filling the advent calendar

i love the idea of advent calendars. i love the anticipate they build and the chance we have to celebrate each and every day leading up to christmas. i do struggle, however, with the thought of giving little gifts on each day of the month. i feel like kids get enough gifts during december. even if the calendars are only filled with little pieces of chocolate, i still feel like it can be too much. that combined with the fact that i have five children (and no little box or space for any day of the month is going to fit five pieces of anything) left me wanting to try something new this year.

i tried to think about what we love most about christmas. i thought about our family traditions and how we try to give back during the holiday season. after spending quite a bit of time brainstorming, i was able to come up with 24 activities to do or special moments to share with our kids during advent.

i spent time writing each item down on a calendar and then i typed out each day's event with a number at the top. here are some of the advent days i used...

after printing out the days on christmas scrapbooking paper, i cut out each day's activity, folded it up and sealed it with a sticker. each activity fit (with some convincing) in our little advent snowman.

now we have a month of doing things together, giving back as a family, and remembering what christmas is all about.

if you haven't started an advent calendar tradition, it's not too late! how can your advent calendar compliment your holiday season?

the last day of school

it has either already happened or is quickly looming. the end of the school year comes each may or june and brings with it a deluge of emotions to mothers everywhere. facebook posts show kids traipsing off to school for their last class of the year and some moms mention how much they have cried that day as their baby has grown another year older. some mothers talk about how excited they are about having two and a half months with no schedule. some are sentimentally anticipating great bonding time with their children.

i have to admit. i made no such posts. i have been in denial that school is over for the last few weeks. i posted no sentimental pictures. the only tears that i cried was the single one that fell down my cheek as i realized that i would have five kids, all day, every day, for the next two and a half months. i have no delusions of bonding. i'm aware that my kids will get tired of having me with them all day, everyday within the first week. i'm pretty realistic about what the summer will involve...and it's generally not pretty.

i've found that my life with kids functions better with a schedule. too much "free" time means more fighting, more "i'm bored", more "he's looking at me" comments than i care to deal with. so, in order to keep my sanity and to preserve some semblance of working family dynamics, here's what has worked for me.

• create summer buckets. i posted this last summer and am going to update it for tomorrow. check it out. if the kids say they have nothing to do, by golly, i will find something for them.
• update a summer chore chart. summer is a great time to teach kids how to do household work. never dusted the living room before? well, it just so happens i have some spare time to teach you. i figure every moment that i spend instructing my kids how to clean can be translated into years of never having to dust that living room again. i'm trying to work myself out of a job. 
• create a daily check off list for each of your older children. for my kids, this involves reading 30 minutes a day, doing chores, exercising, doing some school work, etc. "free" time is earned when things are checked off. kids are much happier with what "free" time they can have if it is limited or earned.
• plan little treats for you and your kids. you'll need a break too. love a certain type of tea? teach one of your kids how to make it and bring it to you. think your kids deserve a treat? make homemade ice cream or cookies. little rewards can go a long way to encourage jobs well done. 

what about you? how do you survive summer? 

getting ready for baby: toys and activities

if you haven't read our previous "getting ready for baby" posts, you can catch them here:

diaper bag must haves - newborns

diaper bag bust haves - older babies

changing table

bathing

clothing

sleeping
feeding--breast and bottle

health and safety must haves

if you are new to these posts, we just want to again mention: we're not experts...just mommies. if you have ideas that differ from ours, please share them. if you are a new mommy looking for some advice, here's what we've learned.

first of all, as a newborn, your baby won't play. they might look up at a mobile in their crib but they can't even see colors yet. look for things in black, white and red for your newborn to watch. that's about all the playing they'll be interested in for their first few weeks of life.

secondly, bear in mind that babies will play with anything. i lived in south america when my first three were born and we sometimes had to get creative with our toys. my oldest's favorite toy as a baby was a wooden spoon with ribbons tied to it. he also loved a string tied from the sides of his crib with little ribbons dangling down. toys don't have to be expensive. you'll learn as your children grow that you'll end up buying them the newest, greatest thing out there only to realize that they are much more interested in playing with the box it came in. don't kill yourself trying to find the newest and greatest thing. there will probably come a time when you'll look at all the crazy little noise making objects covering your living room and want to take a massive trip to the dump. save your sanity and don't overdo it.

thirdly, babies and toddlers do get bored. you'll end up getting gifts for your children's birthdays and holidays. grandparents will go overboard and you'll have more stuff than you know what to deal with. one of the greatest tips i learned as a new parent was to purchase large plastic tubs that can be stored at the top of a closet. i divided my baby's/toddler's toys up into those tubs and rotated them, taking one tub down each week or even each few days. what a difference that made! not only was i not overwhelmed with the toy clutter in my house but my toddler actually played with the toys i resurfaced. to your baby's little mind, it will be like christmas ever few days of the week...and it will cost you virtually nothing.

those three things being said, here's a list of some toys that we've enjoyed and used for our babies at various stages. some i wouldn't want to live without.

playmat/gym - this is one of those toys that i loved having for my infant babies. it was fabulous to lay my baby down for a few minutes and know they would be occupied and happy while i got some things done. a lot of them have music and other sounds as well as lights and a little mirror. the baby can be entertained again and again. they are more expensive than i anticipated as a new mommy but they were worth the price in the freedom they provided.

Baby Einstein Around The World Play Gym

tummy time mat - along those same lines, they have little tummy time mats for your infant. these are great as well. you can use the playmat/gym listed above for the same purpose but these have a convenient little pillow to prob your baby up for what is generally a tough time of the day.

Infantino Surfboard Tummy Time Mat Blue

bouncer - a bouncer is an amazing thing for a newborn and an infant. as a new mommy, you'll be looking for any place to put your baby down for a few minutes. you'll need to shower, use the bathroom, brush your teeth, make dinner, all those crazy things that are easier with two hands. a bouncer is the perfect place to put your baby. my kids loved the bouncers that vibrated them back to sleep and played a little lullaby. as they grew, they wanted one that had toys attached to a bar across the top so that they could be entertained. if you can find one with all of those options, pick it up.

Fisher-Price Infant-To-Toddler Rocker - Blue/Green

swing - my babies loved their swings and i in turn did as well. with our first born, he'd wake up in the morning too early for our sleepy standards but would sit happily in his swing for another 45 minutes until we could bring ourselves to deal with the day. they are also amazing for rocking your tired baby to sleep. with the little moving mobiles at the top and the music playing all the while, they are magic in box.

Fisher-Price My Little Snugabunny Cradle 'n Swing

hanging toys - it's great to have a couple of hanging toys to attach to a portable car seat handle or a stroller. your baby will love having something that dangles for them to pat. it might also give you a few minutes of happy baby time while you're in the grocery store trying to check out.

Lamaze Mortimer the Moose

Lamaze Freddie the Firefly

other infant toys - there are tons of great toys out there for your baby. you can choose from so many that it can seem overwhelming. here are some of our favorites.

Rhino Toys Oball Rattle (Colors May Vary)

Manhattan Toy Winkel

Manhattan Toy Baby Whoozit

as your baby grows, his or her needs will change. you'll need some toys to help they sit up, learn to stand, learn to walk, or just get tired out. here are some of the ones we love.

bumbo - once your child can hold his or her head up, you'll love having one of these little bumbo seats and the attachable tray. this can keep your baby comfortably sitting wherever you may be. my babies loved to sit and watch me cook in the kitchen. i could chop veggies and they could sit, watching, playing with toys i'd place on their tray, carefully away from the little hands of brothers and sisters.

Bumbo Baby Seat - Lime

Bumbo Play Tray - Ivory

musical play table - as your baby grows, a scary thing will take place. they will become mobile and will pull themselves up to standing. yes, it's wonderful. your baby is progressing, motor skills are developing, and they will start to get into everything! save yourself some trouble and but a toy they can enjoy while one their own two feet. this won't save you from finding a wii remote in the toilet on occasion but it will perhaps cut down on the frequency.

LeapFrog Learn & Groove Musical Table

exersaucer - immobile entertainment...in a word, perfection. these things are amazing. they are bulky, not very attractive and you'll wonder why you didn't purchase one for each room. once your baby can hold his or her head up and are tall enough to reach the bottom of the exersaucer with their feet, they are ready to enjoy one of these. the seats rotate so baby has 360 degrees of fun. the greatest part? you can put your baby in one of these and come back in ten minutes and they'll still be there.

Baby Einstein Around The World Discovery Center

jumper - jumpers crack me up. my kids generally have loved these and i have loved watching them bounce up and down and get so tired that they literally fall asleep jumping. i have pictures and video...cutest things ever. this toy will tire your baby out. enough said.

Fisher-Price Rainforest Jumperoo

other toys - again, the options here are endless. find some simple toys your baby will love and stick with those. my kids were all suckers for music so most of our toys revolve around one song or another. they are also obsessed with phones. buying play phones will inevitably save your real one at some point.

Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube

Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Learning Phone

Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Rock-a-Stack

Playskool Busy Poppin' Pals (Colors May Vary)

walker/ride-on - as your baby grows in mobility, they'll want something that can aid them as they learn to walk. walkers really are wonderful and you'll find your little one scooting all over the house attached to one of these.

Fisher-Price Stride-To-Ride Lion

play gate - you may not need something like this but i've found that it is super helpful. if you use it indoors, you can put some toys inside and know that your baby will be safely playing while you get some things done. it is big enough to keep older brothers and sisters safely away from a playing baby as well. if you take it outdoors, lay down a large blanket and place the gate on top of the blanket. my kids love playing outside and this was a great opportunity for the baby to enjoy play time outdoors as well.

Friendly Toys Little Playzone with Sounds and Lights

i hope this is helpful. again, in this area, there are so many options that i'm sure i've missed someone's favorite out there. if you have one you feel you could not live without, let us know. we'd love to pass the information along!