Have you ever noticed that your children play more independently in a space that is clean and well organized? Or maybe you have found that after you spend hours cleaning and organizing a space then the children all of a sudden find that space interesting again and in a short time it looks like that same tornado went through. This is because when a space is tidy, things are put away in their rightful spot, and you can clearly see what is available it is easier for children to make independent choices. And when they can make independent choices they are more likely to play independently. I believe that the key to this type of space is Toy Rotation.

As a mom, I find my children’s birthdays very emotional. It always make me think of it as “one year less I have with them.” Debbie Downer, I know…So I cope with this by making a pretty cake and throwing an awesome party! There are typically many DIY projects involved and we try to get the biggest bang for our buck so we aren’t spending lots of money on things we will only use once. For Noa’s first birthday we did a bumble bee theme! I tend to gravitate more toward muted colors so instead of bright yellow and white, I chose to go with a softer yellow, olive green, white, and gold.

My pregnancy with Noa was much different than my pregnancy with Raegan, mainly because this time around I was a type 1 diabetic. Because of type 1, I was high risk and pregnancy made it very difficult to maintain consistent blood sugar levels. Therefore, I had many more OB/GYN visits, scans, and NSTs. Type ones are also known for having large babies and run a higher risk for still birth when baby gets closer to term. Because of those reasons they don’t typically allow type 1 moms to go much past 39 weeks. This was ok with me because I already had a history of a giant baby (without diabetes) and I was over being pregnant way before 39 weeks anyways!

1. Wash hands
2. Put on socks
3. Pour glass of water
4. Wipe up spill
5. Get dressed
6. Slice banana
7. Water plants
8. Do a puzzle
9. Sorting Objects
10. Put on jacket
11. Make a noodle necklace
12. Go on a nature walk
13. Match socks
14. Bake muffins
15. Slice Cheese
16. Plant seeds
17. Feed a pet
18. Brush Teeth
19. Peel an orange
20. Scramble eggs
21. Fold washcloths
22. Draw
23. Brush hair
24. Read a book
25. Practicing opening different containers
26. Play with clay or dough
27. Practice cutting paper
28. Put wet laundry into dryer
29. Practice walking up and down the stairs independently
30. Setting the table
31. Dusting
32. Sweeping
33. Collect wild flowers
34. Make a painting
35. Enjoy a cup of tea