Swap Halloween Candy for a Book Boo Bag: A Spooktacular Idea!

 

Halloween is just around the corner, and while kids love filling their bags with candy, there’s a growing trend for the spooky season that we're so excited about—swapping traditional trick-or-treat candy for a Book Boo Bag! It's a creative twist on Halloween treats which not only promotes literacy, but also encourages a love for reading in a fun and festive way. It’s the perfect way to reduce screen time, too! 

Kane Miller EDC Publishing is one of our favorite companies because they have such fantastic, fun and heart-warming picture books for children. They are often our go-to to find quality holiday and birthday gifts. If you need inspiration for your Book Boo Bag this Halloween, here are the titles that will be in our little one's bag:

Give the Gift of Post-Surgery Comfort with the Brobe Ultimate Surgery Recovery Gift Bundle #breastcancer #cosmeticsurgery

 

This year has been filled with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. What began as the best moment of our lives as we welcomed our newborn baby has shifted to a breast cancer diagnosis and anxiety-filled days. One in five women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. Most of us can name friends, loved ones, and coworkers who have gone through it. Despite all of the advancements in the treatment of breast cancer, hearing the news doesn't get any easier. Upon receiving my diagnosis, I felt overwhelmed with all of the terminology I had to learn, the constant statistics being rattled off, and all the decisions that needed to be made so quickly. 

Many of my friends and family have found wonderful ways to offer support. The daily check-ins, thoughtful gifts, and hours and hours of help taking care of our newborn have been appreciated beyond measure. In my many late-nights of scouring of the internet and reading all I can find about my particular situation, I came across a product that everyone going through this awful process should have. It's called the Brobe Ultimate Surgery Recovery Gift Bundle and it's ideal for getting around more easily, managing the pain that comes with every bump and rumble endured during car rides to and from follow-up appointments, and just feeling a little more dignity during hospital appointments and home visits with family and friends. The items in this kit help to manage the drains, reduce pain, and feel calm, secure, and in control as you recover. While none of this process is easy, having the right post-surgery comfort items can make a world of difference. In sharing about it, I hope that it helps others manage their care better, too.

How to Introduce Cultural Diversity and Embrace Inclusivity in the Early Years #MinilandEducational #multiculturaltoys

 

Instilling inclusivity in your children is best started from birth. The books we read, toys we choose, shows we watch and songs we sing can all have a deep, subconscious effect on the ideals our kids develop and cultivate as they grow. Often times, families instinctively select toys, books and shows that reflect the physical traits and culture found within the walls of their own home. While there's certainly nothing wrong with that, expanding your collection to include a wide variety of races and ethnicities is an easy way to teach children about differences and begin laying the foundation for acceptance and inclusivity. As we provide toy recommendations throughout the month, we're starting with one of our top picks, the Miniland Family Diversity Block set. Check it out below!

Back to School Guide: Whiskware Stackable Snack Containers

 

We're excited to share about Whiskware Stackable Snack Containers  for both summer travel and Back to School preparations. These containers are so awesome, we can't imagine going back to our old way of packing snacks for our little ones. 

Back to School: Go Green this School Year with Go Sili Silicone Cups! #reusable #sustainable

We're always looking for ways to live more sustainably without giving up quality, so this school year, we've decided to transition to silicone cups. A friend recommended silicone drinkware to us, and while we hadn't tried it before, we were definitely intrigued! We reached out to GoSili®, a popular company that provides a variety of silicone drink cups, straws, lids and more, to see if we could give their reusable adult and child cups a try. We were excited that they agreed and after a solid week of using the cups, our family gives them two thumbs up. We definitely recommend them as an affordable, high quality option for living more sustainably.

5 Benefits to Storing Dry Goods in Mason Jars #pantry #organization #BallJars

 

About a year ago, we gave our kitchen a major overhaul to create a quick and easy way to to improve the shelf life of our groceries and add organization to our pantry. We started by making the switch from keeping our dry goods in store packaging to putting them in sealed glass mason jars. We've found that storing dry goods in mason jars has some big benefits! It's about the easiest thing to do and requires almost no effort to get it done.

Thinking of making the switch? In this post, we've provided five benefits to using mason jar storage, some information on the Ball® Collection Elite® Regular Mouth 32 oz. Glass Mason Jars and 4 oz. Mini Storage Jars we use, and common bulk items to look for. 

When you're ready to get started, FreshPreserving.com is a great site to order jars directly to your door!

Support Your Baby's Brain Development with Sensory Play #CreativeKids #motorskills #languageskills #developmentalplay

 

As a pediatric therapist, I'm always interested in finding quality developmental toys that target important speech, language, cognitive and motor milestones. Early sensory play is a critical experience which is often overlooked by parents. It helps to build important foundational skills in infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers. This week, I gave the Creative Kids Sense and Grow Sensory Magic Tissue Box a try with my little one as we worked on object permanence, joint attention and motor skills. It was a fast favorite for him and allowed us to play together in many different ways.