Tips for Planning Children's Birthday Parties!

My youngest is about to turn one and I can’t believe it! Where did the time go? It seems like just a day ago we were dealing with poo blow-outs and wondering why is she spitting up so much?! This will be our final “one year-old party” so I want to make it special. (not only for her but me too… I survived once again!) We will be doing a glamourous (so easy) pink and gold princess party. Then after we wrap this one up, it’s time to start planning my almost-4-year-old’s Cinderella party! Here are some tips that I found really helpful with planning my girls’ birthday parties!

First things first, find a place to host your party:

Personally, I don’t like to host the parties at my house. Too much mess! We have so many beautiful
parks here in Seattle and at most parks you can reserve a picnic table or a shelter for a small fee for
a half a day. With the weather ever-changing here in Seattle, it’s hard to know if the weather will be
nice for the party. If you prefer an indoor venue, there are lots of kid friendly spaces that can be
rented for birthday parties too including the Cottage! With two spring birthdays, I don’t trust the
weather so both parties will be at the Cottage.

 

Pick a few games or an art project:

Depending on the theme of your party and the ages of your party guests, it’s a great idea to have some games ready to play! Parachute games or for the slightly older kiddos, a relay race or a good ol’ fashion
pin the tail on the donkey/horse or pin the crown on the princess. For my one year-old’s party the older
kids will be making princess magic wands. At Michaels, I found some cardboard white stars and I hot-
glued them to white craft sticks. The best part: super easy and super cheap!  The kids will glue on
sequins, rhinestones, stickers etc. Done!

Table-scape and Party Favors:

I love consulting Pinterest when I have a party coming up. It’s such a great resource for ideas. I
think balloons give the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to decorations. I always have
a lot of balloons, vinyl table clothes that go with the theme and the cake/cupcakes on display. 
That says “party” to me!  For some other great ideas, make sure to check out our
Pinterest board.

As far as party favors, let’s face it; we all despise getting a bag full of “junk” as party favors. I always
do some type of edible party favor. My favorite lately have been chocolate covered pretzel rods or personalized shortbread cookies that I found on Etsy.com. They are inexpensive and save me a lot
 of time buying them rather than making them… plus I love supporting other small businesses!

                   

                                

            Etsy: Treats by Taryn 

   

Etsy: Stone House Oven                                    

                                          

I’d love to hear about what has worked well for you for your kids!

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

Homemade Valentines: What's Not to Love?

January went by in a flash and here we are with Valentine’s Day just around the corner! It’s amazing how fast time goes…especially with two kids now.  I have to start thinking about my second daughter’s 1^st  birthday already, but that’s another post down the road.

There’s a lot I love about Valentine’s Day; especially because it’s a holiday all about love. But, at the same time I don’t love all the candy that comes along with it. My daughter loves candy, but she loves toys and doing fun art projects just as much. She gets super excited when we sit down and create valentines together. She loves to help pick which toy each of her friends is going to get and which craft we will do for the grandparents. Here are some cute Valentine’s Day cards and crafts that are easy to make and really cute too!

“Love Comes in All Sizes”

This is adorable for the grandparents if you have multiple children or just one.  Each child can do a heart with their thumbprints and be done with each project in less than 10 minutes.  This can be done on a canvas found at Michael’s or on a plain piece of paper. Adorable!

“I Love You to Pieces!”

This adorable card is also a great option for Valentine’s Day Cards too!  I made this last year for the grandparents. You could use a different color of paper for the background and add a brighter pop of color!

"You Make My Heart Race!"

Who doesn’t love a new toy car? This cute car valentine is a perfect option for those kiddos who like to play with cars!

“I’ve had my eye on you!”

For those kids who love to explore, a Magnifying Glass Valentine is the perfect choice! Kids can use it anywhere to take a closer look!

“Some hearts beat, but my heart bounces for you!”

All sorts of fun can be had with bouncy balls! For the bag toppers check out this website! 

“You make my heart glow!”

To make any evening infinitely more fun, how about a glow stick? These cute glow stick valentines are sure to please!

I’d love to hear about your favorite ideas for cute Valentines for kids! Have a very happy Valentine’s Day!

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

New Year, New Classes for the Kiddos

Happy New Year! I hope your New Year is off to a great start! I love January because it always feels like a fresh start. The daylight hours are beginning to get longer and as much as I love the holiday season, it’s also a relief when they have passed by us and we can start the new year.  January is such a great time for making new goals and resolutions. It’s also the perfect time to start a new class; maybe something your kids have wanted to try or something you think they may really enjoy. Here are a few classes that my kids and I have really enjoyed.

Seattle Gymnastics Academy 

My oldest daughter loves going to gymnastics! It’s great for gross motor skills,
core strength/balance and following directions.

 

All that Dance 

My oldest daughter loves to dance! This is a great studio children can continue at for many years
with a variety of different styles of dance to choose from.

Kindermusik 

My oldest took Kindermusik classes for 1.5 years and my youngest is currently enrolled. She loves it!  They have classes for all ages: babies, toddlers and big kids too!

Lil’ Kickers for soccer 

Lil’ Kickers is a soccer program for kids ages 18 months – 9 years old! It’s a great
place to expend that extra energy!

I’d love to hear about classes or sports you have tried and loved too!

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

Celebrating the Holidays: Family-Fun Activities

December is such a magical month, but also an extremely busy month: holiday parties, holiday shopping and then someone usually catches a cold somewhere in between.  With the hustle and bustle, it’s a wonderful time to spend time with family and friends and a perfect time to make holiday memories. Seattle offers some very special holiday events. It’s always amazing to experience the holidays through my little girl’s eyes watching her light up with wonder when the show starts at Snowflake Lane or when the snow starts falling at Pacific Place Mall.

Here are some holiday events that take place around Seattle that we love! If you check out one of them or know of another event I didn’t mention, be sure to let me know what you thought of it! I’d love to hear about your experiences too!  So grab an eggnog latte and, as my daughter calls it, a “coco coffee” for the littles and let the memories begin!

Snow at Pacific Place Mall in Seattle (free)

Each night at 6pm from November 28^th-December 31^st, Pacific Place celebrates the holidays with snowfall inside the mall. It’s a great warm and indoor activity the whole family can enjoy!

Community Hanukkah Celebration (free; donation to Jewish Family Service encouraged)

On December 13^th, from 5:30-7:30, celebrate the Festival of Lights at one of the largest community Hanukkah Celebrations in Seattle. Located at the Stoum Jewish Community Center at 3801 Mercer Way, celebrate and enjoy arts and crafts, storytelling, festive food and music by the kid-friendly band Recess Monkey! 

Holiday Light Looking (free!)

Candy Cane Lane in Ravenna: On NE Park Road and Ravenna Boulevard. Houses light up in this adorable neighborhood from Dec. 15-New Years day from 4:00pm-11pm.

Olympic Manor near Greenwood: Homes in the Olympic Manor neighborhood are encouraged to decorate for the holidays each year. Everywhere you look homes are all decked out in holiday lights and decorations! The best place to start is at NW 85^th St. and 23^rd Ave NW.

Gingerbread houses at the Sheraton (free; donations benefiting the JDRF NW Chapter welcome)

Stop by the Sheraton between November 25^th and January 5^th at anytime to check out the extravagant gingerbread houses made entirely by candy and other sweets! Each year, top local architects and the Sheraton’s culinary team up to bake and design Gingerbread creations. This year’s theme is “Jingle All the Way”. This is an event that looks super delicious!

Hands on Hanukkah (free!)

Visit Northgate Mall on Sunday December 21^st from 11am-2pm for this fun event including a dreidel-spinning competition, coloring, cookie decorating and much more!

WildLights at Woodland Park Zoo

Each year from November 28^th through January 4^th from 5:30-8:30, Woodland Park Zoo is lit up with thousands of LED lights creating wild animals and habitats! Tickets are $9.75 for adults, $6.50 for children. Don’t forget to say “hi” to the reindeer too!

Snowflake Lane and Celebration Lane at Bellevue Square (free!)

Each night at 7:00pm just outside Bellevue Square on Bellevue Way and NE 8^th Street, a 20-minunte holiday performance complete with colorful lights, live drummers, holiday characters and snow! This nightly show starts on November 28^th and ends on December 24^th.

Then from December 26^th through December 31^st, Celebration Lane shows perform nightly at 7:00pm to ring in the New Year! This show includes dancing drummers, festive characters and Americana-inspired music!

 

Botanical Gardens in Bellevue ($5 per person, children 10 and under free!)

From November 29^th-January 3^rd, every night from 4:30-9:30, the Bellevue Botanical gardens are lit up with thousands of dazzling lights! To avoid the line at the ticket window, buy tickets in advance online. The display is inspired by plants found in the Northwest as well as gardens around the world and over 30 critters light up, including Charlotte and her web, Honey Bear, and Willie the Slug. Fun for all ages!

  

I always love to hear about more ways to celebrate this wonderful season! Please feel free to share events I missed in the comments below!

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

Tips for Teaching Kids to be Thankful

Thanksgiving is just around the corner; I can already smell the pumpkin pie, turkey and stuffing! Thanksgiving is such a wonderful time of the year to remember what we have to be thankful for and reflect on what that very first Thanksgiving was about.

 

Thanksgiving is a special holiday for all us; it’s a time to get together with family, give thanks and have a large feast.  Things haven’t changed that much since 1621 after the pilgrim’s first harvest. They did the same thing: joining all as one, thankful for each other and had a grand feast.

The Thanksgiving season is a great time to teach young children what it means to be thankful. It’s always great to talk about that first Thanksgiving, but I think an easier concept for young children to grasp the meaning of “Thankful”. It’s a great time to start the conversation of what we have to be thankful for. Every night right before bed, my daughter and I have some special mommy-daughter time. We read a story and then I ask her to tell me 5 things she is thankful for.  It’s important to me that she learns to be thankful, not just learning to say thank you, but to also understand that she is fortunate for everything she has.

Here are a few other ideas for how to teach children gratitude:

Encourage and Demonstrate Generosity

     We often donate clothes, food and toys to less fortunate families. By showing how to give and talking about how some kids don’t have very much; it inspires kids to give back too. Kids are more likely to appreciate what they have knowing that not everyone is so fortunate.

Give kids jobs to help out.

     By participating in activities, children understand the effort that goes into jobs. When I give my little one a job, something as simple as stirring the pancake batter, she feels more appreciative of when I make breakfast for her. 

Write Thank You notes

     Writing thank you cards for gifts helps children verbalize why they are thankful for a gift which makes them appreciate the gift even more.  When my little one was younger, she would just draw scribbles or I had her paint a picture and I would attach my own thank you note. As she gets older, she’s able to tell me why she is thankful for the gift and we write the thank you notes together. She still loves to paint or draw pictures for them too. 

How do you teach your children about being thankful? I’d love to hear your tips too!

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

Homemade Halloween Costumes!

Happy October! I love so many things about fall; all the different colors, hearing the crunch of leaves and crisp mornings. With fall also comes Halloween and the big question… what will the kids be this year?   

Here are some DIY costume ideas to get the creative juices flowing!

Pig in a Blanket:

1.      Cut pig ears, small rectangle and small circle out of two 8” by 11” sheets of pink craft foam. With a hot glue gun, glue ears to a pink headband.

2.      Dot circle with glitter glue for nostrils. Fold rectangle around circle, gluing together to form a snout. Glue one end of a 12inch piece of elastic to each side so it can be worn over child’s nose.

3.      Wrap blanket over shoulders and pin with a large safety pin! 

 

Static Electricity:

1.      Using safety pins, attach some mismatched socks, a few pairs of underwear, some small pieces of clothing like baby t-shirts to a long-sleeved shirt. Or if you don’t mind ruining the shirt, attach the pieces of clothing with a hot glue gun rather than using safety pins.

2.      With hair gel, spike hair.

3.      You could even use a small laundry basket as a treat bucket.

Snowball Costume

1.      Attach Styrofoam balls in assorted sizes to an oversized pale blue or white sweatshirt using fabric glue.

2.      Add batting to the inside of the sweatshirt to make it “puffy”.

3.      Using a beanie or the hood of the sweatshirt, attach more Styrofoam balls to complete your look!

 

Ninja Turtle Costume:

1.      Attach a round green pillow either to straps (like a backpack) or to a green shirt. Wear green pants.

2.      Tie a blue, red, purple or orange ribbon around your child’s waist

3.      Using a matching colored ribbon, cut eye holes out of the ribbon for their mask!

Young Frankenstein:

            Check out this website for easy DIY steps to turn your little one into an adorable Frankenstein!  

I think we all know that the most popular costumes this year will be the Frozen characters. Do we have to relive the Frozen madness again? I think we probably will… Here are a couple of websites for DIY Frozen costumes!

Elsa Costume (no sew):

With this super easy Elsa Cape you can include your little one in making it! Even if you don’t have an Elsa for Halloween, this a great dress up costume and it’s so easy to make! 

Anna:

Or if you are feeling a bit more ambitious, try out this Anna Cape! Put a dark blue or black dress under the raspberry colored cape and you’re good to go!                      

  

Olaf:

If you’re little one loves Olaf the best, try adding 3 black circles to a white tutu or a white sweatshirt and sweatpants. Then, using a white ball cap, use these great instructions for a DIY Olaf hat!  

  

 

Good luck costuming! And have a 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.

Is Everyone Feeling Ready for Kindergarten?

Back when I was teaching Pre-K, I remember how excited the children were to move onto kindergarten, but the parents were nervous.  I completely understood why; the children were in a cozy little bubble with the same kids and families for 3 years and now everyone (children and parents) are about to make a huge adjustment to new kids, new teachers, new surroundings and new families.

My advice to make this transition easier for everyone:

·         Visit the school a couple of times right before school starts:

o       Play on the playground

o       Practice drop-off/pick-up

·         Talk to your kids about what their day will look like:

o       Tell them it will be a lot like preschool, but bigger and more fun things to do

o       Tell them don’t forget to go potty

o       Remind them to introduce themselves to new friends

·         This may sound silly but have them practice getting their lunch box open and getting their food out.   One thing I constantly heard from kindergarten parents was, “… things are going okay, but they’re not eating their lunch…”   This can create a super cranky kid at pick-up.  A lot of times new kindergarteners are very distracted at lunch time so it takes them along time to get their lunch open and before they know it lunch time is over. Pack containers that are easy to open.

·         Last but not least, do not let them know you are nervous.  Be excited for them, cheer them on; this is a huge step for them!

Being prepared and going through these steps will not only calm your new kindergartener’s nerves, it will help you a ton too knowing you have prepared your child for this next step!

Good luck and know it is okay to cry!  I will be right there with you in a couple of years (just don’t cry in front of them!)

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