I’m NOT Dreaming of a White Christmas

#winterbucketlist #christmasbucketlist #winter #momlife #family

Ding, dong, it’s December. And for many people that means snowmen and snowball fights and the dazzling white of the first snow and did I mention snow? But here in sunny Southern California, winter looks a little different. Sure, it’s a brisk 45 degrees out right now as the sun comes up, but I’ve got to dress the kids in light layers at school because it’ll be 70 and sunny when I pick them up at noon. And I’m bringing POPSCICLES to school for my daughter’s birthday. Basically, snow is not on the menu this December. And I’m not even a little salty about it.

But for some people, winter and Christmas and Santa all need snow. So here are some fun and festive ways to spread holiday cheer, without any of the freezing cold white stuff.

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Travel Activity Bag for Toddlers & Kids

travel activity bag- portable storage solution for busy bags

Whether you’ve got a road trip coming up or just need to find a way to keep your kiddos entertained for more than a hot minute, you’re going to love this all in one travel activity bag. The best bag to use (and the best goodies to fill it with!) to keep toddlers and preschoolers entertained on the go.

I’m borderline obsessed with making busy bags for kids. The Dollar Tree, Daiso, and the Target Bullseye Playground are all practically begging me to make more busy bags every time I go near them.

But the more I made, the more I ran into a problem- what busy bag storage system contains all this goodness? I’d love to use the busy bags for travel, but I needed an easy way to store and transport them.

I don’t know about you, but there are TONS of times when I could benefit from having my stash of busy bags with me.  Like when the doctor is running behind, or when we’ve got a long flight, or on one of our ten hour road trips.

Or when my husband sends me and my two children to stand in line for a few hours at a Best Buy for a video game system at 6 am on fifteen minutes notice.

No? Is that one just me?

Well at any rate, I finally found a way to set up a travel activity bag that can come with us- and it didn’t take a whole lot of additional time or effort.

I don’t always feel like a super mom, but this fully-stocked, always-so-ready-it-lives-in-the-trunk Travel Activity Bag is a major source of pride for me.

And the best part? You can have your own busy bag storage system in place before you know it, too.

A cloth travel purse with an array of items inside. Text overlay: How to make an activity bag entertain your kids anytime, anywhere.

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4 Myths About Play-Based Preschool

Considering a play-based education for your kids, but worried they won't learn anything? Check out these four myths about play based preschool! #playbasedpreschool #reggio #reggioemilio #reggiopreschool #outdoorplay #reggioinspired #reggiokids #reggiochildren #reggioemiliainspired #reggioactivities #reggiopreschool #reggiotime #reggiotoddlers #preschool #preschooler #preschoollife #toddlerlife #preschoolmom #preschoolactivities

When I first sent my son to preschool, he went to a traditional preschool – the kind I remember, and you probably do too! A carpet with letters and spots for each kid to sit. Charts on the wall showing the alphabet, calendar, weather. Super cute crafts for every holiday, with a Pinterest perfect sample of what they would be making that day. But he wasn’t learning his letters. He wasn’t great at sitting. He wasn’t participating in the crafts. So we moved him over to a play-based preschool. And he LOVED it. But everyone else? Well, they thought we were crazy. And I learned there are a LOT of myths about play based education.

Being the delightfully stubborn person I am, I threw myself into learning as much as I could about the educational style that was benefitting my son so very much. Over the next two years, and as I went on to enroll both my daughters in the school, I’ve come up against a lot of concerns and criticisms from people that, frankly, just didn’t know what they were talking about. So if you’re curious about play-based preschool, or wondering why in the world your friend is sending her kids to one, here are some of the myths you may have heard – and hopefully some truths to help clear things up.

Considering a play-based education for your kids, but worried they won't learn anything? Check out these four myths about play based preschool! #playbasedpreschool #reggio #reggioemilio #reggiopreschool #outdoorplay #reggioinspired #reggiokids #reggiochildren #reggioemiliainspired #reggioactivities #reggiopreschool #reggiotime #reggiotoddlers #preschool #preschooler #preschoollife #toddlerlife #preschoolmom #preschoolactivities

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Picture Books Adults Will Love As Much as Their Kids Do

Looking for some books to read to your children that DON'T drive you crazy? Start with this list from thesaltymamas.com #childrensbooks #picturebooks

It’s the end of a long day, and you are one story away from watching Real Housewives in your PJs with a glass can of wine. You anxiously await your kids’ book decision.

Will it be the borderline unbearable “5 Minute Stories” book that contains stories WAY longer than 5 minutes? Will it be the one of the worst children’s books ever written? Or will it be a book you actually LIKE?

You may not get to choose the book every night, but you can stack the deck in your favor by purchasing more books that are fun for YOU to read.  Here’s a list of picture books adults will love as much as their kids do.

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9 Ways to Play with Rocks Outside

a stack of rocks

Looking for new ways to get outside with your toddlers or preschoolers? May we present to you the simple bag of rocks- a $5 investment with LOTS of options for kids. Find inspiration in this list of ways to play with rocks outside.

Entertaining a toddler all day can be ridiculously hard work. My kids have thousands of dollars worth of games and toys and arts and crafts and I am not above allowing some indulgent screen time. But the fact is, at the end of the day, toddlers love dirt and sticks and rocks. Yeah, rocks.

Which – don’t get me wrong – I love. I mean, what’s not to love? They’re super cheap (also known as FREE at your nearest outside location), easy to handle, you don’t have to worry about getting them dirty, and you can just leave them in the backyard!

I love them SO much, I want to pass that love of rocks on to you! Sometimes the best toys are the simplest ones, and we just know your kids will agree. Check out our list of nine fun ways for toddlers to play with rocks.

Toddler holding rock up; Text Overlay: Nine fun & easy ways for your toddler to play with rocks.

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