Shelly – Page 55

by Shelly on October 6, 2015 6 Comments

Birthday Present Ideas for Two Year Olds

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Yesterday was my little Sophie’s second birthday! That day in history will be marked as my favorite and least favorite day back in 2013. Physically it was the worst but nothing could exceed it emotionally. I wanted to do a roundup of cool birthday present ideas for two year olds because I know it can be tough to buy for kids. In our society, kids often have everything they need so it’s difficult to buy a birthday present that will be used often. Sophie is one of those children who is fortunate to have everything she needs as well as a ton of other cool toys. I’m always torn between wanting to buy her more stuff and trying to sell her toys because she has so many.

Birthday Present Ideas for Two Year Olds

These birthday presents for two year olds were selected based on their ability to help a child learn. The Disney Frozen Sparkle Anna of Arendelle Doll would be a huge birthday present success in our family, however, I wanted to choose toys that would be fun and entertaining for boys and girls. We’ve been introducing ‘real world’ toys lately where Sophie can learn to be like Mommy and Daddy by mimicking with tools that are her size.

Mega Bloks First Builders Big Building Bag– Building blocks are one of the best ways to improve a toddler’s motor skills and hand eye coordination. This bright colorful set comes with a sturdy carrying bag for easy clean up.
Little Helper Broom Set– I was always more of a vaccuum person when it came to my hard floors but I’ve noticed the broom does a much better job. Sophie always wants to help so I got her a Little Helper Broom set and she helps sweep up crumbs after her meals (win win for both of us).
Little Tikes TotSports T-Ball Set– T-ball sets are great for long term fun. Using hand eye coordination to hit the ball, chasing the ball and replacing it on the T is an activity that takes a good amount of time to master. Once they do, they’re so proud and can then hit it to you while you toss it back.
Schoenhut 25-Key My First Piano– Forbes quotes a study where students who play piano have a higher IQ by three points. Introducing music at a young age may help that child to be interested in learning an instrument later on in life.
My First Touch & Feel Picture Cards: First Words– These flash cards are one of Sophie’s favorite toys. Each flash card has a touch and feel image on the front with the name written below. The back side of the flash card has questions you can ask your toddler about the item on the front. The Animals version is a big hit in our family
Joie Fruit And Vegetable Wavy Chopper Knife– Nothing makes a toddler more confident and therefore happy than being independent. This wavy chopper knife is a perfect way to get your toddler to help prepare dinner or their lunch for the next day. Apples, bananas and cucumbers are some of the snacks Sophie cuts for herself after school.
Guidecraft 1 to 5 Ring Counter– A great way to introduce colors as well as numbers. As the child uses this toy they start associating the number of pegs/rings with the written number. It also is a great toy for color sorting.
Toysmith Big Kids Garden Tool Set– Food will be in your child’s world for their entire life. A great way to help them understand where food grows is to plant a garden with them having them help you with their own tools. A small plot of land or even soil in a container can grow several plants. These tools help them with motor skills, learn about plant growth and may encourage them to try more foods.
Melissa & Doug Deluxe Standing Easel– Art is major in a toddler’s development. The delux standing easel has a chalk board encourages creative expression and fine motor skills. The amount of awesomeness i ncluded in this easel is huge! Includes: dry-erase board, chalkboard, locking paper-roll holder, child-safe paper cutter, 4 easy-clip grips and 2 large plastic trays, that can be removed for easy cleaning. Two kids (or parent and child) can be creating together easily at the same time.
Melissa & Doug Easel Accessory Set– The easel set goes along with the easel, obviously, but I love the products included that are specially made for little hands. The no-spill paint cups with lids are a life saver when toddlers are just starting to be creative in painting.
Minnie Mouse Over-the-Ear Headphones with Volume Control– Headphones are another toy that make your child more independent. There are read along books that have audio CDs at our library that Sophie loves to check out. These headphones are also great on airplanes to help replace the noise of the loud engine with music or a movie.

It was hard to narrow our top favorite toys and tools down to eleven. Do you have any go to birthday present ideas for two year olds? I also love giving books but you never know if they already have that book at home. Gift certificates to fun places like Sky Zone or a museum are always great to fall back on as well (especially in the winter months). What is/was your toddler’s favorite toy?

I also have a great hand-made gift guide for one year olds that we used last year.

by Shelly on October 5, 2015 4 Comments

October Goals

I’ve come to the realization that things may not slow down in my life until my kids have graduated High School. Monthly goals are an important part of my mental stability in keeping my priorities in order through the madness that is the 21st century. The most important thing to remember when goal setting is to know that it will be alright if each goal is not fully complete by the end of the month. To be flexible in goal setting is the key to not feeling stressed or frustrated with your accomplishments. If you don’t accomplish one of your goals, it’s no problem, if it is still an important task simply push the date back. It does no good to get down on yourself for not accomplishing goals.

On that note, let’s check to see how flexible I’ll have to be with my October goals by looking back on my September goals (or as I like to call them ‘accomplishments’.) By the way, September rocked in all areas of my life.

We started Sophie in an all day Montessori school just a block from our home. The transition has been rough for all of us. There are tears every morning but each day is a little bit less of a struggle. She loves being at school once she’s there but leaving me is really tough on her (and me!) Sophie and I had many mini Mommy/Daughter dates after school. I was sure to focus entirely on her after school rather than cleaning the kitchen or running errands. We’re on a great track to making our home Montessori friendly with adding low tables/chairs, hooks and a spot for all of Sophie’s belongings that she can easily access.

We also are on a roll with potty training. I know that things can digress after a while but as of now she is doing a wonderful job and is very excited about being more independent. We got two more rooms of our home painted and I was able to work out at least 4 times per week. I also accomplished most of my blog goals. I was able to join another Pin 70 group although I’m not seeing much of an increase in numbers this time. I got one recipe post up on the blog and have another that will be coming out soon. I talked to my blogging buddy Misty about some ideas on social media and was re-inspired with writing.

We had the best family vacation in Disney World (of which I’ll post about soon) as well as a date night out celebrating our 5 year anniversary with dinner and Inside Out. We had some fun fall adventures including apple picking and a bon fire at my sister’s and a cook out with Jeffrey’s new job. I’m excited about the month ahead with lots of Birthday’s (Sophie turned 2 today!), fall break and Halloween! Now for my October goals.

October Goals:

Family:

Get a play/craft area set up for Sophie in the basement
Focus on bedtime routine for more successful sleep
Go to a pumpkin patch

Life:

Finish bathroom closet and paint master bath
Visit both sides of the family
Work out 5 days/week & Whole30

Blog:

Complete shopportunity
Write one party post and one Disney post
Read final Page Turners book

I’m excited for October and the change in seasons (despite it being dark sooner.) I’d love to know if you make goals. How do you keep track of them? A running list, post-its, an app on your phone or do you just remember everything? What is one of your biggest goals for October?

By the way, if you’re liking my photos, you can follow along with what we’re up to on my Instagram page:

by Shelly on September 28, 2015 5 Comments

Silver Linings Playbook (Discussion)

Another awesome read from this book club! I really enjoyed the movie Silver Linings Playbook and was not disappointed by the book. Many times in the past, I’ve been disappointed by the book if I’ve watched the movie first. I think the adaptation of the book to movie was done wonderfully and the actors were spot on. Did you get a chance to read it? I gave it a 5/5 stars. I’ve got 3 questions below, and Lisa’s got 3 as well over on her blog. Feel free to discuss any or all of the questions in the comment section or link-up your post at the bottom. Lisa and I are sharing the same link-up, so you don’t have to enter on both blogs. The linky will close in a week. Alright, let’s get started!

I loved the connection I had with the main character, Pat. Although I’m not a mentally unstable person (some may doubt me here) I really connected with Pat’s feelings and struggles when he would have his outbursts. Having watched the movie first saved me from being too emotionally distraught over the course of the book but I was still deeply involved with the characters feelings.

And now, for the discussion. Before I begin, I’ll remind you that there may be spoilers ahead. Also, feel free to use my questions as jumping points. Ask your own questions and start your own discussions.

1. Were there any characters you had a hard time relating to? I was extremely frustrated with Pat’s Dad. I found myself getting the most upset by his actions (or lack there of.) Matthew (the author) mentioned several times how ‘people can’t change’ but people do change. Pat’s Mom changed in not wanting to put up with his disinterest and I think there has to be some kind of meeting of middle ground if you don’t want to hurt the people you love. I can understand his resentment and frustration with Pat but not to the extent of which he lived.

2. Where you surprised when you found out Tiffany wrote the letters from ‘Nikki’? I was furious at Tiffany. Like Pat, I couldn’t understand her betrayal. I know she is also mentally unstable, and once she explained herself, I softened to her side of the story, but was initially extremely upset. Tiffany should not have followed through with the letter fiasco knowing that Pat was so deeply tied to the thought of ending ‘apart time’ with Nikki.

3. Pat practices being kind rather than being right. What do you think of this mantra? Are ‘being kind’ and ‘being right’ mutually exclusive? This mantra was my favorite part of the entire book. I loved Pat’s heart when he would practice this mantra. It’s an extremely difficult mantra to follow and we would all be better for working on it. I don’t think ‘being kind’ and ‘being right’ are mutually exclusive. Many times you can be both, but more often, they are not the same. I think Pat working on this mantra made him much more open to the people in his life and helped him learn to deal with his aggression. Some might think of it as passive but I think of it as peaceful.

Now, it’s your turn! Answer any or all of the questions in the comment section below. Ask questions of your own. Or, link-up a blog post with your review and/or the answers to these questions. Also be sure to check out Lisa’s discussion questions on her blog. We’re sharing the same linky, so no need to link-up on both blogs.

Remember, our final book will be in October: George by Alex Gino. I’m really looking forward to this next read! Please, join us. We’ll be discussing George on October 29th.

Follow Shelly @ DIY Mama’s board Book Club on Pinterest.

by Shelly on September 25, 2015 2 Comments

Let’s DIY

I am craving for a craft day. Like big time. I love fall and am so excited to go to hayrides and bonfires with my family. I also love putting on the Django Reinhardt station on Pandora and surrounding myself by pretty things that become gifts for my family. In the end, my family is what makes me most happy, I’m lucky to have this time with them and am looking forward to our outings this weekend. I may have to take a day off next week to craft though.
For your crafting pleasures this weekend:

Was I not right? I’ll bet these made you crave a craft day too! Let’s DIY! You should probably just come to my house and do projects with me next week. I’m deciding if I should do the geometric accent wall in Sophie’s room or the basement or my office. Both Soph’s room and my office are white. What do you think?

by Shelly on September 18, 2015 2 Comments

September Goals

The date on my phone says September 18th too, don’t worry, I’m a little behind. That’s just how things go sometimes! I didn’t want to skip over making goals this month because there are still things I want to work towards these next couple of weeks. Because I started late, my September goals will be a bit lighter.

Before jumping into September’s goals, let’s take a look back to see how I did on August’s goals. (To be honest, I did not look at them once this past month. With the move transition, my focus was getting our home in order and spending quality time with Sophie, making sure her transition was as smooth as it could be.

Jeffrey and I went on a couple dates in August, including GenCon where I dressed up in steampunk attire! I highly recommend GenCon if you’re near the Indy area and like board games. I also took Sophie to several different Indianapolis attractions. Her favorite is Conner Prairie due to her love of goats. As far as completing her room, we are far from that goal, but her uncle painted her room white while we were gone on vacation and I’m slowly decorating her space to feel like her own. My life goals were not as successful as we did not get everything unpacked, however, all of the important things are unpacked so we feel much more stable. All of our accounts have all been switched over and we’ve had two rooms painted!

Unfortunately, despite applying for multiple shopportunities, I was not accepted. I’m stuck on whether I should pursue Collective Bias as a partner or try someone else. I skimmed the Princess Bride for book club because I’d read it within the past year. I was able to post at least once per week through August. I put forth a lot of effort to keep up with posting through the move.

September Goals:

Family:

Start Sophie at a local Montessori School
Have a Mommy/Daughter date
Make home more montessori friendly

Life:

Start potty training
Paint 2 more rooms
Work out 5 days/week

Blog:

Join another Pin70 (Facebook group for Pinterest)
Write one recipe post
Talk to Misty and start a monthly game plan

Have you had those kind of months where you’re just catching up half way through? Any tips on transitioning a toddler through a movie and starting school at the same time? The tantrums have been rolling in! What better time to also introduce potty training?

Birthday Present Ideas for Two Year Olds

Birthday Present Ideas for Two Year Olds

October Goals

October Goals:

Silver Linings Playbook (Discussion)

Let’s DIY

September Goals

Life Planner

Preschool Montessori Bedroom

7 Tips to Make your Road Trip to Disney Magical