We got hit by the cold and flu bugs flying around this year, like a lot of families out there. As my toddler sneezed and coughed and inevitably passed it on to me, I was constantly reminding her to cover her mouth. Then we met Enzo the dragon. This children’s book about dragons is not only a lot of fun, but shares a rhyming reminder to keep your germs to yourself, which my daughter now happily repeats!
Category Archives: Learning
Books, Pretend Play and Delicious Snacks: Reviewing Babbleboxx’s Just For Kids Box
This post is sponsored by Babbleboxx.com. I received the Just For Kids Babblebox in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Spring is here (or should be soon)! With the weather turning warmer, we are hoping to get outside more and take our learning outdoors. I am always on the lookout for quality products to introduce to my daughter and help us in our day to day activities. We need products that we can grab on the move, and that can hold up to our active learning. Babbleboxx provided us with the Just For Kids box full of cool products that will help us take our learning off the page!
Barbara Bush: A Literacy Legacy
With the passing of Former First Lady Barbara Bush this week, there are lots of tributes coming out about her life’s work. She believed that every man, woman and child should have the chance to learn how to read and write. Her belief that everyone can improve their lives through literacy, led to the creation of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy. (Her husband even wore book socks to her funeral). The purpose of the foundation is to provide access to family literacy programs, and to encourage families to value literacy and reading in their homes. Given her passion for literacy and her tireless work to promote family literacy, I decided to pay tribute to her work by gathering some of her best quotes about reading, literacy and parenting.
12 Books that Celebrate Being Yourself
As a mother (especially the mother of a daughter), I am always worrying about my daughter’s self esteem and confidence. I am always looking for new books to help me teach her about loving herself and being confident in the things that make her unique. I’m thrilled that there are so many great books available now to spread that message. I decided to gather up some of my favorites so the next generation will benefit from the great messages included in them!
How Your Dog Can Help Your Child With Reading!
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #NutrishRealMeatTreats #NutrishPets #CollectiveBias 
Dogs are amazing. They are fiercely loyal, friendly and happy creatures that can give you unconditional love. I have always loved dogs, and we had pet dogs when I was growing up. Our dog Sheldon (yes that is really his name!) is now my daughter’s best friend, and she loves playing with him and reading to him. I have always encouraged her to read to him because reading to dogs can be extremely beneficial to kids. Since he is such an important part of our family and her life, we like to make sure that we make is life extra special. I decided to encourage their special reading time by creating a comfortable place for them to read and snack together.
Grandma’s Kitchen: Baking with Kids
My mother loves to bake and cook. She bakes a birthday treat for every single person at her work and is always finding some new recipe to try with all of us. I have fond memories of baking cookies with her in our kitchen, and now it is also one of my daughter’s favorite things to do. Baking with kids provides so many opportunities for learning and creating memories. Today’s book acknowledges all of the love and special memories that many people associate with baking with their grandparent, and it has quickly become one of my daughter’s favorite books!
Teaching the ABC’s with Creative Alphabet Books!
Alphabet books can be a wonderful way to start introducing your children to letters and letter sounds. They provide a fun and often whimsical introduction to all the letters of the alphabet. The stories are oftentimes childhood favorites. In grad school, we studied a wide variety of alphabet books and even created our own versions for a class project. I was amazed at the wide variety of alphabet books available, and I wanted to put together some of the most fun and interactive ones that I have come across.
You are My Sunshine!
You are My Sunshine is a song that my mom sang to me a lot when I was little. It stuck with me as I grew up, and when I became a mom, it was the first song I sang to my daughter. I have sung it to her every night before bed, and it’s become our special song. She asks me to sing it when she’s sick or upset, and she sings it along with me some nights too. I was so excited when I found an illustrated version of the song, and I decided we should have some fun with it.
ABC See, Hear, Do: How to Teach Reading to Different Learning Styles
I’ve always been interested in different learning styles. One of my favorite parts of studying education was coming up with different lessons to reach various learning styles. That passion spilled over to this blog, giving me a chance to come up with lots of different activities to inspire learning from a single book. I try to give my daughter lots of ways to practice any given subject. Recently, she has been showing increasing interest in letters and letter sounds. Since she is only 2 years old, I wanted to encourage her interest in a fun way that felt less pressured. Enter ABC See, Hear, Do – a fun new way to teach reading to different learning styles!
9 Rule Breaking Books for Rebel Kids
What kid doesn’t love to bend the rules here and there? One of my favorite books growing up was The Monster at the End of this Book. I loved when Grover begged me not to turn the page, and all the excitement of being able to break the rules a little bit. There are lots of fun interactive books that break the rules, so I decided to gather a list of rule breaking books for all the rebel kids out there.
