Bored? Not for Long!!

Check out this AMAZING collection of activities and projects. There is SO many gorgeous ideas - it's just a matter of how many ink cartidges you have in reserve!! It's the activity page of Jan Brett's website... staggering!!! Check it out. (clic on the title of this post)

Chess Challenge

So on Sunday we bought THE cutest chess set for Meer – made by Ocram Girap. It has the jungle animals as the chess pieces, and is SUPER CUTE!! Kush is quite the chess player, so he offered to play me a game… WHAT a SLAUGHTER. Not joking. And Kush being Kush – well – safe to say teaching isn’t his forte. So I looked online for some place that could teach me…

I found this super neat site – chess playing for kids, basically! It is at www.chesskids.com and has a FULL resource section of Downloadable and printable BOOKS – lesson plans, really – for you to learn step by step!! They ask for donations, but you can also print out the books for free! By clicking on the title of this post, it will take you to the page where the free downloads are…

Toddler Activites - Ice Cream Colors

This is the most hilarious thing ever! It is a free print out thingy from a site called www.first-school.ws/ . (By clicking on the title of this post you will be taken directly to the ice cream page!!) Anyway - I made a set and used that bluetac stuff to stick it onto the wall, but Meer LOVED ripping them off SO much, I glue-gunned them on the wall with velcro! (a big tall strip vertically, and then horizontal strips on the backs of each scoop and cone) It is just hilarious to watch him be "destructive" - he just loves it!! Hope you enjoy it too...

;-D

Local Shopping - Wooden Kid Stuff

Well - there is THE coolest store at Village Market - they sell handmade wooden kid stuff. It is called Ocram Girap, and it is FABULOUS!~ Clic on the title of this post to check out their site - it has pictures of all the stuff they sell, etc... Enjoy!!

Flash Card Mania – Shapes

I did these with my publishing software. I like them, and everything, but there is also a nice set available from Jan Brett! The link to the ones I found online is here…

http://www.janbrett.com/pdf/jan_brett_geometric_shapes.pdf

Flash Card Mania - Colors

Here is the link to the flash cards for learning the colors! Also quite pretty…

http://www.janbrett.com/pdf/colors_flash_cards.pdf

Flash Card Mania - Matching Animals Game

Now HERE is a really sweet version of the game – Concentration! It is SUPER CUTE and well drawn pictures of different animals – two of each – for our little ones to learn matching! Just adorable. There are 12 different animals to match up. Here is the direct link…

http://www.janbrett.com/games/matching_animals_game_main.htm

Flash Card Mania - Matching Numbers Game

There is also a GREAT number matching game too - one card has the number - one card has the picture. Then it is a matter of matching up the correct ones! VERY nice looking... I am working on that this week! (Yes - I ran out of laminating pouches and holographic card stock! Not to worry - I replenished my supply first thing this morning!! ;-D) Anyway - this is the link to the number matching printables...

http://www.janbrett.com/games/matching_numbers_game_main_page.htm

Flash Card Mania - Numbers

These are the numbers by Jan Brett. They are super neat too. Same thing – clic on the link below, and open up each page as a pdf file – 4 numbers per page.

http://www.janbrett.com/numbers/numbers_flash_cards_main.htm

Flash Card Mania - Pretty Ones

These are from an absolutely FABULOUS site I found – AMAZING artwork, and super pretty, etc. There is a TONNE of stuff to choose from – everything from gift cards, to flash cards, to preschool lessons, to classroom supplies, etc. Just amazing! If you clic on the title of this post, it will take you to her index page. Scroll down, and do a search for what you are looking for – you will be SHOCKED to see how much is available – and YES – all for free! I printed out 2 sets of alphabet flashcards – one in hand writing, and one in printing – so Meer can (one day) match up the written letters with the printed letters, etc. And the artwork is SO pretty…

This is the main page where you can search for what you are looking for:

http://www.janbrett.com/index.html

This is the link to the Traditional Alphabet Flash Cards:

http://www.janbrett.com/alphabet/flash_card_alphabet_traditional_main_page.htm

This is the link to the Modern Alphabet Flash Cards:

http://www.janbrett.com/alphabet/flash_card_alphabet_modern_main_page.htm

This is the link to the Cursive (handwritting) Alphabet Flash Cards:

http://www.janbrett.com/alphabet/flash_card_alphabet_cursive_main_page.htm

Flash Card Mania - the Beginning

So I went a bit nuts over the weekend with my laminator!! Found a GREAT site for flashcards – well, 2 sites, actually. These are the ones I found first – a full set of the alphabet – I made two sets, so we can play matching later, etc. Here are the links to the flashcards – you can print them out yourself – yes – for free!!! Right clic each of the links below, and choose "open in new window" - it will open up a pdf file with 4 letters on each page - one for each link... Hope you like them too!

http://www.first-school.ws/t/alpha_flash1ad.htm

http://www.first-school.ws/t/alpha_flash1eh.htm

http://www.first-school.ws/t/alpha_flash1il.htm

http://www.first-school.ws/t/alpha_flash1mp.htm

http://www.first-school.ws/t/alpha_flash1qt.htm

http://www.first-school.ws/t/alpha_flash1ux.htm

http://www.first-school.ws/t/alpha_flash1yz.htm

Baby Gear - Wheely Bugs

These are neat! Made by the same clever company that came up the the Hipseat Carrier I keep going on and on about - www.hippychick.com . Anyway - these are super fun, and super well made. They have a few different ones - cow, bee, ladybug, etc. This is the one Meer has. It has "omni directional wheels", meaning it can bomb around in any direction and turn around on the spot - how fun!! They are really well made - totally solid and fabulous, basically! Hope you like them too! Yes - clic on the link to see them... ;-D

Baby Gear - FunPod

Now this is something that is still on my wish-list! It is a narrow wooden box (basically) that you can put your toddler in while you are busy working in the kitchen! It is adjustable, so you can find the right hieght for your little one to be able to stand beside you and "work" on the counter! When you are not using it with your child, it has a wooden chopping block cover - so it isn't a waste of space. It comes in 4 different colors, and is available in London at a fab store called www.lullabys.co.uk . Clic on the title of this post to check it out - they even have a little video clip so you can see it in action! I think it is just a brilliant idea!!

Baby Gear - Laundry Soap

I also recommend this laundry detergent – especially if you are coming to Kenya to adopt a baby! It rinses out of the fabric 100% so it is perfect for sensitive baby skin, and is super concentrated – one 5.5lb box washes 50 loads of laundry (about 1 tbsp per load) – so it lasts really a long time! There is a link to the site if you want to read the actual details about it – just clic on the title of this post. I have been washing Meer's clothes in it for one year now, and have just busted into my second box... about a month ago! Imagine. BRILLIANT stuff.

Baby Gear - Time Out Pad

Now check THIS out: It is a new product I saw at my favorite online shop in London – it is a pressure sensitive time-out-pad, that has a timer (1 minute per age of your child) and beeps if your child gets up before the time-out is over! How neat!! I mean – hopefully you never have to use it, but... seriously. NEAT! Clic on the title of this post to read more about it...

Baby Gear - Baby Bjorn Dishes

Now these food dishes and cutlery are pretty great too. They SAY that they are hard for little cuties to pick up and toss – not really the case. Meer can pick them up just fine! But they ARE super easy to scoop food up onto the spoon, and the spoon has a little notch on the underside, so it rests on the edge of the bowl without slipping inside. AND if they DO get tossed – they are next to impossible to break. The bottom edge has a gummy rubber ring, so they don’t slip around, etc. All in all – a real winner. Clic on the title of the post to read more, etc.

Baby Gear - Hotslings

These cute slings are just the best. And trust me – I have bought and tried just about every single one on the market!! The ONLY thing these one’s are NOT the best for, is breastfeeding. Then you will need the good old fashioned Maya Sling. But the Hotslings are PERFECT for everything else – and no need to adjust it…. Ever!! You just slide it over your head and one arm, and off you go. Perfect for newborns and toddlers. ( when they are bigger, they sit straddling your hip with the hotsling under their butt like a seat – tres handy!!) To be honest… after about 1 year, I only use the hipseat carrier. But you can purchase one hotsling, and then make your own using it as the pattern. SUPER EASY. I made about 6 different ones – to match my outfits!! All you need is about 1.8m of stretch cotton, and some hollow fiber to pad the one rim. Easy peasey!! But for those of you who don’t sew – just buy a couple – you will LOVE THEM!! I suggest at least two – since the edge seems to catch a LOT of drool, so you will want a fresh one handy. Yes – clicking on the title of this post will take you to www.hotslings.com!! Enjoy.

Baby Gear - Magnetic Door Locks

"Hidden Locks for Modern Kitchens" - These are THE coolest door locks …. EVER!! They are magnetic and completely hidden inside the cupboard or drawer – so you never see them! To unlock them, you pass a magnet “key” over the front of the door, and it releases the magnet on the inside - releasing the lock. HOW neat! Not cheap, mind you, and you DO have to drill a little hole on the inside of the cabinet or drawer to countersink in a little magnet… but who cares! Beats wrestling with plastic clips for YEARS!! Check out the link in the title of this post – they are amazing! And I mean - heck - how hilarious would they be for April fools???? PERFECT! ha ha ha!!!

Baby Gear - Bilibo

These are super neat… things! They have no real purpose, other than sparking the imagination in our little ones! They were developed by the Children’s Hospital in Switzerland, of all places! They come in the large size (bigger than a basket ball), or the smaller size – which make great scoops, etc. Basically they can be used inside, outside, in the water, sand, snow, etc. And two stack together to form a complete circle – kinda cool! Also available in a heap of colors, and you can see them by clicking on the title of this post.

Baby Gear - Doidy Cups

This is a super cool cup for your little one to learn to drink from. They are cheap, and the extra angle means it is easier for you little one to learn to tip the cup himself… it’s GREAT! Seriously – like the third day I busted it out, I came into the kitchen to see Meer pick it up by the handle, take a sip, and set it back down!! I was like – HUH??? Seriously. NOT that there wasn’t a trail of milk down his chin, but definitely cleaner than trying from a normal cup! Give them a try. Clic on the title of this post to view them properly… but you may want to do a local search to find them near you – we had to get them from London, at a super cool store called http://www.bumpto3.co.uk/ . (You can also clic on that and do a search for doidy cups...)