Teaching Your Toddler: Simple Alphabet Crafts - The Letter A - Ants on an Apple

Introducing the alphabet to your little one should be fun. Whether it's through a simple craft or a new activity, it's important that the time spent is enjoyable!

Delainey is a little sponge so she's a huge fan of our new daily time spent learning all of the letters of the alphabet. Today we're sharing the very first craft, our simple yet adorable little Ants on an Apple created almost completely by her, with guidance by me.

For you and your toddler to enjoy this little learning activity you will need:

Crayons, Paper, Black circle stickers (or just use construction paper in the shape of circles and glue)

To make this simple project: You'll either draw a simple apple & leaf yourself and encourage your toddler to color it in OR ask your toddler to create the apple & leaf herself. Delainey did this herself, then I created an outline for her afterward. As we were scribbling her apple we were discussing the colors she was using as well as the shapes she was drawing - it's amazing how much she wants to learn, with nearly everything she is now asking "what's this?"... and now she's also started to quiz me on colors and shapes - which is equally fun & adorable.

Once her apple was colored in some, we decided to start adding ants into the equation. If you know Delainey, you know she loves seeing creepy crawly ants so this craft was a dream come true for her. For this step, we simply used black circle stickers and placed them together in groups of 3 onto the paper. Then she scribbled some little legs on each ant, I added an uppercase and lowercase "A" on each side of her creations and we kept discussing all the "A" words I could think of!

That's it - now you have a precious little "A" craft!

Next up, we'll be sharing our silly yet fun birdhouse craft we made!

My Secret to Super Clean Floors (even with a toddler in my house)!

This post is sponsored by Bona® but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Being a parent is tough stuff. I've said it a million times, but I'll say it again, and if I'm being totally honest, I find myself saying this more and more as the days go on. It was tough when she was a newborn because she couldn't tell us what she needed, now it's tough because she always needs something and she throws a fit if she doesn't get it. She tests boundaries daily and she's so smart she almost challenges me in some ways... but I wouldn't trade this for the world.

She is my everything and while our days are busy, I want her to know she means more to me than anything in the world. So instead of slaving away 24/7 on my businesses, I'm really trying to make an effort to show her how much she matters - not just to tell her.

It's interesting because on one hand, I want her to see me for the #girlboss I am. I want her to know that her mama WORKS HARD to provide what she has. I hope she does reflect back on her childhood and remembers me working, from home, and says "wow, my mom really made things happen". But on the other hand, I don't want her to have memories of me always choosing work over time with her. I don't want her to think my work is the most important part of my life or think that she was second or third to my businesses.

So I've been trying to make a real effort to step away from my desk and to play. Instead of just sititng and playing blocks though, I've been trying to include in her in things we need to get done... but we try and make it fun. From taking out the trash to weeding the garden bed, we spend time together - she's learning, I'm tending to chores that need to be done, and we both have fun doing it. I mean, she loves to help me clean - who am I to say no?

One of the ways I've found that we both LOVE to spend time together recently is actually pretty amazing too. We literally grab our Bona Microfiber Mop & Bona Spray Mop, hit play on some groovy tunes, and go to town on our house almost daily. Swirling in the room, dancing around to some of our favorite songs, and loving every second of beautifying our house.

The real question here is, how do you mop without tunes and a toddler helping? I can't imagine getting this done without her help now. Nor can I imagine ever mopping with any other type of mop again - Bona is where the magic is.

The unique Bona formula makes it easy to remove dust, grime, and dirt without damaging hard wood floors. So say goodbye to wonky old ways of cleaning your floors and hello to this family-friendly GREENGUARD GOLD certified goodness! Interested in adding a Bona Mop to your family dynamic? Click here to learn more!

My "Meal Planning" Secret During This Busy Season!

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com on behalf of Boston Market

This time of year is seriously the busiest for us - just like most families. It's time to start heading back to school, we're all working and busy with something going on all the time, and with non-stop activities to participate in all week long... and if we're being real - the holidays are literally right around the corner.

Fall is the hustlin', bustlin' season for many families... we all know this. But in our house, it's extra crazy. Sometimes I'm just too busy to even consider planning out a menu for our meals... and if I'm being real, that's most days during the fall. Like today - we're in the midst of preparing for D's birthday party tomorrow and in such a frenzy with daily life and the added stress of taking care of every detail of a tutu party that I totally forgot to make lunch - or plan for dinner! It's one of those days when I would "forget my head if it wasn't attached".

Luckily, I've found the best way to feed us a quality, wholesome meal quickly and easily... and it doesn't involve me cooking a thing! Nor do I have to do dishes or even plan for sides.

It's not magic - it's Boston Market! It was so easy to grab & go, I literally swung by on my way home from the party store after ordering for curbside pick up online! I was able to get all of us the most delicious lunch for a steal of a deal! Plus, with the $1.99 Whole Rotisserie Chicken add on, I was also able to get dinner for my fam-bam too - you can't beat that!

What's the best part about all of this? I learned I can also have my favorite simple meal delivered now too! Boston Market has officially made my life easier and for that I'm thankful, but now that they offer an online delivery option - I'm hooked and we'll be ordering again soon and I'll definitely be calling in our order & having it delivered right to my door!

We all were so pleased with our meal that it was easy to say that we'll definitely be ordering delivery soon. But for now, I'll get back to party planning for this little gal and the hustle and the bustle of our daily grind - but I just had to share how we "meal prep" when things get hectic in this house. If you're a busy little bee too, be sure to head on over to your local Boston Market and get lunch - and dinner - on the table quickly & easily!

How to Encourage Your Toddler to Help with Daily Chores & How We Quickly Clean the House Together!

This post is sponsored by Bona but the content and opinions expressed here are completely my own.

If you're a parent, you know having a toddler in your home is super rewarding but absolutely chaotic. From meal times, to leaving the house, to just daily activities, everything is a production. Whether she's sassing me telling me "I do this", throwing a fit because I'm not letting her have her way immediately, or running out of the room and then back in again, because the sound of our food processor scares her - she's always ready to learn about life and always adding her own little twist to things to make them interesting.

While her interference may be considered a foul in my game plan for each day, I'm learning life really is about those moments. Being a parent has taught me it's okay to take a time out and teach her what I'm doing, dare I even say it's important for me to do this?

The dishes can wait until she's in bed and maybe her helping "fold the laundry" with crumbs all over her hands from snack isn't the most productive thing, but it's fun watching her curious mind learn. She is so intrigued and curious about how to do things that seem so mundane to us. So instead of getting frustrated with her wanting to help, I've learned that she's capable and willing to do chores if I encourage her to do them in her own way.

On that note, today I'm sharing how we make cleaning fun for Delainey and how you can encourage your toddler to help around the house as well!

1. Bona-fide Fun with our Bona Quick-Clean kit - We'll start with the chore Delainey loves doing the most - dusting & mopping with our Bona! It's a quick way to get our floors clean, so I tend to do a quick swoop through the house dancing with my girl, then I lower the adjustable handle and allow my little dancing queen to take over.

She loves running around the room with the Bona® Microfiber Mop, sliding around and dancing like she's in Risky Business... and our floors look superb afterwards so it's a win-win! If you want to encourage your toddler to do the same, make this chore look fun while you're doing it. Pull out all the Tom Cruise moves and dance around to that good time rock n' roll, I guarantee it's a behavior your sassy little sidekick will definitely want to imitate.


2. Make it a competition - We often make things into a game, because I mean... why not? Life is all about having fun, after all! So, whether we're putting away her blocks or stacking her library books before bedtime, I like to encourage Delainey's competitive side while also getting things accomplished a little faster. We race from the kitchen to her bedroom to put on pjs, we spend just seconds organizing her doll house since we're both moving at lightning speed, and she thinks it's hilarious and so much fun. The best way to encourage your toddler to get speedy is again, to exhibit the behavior yourself. Show Junior how fast you can stack his blocks or put away books, then challenge him to do the same. Whether or not he's super fast the first time or not, ENCOURAGE him and I bet he's ready to race you (and maybe win) the next day!

3. Everything has a place - While this may be obvious to some, I didn't live with this mindset until maybe my mid-twenties. I've always been a whimsical (ahem... lazy) person and never really enjoyed cleaning, but after years of being forced to "adult", I'll be the first to admit - I have definitely grown to appreciate a cleaner home... and in that cleaner home, I adore organization (more than I could have ever thought possible). While I'm not sure if she's going to keep a tidy house in the future or not, for now I'm encouraging her to put things away as she plays. It's not a demand, it's more of a gentle reminder that "if we take out our blocks from the closet, it's time to put away our dollhouse next to her toy box". She may not always put things where I want, but I figure it doesn't hurt to encourage and her remind her where things go... and well, if she's helping put things away and she gets close to the right spot, I'll consider that a win in my tidiness book! While we're still working on this, my suggestion to help your toddler learn that everything has a place is to show them and then remind them about where things go until they start remembering on their own!

4. Allow your toddler to lead - Last but not least, never force your toddler to do any household chores they can't handle or absolutely despise... but also, on that same token, encourage your toddler to try doing new activities that help around the house daily. One day she may not be able to climb up and rinse off her plate, but kids grow quick and she may be tall enough tomorrow!

One thing Delainey has recently started doing that blows me away, is requesting to take out our trash and recycling... and while she's not big enough to carry the heavy loads, I sincerely appreciate her willingness. I mean, I just love it when she takes my office trash and is all excited to throw it away. It's funny, because who would have thought... the key to a toddler's heart and the easiest way to make her smile is by letting her do a task that most people don't enjoy doing.

But that... that's why I encourage her to do these things. It not only brings her joy, it helps spread joy in our house. It may sound trivial but these simple tasks and the giggles, love, and sweetness she shares while doing them - it's a reminder of what parenting is all about... and well, really... what life is all about.


Want some extra awesome news? Bona and I have teamed up and one lucky winner will get a FREE Quick Clean Set just for leaving a comment below! Tell me your favorite quick clean tip for your chance to win! You'll also have the opportunity to enter on my facebook tomorrow!

The "Quick Clean Kit" will include:   The Bona® Premium Microfiber Mop for Hard-Surface Floors, The Dusting Solution – Bona® Disposable Dusting Cloths, and The Cleaning Solution – Bona® Wet Cleaning Pads!