Category Archives: Mommy Approved

On the Tenth Day of Christmas, My Little Girl Gave to Me..The Importance of Santa’s Naughty and Nice List

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On the Tenth Day of Christmas, My Little Girl Gave to Me..The Importance of Santa’s Naughty and Nice List.

“I’m going to be nice not naughty, Mommy! I want you, Daddy and Santa to be proud of me!” my daughter said . Since mid October, I’ve heard parents tell their children when they ask for toys, “If you’re good, maybe Santa will bring it on Christmas.” Some even threaten to give Santa a call if the child is misbehaving or refusing to listen (So far, I haven’t had to resort to this…fingers crossed).  Now that Christmas is just days away, children who look forward to receiving gifts from Santa know that being on the naughty list means no gifts or coal for them, so most are on their best behavior.

What’s interesting with my three year old this year is that she has consistently stated, “I don’t want any gifts from Santa! I just want to have fun with Kenzie (her cousin) and Nana!” Even still, for the most part she’s been on her best behavior and is excited about giving out presents. She informed me, “As long as you stay off the naughty list Mommy, you may have the gifts Santa’s going to bring me.”

Of course, I would be absolutely surprised if Quinn followed through with that statement and let me keep the gifts she received, but it pleases me so much that at a young age she is genuinely a sweet girl who thinks about others. I am very proud of her and am even more eager for Santa to bring her some gifts for being so nice.

All the best,

Tanya

On the Ninth Day of Christmas, My Little Girl Gave to Me…Fun and Dancing with The Disney Express

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On the Ninth Day of Christmas, My Little Girl Gave to Me…Fun and Dancing with The Disney Express.

 

“Which one should I press this time, Mommy: Mickey or Goofy?” my three year old asked with her pointer finger ready. “How about Goofy this time?” I suggested. Upon pressing the button near Goofy, the Christmas song came on, and all of the characters started moving in beat making it look like the train and cabooses were moving.

About a month ago, my daughter and I were in Hallmark getting our Christmas cards, and she pulled on my arm and motioned for me to follow her, “Look mommy! It’s Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Pluto! They’re riding a train!” Quinn loves trains, and I was actually thinking about getting a new Christmas display, so it didn’t take much for her to convince me to make the purchase of the Disney Christmas Express.

While the characters can be purchased separately, I decided to get the entire set since they can be linked together to move in unison. Needless to say, my little girl was happy about that and has asked to press it as soon as she comes down stairs everyday since we set it up.  Each character plays three different instrumentals of Christmas songs, so with all five, there are fifteen.

It’s so upbeat that Quinn and I will often stop what we are doing once the music starts to dance around and have a little fun.

All the best,

Tanya

On the Eighth Day of Christmas, My Little Girl Gave to Me…A Lesson in Gingerbread House Decorating

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On the Eighth Day of Christmas, My Little Girl Gave to Me…A Lesson in Gingerbread House Decorating.

“Shopkins, Shopkins! Mommy, I need to look at the box first so that I have some decoration ideas for my gingerbread house,” my three year old informed me. Last year, we did a gingerbread train with her older cousin. While she enjoyed the activity, she really loved eating the candy more than using it to decorate.

This year, Quinn was excited when she saw that I got her a Shopkins gingerbread house and was eager to put it together as she studied the box to determine exactly how she wanted it to look. “I want the Shopkins gummies on the door and the different candies on the roof with more gummies. Does that sound like a good idea, Mommy?” she asked. “Of course, that sounds like a great idea, Quinn,” I reassured her.

Even though I helped Quinn with piping the pink frosting to put the foundation of the gingerbread house together,  I was impressed with how she took charge and did most of the decorating herself. Her finished product was just perfect, so perfect that she asked, “When can we eat some of the gingerbread house?!”

All the best,

Tanya

On the Fourth Day of Christmas, My Little Girl Gave to Me…Nostalgic Moments Singing and Dancing to the Jackson Five Christmas Album

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On the Fourth Day of Christmas, My Little Girl Gave to Me…Nostalgic Moments Singing and Dancing to the Jackson Five Christmas Album.

“Can we hear Santa Claus is Coming to Town again, Mommy?!” Upon putting it on, my three year quickly corrected me, “Not that one, Mommy! The one with Jackson 5, please!”

I remember decorating the Christmas tree with my mother, sister and brother as a little girl singing along with the Jackson 5 and squabbling with me sister over who would sing Michael Jackson’s part. We’d use wrapping paper rolls as our microphones and come up with our own dance moves. Never did we tire of listening to the album that was originally released well over a fifteen years prior, actually when my mom was barely a teenager in 1970.

Now, instead of requesting Daniel Tiger as the album of choice for our breakfast mood music like my daughter’s been doing for the past half year, she’s been asking for the Jackson Five for the past couple of weeks. She’s even asked for it to be played in place of her bath and bed time routine Beethoven music. While in the car, The Temptations version of “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer” came on, and with an inquisitive look, Quinn asked, “Who is this? Why are they singing The Jackson 5’s song?” I explained to her that there are many different versions of Christmas songs, and without hesitation she informed me, “I like the Jackson 5, mommy. They sing it much better!” I just giggled to myself, and said, “Okay, I’ll keep that in mind.”

It warms my heart that my daughter and I are bonding over this album as I once did with my mother and siblings. I can still close my eyes and reminisce about the fun times with had with it playing in the background as though it was yesterday. I hope as time goes on that Quinn will have fond memories of the moments we’ve shared together as a family while listening to the Jackson 5 Christmas allbum.

 

All the best,

Tanya

On the Third Day of Christmas, My Little Girl Gave to Me…Being Mesmerized by Christmas Lights

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On the Third Day of Christmas, My Little Girl Gave to Me…Being Mesmerized by Christmas Lights.

“Is it dark enough to see the lights, Mommy? Can we go outside to see them now? Is Santa in the window too?” My little girl excitedly inquired. Looking at the twinkling Christmas lights is a simple activity, yet it’s something I’ve always enjoyed doing because it brings me joy and puts a smile on my face. Quinn loves looking at the lights too and wanted to go outside with me with no coat (I convinced her to put one on) just to see the light decorations on our house.

This year, we added Santa and Mrs. Claus in the downstairs windows, the nostalgic leg lap from “Christmas Story” on our front porch, a snowman and Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer in the front yard and moved the reindeer and sleigh with gifts that light up to the side yard. Another feature that’s not exactly lights is a digital decoration where Santa is busy placing presents, going into his red sack or eating cookies in our the second floor window using the special projector by the company AtmosFX. It is so realistic that my three year old along with some guests at our annual holiday party really thought Santa was upstairs in our room.

While there will be a little bump in our electric bill, having those beautiful Christmas lights twinkle and having Santa greet us in the window makes it feel a lot like Christmas.

Here’s a little clip of us looking at Santa in the window.

All the best,

Tanya

On the Second Day of Christmas, My Little Girl Gave to Me…Fun Decorating Our Christmas Tree

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Turning Off The Light to Check Out Our Tree
Proud of Our New Tree Decorations
Our Rainbow Tree

On the second day of Christmas, my little girl gave to me, fun decorating our Christmas tree.

“Next year, let’s do a fun tree, Mommy!” my little girl suggested back in 2015. For the past few years, even before Quinn was born, our tree could be classified as sophisticated, so when Quinn asked about a fun tree, it was right on time because I was eager to break up the monotony of the same decorations year after year. Shortly after Christmas last year, I started googling “fun Christmas trees,” but the types were vast. So I thought, why not ask my daughter what she thought would be a fun tree, and she immediately said, “How about a rainbow tree just like my playroom!?”

I was instantly on board, told my husband, and we were both on the hunt for after Christmas discounts on ornaments since quite a few would be required, especially with the tree in previous years just having blue, silver and gold ornaments. Then, in September, I saw a commercial for a Christmas tree light called “Tree Dazzler.” I did a little research and found that it was a knockoff of the original “Geek My Tree,” from Shark Tank which comes with an app, unlike the Tree Dazzler, and far more color sequences to set the lights to do just about whatever you want. Though much pricier than the “Tree Dazzler,” it goes perfectly with our rainbow theme, and I was able to set the lights to be in accordance with the color order of the ornaments.

Not only was it fun decorating our tree together, it was a wonderful way to reinforce sorting, color recognition and the order of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. The decorations are certainly more fun and playful now, just like my little three year old wanted. Quinn is very happy with the new tree decorations, and so am I.

All the best,

Tanya

What Would We Do Without It Wednesdays: The Perfect Alarm Clock Stops Traffic!

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Quinn with her New Stop Light Alarm Clock

“Mommy, what time will I wake up in the morning?” “How long will I be sleeping?” “When can I get up, Mommy?” are just some of the night time series of questions from my three year old for the past few months. Actually, I’ve done a few posts in the past on how intrigued my daughter is by the concept of time and how I got her a toy clock since she will often ask what time it is throughout the course of the day. Even though the toy clock does tell time, it’s not an alarm clock, and the digital clock is too small to see across the room in the dark. I needed something so that the last ten to fifteen minutes of Quinn’s bedtime routine was not about discussing how long she would sleep and wake up and when she could get out of bed.

Just a couple of weeks ago we had a playdate, and I shared this issue with my friend. She instantly empathized with me and recommended a stop light alarm clock with a little race car and driver attached on the side that works for her four year old twin boys. Of course,  I was very excited to purchase it for Quinn, but after getting home I did have a little apprehension, not because it was a little boy in the race car but because it did not match the current decor of her room (Yes, I’m “that” mommy!), and I wondered if it would look out of place.

After doing a little searching on Amazon, where my friend told me she purchased it, I was able to find the same clock, but it was in a different color palette and even had a little girl in the race car. While nearly $40 may be a bit steep for most, after using the clock for a little under two weeks, I’d say it is absolutely worth it. Even though Quinn is a patient child and typically did not get out of bed prior to the alarm clock purchase but would simply yell up the hallway if she was awake, “Is it morning?” “Can I get up now?” the alarm clock lets her know that it is time to wake up.

“When the light is red, stay in bed! If the light is green, get up and be seen!” is the phrase I came up with, and it works perfectly. The only possible downside so far is that Quinn wants to follow exactly what the traffic light tells her to do. For instance, today, she was moving around in her bed about ten minutes before the light was going to turn green. I came in and asked her if she wanted to get up early, and her response was, “I have to wait for the light to turn green to get up and be seen!” I chuckled to myself, and ten minutes later she called out, “Mommy, the light’s green. I can get up and be seen!”

If you’re looking for a clock to help with the bedtime and morning routine, both Quinn and I highly recommend purchasing this clock, and I thank my friend, Susan, for letting me know about it.

All the best,

Tanya

Terrific Toy Tuesday: Say Word!? There’s a Scrabble Junior for Preschoolers!

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Six months ago I posted a blog entry about the game Scrabble and my daughter’s fascination with it. Then, a couple of months ago I stumbled upon Scrabble Junior. Though the game says, “Ages five and up,” I figured I’d still get it for my, now, three and a half year old because it was a good alternative to the version for older children and adults. As soon as she saw the game, she loved it and was excited to play. Sometimes, I modify instructions to games or let Quinn come up with her own way of playing when it is meant for older children, but she was actually able to follow the instructions.

You may be wondering, “Wow, your three and a half year old can spell?!” No, not exactly. This awesome game has a double-sided board. For younger children, the words are already spelled out. It is a matter of the players selecting the tiles to put on top of the words. The player earns points and gets to move across the board as he or she spells the complete word with the tiles selected. Whereas the other side of the board is played in the more traditional Scrabble way for  when Quinn begins learning how to spell and wants more of a challenge.

At first, I figured I’d hold back on spelling the words out to build up Quinn’s confidence, but I soon realized that I did not have to do this because she actually is good at this game and caught on to the concept quickly. She was even able to use some of the pictures to figure out what the words spelled. I just love games that are fun and educational, and Scrabble Junior fits that description. It’s a great way to not only get my daughter even more interested in learning to spell and eager to learn but for us to have a great time together! How did I not know that Scrabble Junior existed? Well, I know now and highly recommend this game, which is about $14 or cheaper if you get it on sale, to anyone with a young child who is interested in spelling or reading or if you are looking for a fun way to get a child interested and eager to spell and read.

All the best,

Tanya

 

Fun at Hershey Park: Sweetening the End of the Summer with My Little Girl

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“I want to take a picture with the chocolate bar, Mommy and then get on rides!” my three year old excitedly said. It was her first time at Hershey Park just yesterday and today. Actually, it felt like my first time because I haven’t been there in over five years and then about fifteen years before then. My husband, daughter and I all had a great time, and me, being the type “A” personality that I am, fell in love the Hershey’s Park’s app which allowed me to create a to-do-list and even filter the rides based on the ones my little “Hershey’s Kiss” was able go get on based on her height.

We spend most of Saturday getting on all of the rides, almost all 46 of them: some two and three times. Though it rained (even torrential downpours at times) off and on today, (Sunday), Quinn enjoyed playing in the rain and jumping in puddles. We were able to play a few games and get on a couple of rides when the rain cleared up for an hour or so at a time. We didn’t let the rain dampen our spirits because we enjoyed ourselves by spending a couple of hours in the Hershey’s Chocolate World too. What an awesome experience for all ages!

This truly has been a summer of fun with my little one right before she starts pre-school for the first time. I’m so glad  we were able to close out the summer by having some family fun at the sweetest place on earth, Hershey Park!

All the best,

Tanya

STEM Fun: Learning at the Franklin Institute with My Little Girl

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With a huge smile on her face, my three year old exclaimed, “This place is awesome!” as we explored the many exhibits at the Franklin Institute. This actually was her first time at the Franklin Institute because I was waiting for her to be a little older to be able to enjoy most of the exhibits and activities, but with the Science Behind Pixar exhibit and deciding to get a membership with 15 percent off, I figured it was time. Also, I thought this would be perfect for Quinn’s cognitive development, especially since she’s developed in the STEM areas.

Upon entering the Pixar exhibit, she quickly spotted Dory, Buzz Lightyear and many others and excitedly fiddled around with the interactive components with her two cousins and auntie, who joined us, and her go-to phrases of the day became, “Look at this, Mommy!” or “What’s this, Mommy?” We both learned so much and had a wonderful time, and I was eager to explore some of the exhibits throughout the rest of the museum as I became nostalgic about my own childhood and class trips to the Franklin Institute.

Since she is young, My sister and I wondered if Quinn would be afraid of the giant heart that allows museum goers to walk through it. She had so many questions about what everything was and wanted to know about the heartbeat sound she heard when were inside; she loved it and asked to walk through three more times. She had a blast in the Sir Isaac Newton’s Loft testing her own strength and learning about gravity. Another exhibit we explored that was new to me because it was not around when I was a child is the sports zone. We all had so much fun. Quinn was able to race the Philly Phanatic, her older cousin and even me too. She worked on her jump shot, did some surfing and practiced her stance and baseball pitch.

I’m looking forward to many more visits to the Franklin Institute with Quinn to explore some of the exhibits we didn’t make it to during our the first time. I’m also excited to go back to the ones we thoroughly enjoyed not just during the summer but for months and years to come. If you’re in the Philadelphia, PA are and looking for a fun, family activity that promotes learning in the STEM area, the Franklin Institute is the perfect place.

All the best,

Tanya