Paw Patrol cake

Rubble on the double!

I thought I would share how I made my son's simple Paw Patrol birthday cake. Once he requested a Paw Patrol cake, I headed to Google to see what was out there. And out there was a whole lot of red, blue and yellow-frosting, fondant, actual cake. Every cake was literally dripping in artificial colors and dyes. Now I do allow artificial coloring every once in awhile, in moderation, but I just couldn't bring myself to make (or pay!) for a huge chemical cake. I decided to order a simple cake from my grocery store with vanilla and chocolate buttercream as the base. I bought my son's favorite character, Rubble and knew I wanted to have a "construction theme". I crushed up Annie's Graham crackers and spread them on top of the cake and inside Rubble's scoop! My son flipped for it and as a bonus-he got a new toy. The cake was delicious and I felt good that I wasn't feeding the kids Red40!

Best books for a 1 year old

 

For the past month or so, my daughter's interest in reading has sky rocketed. She will constantly bring you a book ("bup") and sit in your lap and she definetly has her favorites. Here is a list of the ones she (and my son!) have demanded we read to them over and over again. These are perfect to tuck into a gift for a 1st birthday party or baby shower.

Let's Go Outside by Katja Spitzer. This one is Ivy's favorite, hands down. I got this as a gift and before I even gave it to her, I fell in love with it! The colors, the whimsical and cheeky illustrations and the size of the book are just perfect. As it turned out, she became obsessed, so now it's hers. I might need to get my own copy. She especially loves the pages with the squirrel and I love hearing her try to say "Squirrel". 

Moo, Baa, La La La! by Sandra Boynton. You probably have seen Sandra Boynton books before but this is the best one for the younger set (10 months+). The pages are simple and it's a fun, quick read with lots of interaction. When my 4 year old happens to walk by if I'm reading this to my daughter, he will still come and sit for the duration of the book! I have this memorized, and if you get it, you will too! This book is the reason my daughter calls dogs "ruff ruffs" and I'm not mad about it. :)

Peekaboo Sophie! This book gets so much play at my house that I have to hide it because I need breaks from reading it! The peekaboo flaps in this book are large and thick and easy for small hands to grab, which is half of the draw. The other half is Ivy hears me say "peekaboo!" after she opens a flap, which never gets old in her eyes. Also, did you know that Sophie's friends are sophisticated animals named Lazare, Gabin and Margot? Must be a French thing. 

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Eric Carle. Ok, I know what you are thinking, this is a no brainer. If you have kids, you know about this, but if you don't, now you know! We got our copy when my son was a baby and now, 4 years later it is literally falling apart. The kids love that purple cat and black sheep, what can I say. We constantly rotate books at my house to keep things feeling fresh but this book has a permanent spot and the kids never tire of it. A great book to turn into a sing song-y chant with clapping or just to flip the pages and name the animals. 

Ok, now it's your turn, what book is your child's favorite?

My "go to sleep" kit for babies and kids

Now that my daughter is one and her sleep is pretty regular, I am doing my best to keep it that way with nightly routines. With cold season coming up I know we are going to take a hit with my son bringing home lots of germs from preschool which always affect the kids' sleep. I'm sure our future holds many nights with the humidifier and nightly wake-ups due to coughing. I rely on my go-to sleep kit mainly for my daughter but I also can use it on my 4 year old son on especially rowdy nights or when he is sick.

I add a cup or two of magnesium flakes or epsom salts to their bath to start the calming process. Most people are deficient in magnesium and making sure your body is getting enough is key in getting proper rest. Other benefits include: improving circulation, stress relief and improving skin hydration among many more.

I spray Mommy's Bliss sweet slumber mist on my daughter's favorite lovey so she can snuggle it while she drifts off to sleep and not have to worry about the smell overpowering her pajamas. All of Mommy's Bliss products are safe and free of yucky chemicals. Sometimes I spray this on my pillow!

I roll essential oils on her feet as a final step to set the tone for sleepytime. My blend contains lavender and I feel that smell triggers something in her to know its close to naptime or bedtime.

What are your go-to tricks or routines in getting your kids to have good quality rest?