Let's get organized! 7 Tips for organizing now that school is back in session!

Believe it or not, it’s  back to school time. It’s a time of excitement and new beginnings—oh, and rushed mornings, lost library books, and mountains of school paperwork for mom and dad to fill out.
Feeling overwhelmed yet? If so, commit to making this year your family gets organized for back to school. These awesome back to school organization tips are the perfect place to begin!

 Make a checklist of everything that needs to get done between now and the first day of school, invest in a planner they are life savers!

• Fill in your calendar now with all important dates for the school year. Mark days like enrollment, open house, PTA meetings, and other upcoming events. Go to the school website to get a calendar for the upcoming year and write down all dates that pertain to your child so that you don’t have to juggle and reschedule later on.

• Ease everyone back into the school schedule by slowly going to bed earlier and waking up earlier. Getting into routine at least 2 weeks in advance will make the transition an easy one! You can also make the transition smoother by creating charts of things they need to accomplish in the morning before school and in the evening before bed.

• Pick a time of day to do homework, when it will occur and try to stay consistent with the time! Set up a homework station or study spot in your house where all the supplies your child will need are handy in bins. 

•  Set up a area by your door where your child can store anything that needs to be taken to school the next day; to minimize the last minute rushing to find things.

• Start labeling everything with your child’s name!

• Figure out ahead of time how you’re going to store your child’s artwork, projects, and school papers; otherwise they’ll quickly start piling up! 

 

•  Packing lunches can get stressful! Planning ahead is KEY! Check out our Back to School Pinterest Board for lunch ideas and more organization tips!

Swimming and Water Safety!

It's always so beautiful this time a year! Who wouldn't want to spend all day cooling down by the water? Make sure your whole family stays safe and has fun while you enjoy the water this summer. Enrolling your kids in swimming lessons, learning CPR and educating yourself about water safety are three excellent steps.
Keep kids safe this summer when swimming in the pool or splashing by some waves with these tips!

Get your children Enrolled in swim classes:

 Swim Guru

Address: 10545 Aurora Ave N

Phone: (206) 200-9449

Evans Pool
Address: 7201 East Green Lake Dr N, Seattle, WA 98115 Phone:(206) 684-4961

Know CPR:

CPR Seattle

(206) 504-3280
4222 Stone Way N
Seattle, WA

American Red Cross

Mail: PO Box 3097 Seattle, WA 98114-3097

Office: 1900 25th Ave S

Seattle , WA 98144-4708

Phone: (206) 323-2345 

Create a process your child/children must go through before entering a pool, such as:

 Putting on a swim diaper, a swimsuit, a life jacket or floaties

 

Applying sunscreen

 Always keep your kids under constant supervision!

 

 

 Most importantly ...

HAVE FUN:)

Favorite parks in Seattle!

Summer has begun in the Pacific Northwest! This means longer days, summers in Seattle are so beautiful; with the fresh air and sunshine you can’t help but want to spend all day outside. We put together our favorite parks in the city that we’ve enjoyed spending with our families and hope you and your family can explore and love too!

Carkeek Park            950 NW Carkeek Park Rd, Seattle, 98177

If you’re looking to spend some time at the beach, go on a hike, play at the park or slide through a huge salmon shaped slide Carkeek is it! The park also offers a large grass field with picnic tables and BBQ grills.

Rose Garden              750 N 50th St, Seattle, WA 98103

I rate the Rose Garden as one of the most beautiful places in the Seattle area in the summer. Allow yourself a little while to just stroll around and savor the wide diversity of roses and other plants that are displayed so well. There is no admission fee to the Rose Garden but there is a parking fee in the Zoo parking lots when the Zoo is open.

Greenlake      7201 E Greenlake Dr N, Seattle, 98115.
With a 2.8 mile loop path for wheels and feet; ample green spaces to play on; a full playground; basketball, tennis, and volleyball courts; an indoor gym; and a superb wading pool, Green Lake’s got it all!

Golden Gardens        8498 Seaview Pl NW, Seattle, 98117.
Golden Gardens park is nestled next to the beach. The park has an ultra-modern playground with a cool rope structure where kids can practice climbing skills, as well as wetlands that lets little ones get up close and personal with nature.

3 Boredom Busters for the Summer!

Summer is right around the corner! School is almost out and my oldest daughter is graduating from Preschool this year which means a Graduation Party and Kindergarten in the fall. I can’t believe how the time flies. My youngest is starting preschool in the fall too, but for now, the bliss of summer! Time slows down a little in the summer; the hustle and bustle of the school year is just a memory. And then about halfway through…the summer loses its luster a little and the “I’m bored” comments begin. This year, I found a few ideas to keep my girls busy and engaged through the summer.

Summer Reading Program with the Library

Each year the library offers a special Summer of Learning program with fun themes and free programs all summer long! Check out the Seattle Public Library’s website for more information! 
 

 

Summer Camp

Summer Camps are a great way for kids to keep engaged and busy with something they’re interested in. We signed up for 2 summer camps this summer, one for each summer month. With so many options for themes and activities, it’s easy to find a great option for every child. Blossoming Buds Cottage and Blossoming Buds Preschool both have summer camps with cool themes this year!
 

Summer time Bingo

Create a bingo board of fun activities to do during the summer. Then check them off as you go. Some fun ideas could be:

1. Make an outdoor Chalkboard
2. Make your own puppets then have a puppet show
3. Nature scavenger hunt
4. Make a homemade treat and deliver it to friends or neighbors within walking distance
5. Have a water balloon battle
6. Go on a nature walk at the Arboretum
7. Have a picnic lunch in the park or in your backyard
8. visit a local museum
9. Tugboat Story Time! For more info on this, check out our blog “Spring has Sprung! Indoor/Outdoor Adventures with the Kiddos!” 
10. Make a birdhouse and bird feeder 

I’d love to hear about how you keep your kids busy during the summer!

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

Gardening with Kids: Easy to Grow Plants

Spring has definitely sprung, which means it’s past time to plant our garden. It’s been such a beautiful spring this year with lots of sunshine and warm weather! I love planting a garden. It’s such a fun way to get kids involved and learning about where our food comes from. And fresh veggies from the garden are delicious! Some plants are definitely easier to grow than others. I rarely have luck with carrots, and corn always looks fun while it’s growing, but is so hard to grow cobs with all their kernels that I’ve given up on them. Here are a few plants that I’ve had continued success with in the past.

Pumpkins

Who doesn’t love pumpkins? Pumpkin plants get huge and although they have slightly pokey vines, they are so fun to watch grow. We like to guess how many pumpkins we’ll get from each plant.

 

Sunflowers

I love planting sunflowers with my kids. They are quick to sprout, grow really fast and produce beautiful flowers. And if I’m feeling ambitious, we harvest the seeds from the flower to grow the following year.

  

Peas and Beans

Fresh peas and beans from the garden are delicious. I always buy the bush variety instead of the pole variety so I don’t have to string them up. But I’ve seen lots of super cute teepees on Pinterest made from the pole bean variety, a few poles tied together and seeds planted at the base of each pole. I’ve been very tempted to try this out, but bush beans and peas are super easy to grow and require very little maintenance. The Blue Lake type is my favorite!

What do you like to plant with your kids?

For more ideas on how to garden with your kids, check out our Pinterest board “Gardening with Kids”.

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

Spring has Sprung! Indoor/Outdoor Adventures with the Kiddos!

We’ve had such a wonderful April! The weather has been gorgeous and we’ve had just enough rain. Spring is such a fun season in the Pacific Northwest. Flowers are starting to bloom and the sun is up longer in the evening. It’s the perfect time to get outside and explore. I’m sometimes a little less inclined to bundle up the kids on a rainy day to get outside, but then there are the days where I’m so thankful I did because we all needed to get out of the house. Here are a few indoor and outdoor adventures we’ve been on and really enjoyed!

 

A Walk through the Arboretum 

Explore nature at Washington Park Arboretum, count budding flowers, stomp in mud puddles and hunt for insects. Located near UW campus, kids can have a great time with a scavenger hunt or simply exploring this beautiful park.

Tugboat Storytime 

Hop on board this 100-year-old tug boat and get ready for Tugboat Storytime! The stories are geared toward ages 2-8 years old and feature stories about kids, boats, and the sea. Check out their calendar for up to date information.

Take the Water Taxi to West Seattle 

For a boating adventure, check out the Water Taxi which leaves from Pier 50 and arrives at Seacrest Park in West Seattle. It’s only $4.75 for a 15 minute ride and kids 5 and under ride free.

Everett’s Imagine Children’s Museum and Forest Park

The Imagine Children’s Museum in Downtown Everett is a blast. Every third Friday, the museum has free admission from 5:30pm-9pm. Then check out nearby Forest Park has a fantastic water-spray playground and a free animal farm. Fun for the whole family!

I’d love to hear about your spring adventures too!

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

Non-Candy Easter Basket Ideas!

Spring is finally here, which means that Easter is right around the corner! This year it’s earlier than usual, which means there is not much time to fill those baskets. In a constant effort to encourage healthier choices, I decided to skip all the treats in our Easter Baskets this year. In the past, I usually included one or two sweet treats, since I know how much they enjoy the treats, but I also know that special toys are a delight too. This year I decided to theme the baskets for what the girls are super interested in. Here are some other non-candy ideas I found and loved for Easter Baskets!

1. Art basket: For the budding artist!

Paint smock, new water colors, coloring book, colored pencils, and sidewalk chalk

 

2. Beach basket:  For an upcoming trip to the beach!

Beach towel, sunglasses, sand toys and flip flops

3. Gardening basket: For those who love to dig in the dirt!

Seeds, character gardening gloves, bug catching box, gardening tools, watering can

4. Spa basket: For the girly girl of the family!

Bubble bath, nail polish, lip gloss, small purse

5. Inspiring Chef basket: For mom’s little baker!          

Play food, cookie cutters, sprinkles, apron, cute cupcake papers

6. Racing basket: For the kid that loves things that go!

Cars, small race track, book about cars, toy train

7. Mishmash basket: For kids that love all sorts of fun!

Giant bouncy ball, play dough, bubble gun, Frisbee, board game

Other ideas:

1. a new book
2. stickers
3. puzzles
4. water bottle or sippy cup
5. fun and colorful socks
   

What fun things are you filling your child’s Easter Basket with this year? Do you tend to lean toward food or toys or something else?

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