Pumpkin Activities for Kids!

Updated October 16, 2019
Pumpkin activities to help kids with name recognition and money skills, plus a Jack-o-lantern sensory project and craft! #pumpkincrafts #pumpkinbooks #fallsensory #namerecognition #dramaticplay

I love the fall! If you regularly read the blog or follow me on social media, you may already know this since I tend to mention it a lot. I love the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes. I’ve been really excited to get out to our local farmer’s markets and orchards because all of the different apples, pumpkins and vegetables inspire me to create fun projects and recipes with my daughter. Today’s book follows a little boy and his mom as they go out to the farmer’s market in search of the perfect pumpkin, and we paired it with lots of fun pumpkin activities for kids!

Battling Parenting Woes with Help from Boys Town!

Reading is and always has been a passion of mine. So when I became a mom, I was anxious to get my hands on all kinds of reading materials that would help me be the best parent I could be. As my daughter has grown, so has my reading list. I firmly believe that kids who see their parents reading will be more likely to read, so I take every opportunity to read texts from a variety of sources. While I still have quite the stack of parenting books, I also turn to the resources on the internet more often than not. Boys Town is full of fantastic parenting resources offering helpful tips and advice for this crazy journey of parenting.

You Are Wonderful

As a mother, it is so important to me that I raise my daughter to be proud of who she is. I want her to have confidence to do the things she loves and surround herself with people who see the wonderful person that she is. I make it a mission to tell her how loved she is, and how much I appreciate the things that make her special. Luckily Nancy Tillman’s amazing books give me that opportunity whenever we read them together. I am a huge fan of her beautiful work, so I was thrilled when I was offered the opportunity to check out her newest one about helping kids discover themselves!

13 Monstrously Fun Monster Books

Updated October 16, 2019

Monsters can be a scary thing for kids to deal with, but there have always been lots of fun monster characters to enjoy in books, TV shows and movies. They can teach us lessons about not making judgments while making us laugh with their silliness and giving a physical representation to our fear of the unknown. With Halloween right around the corner, I gathered a list of colorful and funny monster books, starring all kinds of monsters. Whether you are looking for board books to help your young kids face their fears, or picture books with an important message on making judgments, there is something here for everyone!

I Let My Toddler Watch TV — and it’s Helping Her Learn to Read!

My toddler watches TV.

Yup, I said it.

Now let’s not be crazy. I don’t let her watch TV all the time. I am very much a believer in the “Everything in Moderation” mindset.  Our social media feeds are full of articles telling us that TV and screen time are bad for kids, and I definitely agree that screen time should be monitored and minimized. However, I have definitely seen a benefit to allowing my daughter some screen time with educational television shows.

How to Create a Special Place to Read with Your Kids

Do you have a favorite place to read? The Internet is full of amazing reading nooks and dream libraries. I find myself getting lost in the pictures dreaming of spending a day there. When it comes to getting kids excited about reading, you want to ensure that they have a great area that they can call their own. While we may wish for fantastic libraries that aren’t meant to be (I realize now I will never have the library from Beauty and the Beast), there are lots of ways that you can carve out a small area in your home and make it the perfect place to read. Today’s book takes a fun look at what a perfect reading area needs.

Fun Leaf Activities That Will Get Kids Excited for Fall!

The bright and colorful leaves of fall just beg you to have fun with them! From jumping in piles of leaves to creating fun art projects, the possibilities are almost endless. I love when the trees around us start to change color and all of the beautiful fall decorations start to come out. We decided to embrace the fall season and have some fun with colorful leaf activities!

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Making Kids Feel Special Through Reading

Personalized Children's Books

Reading together is one of my favorite ways to connect with my daughter. When we are reading a great book together, I hope that she takes the lessons, love and values to heart. I love when I read a book about love to her, and she recognizes that the mother in the story cares about the character the same way that I care about her. Watching her make connections to the story, the characters and the illustrations is a special part of reading to her. The personalized children’s books from Put Me in the Story makes the experience even more unforgettable by weaving her into the book.

Testing Your Memory with George!

How’s your memory? Not going to lie, I have a pretty terrible memory about some things. I still know all the words to random TV shows from the 90s (get out of my head Fresh Prince!), but other things just fly right out of my head. Then I became a mom, and let me tell you Mom Brain is real! So today’s book speaks to me because it is not only a very cute book, but is about a little boy who is great at remembering — except when he forgets.

Teach Kids About Feelings With The Moodsters!

Emotions can be a difficult thing to understand. As adults, even we have trouble handling our emotions sometimes. For kids who are still learning to communicate, putting their feelings into words can feel impossible. My daughter recently turned 2, and although she has quite the vocabulary, she often has trouble communicating her feelings. She has recently started throwing bigger tantrums when she is angry (hello terrible twos!), and makes claims that she is afraid of the dark. (One of her favorite things to do is hide in closets or our shed, so I’m pretty sure this claim is more of a bedtime stalling tactic than an actual fear). I have been trying lots of techniques to help her handle the big emotions she experiences. So far, the greatest one has been the introduction of the Moodsters.