Ever since I saw charcuterie boards on Pinterest and Instagram, I’ve been intrigued. Not so much by the simplicity of a plate of meat, cheese, and fruit, but by the versatility. You can literally do anything with a charcuterie board!

With our decision to homeschool this year, I wanted to do something special that would still make Valentine’s Day fun for them. We aren’t handing out valentines or having a party or anything, but they’re still looking forward to the holiday.

I decided to surprise them with a kid-friendly Valentine’s Day charcuterie board for lunch! There are lots of kid-friendly foods that fit into the Valentine’s Day color scheme of pink, white, and red, and I knew they’d love sharing a tray of their favorite foods.

I went shopping by myself so the foods all stayed a surprise (and it was a treat for me!), and then the next day, I put this together for lunch! And yes, to be fair, we’re early and Valentine’s Day is still two weeks away, but that’s the life of a blogger.

I wanted to share my kid-friendly Valentine’s Day charcuterie board with you all, and give you a master list of foods you can add to your kids’ special lunch!

Kid-Friendly Valentine’s Day Charcuterie Board Food Ideas

Fruits and Veggies

Strawberries

Red grapes

Raspberries

Sliced red apples

Craisins

Raisins

Cherries

Plums

Cherry tomatoes

Sliced red bell peppers

Radishes

“Main Courses”

Chips and salsa

Mini waffles (I used cinnamon toast Eggos)

Heart-shaped PB&Js

Heart-shaped cheese ravioli and marinara (from Costco!)

Baby Bell cheese

Rolled deli meat (turkey, ham, chicken)

Pepperoni

Cheese slices cut into hearts

Crackers

Pink princess goldfish

Nuts

Pretzels

Bagel bites

Meatballs

Heart-shaped mini quesadillas

Surprisingly, my kids didn’t argue at all over who got what. I think the variety of foods was so exciting for them that they just had fun with it and were okay sharing with each other. They ate almost everything on the board, and didn’t complain that they were hungry for hours!

You could also do a small dessert board after, later in the day, or even just add a few special desserts onto your main charcuterie board. I had planned on putting it all on one, but I had so many good lunch things that I didn’t have room!

Desserts

Heart-shaped chocolates (like Dove)

Chocolate covered pretzels

Valentine’s Day M&Ms

Brownies

Cookies

Mini cupcakes

Rice Krispy Treats

Chocolate dipped-anything

This kid-friendly Valentine’s Day charcuterie board was a lot of fun, and I may have to make another one for our actual Valentine’s Day lunch! I do still have some leftover heart ravioli!!

The post Kid-Friendly Valentine’s Day Charcuterie Board appeared first on Life With My Littles.

This at-home color hunt printable is a great way to keep kids busy and having fun while you’re stuck inside! Great for younger and older kids, and it comes in color or black and white!

After the initial desire to make this crazy time of our lives special by planning crafts and games and making new recipes each week wore off, I, like many other moms, felt burned out.

And unfortunately, that was weeks ago.

With the thought in mind that we have no idea how long this is going to last, I decided it was time to whip myself back into shape and make life at home a little more exciting.In an attempt to keep my kids away from screens and other media, I thought it’d be fun to do a color hunt at home! My kids are 3, 5, and 7, so I knew they could all do it at different levels. It was the perfect family activity!

I wanted to make our activity extra special, so I hopped onto Target.com and ordered a box of brand new crayons! We’re kind of crayon snobs over here, so Crayola is the only brand we buy. I picked up a 24 count box of Ultra-Clean Crayola Washable Crayons, along with a bottle of Dial® Kids Peachy Clean Body & Hair Wash for after (because when you have a three-year-old, you always have to wash up after any type of coloring activity!). We used Drive-Up so we could stay in our car and the sales associate brought our bag right out to the car!

When we got home I put together a cute little printable at-home color hunt worksheet and printed out three copies. It turned out so cute, and my kids were super excited to get started!

I wanted to make it work when printed in color and black and white, and I also wanted it to be easy to identify what color each box was, so even my three-year-old could understand what he was supposed to do.

I put the basic colors on the front of the worksheet and then added some colors that might be a little bit more challenging on the back. I also added a bonus question for older kids!

We set off on our hunt through the house for things of each color, and after we found them all, we brought them back downstairs to draw them on the worksheets!

I loved seeing how each of my kids drew and colored each item. My oldest son loves to draw, my daughter loves to color, and my younger son has (mostly) stopped scribbling wildly all over his paper, so it was the perfect activity.

And of course, as I expected, my youngest son ended up coloring on himself. Luckily, we used washable crayons, but we also had our bottle of Dial® Kids Peachy Clean Body + Hair Wash to scrub him off after!

We love Dial® Kids Body + Hair Wash because it’s developed with the help of Pediatric Dermatologists, it’s tear-free, hypoallergenic, pH balanced specifically for kids’ skin, and doesn’t have any artificial dyes. It’s gentle enough for my little ones and I love it! And bonus, right now you can get $1 off one Dial® Body Wash or 10-Bar+ (excludes trial/travel sizes) while supplies last!

We did this two days ago, and my kids are already asking me to print out more copies of the color hunt so they can do it again!

I’ve included printable downloads of our at-home color hunt so you can keep your kids busy while you’re stuck inside, too!

Just click below to download and print your own color hunt. Remember, it’s double-sided, so don’t forget to adjust your settings when you print it!

Printable At-Home Color Hunt in Black & White
Printable At-Home Color Hunt in Color

I hope everyone is staying safe and staying busy while we’re all at home! And until we can get out again, I hope this fun at-home color hunt can keep you busy for a while!

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2020 has broken me.

I dread cooking dinner for my family every day. I’ve lost my motivation to run and my desire to write. I drink multiple sodas per day. I’ve gained 15 pounds. I wear joggers or sweatpants every single day, even when it’s 90 degrees. I’ve binge-watched Tiger King, Outer Banks, and Lost, plus started a few shows I just couldn’t get on board with. I’ve stressed about my family’s health and safety in our own city. I’ve laid awake in bed wondering how people can be so hateful, judgmental, prejudiced, disgusting, and immoral. Recitals, vacations, races, and graduations I was looking forward to have been cancelled.

A few months ago I read a poem by Leslie Dwight that asked “What if 2020 is the year we’ve been waiting for?” I’ll be honest and say I wanted to punch Leslie in the face when I first read it. “No way,” I thought. “2020 is the worst year ever.” But after looking at how things have changed and the good things that this year has brought, even if they are just small, little things, I’m forced to concede that 2020 is making some of us better people, even if it’s hard, uncomfortable, and scary.

Despite all the negative things that have happened and how much everything just sucks right now, I find myself looking on the bright side. Because as much as I hate everything that’s been happening and as much as I hate feeling broken, this year has also put me back together and made me stronger.

I’ve spent more time with my family, both my husband and my kids. I’ve read books I’ve wanted to read for months. I’ve done home improvement projects I love. I’ve purchased and potted many more plants around my house. My family has had the opportunity to explore many of our state’s parks. I’ve become more flexible. I’m not on my phone as much. We’ve had more playdates than ever before. I’ve gotten into mountain biking. I’ve made my home a safe haven. I’ve even considered homeschooling my kids in the fall.

There’s an episode of The Office where Jim and Pam are supposed to call things they don’t want to do “opportunities.” 2020 is our opportunity. This is our year to grow and adapt and become more.

I used to think that this wouldn’t last forever, but now I’m not so sure. This “new normal” we’re living where we’re repeatedly told to wash our hands and new movies are released via digital streaming might just be how things are from now on. I’m just waiting for the day that high-end designers start selling face masks. And as awkward and weird as that is, if we make the decision to stay positive, we might be able to turn the rest of the year around.

2020 might not be my favorite year, but it’s definitely a memorable one.

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These two-ingredient fruit smoothie popsicles are so easy to make! Even kids can try out this simple recipe. Just grab some Danimals® and some fresh strawberries, and you’ve got everything you need to make a delicious frozen treat!

We’re only a few weeks into summer vacation, and already my kids spend most of their days outside. They love riding bikes, drawing with chalk, playing in the backyard, running through the sprinklers, and constantly asking me for popsicles.

I wanted to do something special for them last week, and since I’ve amassed quite the collection of popsicle molds over the years, I thought I’d make them some homemade popsicles!

I wasn’t sure what kind I wanted to make until I was stocking up at Costco, and I saw Danimals® Organic Drinkable Smoothies at the end of one of the aisles. My kids love Danimals®, and I love that they’re a good source of calcium & Vitamin D, they don’t have any artificial flavors or high fructose corn syrup, and they don’t include any colors from artificial sources. Plus, I knew I could easily freeze them in popsicle molds! Save $3.50 off of Danimals® Organic Drinkable Smoothies at your local Costco now through July 27th​!​

Click the below image to add Danimals® Organic Drinkable Smoothies to your Costco Instacart order.

Since I’m always looking for ways to get my kids more fruit, I thought I’d chop up some strawberries and add them to the popsicles! The Danimals® from Costco come in strawberry and strawberry banana, so fresh strawberries go with both flavors!

My kids LOVED their popsicles. They were asking for them as soon as I put them in the freezer! Luckily the Danimals® came in a 36-pack, so we can make a lot more popsicles!

Making your own 2-ingredient fruit smoothie popsicles is super easy. Honestly, it’s a great recipe to let your kids try out!

2-Ingredient Fruit Smoothie Popsicles

First, wash and chop up some fresh strawberries.

Next, grab your popsicle mold and fill each mold with Danimals® drinkable smoothie until there’s about 3/4″ space left at the top.

Now sprinkle in your fresh strawberries!

Pour a tiny bit more smoothie into the mold, put on your popsicle lids or slide in your sticks (depending on what mold you have), and pop your two-ingredient fruit smoothie popsicles into the freezer for about 4 hours.

When they’re completely frozen, pull them out and pass them out!

Note: if you have trouble getting your popsicles out of your mold, immerse the whole mold into a bowl of warm water for about a minute. When your popsicles can slide out, pull them out and wrap them in plastic wrap. Freeze them for another 30 minutes and they’re ready to go!

I know we’ll be making a ton of these easy popsicles this summer. My kids loved them, and honestly, I enjoyed them, too!

Make sure you check out Danimals® at Costco!

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The phrase “It takes a village to raise a child” also applies to motherhood, and as moms, we need to connect with other moms to survive. Not only would we lose our sanity if we didn’t ever get a chance to talk to other adults outside our homes, but we need each other to become the best mothers we can be.

I chose connection as one of the five parts of self-care for moms because I know how lonely motherhood can be. And when we feel alone, motherhood can become heavy and burdensome. Connection with other people is important for everyone, but especially moms. Connecting with other moms helps alleviate some of the weight of motherhood because it helps us see that we all struggle, we all mess up, and we’re all constantly learning how to do better.

Self-care is all about taking care of our whole selves, being the best we can be, and enjoying our lives. There are lots of studies about how connection helps maintain our overall mental and physical health, makes us happier, lowers anxiety and depression, improves our immune systems, and leads to fewer health problems (source, source). Connection is an incredibly important part of self-care, both for extroverts and introverts! We all need connection in our lives!

Self-Care for Moms – Ideas for Finding Connection

Connect with other moms in person

There are so many ways to meet other mamas in person! As long as you are brave enough to actually say hi, making mom friends in person is absolutely possible! Some places to meet moms (besides the playground!) are MOMS clubs, MOPS groups, library classes, ECFE classes, baby/childbirth classes, PTA organizations, and neighborhood mom groups (City Mom Collective has a great network of these).

Connect with other moms online

You obviously have to be careful with this one, but let me tell you, mamas are online! Whether we’re nursing babes or just trying to pass the time until bedtime, the internet is a great place to find other moms. There are so many great Facebook groups for moms where you can ask questions, find support, and just vent about the dumb things your kids do. My personal favorite way to connect with other moms online is on Instagram. I’ve made some great friends on Instagram, and I’m grateful that it’s such an easy way to share struggles and support each other!

Get out of the house together

Playdates are great, but sometimes you just need to get out of the house. Grab your best mama friend and head to the zoo, the mall, on a walk, or to the library! You can still get some good conversation in when your kids are in tow!

Enjoy stories from other moms

You can try reading books by other moms (my favorite is The Magic of Motherhood) or listening to a podcast by moms just talking about life (I enjoy The Mamahood Podcast). The point here is you’ll recognize that you’re not alone in all the crazy things that happen when you have kids! Bonus points if you laugh out loud while reading or listening!

Keep in touch with long-distance friends

When you’re a mom it’s so easy to focus on what’s right in front of you and easy to forget any friends who live far away. One way to feel connected is to keep in touch with them! I have a few good mom friends who live in other states, and I try to reach out and see how they are every once in a while. It sure helps me feel close to friends who live far away!

Join groups

There are so many different groups you can be a part of! Playgroups, luncheons, book clubs, craft nights, or girls’ nights are great opportunities to feel connected. And if you can’t find one of these in your area and want to participate, start one and start advertising it! You’ll make new friends in no time!

Connecting to other moms is such an important part of self-care. It improves our lives, helps us realize we’re all struggling and we’ve all had our moments, and gives us opportunities for a social life outside of our homes. I hope these self-care ideas for connection will inspire you to make some new friends and take care of your old ones, too. Mom friends really are important!

Check out the other posts in the Self-Care for Moms series:

• Self-Care for Moms – A Six-Part Series
• Self-Care for Moms – Physical Health
• Self-Care for Moms – Mental Health
• Self-Care for Moms – Finding Yourself
• Self-Care for Moms – Spirituality

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Hey mamas! I’m so thrilled to kick off my self-care for moms series today with a post all about taking care of your physical health!

When I sat down and broke self-care down into five parts, the first one I wrote down was physical health.

Physical health is an important part of self-care for moms because it’s so critical to our overall well-being. If our bodies aren’t healthy and functioning at their best, we can’t take care of everything on our plates.

As moms we spend so much time taking care of everyone around us, but sometimes we neglect to take care of ourselves, especially our physical health. We make excuses that we don’t have time or we’re “too busy” or we have other priorities, but if our bodies aren’t healthy, we can’t do any of those things anyway!

I have a few self-care tips for physical health that I want to share today that are simple, but when implemented, can really make a big difference in your ability to function at your best. And yes, I know that some of these seem like “duh, of course that keeps you healthy,” but honestly, sometimes we just need to be reminded to do them!

Self-Care for Moms: Tips to Help you Keep Up on Your Physical Health

Go to the doctor

There are several appointments that we should be keeping up on in order to help our bodies function at their best. Think for a minute when the last time you had a physical was? What about a pap smear (unpleasant, but important)? When did you go to the dentist last or get an eye exam? Do you even remember?

It’s easy to schedule appointments for your kids, but so hard to schedule them for yourself because they often involve finding someone to watch your kids while you go. But if we don’t go to the doctor and make sure our bodies are functioning at their best, we may find out later on that something’s wrong and it might be too late to take care of it.

Along with this, keeping track of your medical appointments is important. Mommy brain is so real, and unless you write it down in a specific place, you probably aren’t going to remember when the last time you had all these things done was. So make a note in your phone, take a page in your planner, or draw a chart in your journal and use it to track appointments so you won’t get behind.

And if you can’t schedule out appointments months in advance, a good way to remember to schedule them is to put a sticky note in your planner or make a reminder on your phone when you need to schedule them. I use sticky notes and it always works for me!

Be aware of what you eat

Eating foods that are good for you is also important for your physical health and self-care because it can impact not only your energy level, but also how you feel. I’m not going to say to go on a diet or cut out sweets or anything, but just make smart choices, get the right nutrition, and listen to your body.

Get enough sleep

Are moms ever not tired? The jury’s still out on this one, but I know that when I get a good night’s sleep, I’m able to function so much better the next day. Obviously some stages of motherhood make it hard to get enough sleep (the baby stage, in particular!), but if you make an effort to go to bed at a certain time every night or wake up at a certain time in the morning, you’ll feel a difference!

Drink more water

It feels dumb to add this to the list, but drinking more water than soda or coffee is probably something we should aim for! Water helps your skin, energizes your muscles, keeps your organs functioning properly, help you feel more full (source), and prevents dehydration!

Exercise

Again, obviously this is going to improve your physical health, but have you ever thought of it as self-care? I have gone through periods in my life where I’ve exercised regularly and when exercise was non-existent, and guess when I felt better? Duh, when I’m exercising regularly! It not only helps me feel physically good, but also helps me clear my mind, take a break, and do something that’s 100% for myself.

I also recognize that exercise is hard if you aren’t already in a routine. The key to enjoying exercise is to find something you love to do or something you’re good at and do that. It might still be hard (I run 3x a week and it’s hard every time), but I guarantee you’ll feel good after it’s over! It might be pilates, yoga, cross fit, spin class, or even jazzercise, but whatever it is, figure it out and go for it!

Get ready for the day

Make sure you shower, get yourself ready (at least brush your teeth!), and do whatever you need to to feel “ready” for the day. For some this might include a whole makeup and hair routine, and for others, it might include dry shampoo and a top knot. Either way, just do you.

When you get yourself ready for the day, you’re not only taking care of yourself physically, but mentally prepping yourself for the day ahead. Shower (either before your kids wake up or after they go to bed), wash your face, brush your teeth, and get dressed (even if it’s just switching from your pajama leggings to your day leggings). It’s a small thing that can have a big impact.

Now you might be reading these six tips and be thinking that this post was not helpful, you already knew all of this information, and that it seems like a waste of time for me to type all of this out and for you to read it.

Sure, these things are all obvious things you can do (and should be doing). We get told to exercise and eat healthy every time we turn on the TV. But honestly, how many of these things are you doing? Are you really taking care of yourself physically? Have you gotten a physical in the last year? Been to the dentist? When was the last time you drank eight 8-oz glasses of water in a day? How often do you eat vegetables (my personal failure!)?

Yeah, it’s kind of silly that I wrote all these out, but these five things are the basics of physical self-care, and making sure we are taking care of our physical health is important even if you “seem healthy.”

So pick one of these things and work on it for a week. Don’t try and do them all at once, and don’t feel like you’re a failure if you’re not doing any of these things. Give yourself grace, recognize that we all have things we’re good at and things we need to work on, and decide to make a change! Prioritizing your physical health is an important part of self-care for moms!

Check out the other posts in the Self-Care for Moms series:

• Self-Care for Moms – A Six-Part Series
• Self-Care for Moms – Mental Health
• Self-Care for Moms – Finding Yourself
• Self-Care for Moms – Spirituality
• Self-Care for Moms – Connection

The post Self-Care for Moms – Physical Health appeared first on Life With My Littles.

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Once upon a time, New Year’s Eve meant staying up until midnight, celebrating with a big party, and kissing someone you love as the clock struck twelve.

Now, New Year’s Even means convincing your kids that 8 o’clock is actually midnight, celebrating the New Year with some yelling and cheering, putting them to bed, and then falling asleep on the sofa at 10:30pm watching Netflix while trying to make it to midnight.

Parenting changes things.

And yes, it’s true that New Year’s Eve with kids is different, but that certainly doesn’t mean New Year’s Eve can’t still be special and exciting!

No matter how little your kids are, there are fun things you can do to make New Year’s Eve a night to remember. I searched the internet for fun ideas, and narrowed it down to twelve easy New Year’s Eve activities to do with kids. I haven’t included any crafts or games or things that are too complicated for young kids, because there are other blog posts for that. This one is focused specifically on activities for younger kids!

All twelve of these ideas are ones I actually would like to do with my kids, and ones that I think they’d enjoy, so hopefully, you’ll want to do them, too!

12 New Year’s Eve Activities to do with Kids

1. Enjoy sparkling cider or another kind of sparkling juice.

My kids don’t ever get soda, so when they get something bubbly, they’re jazzed about it! If you trust your child to have an open cup, these plastic champagne flutes are a cute idea! Or you can just use a sippy cup!

2. Milk in a champagne glass with cookies.

How cute is this idea? If you don’t want your kids having a drink that might stain your carpet, serve milk and cookies in this fun way, instead! (source)

3. Watch a Netflix countdown.

One fun thing you can do with your kids is watch a New Year’s Eve countdown on Netflix! They create fun little countdown videos featuring characters from their favorite shows. Here’s the landing page for the 2019 videos (as of writing this, they aren’t up yet, but I’m sure they will be in the next few weeks). This is especially helpful if you’re trying to convince your kids that midnight is actually a few hours earlier.

4. Set up a balloon drop.

How fun would this be? I found this easy 5-step tutorial from Miss Mae’s Days that uses dollar store materials, so you’ll only spend a few bucks! My kids would LOVE to do this, and it could easily become a family tradition!

5. Watch a picture slideshow of your year.

What kid doesn’t like looking at pictures of themselves and people they know? I know there’s a slideshow feature on most phones that allows you to sit back and watch pictures saved to your phone. I’m sure there are also probably online resources that allow you to make slideshows, too. And bonus, you could even save the videos and have yearly videos to look back on in the future!

6. Set one goal or family resolution for the new year.

I know that babies or toddlers may not be super into this one, but as a family, it would be fun to come up with one goal or resolution that you want to do in the new year, even if it’s just take a trip or be kinder to one another.

7. Talk about your favorite memories from the year.

My kids love talking about things we’ve done together, so what better time to reminisce on the last year than on New Year’s Eve! It’s fun to look back and hear what everyone remembers!

8. Have a sleepover together.

My kids ask to have a sleepover with us every few weeks. Usually they involve lots of pillows and blankets and everyone falling asleep on the floor watching a movie. It’s not a big thing, but it’s fun because it’s different!

9. Set up a New Year’s Eve photobooth.

Get a tripod and your camera, or just use the self-timer feature on your phone, and gather around to take some fun pictures! These photobooth props from The Life of Jennifer Dawn are cute and would be easy to make!

10. Take down your Christmas ornaments and decorate a New Year’s Tree.

Use paper stars, balloons, ribbons, streamers, and any other fun party decorations you can round up. These 2020 swirls would be fun to add to the tree, as would this black, silver, and gold paper circle garland.

11. Pompom poppers.

I know fireworks would be doable in some places, but in most places, fireworks aren’t available (or doable) for New Year’s Eve. These kid-friendly pompom poppers from The Crafting Chicks are a fun alternative! And they’re a lot easier to clean up when you use pompoms rather than confetti like some poppers!

12. Draw pictures for a 2020 calendar.

I love doing personalized calendars, and what cuter way to get the kids involved than to have them draw the pictures for the calendar! You can have them draw whatever they’d like, or even have them draw according to the month. I’m planning on doing this and then scanning the pictures and making our calendar through a site like Minted (they have really nice, stylish calendars).

Celebrating the new year can still be a lot of fun when you have little kids! And while you may not make it all the way to midnight (#momlife), at least you can say you celebrated with your favorite people!

The post 12 Easy New Year’s Eve Activities to do with Kids appeared first on Life With My Littles.

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Ever since my kids were 1 and 3 months, I’ve done the Elf on the Shelf. If you’re counting, that’s five years that our elf, French Fry, has been part of our Christmas traditions.

I know a lot of people who also do the Elf on the Shelf, and I know a lot of people who hate doing the Elf on the Shelf. If you’re someone who has never tried it out, or someone who has done it and ended up hating it, I’ve got a revolutionary new idea for you.

The easiest way to do the elf on the shelf:

1. Just move the elf around every night and have your kids find him in the morning.

That’s it. Total game-changer.

If you haven’t ever noticed, there’s nothing in the actual book that says the elf has to cause mischief. Nothing that says he’s a trouble-maker or mess-maker or even a fun-haver (yes, it’s a word). All the book says about the elf is:

“I’ll be back at your home before you awake, and then you must find the new spot I will take. You’ll jump out of bed and come running to see: who’ll be the first to spy little old me?

Maybe the kitchen, the bathroom, or den is where you will find me, your special elf friend. I can hide on a plant, a shelf, or a frame. Where will I be? Let’s make it a game.”

“the elf on the shelf: a christmas tradition” by Carol V. aebersold and chandra a. bell

I’m not sure where along the lines doing the Elf on the Shelf got so complicated and time-consuming, but it really doesn’t have to be! Sure, it’s cute and funny for your kids to find him all tangled up in tinsel or with a Superman cape “flying” from the ceiling fan, but for parents, coming up with 25+ ideas (depending on when you start) for your elf can be EXHAUSTING.

And that’s why the easiest (and also best) way to do the Elf on the Shelf is just to move him around every night.

Our elf likes to hang out on the Christmas tree, in stockings, in closets, even the fridge. And it takes about a minute for me to move him every night, which is a big plus.

Now I know that some parents love coming up with creative things for their elf to do, and that’s fine. Every few days I might throw one of those in, but our elf doesn’t ever make a mess I have to clean up and he rarely gives gifts or prizes to my kids.

Again, if that’s your thing, no judgement! You do you! But by FAR the easiest way to do the Elf on the Shelf is just to move him around each night.

I’m a big advocate of not doing all the things unless you have to, but I also love seeing my kids’ faces when they find French Fry every morning. So this is one Christmas tradition that we do in a very simple, fast way.

I move the elf to a new spot each night, the kids are excited to find him, and everybody wins! I think that’s something even the Scroogiest of Scrooges can get on board with!

The post The Easiest Way to do the Elf on the Shelf appeared first on Life With My Littles.

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I’ve always loved reading, so naturally, I love reading to my kids. Over the last six years, we’ve collected quite the home library. We have a lot of classic books (like Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and Little Blue Truck) that are fun to read to kids, and we have a lot of educational books (about colors, numbers, animal sounds, and letters) that help teach kids important things about the world around them. But my favorite books to read to my kids are the ones that really mean something. I’m talking about books that make me tear up because of their heartfelt messages. The books that were written for parents to read to their kids to help show them how much they love them.

Today, I wanted to share a list of books to give new moms that are emotional, sentimental, meaningful, and universal. I dare you to get through these books without tearing up or having your voice break. I actually teared up several times while trying to write this post because of how incredible these books are (also, I’m a softie)! Any of these eleven books would be great books to give new moms:

That’s What I’d Do by Jewel. I got this at my very first baby shower when I was pregnant with my first baby. My sister’s friend gave it to me, and when I read it to my son for the first time, I bawled. It’s all about the great lengths we’d go to for our kids, and it’s beautiful. There’s a part at the end that says “You are a treasure, better than gold, and best of all, you’re the kind I can hold.” I get choked up every time.

Lead the Way by Ace Landers. I was bawling in the bookstore when I picked up this book. It uses the storylines of Cars and Cars 3 to show how important it is to have someone guiding you and helping you learn how to navigate through life. My kids love that it has characters from the Cars movies, and I love the important lessons it teaches. I actually teared up in several parts of this book because for me, it was talking about how parents teach their children and then how those children go on to teach their own children. Gosh, I love it so much!

I Love You Through and Through by Bernadette Rossetti-Shustak. I got this book from a good friend at my baby shower for my third baby. It’s a simple book that would be great for babies and toddlers (because it’s short and sweet!), but the message is so sweet! It says things like “I love your…” and then talks about all the different parts of babies that a parent loves. It’s a good one if you don’t want a total cry fest on your hands, but still want something heartfelt.

I Wish You More by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. This one might be my favorite of all of these (the Cars one is a close second). It’s so, so sweet, and next time someone I know is having a baby I am definitely getting this for them. As the name implies, it’s about all the different wishes we have for our kids. It has simple sentences and each line has a deeper meaning. I just love it. As a new parent, it’s everything you want for your baby.

The Wonderful Things You Will Be by Emily Winfield Martin. We checked this out from the library because it has insane reviews on Amazon, and guys, it’s incredible. I cried when I tried to read the first page, so that’s a good indicator of how special this one is. It’s about all the wonderful things our kids have the potential to become, and it really is such a great book to give a pregnant or new mama!

The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown. This one was written in 1942, and it’s still so good! It’s about a little bunny who wants to keep running away and turning into different things to get away from his mama bunny, and all the ways that she follows him. The pictures are beautiful, and if you’re looking for one that’s a classic, I recommend this one!

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney. My mother-in-law gave this to my oldest son, and he still loves reading it. It’s about a little bunny and his mommy, and the little bunny keeps telling his mom how much he loves her, and the mommy bunny keeps topping him. I like it because it shows that a parent’s love is so deep and even stronger than kids can comprehend.

Love You Forever by Robert Munsch. It was first written in 1986, so chances are it was read to you as a child, unless you’re a grandparent looking at this for your grandchild, and in that case, maybe not! It’s the story of a mother and a son and there’s a song that she sings him during different stages of his life. At the end, the mom is super old and the son sings the song to her, and then he goes home and sings the song to his own child. I’m tearing up just writing this, guys. It’s so sweet.

Let Me Hold You Longer by Karen Kingsbury. Our library didn’t have this one so I actually haven’t read it, but I’ve heard GREAT things about it. It’s about cherishing your child’s firsts as well as their lasts. Parenthood goes by so fast, and this book is about enjoying every moment. Seriously, just reading the description made me tear up.

If I Could Keep You Little by Marianne Richmond. Another one that I cried on the first page, this one has such a great message, and I love the illustrations. It’s about how as parents, we want to keep our kids little, but if we did, we wouldn’t get to see our children learn and grow and succeed. There were lots of pages in it that I could relate to at the stage of my life I’m in with my kids, so this one was especially good, in my opinion!

Oh, Baby, the Places You’ll Go! by Tish Rabe. My sister recommended this one to me and said she “bawled her eyes out.” I’m not a fan of Dr. Seuss books, so I didn’t like this one, but she’s a fourth grade teacher so she loves them. It’s a book that’s meant to be read to your baby while you’re pregnant, but it would work for after they’re born, too. It basically talks about all the different things your baby might do, but with Dr. Seuss characters (like meeting the Once-ler, the Grinch, and Horton). Again, not my cup of tea (made-up words are dumb), but if you like Dr. Seuss, it’s a good one.

If you’ve got a baby shower coming up or you’re visiting a new mama friend, any of these books to give new moms are sure to make a great gift! Assuming of course you don’t buy them and want to keep them for yourself (no judgement if you do because I have already added a few of these to my wish list!)! And if you need other ideas for baby shower gifts, check out this post!

The post Books to Give New Moms appeared first on Life With My Littles.

This post is sponsored by Pampers. I am a proud member of the Pampers Baby Board.

When we stepped into the giant baby store to register for our first baby, we were handed a list several pages long of “essentials” that we needed to put on our registry. Being naive, first-time parents, we were overwhelmed and had no idea how much of what was on the list was actually necessary. A lot of what we registered for ended up not getting used, or used once and then donated, simply because those things weren’t practical or helpful. What a bummer!

A recent Pampers survey found that we weren’t the only ones feeling that way (thank goodness!). More than half of moms who created a registry felt it was more overwhelming than they expected, and 62% of moms have regrets about their baby registry. Of those who do, the top regret is that they didn’t register for enough practical items!

Now that I’ve had three babies, I feel like I have a pretty good idea what practical things to put on your baby registry. I know what you’ll actually use, what you’ll wish you registered for more of, and what you won’t regret adding to your registry later!

1. Diapers. Of course the #1 thing on this list is diapers! I’ve registered for all three of my babies, and each time, Pampers diapers are the first thing I’ve put on the registry. You can never have too many diapers, and they are definitely the most practical thing you can put on your registry! And please don’t feel guilty about adding a ton of diapers to your registry! 88% of moms that Pampers surveyed said they wished they had included more diapers on their registry, yet more than 1 in 3 (35%) moms who included diapers on their baby registry felt guilty about registering for them. Please make sure you add diapers to your registry! All sizes, and different kinds. I love Pampers Swaddlers for newborn and size 1, and then Pampers Baby Dry for sizes 2 and up!

2. Baby wipes. If you’re registering for diapers you have to register for wipes, too! You need wipes for every diaper change, so add them to your registry without hesitation!

3. Baby wash and lotion. Babies have extra soft, sensitive skin, and you’re going to want to keep it that way! Register for some baby-specific wash and lotion. Baby wash and lotion are always something you can use!

4. Healthcare and grooming kit. One of the best things we registered for (besides diapers!) was a healthcare and grooming kit. It had a nasal aspirator, a little hair brush, nail clippers, a tiny toothbrush, and other little things like that to help take care of baby. We still have the one we registered for with Little J almost five years ago, and I still use it with Little R!

5. White bodysuits. You can never have too many of these! I love layering them under button-up shirts and pajamas (in the winter), and they work great for monthly baby pictures, too!

6. Portable playard. These are perfect for traveling, keeping your baby in your room before moving them to their crib, naps in other parts of the house, or even as a playpen when you just need to contain your baby!

7. Baby monitor. We’ve tried a ton of different baby monitors (plain audio ones and video ones) and either way, I think they’re great! You can even use them when your baby gets bigger!

8. Car seat. Some people don’t register for big items like this, but I say why not? You’re absolutely going to need a car seat, and putting one on your registry gives people a chance to go in together and get one for you! One less thing you’ll have to buy yourself!

9. Stroller. Again, a big item that you might not think to register for, but you’re going to need one, so why not?

10. Bouncer or swing. I wouldn’t say you need both of these, but having one is nice because it’s a great place to put your baby when you just need a minute! We had a little bouncer that vibrated and all three of my kids would hang out in it while I showered in the mornings. And I know my sister loves her swing for helping her baby fall asleep when he won’t any other way!

11. Bibs and burp rags. Even if your baby doesn’t spit-up much, it’s handy to have at least a few of these for feeding (especially once your baby starts solids!).

12. Baby carrier. Ask some of your mama friends what carriers they liked (maybe even try one out with a friend’s baby!), and register for one! I still get use out of my carrier and my baby just turned one! They are great when you need your hands free but your baby doesn’t want to be put down.

13. Crib pad/ fitted sheet. One of the best tricks I learned as a new mama was to layer a waterproof mattress protector underneath my baby’s crib sheet, and then do it again. That way if your baby gets sick or gets their sheet wet in the middle of the night, it won’t soak through to the mattress and bonus, you can just pull off the top layer of crib sheet and waterproof mattress protector and still have a sheet on the mattress so your baby can go right back to sleep and you don’t have to do laundry in the middle of the night! Genius!

14. Swaddle blanket. Swaddling your newborn may help them sleep longer and prevents them from startling themselves awake. You can use a stretchy muslin swaddle or one that has velcro, but either way, they are definitely a practical thing to include on your registry!

15. A baby book. I know some people aren’t a fan of traditional baby books, and that’s fine. If that’s you, just ignore this one! I personally like having a place to write down milestones and glue baby pictures, so I use baby books. I have one of these for Little R and I love it because I can customize it and add or remove pages.

16. A nursing pillow. Regardless of whether or not you are planning on breastfeeding, these are amazing. I used mine for nursing and bottle feeding my first two babies, and they work great for tummy time and supporting your baby when they are learning to sit. Definitely a great, practical item to have!

Registering for your baby can be a little overwhelming at first, but if you do your research, you’ll quickly realize babies really don’t need that much stuff! Follow this list of practical things to put on your baby registry, try to stay calm, and go in with a plan. You’ll find that registering for your baby can be a lot of fun!

The post Practical Things to Put on Your Baby Registry appeared first on Life With My Littles.