I asked this earlier on facebook: Question: Do you ever change your parenting style a little so that others around you will feel more comfortable? I find that occasionally I “play the part” of a more cautious mom than I really am because even when I truly don’t feel too worried about them, it freaks [...]

Welcome friends- Today I was going to have a more elaborate post about the Great Artists and learning about art with your kids.  I was going to tell you about this book series we found:How Artists See 6-Volume Collection  And also this one by Sister Wendy:Sister Wendy’s 1000 Masterpieces. I might have told you how [...]

Get a New View- Take a Toddler Walk

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by Alissa Marquess on May 15, 2012

Today’s thing to do with a toddler is slow, distracted and charming. Go on a toddler walk.  Honestly- you can just go on a walk to the end of your block, or down the alley.  It doesn’t have to be far.  The point of this walk is not to get anywhere. The point is to [...]

5 Easy Dinner Rituals to Build Family Connection

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by Alissa Marquess on May 14, 2012

How can we make dinner a time for connection when we’re all tired and cranky?  The most important idea I can tell you is: Make it simple and be easy on yourself. You don’t have to do every one of these things every night. I’m going to tell you a few low stress dinner rituals [...]

Take a Breastfeeding Self Portrait

May 12, 2012
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Take a what?  I know- asking you to take a self portrait might be odd enough, but one while you’re breastfeeding?  Why?  And how would you even do that?  Bear with me. If you are a breastfeeding mom, you know well the vast amount of time you spend just sitting and nursing.  If you’re like [...]

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Calm Down Kids- Blow Bubbles!

May 11, 2012
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  How do you get three kids to go from screeching and grouchy to quiet and calm?  (you’ll think this is too simple) Give them straws and bowls with water and a squirt of dishsoap and show them how to blow bubbles. How do you get a toddler overcome her fear of the bath? (you [...]

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Make Creating with Kids Easy by Gathering This Basic Kit

May 9, 2012
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Many parents who want to be creative with their kids are limited by organization and time.  Here’s one way to solve that: Make a Basic Kids Craft Supply Kit In order to make creating creating with kids easy, gather these basic supplies all in one spot (A basket or box near where you usually do [...]

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Remember these 4 words and you’ll always have Things to Do With a Toddler:

May 8, 2012
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Sure, if we had all the planning and organizing time in the world, we could set up loads of interesting play activities for our toddlers, but the plain truth about toddlers is that they’re BUSY and that makes us BUSY, and tired, and generally behind in keeping up with the mess maker we love. Often, [...]

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Moon Dough Treasure Hunt

May 5, 2012
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We have a new sensory activity for my preschooler that’s been popular here lately: Moon Dough Treasure Hunts {Super Simple Preschool Sensory Activity} (Note: we did this with Moon Dough vs Moon Sand, which is also fun and made by the same company, but the Moon SAND is more messy.  Moon Dough still requires a [...]

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Toddler Afraid of the Bath- What Would You Do?

May 3, 2012
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How Do You Help a Toddler Who Is Afraid of the Bath? This is a parenting first for me- my one year old is terrified of the bath and the shower.  She doesn’t even really like being in the water with me and will just cling miserably until we get out.  I’ve been bathing her [...]

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How To Do Crafts With a Child Who Is a Perfectionist

May 2, 2012
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My seven year old has a default answer to almost any craft activity I ask him if he wants to do- NO.  It’s just his personality to say no first and then decide.  I think this is his defense mechanism, because at heart he is a perfectionist and he wants to get things RIGHT.  Arts [...]

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Introducing the Things-To-Do With Toddlers Series

May 1, 2012
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When people sign up for my newsletter they receive a welcome email that asks what their biggest difficulty is in being creative with their kids. One thing that comes up frequently in people’s replies is, “What do I do with my toddler?” {good question!}                       [...]

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What would happen if…15 Questions for Creativity

April 25, 2012
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Many people write to me, saying, “I’m not creative.”   In fact, I have received this comment often enough that I’ve realized that it’s time to let you in on a little secret: that’s not possible.  When you state that you are not creative, you are flat out wrong. If there is one sure way to [...]

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Looking UP! How to Celebrate Spring with a Bird Party {DailyBuzz Mom’s 9×9}

April 24, 2012
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  Tweet tweet! All that bird chatter means it’s time to celebrate spring! After discovering that bird watching is an excellent way to connect with my kids and the nature around us, I got the idea that we would celebrate spring with the birds. This weekend I headed down to my mom’s place with the [...]

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