Homemade Gift Ideas!

I love doing crafts with my little one and the holiday season is the perfect time for making special crafts to be given as gifts! I believe that it’s important to give my little one the opportunity to give presents she has helped create. During the holidays we make a homemade gift to give to our family members. Here are a few gifts we’ve made.

Make a Treat: Holiday cookies, fudge, or even peppermint bark. Let your little one choose which treat to make and have him or her help cerate these yummy treats.

Homemade Soap: You can find lots of recipes for making homemade soap online. This one from Baby Center is a favorite of mine. Use a small reindeer or a little Christmas tree to put in each soap!

Cloth Napkins: Use white linen napkins for your kiddo to stamp a cute winter shape or holiday symbol with fabric paint!

Cookie or Brownie Mix in a Jar: Kids can help measure out dry ingredients and pour them into the jar. Then tie a cute ribbon around the jar and a piece of paper with the rest of the ingredients and cooking directions.  I like to let my little one decorate the tag. Allrecipes has some great recipe ideas for “Cookie Mix in a Jar”!

Check out our Pinterest Holiday Fun board for more homemade gift ideas and other ways to get inspired to create this holiday season! (http://www.pinterest.com/blossomingbuds/holiday-fun/)

Happy gift giving! We wish you a very happy holiday and a wonderful New Year!

To learn more about one of Seattle’s best preschools and drop-off childcare programs visit www.blossomingbudspreschool.com and www.blossomingbudscottage.com.

3 Ways to Give Back this Holiday Season!

The holiday season is my favorite time of the year. I love the hustle and bustle, the magic of Christmas, and celebrating with family and friends. 

I feel so blessed for my life. But I know there are those who are less fortunate. So many families struggle, especially during this time of year, to put enough food on the table and can’t afford new toys or clothes. It is important to me that I teach my little one about giving back. I want her to grow up knowing there are other families who need help. 

Here are a few ideas of how to give back this holiday season:

Send a card:  If your little one likes to draw or paint, have him/her make a holiday card to send to a local hospital or contact the Holiday Mail for Heroes program to mail cards to troops overseas. What a difference a simple homemade card can make.  Check out our pinterest Christmas Fun board for other homemade card ideas! (www.pinterest.com/blossomingbuds)

Donate toys, food or clothes: Check out these organizations that have holiday drives. Toys for Tots ( http://www.toysfortots.org/), Northwest Harvest (http://www.northwestharvest.org/donate), and WestSide Baby (http://www.westsidebaby.org/).  Or maybe consider making a donation to Children’s Hospital or the Salvation Army.  Each year Blossoming Buds Preschool and Blossoming Buds Cottage join Sleep Country to collect toys for their Secret Santa Toy Drive for Foster Kids: http://www.sleepcountry.com/local-foster-kids.aspx.

Give your time: If money is tight this year, it’s always a wonderful idea to donate your time by visiting nursing homes or helping out at a local food bank such as this one: (http://www.udistrictfoodbank.org/involved/). Sometimes lending a helping hand is most valuable during the holidays.

Wishing you very happy holidays!

To learn more about one of Seattle’s best preschools and drop-off childcare programs visit www.blossomingbudspreschool.com and www.blossomingbudscottage.com.

5 Tips for a Safe Halloween

I love fall, the leaves are changing, the weather is getting cooler, and the air is crisp, which means it is almost the holiday season and Halloween is first on the calendar. Preparing for Halloween is so much fun; choosing a Halloween costume, pumpkin crafts and decorations, carving pumpkins, and harvest parties. I love to look at pinterest for new ideas. Check out our Halloween Pinterest board for some inspiration this Halloween. (www.pinterest.com/blossomingbuds)

However my favorite part of Halloween is taking my little one trick-or-treating. Here are five tips to keep little ones safe while trick-or-treating!

1. Parents should always go trick-or-treating with kids and walk them all the way to the door.

    2.   Inspect all the candy and don’t let children eat anything that is open or unwrapped.

3. Trick-or-Treat in familiar neighborhoods. One of our favorite Seattle spots for Trick-or-Treating is the Wedgewood Neighborhood’s Business Trick-or-Treat along 35^th Avenue NE from 4pm-6pm on October 31^st! Be sure to stop into Blossoming Buds Cottage for a treat too!

4. While out trick-or-treating, attach glow sticks to costumes to keep kids visible and have them hold a flashlight. Glow sticks are available at most Dollar Stores; they make great additions to most costumes. 

5. If your child is wearing a mask, make sure he or she is able to clearly see by making the eye holes bigger or substitute a mask with face paint.

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

To learn more about one of Seattle’s best preschools and drop-off childcare programs visit www.blossomingbudspreschool.com and www.blossomingbudscottage.com.

Back to School Lunch Ideas

It’s almost that time of the year: Back to School! Lots of exciting changes; the first day of school, meeting new teachers, making new friends, kids heading off to kindergarten for the first time, and even reuniting with friends from the previous year.

It also means that it’s time to start packing lunches for school. Initially packing school lunch is not a tedious task, but rather a welcome change from a summer of picnics and snacks.  However, once parent’s creative ideas of what to pack for lunch wears off, the rut hits and PB&Js windup in every sack. 

One thing I do to ensure the rut doesn’t hit our lunch sacks it to plan in advance. I find it is easier to be creative when I plan and match lunch ideas specific to what fruits and veggies are in season. For example, I love using squash during the fall! One of my favorite things to make is butternut squash soup, which is delicious warm or cold.

I also use Pinterest to gather ideas. One of my favorite Web sites is Bento For My Girls. This mom shares her over 400 lunch ideas. Her lunch ideas look enticing and she focuses on keeping the lunch healthy. Check out some of her lunch inspired ideas http://pinterest.com/pin/375206212676324739/.

Sandwiches are a great option, but when they are packed everyday, your kids are bound to be board. Check out our Back to School Pinterest board for some sandwich alternatives for your child’s lunch including meatloaf cupcakes!

http://pinterest.com/blossomingbuds/back-to-school/

Happy lunch packing!

To learn more about one of Seattle’s best preschools and drop-off childcare programs visit www.blossomingbudspreschool.com and www.blossomingbudscottage.com.

Best Places for Picnics in Seattle

It is getting hot out there! And that means outdoor dining aka PICNICS! I love picnicking with my family and little one. The preparation for getting ready for the picnic is the best part with my kiddo. Check out our Pinterest board on best kid friendly recipes http://pinterest.com/blossomingbuds/recipe-ideas-for-kids/.

Also because it is so hot outside it is very important to keep food safe. I love these insulated bags from Dabbawalla: http://pinterest.com/pin/375206212676216169/

I also love to adventure out of our neighborhood and make a “trip” of our picnic day.

Here is a list of some favorite places to picnic with little ones:

Washington Park Arboretum

Discovery Park

Volunteer Park

Saint Edward State Park

Woodland Park Zoo

Seward Park

To learn more about one of Seattle’s best preschools and drop-off childcare programs visit www.blossomingbudspreschool.com and www.blossomingbudscottage.com.

Make the 4th of July Celebration Safe

One of my favorite holidays is the 4th of July! It brings out the kid in me. The fireworks, smell of the barbecue, food, family, and friends! I am always reminded when celebrating the Deceleration of Independence for our great country, to make sure the kids are safe because there are always avoidable incidences that I hear about every year. Here are 5 tips to make sure your 4th of July celebration is a safe one!

1) Leave the fireworks to the professionals! It is best to leave lighting of the fireworks for the professionals, as every year there are reports of severe burns and even death that could have been avoided.

2) If you must light off a few fireworks make sure to have no bare skin showing, light of fireworks away from buildings, never point fireworks at another person, and never try to relight a firework.

3) Have a first aid kit on hand, with bandaids, aloe vera and sunscreen.

4) Make sure food that is easily exposed to food born viruses, such as potato salad, pastas, and meats are kept at the appropriate temperatures.

5) Drink lots of water! Make sure the family is well hydrated throughout the day to avoid heatstroke!

Hope your 4th of July is a safe a pleasant one!

To learn more about one of Seattle's best preschools visit www.blossomingbudspreschool.com or one of Seattle's best drop-off childcare programs visit www.blossomingbudscottage.com.

The Best Graduation Celebration Ideas

Another school year is almost over. Not only should you give yourself a pat on the back for being an amazing parent, but it's important to celebrate your child's scholar achievements for the year. At Seattle's Blossoming Bud's Preschool, we think a celebration and graduation parties are the way to keep your kiddos proud of their accomplishments and excited for next year.

Here are some ideas for celebrating educational accomplishments for any age.

It doesn't matter if the graduate is 5 or 20, Dr. Seuss Oh The Places You'll Go book has a message for all ages.  This was the theme of our graduation party last year.  It was a huge hit!  If your child is just graduating preschool buy this book and start a tradition with this idea.

Chalkboard graduation party theme. Chalkboard is a timeless theme for any age graduate.

And don't forget to capture this graduation milestone with a photo. We think starting a tradition to celebrate the end of every school year with your child holding chalkboard or sign, like below, is a great idea.

Check out other graduation ideas our Pinterest board: http://pinterest.com/blossomingbuds/graduation-celebration. To learn more about one of Seattle’s best preschool sand drop-off childcare programs visit www.blossomingbudspreschool.com and www.blossomingbudscottage.com.

Best Seattle Summer Camps Tips

Summer is almost here, which means it is time to start planning for summer camp! And choosing the right summer camp for your kids can be a task. As the owner of Seattle's Blossoming Bud's Preschool and Cottage I understand the importance of choosing the right summer camp for your kids. Here are 5 tips for ensuring your little one has summer to remember.

1) Age appropriate. If the camp is age-integrated, which most of them are, make sure there are activities that are appropriate for all age ranges.

2) Activity, activity, activity. Here in Seattle summer is a sacred time and outdoor activity is a must! For example, if your child is into horses find a camp that focuses on outdoor activities involving horses and other animals.

3) Do your homework. Make sure to research not only the camp, but also the employees and facilities.

4) Element of learning. Even though it is summer camp it is important your child is stimulated to encourage continued education. The good camps incorporate fun with learning, and aren't just independent play all day long.  Summer is all about enjoying the sunshine and doing a lot of hands-on activities.

5) Always have on hand.  Make sure to always apply sunscreen in the morning before you send kids off to camp, and if they will be there all day make sure to put a tube in their backpack also.  Consider putting a sun hat and a water bottle in your kiddos backpack, too.

Here are a list of some of Seattle's best summer camps:

Blossoming Buds Preschool: http://www.blossomingbudspreschool.com/  (under programs)
Woodland Park Zoo Camps: http://www.zoo.org/page.aspx?pid=1763#.UWHQr5PFW8w
Seattle Aquarium: http://www.seattleaquarium.org/camps-family-programs

To learn more about one of Seattle’s best preschools and drop-off childcare programs visit www.blossomingbudspreschool.com and www.blossomingbudscottage.com.

Non-Toxic Products

I recently saw a report on Dateline NBC how producer Andrea Canning discovered shocking levels of bisphenol A (BPA), phthalates and triclosan in her urine. This news report inspired me to revisit some of our household products and share some of my favorite non-toxic products. 

The Honest Company: is a full eco-friendly household cleaning and personal product line. From its non-toxic cleaning supplies to the organic baby wipes, this line has both kids and parents covered. 

Safe food containers are a must in my house! We are always on the go and safe waterbottles and sippy cups are a stapel. That's why I love Klean Kanteen.

Crafts are a must for my little one, and her favorite craft tool - crayons! My favorite eco-friendly crayons are by Eco-Kids. These eco-crayons are handmade with natural and organic fruit, plant and vegetable extracts from annatto seed, beets, carrots, curcumin, purple sweet potato, red cabbage and spinach, soy, bee and palm wax. I feel comfortable knowing if those crayons slip into my little one's mouth, not only are they non-toxic they are yummy too!

Check out other non-toxic products and eco-ideas on our Pinterest board: The Best Non-Toxic Products http://pinterest.com/blossomingbuds/best-non-toxic-products. To learn more about one of Seattle’s best preschool sand drop-off childcare programs visit www.blossomingbudspreschool.com and www.blossomingbudscottage.com.