It’s finally here! September 23rd made it official, friends. Fall is here to stay. Well, at least until December 21st when winter solstice comes. With fall here, my sworn duty as memory keeper is documenting all of the best things about the coziest of seasons. Simplifying always works for me and having a small list with thoughtful locations and traditions helps to ensure I don’t get stressed out about taking pictures and can enjoy the moments with my family. This is a simplified list of seven photos to take of your kids this fall so you can preserve your favorite autumn memories without being overwhelmed.
Category: Kids
Fall into Autumn with these 12 Picture Books
Whenever autumn rolls around, I play an imaginary mental merry-go-round of determining whether it is truly my favorite season. On the one hand, it beckons the arrival of colder weather; while on the other, it seems to extend summer into a sort of colorful coziness that feels like a grand swan song. In truth, I honestly love it. Long before pumpkin spice lattes had their own acronym, my family would pilgrimage up the Rocky Mountains and take autumn hikes, surrounded by the colorful tones of pumpkin, pomegranate, and turmeric. Nowadays we take our girls apple picking and make cider donuts to celebrate the arrival of sweater weather. No matter how many autumns you’ve experienced, the season always feels ripe with possibility. So grab your scarf and a mug of tea—these 12 books are best enjoyed with company.
The Benefits of Personalized Art for Kids
There’s nothing sweeter than a tiny Picasso gifting you a finger-painted masterpiece, or a classic noodle necklace. Children’s art is so much more than mindless play. Time with crayons and paints can help foster a child’s creativity, improve their fine motor skills, and more. Read on to discover the lasting impact that personalized art can have on your child’s life. Read More “The Benefits of Personalized Art for Kids”
DIY Thank You Book for Teachers
My littlest daughter, Portia recently finished her first year of preschool! As Class Mom, I wanted to organize a very special gift for her amazing, loving, patient, magical teachers who helped her learn and grow so much this year. It isn’t easy handling a room full of two-year-olds!
DIY Personalized Tic Tac Toe
Tic tac toe is one of our family’s favorite games. It’s a simple game that all of us can play with ease and is fun for even my older kiddos. With warm summer months in full swing here in Northern Michigan, our front porch has been getting a lot of extra love while we play board games and sip on lemonade. Inspired by the warmer weather and our favorite game, I created a board game version of our beloved tic tac toe with a family twist courtesy of these fun photo sticker sheets.
Best Oversized Books for Kids
There’s something about oversize objects that immediately captivates people. Think giant rocking chairs or markers the size of a grown adult. When considering the scale of a book, particularly one for children, oversize books feel even bigger when they measure to be toddler size or larger. We’re not talking about big books designed specifically for a library or school storytime (think Five Little Ducks or Planting a Garden); rather, we mean books that are constructed to be enormous—and likely will often have to sit sideways on a shelf.
11 Books for New Mothers
New motherhood is a rush of excitement and trepidation, from the early stages of pregnancy to the moment of meeting your child on a matched adoption application. While motherhood can easily conjure a host of cliches and may look different across a spectrum, ultimately, loving mothers all want the same thing for their child(ren).
How We Connected With Our Adopted Daughter We Had Yet To Meet
“Congratulations, you have a daughter in China!”
I cried hearing those precious words from our adoption agency worker.
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DIY Dollhouse Photo Gifts
This day and age, we all have people we follow on Instagram for one reason or another. We love getting a snapshot of their day-to-day lives because we can relate and connect with them in ways that are otherwise hard in this digital world. Kelle Hampton has been one of my favorite influencers to follow because she’s funny, down to earth and keeps it real.
Valentine’s Day STEM Activities
Unbeknownst to the hellish little gremlins we call children, learning new things can actually be exciting. The STEM field is growing rapidly, with a 14% increase in jobs expected by 2020. These Valentine’s Day themed STEM activities probably won’t grant your little nugget admission to Harvard, but it might help them learn a thing or two.