We all know what's been going on, it's no surprise to hear we are staying home and maybe getting a little more one-on-one time than usual. It's been weird, sometimes tough- especially those of us who thrive on social time with our friends, like Miss Delainey. But we are adjusting, we're all learning what it's like to thrive in this "new normal" and while we are cooped up I've been doing my best to find ways to keep this little smarty-pants entertained!

She's beyond her years in knowledge so it's not always easy to keep her occupied. She's been so much fun to learn with though, it's just constantly keeping her entertained can be challenging... until we got this box. It was literally FULL of activities and we haven't stopped playing and learning together since it came in! I finally wanted to sit down and share what we've been up to with all of this fun stuff!
We've always been big fans of Disney and our Alexa... so it comes as no surprise that we instantly plugged our new Alexa in, set up a little group, and blasted Disney Hits over our "group" of Alexas! Whether we're jamming out while finishing up a craft or simply having a dance party - using our Alexa to play our favorite and quiet possibly 'the happiest playest on Earth' using the Disney Hits playlist is something we all love doing.




Something I learned recently, is that we have access to even more Disney Hits Playlists - like Disney Lullaby, Disney Piano, and Disney Junior! We have been checking them all out and I'm a huge fan of each one for different reasons! Go ahead - tell your Alexa to download and play Disney Hits, check out all the Disney Music and download it on Shopify, find the station on your Pandora, or add all the Disney Hits to your library on Apple Music! Just start jamming and be happy listening to all your favorite tunes!

If you have kids, you know they all are handling this 'virus' stuff differently. I suppose our little ones are learning to cope in ways we never had to, which is both amazing and tough to fathom at the same time. Regardless of how bewildering all of this must be for them, we all know kids can be emotional too. D is 100% a walking ball of drama, sass, and emotions so having Action for Healthy Kids remind us to begin exploring our Feelings through Color was a real blessing.

Delainey always likes to get artsy, just like most healthy, happy kids,  so she was totally game for getting our hands messy and painting. We created art that made us feel good, with no real "goal" in mind - Delainey made a cute rainbow to send to family  she said "it's going to make them feel happy", then I decided to let her help me paint my work desk... and that may very well be one of the sweetest little pieces of art she's made with so much spirit and love behind it. I'm obsessed with having a huge "mural" of her work right where I can see it, everyday I'm working, all day!

I'm over here just bragging about her art, but I love that Action for Healthy Kids is encouraging us to express Feelings in Color and they also have SO many other activities to keep us all entertained - I'm excited to pick another activity to test out with D!


Speaking of activities I'm loving trying out with D, exploring the "night sky" is something we've done more since this whole thing started than we ever had before and we both are cherishing that time together. She's always loved 'space', so it's been fun embracing that and looking at all the stars and chatting about the moon, but when we got the book, A Child's Introduction to the Night Sky: The Story of the Stars, Planets, and Constellations--and How You Can Find Them in the Sky, we both loved watching the sky even more!

With a star finder wheel, glow in the dark stickers, and a STEM aligned concept that teaches us both about constellations and inspires several activities, we're 100% excited about this Astronomy book for kids and look forward to learning more from it.

Speaking of learning, another item in the Babbleboxx that Delainey and I are just obsessed with is the Magic Sketch. I don't know if you've seen these things but its literally the coolest little electronic art kit. She has been learning her ABC's, practicing writing her name, making lists, coloring, playing tic tac toe religiously, and even attempting puzzles with this new little gadget.

Did I mention the screen is made to withstand the likes of a kiddo who writes and plays tough? Well, it is... and this boogie board also has a GORGEOUS mix of colors that Delainey can't get enough of. She likes just drawing to reveal a color and discussing her findings and that's pretty much the coolest.

The best part about her new little Magic Sketch is that it's completely paperless, she just pushes a button to erase her scribbles and on to the next masterpiece! It's endless fun and amazingly, it's pretty educational too! Want to try out a Magic Sketch? Use the code WMBBX2BQDSZZH and save 10% off any purchase at www.myboogieboard.com, good through October 2nd, 2020.

Beyond the magic board, more magic actually came in our Boredom Busters Babbleboxx - The Feel Better Box from Open the Joy literally was just what we needed during this time. With 100+ ways to keep us occupied all in one tiny box, we both are overjoyed to have something new to do each and every day and it's been just the fix we needed to cure our cabin fever. From painting to conversation starting cards, I'm so excited to explore all of this with her.

She instantly fell in love with her unicorn, which made my heart melt a little. Letting her know she could share her secrets and thoughts with him was just what she needed. She held him like a baby for a bit and then insisted he rock out to Disney Hits with us while we colored on her Boogie Board... and then worked in the little workbook included in the box.


Today's activity, and the first one in the book, included drawing feelings. D is quite the artist and we had a lot of fun discussing what each addition to her creation meant. From happy to sad, she drew a range of emotions and I'm not sure if she realizes it, but she drew exactly how most of us are feeling as of late.

I love taking the time to bond during all of this closeness, there truly is nothing better than connecting over something meaningful and this little "get well kit" is one that has made our family feel a bit better during all this... crazy.

I was so thrilled to learn this little box of goodies is actually designed by child therapists to promote conversation and healing through play, something we all need right now - but especially our youth! I also was blown away to learn that Open the Joy partners with the Spread the Joy Foundation, to distribute joy boxes to hospitalized children across America. Want to get your hands on a box? Now through June 1st you can save with the code "boredombuster".
Beyond feelings, we've been trying to challenge Delainey's mind in other ways. We all love a good puzzle, am I right? The Smart Farmer and Jump In are two SmartGames that we both can't get enough of. The other afternoon, I was able to complete a quick project for work while she played a round of Jump In next to me. It was fun to hear her debate where the pieces should go and she loved telling me about each piece, this STEM game may be among one of her new favorites.

We also had a blast playing with another STEM game, The Smart Farmer. It's a similar type of game and she loved it as well. We played these by practicing counting to each spot and recreating the patterns from the little books they include, but then we kind of got into imaginative play too and that's been perfect for us!

It's so fun getting to see her learn planning, problem-solving, spatial insight, and more. These are seriously HUGE milestones... and she doesn't even realize she's doing anything more than playing because they are such fun animal themes and inventive family games!

Want to try any of the SmartGames? Use the code 10SMART2020 on Amazon.com to save!



The last items I'm going to share today are possibly the most played with so far - the KidiGo™ Walkie Talkies + LeapFrog® LeapStart® 3D Learning System from VTech®!

Both items have been so much fun for all of us! Delainey cherishes time spent chatting on her KidiGo walkie-talkie and it's been fun watching her learn to use this fancy one with messaging, games, and more!

I can see us playing with these for years and years to come, plus I can send one with her when she decides to play in her room and we can chat while I'm wrapping up chores... it's been fun having a new way of communicating with each other and I think we both agree! You can get these Walkies at either Target or Walmart - check both for the best deal!

The LeapFrog LeapStart 3D Learning System is also something we will get YEARS of use out of... with so many activities and ways for her to learn just by pressing a button, I'm seriously having trouble not GUSHING about this gadget!



With the combination of real books and the touch and talk activities, this system seemed to make learning fun for her and the first two books (sold seperately) we received had some of her favorite Characters in them so doing, "Math in Action", was super fun for her and the Toys Save the Day book with Toy Story characters had her jumping for joy!

I'm already browsing the LeapFrog site for another set of books, I know she's going to be so excited to learn more from them... and, well, that's just amazing and I'm eager to watch her learn and grow!

Get your hands on a LeapFrog LeapStart 3D Learning System at Target, Walmart, or Amazon!



Beyond all that she's gained from her new 3D Learning System, I was stoked to hear VTech & LeapFrog are helping parents and teachers and children as much as they can with a website dedicated to offering resources for learning at home, get more information at LearnThroughThis.com. 

It's definitely a weird time in our lives right now but we are beating the time spent indoors with all of these amazing items included in our Boredom Buster Babbleboxx, how are you passing the time in your home lately? I'd love to hear all about it in the comments below!