SK Studios Homemaking

Homeschooling Suddenly: Plug and Play

noreply@blogger.com (Shauna K) — Thu, 19 Mar 2020 01:02:00 +0000

Hey friends! I hope this week finds you slowly easing into the homeschool world without too many trials. If you're still struggling to find an easy way to homeschool, maybe this will help!

I've pulled together pre-planned resources (not full curriculums) and listed them below by subject. They're all either free or cheap, so it won't be a financial burden on top of everything else.

To put together your "curriculum" for your family...

pick one resource per subject
print it out
gather any resources together from around the house that you'll need
done! Easy. Peasy.

English

Learning Through Literature - download the monthly FREE (with email subscription) poem, including poet bio, poetry vocab, and related works
Reading Log- by Everyday Learn and Play, print with the goal to fill it up every week or fill in one per day!

Math/Logic

30 Days of LEGO Play - FREE calendar of daily building prompts
31 Days of Spring LEGOs - FREE calendar of daily building prompts
Boredom Buster Activity Plan - Left Brain Craft Brain has created a FREE 5-course unit plan with low-prep hands-on projects and STEAM learning
Usborne Books & More - sign up for their weekly newsletter, work through all the activities throughout the week

PreK-K

Engaging Littles - easy preschool ideas FREE calendar, additional freebies are scattered around her website!
Wee Gallery - download their FREE alphabet coloring pages and do one a day

Science

Milwaukee with Kids has put together two weeks of easy at home science experiments!
Wild Child Chronicles - $6.50/month you receive a monthly letter in the mail "from" Evie & Alexander, two children who go on outdoor adventures! Easy science lesson or nature study
Flower of the Month Club- $2/month you receive a digital flower study with coloring page, picture study, poem, and neat facts!
Magic School Bus- FREE lesson plans available for each of their original MSB episodes (available on Netflix). Just print out the list of episodes/experiments and start working through them in order (or jump around!)
Curious Kids Club - a FREE resource by Fiddlesticks Education, print out your "curiosity cabinet" and fill it with "jars" as you complete your challenges, do one challenge per week!
Little Passports - fun monthly subscription box, up to 20% off (with code: APRIL2020) buy one box and work through it $20-25 per month/box
Wild Wednesday - free nature study each Wednesday from Firefly Nature School, follow their Instagram to see what each week's offering is, do one study per week!
1000 Hours Outside - get outside into the sanitizing sunshine! FREE tracker printables (start with the First 100) - fill in at least one bubble per day!
KiwiCo - a popular subscription box, is offering 15% OFF (with code: LEARN), average box is $25, grab a single box and there's science!
Usborne Books & More - sign up for their weekly newsletter, work through all the activities throughout the week
Book Seeds by Blossom and Root - grab the bundle or 1-2 books, each has 2 weeks of lessons, one book is a FREEBIE! 30% OFF (with code: sprout30) through April
15 Preschool Experiments - easy FREE list of experiments using household items, work through 1-2 a week

History/Geography

Post From the Past - ~$9/month you receive a monthly letter in the mail "from" a historical figure, and free digital downloads, easy History lesson!
Letters From Afar- $6/month you receive a monthly letter in the mail "from" Isabelle, a girl who explores far away lands, easy Geography lesson! You can even write back to her!
Heritage Letter - $6/month you receive a monthly letter in the mail "from" a historical figure, easy History lesson! 25% OFF women in history digital letters throughout March, and FREE digital downloads
Crafty Classroom USA Bundle $15, do one state per day/week
Little Passports - fun monthly box subscription, 15% off (with code: SPRING2020) buy one box and work through it $20-25 per month/box

Art

52 Drawing Tutorials - a year of weekly tutorials for $10!
Papio Press - print off a brand new free coloring page every Monday
Usborne Books & More - sign up for their weekly newsletter, work through all the activities throughout the week
Daisy Yellow does a yearly Index Card A Day Challenge! Scroll down and find the prompts for 2019- do one a day for quick and simple art class! She outlines HERE tips for kids joining the challenge.

Music

SQUILT Music - $5 monthly listening calendar, a clickable PDF with youtube links for a new piece of curated music everyday!
Classics for Kids - free monthly activity sheet on a new composer & music each month (found on their homepage)

Bible

Home in the Shire - free printable list of nature study Scripture memory verses for spring, do one per week
Catechesis Books - their First Bible Basics coloring pages (10 pages) for FREE through these turbulent times, do 1-2 per week and read the corresponding Scripture story
Jesus Storybook Bible - free printable Lent reading plan calendar when you subscribe to the email list!

Gym

1000 Hours Outside - get outside into the sanitizing sunshine! FREE tracker printables (start with the First 100) - fill in at least one bubble per day!

>> SUPER DUPER EASY OPTIONS <<

Now, on the other hand, are you just stressed and overwhelmed as it is, and you just want something easy, relaxed, planned out for you, minimal extra resources needed??? You really just want your kids to stay engaged over the next few weeks, but you're not worried about formally teaching each subject everyday? Oh yea, and you can't break the bank? Here are my top picks for relaxed unit study/curriculums that incorporate a little bit of everything (often without even realize you're learning)!

Morning Time Plans - a month of FREE "Morning Basket" weekly lesson plans
Gentle & Classical Nature - Term 1 (12 weeks) is FREE when you subscribe to her emails, with optional printable resources for purchase, curriculum is nature study based
Kinder Nature Beginnings- Language Arts ($20), Kinder Nature Beginnings Art Numbers (currently FREE), Kinder Nature Beginnings Nature Journal (currently FREE) - combined make a great well-rounded curriculum! And this could easily cover up to grade 1 as review work over the next weeks.
Exploring Nature with Children $18 - year long nature-based curriculum for the whole family, featuring nature walk, poetry, art, booklist suggestions, and extension activities
On Mission Magazine- $16 mailed or $8 digital quarterly, 40+ pages of content
Spring Curriculum from Tanglewood Hollow- $20, nature based learning guide, she also has a Summer, Winter, and Autumn Curriculums
Book Seeds by Blossom and Root - 30% off through end of April (with code: sprout30), mini literature-based nature units, pick up their Spring Bundle and start working through them 1 per week
A Gentle Feast - get their Summer Morning Time Packet for FREE through the end of March, featuring 4 weeks of plans
Clickschooling - sign up for FREE emails, they email out links for educational resources each day- Math Monday, Science Tuesday, English Wed, Social Sciences Thurs, Field Trip Fri, Music/Art/Foreign Lang Saturday

Homeschooling Suddenly: Math

noreply@blogger.com (Shauna K) — Wed, 18 Mar 2020 06:01:00 +0000

For those of you who have rapidly become teachers, I'm breaking down my resources into their own posts. So whether you're in the market for a full curriculum, just a few unit studies to tide you over, or simply some freebies or discounted printables to get a little educational fun to your kids- here ya go!

Math Resources

Freebies & Discounts

Math Is Fun completely FREE, worksheets for elementary and online engaging lessons for PreK counting through Algebra and Geometry
Real World Learners a few FREEBIES and ideas for making math fun at home
Coloring Squared FREEBIE math coloring pages/worksheets
Mathseeds - 4 week trial for FREE, grow your child's math skills, ages 3-9
Boredom Buster Activity Plan - Left Brain Craft Brain has created a FREE 5-course unit plan with low-prep hands-on projects and STEAM learning
Khan Academy's Disney Imagineering - stretch your engineering skills with this FREE course in how to design amusement park rides!
Khan Academy's Pixar in a Box - stretch your coding skills with this FREE course in how to design animated features!

Curriculums & Unit Studies

Kinder Nature Beginnings Art Numbers - FREE during this time of upheaval, coincides with the above program, includes numbers 1-10 and art cards
Kinder Nature Beginnings Math - intial part of her curriculum (numbers 1-5) is live for only $5, and will include a coupon to purchase the full curriculum upon its launch
Crafty Classroom - math curriculums for younger students, and a few unit studies for various grades

Homeschooling Suddenly: Bible

noreply@blogger.com (Shauna K) — Tue, 17 Mar 2020 21:37:00 +0000

Bible Study Resources

Freebies & Discounts

Willfully Serving His Kingdom - themed baking studies & printables- including Fruits of the Spirit and Armor of God!
Green Urban Mama - affordable Etsy store with gorgeous Easter Holy Week printable
Crafty Classroom - lots of FREEBIES & economical resources for PreK-3rd grade. 25% through end of March (with code: SPRING25)
Bible Pathways - TONS of free printable activities to correspond with major Bible stories, and select stories are available virtually to read!
His Kids Company - adorable FREE Scripture coloring pages
A Gentle Feast Morning Time Plans - FREE Holy Week plans for Bible readings, hymn study, prayer, art study, and poetry
Home in the Shire - free printable list of nature study Scripture memory verses for spring
Catechesis Books - offering their First Bible Basics coloring pages for FREE through these turbulent times
Jesus Storybook Bible - free printable Lent reading plan calendar when you subscribe to the email list!
Adventure-in-a-Box - tons of resources for every subject, FREEBIES, 50% week of March 16 (with code: MARCH)
Stories Begin at Home - cute FREEBIES including Scripture cards, affordable Etsy shop as well with Easter activities on sale!
Kids Read Truth - sign up for their email and receive a FREE kids study of Matthew

Curriculums & Unit Studies (that include Scripture)

AmblesideOnline - FREE K-12 full year curriculum in the the Charlotte Mason style, focusing on God and nature, provides a weekly schedule, booklist, and resources are linked to online, they've even included an Emergency Lesson Plan for those starting out quickly
Gentle & Classical Nature - Term 1 is FREE when you subscribe to her emails, with optional printable resources for purchase, curriculum is nature study based with poetry, art, habit training, French/Spanish vocab, booklist, science, Scripture, handicrafts. Scalable from PreK-early elementary or upper elementary (with a $13 extension grammar activity pack). Terms 2 & 3 are releasing in the next few months!
Exploring Nature with Children $18 - year long nature-based curriculum for the whole family, featuring nature walk, poetry, art, booklist suggestions, and extension activities
The Kind Kingdom $50 - year long early elementary curriculum featuring reading, poetry, cursive, science, European history/geography, art, life skills, and Bible
The Playful Pioneers $50 - year long early elementary curriculum featuring reading, poetry, cursive, science, North American history/geography, art, life skills, and Bible

Homeschooling Suddenly: Play-based & PreK-K

noreply@blogger.com (Shauna K) — Tue, 17 Mar 2020 21:10:00 +0000

PreK-K & Play-based Resources

Freebies & Discounts

Play with CMYK - FREE printables for dramatic play
Playful Learning- FREE online resources for every subject, FREE 30-day online trial access to lesson plans
Engaging Littles - easy preschool ideas FREE calendar, additional freebies are scattered around her website!
Arrows & Applesauce - subscribe for tons of FREEBIES- alphabet, numbers, games, seasonal, AND 25% OFF (no code needed) currently
Preschool Mom - lots of FREEBIES and has sister sites for Bible resources and K-3rd grade resources with reading, spelling, writing, and science
30 Days of LEGO Play - FREE calendar of daily building prompts
31 Days of Spring LEGOs - FREE calendar of daily building prompts for springtime
Habitat Schoolhouse - beautiful FREE workbooks for unit studies, also shop her store
Willfully Serving His Kingdom - themed baking studies & printables- including specifically PreK and K studies
Everyday Learn and Play - super affordable and adorable resources and freebies
Adventure-in-a-Box - tons of resources for every subject & FREEBIES
Reading Eggs, Reading Eggs Jr, and Mathseeds - 4 week trial for FREE, teach your child to read and grow your child's math skills
Wee Gallery - seriously adorable FREE alphabet coloring pages and paper masks
Little Bins Little Hands - FREEBIES for days! fun science and STEM printables
The Masterpiece Studio - 3 FREE lessons, 50% off (with code: STAYTHOME) in their shop through June, creatively learn about the globe, letters, numbers, books, art, food
Stories Begin at Home - cute FREEBIES including crafts and dramatic play, affordable Etsy shop as well with Easter activities on sale!
Key'ndergarten - offering 4 FREE printables for teaching music basics
Bitty Beginnings - etsy shop is currently 50% off (no code needed)

Curriculums, Lesson Plans, & Unit Studies

Kinder Nature Beginnings- Language Arts - $20, a gorgeous nature-based phonics curriculum, including poems, art, alphabet, cursive, copywork. We are using this for PreK/K and there's enough challenging material that it spans up to a great 1st/2nd grade phonics review too!
Kinder Nature Beginnings Art Numbers - FREE during this time of upheaval, coincides with the above program, includes numbers 1-10 and art cards
Kinder Nature Beginnings Math - numbers 1-5 have been released for $5, and will include a coupon for the entire Math curriculum once released!
Kinder Nature Beginnings Nature Journal - FREE currently, color and draw with minimal writing, combine with the above two for the perfect PreK/K curriculum!
Gentle & Classical Preschool - Full Curriculum. Level 1 (PERFECT for intro to homeschooling!) or Level 2 - FREE, yes FREE, digital versions when you subscribe to her emails! She has optional additional printable resources for purchase to enhance your studies, or you can purchase printed copies via Amazon, curriculum is nature study based with poetry, art, habit training, numbers & letters, booklist, science, Scripture, handicrafts.
A Year of Tales Preschool - $25 through March, a year long PreK literature & nature focused curriculum based around Beatrix Potter's books, including character lessons, Bible art study and copywork, alphabet and numbers, lacing cards, nature study. A K-3 version is also available.
Preschool Mom - lots of FREEBIES and has sister sites for Bible resources and K-3rd grade resources with reading, spelling, writing, and science
Alphabet Curriculum Notebook from Crafty Classroom $15 paired with their Number or Shape program for $10-15 to get you through the basics!
The Peaceful Preschool $40 - year long Preschool featuring counting, reading, phonics, motor skills, life skills, art
Habitat Schoolhouse Preschool base curriculum- $62, if you really need a plug and play full curriculum, this is a gorgeous one, compete with workbooks, weekly schedule, flashcards, letters, phonics, numbers, colors, shapes, art, nature study, motor skills, & life skills
1plus1plus1equals1 - tons of printable mini units, many are FREE, just pick a new topic each day and you'll be all set!
Blossom and Root - 30% off through end of April (with code: sprout30), full secular nature & play-based curriculums from toddler - 3rd grade, youngest curriculum prices are affordable with the sale!
15 Preschool Experiments - easy FREE list of experiments using household items

Homeschooling Suddenly: the Arts

noreply@blogger.com (Shauna K) — Tue, 17 Mar 2020 20:35:00 +0000

Resources for the Arts

Culinary Arts

Willfully Serving His Kingdom - baking studies! Fairy Tale Baking Study FREEBIE

Performing Arts

Freebies & Discounts

Green Urban Mama - affordable Etsy store with ballerina resources perfect for a unity study
SQUILT Music has a complimentary music lesson on Facebook with free lesson packet download, their listening calendar is a $5/month download for a clickable PDF with youtube links for a new piece of curated music everyday! OR join their Membership Program for $20 a month for a full monthly music curriculum!
Classics for Kids - FREE lessons, music, games, composer studies, and more! New FREE activity sheet on a composer & music each month. Advice & resources for being a new music teacher too!
BroadwayHD - free 7-day trial and $9/month to stream tons of Broadway performances
PBS Learning Media - videos about all sorts of music topics
Key'ndergarten - offering 4 FREE printables for teaching music basics

Virtual Field Trips

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra digital concert hall
The Met virtual operas shown nightly (pre-recorded)
YoYo Ma live Facebook performances he has dubbed#songsofcomfort
The Kennedy Center virtual stage performances from their Video Library
Livestreaming upcoming concerts - list updated daily
The Show Must Go On(line)- weekly YouTube livestreams of Shakespeare readings, Thursdays @ 3pm ET

Art
Freebies, Shops, & Discounts

Deep Space Sparkle - FREE art classes each week and a collection of past classes- our personal favorite art classes!
FREE Emergency Kit- from Deep Space Sparkle, an art teacher E-learning lessons, resources, and tips
The Masterpiece Studio - 3 FREE lessons, 30% off with code: STAYHOME in their shop through June, creatively learn about the globe, letters, numbers, books, art, food
You ARE an Artist! - various free live chalk pastel art lessons, previous video art lessons can be found throughout their blog as well as on their sister site Hodgepodge
52 Drawing Tutorials - a year of weekly tutorials for $10!
Adventure-in-a-Box - drawing prompts and paper dolls!, FREEBIES
MiniNatureExplorers - super adorable nature-themed FREEBIES (click the link in their profile) and SHOP (20% OFF code if you sign up for her emails! link in her profile)
Crayola Collection - a FREE Art curriculum!
Art at Home - great Google doc of so many online art resources, from contests to tours to live art

FREE Coloring Pages

Madison Safer - really adorable whimsical FREE coloring pages (right click > Save As to download)

Wee Gallery - seriously adorable FREE coloring pages and paper masks

The Disney Nerds - Disney coloring page FREEBIES

#ColorOurCollections - over 100 museums and institutions have created FREE coloring pages to accompany their collections, REALLY neat, ranging from cute to historical to eclectic to anatomical

Papio Press - brand new free coloring page every Monday

Cheery Human Studios- one of my favorite independent artists has adorable art freebies, be sure to share them with her on Instagram too!

Fun Extras

Daily lunch doodles with Mo Willems - all 15 episodes are archived and available to do at home! Use the left and right arrows to scroll through the episodes.
Deep Space Sparkle - FREE weekly FB live art lessons at 1pm ET
Khan Academy's Disney Imagineering - stretch your design skills with this FREE course in how to design amusement park rides!
Khan Academy's Pixar in a Box - stretch your creative skills with this FREE course in how to design animated features!
Daisy Yellow does a yearly Index Card A Day Challenge! While it doesn't start until June, scroll down to find the prompts for 2019 and give it a go! She outlines HERE tips for kids joining the challenge.
Jarrett J Krosoczka - the author/illustrator offers 6 weeks of daily YouTube drawing instruction, the archive of these is linked
Grace Lin - a series of read alongs and draw alongs on YouTube!

Virtual Field Trips

The Guggenheim art museum virtual tour
The Louvre art museum virtual field trip
National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. virtual tour
Musee d'Orsay French art museum virtual tour
National Museum of National and Contemporary Art Korean museum virtual tour
Uffizi Gallery in Italy virtual tour
Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam virtual tour
Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam virtual tour
The Kennedy Center virtual stage performances from their Video Library

Homeschooling Suddenly: Languages

noreply@blogger.com (Shauna K) — Tue, 17 Mar 2020 20:27:00 +0000

Language Resources

Freebies, Shops, & Discounts

Love At Home Education shop her economical resources
Read Aloud Revival - THE reading resource that everyone should reference, FREE booklists, $15/month access to masterclasses, book clubs, family workshops, interviews with authors
Learning Through Literature - free booklists, monthly poems, unit studies, and more economical resources
Homeschool in the Woods - FREE (with code: KEEPINGBUSY) literary genre lapbook mini study
Home in the Shire - new FREE nature poem each week
Reading Eggs (and Reading Eggs Jr) - 4 week trial for FREE, teach your child to read
Teach Outside the Box - amazing resources, FREEBIE library (with email subscription), and Lego Masters inspired Build A Story FREEBIE
Usborne Books & More Play & Learn At Home - free website for Toddler-11yro with tons of links, tips, quizzes, crafts, virtual field trips, and resources for teaching at home
The Habitat Schoolhouse - beautiful FREEBIES for the suddenly homeschooling parents
Teach Your Monster to Read - from the founder of Usborne Books & More, download their reading app for $5. This app is what taught our oldest to read! They also have FREEBIES on their website.
The Thinking Cat - adorable bee-themed reading tracker, click the link in her profile

Book-based Curriculums & Unit Studies

Learning Through Literature - FREE (with email subscription) monthly poem, including poet bio, poetry vocab, and related works
A Year of Tales - $45, a year long K-3 literature & nature focused curriculum based aroud Beatrux Potter's books, including character lessons, art study, recipes, vocab & spelling lists, Bible art study & copywork, poetry, fables, geography. A PreK version is also available.
Passport to Adventures - $30, 30 unit studies following the Magic Tree House series books, features science, history, geography, book list, game list, movie nights, coloring, copy work, cursive
Passport to More Adventures - $30, 28 unit studies following the Magic Tree House Merlin Mission series books, features science, history, geography, book list, game list, movie nights, coloring, copy work, cursive
Waldock's Wizards and Wands - $40, year long study based on the Harry Potter Books featuring language arts, science, history, art, and music
Poetry Tea Time - FREE site to create beautiful poetry-themed tea times! From theme idea lists to Poet bios to recipes and poetry suggestion lists, it's got it all, including a free Quick Start Guide to get you up and running
Book Seeds by Blossom and Root, 30% off through end of April (with code: sprout30), mini literature-based nature units

Virtual Books/Authors

Storyline Online- huge collection of children's books read by celebrities with accompanying supplemental curriculum
Story Time from Space Directory - collection of astronauts reading books!
Josh Gad (aka. Olaf) book readings via Twitter (he's very vocal on current events, you may need to wait to invite the kiddos in once he's actually started the reading portion)
Mac Barnett, the author, is reading books via Instagram
Atlantic White Shark Conservancy - Facebook live streaming Shark Story Hour with follow up Q & A, week of March 16, every morning at 10am ET
#OperationStoryTime - check out this hashtag on Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube to find tons of authors picking up their favorite books and reading them to your kiddos! Here's a list with some of the authors. I'm excited to watch Jan Brett!
Virtual Book & Beast - Seneca Park Zoo is livestreaming a book reading and then meet a related animal ambassador! Each Wed at 11am ET
@savewithstories - a huge array of celebrities in many disciplines reading favorite stories on Instagram

FOREIGN LANGUAGE

Little Pim - FREE 3-day trial, $5 a month, online learning with full access to all 12 languages lessons
Did you know that?! ASL - new videos will be added frequently to their YouTube page
Ninos & Nature - beautiful Spanish counting FREEBIES
ASL printable pack from Crafty Classroom

Homeschooling Suddenly: Geography/History

noreply@blogger.com (Shauna K) — Tue, 17 Mar 2020 20:13:00 +0000

Geography/History Resources

Freebies & Discounts

The Peaceful Press - subscribe for FREEBIES
Love At Home Education shop FREEBIES
Playful Learning- FREE online resources for every subject, FREE 30-day online trial access to lesson plans
Stephanie Hathaway Designs- FREE printables on her blog and economical resources in her Etsy shop
Green Urban Mama FREE downloads in her shop and affordable resources in her Etsy shop
Chickie And Roo - lots of great FREEBIES AND affordable resources
Little Passports - the well known box subscription has launched a science & geography-based website for learning at home!
Adventure-in-a-Box - tons of resources for every subject & FREEBIES
The Masterpiece Studio - 3 FREE lessons, 30% off with code: STAYHOME in their shop through June, creatively learn about books, countries, letters, numbers, art, food

Geography-focused Curriculums & Unit Studies

On Mission Magazine- $16 mailed or $8 digital quarterly, 40+ pages of content, includes geography, history, memory work, art, music, handicraft, religion, missionary info and prayer points, recipes, advanced work for upper elementary, nature info!
The Kind Kingdom $50 - year long early elementary curriculum featuring reading, poetry, cursive, science, European history/geography, art, life skills, and Bible
The Playful Pioneers $50 - year long early elementary curriculum featuring reading, poetry, cursive, science, North American history/geography, art, life skills, and Bible
Crafty Classroom USA resources for $5-15, their bundle would be a pretty full geography lesson for a year!
Willfully Serving His Kingdom - baking studies! Fairy Tale Baking Study FREEBIE
Hidden Figures - NASA has videos, bios, and resources about the women behind the mission featured in the movie Hidden Figures

Fun Extras

Post From the Past - ~$9/month you receive a monthly letter in the mail "from" a historical figure, and free digital downloads, easy History lesson!
Letters From Afar- $6/month you receive a monthly letter in the mail "from" Isabelle, a girl who explores far away lands, easy Geography lesson! You can even write back to her!
Heritage Letter - $6/month you receive a monthly letter in the mail "from" a historical figure, easy History lesson! 25% OFF women in history digital letters throughout March, and FREE digital downloads
Little Passports - 15% off (with code: APRIL2020) $20-25 per month/box, fun monthly mail subscription, receive themed boxes focusing on geography and science

Virtual Field Trips

Use the internet to become a Travel Agency and have your kids put together their ideal itinerary, great chance for them to learn new landmarks and destinations. They can create a travel brochure with their knowledge, and write a "postcard" after their trip narrating what they learned!
The Great Wall of China virtual tour
Yellowstone National Park virtual tours
British Museum virtual tour
Pergamon Museum in Germany virtual tour
National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City virtual tour
Easter Island virtual tour and interactive trivia
African Grasslands & Desert virtual tour
Coral Reef virtual tour
Pompei virtual tour
England virtual tour
Colonial Williamsburg virtual tour
Ellis Island virtual tour
FREE tours - a running list of so many virtual tours and resources offered online

Homeschooling Suddenly: Science

noreply@blogger.com (Shauna K) — Tue, 17 Mar 2020 19:52:00 +0000

Science Resources

Freebies, Shops, & Discounts

LittleSparkCompany - lots of great economical resources
Fiddlesticks Education - economical nature resources and a Google Drive of freebies
Love At Home Education shop FREEBIES and other economical resources
Raising Little Shoots nature FREEBIES
Stephanie Hathaway Designs- FREE printables and Etsy shop for economical resources
Green Urban Mama FREE nature downloads in her shop
Life Abundantly - subscribe for an incredible library of FREEBIES and FREE CURRICULUM
Chickie And Roo - lots of great FREEBIES AND affordable mini units and nature studies
Crafty Classroom - freebies & resources with reading, spelling, writing, and science
Twig & Moth unique freebies, as well as her Etsy Shop (often with sales happening)
Tanglewood Hollow - beautiful nature freebies
Curious Kids Club - a FREE resource by Fiddlesticks Education, print out your "curiosity cabinet" and fill it with "jars" as you complete your challenges
LittleSparkCompany - lots of beautiful resources and 40% off (no code needed) through March
Wild Wednesday - FREE nature study each Wednesday from Firefly Nature School, follow their Instagram to see what each week's offering is, do one study per week!
Adventure-in-a-Box - tons of resources for every subject & FREEBIES, $5 OFF (with code: HOMESCHOOL)
1000 Hours Outside - challenge yourself to get you and your kiddos outside into the sanitizing sunshine! FREE tracker printable
Colorfulllstudy Human Body Organs and Water Cycle FREE activity sets and other economical learning resources!
The Masterpiece Studio - 3 FREE lessons, 50% off with code: STAYHOME in their shop through June, creatively learn about the globe, letters, numbers, books, art, food
Stories Begin at Home - cute FREEBIES including Scripture cards, spring board game, and crafts, affordable Etsy shop as well with Easter activities on sale!
#ColorOurCollections - over 100 museums and institutions have created FREE coloring pages to accompany their collections, REALLY neat, ranging from cute to historical to eclectic to anatomical
Kinder Nature Beginnings Nature Journal (currently FREE) -a beautiful nature study journal, while geared towards our youngest learners, it's really great for any age
Keep Nature Wild - cute family-run shop, great FREE Earth/Earth Day focused coloring pages!
Nature Supply Co - in honor of Earth Day, they've released a series of eco-nature studies on various themes for $6 each, or all 5 for $25

Curriculums

AmblesideOnline - FREE K-12 full year curriculum in the the Charlotte Mason style, focusing on God and nature, provides a weekly schedule, booklist, and resources are linked to online, they've even included an Emergency Lesson Plan for those starting out quickly
Gentle & Classical Nature - Term 1 is FREE when you subscribe to her emails, she has additional accompanying resources for $27 (not required, but very beautiful), an upper elementary grammar pack for $13, curriculum is nature study based with poetry, art, habit training, French/Spanish vocab, booklist, science, Scripture, handicrafts.
Kinder Nature Beginnings- Language Arts - $20, a gorgeous nature-based phonics curriculum, including poems, art, alphabet, cursive, copywork. We are using this for PreK/K and there's enough challenging material that it spans up to a great 1st/2nd grade phonics review too! She has a coordinating Nature Journal, Numbers, and Math curriculum too!
Exploring Nature with Children $18 - year long nature-based curriculum featuring nature walk, poetry, art, booklist suggestions, and extension activities
Blossom and Root - 30% off through end of April (with code: sprout30), full secular nature-based curriculums from toddler - 3rd grade, also affordable Book Seeds mini literature-based nature units that could be their own easy curriculum, full curriculum prices vary but the sale helps!

Science-specific Lesson Plans & Unit Studies

Firefly Nature School - fantastic unit studies & bundles at affordable prices
Survival School $15 - a 6-week course following Bear Grylls Adventure book series, featuring weekly/daily plans, youtube playlists, activities sheets, trivia games, additional resource list
Stephanie Hathaway Designs- economical unit studies and resources
Global Guardian Project - offering FREE membership, incredible access to courses, activities, art, recipes, and much more, learning how to care for the earth, endangered animals, and each other
Magic School Bus- Scholastic has FREE lesson plans available for each of their original MSB episodes (available on Netflix) and books! Perfect for science class and typically uses stuff you already have around the house. Amazon also has science kits you can order for many of the old and new tv show episodes!
Playful Learning- FREE online resources for every subject, FREE 30-day online trial access to lesson plans
Chickie And Roo - affordable mini units and nature studies
Spring Curriculum from Tanglewood Hollow- $20, nature based learning guide featuring songs, poems, art, garden activities and games, science, reading, cooking and recommended book list (she also has a Summer, Winter, and Autumn Curriculum!)
Willfully Serving His Kingdom - themed baking studies! Fairy Tale Baking Study FREEBIE
The Little Oak Learning Club - ~$17/month monthly themed studies for 3-7 yros, includes nature exploration studies, games, discussion prompts, vocab, charts & logs, indoor & outdoor activities, animal profiles, and more
Milwaukee with Kids has put together two weeks of easy at home science experiments!
KiwiCo - a popular subscription box, is offering 15% OFF (with code: LEARN), most boxes are $25 but some are lower (and some bigger kits are higher) and no need to subscribe to pick up a single box
15 Preschool Experiments - easy FREE list of experiments using household items
Sea World has a whole website dedicated to teacher resources, whether you're teaching at home or in a classroom

Fun Extras

Insect Lore - affordable at home science kits raising insects! Praying Mantis, Ladybugs, Caterpillars, or Ants!
Wild Child Chronicles - $6.50/month you receive a monthly letter in the mail "from" Evie & Alexander, two children who go on outdoor adventures! Easy science lesson or nature study
Flower of the Month Club- $2/month you receive a digital flower study with coloring page, picture study, poem, and neat facts!
Virtual Animal Programs - Seneca Park Zoo is livestreaming book readings and then meet a related animal ambassador as well as a bunch of Virtual Animal Programs for a variety of grades!
Little Rock Zoo - FB live Keeper Talks 3pm ET daily through March 29
Cincinnati Zoo Home Safari - daily at 3 PM ET, live streaming on Facebook, the zoo highlights a new animal and activity worksheets you can do at home
Houston Zoo - FB live at 12noon ET Mon-Fri meet the animals
Live Safaris - let WildEarth take you along on their live daily safaris ~11:35pm ET
Philadelphia Zoo at 2 - Live Facebook stream of featured animals at 2pm each day
OSEARCH - home to great white shark research, twice weekly at 1pm ET Facebook live streaming Learn from Home series for various age levels, also they have 100s of FREEBIES on their website for all grade levels

Zoo Virtual Field Trips

Zoo Field Trip Questions Worksheet - free printable to use while you take a virtual tour of your favorite zoo below
Aquarium Field Trip Activities Worksheet - free printable to use while you take a virtual tour of your favorite aquarium below
Virtual Field Trip Lesson Plan - free worksheets and instructions for a full day of learning about the zoo and its animals from home
San Diego Zoo
Georgia Aquarium
Houston Zoo
Zoo Atlanta
Monterrey Bay Aquarium
Smithsonian National Zoo
Polar bear cub den cams in the Netherlands, and
Animal Adventure Park's April The Giraffe cams
The Cornell Lab Bird cams
check your favorite local zoo's website to see if they have anything fun!

Virtual Field Trips

Explore the surface of Mars (use the 360 Mode)
US Space and Rocket Museum tour via YouTube father/son trip
Discovery Education virtual field trips to the Tundra, Space Center, and more
Zoological Parks featuring live cameras-
San Diego Zoo children's website with videos, games, and more
Rochester Museum & Science Center - online science experiments to do at home or watch their larger live experiments! Posting new experiments daily/often!
American Dairy has 3 virtual farm tours for various age levels
Atlantic White Shark Conservancy - Mon-Fri morning at 10am ET, live streaming Shark School Lessons, also access videos and worksheets from last week's Shark Story Hours!
African Grasslands & Desert virtual tour
Coral Reef virtual tour
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota, FL, virtual tour of the only gardens in the world dedicated to epiphytic plants (aka. "air plants")
Biltmore Gardens in North Carolina, virtual tour via YouTube
Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens in VA, several virtual videos with plans for a virtual drone tour
the National Mall cherry blossoms in Washington, DC #BloomCam view the peak of their blooms currently
Scissortail Park in Oklahoma City, YouTube tour including over 40,000 daffodils

Homeschooling Suddenly

noreply@blogger.com (Shauna K) — Tue, 17 Mar 2020 02:01:00 +0000

Hey friends!

The world is a bit frantic these days, and although I'm new to homeschooling myself, I still have a bit more of a leg up than many who have been suddenly thrust into the role of teacher at home. So I just wanted a space to gather some thoughts and help for everyone.

STEP 1: Take a deep breath.
This is a season, and we will see it through. Give yourself a bit of grace.

Remember that our littles are always watching. It's so important to have a level head during times of trial so that our littles can see a healthy way to weather life's storms. Also, take care of yourself. If this is a time where you really are stressing out, take a shower, take a bath, call a friend, find a closet to hide in and eat a chocolate bar! It's ok to take some you time to decompress and process what life throws at you. If you aren't taking care of yourself physically, emotionally, spiritually, then you won't be at your best to take care of the littles that depend on you.

STEP 2: Start slowly.

School doesn't have to look like workbooks and desks and No. 2 pencils. If you start digging into the homeschool community, you'll find a whole huge range of ideas on schooling. And the best thing? There's no wrong way! We have homeschoolers who play outside in the dirt all day, and others who do desk work and worksheets, and others who do everything online. We have homeschoolers who sit at a formal desk, who gather round the family table, who sit on the couch or bed to work. It all works. Let me say that again. It. All. Works. So no matter how you choose to impart wisdom to your littles, know that you're doing it right!

Just spend time with your kiddos and do simple stuff...

read together
take a walk together

(take it up a notch and do a nature study by discussing all the floral and fauna you see!)

watch a movie together

(even have your little practice their narration skills afterwards and tell you the plot and characters and what they remember!)

watch an educational movie together
play a game together

(hello logic and problem solving skills!)

do a puzzle together

(hello more logic skills...)

kick a ball outside

(can we say motor skills?!)

cook together

(yes, we're bringing back the long-lost art of Home Ec!)

play Legos/Duplos together

(can we say engineering?)

do MadLibs together

(easy grammar lesson!)

do laundry together

(life skills! Pour the cap of soap into the washer. Unload the dryer into the laundry basket. Teach how to fold pants or hang up shirts.)

love on each other

STEP 3: Do some research.

Like I mentioned earlier, there are SO SO many methods of homeschooling that it can be EXTREMELY overwhelming. It's taken me about 2 years to sift through all the knowledge out there and find what will work for our family. And you know what? Halfway through our first year schooling, I threw most of my plans out the window! I got rid of one of the main curriculums that we were using because it was just not a good fit for our homeschool rhythm nor what interested my girls.

Now, again, don't worry about choosing something that is "right," since, as we established above, there is NO wrong way to homeschool. So just pick things that sound FUN! I know many of you don't have the luxury of time to do a lot of research. Luckily, again over the past 2+ years, my Pinterest game has been strong. And now YOU get to benefit from it!

Here's a few of my Pinterest boards- I have a bunch more all labeled with "Homeschool" and then different subjects, so feel free to go browse until your heart's content! Or at least until you find a month or two's worth of pins to try, hehe.

STEP 4: Take advantage of discounts & freebies.
Due to the current state of affairs, many homeschooling mamas are offering up their resources for free and/or deeply discounted! Google has brought us up close and personal to many museums around the globe via virtual tours. More virtual resources across the country (and world!) are becoming more available each day as well. I've listed some favorites below! We are a Christian, early elementary family that loves nature- so many of our curriculum suggestions align with that, just as an FYI!

ALSO- Be sure to check Facebook! Many cities/communities have their own homeschooling Facebook groups and are welcoming new members with open arms.

Starters

An Intentional Life - great FREE online workshops about homeschooling (for parents!)
Game Night in a Bag - family fun FREEBIE from The Waldock Way
Morning Time Plans - a month of FREE "Morning Basket" weekly lesson plans, including prayer and hymns, poetry, music and art, nature study, math, and picture books. All resources are available online with clickable links. A truly easy, relaxed curriculum to cover the basics while school's out!
A Gentle Feast - more Morning Time resources, try 2-weeks free
30 Days of Us: family bonding - FREE printable to bring your family together and give you something to do!
I've put together a post that is all basic PLUG AND PLAY curriculum ideas
Usborne Books & More - their QuickLinks website has a TON of subjects with lots of activities to do online and printout at home, they have a weekly email that sends out themed activities as well

Subject-Specific Resources

My list of favorite resources is growing daily and more and more options come online! So to make it a bit less overwhelming (and this page a bit more concise), I've moved resources for each subject into their own pages. Each page has additional curriculums, unit studies, virtual field trips, free printables, and discounts.

Affordable Curriculum Options

Dollar Tree - I was amazed how many great workbooks and resources they have for early elementary learning! Also great for manipulatives, school supplies, art supplies, and seasonal stuff
BrainQuest - Most of us remember doing their flashcards as kids, but they make workbooks for all the grades now! We've used these our first year of homeschooling, super easy and pretty fun. Buy on Amazon or Target
Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+ - these streaming services have videos on just about every subject you can imagine! tons of opportunities to have a fun day snuggling on the couch while expanding the mind, ask them a few comprehension questions afterwards to work on narration skills!
AmblesideOnline - FREE K-12 full year curriculum in the the Charlotte Mason style, focusing on God and nature, provides a weekly schedule, booklist, and resources are linked to online, they've even included an Emergency Lesson Plan for those starting out quickly
Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool - complete K-12 Christian online curriculum for FREE
Scholastic Learn at Home - free site for families and teachers of PreK-6th+ grades to keep up learning
PBS LearningMedia - videos for every subject and every grade
PBS Kids has a new weekday newsletter and tons of online resources and free educational app (which we love)! Their Google Drive has educational activities specifically to do at home.
Blossom and Root - 30% off through end of April (with code: sprout30), full secular nature-based curriculums from toddler - 3rd grade, also affordable Book Seeds mini literature-based nature units could be their own mini curriculum, full curriculum prices vary but the sale helps!
Homeschool Garden Morning Time plans - just throw in an English and Math workbook and you've got a full curriculum, each 4-6 week course is $30

Virtual Field Trips

Boston's Children Museum virtual tour
Author Chris Field is doing daily field trips the week of March 16th, 3pm ET, on Facebook! Tour with a policeman, kids yoga, go to Africa, art class.

STEP 5: Write this down.

So now that you've gathered your materials and Pinterest boards, it's time to put pen to paper and make a plan! Take it easy on yourself- set expectations low, but plan to succeed! What does that mean?

Don't over plan. Aim for English & Math everyday and maybe one other subject 2-3 times a week. Tis the perfect start to ease into homeschooling, and completely attainable! Heck, some weeks still look like that for me! If you don't over plan, you'll have a better chance of feeling accomplished because you'll have completed all your goals for the week! If you feel accomplished, this will go a long way towards your mental health in continuing forward week after week.
Now maybe it's time to add a bit more to your week. Print out a plain weekly calendar, and jot down other areas that interest you and your kiddos that you'd like to pursue. Maybe add in 1-2 art projects per week, or even just a simple craft each day. Keep it simple and attainable.
Now you're getting comfortable and confident. Maybe you're 2-3 weeks in and getting a into a groove, or you at least have a better idea what is realistic for you to accomplish. Maybe you need MORE to entertain your child all day. Good! Keep them excited about learning, and these weeks will fly by!
Perhaps try loop schedules! So you've got English and Math everyday, or maybe every other day. Then you could loop Nature walks, Poetry readings, Bible study, and Spanish lessons. You can either plan to only do 1-2 of those each day, OR you can plan to keep moving through that list each day until your kids start losing interest for the day (or you need to start dinner). Then you just keep looping through those Loop Schedule subjects however works for you! It's a great system that can provide structure while still being flexible.

STEP 6: Welcome to an amazing community.
I love our homeschooling community- whether it's local groups, Insta-friends, or FB virtual groups. You'll find so many cheerleaders and helping hands, just always there to support and encourage. My biggest hope for you is that you enjoy your time homeschooling. Enjoy the extra time spent with your kiddos watching them grow and their eyes light up as they learn something new. It can be trying, and exhausting sometimes, but oh so rewarding. I'll be praying for all you new homeschooling mamas (and papas, and grandmamas, etc!) hehe. Feel free to reach out if you need anything!

Retro Kitchen Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (Shauna K) — Sat, 14 May 2016 15:45:00 +0000

Hey all!
So! I'm super excited for today's post!! I'm teaming up with Big Chill, an innovator of reproduction vintage kitchen appliances. Our family LOVES the look of the classic vintage stoves and refrigerators, so I was beyond thrilled when I was contacted to feature their products in some dream kitchen ideas!

One of the things I might love best about vintage appliances? Color! Why are appliances only mundane black, white, or grey today. So uninspired! If you're like us, we spend a ton of time in our kitchen- it's the heart of our home, to be sure. So why not make it beautiful and colorful?! Let's see what I mean...

How fun would this shabby chic kitchen be to bake in? You can bring in your own style in in so many ways...

a beautiful set of table and chairs in your eat in kitchen
a small buffet for a coffee station
dishes and serveware can be perfect for subtle color, whether you buy it new or check out second-hand options like a thrift store or even Goodwill
decor like a beautiful clock or herb garden containers
tea pots and even countertop appliances can be found in beautiful colors!

Don't forget to bring in color through beautiful fabrics for upholstery, dish towels, even curtains. And, of course, the crowning glory in this kitchen is the pop of pink in the stove and matching range hood! Want some more inspiration? Ask and ye shall receive ;) Here's a vintage farmhouse inspired kitchen with tons of charm and COLOR!

Spring Cleaning tips

noreply@blogger.com (Shauna K) — Thu, 12 May 2016 17:39:00 +0000

Spring has officially sprung here in the south, how about where you live? With the arrival of spring (aka. mud season!) our home was due for a bit of spring cleaning. I'm teaming up today with the Mesothelioma and Asbestos Awareness Center to share with you some of my favorite tips for cleaning up around the home- I like to err on the natural side of cleaners for the most part, as you'll see here shortly!
(below contains some Amazon affiliate links)

CONTINUE READING POST HERE »

A Family Valentine's Day (on a budget!)

noreply@blogger.com (Shauna K) — Mon, 08 Feb 2016 18:55:00 +0000

Coming up rapidly is Valentine's Day! Now this is typically my least favorite holidays- all about mandatory affection and buying go chocolates and candy. Not my thing. And then I had kids! Hehe... but we celebrate as a family! There's so many ways to celebrate love- the love of family, the love of Christ, the love of close friends.

Today I'm teaming up with Personal Capital to bring you just a few ideas of how to celebrate Valentine's Day without breaking the bank! We are saving up for an upcoming family reunion trip as well as working towards becoming debt free, which leaves very little wiggle room in the budget! Personal Capital has great tools for helping with your financial planning, so be sure to check them out! Whether it's a goody bag for the kids or a family movie night, we keep Valentine's Day celebrations small, fun, and on budget! Here's a few ideas to get the wheels turning...

(1) Create goody bags for your kiddos
Use Target's Dollar Spot, the Dollar Tree, or consignment stores to keep costs low! Don't be afraid to include practical items too- our goody bag this year includes fruit snacks and a diaper cover for our young toddler, and a second-hand shirt and stickers with notepads (to be used also for homeschooling!) for our preschooler! Last year I shared some ideas for a Toddler Goody Bag and joined with The Twinery to embellish the Canvas Valentine's Bag you see above!

(2) Crafting bonanza
A fun way to celebrate might just be have a full day of heart-themed crafting! Make a handmade card for your the wee one's grandparents, friends, and of course dad! Create heart garlands to string up around the room or mantle. Hang red and pink balloons from the ceiling, door frames, etc. String up red & white crepe paper. Create an art masterpiece with stickers (maybe even sneak in a little counting practice while you're at it... "this tree needs 3 hearts, 4 in this tree, 1 in this tree")

(3) Do a family Bible study
Focus on finding all the way God shows his love for us. Discuss "agape" love.

(4) Have a family game night
Just make sure it's a game all members of the family can play, of course! Chutes and Ladders, Go Fish, Candyland are just a few games that kids of nearly all ages can enjoy :) If you have really little ones, maybe make a fun obstacle course instead! Whether it's a true test of skills (maybe even working on motor skills!) or just creating some tunnels and tents with couch cushions and blankets, it's sure to be a hit with kids of every age!

(5) Have a family movie night
Disney movies are rather perfect for a family movie night- Lady & the Tramp, Snow White, Sleeping Beautfy, Frozen, Lilo & Stitch- all great love stories! From puppy love, to a true love's kiss, to the love of sisters, to remembering that Ohana means family. Check out some of our own Family Movie Nights here to get ideas- decorations, food themeing, and of course the cinematic feature! Or maybe you just have "Tea for Two" (whether it's you and your spouse or you and your wee one!) and watch Mary Poppins or Alice in Wonderland- make your favorite finger sandwiches, brew a cuppa, and snuggle on the couch. Another staple in our house is Charlie Brown- there's quite a few Valentine's/love themed episodes to choose from there!

I hope this gives you a few new ideas how to have fun on Valentine's Day while keeping it family-focused and easy on the budget. Don't forget to check out Personal Capital for great tools to help organize your own finances, too!

Cloth Diapering: Newborn Stash

noreply@blogger.com (Shauna K) — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 00:33:00 +0000

Hi Friends~
Today I'm continuing a mini series all about how I cloth diaper! This post will be how I cloth diapered our 7 lb 3.5 oz newborn along with reviews of my choices and some tips and tricks! Again, this is just MY personal stash and opinions- some may work for you and some may not. So be flexible when you start to cloth diaper your newborn :)

Personally, I generally love snaps and natural fibers. You'll notice a lot of cotton, hemp, and a bit of bamboo in my stash. I lean towards snaps on my covers, but some hook & loop (aka. velcro) since it's so adjustable, especially at the super tiny NB phase!

Supplies:
2 diaper pail liners
diaper pail
6 newborn covers
12+ fitted diapers
4+ doublers
2 dozen flat diapers
3 dozen cloth wipes
spray bottle (filled with water/witch hazel blend)
small container (filled with coconut oil)
EcoNuts Baby powdered detergent
Scentsy (warmer or room spray)

Reviews:
The top picture I've laid out kind of in order, my top choices down to my second-string newborn diapers & newborn covers. So here's what we've got, in order...
Imagine NB Diaper Cover (bright green): One of my favorite newborn covers. Three rise settings and four waist snap settings. This fit well past my other newborn diaper covers. No leakage issues, and the gathered elastic in the front mean no issues with the umbilical cord stump.
Thirsties XS Sized Cover (light blue): Thirsties is my go-to brand for covers, and their XS is perfect for the newborn phase. No leaks and good room for extra nighttime stuffing. The hook & loop closure, which includes a crossover tab, allows for a great custom fit.
Thirsties Size 1 Duo Wrap Cover (pictured below): my go-to for once they're a touch bigger - you can see it pictured below, it's just a bit bulky for my NB, and didn't leave ample room for the umbilical cord, but was in our regular lineup within the first month. I also only use the snap closure on this cover- their new version of hook & loop, while super sticky, is just really thick and I noticed it left angry red marks on my little ones (who have a tendency to have sensitive skin like their mama!) because it IS so sturdy and thick.
Imagine NB Bamboo Fitted Diaper (light yellow): This is my favorite favorite newborn diaper! I love fitteds in general, as they keep breastfed poop contained really well. Imagine's are super soft, wash well, fit great, and have an umbilical cord snap down too. This is one that I ordered extras of after our initial purchase!
Organic Caboose NB Snap Fitted Diaper (natural with black tag): This one fits great for the early weeks & months. It's the thinnest diaper in my line up, bamboo, and is nice and trim. I always add a doubler under it just to be safe though. A great fit and includes an umbilical cord snap down. I think it was the first to be outgrown of the fitteds, but I got a lot of use out of it.
Cloth-eez NB Organic Cotton Workhorse Fitted Diaper (orange trim): A great diaper! My first experience with Cloth-eez brand, but I can highly recommend them. A close second favorite, after my Imagine fitteds. They have a crossover snap, so they work well even for the tinniest of waisted newborns! They wash well, and are just as nice as when they came home. Made exclusively for Green Mountain Diapers, which is a Christian cloth diaper store!
Thirsties Size 1 Fitted Diaper (white): Again, I love Thirsties. Their fitteds hold a good amount, and I used them with a booster as my overnight diapers. They do great for a half night- I'm always paranoid about letting newborns go all night without a change, for fear of leaks or diaper rash or just generally being uncomfortable. Sadly these don't stay quite as soft as when I first bought them, but still plenty comfy. My husband's exact words when we first bought them, "I wish they made underware like that for ME!" lol. They have three snaps in the rise, and include a crossover snap at the waist, so the waist is super adjustable, but you can see in the picture below that there's a bit of a gap in the legs on my ~7 pounder!
Bummis Super Brite NB Diaper Cover (bright pink): The only reason this is part of my "second string" is because they were the first to be outgrown out of all my covers. They are perfect for the NB phase though! Since they really are so small, and have the adjustable hook & loop closure, they fit even tiny ones super well. I'd probably get a few more for our next go around honestly- they just worked THAT well for the earliest newborn days. They really are pretty trim, so a trim fitted diaper or flat diaper works best under them, in my experience. This was actually the first cover that my littlest ever wore! With crossover tabs too, this could probably fit even premies.
Little Bee Size 1 Hemp Fitted Diaper (natural with yellow/red tag): This brand went out of business a while back, and this fitted is leftover from my first babe. You can still find these kicking around on the secondhand market usually. Made well, but the hook & loop closer is so thick that I don't know how comfortable it is for little ones. It washes well though and stays pretty soft & smooth, so it's a solid second string fitted. It tended to be a nighttime back up diaper for me.
Kissaluvs Size 0 NB Cotton/Hemp Fitted Diaper (natural with tan trim): Another one that I really wanted to love. They're a great American brand, Christian too, and sadly just went out of business. , and I love the snap down umbilical cord closure, but it's so bulky and not that soft, so it is never the first one I reach for... though it IS my backup nighttime diaper for the NB stage. Very absorbent, especially with an added doubler. There's also a ton of snap options on the front of this diaper- I honestly don't even know how it's supposed to snap up, but it gives a lot of options of how it can fit! Hehe. It also lasted the longest of my NB fitteds.
Rumparooz Newborn Diaper Cover (dark teal): I really wanted to like these because they come in SO many cute colors & patterns. While they're almost the same as Imagine's NB diapers, these only have 3 snaps in the waist, and it seemed like my wee one was always just in-between snap sizes. So these were typically the last covers I reached for, sadly.

Infant/Newborn Unbleached Prefolds (not pictured): These were a little too bulky really for the first few weeks, but around 10lbs or so I started using these, just trifolded in cover. I have both Bummis and OsoCozy unbleached ones- both great choices.
OsoCozy Unbleached Flat Diapers (pictured below): These were our travel diapers for our oldest, and washed & held up so well that we ordered a second stash for our youngest. As a NB, we used the origami fold to create "fitted" diapers with these when we ran out of regular fitted diapers. A solid second-string choice! Personally we skipped a fastener since NBs don't really move around a ton! We now use them as our primary diapers (just pad folded) since she has now outgrown the NB prefolds.
EcoNuts Baby Powdered Detergent (not pictured above): This is my go-to detergent. Most mainstream detergents are not cloth diaper safe- they wreak havoc on the elastic and PUL in the diapers. I've used this not just on my diapers but our regular laundry too! We have hard water AND highly chlorinated, and this takes care of all those issues when it comes to diaper laundry. We've used EcoNuts Soap Nuts as well, which worked great in normal water, before we moved. If you're interested, (shameless plug) Scentsy's Laundry Liquid is also cloth diaper safe!!
Rumparooz/Kanga Care Diaper Pail Liners (pictured in "Our Setup" below): Even though I wasn't a fan of their NB diapers, I love their pail liners! Built sturdier than other brands I've tried (Thirsties lasted about 3 years, and GroVia has lasted a year but starting to show wear) and they come in most of the super cute colors & patterns that their covers come in!!

All the above photos were taken within about a week of birth, right around 7 lbs

(Top-Bottom Left-Right)

Rumparooz cover, Imagine fitted, Thirsties fitted

Imagine cover, Organic Caboose fitted, Bummis cover (put on a bit too loose here)

Thirsties XS cover, Thirsties Size 1 cover, OsoCozy flat diaper (origami fold, no fastener)

Tips:
- Do your research! There are so MANY options and brands, so read through Cloth Diaper 101 articles to see what you think may work best for you and your lifestyle!
- Order a few different styles in different brands- there are many places where you can sell your diapers second-hand if you find a particular brand or style doesn't suit you or your baby. You'll find that different brands fit different baby body types- from long and lean, to short and chubby, but there IS a brand & style for everyone!!
- Check out your local cloth diaper store or online store- many offer newborn packages where you can try different styles, often with great return policies once you decide what you do & don't like!
- Rent newborn diapers! Some stores offer newborn packages that you can rent for a few weeks so you don't have to spend as much for a full newborn diaper stash that you only use for 2-4 weeks. We plan to have future babies, Lord willing, so it made sense for us to invest in a full newborn stash! We also did not buy newborn diapers for our first baby as we didn't plan to start cloth diapering until a few weeks/months in (we started her at 2 months, our youngest we cloth diapered from birth at the hospital!).
- Nickis Diapers- my favorite online cloth retailer, check them out! Great selection, reasonable shipping costs, prompt shipping, and great rewards program! I truly can't say enough good things about them (and no, I'm not paid to say that, hehe), but we've been using them since the very beginning of our cloth diaper journey about 4 years ago and plan to continue using them for a long time to come!

Our Setup:

Here's just our personal set up. I find the regular size changing tables to be way too small, especially for cloth diapering. So we just used a regular size dresser, popped the changing pad on top along with some of our essential cloth diapering supplies in a small basket, and there ya go! We use a Simple Human tall trash can as our diaper pail. Regular pail liners fit perfectly. (You see two pails here because we had two girls in cloth diapers for about 8 months, and I separated their diapers.) Below is a close up of what I keep on top of our changing table. In each drawers, I have separated out cloth wipes, everyday diapers, overnight diapers, diaper covers, etc. This JUST fit our complete stash when we had two in cloth diapers- and in the bottom photo, you can see that I had little labels on all the drawers to remember which girl's stuff was in each drawer!!

Water & Witch Hazel spray bottle = spraying our cloth wipes to wet them as we use them
Honest Co. Diaper Cream = our personal favorite cloth-diaper safe cream for really bad rashes
Olive Oil (or Coconut Oil) = our go-to for minor rashes & irritations
Face Wipes/Washcloths = for boogers, dirt, etc!
Scentsy Warmer = an essential, in my opinion! Because it warms at just above body temperature (unlike other wax warmers on the market), it's safe for kids & pets. Both my infant and preschooler have plopped their hands in the warmer with little more than a startled whine. My oldest even poured the hot wax down her bare chest, then proceeded to ask me straight faced "what happened, mama?" LOL. Anyhoo, I turn it on after changing a poop, or sometimes leave it on all day! A Scentsy room spray would work fantastically too- and the bottle lasts a really long time!! OK, yes, admittedly I'm a bit biased since I'm a Scentsy Independent Consultant, but seriously, I love these products in the nursery!

Cloth Diapers: at the Hospital

noreply@blogger.com (Shauna K) — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 03:01:00 +0000

Hi Friends~
Tonight I'm starting a mini series all about how I cloth diaper! The best thing I can tell you is to do your research! Cloth diapers have come a LONG way in the past few decades- they're no longer just pinned diapers with plastic pants! Hehe. There are MANY options- with my first little one, I ordered a few different styles in different brands. After she was born, I figured out which worked best for our lifestyle, and which brand fit her build best. Check out your local cloth diaper store or online store as some offer newborn packages where you can try different styles!

Anyhoo, so that's some starting advice! Today I'll focus on how I cloth diapered our little one, starting right from birth at the hospital! When you tour your personal hospital, ask how receptive they are to cloth diapering. Different places have different rules, so hopefully yours will be open to it!

Supplies:
2 large hanging wetbags
small wetbag
6 newborn covers
3 dozen flat diapers
3 dozen cloth wipes
travel-size spray bottle (filled with water/witch hazel blend)
travel-size container (filled with coconut oil)
Scentsy Scent Pak (in Winter Pine)

How to:
- I hung a sign (with washi tape, or masking tape) on our bassinet that stated "cloth diapers only: no disposables please!" so that the nurses were on board with our diapering choices. Since our wee one only left my sight once (for the discharge hearing test, blood test, etc), I didn't really have to worry about anyone else diapering her.
- I hung a wet bag inside the private bathroom that my hospital room had, which is also where I hung the Scentsy Scent Pak! They're great for covering up the "hospital" smell as well as any diaper smells and just the general funk from after giving birth! ;)
- I used the spray bottle to gently wet the cloth wipes. Another option I use when away from home sometimes is The Honest Company's wipes. When I first started cloth diapering, I just used Viva brand paper towels and a spray bottle of water & witch hazel. I then moved over to cloth wipes, which is really convenient when you're already cloth diapering!
- I used the "origami fold" for the flat diapers, which in effect created a faux "fitted" diaper! This fold fit well under my newborn covers. We didn't use any fasteners, but feel free to purchase some if you'd like! I didn't both since I knew we'd be switching to a "pad fold" or "trifold" as soon as the wee one got a little bigger.
- The little pot of coconut oil was for any diaper rash flare ups. It also helps in removing the sticky first meconium poops, and helps keep future sticky poops from sticking to the bum! I did not have any problems with meconium staining our diapers, by the way- nothing a little sunshine couldn't bleach out. If you're concerned though, you can purchase some fleece or disposable liners!
- Be flexible! Your birth may not go quite as planned, so even if all your cloth diapering dreams don't come true while you're in the hospital, don't fret. You can start up at home when you're ready! Our oldest didn't get any cloth diapers until she was 2 months old, when I felt ready to tackle it.

Next post, I'll show you our whole Newborn set up at home! Can't wait to share with ya'll :)

31 Days: To Nap or Not to Nap at Disney

noreply@blogger.com (Shauna K) — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 01:55:00 +0000

Hey friends!

I'm back to continue and finish up our 31 Days of Disney World with kids! We just got back from a trip this past week, but of course the wee ones brought home some germs and have been sick, so I'll try and finish up this series as frequently as I can manage to get to the computer :)

So today I bring you a few tips with regard to the important topic of napping while at Disney World!

(1) Strollers

Get them. Use them. Every child of course is different, but even those not generally inclined towards napping in the stroller may be so tuckered out from fun that they'll get in some naps while at the parks during the day. Our oldest, who doesn't always take a nap, often took two naps this past trip. I'll admit, there are some die hards that refuse to bring strollers, and I do get the hassle of schlepping it all over, but I definitely think it's worth it! You can bring your own, rent the standard hard plastic ones at the park, or rent from an outside stroller company (there's many good ones in Orlando).

(2) Carriers

The above picture is from our trip last week, and how my little one mostly napped throughout the week! If your wee one is used to a carrier, bring it along. Especially young ones may get over stimulated from all the excitement and just want a snuggle. Our youngest has napped in the carrier on me, dad, Grammy, and Grandpa! If your wee one has not tried a carrier before, try them out before the trip and not during the trip for the first time! Some kiddos just don't like them. I'm blessed that both of my little ones love them!

(3) Resort Room

Get a feel for how your little ones are doing over the first day or two. It might work best for you to head back to the resort early afternoon. Young kiddos can get a good nap in their beds. Older kids can hit up the pools. Everyone can grab lunch or a snack, and you'll skip the busiest hours at the parks, not to mention the hottest hours of the Florida sun!

(4) Rest Days

Sometimes all your little ones need is a break from the parks. We plan two days on and one day off (from the parks) on our trips. Whether it's a short week-long trip or longer 10-14 day trip, we always schedule "down days." These days mean heading to the pool, maybe letting off some steam at the miniature golf courses, just chilling in the room (getting schoolwork done, playing games, going on a tour of the resort, etc) or maybe going to Disney Springs for some shopping part of the day. A day with minimal car rides, and stroller time, and just generally being cooped up! Even with older kiddos, you may find this is just what is needed to help recharge the batteries after non-stop days at the park!

31 Days: Tinkerbell Gifts at Disney

noreply@blogger.com (Shauna K) — Sun, 01 Nov 2015 05:02:00 +0000

Hi friends!

Today I am excited to share with you the idea of "Tinkerbell Gifts" - festive gifts that "Tinkerbell" leaves your children before or during your trip! You can gift these at all different times...

surprise them with the trip by giving them a gift saying "we're going to Disney World!"
give them a gift when you leave for the airport (for use on the plane!) or leave for the car ride road trip down to Disney World
gift them each morning when the kiddos wake up (that's what my cousin and I are doing for our littles on our upcoming family reunion!). If you're *Disneybounding*, theme the gift to the character you're dressing like that day!
arrange with your hotel to have them waiting in the room when you arrive
have your spouse take the wee ones to the pool or walk around the resort while you zip into the room and set things up!

Pick your packaging!

Start from the bottom up- figure out what you want to present your gift in! This can be anything from a bowl to a bag to even a lunchbox for the wee ones to use to bring snacks and lunches to the park during your trip! If it's a smaller gift, choose something like a small glass, sippy cup, or new water bottle! If think is gifting before the car/plane ride, maybe use a new (or even fill up a current bag!) backpack as your child's carryon or you bag for the road trip!

Add some snacks!

Whether it's a whole lunchbox full of Disney-themed goodies, or just one tasty goodie, some princess or pirate goodies are sure to be a hit.

Dress them in style!

Whether it's a new t-shirt, fuzzy comfy socks, bracelets, or new PJs, some new clothes or accessories are a great addition to Tink's gift!

Make learning fun!

Whether you're a homeschooler like us, or pulling the kids out of regular school, you'll likely need to squeeze in some homework during the trip. Make it a bit more fun by Disneying their learning tools! Whether it's a new notebook and pen or flashcards, puzzles, and worksheets- make learning fun!

Practical gifts can be fun too!

Your wee ones will still need to do mundane things, so make it fun! New Disney toothbrushes or potty training tools, wash cloths or hand soap can bring a little extra magic to the trip!

Just for fun!

Of course, we have to throw in some toys for fun! Something to keep the littles occupied on the plane, bus ride from the airport, or just during stroller rides around the park- the possibilities are endless here!

Here's a sneak peek at what our preschooler might be getting one morning during our next trip!!!

31 Days: Road Trip (Planning Edition)

noreply@blogger.com (Shauna K) — Sat, 31 Oct 2015 01:30:00 +0000

Hi friends!

So! Tonight I'll share with you my best planning tips when it comes to road tripping, especially to Disney World! So let's just dive in...

So, when I plan, I include as much info as I can in our itinerary- it just helps make me feel prepared. Below is a peek at our last trip's itinerary for our driving days- the rows are as follow....

day of the week

hotel for the evening

date

event for the day/final destination

breakfast (where & what we're eating)

morning plans

lunch

afternoon plans

dinner

evening plans (hotel reservation #s)

And we've already discussed a few topics earlier in the series, like-

TOYS: how I organize and plan for the road

FOOD: my favorites for the car and storage ideas

So here's a few other tips and tricks to consider when planning out how you'll be road tripping...

PLAN:

My first piece of advice? Make sure you do plan ahead of time! Road tripping with kids is a big undertaking, no matter the age, so make sure you set aside time to plan out the details!

Get an early or late start:

Some of the best times to travel with kids are early in the morning and late at night. In the morning, the kiddos will be fresh as daisies (hopefully!) and less irritable. Maybe they'll even go back to sleep for a while if you get out early enough! Bring a portable breakfast for the road, like dry cereal, granola bars, or drinkable yogurt.

If you're night owls, drive at night when the kiddos will be sleeping mostly. This way, they'll have spent most of the morning/afternoon NOT being cooped up in the car, and thus hopefully again not irritable yet! Bring a portable dinner to eat on the road, or plan to stop for dinner 1-2 hours into the trip. Also bring night-friendly activities for any kiddos that'll stay up after the sun goes down- book lamp for reading, iPad games/movies, or glow sticks!

One day, two days, three days, more:

We've done our 12 hour trek to Disney in one day and two days. When we knew we wouldn't be guaranteed an early start, we decided to break up the drive into two days. On the way home, when we hoped that the little one would be tuckered out from a whirlwind vacation, we did the whole thing in one day. Ironically, the straight shot drive was better than the two-days (due to a variety of unavoidable factors)! So just don't be too daunted to try and do it all in one day- it CAN work, if it's your only/best option! Just know that it'll be a long day, there will be delays, so just be prepared to go with the flow :)

Rest stops:

You'll be making them, so try and plan some fun ones! We planned stops at battlefields along the way (we're history buffs!), zoos, and "Diner, Drive-ins, and Dives" restaurants! Does your family have a hobby- baseball, hiking, etc? See if there's any stadiums along your trip, or awesome state parks! Parks & battlefields are also great places to have picnic lunches and let the kids run off some steam, kick a ball around, or just stretch out on a blanket and nap or read.

Hotels:

There's kind of two schools of thoughts here- (1) make reservations in advance or (2) when you've decided you're done for the day, find a place with vacancies in the nearest town. The OCD planner in me always goes with option #1! While it's often not necessary, I always like to call the hotel and let them know if we'll be rolling in late at night- it's not unheard of for reservations to be given away. If option #2 is more your thing, just be prepared to drive around a bit. You never know if there's a big local event going on and thus no vacancies in town, so you'd have to keep driving. So just be flexible!

31 Days: Holidays at Disney

noreply@blogger.com (Shauna K) — Thu, 29 Oct 2015 20:54:00 +0000

Hi friends!

Today I wanted to share with you some fun stuff that happens around the holidays at Disney World! Aside from decorating the parks beautifully and festive cupcake goodies available everywhere, Disney has special events that really enhance the magic of your visit! I'll talk about some of the big events here- lots of extra fun for the littles :)

New Years Eve

If your wee ones are night owls, Disney of course puts on a spectacular fireworks display. The crowds at the parks (particularly Magic Kingdom) are a bit insane, but certainly an event to remember! Select restaurants also offer NYE reservations. I'd highly recommend California Grill- you can view the fireworks show from the top of The Contemporary Resort- a view that can't be beat!

Valentine's Day

Special dinner reservations are available to share an intimate meal with your spouse, or make it a special event for the whole family and share the love! Be sure to keep an eye out on Disney's website for when these reservations are made available- not all restaurants participate.

Saint Patrick's Day

Be sure to head to Disney Spring's Raglan Road for a true taste of Ireland and some incredible Irish Step Dancing performances and other traditional Irish bands. One of our family's favorite eateries year-round! They even bring some little ones on stage to learn a few dance steps- too cute!

Spring

Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival- Epcot is transformed with topiaries and gardening delights all over the place! See your child's favorite character created entirely of plants and flowers! Also, like the fall event at Epcot, you'll find food booths set up around the park to indulge in many unique eats! Also enjoy interactive play areas for kids, tips for gardening at home, and concerts!

Atlanta Braves Spring Training- Is your family a baseball fan? Call the ATL your home? Is your little one a sports nut? Be sure to check out ESPN's Wide World of Sports and catch a game!

Star Wars Weekends- Throughout the month of May, be sure to check this out! Featuring everything Star Wars. From celebrity guest appearances to special dining experiences, Jedi Training Academy to a special parade- Hollywood Studios is all things out of this world!

Easter

Check out Epcot for an Easter Egg Hunt around the World Showcase.

There are 2 Catholic Masses & 1 Protestant service at The Contemporary Resort on Easter Sunday.

Easter brunch reservations are available at select restaurants.

Fourth of July

Of course Disney puts on a huge fireworks display- not to be missed!!

Night of Joy concert in front of the castle!

Fall

Night of Joy- A truly blessed experience! A two-day Christian concert featuring the most popular Christian artists in the business! A separate ticketed event at Magic Kingdom, which means you can enter the park as early as 4pm and regular guests are required to leave by 7pm. Most of the major rides are open with relatively LOW wait times! There are three stages located throughout the park featuring different groups throughout the evening- each band plays roughly a half hour set. If your favorite band isn't playing, be sure to check at Universal Studios, as they host a Christian festival that same weekend, so your favorite may be playing over there instead!

Epcot International Food & Wine Festival- Ok, so this isn't so much for the kids, but it's a huge perk for the adults!! Set up all around Epcot's World Showcase are food booths where you can get appetizer portions of foods and drinks from all around the world. It could actually be a great way to stretch your meal budget, as the portions are kid-friendly (so you only spend a few bucks on your child's meal instead of buy a whole meal!). Definitely a must-do if you're visiting during this time! Throw in some extra learning and take the chance to learn more about the different cultures represented from around the world! Don't forget to catch the concerts featuring well-known bands!

Wine & Food Festival portions from the Ireland booth

Halloween

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party! This is a separate ticketed event at Magic Kingdom. That means that the park closes to regular guests at 7pm, and if you don't have a party wrist band, you'll be directed to leave the park. If you have a party ticket, you can enter the park as early at 4pm that day- so just relax that morning at the resort or Disney Springs and then head to Magic at 4pm and save your regular park ticket for use on another day- it's a great way to stretch your tickets and practically get a whole extra day at the park! There's dance parties, trick or treating trails, special event-only merchandise, the major rides are open with relatively LOW wait times, and it's your only chance to see the spectacular Halloween parade- arguably Disney's best parade!

Thanksgiving

There are special dinner reservations available at various restaurants. So if the only time you can visit Disney is over the holidays, you can still get your fill of turkey and stuffing! Check the Disney site frequently for when the reservations open up- holiday meals are only available at select restaurants.

Christmas

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party! This is another separate ticketed event at Magic Kingdom. That means that the park closes to regular guests at 7pm, and if you don't have a party wrist band, you'll be directed to leave the park. If you have a party ticket, you can enter the park as early at 4pm that day- so just relax that morning at the resort or Disney Springs and then head to Magic at 4pm and save your regular park ticket for use on another day- it's a great way to stretch your tickets and practically get a whole extra day at the park! There's dance parties, free cookies & hot cocoa, special event-only merchandise, the major rides are open with relatively LOW wait times, and it's your first chance to see Disney's Christmas parade before it debuts at the park during normal hours!

Holidays Around the World- Epcot's World Showcase includes special performers and storytellers at each country to share their country's holiday traditions! Really neat if your kids are old enough to sit through the stories (or they're napping in the stroller, you can sit and listen hehe). Might be fun to purchase ornaments from each country to commemorate your trip!

Candlelight Processional- This one holds a special place in my heart as it truly conveys the reason for CHRISTmas to me. This is an event at Epcot that takes place a few times each evening throughout December. A celebrity narrator reads through the Scriptures highlighting the life of Christ, accompanied by a full orchestra and choir performing some of the most well-known holiday hymns and songs. If you can, grab a "Candlelight Processional Dinner Package" reservation available on the Disney website- this gets you a ticket to the show so that you don't have to wait in line for hours to try and get into a performance! Yes, it's really that sought after. So if you get the dinner package, you only have to line up about a half hour early in order to secure your seat.

Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights- No, we're not talking about Ozzy here. This is an entire street in Hollywood Studios lined from top to bottom with Christmas lights that "dance" in sync to the music! So grab some hot cocoa and spiced nuts, enjoy the light show, and be sure to stay for the snowfall! Not to be missed! SO festive! This is the last year that they're having it, unfortunately, but there's rumor it may appear somewhere else in Disney in years to come, so fingers crossed!

Gingerbread Houses- If you have some down time (maybe a stray afternoon thunderstorm, or a day off from the parks), be sure to pop on the monorail and over to Disney's Boardwalk! The resorts on those two lines feature some incredible gingerbread displays, and you can purchase your own gingerbread there too! Really incredible displays from a moving carousel to a 10 foot tall house! This is an underrated Christmas experience, but we really love it!

Gingerbread Carousel at Beach & Yacht Club Resort

Christmas Tree at POP Century Resort

31 Days: Packing for Disney

noreply@blogger.com (Shauna K) — Thu, 29 Oct 2015 01:09:00 +0000

Hey friends!

Today's is a quick post! I wanted to share the packing list that I use when traveling to Disney. It's fairly tailored- cloth diaper packing list, staying at a Disney Vacation Club timeshare so we have a washer/dryer and full kitchen, "mousekeeping" (aka. Disney's housekeeping) envelopes for tips, etc.- but I wanted to share in case I've thought of something that might be useful for you to add to your own packing list!! If you want to print out your own packing list, check out my last Disney 31 Days series- check it out * HERE * free printable packing list!

Note: you'll see my organized listing tendencies emerged here on the packing list... I have "packed" and "unpacked" so I can check off when everything is put in the suitcase and once everything has returned home! And "place" is to keep track what's in my purse vs. carry on vs. checked bags.

31 Days: Capturing the Disney Memories

noreply@blogger.com (Shauna K) — Tue, 27 Oct 2015 20:00:00 +0000

Whether this is your first trip or your fortieth trip, especially when your kiddos are involved, make sure you capture those memories to remember for a good long while to come! I look forward to one day showing our future grandkids photos of the first time we took their parents to Disney World!! Here just a few ideas of how to capture the memories...

Autograph Book

This might be the quickest way to organize your photographs. Buy a traditional 4"x6" photo album, one that has only 1-2 photos per page. Then make a DIY "autograph book" for when your kiddos meet the characters, and make sure the pages are also 4"x6"- just put one or two rings through the corners to bind the book together. Then when you get home, take the rings out and pop the autographed pages into the photo album. Slip in a photo of your child(ren) with each character on the same or opposing page (depending if it's 2 or 1 photos per page)- instant memory album of your trip!

Photo Book

There are tons of online sites available to upload your photos to and create a printed photo book. My favorite is Shutterfly, and they always have some sort of promotion/coupon available. This is probably one of the easiest ways to create a whole memory album of your photos!

PhotoPass & MemoryMaker

This is Disney's version of Shutterfly. In the parks, you'll find Disney's PhotoPass photographers stationed throughout, ready to capture great photos for you. They'll also use your camera, if you'd like. At the end of your trip, you'll log onto your My Disney Experience account and view all of your photos. You can also then create photo books, calendars, photo mugs, etc. You can also choose to just download a photo or two and then print them out yourself. If you plan to get a bunch of photos, purchasing MemoryMaker is your best bet- get all of your photos and then some on one CD. Make sure to purchase your MemoryMaker package more than 3 days before your trip, otherwise you may miss out on some of your photos!

Scrapbooking

This is my personal favorite! If you're crafty, make sure you journal throughout your trip so that you don't forget any of your magical experiences. Get your kids involved- have them journal or draw out what they did that day! I tend to keep a lot of memorabilia from my trips- everything from luggage tags to receipts, wristbands to colored-on-placemats! You can do the easy and popular pocket scrapbooking method or do traditional full-page layouts!

31 Days: Celebrations at Disney

noreply@blogger.com (Shauna K) — Mon, 26 Oct 2015 01:44:00 +0000

Hey friends!

So, did ya'll know there are some super special ways you can celebrate at Disney World? Here are just a few celebrations you can, well, celebrate with your wee ones...

first visit

birthday

pregnancy

graduations

family reunion

medical milestones

(cancer free, new glasses, etc.)

It doesn't need to be the exact day either- even if your little's birthday is in July, and your trip isn't until September, you can still celebrate their birthday on the trip! There's no "verification process" or anything- so feel free to celebrate anything you want anytime!

Of course there are plenty of other celebrations too...

holidays

wedding

honeymoon

engagement

anniversary

military accomplishments

deployments/redeployments

There's a few special ways that Disney can make your celebration even more magical.

Buttons

Get a special button at Guest Relations at any of the parks or check at the front desk of your Disney resort. They have a few pre-made buttons or you can customize one for your celebration! Make sure you wear your buttons around the parks- cast members will shout out salutations!

In-Room Gift Baskets

If you're staying at a Disney resort, you can choose from a variety of pre-made gift & floral baskets or customize your own! You can purchase or create baskets to fit most any budget. Just check out Disney Floral & Gifts to find out more and set up your in-room delivery!

Dining Reservations

When you set up your dining reservations, make sure to mention that you're celebrating something! Sometimes you'll get an extra special surprise (not guaranteed though). You can see the complementary cake that we received during our honeymoon above!

31 Days: Road Trip (Eating Edition)

noreply@blogger.com (Shauna K) — Fri, 23 Oct 2015 20:58:00 +0000

Hi friends!

Today I'll be sharing some of our favorite snacks for the road! Along with a few tips to help snack time go a little smoother. Please feel free to learn from our family's mistakes on past trips! hehe

First up, our set up...

I keep a small cooler filled with any refrigerator-loving snacks in the backseat. I'll use this same cooler to bring snacks/meals into the parks during the trip, so it serves double duty!

I have a caddy or basket that I place all of our snacks in for easy reaching. I'll put this on top of the small cooler, so our oldest can easily pick out a snack, and I leave a space here for her water bottle to fit!

I also bring an empty cup, to pour larger containers of snacks into- cereal, trail mix, etc. I got the Frozen cup from the Dollar Spot at Target! Other snacks I'll pre-portion into small tupperware before we leave- veggies, fruit, etc. I got the Mickey tupperware at the Dollar Tree- they're cheap quality but fun! They'll either get added to the kids' play kitchen or tossed after the trip. You could also use

I also keep a baggie of small paper towels moistened with vinegar in the front seat with me. That's what I use instead of wet wipes (cheaper and no chemicals!). I also keep some dry paper towels and small bath/pool towels on the floor in the backseat for larger messes that may need to be cleaned up. Somewhere either with me or in the backseat (where I can reach from the front) I keep a small bag or garbage bin to collect, well, garbage!

TIP: Empty that garbage bin every time you stop! Funky smells from foods build up quickly on a long trip, not to mention it'll just get full quickly!

Now, on to some of our favorite snacks that are car-friendly!! (aff. links)

CONTINUE READING POST HERE »

31 Days: Disney Park Friendly Snacks & Meals

noreply@blogger.com (Shauna K) — Thu, 22 Oct 2015 17:47:00 +0000

Hi friends!
So! Today I'll give you just a few ideas for what you can do to help keep that food budget in check- namely, bring your meals and/or snacks to the parks! You're allowed to bring a small personal-sized cooler into the parks, just be sure to leave any glass bottles (aside from baby food jars) at home!

Where you'll be staying and what type of kitchen facilities (or lack thereof) that you'll have access to, that will mostly determine what foods you might bring with you to the parks. Below are some ideas to get you started... and be sure to check out my "Bringing Your Meals" post from my previous 31 Days series for a FREE shopping list printable. If you're a planner like me, also check out my "Meal Planning Trackers" post for FREE meal planning printables for your trip!

Easy To Prepare In A Standard Hotel Room

-- MAIN MEALS --

granola
trail mix or GORP
oatmeal
grits
dry cereals
sandwiches
soups (in the individual serving size containers)
garden salad
pasta salad
yogurt
pop tarts
refrigerator/overnight oatmeal

-- SNACKS & SIDE DISHES --

fruits- apples, oranges, bananas, pears, grapes, berries, etc.
veggies- cucumbers, bell peppers, carrot sticks, etc.

pickles, olives, sliced salami, etc.
dinner rolls

crackers & cheese
string or sliced cheese
nuts
pretzels & chips
trail mix, GORP, granola bars, etc.
fruit leather or gummies
applesauce/food packets

Supermarket Shopping Upon Arrival
I'd definitely recommend menu planning ahead of time! Again, above you can find a link to my free meal planning printables. If you're planning on bringing food with you to the park, you have two options- (1) opt to have a food-delivery service, such as Garden Grocer, deliver to your room (2) take your rental car to the grocery store! Also, some items you could pre-package and bring with you from home to avoid buying a large container at the supermarket and throw away much of it at the end of your trip (learn from our family's mistakes, hehe)! Here are some ideas...

spice packets- put together all of the spices you'll need for each meal in a baggie, this way you're not buying a bunch of spice containers there just to use for a week, and you also don't have to skip adding spices to your meals and have bland meals all week!
bring half, buy half- for example, if you're making rice & beans, bring the pre-measured rice in a baggie with you (since you most likely won't use an entire bag of rice on your trip), but save space/weight in your suitcase by buying the canned beans at the supermarket
condiments- sugar, salt, and any other items that you use in smaller quantities
water bottle- if you don't like tap water, bring a reusable water bottle and buy jugs of water at the supermarket to refill your bottle, cheaper than buying a flat of disposable water bottles
extra water bottles- leave the ice packs at home, instead fill up a spare freezer-safe water bottle or two and pop it in the freezer overnight. When you head to the parks the following day, use the frozen water bottle for an ice pack- it will keep your meal cold but be melted enough to provide a nice cold beverage for you later in the day!
tea & coffee- bring a few tea bags, pre-measure loose leaf tea into a baggie and toss in a measuring spoon along with some loose leaf tea bags, pre-grind your coffee and toss in a baggie with a measuring spoon, and bring your own coffee filters!

Need some more lunchbox inspiration, check out my Pinterest board!

Follow Shauna's board Cooking: Lunchbox on Pinterest.

31 Days: Road Trip (Playing Edition)

noreply@blogger.com (Shauna K) — Thu, 22 Oct 2015 01:47:00 +0000

Hi friends!

So tonight I wanted to share how we do toys while we're road tripping long distances! Below is our small haul that we did for our last Disney trip. It's 12 hours, one way, and our wee one was 2.5 yrs old at the time of the trip. I had no idea how she would fare, as our longest time in the car was the year prior when we PCSed (Army move), but we kept driving days to 6 hrs or so. Anyhoo, I wanted to make sure she had MORE than ample things to entertain her!

First up, we have our book baskets (aka. magazine files)! One was for the trip down to Disney and one for the trip back home. They each had numbers taped to them so I knew which ones to give her at which point in the trip. I wrapped them up like a gift- it was like Christmas in September for her!

For the toys, I put them each in a baggie and again attached numbered tags to them, so that I knew which ones to distribute at which point in the trip. I tried to choose toys that could be somewhat easily contained (or at least with pieces large enough that they wouldn't get lost in the car seats!)

Some of the toys that we brought were old favorites, toys that I knew the wee one would enjoy. I snuck these away so that she hadn't played with them in about 2 weeks or so- that way they had a "new" factor to them again! The others were new toys- some store-bought or handmade!

The toys I bring generally fall into three categories-

(1) disposable

Toys that will be tossed in the garbage during or after the trip, think coloring books that get used up, stickers, glow sticks, etc.

(2) educational

Toys that teach letters, numbers, shapes, colors- these will be used again during/after the trip for homeschool purposes! Also items that work on motor skills.

(3) fun

Toys that are just fun! Some are things she's wanted for a while, some again are old favorites, and some are just, well, toys! Disney princess people, mini horses, fun stuff!

Here's how I organized everything- piled in a huge Ikea bag! You'll see the two magazine files with the wrapped books towards the top of the picture. In the bottom of the picture are two smaller bags with the toys in them. One bag is for the trip down to Disney, and one for the trip home. The toy bag & book file for the trip home stayed in the trunk, while the rest lived on the floor below our daughter's car seat for the trip there! I also brought a 9x13 small baking dish (the metal pan on the top of the one bag)- it fit perfectly in her lap in the car seat to help contain the toys with multiple pieces and give a sturdy surface to color on!

Below you'll see my uber-planner side coming out again... Yes, I actually planned out which toys and books to distribute each hour of our trip! Crazy, right?! Well, it made me feel more organized about the trip, and thus less stressed. So it worked for me :)

See where it says "Rest." over one column? That stands for "restaurant." I noted those so that I could grab them out of the car and bring them with us to the parks to entertain the little one during meals at the sit-down restaurants. Most restaurants give out crayons and paper, but I wanted to be prepared just in case! I also noted here what toys to grab to bring into the hotel for the night.

Want to know some of my favorite car trip toys? The ones that worked best? Here ya go...

(affiliate links)

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31 Days: Meeting the Characters at Disney

noreply@blogger.com (Shauna K) — Tue, 20 Oct 2015 22:40:00 +0000

Hi friends!

So, do you want to know where you can meet your little one's favorite characters at Disney World? Well I'll share with you a few ways you can get this done!

Disney Visa Card

If you have a Disney Visa Card, you can meet select characters in a private card members-only area in Epcot everyday and pose for photos! This is an awesome perk (among many other perks and discounts!) offered to card members.

Character Dining

We go to Disney in large part because of the food, I'll admit. The husband and I are foodies, and Disney has some top notch eateries on property! So, if you love food, and your little ones love characters, consider doing a character meal! There are a ton to choose from- so pick your little one's favorite character, see what restaurants they appear at, and book a meal! Make sure you book 180 days out, as character dining is in high demand and can book up fast!

Special Events

Check out some of the special events that Disney puts on throughout the year- Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, etc- as many times you can find unique characters are out and about during these parties! Sometimes you can only find certain characters at these events, as they're "retired" from appearing at the parks during normal park days!

At the Parks

Of course the most straightforward way to meet the characters? Visit the parks! There are dedicated character meet & greets throughout each park, as well as pop up locations (typically for lesser popular characters). So keep your eyes peeled :) And check out the Dance Parties at the various parks for character appearances too!