4 Toddler Printables

I’m endlessly amazed at how many incredible resources we have at our fingertips – for free! – thanks to content producers, bloggers and magazines that find value in sharing what they know. Case in point? Printables. With a quick download and a bit of printer ink, we can so easily teach our kids new skills,

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Picnic Fridays

Arrive at the dock, spread out snacks. Open a book and start reading to the toddler. Fight the disappointment you feel when she wriggles away. Let her run; today is a day to explore. Throw rocks, smell flowers, point at reflections in the water. Note the ripples. Again, again, again.

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Dolled Up

One of Bee’s favorite toys to play with at Grandma’s house is a custom Victorian dollhouse my mother designed and built in her hey day (I know!). Bee loves helping the tiny baby take a bath in the miniature tub, or wash dishes and fold laundry in the kitchen (Dollhouse World clearly produces some very

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Kid-Free In Saugatuck

So, last week, Ken and I road tripped to Michigan with our friends for really no reason at all except that it was time for a grown-up getaway. This was our first kid-free trip together, and we were so cliche in our childcare preparations that I won’t even go into detail here, except to mention

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Swirls & Snowflakes

So, old news. I’m a social introvert, one that loves people and is fascinated by their stories and perspectives and nuances, but one that needs to take a nap directly after speaking with said people. It takes ALL of my energy to widen my eyes in the right moments and to figure out how to

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Messes & Magic

I found a remnant of blue Play-Doh on my shirt yesterday, and I cannot remember the last time Bee and I played with Play-Doh, and certainly not the blue color. We haven’t had the blue color in tact for quite awhile – months? – because after a long summer, there is no color distinction. It’s

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On (Not) Potty-Training

OK, potty-training. I’m doing it wrong, for sure. Because here’s how potty-training was explained to me: “It’s totally no big deal. You just hunker down for three days, OK? Do it in the summer so your kid doesn’t need to wear any pants, then set the timer for every ten minutes. Give them a Skittle

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