on the flight, but I think it's important to make your environment as friendly as possible.  Tate and a soldier became buds (and he even gave Tatum a few patches off his uniform).

3. BOTTLE & BLANKIE.  I gave Tate a bottle at takeoff and arrival to help his ears adjust to the elevation and comfort him if there was turbulence.  He's very attached to his blankie, so that made him more comfortable too.

4. NEW TOYS.  I went to the dollar store and bought sticker books, glow sticks, slinky's and other quiet and fun new toys.

5. SNACKS. I stocked up on blueberries, string cheese, and other healthy snacks.  I didn't want to risk a motion-sick baby full of junk food.  Be sure to have baby wipes on-hand too to clean up any messes.

6. DVD PLAYER.  Self-explanatory.   It kept Tatum entertained for quite awhile.

traveling with a toddler

Me and my little man are heading to Texas with my mom to visit my sis.  This will be Tate's first flight (and mine with a child in-tow).  Thankfully it's only a 2.5 hour flight!  What travel tips and tricks have worked for you and your kids?

I found {this article} helpful.

Infertility...

...a word that seems to encompass a million emotions: sadness, pain, stress, disappointment,  frustration.

My sister is my hero.  It was her example and desire to have a baby, and struggle to conceive, that nudged me into considering the idea (thinking about having a baby at that point in my life was not in the game plan).  It broke my heart to see her want something more than anything in the world, and it wasn't happening.  It made me wonder if I would have difficulty getting pregnant as well.

Well, fortunately for us we were able to get pregnant fairly easy... but I have NEVER taken that for granted.  I think a lot of people DO take that for granted because it happens so easily. 

Why does infertility seem so common today?  Or are people just talking more openly about it now?  Either way, I applaud my sister for sharing her story {here} in hopes to inspire and comfort others who might be struggling to conceive.  It's not easy sharing your most intimate experiences to the world wide web, but I know it will help others.

So for the many women out there struggling with infertility, my heart goes out to you.  I have seen first-hand how painful that trial can be.  I hope Allie's story will give you hope and encouragement... because against all odds, today she is a mother.

cabin fever

diy rainbow crayons, found via armelle, via say yes to hoboken

if any of you moms are like me right now, you're DYING for spring to arrive.
tate literally cries some days when we walk into the living room.
we're both so sick of that room. we're sick of all the rooms in our house. period.
let's just say i visit target all too often, just to have a change of scenery.

so until the days are filled with sunshine, long walks, and picnics...
here are a few indoor ideas i found via {armelle blog}.

what are you doing to keep your little sprouts happy inside?

Mother of the Year Award...

Confession time;

I have nominated myself for the "Mother of the Year Award" three times now.

Award #1: Given to me when Tate fell off the changing table when he started rolling.
Award #2: Given to me when Tate fell down the stairs when he started walking.

and today's award...

Award #3: Tate's face meets the curb while playing outside.

All three awards fall into the "Mom Whose Reflexes Are Too Slow" category.
I know I'm not the ONLY mom out there with these type of awards... right? Poor guy.

resolutions

I have a whole list of resolutions I am striving to improve upon this year.
Some on the list:

•  PRINT more photos
•  Avoid procrastinating
•  Envelope budget system/use cash more
•  Get this post-baby body back in shape

What are your resolutions this year?  How do you keep them?
 

balsamic binge

I'm obsessed with balsamic vinegar lately (especially when it's paired with olive oil, basil, parmesan or mozzarella cheese and tomatoes).  Some of my latest favorites:

-Tomato Basil Salad (pictured above) or Caprese Panini- Plates & Palates
-Margarita Pizza- Roosters
-Mozzarella & Tomato Sandwich- Tony Caputo's
-Pear & Gorgonzola Salad- Blue Lemon


How do you use Balsamic Vinegar?   I need recipes!  Please share...

HELP! photo shoot locations?

Where have you taken outdoor photos in the Salt Lake or Davis county area?
I'm in desperate need of new location ideas for shoots.

Help... mom bloggers needed

Just passing along some information from a contact of mine...

Hello, my name is Leslie Hart (aka Lulu). I am the local publicist for Feld Entertainment in Utah.  Feld Entertainment produces Disney On Ice productions and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. 

We are looking for local Utah Mom Bloggers to help us get the word out when our shows are coming to town.  We can give the bloggers ticket give aways to use on their sites, tickets for the blogger to bring their own families to the show and many fun and excititing articles and games that can be use on their sites as well.

 Interested Mom Bloggers should email: Lulu Hart at lulubugllc@aol.com

San Fran

photo by Vaggelis Fragiadakis

We're less than one month away from visiting San Francisco for the first time.

Any suggestions?

back to the grind-UPDATED

We just returned home from Lake Mead.  Such a fun trip (and many pictures to come).

It's always hard coming back to "life," especially with a TO DO like this:

-Produce 5-minute video for ClearChoice "Star Spangled Smiles" contest-DONE
-Produce promotional spots for Days of '47 Parade and Float Preview Party
-Produce all visual elements for the parade
-Write announcer script for the parade (last year's was over 120 pages!)
-Talent coordination for all summer events-DONE
-Produce two launch videos for Ken Garff KSL Road to Success
-Produce promotional spots for KSL's "Read Today" campaign-DONE
-Produce spots for Park City Arts Festival
-Maintain all other job responsibilities
-Run a household, be a mommy, be a wifey
-Oh yea, and shop for Father's Day-DONE

Did I mention this all has to be done within a month or sooner?
Did I also mention I work part-time now?

Sigh. Scream. Grab some chocolate. Cry.
Yes, cry. Not enough time in the day.

Wish I was back at the lake...

teething?

fussiness.
poor sleep.
needy.
drool. drool. and more drool.
sucking on fingers.
sucking on anything put in his mouth.

all signs of teething, right?

is it really possible for my 3 1/2 month old to be teething?

exhaustion will kill me

Who ever coined the phrase, "Sleep like a baby?"
They should be spanked and sent to time out.

Is it possible to die from exhaustion?

It just might kill me.

Blogging Question

Do any of you know how to publish the SAME post to two different blogs?  I've seem something about "merging" posts to other blogs, thus eliminating copying and pasting to another blog.  It would be so nice to select the posts I want, then send them to another blog.  I hate doubling the work load when I know there's a simpler way...

Enlighten me fellow bloggies

Calling All Mama's

I'm working on my baby registry and would like some input from experienced moms.  I'm extremely picky when it comes to things like this, so making a "simple" decision takes me months.  Here are the big ticket items I need your help with:

Stroller
I'm looking for something durable, travels well, easily collapses and 3-wheeled.  Oh... and it has to be cute!

Car Seat
What size?  I don't want to be stuck with something that he'll grow out of in a few months.  Do you recommend travel systems (car seat and stroller combo)?

Any other must-have's
Here's your chance to spill you guts on all the "must have's" of motherhood...

Thanks for your help!
{first-time mama}

99 Days and Hypnobirthing

Double Digits... I'm down to 99 days until D-day!  I am seriously considering hypnobirthing for my delivery method.  I've read many great testimonials from friends about their remarkable hypnobirthing experience.  I  think any first-time mom is fearful of delivering, so if I can learn to remove fear and feel empowered and calm through the whole process, I'm open to it! 

I need your help.  I am looking for classes.  Do any of you know where I can find classes/instructors?  Any advice for this hypnobirth seeking gal?

Read more about hypnobirthing {here}, {here} and {here}

Have a fabulous weekend.  We're headed to the mountains for a weekend retreat!  I hope we get snowed in.