Free Ant-Man Activity Pack Printables

Ant-Man is in theaters and it is a hit. Print our free activity pack for your little Ant-Man fan. The activity pack includes:

  • A mask with instructions
  • Maze
  • Coloring activities
  • Spot the differences and answers
  • Matching card game and instructions 

 

 

 

                               

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Potting Training, Weening, and First Awards

How important are memories to you? At certain times I go through pictures and look back over various events or remember things that have either made me laugh or cry. You know like the birth of your children, my divorce (that was a combination of laughter and tears), my grandchildren’s birth and things that your children have said or done. I came across these pictures and thought about my grandson’s special day.  It was so adorable, and remains one of my favorite memories.   

Reminiscing is a good thing don’t you think? I decided to revive one of my post from several years ago, because the memories are so near and dear to my heart. Here’s one of the fondest memories of my grandson: I attended the graduation and preschool ceremony at my grandson’s school last week-end. It was adorable. We decided to put him in nursery school last year, because he’s an only child and sharing was not a part of his repertoire. We thought it would be an excellent way for him to interact with other children and enhance his education. It was money well spent.





Here’s another thing that I will always remember. Have you ever been truly impressed by someone that you met? It doesn’t happen often for me, but Miss Joy the Director shown in the purple dress will always have a place in my heart too.  She became so emotional in her opening speech and she knew each song that the children performed. She truly adores them and it shows. There’s nothing like walking away and knowing that your child will truly be loved. Miss B., one of the teachers is assisting her.  Miss B. has a twin sister who is also a teach at the school, Miss T. 

Decisions can be difficult, but if you do your homework and research things it helps to put things into perspective. When we decided to put Xavier in nursery school, we did a thorough investigation. We read reviews, visited schools and talked to other parents before a decision was made. Maybe I’m strange but it gives me comfort knowing that the money being paid is not just going into someone’s pocket. I want to know that it’s used to enhance the education of the children. This school doesn’t have a problem demonstrating that education is their number 1 priority. Not only did they focus on helping the children with social skills, sharing, potty training, weening them and helping with a schedule nap time, they learned colors, numbers, the alphabet and even had homework assignments. A banquet room overlooking the beach was used for the graduation and ceremony, the Director presented each of the teachers with beautiful gifts, the entertainment from the children was delightful, and refreshments were served to all in attendance. I don’t know how it could ever be topped, I understand why the school has a 5 star rating. 


Think about one of your proudest moments with your child or children and how you felt. That is exactly how I felt watching my Sweetie Pie and all that he had accomplished in the year that he has attended. I was able to see why he had grown so much, the school definitely puts the focus on the children.  

As you can see in the second picture above, my grandson is not shy. He had no problem grabbing the microphone and he knew all the words to the songs. He also won the Potty Training Award. My big boy is wearing big boy pants now. Good by pampers and hello potty! 




He adores his daddy, so daddy was the recipient of his Big Boy Award. The students in the background are graduates from the Kindergarten class. My big boy moves up to the young 3 year old class in the fall. Another aspect of the school that I like is the fact that they have 2, 3, and 4 years; however, each age has two classes. They integrate the children into the young class and gradually prepare them to move with the more mature students within the year. 


If you’re considering nursery or preschool, I would highly recommend it. I believe my little Sweetie Pie has enjoyed the experience as much as we did. He looks forward to going to school each morning to see his friends and teacher. That in itself speaks volumes.

You may also like: 9 Benefits of Preschool 

Fresh Baby – Toddler Products Review

I was contacted by Fresh Baby to review their baby products.  Their focus is on healthy meals for toddlers.  Since I have 1 picky eater and 1 than will pretty much eat everything, I jumped at the chance to check out their site and products. 


Here’s my dilemma: My grandson is picky, no veggies and few fruits. My granddaughter who was born a 2 lb. 10 oz. preemie will eat you out of house and home with the exception of veggies. If it’s green, it’s mean in their eyes and they’re not allowing it to get close to their lips. My grandchildren also love snacks, especially my granddaughter. By 8:00 am she’s ready to start her journey through the snacks and meals of the day. Yummy in her stomach is how she describes the experience.  


I was anxiously awaiting my package from Fresh Baby, and finally the box arrived.  You know I’m like a kid at Christmas when I’m waiting for my review products. I was excited about the selection of products when I opened the box. Lets start with this plate. It’s perfect for my granddaughter.  Here’s why: 

  • The plate allows you how to control portions without guessing.  
  • The plate shows you what you should be serving.  
  • The plate is fun, of quality, and colorful.  
  • The plate can used to teach your toddler about food and what is good for them. Children learn by what they see as well as what they hear.   

I love that it is sectioned, my grandchildren do not like their food to touch, lol. My grandson does fine with his portions, it’s the vegetable side of the plate that is normally bare unless it’s corn. 





How adorable is this apron/mock! It was included in the box, and I love it for several reasons:

  • Toddlers can relate to those adorable little chefs at the top. 
  • It also helps teach children about fruits, veggies, dairy and meats. 
  • I love to put white on my 3 year old granddaughter. I know crazy, right. My daughter has a fit when it’s time for her to eat because of spills and drops. This covers her completely when she’s sitting down. Fresh Baby knows toddlers. 
  • It’s easy to wipe clean.  
  • It’s great for those little ones who like to help in the kitchen. 
  • Fits most kids 3 – 5. 
  • It can be folded and placed in a gallon plastic bag and carried in your purse for outings. 






Here’s another problem. How many cookbooks have you come across that was created with toddlers in mind?  Right, not many. As parents, we all know how difficult it is to come up with easy recipes that kids will eat. So Easy toddler food is a winner. The book is written by Cheryl Tallman, one of the founders of Fresh Baby. The book has quite a few recipes that my toddler would eat or I could modify for her. For example, a fresh banana and strawberry smoothie. My daughter does Beach Body, so my grandchildren are no strangers to smoothies. I need to get on board, bahaha!  There’s recipes for apple and chicken kabobs, deviled eggs, my grandchildren love these, home made pizza, great way to use my homemade tomato sauce and cinnamon apple slices. There’s a recipe for Pink Potatoes that’s at the top of my list now. It’s mashed potatoes that uses a combination of sweet and white potatoes that turn pink. What toddler wouldn’t love these.  


 




I have a story for you about my granddaughter and her appetite. One of her favorite places to eat is Golden Corral. She loves to eat mashed potatoes and mac and cheese there. At one outing she ate so much that the gentlemen sitting behind me stopped by our table on the way out and said, “She can really put it away”. My response was she will eat until the bottom falls out.  She was 2 at the time. Another time she wanted peanut butter crackers. She loves them. She wakes up in the middle of the night asking for them. I remember her eating so much one day that I was afraid to give her anything else. I thought she was going to get sick. Of course, she protested. My daughter came in to see what was happening and laughed so hard. She said mom she’s not going to get sick. Give them to her.  Her doctor has approved her eating as much as she wants, so we let her. She’s not overweight and apparently just burns it up. I stressed that healthy eating was a must for her.   


These tips from Fresh Baby on how much she should be eating was right on time. When I looked at the portions, I realized that she’s not overeating. I just have to make sure that she’s eating healthy meals and snacks and spread them throughout the day from the recommended food groups. 


I would highly recommend that you head over to Fresh Baby and check out their products. They also have a blog that you may want to check out and subscribe to.  I did. The blog offers a food database and clever ways to use their Fresh Baby products. Both sites are truly worth the trip. 

Guest Post – 6 Reasons to Buy an Instrument for Your Toddler

Toddlers are easily
attracted to things that make a sound. It comes as no surprise that they enjoy
musical instruments. Whereas you as a parent will probably shudder at the
thought of equipping your little one with a drum set (for obvious reasons), but there is actually a good reason to do so. Here are a few benefits.



  1. It can teach your
    kids discipline –  Learning an
    instrument is not an easy task. As any other skill you want to acquire in life,
    it requires patience and persistence. Unless you are devoted to it, you won’t
    be able to master it. Likewise, your children will learn to be patient and
    disciplined. They will understand that if they don’t spend time practicing,
    they won’t be able to learn the instrument. If they want to succeed, they will
    have to dedicate some time to it.
  2. Your children will
    build confidence –  No matter how
    advanced they are, they will be proud of their progress. Even if they are not
    extremely successful at learning the instrument, your kids will build
    confidence. Mastering a new skill is always an opportunity to learn new things,
    no matter how old you are.
  3. This is a great
    opportunity for your children to make new friends – Children are exposed to instruments in Preschool, Kindergarten, and elementary school. Many move on to play a musical instrument in high school. When they grow up, they can join music clubs and meet other people with common interests. There are a few things that can
    bring people together and music is among them. Your children will be able to
    build social skills. Children want to communicate with their peers too. Consider inviting other parents
    with their kids so that they can show off their
    skills and socialize.
  4. Music is a
    stress-reliever – Unless you listen to
    gloomy songs, music can lift your spirits and relieve stress. The same thing
    will happen to your kids. Don’t disregard your children’s dramas. Anyone at any
    age has problems. No matter how inconspicuous your kid’s problems might seem to
    you, to them they are pretty stressful. Children have many fears. Learning an
    instrument can take their mind off the drama. Before they start worrying about
    bad grades and problems with peers they will learn that there are many great
    ways to shake stress away and music is one of them. If you are lucky enough,
    they will choose to play the piano or the guitar over the drums.
  5. Here are a few to consider buying –   A pair of rhythm sticks, maracas and classic xylophone seem
    very appropriate for your toddler. There is even a complete band available if
    you want to buy your small one more than one instrument.
  6. Music is great. It is
    food for the soul –  There are no
    disadvantages of good music. It has a whole host of beneficial effects on
    living creatures. For example, in human beings, it is shown that relaxing music
    can lower blood pressure and is good for the heart. Music can make you dance.
    Everybody enjoys music. No doubt your small one will too.
Most
toddlers have short attention spans. They may get bored quickly, but is wise to encourage your children to take up a hobby. This will help them discover what they like doing and what they don’t. Nobody knows if they
will enjoy a particular activity unless they give it a try. Someday your kids will thank you.



Patricia loves to play along with small children. She has two beautiful nieces
who teach her new things every day. She is keen on topics related to DIY, home
improvement and sustainable living.  Patricia is co-owner of HomeCleaing Chiswick




12 Days of Christmas – The Family

Christmas Tree decorating ideas

Welcome to Day 6 of my 12 Days of Christmas posts. Today I’m looking back at some of favorite Christmas memories with family. I’m also tossing in this picture of my Christmas tree. It’s the last live tree that I purchased. I switched to an artificial tree this year, and I’m having mixed emotions.  I love the look and smell of a live tree.  The Douglas Fir was my favorite, unfortunately they’re work with set-up, constant watering and disposal. I’ve had a live tree for 30 years, it’s like losing a friend.  It’s also the last year for the ornaments on this tree. I purchased new ornaments this year with a new color theme. I love the ornaments, but will I go back to a live tree?  Stay tuned for next year’s post of the 2015 Christmas tree. 

This picture still brings me to tears.  This is me holding Zarriah her first Christmas. This was an emotional day for me.  She was a preemie, weighing in at 2lbs. and 10 ounces when she entered this world.  She fought for her life for 3 months, so it was a joy and a blessing having her home for Christmas. She is truly our miracle baby, and she’s still a fighter.  
White Christmas
A white Christmas.  Although we ended up with a foot of snow that year, there is nothing more beautiful than a white Christmas, that’s if you’re staying home.    

To me, Christmas is about the time we spend with family and friends.  It’s a magical time for children.  This is a picture of my nephew and a family friend’s daughter.  They were in awe of the moving Santa.  
I love this picture, of Xavier’s grandfather reading to him Christmas morning.  It was an exciting morning, he fall asleep shortly thereafter.  Such a precious moment.  

This is a family friend’s daughter dancing to Beyonce’s All the Single Ladies at one of my parties. She was working it.  Every time I heard that song, I think about her. Too funny. 

White Christmas
This Christmas, I got snowed in at my daughter’s in Virginia Beach. We’re used to snow back home, but an inch will shut a beach town down.  Six inches will completely immobilize it and it did. My daughter and SIL had no shovel or scrapers, and the city had no salt or sand. We used gift boxes to clean off the cars. Trying to make it home was a nightmare, it’s a 5 hour drive home. I never saw a snowplow come through the neighborhood the entire time I was there. I had to get back to work, so I slide my way out. It was amazing, even the emergency responders were unprepared. I watched cops run off the road in route to assist others. If I ever get snowed in again, I’ll just stay put until it all melts. My stress level went to new heights that Christmas.    
This Christmas we also celebrated my son-in-law’s birthday, which is January 3.  My grandson took over the cake and the party. I guess this is why it’s no fun having your birthday during the holiday season.  
Last, but not least my Zarriah learning to walk with the help of her new baby and stroller. I was so excited.  She is truly a miracle and this was a Christmas blessing.  
I have hundreds of other memories that I can share, but these are some of the most memorable. Stay tuned to Day 7 of my posts.  What are some of your favorite holiday memories?    

12 Days of Christmas – Christmas Stockings

Christmas Stockings

Christmas Stockings

Welcome to Day 5 of my 12 Days of Christmas posts. Today I’m sharing the Christmas stockings for the kids. Christmas stockings weren’t big in my house when I was growing up.  As a matter of fact, I’ve never had one and I never purchased one for my daughter. My how things change when grandchildren enter the world.    


I decided to purchase one for my grandson when he was born.  The first picture shows the first stocking that I purchased for him on the left and a stocking that Xavier made. Isn’t it adorable.  
My daughter decided to try her hand at making his stocking the second year, the stocking in the middle.  I thought it turned out great, she’s not the craftiest person so it was a major endeavor for her.  We used that for several years, it was special.  I picked up the third stocking at a craft fair when he was  four.  


When Zarriah was born, we decided to purchase these adorable stockings in the bottom picture and have their names embroidered on them.  I love how they turned out, so they have become their permanent stockings.   

The best part about stockings is searching for the little stocking stuffers. My favorite place for stocking stuffers are the bargain bins. Check out my list of ideas for toddler boy’s stocking stuffers.  Do you use stockings for your children or grandchildren?  

Cool Gel N Cap Giveaway – Perfect For Kids With Fevers

Welcome to the Cool Gel N Cap Giveaway

Hosted by: SaraLee’s Deals Steals & Giveaways 

and

                                   Mother 2 Mother Blog

Sponsored by: Cool Gel N Cap

Naturally soothes boys and girls ages 1+ head bumps, bruises,  fever symptoms, migraines, headaches, ear infection symptoms, and more in a fun, easy, and effective way with the Cool Gel N Cap. Why buy just ice packs, cold packs, or warm packs when you can have a Cool Gel N Cap? The gel packs that come with your Cool Gel N Cap can be used ANYWHERE it hurts, inside or out of the cap, anywhere on the body. AND… the non-toxic, latex free gel packs can be used cold AND warm, unlike conventional ice packs or cold packs. This gives you the benefit of both a cold compress & warm compress for anywhere it hurts AND a cozy cap! The Cool Gel N Cap is more comfortable on the head for the child than a traditional ice pack, cold pack, or especially a bag of frozen vegetables as the fabric is not only designed to be cozy, but also remove the sting of ice packs on the skin while letting the cool and warm therapy still get through. The cap also is designed to eliminate the condensation associated with cold packs and ice packs. Works perfectly as a cold compress or warm compress, soothing pain and reducing swelling. The cold compress of the Cool Gel N Cap is great for little ones suffering from Hemophilia, as it slows the flow of blood to the affected area. The Cool Gel N Cap is also a cozy solution for kids suffering from Dravet Syndrome as it is a comfortable way to keep cool during a fever.

Now for the giveaway: One lucky person will win a Cool Gel N Cap of sponsors choice. This is open to US and ends 11/11/14 @ 11:59 pm est. To enter, Simply do the tasks on the Giveaway Tools widget below and you’re set to have a chance to win! Remember you can’t win if you don’t enter. It only takes one entry to win!

Good Luck,  Thanks for entering!

Disclaimer: Please note that SaraLee’s Deals Steals and Giveaways are not responsible for prize fulfillment.

Remove The Bull

I went to visit my little darlings this past weekend so we could pick out pumpkins for Halloween. We decided to go to a different pumpkin patch this year, oh my.  When we arrived, we decided to jump on the hayride, which was quite different from what we were used to when visiting the other pumpkin patch we normally go to.  The idea was to take us on the opposite side of the farm where the kids could play on the haystack slide, bounce house and other activities.  





As we were riding along, I spotted these beautiful horses.  So cute with the foal taking a nap, but my grandson spotted the huge bull in the above picture heading over to the wagon to say hello. It didn’t go over well, as you can see my grandson was not a happy camper and ran to Mawmaw to rescue him.  The driver explained that the bull weighed 2,000 pounds, but in my grandson’s mind it was 5,000 pounds. The driver was courtesy, when he saw that my grandson was upset he drive away.  The funniest thing was his 3 year old sister telling him that the poppa cow just wanted to kiss him.  Xavier wasn’t having any of it.  He just wanted to move away from that huge monster of a cow that wanted to eat him.    

These were happier times.  We hoped off the hay wagon and headed to the teepees and pumpkin patch.  Xavier soon forgot about the bull and had a great time inside the teepee and Zarriah in the pumpkin patch.  

This was our first visit to Taylor Farms in Virginia Beach, VA.  We had a great time and will return. If you’re visiting or live in the Hampton’s Road area, be sure to pay them a visit. This pumpkin patch is a great family spot, easy parking, it allows many photo opportunities to capture memories and it’s designed to fit a limited budget.  

 

Where Is My Daddy

When you’re a single parent, you always feel like there’s a piece of your life missing.  You wake up alone, you go to bed alone.  You maintain your home alone, you take of your child alone.  Alone becomes a part of your daily routine.  One day your child asks for daddy, the missing piece of the puzzle in their mind. How do you handle their question?  

We end up as single parents for many reasons, death, poor choices, abandonment or immaturity either on our part or our partner’s. It can be a devastating experience being left to raise your child alone or choosing to raise your child alone because you know you’re better off. Whatever the reason, it requires stamina and endurance when you find yourself alone.  It also requires you to think before you speak to your child/children on daddy’s or mommy’s whereabouts. I read a post from a blogger who said she told her child you don’t have a daddy. That response affected me deeply.  It affected me deeply because I felt her pain.  I understood where she was coming from, but I wondered if she really understood what she just told her child. 


I want to share how I handled the situation with my daughter with the single moms out there. The first thing that I decided was that I would never speak negatively of my daughter’s father in her presence.  Now I would let that SOB have it during phone conversations or when I was speaking to a friend, but never in my daughter’s presence.  What good would that do?  I made a decision to not project my anger or pain onto my child.  When you tell you child that they don’t have a dad that’s exactly what you’re doing.  Regardless of how we feel about the absent father, our child didn’t get here by a stork.  They were conceived, so they do have a dad.  He’s simply MIA.    


I decided to tell my child that dad wasn’t here when she asked where he was.  A simple “he’s not here” often did the trick at least temporarily.  I would explain that it was just the two of us and we would be just fine. I also told her that he loved her, because he did and does.  He wasn’t in a position to show it at the time.  I don’t know if it eased her fear or pain of not having him in her life, but I knew it was better than telling her that he didn’t exist. I also thought it was best for me to leave the door open for him to reappear. People do grow up and have a change of heart. I thought it would confuse her even more if he decided to be a part of her life down the road and I had told her he didn’t exist. I didn’t want her to think negatively of me because I had lied to her or look back and realize that I was an angry, bitter person because he wasn’t there. As single mothers, we don’t want things to backfire. We must accept our situation and move forward with a positive attitude.   


As she got older, I explained my relationship with her dad. Through it all, I never spoke negative of him.  I explained that things just didn’t work out between us. We went our separate ways and I didn’t regret it. I reinforced that she was the best thing that ever happened to me and the years that he had missed was his loss.  I wanted her to form her own opinion.  I knew one day their path would cross and he did exactly what I thought he would do, he came back into the picture when she was 15.  This is why I believe that as single mothers, we should never tell our children that they don’t have a dad.  How do you explain to your child that you’ve lied to them if they do resurface? Daddy made you do it?    
  
As my daughter got older, I eventually build a relationship with his mom, aunts and cousins. My daughter became close to his family members too; however, she flipped the script.  She dismissed him.  She choose not to have a relationship with him, he ended up on the outside looking in. Isn’t it amazing how things work out.  She continued her education, married her college sweetheart and had 2 beautiful children while he suffered because he was not a part of it. I think it’s important to be honest with our children and allow them to make their choices and form their own opinions when they get old enough to fully comprehend the situation. Either they will work it out or they will continue to go their separate ways.  


Just as important, letting go of the anger and bitterness of a failed relationship frees you to see things clearly and it allows you to become a great mother. Don’t spend time wondering why they don’t want to be a part of their child’s life.  Don’t spend time wondering why they didn’t love you.  It is what it is. Life deals us a hand of cards and we must play them.  There will be times when we will have a winning hand and other times we will have to fold. Lay that bad hand on the table and wish them well.  


God places us in the positions that we need to be in.  It takes time to figure things out, but you must have a clear head so you can see where you need to be.  He could have placed you in your position to be a leader for other single mothers, so be the best single mother that you can be. He could have placed you in your position to strengthen you for another use in this life; I don’t know.  I do know that negativity is an obstacle and it will make your journey difficult if you don’t get rid of it.  You must rise above your situation ladies, rise above it.   


Photo courtesy of stockvault.net





Looks Who’s Seven

Time flies.  It is hard to believe that it’s been 7 years since my first grandchild was born, Xavier.  I remember it like yesterday,  The first picture is Xavier coming out of the delivery room, the second is my first time holding him, and the third the first time he sleep in his new nursery.  Oh what a glorious day for me!  Especially since I never believed that my daughter would have children.  She never liked being around kids, never baby sat and until she met her husband never thought of having kids.  She was an educated young lady armed with a degree and a zest for travel and life.  


My experience with Xavier’s birth was quite different from Zarriah. I was able to experience every grandparent’s dream, waiting at the hospital for his arrival, seeing him rolled out of the delivery room, and being able to hold him for the first time.  I didn’t have that experience with Zarriah.  She was a preemie and almost 4 months before I held her for the first time.  We were also enduring Hurricane Irene when she arrived, so it was days before I could make it to the hospital to see her.  So I treasure these memories with Xavier.



It’s hard to believe that by big boy is 7.  I’m so grateful that he still loves snuggling with me, spending time playing games with me, tells me about his problems with mommy and daddy, and enjoys my special pancakes, waffles, and brownies. I know it won’t be long before his interest changes to sports, girls, cars and hanging out with his friends. 




I gave him a Kindle HD for his birthday gift and he was thrilled, but I think he loved the cake more.  I had a picture of him from one of his football games scanned onto the cake.  I’ve always wanted to eat him up, and I finally got the opportunity. Happy 7th Birthday Xavier, Mawmaw loves you.