Blogging Tip: Make your own Favicon!

Do you use blogger?

Are you tired of seeing that orange "B" near the website at the tip-top of the page?

Well, you are in luck!

Blogger just added a new feature to it's Design Tab just for this!

Go to Design --> Page Elements. Then click on "Edit" on the Favicon tab.

You need to do is up load a square shaped picture to it and hit "Save."

If your square shaped picture is not saved as an .ico, it needs to be. (I have no clue what that means either.) To convert it go to ICO Converter and convert it, save it then get back to Blogger and try it again, with your new .ico file!

Save your changes and hit "Refresh" a few times to see your fabulous update!!!

If you make the change link up below! We want to see your Favicon!

Kitchen Sink Sensory Play!

This isn't outrageous or original.

But the coolest thing (for me) was that this was totally his idea!

I'm always blown away watching their little minds work.

When an activity is child-led, it is always most successful. Beats anything the teacher or parent will come up with! :(

This activity proved it once again!

P.S. Don't you love the new background? AKA: our new home in Canada!!! Much easier on the eyes than our home in China! Ha!

Kitchen Helpers

I took a little blog hiatus when Sarah came into town. I also have been teaching swim lessons like a mad women! I heart summer!

I love to cook. (However, I am not a good cook.)

So, when I am in the kitchen, the twins pull up their chairs, and get right in the middle of what I am doing.

Annoying? Sometimes.
Messy? Always.
Helpful? Occasionally.
Fun? ABSOLUTELY!

Sometimes, I feel like we are in our very own cooking show. I am talking, explaining, measuring, talking some more, running from kid to kid, counter to counter.... but I know they are having a blast and they MUST be learning something right?!!

An added bonus: They almost always eat what they helped me make. And hardly any food ends up on the floor!

I really think ALL children, boys and girls.... need to learn how to take their dirty dishes to the sink and rinse them off. So, no time like the present to start working on that little task!

I love my little kitchen helpers!
I challenge you to let your children join you in the kitchen too!

Suzie

Plane Travel with Your Little One

This may be everyone's least favorite topic....but I'm sure you've wondered about it at some point. After all of our travels, I tried to combine all that I've learned into a Guest Post at I Can Teach My Child.

Hope you check it out and show some love!!

Out of the "Office"

Hello Fabulous Readers!

Sorry for the lack of posts. We've just moved from China to Canada with a 3 week family-visit in Houston! Needless to say, we've been "out of the office."

Check in tomorrow at I Can Teach My Child where I'm going to "Guest Post" on Plane Travel with Your Baby. Ugh...my least favorite topic. I guess, I've had plenty of experience over the past 18 months. But it's NEVER easy. :)

Take and Put Work {A Guest Post}

Courtney is a friend of mine (Sarah) from my days at Texas A&M, where we were Chi Omegas together! She is also a teacher turned Stay-at-Home mom to her adorable 9-month old son, Jay! She writes a wonderful witty blog about her days with Jay, who is growing up way too fast! Her little guy is getting to such a fun age and is learning like crazy! (He is talking a TON, by the way! WOW!!) Take a look at this post she originally posted on her blog about some skill building you can do with your babes at this age!

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One of my favorite years of teaching was when I worked in a Montessori School in Houston for a year. This was one of the BEST learning years EVER!

Montessori schools have an incredible method- the children learn at different paces as they are ready. It teaches incredible (but VERY soft, loving) discipline, sets high academic expectations, and allows the children to be taught at their own pace- not at the teacher's!

While I don't agree with every single Montessori practice (I don't usually agree with every single practice from ANYthing), there are a LOT of wonderful things about Montessori schools. I think so highly of them that our plan is to put Jay in one for preschool before he attends public school.

Anyway, one of the simplest "jobs" in a Montessori classroom is Take and Put. The child learns to take something from one container and put it in another. As the child becomes more advanced, so does the job. Items get harder, you use tongs or other utensils to practice more fine motor, etc...

So we set up a little Take and Put workstation for Jay at my parents' house on their kitchen floor with containers and cheerios. He seriously sat and did this for FIFTEEN minutes! My child has NEVER sat and done ANYTHING for fifteen minutes. This is an on the go kid. I was shocked at how long he was able to focus on this task. And how much he loved it!

Here is a minute long video showing how SIMPLE this is- and for you stay at home mommies that need an activity with your baby- here you go!

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Thanks for sharing this wonderful post with us!! I can't wait to learn more from you!!

Father's Day Craft!

I'm back with another hand/foot print craft for Father's Day!

If you are my husband, please stop reading. This will take out all the fun for you on Sunday!

Okay, I hope he stopped reading.


My husband and father in law are sports fanatics. The boys watch more ESPN and Sports Center than most children. So I wanted to make something for them both to have for their office to remind them of the twins.

Supplies Needed:
Brown Paint
Orange Paint
White Paint
Card Stock
Black Paint pen or Sharpie

Really Easy:

Paint a foot brown.
Add 3 white stripes
Outline with Sharpie

 Paint a hand orange.
Add basketball lines with sharpie or paint pen!

Print words on Cardstock, here Most Valuable Daddy

And Frame!
If I was smart, like you guys.... I would print the words on white cardstock first, and then add the hands and feet around it, so there is less glue and cut mess!

Happy Happy Father's Day!

UPDATE:
We did this at a play date today! So fun!

Suzie