Top 5 Winter Toddler Outings

Life at home with a toddler is never dull! As a stay at home mom, it is important for me to get out of the house (least once a week) with other moms and their children. Options are limited in the winter so we have to scout out the best places to learn, play, and grow together. This is my top 5 list of places to take my toddler during the less-than-friendly weather.

1. The Rainforest or Aquarium 

If you are lucky enough to live near a rainforest and haven't been there yet, give it a shot. I take Elena to the zoo & rainforest a couple of times a month. It's always fun and the Cleveland metroparks rainforest is pretty nice. They have special days when you can meet and talk to the animals' care givers. We have an aquarium too which is perfect for a snowy day.

2. A nature or science center

Living in Northeast Ohio sure does have its perks. There are several indoor nature centers and science centers that typically have free admission. They have snakes, birds, fossils, and more to keep little ones interested. My favorite one in this area is the Rocky River Nature Center (formerly the Interperative Center). There is an indoor tree house and toys as well as a reptile display. They frequently host animals shows and family events throughout the year.

3. Indoor Playcenters 

With admission usually costing between $3-$12 a child, indoor play centers are an inexpensive place to burn off energy. Here in our area we have several that fit the bill: Jump Yard, Kids Play, Amazone, and others. Always bring socks and call ahead to make sure you can bring your own food (if you wish).

4. Shopping Mall Play Areas

Most malls these days have a place for the littlest shoppers. The malls near us also host family day events that usually include: a craft, snack, and show/storytime all for free. It's been our experience that these public areas tend to get crowded and are not the cleanest as the day wears on, so we play it by ear on days we hit the mall. We also aim to go early and play before it gets to busy. 

5. The Library 

For many reasons, the library is a great place to take your tot. Many libraries have a play area for the little ones. The libraries near me host story time several days a week and it's a good way to meet other families in your neighborhood. My daughter loves books so a trip to the library is an easy choice for us! 

Where are your favorite places to take your kids in the winter? 

Pillowcase Dress DIY

Tonight I had a great time crafting in the kitchen. I decided to attempt the "Pillowcase Dress" that often pops up as soon as the summer begins. I am very green when it comes to sewing, very green! Let me preface that by saying that I am not a puzzle person. Does that make me anti green puzzles... maybe so. I look at sewing patterns like a puzzle and I find them very difficult to follow. This is why the pillowcase dress appealed to me so much (though I didn't use a pillowcase). I just browsed google images and free sketched my basic design. Here is my finished dress.

The end result was decent although I marked the dress in pen and so this was just for practice. I have made drawstring pj pants for myself using the sewing machine (the hubby walked me through the pattern portion of it, darn puzzle!) My other projects included: 2 dog beds, 2 dog coats, a 6 month onesie, car seat canopy, a skirt with a zipper back, and drapes. The dog beds were the easiest and turned out the best. The pj bottoms are great and I still wear them occassionally. 

This week has been a doozy! We have had my niece over three days this week as well as plenty of fall chores to complete. We've been working on the chicken coop as a family. The floor is in and two walls are up now!

We also finally had good conditions to burn up the huge brush pile at the back of the property. It may look small but those are 4x4x8 posts in the picture. Luckily we kept it very tame and the neighbors didn't call the fire dept.

We also mapped out the dog run and next year's raised bed garden. All in all, it was a productive week. What have you done to prepare for shorter days and colder nights? As always...

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Toddler Bedtime Battles Solved!

Let's face it, I'm exhausted and out of ideas! If you've raised children, nothing strikes fear in the hearts of moms and dads the world over more than a kid fighting BEDTIME. The during the past week my beautiful 18 month old has been a nighttime terror. While previously a wonderful sleeper, she now fights falling asleep and then wakes throughout the night. Perhaps a combination of nightmares and sleep regression, she is running me ragged!

Then it dawned on me (after the fact), she wants to feel like I'm there but she doesn't actually need ME so much as my voice. I started to love my Aunt Toni's gift giving abilities a whole lot more after tonight.

Star was a great gift for Elena's birthday. It is recordable and plays the song "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." So I recorded my best rendition and Elena has played with it sporadically ever since. Tonight I was tired of story reading so I grabbed Star and gave her a squeeze. Much to my surprise Elena cuddled star and wouldn't let go. After finishing a cup of milk, she, Star, and MooCow all were put to bed. Elena played that song more than a dozen times before all went quiet and she drifted off. This is a hallmark exclusive and runs about $25. (Note: I am not compensated for reviewing this product, it just happened to save my bacon tonight!)

What works for your bedtime woes? (In addition to routine, routine, ROUTINE!) As always...

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Selling Homemade Cookies

My husband came home yesterday and said, "babe, I need you to give me a small menu with prices of your breads, cookies, and cupcakes." I kind of gave him a sideways glance. This is it, he's finally going to pay me for all the baking I've done for him over the years, I jokingly thought to myself. Well, I was only partly right. Some of his employees came to him with the idea of asking me to sell my baked goods. Evidently a woman used to work there did that during the holidays but she retired last year. A lot of the workers take on a ton of overtime and can't find the time to bake.

Late last night I came up with a list of goodies and prices. I emailed it to Eric (he works 3rd shift currently.) Much to my surprise, I have an order for 4 loaves of bread and 4 dozen cookies worth $50 on the very first day! 

I hope that I'm not in over my head! Have any of you had a small business at home? 

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Hot Topic Alert: Vaccination & Your Child

It seems like everyone has a strong opinion when it comes to vaccinating their children. For me, I am really and truly on the fence. Today was my daughter's 18 month pediatric appointment. We made the decision to begin getting Elena immunized. We had plans of waiting till Elena was 2 years old but we have been spending a lot of time around other kids lately and felt like now was the time. Today she received the DTaP combo shot and her first of two flu shots. I have always felt like less is more in regards to medicine in general. I delivered my daughter on her due date without any pain meds or IV. As a low risk patient, I felt comfortable attempting a more natural birth and I'm happy that I had her in a hospital that supported that choice.

I am fortunate to have found a doctor who understands my concerns about early vaccinations and while she would recommend the CDC approved schedule, she really lets me be the final say. We are not anti-vaccine. However, I am all about slowing the pace down for MY children. This way, the reactions should be lessened and problems can be pinpointed with greater ease.

Some have said that it will be more traumatic if I wait. I can finally say today that it was quite the opposite. I cuddled her during her shots and she didn't even shed one tear. She was such a trooper and I couldn't be prouder. Next month we will go back for more but we are skipping the chickenpox vax and the rotavirus vax. How do you handle vaccines for your family?

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Potty Training, is she ready?

Next week my sweet girl will be 18 months old. For the past week, she has been hiding behind her toy box when she has to poop. She poops on schedule so I knew right away that that was the reason. Maybe it's a little odd but I got super excited for her. This is a mini milestone. She is clearly aware of when she is pooping. 

Now I'm not going to jump right into a naked weekend tomorrow but I will focus more on potty words. (Blog about naked weekend: http://myfamilyandme.net/blogarticles/potty-training-the-naked-weekend ) We have been working on teaching Elena to pull her pants down and up. Personally, I feel this is an important ability to have when starting to potty train. Time to really work on potty words! Our goal is to be out of diapers by 2 1/2 but ultimately it'll be based on her readiness. For now, bring on the diapers and wipes!

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Stay At Home Mom

I guess I should have a little post about myself. My name is Jenn B and I grew up in Northeast Ohio. I am a 25 year old stay at home mom and wife. I married my best friend and the man of my dreams in October of 2010. Marrying him also meant living in Alabama and so I went to college at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. We had our first child in April of 2012 and have recently returned to Ohio to be closer to our family. Since Elena turned 1 and started running as well as eating real food, I have lost 55lbs and adopted an all around healthier lifestyle. I grew up on white bread, hot dogs, and mac&cheese. It's taken my adult years to learn to enjoy whole grains, veggies, and eating clean (it's a work in progress). My mission is to expose my family to healthier meals and better nutrition. I try to make as much from scratch as I can. I bake our bread, can our jam, make soups, ect. We try very hard to keep processed food to a minimum. Not only are they expensive but this way I have more ingredient control. 

My husband and I are very interested in self sustainable living and so on our one acre, we have been gardening and getting ready to have a micro farm. This fall we will bring chickens home and we have begun discussing having a milk goat. Rain barrels and composting are on the list as well.

I enjoy knitting, crocheting, cooking, canning, bike riding, sun tanning, gardening, coffee, and long car rides.

We used to watch waaaay too much tv so we shut the cable off! Now we have more time to focus on reality instead of watching it manufactured for the masses.  (Yes, I used to LOOOOOVE reality tv!) 

I'm tired, so I guess that's me. There is so much more but it's always moving. This is just a photograph, stay tuned and as always...

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