Alphabet Review

 This is a great way to review the alphabet with your kids and it's easy to put together! I used the cheap, thinner paper plates because they cut and bend more easily. I wrote the alphabet around the edge of the plate in both upper case and lower case letters and then cut a line between each letter.

*I saw this idea long ago somewhere and unfortunately, I did not save the source! So I'm sharing it anyway, but it wasn't my great idea.

For our activity, I read one of our favorite books to the girls and asked them to raise their hands when they heard a word that started with a letter they knew. Once we made our way through the more familiar sounds/letters, I started pausing and emphasizing certain words that started with a letter they didn't recognize as easily. Obviously all of our letters weren't in just one story, but we found as many as we could and then they got a little treat for the letters they had bent down.

You could make these plates for numbers as well. Fun and quick. 

And the winner is...

Well, after a LOT of ridiculous rumination and research I finally decided on a diaper bag. Two, actually. When I first started looking around, I decided to go with the Ikabag and ordered this one:



I love the style of this bag. It arrived from France, wrapped in beautiful packaging, and the fabric is lovely. It's well-made and has lots of pockets inside and is nice and deep. But I soon discovered that for me in my current situation with four kids, its not big enough. So stay tuned for a future giveaway because I absolutely love this bag and I know it will be perfect for one of you out there with one, maybe two kids.

I was then battling between two other diaper bags, the JJ Cole satchel and Kelly Moore's Libby bag:


I love the JJ Cole satchel because it's one of the roomiest bags out there that doesn't scream diaper bag. I like the sophisticated look, the faux leather that is durable and wipeable and doesn't cost a fortune, and all the features of the bag. It has the outside pockets as well as several front pockets and interior pockets.


And the Libby. This bag is gorgeous. It's actually a diaper bag and a camera bag, so it comes with interior dividers for your camera equipment as well as your basic baby needs. I love the look, the color, the pockets, the style--everything about this bag. Except for the price. I just wasn't ready to fork out $250 for a bag.

So JJ Cole was the winner! I ordered it just a few days ago and I'm still waiting for it to arrive in the mail, so I'll write a full review one that baby is in my possession. Hope any of this was helpful to some of you who might be on the hunt as I was. So glad it's over for me!

The Perfect Diaper Bag

Well, ever since our sweet baby boy joined our family I have been a bit tied up time-wise. Turns out having four children under the age of five is really hard. However, I am journaling more than ever because every day is literally an adventure. I can't wait to share the highlights soon. And life is oh so good. Just busy. And really hard.

We have been continuing our letter of the week activities so I will continue posting my ideas...soon. Our summer has been buzzing along with a trip to the beach, family reunions, local "field trips," swim lessons and blessed blessed nap times. I am getting a little better about getting out of the house with all four children, but it requires a lot of STUFF. In fact, for the past two months, I've been on a very intense, laborious hunt for the ultimate mommy companion--the perfect diaper bag. And it turns out, finding this perfect bag is much harder than I thought.

Here's what I've found so far (click on the picture to follow the link):











         
 







Now each of these bags have pros and cons for me and I was going to write them all out but I think it boils down to personal taste and needs and okay, price. For me, my bag needs to be roomy with lots of compartments for keys, phone, etc. I need to have outer pockets on the ends and a comfortable shoulder strap. The fabric has to be wipe-able and durable. And though I'd prefer it to be fashionable, I care more about quality. And I would love it to be original! I'm not asking too much am I?

Which is your favorite?

Toddler Activity for the Letter I

For the Letter I, we talked about inchworms. At the beginning of the week we went on a family hike in the mountains and the girls found a tiny silk worm which they thought was pretty fascinating...

I found some books at the library about inchworms and this was our favorite! 

 

We decided to replant our bean seeds that we did for the letter G ("grow") and this time we painted inchworms on the outside, using our fingertips.

 









We hope they grow this time!