Family fun

I know today is Halloween, but I’m already looking ahead to November, a month when we focus on family, food and, for some of us, on growing ugly mustaches. It’s also a great time to reflect on all of the good things in our lives.

Between all of the daily posts on social media, and the multitude of videos, articles, and books on the subject, it’s easy to feel like gratitude is just another trend, unworthy of your time and attention. This can be especially true if you’re feeling like some of your “friends” on Facebook are using the posts to humbly brag on their own lives and accomplishment (#blessed). However, there are many scientifically proven benefits to practicing gratitude that range from improving sleep to helping build relationships.

Even though I’ve read all of the research and know how helpful it is, I’ve always had a really tough time keeping up with a gratitude journal. It just feels too much like work to me.That’s why I decided to search for other ways to practice gratitude.

Take a look at seven ways to help you feel more grateful and balanced during this stressful, holiday season, without writing a single journal entry.

1.Meditate- Most of us don’t take time in our day to self-reflect. We’re so busy rushing from one task to the next, that we never stop to just be still. I recommend adding at least five minutes of meditation to each day. I love the Insight Timer app, which has dozens of guided meditations on the theme of gratitude. Taking just a few minutes to quiet our overworked brains can be so powerful!

2. Take a Pic- This idea came to me this morning, as I was rushing to take my big kids to school. I was not in a great mood as it was 7 am and I was awake, but when I pulled out of our driveway I saw the an almost full moon in the middle of a beautiful pink and orange sky. The beauty of that moment hit me with a wave of gratitude. If you have trouble coming up with gratitude lists after a long day, take pictures instead. If you can capture some of those grateful moments, it makes reflecting on them much easier.

3. Start a Gratitude Jar– Skip the pressure of the daily journal entry by keeping a gratitude jar this November. Add something to it whenever the mood strikes. Everyone in your family who is old enough to talk can contribute something to the jar. It could also be a way for family members to say thank you for the kind things you do for one another.

4. Play the Grateful Game– This idea, from Teach Beside Me, is another great way for the whole family to practice gratitude. If you played the game Pick Up Sticks as a kid, this is the same concept, except, when you pick up a stick, you have to say something you’re thankful for that matches that colored stick’s category. For example, if you pick up a red stick you have to name a person you’re thankful for, green sticks mean you need to share a food that you’re thankful for, and so on. If you can’t find the game, make your own with colored straws.

5. Have a Gratitude Storytime– These books are a great way to teach kids and adults alike about thankfulness:

• The Thankful Book- by Todd Parr– This fun book shows you that you can be thankful for things both big and small. Kids will love the silly illustrations.
• PAWS and THINK Series: Be Thankful for What You Have- by Miranda Mittleman– See the world through a dog’s eyes in this heartwarming story that teaches kids to appreciate the simple things.
• Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markes– This beautifully illustrated book follows a family discussing all of the things they are thankful for. It includes a space at the back to record your own thankful thoughts.
• The Gratitude Diaries by Janice Kaplan– In this memoir, Kaplan spends a year living gratefully and documents the changes this made in her marriage, career and life in general.
• Almost Everything: Notes on Hope by Anne Lamott– In her newest book, Lamott helps readers discover the hope and wisdom within themselves, even at the darkest of times. It came out last week and I just bought it to listen to on Audible. Book club, anyone?

6. Put Gratitude Out Into the World– Instead of just writing about the people you’re thankful for, say thank you to them in a genuine and specific way, give compliments freely when someone does, says or wears something that brings you joy. Don’t keep those thoughts to yourself.

7. Give Back– It’s easy for all of us to be so focused on our own problems that we forget how much we have compared to so many: a place to live, food, water, free public education, etc. It’s especially important for us to teach our children who have luckily never known another way of life outside of their comfy beds, Friday night pizza dinners and screen time.

There is no better way to bring home this lesson than to help others in need:

• Host a holiday party or playdate to benefit Feed More. Here’s a list of their most needed items.
• Volunteer in Feed More’s Community Kitchen and put together healthy meals for hungry children and homebound adults in your own community.
• Organize a fundraiser for refugees.
• Create Giving Bags by filling gallon bags with gloves, socks, hand and foot warmers, water, snacks and dollar bills. Hand them out to homeless men and women in your community.
• Organize a drive for your local hospital: VCU Health is currently looking for chemo care kits, fleece blankets and waiting room kits for both kids and adults. All items should be new, except for books and magazines.

Bonus: My holiday survival advice, take it or leave it:

• If you’re spending too much time stressing this holiday season, it is truly worth it to take five minutes to just be alone with your thoughts. If no one in your family will give you five minutes of peace, like my crazy crew, go take the dog for a walk, hide in your car or lock yourself in the bathroom. They can survive without you!
• If you’re feeling less than and comparing yourself to everyone’s highlight reels on Facebook and Instagram, it’s also worth it to take a social media hiatus over the next few months.
• When it comes to holiday dinners, decor and gift giving, do whatever works best for you and your family, and leave the rest to the Pinterest overachievers. Remember that they are a small 1% of the population with too much time on their hands. We’re too busy being adults with many important things to do!
• Expressing gratitude shouldn’t feel like another chore on your already massive holiday to-do list. It should be something that builds closeness within your family and brings contentment within yourself. If it feels artificial to you, don’t do it.
• When all else fails, there really isn’t much that an enitre bottle of wine, a hot bath and a few hours of Bravo reality TV can’t fix. You’ll either A) forget your troubles, B) fall asleep  C) feel more content with the drama in your own life, and possibly D) all the above. It’s basically fool-proof.

In the spirit of this post, thank you for taking the time to read my writing. Most of the time, like 99.9%, I have no idea what I’m doing, but writing things that may potentially help or entertain others brings me tons of joy.

Good luck this November! If your SO’s are considering celebrating Movember, extra good luck to you. I’ll cross my fingers that they look more Tom Selleck and less Michael Cera!

How YOU doin?

Oh HELL no.

♥ Erin

I’m guessing by now you can all tell that Halloween is my all-time favorite holiday. Between the creative costume ideas, the scary movies,  the fall weather and the pumpkin-flavored everything, what’s not to love?? Even if Halloween isn’t your favorite, you won’t be able to deny the cuteness and fun of the activities, recipes and crafts below.

15 Halloween Crafts, Recipes and Activities To Try Today

CRAFTS and SENSORY

Photo credit: I Hearts Arts n Crafts’

Fluffy Pumpkin Slime– This would be such a cute activity to try at a playdate or to give away as favors at a preschool class party. I love the idea of putting the slime in glass jars and then decorating them to look like jack-o-lanterns. I’d suggest sprinkling in some pumpkin pie spice which is a lot easier to find than the pumpkin scented oil the author suggests using.

Photo credit: Mom Dot

Spider Web Mason Jars- I love how simple these jars are, and how cheap they’d be to make. I’d recommend getting some glow-in-the-dark glue sticks to make these decorations even cooler.

Photo credit: The Inspiration Edit

Halloween Monster Rocks– This is a great craft for toddlers, and all you need are rocks, paint, glue and google eyes.

Photo credit: Million Ideas Club

Halloween Hand and Footprint Canvas Art– How flipping’ cute are these. I love all of these different options so you can choose the one you like the best, or you can make them all! All you need is paint, glitter, sticker letters, and googly eyes.

Photo Credit: Clare’s Little Tots

Witch’s Potion Sensory Bin– How cute is this? Toddlers and big kids alike will love playing with this cool witch’s brew! Find the water beads here. You can turn the clear water beads into different colors with food coloring. Clare from the blog Clare’s Little Tots also turns this into a fine motor activity by having the children use large tweezers to transfer the plastic insects and googly eyes into smaller pumpkin containers.

RECIPES

Photo credit: The Seasoned Mom

Jack-O-Lantern Mac and Cheese Cups– So cute and so simple! Plastic cups, a sharpie, blue box M&C and a cucumber stick stem make this fun Halloween lunch complete!

Photo credit: Delish

Ghost Pizza Bagels– 4 ingredients make this recipe another super simple, but adorable appetizer for everyone in your family! Seriously, who can resist a pizza bagel?

Photo Credit: I Knead To Eat

6 Ingredient Monster Cookies– Kids will have a great time mixing in the food coloring and choosing which eyeballs go on each cookie. Using white cake mix as a shortcut makes this recipe quick and easy.

Photo credit: Spaceships and Laser Beams

Crescent Roll Witch Hats– Anyone else find crescent rolls seriously addicting?  Well, this recipe adds two kind of cheeses and salami to them! Yum!

Photo credit: Two Sisters Crafting

Candy Corn Popcorn– I feel like candy corn is one of those love it or hate it foods. Everyone has that one friend who ate too much of it as a child, and can’t even look at it to this day. I had the same experience with those gummy peach rings, but that’s a story for another time. Anyway, this recipe would work even for those who don’t usually do candy corn because here it’s mixed with buttery, salty popcorn. I personally can’t resist a salty/sweet combo like this one.

GAMES and ACTIVITIES

Photo credit: Spirited Puddle Jumper

Halloween Ghost Bowling– White paper cups, a sharpie, an orange and the patience it takes to continually restack the cups, are all you need for this game that will keep toddlers busy for at least thirty minutes.

Photo credit: Anything for an M&M

Refrigerator Jack-O-Lantern– Create a pumpkin out of orange paper and cut out shapes for the eyes and mouth out of a sheet of black foam. Tape the pumpkin to your fridge and then stick the foam face shapes onto the pumpkin with magnetic tape or masking tape. Ask your child to make a happy pumpkin, a sad pumpkin or a surprised pumpkin. This is a great social emotional activity that teaches kids how our faces can convey what we’re feeling.

Photo credit: Teachers Pay Teachers

Monster Freeze Dance– Kids LOVE a freeze dance. All you need is some fun Halloween music. I love this playlist!

Photo credit: Celebrations.com

DIY Photo Booth– Hang up a plastic black or Halloween tablecloth and orange crepe paper to create a fun backdrop. Make your own photo props with wooden dowels and construction paper or purchase cheap props at The Dollar Tree. Funny glasses, headbands, necklaces and hats all make great props! Have a blast taking pictures of your cuties!

Photo credit: Teachers pay teachers

Halloween Party Scoot Game– Get kids moving with this fun party game. Game cards tell kids what to do from showing off their best scared face to walking like a zombie. The game template can be purchased for only $3.25 at teacherspayteachers.com, but you could also use the idea to make your own. All you need is some notecards and markers.

LOCAL ACTIVITIES

Hey Richmond friends, check out these links for all the info on Halloween happenings in RVA during the next week!

Richmond Mom Halloween Guide 2018

Richmond Times Dispatch Halloween Guide: Kid-Friendly Events

Completely Kids Richmond’s Where to Find Trick or Treat Fun

Virginia.org’s Family Fun Calendar of Events– This site lists events happening all around Virginia. Check it out because there is nothing like a day trip to experience the fall foliage in our beautiful state!

Wishing you all a safe, fun-filled and festive Halloween!

♥ Erin

Halloween is just around the corner! Even if you’re not obsessed with the holiday like I am, you have to admit that seeing your adorable child looking even more adorable than usual is a ton of fun. Nowadays my kids won’t let me dress them up in any costume I choose, so if you have a baby or toddler, you have to take advantage of these years while you can! I miss those days!

Seriously, look how cute they were!

Enough reminiscing! If you want a great costume for your kid, you don’t have to spend a lot of money. The internet has tons of easy homemade costumes that even the most craft-challenged (ie. me) can handle!

Here are my ten favorites:

Photo credit: Pretty Prudent

FRIDA KAHLO

Supplies Needed:

• Scarf
• Colorful dress
• Eyeliner
• Plastic Flowers
• Clips or Bobby Pins

Photo credit: Make It & Love It

WHERE’S WALDO

Supplies Needed:

• Red and White Striped Shirt or Onesie
• Jeans or Navy Pants
• Red Pom Pom Hat
• Black Plastic Glasses

Photo credit: This House Is Not a Home

A BAG OF POPCORN

Supplies Needed:

• White Hat
• White Onesie, Shirt or Pajamas
• Thick White Material, Felt
• Red Felt Cut Into Stripes
• Extra Red and White Felt to Make Popcorn Label
• Glue Gun to Put it All Together

Photo credit: Catherine Marie

BOB ROSS

Supplies Needed:

• Curly Brown Wig
• Denim Shirt
• Painters Palette-You can find these cheap at Hobby Lobby or Michaels.
• Paint brush
• Paints to decorate the palette
• Brown Facepaint or Eyeliner to Draw on Brown Beard

STRONGEST MAN

Supplies Needed:

• Striped Tank Top
• Sweatshirt to Wear Underneath
• Small Balls or Balloons to Use as Muscles
• Black Felt or Black Eyeliner to Draw on Mustache
• Fake Barbell- A blow-up one like this would be great or you can use a black stick with black balloons tied around its ends.

Photo credit: See Vanessa Craft

CARE BEARS

Supplies Needed:

• Matching Hoodie and Pants of Any Color
• White Felt
• Colored Felt for Design and Ears
• Stencils-These can be used to help design the belly pictures if you’re really not artistically inclined.
• Glue Gun
• Puffy Paint

DWIGHT SCHRUTE

Materials Needed:

• Gray, Black or Khaki Pants
• Short-Sleeved Collared Shirt-preferably an ugly color like mustard or beige
• Ugly Tie
• Name Tag Sticker
• Large glasses-Go to the Dollar Tree for large reading glasses and pop out the frames.

STRAWBERRY

Materials Needed:

• Red Onesie and Red Pants for Underneath
• Stuffing like this to Create the Round Strawberry Effect
• Black Marker to Draw Seeds
• Green Hat
• Green Felt for the Leaves
• Glue Gun to Attach Leaves to Hat

RACE TRACK

Materials Needed:

• Black Outfit
• Yellow Electrical or Duct Tape
• Toy Cars
• Glue Gun
• Velcro- You can buy stick on velcro to add to the shirt and the cars so your child can actually stick the cars on and off the track in different places. So fun!

Photo credit: KCSTAUFFER/INSTAGRAM

MINI ELEVEN FROM STRANGER THINGS

Materials Needed:

• Pink Collared Dress
• Cardigan
• Sports Socks
• White Sneakers
• Blond Wig
• Red Lipstick for the Bloody Nose. I’d personally skip this on a kid, but if you want to have a really authentic costume, go for it!
• Eggo Waffles Box

I hope your kids have a great time this Halloween and, if you plan on going trick-or-treating, may your neighbors’ candy baskets be full of chocolate!

#SorryNotSorry

♥ Erin

You don’t have to resign yourself to The Wiggles and Kidz Bop for the next 10 years! There are artists out there who make music designed for kids, but still mindful of their parents who may explode at any moment if they have to listen to Pink Fong’s Baby Shark one more damn time!!!

(Woah, shit just got real there for a minute…..sorry.)

Here’s a playlist filled with artists my kids love, and who I actually like. It’s too late for me, but I hope this list helps you avoid a Pink Fong induced meltdown.

Jack Johnson,  Curious George Soundtrack– I actually bought this before I had my 8 year old, and we’ve never stopped listening to it. It’s the same Jack Johnson you know and love. My favorites are the White Stripes cover We’re Going to Be Friends and the 3 R’s, a really cute song about recycling.

Koo Koo Kangeroo, Rad-trospective– These guys are hilarious and we love their weird and quirky songs like Rollin in the Minivan, Cat Party and Baby Crocodile. Be wary though, these songs will get stuck in your head.

Ziggy Marley, Family Time– If you love reggae like I do, I highly recommend this album. My kids and I have an especially great time dancing to the title track.

The Diggity Dudes, Presidential Physical Fitness Test– We were lucky enough to catch this dad band live at Willow Lawn’s Mommy and Me events 5 years ago. This album is full of silly lyrics and catchy tunes. Our favorite track is Sugar Coaster, which has a really great message about what too much sugar does to your body. You won’t be able to stop yourself from singing along.

Kira Wiley, Dance for the Sun, Yoga Songs for Kids– These mellow tunes are perfect for nap time or if you’re trying to get your little ones to sleep in the car. They are also great for teaching kids about mindfulness.

Walter Martin, We’re All Young Together– Walter Martin is the lead singer of the group The Walkmen. His children’s album is full of whimsical songs and beautiful melodies. I love the track, I-M-A-G-I-N-A-T-I-O-N, but the whole album is great.

Laurie Berkner, The Ultimate Laurie Berkner Band Collection– Laurie Berkner tells so many fun stories in this upbeat pop collection. Her songs are also extremely danceable and perfect for family dance parties.

They Might Be Giants, Here Come the ABCs or Here Comes Science– I have loved They Might Be Giants since early high school. Their songs are so fun. All of their children’s albums are awesome and educational.

Ask the Storybots– This is music from our favorite Netflix show. Every show begins with a question that the five bots, have to research and answer. These catchy songs are great for kids who ask a lot of questions.

The Barenaked Ladies, Snacktime!– Barenaked Ladies are another one of my favorite bands from high school. Their children’s album give you the same silly banter between Ed and Steve and lots of catchy pop tunes about topics kids can relate to.

Johnny Cash, The Johnny Cash Children’s Album– If you love classic country, you’ll love this Johnny Cash album. It’s kids songs done Cash style, darker and quirkier than traditional kids’ tunes, but still lots of fun.

Ozomatli Presents Ozmokidz– I love Ozomatli. Their funky music has a little bit of everything: latin, reggae, electronica, zydeco, rock. It’s hard music to pigeon-hole. Their music for kids is just as funky and weird and full of fun songs like, Moose on the Loose and Germs.

Peter Himmelman, My Best Friend is a Salamander– The songs on this album have clever and thoughtful lyrics that are great for kids and adults as well.

Caspar Babypants, This is Fun!– Remember the band, The Presidents of the United States of America? Who could forget their song, Peaches? Caspar Babypants is the kids’ tune singing alter ego of Chris Ballew, lead singer of the band. He has made a bunch of albums, but this is my favorite. The songs are as catchy as you remember the POTUSOA songs being!

Happy Listening!

♥ Erin

Reading to my kids has always been one of my favorite things. Snuggled up on the bed or couch under a blanket, staring into their excited faces as I read, that’s a pretty great way to spend an afternoon, even if they do sometimes demand that I read the same book ten times.

While you’re reading (and rereading) that favorite book, did you know that you are also teaching your child early literacy skills:

• Tons of new vocabulary! The more you read to them, the more words they will be exposed to.
• Understanding how books work: how to hold a book, turning pages, print going left to right
• Helping to build motivation, curiosity and memory
• Creating a positive association with learning and reading

Here are 24 of my favorite books for exposing your kids to early literacy, broken down into categories.

ALPHABET

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault

Touch Think Learn: ABC by Xavier Deneux

ABC Mindful Me by Christiane Engel

ABC For Me: ABC Love by Christiane Engel

NUMBER SENSE

Pete the Cat and his 4 Groovy Buttons by James Dean

How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague

Little Owl’s 1-2-3 by Divya Srinivasan

Steam Train, Dream Train 1-2-3 by Sherri Duskey Sherri

COLORS

Baby Colors by Rachel Hale

Edible Colors by Jennifer Vogel Bass

Mouse Paint by Ellen Still Walsh

Splatter by Diane Alber

SHAPES

Press here by Herve Tullet

The Shape of Me and Other Stuff: Dr. Seuss’s Surprising Word Book by Dr. Seuss

Walter’s Wonderful Web: A First Book About Shapes by Tim Hopgood

Shape by Shape by Suse MacDonald

BODY KNOWLEDGE

Counting Kisses by Karen Katz

From Head to Toe by Eric Carle

Hello World! My Body by Jill McDonald

Inside Your Outside: All About the Human Body by Tish Rabe

ANIMALS AND ANIMAL SOUNDS

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle

Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? by Dr. Seuss

My Big Animal Book by Roger Priddy

The Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown

You are your child’s first and most important teacher. You are the one who will give them their first impressions on the importance of learning and expanding their worlds. The books above are all well-loved by my family, but honestly it doesn’t matter what you read. Just read with enthusiasm, do all the silly voices, and make it as fun for you as it is for them. If you can do that, you won’t just be creating memories, but also enthusiastic readers who never stop learning!

♥ Erin

I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve had enough of all of this rain. I know it’s important and all that, but it’s really gotten in the way of our pool, beach and amusement park plans over the last few weeks. We’ve spent a lot of time in the house, and I’m not gonna lie, many hours on screens. Here are some great activities to keep your kids active, learning and having a great time, even when you can’t escape the house!

15 Rainy Day Activities for Active Kids and Toddlers:

Get Messy in the Bath– The bath tub is one of the best places to get messy because clean up happens naturally. I love these homemade bath paints from Parenting Chaos.

Jump That Energy Out– Small trampolines like this one from Fisher Price take up very little space, but keep little ones endlessly entertained.

Create Your Own Snuggle Fort– I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling like fort-making was one of the highlights of my childhood. I love a good fort! It’s free and keeps kids busy for hours.

Dance it Out with Scarves– These colorful scarves from Amazon are so much fun to dance with or throw up in the air and catch.  I’m always amazed by how long they keep my children entertained.

Go Fishing– I love this laundry basket fishing idea from Munchkins and Moms. Kids love sitting in them so much, why not make a fun game out of it? You can use magnetic fish and fishing poles if you have them, but feel free to get creative like the blogger below.

Paint the Easy Way– Little ones love to paint, but they might not have the ability to grasp a paintbrush yet. I love this cotton ball painting idea from Domestic Mommyhood that makes painting easy for toddlers.

Make it Rain– These rain sticks from Happy Hooligans are colorful and easy enough for toddlers to help make. Let them practice their fine motor by picking up the corn, rice or other small noise-making items and putting them in the paper towel roll.

Host an Animal Pool or Ice Skating Party– How cute and easy would it be to freeze water in a small tray or even a foil pan and make animals their own indoor ice rink like this pic below from I Can Teach My Child. If you don’t have time for the freezing, make the toy animals their own pool or bubble bath.

Become a Sorting Expert– Color sorting is so easy and fun for kids, while also being a great learning opportunity. I love this Cereal sorting mat from I Can Teach My Child. For a more active color sort, give kids a color and have them run around the house with a basket collecting everything they can find that matches the color you chose.

Create a Pillow Roadway– I love this fun idea from Hands On As We Grow! Collect all of the pillows and couch cushions in your house and lay them on the floor to make an indoor roadway for kids to run around on.

Make Child-Sized Art– Get a large piece of paper or poster board and trace the outline of your child’s body. Next, have them color and decorate the inside. This is a great activity to do year after year to see how they grow and how their drawings mature.

Photo credit: Passionate Homemaking

Experiment with Sensory- I love the sensory activities we made last week for playgroup. Check the recipes out here. Another option is an easy sensory bin filled with corn, rice, or anything else small and fun to scoop up and pour out. The yellow sensory bin below is featured on Every Day Chaos and Calm.

Stack ’em Up– How easy is this, but I swear, it keeps them busy! Experiment with cups of different sizes to see what works best for your child.

Photo credit: Everyday Chaos and Calm

Make a Busy Bag– There are so many variations of busy bags, but basically they are engaging activities that kids and toddlers can complete mostly independently, and they are stored in bags so they are ready  to go at any time.  The Teaching Mama does a great job listing some great examples on her blog. Check out her great color sorting bag below.

Have Your Own Mini Toddler Obstacle Course- This is similar to what you’d see at a toddler gymnastics class, an obstacle course that little ones can go through over and over again to work on their gross motor skills and spatial awareness. How fun would it be to create your own obstacle course at home? It just takes some creativity. Start by finding some things that your kids can go under, step over and step on and some bean bags to throw into bins or to balance on their heads. Whatever you do, make sure you model it for them, step by step.

Photo Credit: How to Run a Homemade Daycare

∗ I also have to include this amazing list of 45 age-appropriate indoor learning activities for the littlest of learners, 18-24 month olds.

Hopefully the skies will part and the sun will come shining through again before we know it! Until then, keep your sanity by keeping the little ones occupied and having fun…..and be sure to stock up on wine.

♥ Erin

All this rain we’ve had in RVA lately has left me scrambling to find fun, indoor things to do with my three kids, especially the littlest one who needs a lot of help staying out of trouble. Sensory play is a great indoor activity for kids of all ages, even my eight year old can’t get enough of playdough and slime. However, it’s especially beneficial for little ones because it keeps them busy while also promoting their growth and development.

Three Main Benefits of Sensory Play

1. It promotes the development of many skills including: oral language skills,  fine and gross motor skills,  memory skills and problem solving skills.
2. It helps to relax anxious children.
3. It teaches children to use sensory characteristics (sticky, gooey, dry, cold).

Here are five of my favorite taste-safe sensory play activities: 

Banana Pudding Slime

• 1/4 cup instant pudding mix
• 1 cup corn starch
• 1/3 cup warm water

1. Add instant pudding mix and half of your cornstarch to a mixing bowl. Add 1/3 cup water and stir until slime begins to form (it will be pretty sticky at this point)
2. Slowly add the rest of your cornstarch, stirring as you go. When slime thickens and is hard to stir with a spoon, finish kneading by hand.
3. Making slime isn’t an exact science, and sometimes I need to add a bit more water if the slime is dry, or a bit more corn starch if it is sticky. I’d compare it to making bread: sometimes you need to keep working in flour until you have the perfect consistency.

From The Soccer Mom Blog

Homemade Kinetic Sand

• 1/2 cup flour  
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1 Tbsp. oil (any kind) 
• 1 Tbsp. corn syrup.

If it runs a touch on the drier side add a touch more oil in your next recipe.

From Surviving a Teacher’s Salary

Pumpkin Pie Play Clay

• Canned Pumpkin
• Cornstarch 
• Pumpkin Pie Spice

1. Take your pumpkin and stir it until it’s smooth.
2. Add enough pumpkin pie spice that it smells delicious.
3. Slowly add cornstarch and stir.  Once the dough starts drying out, you’ll want to switch to kneading.  You want the dough to roll into a ball, but it should not stick to your hands.
4.  If it is sticking to your hands add a bit more cornstarch; if it is so dry that it won’t form a ball and is crumbling instead, add a small amount of water.

∗The amounts of cornstarch will vary depending on the brand and quantity of canned pumpkin you use. The dough will keep for 2-3 days sealed in the fridge.

From Fun At Home With Kids

Yogurt Silly Putty

• Corn starch
• Yogurt- Make sure it’s a yogurt without chunks of fruit.

1. Mix together 1 cup of yogurt and 3/4 cups of corn starch
2. When the mixture is no longer sticky, pick it up and roll the putty into a ball (to further mix the yogurt and corn starch)
3. If it’s too sticky, sprinkle in additional corn starch. If it’s too dry, add a bit more yogurt

From Smart School House

Ooblek

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups of Corn Starch
• 1 Cup of Water
• 10 Drops of Food Coloring (optional)

1.  In a shallow bowl, combine the corn starch and water.  The mixture will be thick and hard to stir, so mix the ingredients by hand.

2.  Add the food coloring and mix well.  We used green food coloring to look like the Oobleck in the Dr. Seuss book, but you can pick any color.

From ABC’s of Literacy

Other great things to use for baby sensory play:

Rice Crispies/Cheerios or other cereal that isn’t a choking hazard

Boxed Mashed Potato Flakes

Ice

Colored Rice

Tapioca Pearls

Gelatin

Sensory play is so much fun for the whole family, and many of the items I used above you probably already have in your pantry. Summer is a great time to experiment and get messy with sensory because, when you’re done, you can throw them in a baby pool in the backyard for easy cleanup. If you try any of the recipes, please let me know how it goes. Let’s get messy!

♥ Erin

Happy Summer! I hope you’re relaxing by the pool with a cold drink in your hand, not stressing out about packing everything you need for summer vacation like I am. However, if you are stressing about that first beach vacation with kids, you’ve come to the right place.

Check out the guide below for all of my family beach vacation must-haves, as well as what to leave at home:

Don’t Burn Baby, Burn!

My friends over at ThinkBaby.org came up with a comprehensive list of the best and worst sunscreens for your baby to toddler. As they say in the article, ” Finding the perfect sunscreen for your baby is not an exact science and it does involve plenty of trial runs until you find the one that you like the most. The most important thing is not to expose your baby directly to the sun and to have light layers of clothing even with the sunscreen on.”

Buzz off, bugs!

You don’t want bug bites to get in the way of a good time. Read on below for more information on applying insect repellent safely.

• The American Academy of Pediatrics says that insect repellents containing deet are safe for children as young as 2 months. Bug repellents with deet come in varying strengths — some contain up to 30-percent deet. A higher concentration of deet doesn’t mean a product is stronger, only that it lasts longer
• Although deet is safe for use on children, many parents prefer to use bug repellents that are deet-free. Natural repellents are made with plant oils such as citronella, lemongrass, peppermint, and cedarwood. They generally need to be reapplied more often than products containing deet.
• Lotions that combine bug repellent and sunscreen might sound like a good idea, but they aren’t. The reason is that sunscreen needs to be reapplied every few hours, but you shouldn’t expose your children to that much bug repellent

Here are some of the top reviewed sprays for children:

Cutter All Family Mosquito Wipes    

Baby’s Bugs at Bay Insect Spray

Sawyer Products Insect Repellant with 20% Picaridin

Swimsuits and Sunhats and Water Shoes: Oh My!

When it comes to beachwear, simple and easy to put on is always better. ALWAYS. When shopping for baby/toddler girls, always buy a two piece suit or a one piece that snaps at the bottom like a onesie. I just bought my youngest this one from Cat and Jack at Target.

I love these long sleeved rash guard bathing suits for baby/toddler boys. They also have snaps at the bottom for easy diaper changes.

If you’re worried about keeping your baby warm in the ocean or pool, check out the Confidence Babywarma Swimsuit it enables babies to stay warmer in the pool or ocean for much longer than would be possible without it. Babywarma is made of a very high-grade neoprene fabric to insulate baby while allowing parents to keep a firmer grip on their child in the water.

If you want to cut down on waste and save money at the same time (Those swim diapers are hella expensive!!) consider these reusable swim diapers from Nageuret. They’re adjustable and fit children from 8-36 lbs. so you can get years of use out of them.

These aqua socks from JIASUQI are so easy to slip on, with no annoying straps or velcro to attach. Hallelujah!

For protecting baby’s tender head, there is no better cover than the iPlay Flap Sun Hat. It is water resistant, machine washable, made of UPF 50 fabric and comes in every color of the rainbow.

I love these sunglasses from Tuga. They come with two different comfy straps, one for ages 0-2 and the other for ages 2-5. You have to love something that will grow with your child for their first five years.

Float On

Puddle Jumpers are the only floaties my kids have ever needed. They each have their own and they’ve really held up over the last 6 years.

I’ve also heard great things about the Full Throttle Infant/Child Life Vests. They provide a pop-up pillow for added head support and additional safety and a grab strap for quick recovery if necessary.

Sit on it, Potsie

You probably won’t have much time to sit, but it is nice to have something to rest your sandy behind on during those hard won moments alone. I got this Coleman chair last year and I love it! It is a little bit bulkier than some other foldable chairs, but I love the side cooler bag, cup holders and plastic sleeve where I can keep my phone handy.

If you don’t feel like lugging a heavy folding chair, try one of these backpack chairs from Rio Beach. It has 4 reclining positions, a pillowa,  cupholder and it’s pretty lightweight.

If neither of the options above are your speed, try rolling up one of these giant blankets from Chillax. It comes with a carrying bag that is stitched to it so you can’t lose it and it is small enough to fit in a beach bag when folded down. The RIP-STOP nylon fabric is sand, water and heat repellent. It also comes with 4 SandPockets to keep your blanket in place even in windy days.

Made in the shade

A little sun is good for babies, but too much can be very harmful. If you’re planning to spend a whole day at the beach, it’s important to keep babies in the shade the majority of the time.

This is the sun tent I used when my kids were babies. It easily folds down and fits into a small carrying case that you can throw in your beach bag. This tent held up through three kids over 6 years.

They also make a lot of sun tents now with a built in pool underneath to keep baby extra cool. I haven’t tried this, but this one from The Hamptons Baby was the best reviewed on Amazon.Best of the beach

Here are some of my favorite miscellaneous beach must-haves:

Melissa & Doug Sunny Patch Seaside Sidekicks Sand Baking Set– I purchased this sand toy set eight years ago and it’s still going strong! The pail that’s included is the only one we’ve had that has lasted more than one beach vacation.

Intex Sunset Glow Inflatable Baby Pool– This cheap pool is a great choice for the beach. It’s compact, easy to inflate and inexpensive enough that you can buy one every year if you need to.

Codream Mesh Beach Bag– This leak-proof beach bag has a cooler attached to the bottom that can hold up to 12 cans. It also has two outside pockets to keep your phone or car keys.

SAFEGO Portable Indoor/Outdoor Lock Box Safe– If you get nervous about leaving your cell phones, cameras, wallets, etc. hidden while you’re swimming in the ocean, this is the product for you. It has a three number combination lock and key and it has a cord to attach it to your beach chairs or umbrellas. It’s also water and sand resistant.

The Shader– Dave Baldwin from Fatherly, an awesome dad blog, describes this amazing beach shade that you never knew you needed in his article, The 16 Best Beach Gear to Help Make Your Next Beach Day Go Smoothly:

“At first glance, Shader looks like somebody removed the canopy of a baby stroller and used it to cover their head on a beach. In reality, it’s a portable (and collapsible) sun shield designed in Australia to take the place of whatever you’re currently using to block your face from the sun ⏤ be it a hat, magazine, or t-shirt. That said, the thing comes loaded with bonus features including a removable pillow with integrated chill pack, a six-cup drink holder, and a phone/iPad solar charging panel that can accommodate a USB-powered fan. It also attaches to chairs, boasts an internal pocket for your wallet, and comes with a beach bag that also has room for a towel. Now that’s one hell of a stroller canopy.”

UE Roll 2- So this is totally going on my birthday wishlist! This tiny portable speaker is completely waterproof and boasts a 100 ft. Bluetooth wireless range and 9 hr. rechargeable battery life. It’s lighter than a can of soda and even comes with its own float to keep your music close to you in the pool.

Mac Sports Heavy Duty Collapsible Folding All Terrain Utility Wagon Beach Cart – This large capacity wagon folds down to only 10″ thick, but carries up to 150 lbs. It also has a small table with two cup holders.

The Rinse Kit– If you’re like me and hate waiting in line to wash off your feet, just to have your kids get all sandy again on the short walk from the shower to the car, this kit might be well worth the $75 price tag. The rinse kit provides 4 minutes of high pressure water so you can get everyone clean right before hopping into the car. Score!

Or, for a much cheaper alternative, keep a couple jugs of water in your trunk.

Sand-Off! Sand Cleaner Wipe Off Mitt– This mitt contains a patented, dry body wash powder formulation embedded in the mitt to remove sand with no mess; plush terry cloth applicator feels leaves skin soft and sand-free. 

Keep it at home

• Don’t bring kids their own beach chairs! They take up a lot of space in the car and they’re tough to carry. They are too young to have bad backs, so they can sit on the sand just like we all did when we were young!
• If you’re going somewhere where you can rent umbrellas, don’t bring your own. It’s worth it to not have to carry your own all the way from the car. Your back will thank you.
• When it comes to beach gear, know your own child. If you have a sleepy baby, a small foldable beach tent may be all you really need. For a really active toddler, you won’t get them to sit still in the sun tent or baby pool for more than five minutes so it’s smarter to leave them in the car.

TRUE STORY.

Enjoy the beach!

♥ Erin

* This post contains affiliate links*

Summer is officially here! Richmond is an amazing city, full of things to do all summer long. From parks to pools to outdoor concerts, there is something for every interest. Look at all the summer activities we’ve collected below and start planning your family fun today!

Splash Pads/Parks

Check out our guide here to the best parks, splash pads and playgrounds in RVA.

Maymont Spring/Summer Calendar– Family camp-outs, concerts, hikes and more!

Lewis Ginter Calendar of Events– Drop in and dig, story time, yoga in the garden and crafts for kids, not to mention their splash pad that is now open daily.

Fridays on the Farm at Crump Park and Meadow Farm Museum–Fridays 7/6-8/31 from 9am-11am-Visit the farm for guided animal tours and old-fashioned games. FREE.

Outdoor Concerts

When my kids were toddlers, outdoor concerts were my favorite place to take them in the summer. My husband and I could listen to live music without having to worry about the kids being quiet and staying in their seats. We’re lucky to live in a city that has so many different venues to offer.

Rock n’ Roll Summer at West Broad Village– Located near the ALOFT hotel, beginning at 7 pm every other Friday this Summer. There will be live music, raffles, games, food, drinks & visit with our tenants! The 1st 100 guests to stop by our booth will receive a goodie bag. Enjoy Beer & Wine for sale as well as food from Chuy’s Tex Mex, Carolina Ale House & Carrabba’s Italian Grill.

Innsbrook After Hours– IAH shows are always a good time, with plenty of food and drink available for purchase and reasonable concert ticket prices. Check out the 2018 concert schedule here. Doors open at 5 pm and shows start at 6 pm.

Festival of the Arts at Dogwood Dell– Varied events througout the summer celebrating theater, music and dance.

Stony Point Summer Concert Series– 1st and 3rd Thursdays, May 24th-September 20th from 6-8 pm in Triangle Park.

Music in the Park at Forest Hill Park– One Sunday a month, usually the second Sunday, from 6-8 pm, come out with a picnic dinner and listen to a free concert at Forest Hill Park. The next event is on July 8th with the jam band Villages.

Jammin’ on the James  July 14th and August 11th@ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm, Wilton House, 215 S. Wilton Rd. 23226 (FREE)  Join us this summer for free concerts on the grounds of Wilton.  Bring a picnic dinner and your favorite lawn chair for family-friendly music on our scenic terrace overlooking the James River.  Enjoy complimentary evening tours of Wilton before the concert as well as face-painting, games, and crafts for kids. Handsome Molly combine the best of traditional Irish, English and Scots dance tunes, airs and songs with musical virtuosity and all around good ‘craic.’

Sundays in the Shade at James River Winery every Sunday afternoon from 1-4 pm June-September– Come lounge in the shade with live acoustic music. Bring chairs and a picnic lunch to enjoy. This event has no entry fee! Tastings and wine purchases will be available in the Tasting Room.

Flowers after 5 and Fidos after 5– Thursday nights June 7th-August 30th 5-9 pm at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens– Enjoy live music, wine, and beer, dining, and shopping. Please note: No outside food and drink are allowed inside the Garden; food and drink are available for purchase and garden admission is required. Leashed dogs are also welcome on select nights, June 14 & 28, July 12 & 26 and water play in the Children’s Garden will be open until 8 pm on these nights. Children under 3 are always free.

Short Pump Summer Concert Series– The 15^th Annual FREE concert series offers family-friendly entertainment in the main plaza. Wine tastings will be available from Cooper’s Hawk Winery from 5:30-8 pm with the shows beginning at 6 pm. Concerts are scheduled for 6/29: The American Female Country Music Duo, – Maddie & Tae and 7/13 the high energy 80’s show band – The Deloreans.

Library Activities

The library is a great place to wait out a stormy morning or super humid afternoon. They also have great events all summer for kids and families including family dance parties, crafts, and busy hands programs. Find more information on the Henrico County library events calendar here.

Check out the story time schedule here for Henrico County. Session 4 starts from 6/25-8/18.

Parks and Recreation Activities

Henrico Parks and Recreation and Chesterfield Parks and Recreation have all kinds of activities including summer movies in the park, concerts, nature programs, music classes for babies, and more. Check out the program guides here for Henrico and here for Chesterfield.

Craft and Project Events

Michaels Camp Creativity– Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10- Noon, $2 for 3 and up and $5 for 6 and up, supplies included. Each week has a different theme, now through July 27th.

Home Depot Workshops for Kids– These take place on the first Saturday of every month, usually starting at 9:00 a.m- noon. You can drop in with your child anytime during the workshop class but make sure that they’ll have enough time to complete their project before it ends. Here’s the upcoming Home Depot Kids Workshop, just click on the link for more details and to register. Build a Wooden Fishing Game: On Saturday, July 7, kids can take the free building class and build and bring home a wooden fishing game.

Summer Movies

If you’ve never brought your kids to the movies before, this is a great time to try it out. Movies are free or cheap so if you need to leave you’re not losing much money. Also, the theaters are packed with other loud kids so you don’t have to worry about your child being too loud.

Free Summer Kids Series at Bowtie Cinemas– 10 am-12 pm, See FREE family-friendly movies on the big screen every Tuesday and Wednesday all summer long! See the complete schedule here.

Summer Movie Express at Regal Cinemas– Admission to the Summer Movie Express is only $1. Tickets available for purchase at the box office and all movies in most locations start at 10:00 am. Dollar movies are available on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings at all RVA area Regal Cinemas. Check with your theatre for exact showtimes. Each week both movies play on both days. A portion of the proceeds goes to the Will Rogers Institute. See the schedule here.

Festivals

Maymont’s Turtle Races at Hardywood– June 29 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm- And they’re off to the races! Maymont and The Dooley Noted Society are partnering with Hardywood Park Craft Brewery to present exhilarating races between four of the turtles that call Maymont home, with heats at 6:45pm, 7:00pm and 7:15pm. FIT4MOM RVA is even sponsoring one of the turtles! This unique event is open to the public in conjunction with Hardywood’s canned beer release of “But Does It Make Sense?” and features live music by the local band, Night Idea. Come out to support your favorite turtle team! All proceeds to benefit Maymont’s Adopt-an-Animal program.

Don’t forget to also visit the sites below for updated family-friendly events each week:

Richmondmom.com

Hula Frog West End

Richmond Family Magazine

Completely Kids Richmond

And if you’re heading to the beach with your kids, don’t forget to enjoy every moment!

Happy Summer!

♥ Erin

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m getting a little tired of all of this rain!  My three kids have spent way too much time indoors, and that’s made for some really long days. Keep your kids busy and avoid the “I’m bored!” chorus with these inspired indoor ideas.

The sun may come out tomorrow, but if it doesn’t, try one of the ideas above and have some indoor fun.

♥ Erin