Kate's Take Travels - Entertaining Kids On The Road

I was in Whole Foods earlier this week buying magazines and snacks for our upcoming road trip. I haven't read a magazine in ages so I'm thrilled about the prospect! While checking out one of my kids told the cashier about our travels and she asked me how I planned to keep the kids entertained. I'll admit this is our first multi-day, 15 hour+ adventure so I don't know exactly how they will handle the trip but I do have some ideas on how we will keep them entertained. Read on for my TAKE on how to keep kids entertained on the road.

Aside from the occassional movie and iPad apps the kids spend their time in a variety of different ways and fingers crossed sleep a little! Some our favorite ways to pass the time are listening to audiobooks like I talked about in this post, play magnetic games and during this trip we'll be tracking our progress in our favorite book about The 50 States along with these printable maps that I found on Mr. Printables.

For all trips the kids get their travel backpacks filled with fun snacks that I don't often allow in the house like fruit snacks and a couple of items to entertain them. I'm trying something new this trip and we're surprising the kids with a gift as we pass into each new state. I remember my mom doing this when we were little and I've been saving this idea for our first multi-day road trip. I was a bit overzealous and decided to free hand the states that we would be driving through on these labels from Paper Source. My husband could not contain himself over the inaccuracy of my drawings but I'm hoping the kids can decipher them. 

We're hoping the added incentive of a surprise in each state will encourage them to be well behaved. I tried to select items that would engage them like this Melissa and Doug activity pad, MindWare Imagination Magnets and Plus-Plus Basic. I'm most excited to try this Travel Scavenger Hunt game and of course, to have them open up their surprises along the way. Wish us luck!

Kate's Take Travels - Family Packing Tips

I don't know about y'all but packing and unpacking my kids is probably my least favorite thing about taking a vacation. The piles of laundry when we get home are a close second. We're about to embark on a road trip from the Midwest to the Southeast so I wanted to share some of my favorite tips on making packing and unpacking a more seamless and organized process. It's easy to make far more than you need while traveling (especially when traveling by car) so read on for my TAKE.

For all family trips we use one of these Rolling Adventure L.L. Bean duffels. It simplifies things to have everyone's clothes in one XL duffel vs five separate suitcases. We call these L.L. Bean duffels our "family suitcase" and they truly are. The duffels are lightweight, fit a ton and are malleable if you need to fit them into an odd space for example; our rooftop car carrier. While it is awesome to have all of our clothes in one bag it can be a pain to find all articles of clothing. I mean without fail, someone's sock goes missing and it takes me 5 minutes to locate in the suitcase. This year I wised up and bought these adorable Oh Joy! for CALPAK packing cubes. I plan to use one cube for each child, one for their shoes and then another for baby essentials like diapers and wipes. I can't wait to hand them their cube upon arrival in our destination! The packing cubes also hold me accountable; no overpacking allowed!

Aside from our XL L.L. Bean duffel which will be packed up in our Thule Carrier I do pack a separate family bag in the car.  Our upcoming trip will require an overnight on the road so I will pack our astutely named, "hotel bag" with pajamas, a change of clothes, swimsuits and toiletries. For times when I am not packing minimal items I prefer to use either an L.L. Bean Hunter's Tote or a Lands' End Canvas Tote Bag. Both options are great but I have to admit the pockets inside the Lands' End tote are really useful. Toiletries are one of the last things I pack and I'm excited as I finally ordered a couple more inexpensive white waffle bags for the kids. I had these personalized at a local shop and I'm certain this will help me better organize their hair accessories, toothbrushes, toothpaste and most importantly Motrin.

While we don't pack individual suitcases for each child the older two are allowed to bring a backpack. For travel we use these Herschel Supply Co. Kid's Heritage backpacks and the kids have coined them their "travel backpacks." The packs are on the smaller size so they are perfect when we are limited on space like in the car or on a plane etc. They do fit a fair amount of items i.e. a lovie, books, headphones, snacks etc...it's just that I may not recommend this specific size for school. Our youngest isn't quite walking yet so while she doesn't have her own backpack she does have a travel accessory of her own. It's the 3 Sprouts Play Mat Bag. I literally throw a few toys in here fold it up and carry it along. It's very light, well made and comes in adorable designs. I'm looking forward to using it this trip especially during our hotel overnights.

When traveling by car I pack two bags to sit up shotgun with me. One bag is for our laptops, ipads and reading materials while the other bag is a backpack that is full of the kids snacks, sunglasses, my wallet and an Oh Joy! Band Aid Brand FIrst Aid Kit. I love to keep diaper changing essentials in this kit as well as some first aid items like Band Aids and Neosporin. The backpack is key when you need to quick run into a rest area for a bio break.

While my packing has improved over the years, one thing I have yet to master is a packing list template. Our destinations and travel durations always change so I have never taken the time to make one on my own. If you're looking for free printable packing lists for your next adventure I would recommend the site Travel Mama's as there are varying packing lists available based on the age of your child. Hopefully, I'll find the time to make my own for our next adventure! 

I hope some of these tips will be useful for your next family adventure. Happy Travels!

Summer Camp Philosophy

Time flies when you're having fun and summer is no exception. As a household with two working parents and three children with completely different schedules summer can be a bit of a logistical nightmare. Don't get me wrong summer provides a welcome break from school and the chance to sleep in but it's still a bit of a nightmare.  We employ childcare year round but during the summer months we also like to take advantage of day camp. Read on for my TAKE on Summer Camps in Chicago!

This year the kids have eleven full weeks of summer vacation so we decided that we would schedule six weeks (about half) of camps and spend the rest of the summer traveling and relaxing. Six weeks may sound like a lot or maybe too little but it works for us. I've found that the weeks the kids are in camp the house runs smoother: the kids are tired so they sleep better, there is less fighting, less TV and with a set schedule I am less forgetful! The less forgetful piece is a huge win!

Summer camps can be expensive so I try to find ones with varying levels of fees and this year I wised up and signed up for a pre tax dependent care based FSA. Which means that I am saving hundreds of dollars by using my pre tax dollars to pay for summer day camps! Seriously, I wish I had signed up years ago as it also covers preschool! If you plan to try day camps next summer I would advise adding a line item to your household budget to save for them. Most summer camp schedules come out in late winter/early spring so you can get an idea of costs at that time. Some camps do fill up early (ahem City of Chicago Park District) but I've also found many with openings later in the summer. We also love to support our school and attend at least one week of camp there.

This year my absolute favorite camp for my 6.5 year old is Game On! Sports 4 Girls. There are two locations in the Chicago area and I truly believe that this is the closest you can get to a sleep away camp in the city. Game On! has a three week commitment (although they do not need to be consecutive) and truly builds an empowering community for it's campers. The girls participate in various sports, field trips, challenge courses, water wars, olympics week and many theme days. We will definitely be signing for next summer!

It's no secret that if you follow my Instagram account that I love art and especially the LillStreet Art Center. Lillstreet has an amazing offering of classes throughout the year but their summer camp program is really impressive. There are offerings for preschool - teens and this year I love the addition of the afternoon camp sessions. Each camp is a week long and be prepared for amazing art to make it's way into your home at the end of the week. This year my oldest is doing a Paints & Print camp but have done a few years in the preschool program and last summer we hosted our cousin for a week while she did a sewing camp

My almost 4 year old will be entering pre-school in the fall and as a means to help prepare him for the classroom setting we enrolled him in a summer camp program at Black Bear Academy. They offer an eight week program and you can select how many days a week your child attends. Our son is loving it! He is gaining some independence and is especially pleased when he gets to go on field trips. Who doesn't love a ride on a yellow school bus?

There are really so many summer camp options in Chicago you can't go wrong. Overall, I try to find camps that are convenient and work with our family logistics which often means selecting camps based on their location. Next year we're interested in trying Dream Big Performing Arts Camp (fingers crossed they offer Hamilton again), a science based camp like Kids Science Lab and perhaps a camp at the zoo.  Registering for camps and solidifying your summer schedule can be a hassle but it's worth it; it makes for an entire summer of happy campers in my home. Happy Camping!

Happy Place Chicago

We had the most fun morning this past weekend! Do you want to know what we did? We went to Happy Place Chicago and the kids had the time of their lives! Happy Place is a a pop-up exhibit (similar to Color Factory and Museum of Ice Cream) with interactive installations that well...make you happy!  I was lucky to come across the venue by chance a couple of weeks ago on my drive home from work and it's been on my summer activity wish list ever since. We had a change of plans this weekend so I was able to snag tickets and surprise the kids! Of course, we didn't know what we were getting into but the experience is almost like being in Willy Wonka's candy factory - each of the 13 rooms is full of surprises, colorful and larger-than-life. The exhibit is open through August 6th; run don't walk and as always, read on for my TAKE.

What to Know Before You Go

• Tickets must be purchased in advance here
• Parking is a bit of a pain but they have valet for $12
• Kids under 4 are free (YAY) but no strollers allowed so bring a carrier for the babes
• There are no bathrooms inside but they are available outside of the exhibit
• The exhibit really is fun for kids and if you go on a weekend morning expect KIDS
• You will have a timed entrance into the exhibit but our time there didn't feel rushed
• The venue is an Instagrammers dream and staff is more than willing to take your photo
• If your bring your DSLR make sure to charge the battery (ahem, yes my battery died)
• Be warned that your sweet 6 year old will get a lot of exposure to older girls posing for photos and will leave the exhibit acting like a tween. True story.
• Snacks like M&M's and Tootsie Pops are provided with your ticket cost
• Food like rainbow grilled cheese and unicorn cotton candy are available for purchase
• Like any museum exhibit there is a gift shop at the end of the experience (I regret not spending time here there were some fun curated goods!)

As soon as we left our kids were asking to go back next summer and while Happy Place is a traveling exhibit there are new interactive experiences like 29 Rooms coming to Chicago. I for one hope this trend continues because it's a great excuse to take a break from the mundane and get HAPPY! Fingers crossed that someday Color Factory or Museum of Ice Cream decide to pop up in Chicago too! What are you waiting for? Come on, get happy!

Summer Reading Project

Our oldest is entering first grade in the fall and she isn't entirely confident in her reading capabilities. As a way to help build her confidence and improve her skills I've come up with a 12 week long Summer Reading Project. To be fair I'm not an educator so this project isn't based on anything other than practice, practice, practice. With that being said, I've already noticed a difference in her ability to sound words out and recognize sight words; so we're going to go with it. Read on for my TAKE on a Summer Reading Project for early readers.

My basic idea for the project was to create a reading journal but I wanted to also supplement the reading with additional skills like drawing and writing. My daughter selected 12 books (1 for each week) and in addition to focusing on reading her weekly selection she uses her notebook to draw 2 pictures, identify 10 vocabulary words and write 2-3 descriptive sentences about the story. We focus on reading the book everyday and split up the other items i.e. vocabulary and sentence writing throughout the week. Depending on the amount of activity during the day we vary our reading time (i.e. not at bedtime when she is exhausted) but try to spend 15-30 minutes focusing on it. 

Once Lucy has mastered the book she reads it to her siblings and adds a star sticker to the cover of her notebook. There is a lot of repetition with this method and I do get concerned that she just memorizes her book of the week so a couple weeks after mastering a book I have her go back and read it before starting on a new book. While this project is a time commitment we've made it a priority this summer and I know it's helping when she says things like, "that word was easy." She loves books and I want her to love reading as much as I do and as a bonus it helps fill the time when her younger siblings are napping.

Project Materials

• Five Star 1 Subject Notebook (Wide Ruled)
• Colored Pencils
• Alphabet Stickers
• Star Stickers
• I Can Read  and Step Into Reading books (see below)

Summer Reading List

• Barbie: I Can Be A Gymnast
• Tooth Fairy's Night
• Pinkalicious At The Fair
• Happy Easter Tiny
• Fancy Nancy: Chez Nancy
• National Geographic Readers: Cheetahs
• Wellie Wishers: Emerson is Mighty Girl
• Wellie Wishers: Willa's Butterfly Ballet
• National Geographic Readers: Koalas
• Pinkalicious And The Pirates
• Tangled: Outside My Window
• Barbie: I Can Be A Farm Vet

As an bonus incentive, we were at Barnes & Noble in late June and they have their own Summer Reading Journal program where kids in grades 1-6 can earn a free book (age-appropriate) if they record 8 books that they have read in this journal. The program runs through September 3rd and you better believe we will be brining in our journal to claim our book. I think it will be such a proud moment for Lucy!

Please feel free to share if you have any tips about teaching kids to read and Happy Summer Reading!

Strawberry Season

Do your kids have a favorite fruit? All three of our kids love strawberries. Strawberry Season passes us by quickly in the Midwest (it run mid June - early July) and I wanted to make sure we took advantage of it this year. So we went strawberry picking! It was our first time and I have to say I think we will make it an annual tradition. Read on for my TAKE on where to pick strawberries and what to do with your bounty.

We went to the Thompson Strawberry Farm in Bristol, Wisconsin. It's a bit of a hike outside of Chicago (60 minutes) but a really easy drive. I love that the farm's website provides an update on picking conditions each morning. We went mid week to help avoid the crowds. The strawberries were beautiful. I could have spent hours picking (the best strawberries) are under the leaves but I was wearing Maggie in a carrier, trying to supervise the older two and failing miserably; so we lasted an hour. We were able to combine our baskets into one and then I purchased another pre-picked basket as I wanted to share the strawberry wealth with friends.

George and Lucy ate strawberries throughout the hour of picking and once I took Maggie out of her carrier she went after them hulls and all. I don't think the kids will ever forget the taste of those sweet juicy strawberries!

After stuffing our faces with strawberries for the better part of the week we still had a good amount leftover. Approximately, 4.5 cups to be exact and I wanted to do something with them before they went bad. My kids love the fruit leather strips at Trader Joe's and I always wanted to try making a healthier version. Previously, I'd been so intimidated by the time commitment and complexity of fruit leather recipes that I shied away but with the help of my husband I decided to face my fruit leather fears.

We had a low key Sunday on the horizon and a fridge full of ripe strawberries so on Saturday afternoon I took to my Pinterest account and started looking for homemade fruit leather recipes. We don't own a dehydrator so we planned to use our oven to make the leather and I found the perfect recipe from Baked by Rachel. The recipe is simple only three ingredients but it is nice to have a few key kitchen utensils to help make the baking process simpler. Baking Silpat Mats and an Offset Spatula would be on the top of my list.

We opted to strain the seeds from the blended mixture so this added about 15 minutes to the prep process. I would also advise to spread the strawberry mixture evenly across the silpat as it will affect how the fruit leather bakes. The recipe calls for a bake time of three hours but with our oven temp it ended up taking almost four. Next time I may set it at convection to see if that helps speed along the baking. I was shocked how easily the leather peeled off the silpats and was quickly able to be cut into strips and rolled onto wax paper. 

Final verdict: The kids loved the fruit leather and I liked that we were able to use the rest of our berries. Fruit leather is easy but time consuming to make. Depending on how you cut the leather your yield may be a bit discouraging based on the time involvement. I think we will make fruit leather again but maybe not until our next strawberry picking adventure.

DIY Bored Jar

We're not even two weeks into summer and I can't count the number of times I've heard the phrase, "I'm Bored." It may just be the most frustrating phrase on the planet and my six year old is quite fond of it. I can emphathize with her some of the time as she has to often hang around the house while her younger siblings nap. This summer I'm trying something new and I created a Bored Jar full of activity ideas for when your child comes to you with those dreaded words. Read on for my TAKE on a DIY Bored Jar.

Before putting the physical jar together I started thinking of activities to put in the jar - both inventive and practical. I came up with a list of 35 to start and will add more as the summer progresses but the kids will only be able to draw 1 activity per day. They may not like the idea they pull but it's going to be a game of chance and I'm sure a bit of a learning experience for all of us. Once the ideas were set it took less than an hour to put the jar together. I ordered this jar from Amazon, used these multi-colored alphabet stickers on the jar and then wrote the activity ideas on pieces of construction paper.

A Sample of Activity Ideas

• Draw a map of our house
• Set up an obstacle course in the backyard
• Give our wagon a car wash
• Plan our dinner meal for a night
• Collect some rocks and paint designs on them
• Write a thank you note to a friend or family member
• Play Hide-n-Seek
• Call a Grandparent
• Tidy up your room
• Build a Fort
• Bake your Favorite Cookies
• Create a Scavenger Hunt

This DIY Bored Jar is so easy to put together and will provide endless hours of ideas for those lazy summer afternoons.  I'm always open to new activity ideas so if you and your kids have some favorites - please share! The jar has already generated quite a bit of excitement in our house so here's hoping that I hear those dreaded "I'm Bored" words a little bit less frequently this summer. 

Audiobooks for Kids

Since infancy our kids have spent a lot of time in the car traveling to see friends in relatives in the Midwest. Most days we walk around our Chicago neighborhood but they are in the car for a 4-5 hour round trip almost once a month with longer 12-14 hour drives a few times a year. For longer road trips the kids pack their own backpack of activities including their iPads. We allow for some screen time but my favorite way to pass the time (I promise it's not just me) is by listening to audiobooks. Audiobooks are perfect in many situations...not just that long road trip so enjoy my TAKE on our families' favorite lineup of audiobooks.

We primarily listen to audiobooks through Audible. Audible is Amazon's answer to audiobooks and they have the largest catalog of audiobooks in the world.  It is a stand-alone membership based service but Amazon Prime members do have access to stream some books within the catalog. We have been using the service via their app for the last 18 months and our monthly Audible membership includes 1 book credit and exclusive member savings on additional audiobooks. You don't have to use your credit each month (you can bank up to 5) and I recommend using your credit for adult books which tend to cost more. Children's audiobooks are generally well priced and there are often sales. We have just started to listen to some chapter books and I'm so excited for longer attention spans so we can listen to books like Harry Potter and A Wrinkle In Time. 

Audible does a great job of letting people try their service and books before committing. If interested there is a 30-day trial membership and before purchasing an audiobook Audible allows you to listen to a sample of the recording as the narrator's voice is an important piece of the audiobook selection process. A bad narration can completely ruin a treasured book so make sure to listen to the sample and/or check out the customer reviews. Better yet, let some of my recommendations remove the guess work - Happy Listening!

Family Favorites

• The Gruffalo (narrated by Imelda Staunton)
• The Gruffalo's Child (narrated by Imelda Staunton)
• Tikki Tikki Tembo (narrated by Peter Thomas)
• The Three Little Pigs (narrated by Fritz Weaver)
• Strega Nona (narrated by Peter Hawkins)
• Penny and Her Marble (narrated by Cynthia Nixon)
• Matilda (narrated by Kate Winslet)
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (narrated by Douglas Hodge)
• Ramona the Pest (narrated by Stockard Channing)
• Ramona Quimby, Age 8 (narrated by Stockard Channing)

Adult Favorites

I know I titled this post Audiobooks for Kids but the truth is my husband and I use Audible quite a bit. It's perfect for our commuter lifestyle so I'm sharing some of our favorites too!

• The Handmaid's Tale (narrated by Claire Danes)
• Big Little Lies (narrated by Caroline Lee)
• Little Fires Everywhere (narrated by Jennifer Lim)
• Kitchen Confidential (narrated by Anthony Bourdain)
• Moneyball (narrated by Scott Brick)

Remembering Kate Spade

Like the rest of the world I was saddened to learn of Kate Spade's passing. I'm heartbroken for her family and friends and have spent much of the day thinking about her, the brand and what it meant to me. I listened to the NPR "How I Built This" podcast featuring her and her husband Andy Spade, contemplated purchasing a Frances Valentine bag and came home from work to dig out all of my old Kate Spade handbags.

Her passing has brought back so many memories. I recall mother-daughter shopping trips to Chicago where I would gush over her handbags in Saks, Neiman's and later the store on Oak Street. I never had any of initial sleek classic nylon designs but my college roommate did. In fact, on the first day I met her she carried one and I knew we would be lifelong friends.

Kate and her brand resonated with me.  I loved her classic with a twist style. I loved that we shared a name, were both from the Midwest and in the end both married our college sweethearts. I could see myself in her and that made her designs all the more appealing. 

As I got older and had a paycheck (other than babysitting) I couldn’t resist the timeless designs. I started collecting her handbags, stationary, planners, etiquette books, cosmetic bags, sunglasses, jewelry, shoes and clothing. You name it; I even registered for Kate Spade China when I got married. The straw clutches were my favorite with the unexpected fabric on the interior. I still can't resist a Kate Spade polka dot.

Kate Spade was an icon...my icon. May she rest in peace.

Maggie's 1st Fiesta

Let me start by saying I LOVE to plan a party and Maggie's first birthday was no exception! Her birthday is in early May and as we were going to celebrate her birthday on May 5th (Cinco de Mayo) I decided a fiesta theme was the way to go. I've never thrown a party with a Mexican theme and I was blown away by some of the amazing ideas and vendors available.  Seriously, the ideas were so fun but also a bit overwhelming. My life is pretty hectic so I had to come up with a few areas I really wanted to focus to make the party festive yet manageable to execute. Read on for my TAKE on a 1st Fiesta!

Invitations

Paper invitations are my absolute favorite and while not always practical or appropriate I have done them for all our kids first birthday celebrations. I strive to be organized but I have never been very good about filling in their baby books so a paper birthday invite is kind of like a win-win as I can easily tape it into their book. I found Maggie's pinata themed invites and matching thank you cards through Minted and they were the perfect inspiration to start planning. By sheer coincidence, the United States Postal Service had new Traditional Latin food themed stamps that were the perfect addition to the invite!

Decorations

I had the most fun decorating for the fiesta. I found a lot of inspiration from Pinterest and while it's easy to overdo it; especially for a 1st birthday party, I tried to stick to a few key decor items. My decor wish list was as follows: tissue paper flowers, pinatas, tissue paper banners and a serape table runner displayed with flowers and succulents. I'm definitely the most proud of the tissue paper flowers. They took longer than expected (mostly because we made more than I anticipated) but the end result was worth it. We taped 30 flowers to some framed artwork and I love the result. It almost looks like an art installation at a gallery. A week later and I still haven't taken them down. I found instructions on how to make them here and ordered this set of tissue paper to make them with. After trying a couple and not being 100% satisfied with the result I ended up watching a YouTube video to perfect my craft. The remainder of the decor I purchased online. I found a few adorable shops on Etsy where I was able to order serape-esque table runners, tissue paper garland, cactus napkins, mini pinata cupcake toppers and festive cutlery sets. I knew that I wanted to purchase a pinata for the party both for decoration and to be used as an activity for the older kids. I looked for a burro one to coordinate with the invite but ended up with a festive cactus pinata from Party City.

Sombreros, Fake Mustaches + Pom Pom Crowns

I couldn't resist ordering sombreros, mustaches and pom pom crowns to help the kids really get into the fiesta vibe. I was able to order the sombreros in bulk so many kids left with a sombrero to play dress up with at home. George was just too much in his taco shirt, sombrero and mustache. The pom pom crown was the perfect accessory for Maggie while she attempted to blow out the candle on her cupcake even if she was a bit overwhelmed!

Food

In the past we have made much of the food when entertaining but for this party we opted to streamline things and catered most of the food from local restaurant, Big Star. The tacos and fixings were delicious! My husband attempted a chipotle like rice and made our favorite black bean recipe from Jessica Seinfeld. I did pick up a few things from Whole Foods like tortilla chips, fruit and pre-made guacamole which we combined with 2 additional avocados and fresh pico-de-gallo. For drinks we served Topo Chico mineral water, Mexican Coke, Corona and my favorite margaritas! It couldn't have been easier. While I love a churro, we decided to serve cake and cupcakes from our favorite Chicago bakery, Sweet Mandy B's. I was able to email them photos of sample cake design and they pulled off the vision beautifully!

Party Favors

No matter the size of the party I can't let our guests leave without a party favor. I love to give cut out cookies or an appropriately themed children's book for a kids party. For Maggie's 1st fiesta we did cut out cookies in the shape of pinata donkeys resembling her party invite packed in cellophane bags. The bags were accessorized with colorful maracas and tied with a ribbon. Pro tip: I found the easiest way to attach the maraca to the bag was with one of my older daughters (unused) elastic hair ties! The older kids also left with a goody bag full of treats from the cactus pinata. If you're looking for a party activity (even if it lasts 10 minutes) I love to let kids decorate their kraft paper treat bags with stickers and markers!

Spring Cleaning

It's finally starting to feel like Spring in Chicago! In my household Spring is synonymous with Spring Cleaning and the annual elementary school Spring Auction. Lately, both have taken over our lives..the latter more so than the former as I’ve developed some time efficient purging techniques. It only took me a few years! However, if anyone has tips on how not to overcommit myself I’m all ears... but if you’re interested in some Spring Cleaning tips read on for my TAKE.

Clothing

If you're like me and your body has been on a roller coaster for the last seven years your closet may be full of ill fitting clothes. For the past five years I've been ordering "Clean Out Kit's from thredUP as a way to purge my closet and recoup some dinero - it's an extremely easy to way to sell high-quality secondhand clothes! I've used thredUP as a way to get rid of those rarely worn (if ever) impulse buys: clothes, shoes, handbags, jewelry, maternity... you name it!

If getting rid of clothes can be overwhelming I recommend doing it more than twice a year as it will help with your mindset and makes the entire process less time consuming. With thredUP I order a kit a four+ times a year, stuff it with seasonal items and send it back to thredUP. It takes a couple of weeks but once the bag has been processed thredUP decides what they will sell online and the rest of the items are donated. At that time, you will receive an upfront payment and/or additional compensation for items that sell via consignment.  You can either chose to cash out your payment or use to shop their site.

Truly thedUP makes me feel less guilty about the impulse shopping and they accept gently worn kids clothes which is perfect for those dressier outfits they may have only worn once or twice.  I wouldn't use it if it wasn't simple - so trust me it's an amazingly easy way to purge your closet! If you're interested in ordering your own "Clean Out Kit" you can find more details here. 

Artwork

Every year we seem to amass large quantities of artwork our kids can't seem to part with. I try to streamline the collection throughout the year (ahem toss items when they aren't looking) and display pieces with the DIGNITET curtain wire from IKEA or with these clips on our magnet board.  But as the end of the school year rolls around I tend to reach my clutter threshold. This threshold is typically met when teachers starting sending home artwork they collected all year long and I react by having a mild freak out. I proceed quickly to my computer or mobile device and place an order from Plum Print. Within a few days I receive a prepaid box to fill with artwork that will be made into an keepsake book. With Plum Print you can customize the cover, title and title page as well as include a photo of your child. All in it takes about three - four weeks.  We're in the process of creating our third book and my daughter loves to look at them and I love to see how her creativity has developed. It's so easy and if you're interested you can get $20 off your order with this link.

Another option I'd love to try someday is to commission a compilation of our children's art work by Jan Eleni. This way I can cut down on clutter and still display their creativity! Of course, I could scan photos myself and create a display but I'm all about time savings and leaving these things to the experts!

Baby Goods

We're pretty sure that we are pleasantly content as a family of five. Truth be told, I waffle on this but we're pretty sure. Actually, it's not just me who waffles. My husband does too as he wishes our son had a brother...he loves his brothers! Despite all this waffling we've collected a lot of baby products over the years and we're ready to have a bit more live-able space.

As I've started to this process I've found that is not as easy to get rid of these items as you may think. Of course, it would be lovely and easy to give items such as a baby walker, swing or jumper away to friends but most of our friends aren't in need.

So here's a rundown of some things that I've tried:

• Salvation Army is my donation go-to for many household items but they will only accept baby clothes mostly due to product safety concerns.
• Cradles for Crayons is an awesome organization in Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia that supports families in poverty and they accept gently used toys, books and clothes for children. Y'all know we have a lot of children's books!
• Craigslit is a good place to sell gently used baby equipment like a highchair or 4moms Mamaroo swing.
• Consignment sales - Many communities have consignment sales two times a year for kids. Our neighbor frequents one in the suburbs and I sent items with her to sell. Literally, I was able to sell our daughter's 4moms infant tub so I feel like these suburban consignment sales are like winning the jackpot!
• Facebook groups - There are many online FB mom's groups that can also be a great resource to sell/trade/donate used baby goods.

Despite all these options if I a one-stop-shop for all baby and kid items, I'll be sure to share. Happy Spring cleaning!

Reward Chart Review

About two weeks ago I finally followed through on something I had been thinking about for months; I made a reward chart!

Why did I make a reward chart you ask? Well, for a number of reasons but primarily our  kids had been arguing a lot and getting them dressed and out the door in the morning was a struggle. I needed to find a way to incentivize them! Also, with spring break on the horizon and no major travel plans we wanted to plan some fun things but wanted them to earn these activities.

Two weeks in and I think we are all pleasantly surprised with the results. The kids are still engaged with the rewards program I think due to its visual and interactive nature and it has also proven to be a math lesson in addition and subtraction! However, the best and most surprising benefit is that it has finally (ugh) helped to get our 3.5 year son interested in committing to potty training. Major bonus!

Our plan is to continue until they meet all the reward thresholds (probably 2 more weeks) and then we will definitely reintroduce again as we get closer to summer break. Read on for my TAKE on how to set up a reward chart of your own! For more photos and details check out my instagram stories here.

Reward Chart Set Up

• I mocked up an initial design on a sheet of paper and got to work.
• My design laid out sections for both of our older children to receive stickers for both good and bad choices. 
• For a good choice such as going to the bathroom on the potty or getting dressed and brushing teeth in the morning without being asked warrants one star.  Random acts of kindness towards each other has also warranted stars.
• For a bad choice such as not sharing, arguing, not eating their dinner or having a meltdown etc... a grumpy emoji sticker has been given.
• Our star stickers are various sizes but every star equals one point.
• The chart has a “total” section and we officially tally our points once a week. Good choices minus bad choices equal our total. Truth be told, the kids really prefer to count them daily.  
• Rewards are listed at the bottom of the chart and broken out in increments of five.

What I Would Change

• Add rewards that cost less $ or no $ such as “screen time” or  a “family game night”.
• Include some rewards at lower point thresholds to get them excited early on and keep them incentivized.
• This would take some time but perhaps design a star placement layout of some sort. We let the kids put their stars on the chart themselves and the randomized placement makes it hard for them to count them. 
• Next time I plan to use a yard stick which will make my lines straighter and this sometimes perfectionist happier with the finished product. 
• Possibly use foam board to make it sturdier. 

Reward Chart Supplies

• White Poster Board
• Yard Stick
• Neon or Metallic Sharpie Markers
• Star Stickers
• Emoji Stickers
• Various Letter and Number Sticker Options

Celebrating Spring with Iron-on Patches

It’s officially the first day of Spring! The snow has melted and I spy tulip buds in the garden...warmer temps are on the horizon and so is that transitional wardrobe. One of my favorite transitional wardrobe essentials for Spring or fall is a denim jacket. My oldest daughter took notice and asked for a denim jacket with a twist for Christmas. 

The twist was that Lucy's denim jacket had to involve patches and as it was one of top three items on her wish list Santa pulled through. My budding fashionista has been begging me to attach the patches to her jacket since Christmas morning but I just got around to it and what a better way to celebrate Spring. Perhaps, I thought the process was going to be hard but it was surprisingly simple!

Iron-on-Patches in 6 Easy Steps

• Remove patches from packaging
• Place patches on denim jacket in the desired location (be thoughtful they may stick)
• Grab a light colored cotton garment and place over the first patch
• Place an iron set on high on top of all items and count for 25 seconds (repeat per patch)
• Turn jacket inside out and iron on the reverse side of patch for another 25 seconds (repeat per patch)
• Voila, try on the newly styled denim jacket

Honestly, this is so easy! You can opt to sew the patches on but my daughter found the idea of mixing her patches up at a later date more enticing so we ironed and chose 2 of her patches to start. Finding iron-on patches was challenging at first and then I discovered that Meri Meri and Crewcuts both had a great selection. Meri Meri patches can be found online here and here. Their selection has been growing and this Space Voyager patch is my new favorite. I purchased the Crewcuts patches in store but they do have a select few available online. Go on, get your littles some flair to celebrate the new season to come!

Birthmarks

We make so many choices as parents. Some like choosing a preschool can be agonizing but others like selecting a theme for their birthday party can be fun. More often than not, my husband and I find ourselves trying to make decisions that will help our children foster positive self-esteem. This post is about a decision we agonized over (with our eldest) and eventually made for both of our daughters to help them start with a clean slate in order to build up their self-esteem especially in preparation for school.

Maggie (our youngest @ 10 months)

Both of our daughters were born with red birthmarks right in between their eyes. Our oldest daughters birthmark was far more severe than our youngest (pictured above) and as a first-time parent, of course, it was concerning. Naturally, we thought our daughter was beautiful at birth, but we didn't know a thing about birthmarks and wanted to learn more. She had this very obvious facial mark and we didn’t know if her birthmark develop into something more serious or would it improve with time? Our Pediatrician referred us to the Dermatology group at Ann & Robert H. Lurie, Children's Hospital of Chicago and we learned that Lucy (our oldest) had been born with a birthmark known as a port-wine stain. It was a result of some blood cells that and thankfully, not caused by something I may have done while pregnant. Sometimes, the birthmarks can diminish in size and color but more often than not if the nevus flammeus is darker in color it will not fade. Most importantly, we were relieved to learn that her birthmark was not a sign of something more serious. We left the first dermatology appointment with orders; to watch and wait.

Lucy (as most babies do) quickly went from infancy to a happy and fully engaged baby. During this time her stain did not fade or decrease in size and to be honest, we stopped noticing it. We were fully engrossed and in love with our little girl and her birthmark was just a part of her. Unfortunately, as Lucy grew her birthmark was often noticed by other children whether at the park, the grocery store, music class etc... Toddlers have so many questions and the pointing at her birthmark started to get to us. So much so, that at Lucy's 10 month follow up with her dermatologist we asked about potential treatment options. Our dermatologist concurred that she did not believe the port wine stain had diminished nor would it and if we wanted, we could pursue laser treatment therapies. 

Having a laser directed at your infant specifically, her head is a scary thought. This was one of those parenting decisions we agonized over...Would she be in pain? Did her birthmark even matter? Would the laser therapies work? Were we just being vain? Could there be negative side effects? Ultimately, after much hand wringing we decided to move forward with the laser therapies. We wanted her to be confident and would do anything possible to build that confidence even if it meant a cosmetic procedure. We hoped to help her avoid the pointing of fingers and stares as she grew into a more impressionable child. We started the therapies at a younger age to avoid putting her under anesthesia and with the hope that she wouldn't develop a strong aversion to doctors. She had five treatments in all beginning shortly after her first birthday.

To this day I’m glad we made this decision. The social challenges our children will face especially as they enter the tween/teen years concerns me to no end. This was one thing we could do to help give our daughter a boost. In Lucy's case, the treatments worked beautifully, and when her younger sister was born almost 5.5 years later with a port wine stain we knew exactly what steps we wanted to take.

Kate's Book Corner - The Easter Edit

I have many fond memories of Easter growing up. It often coincided with Spring Break and meant a trip to Florida but it always meant milk chocolate covered marshmallow eggs. I still devour these every year. Does anyone else have a favorite Easter candy? As a parent Easter is without a doubt, one of my favorite holidays. I can't get over dressing the kids up, dyeing eggs, putting together baskets and of course, hiding the Golden Egg! 

My love for a holiday always translates to an obscene amount of holiday-themed children's books. I counted. I have 24 Easter books but I narrowed it down to my top ten for the edit. The ten books in my Easter Edit are appropriate for babies up to 8 year-olds.  The board books lend themselves better to the younger demographic whereas the hardcover books are much preferred by my older children. Not to say that my oldest won't read through all of the books because she will. As soon as I bring up new holiday books they will all pore over them for hours.  

I'm a freak for any books about a Golden Egg, Bunnies, and Curious George and luckily my children don't object. However, my absolute favorite Easter book since childhood is The Country Bunny And The Little Gold Shoes. I think when I was little I was memorized by the Mother Cottontail, her many children, and the pastel-colored illustration but as an adult, I read this book and think, this author was progressive! The message in this book is so poignant and so relevant. It shows children that their mothers can raise children and through hard work accomplish their dreams - they can have it all and so can you! So it's safe to say this book will remain my top choice for years to come.

Happy Reading!

The Easter Edit

• Hop! Hop!
• Easter Surprise: An Eggs-traordinary Slide and Find Book
• Too Many Carrots
• The Country Bunny And The Little Gold Shoes
• Richard Scarry's Bunnies
• Egg (My Little World)
• Peter Rabbit Finger Puppet Book
• The Golden Egg
• Happy Easter, Curious George
• The Easter Egg

Child Models

Today, I did something with my kids that I never thought I would do...I took them to a casting call.

By no means, are my children aren’t begging to be child models. Dressing up and having their photos taken isn't always their thing. They just want to be kids. So why did I drag them all the way to Wisconsin for a casting call? Perhaps selfishly, I made this choice for me. But why? I’ve been thinking about this and I think what it comes down to is that I crave new and creative experiences...I like to learn.

As a parent there is so much of life that has become routine and sometimes mundane. I do love being a mother but sometimes I miss the variety of my pre-child life. So now, when a new opportunity presents itself I try to grab onto it. So today, we tried something out-of-the ordinary. This morning, my kids were numbers 108, 109, 110 and they stood or sat dutifully on the green marked x on the ground while they smiled for the camera.

There isn't any guarantee that my kids will ever be used for a photo shoot and that's ok, the opportunity was there and we took it. Rejection and failure will always be a part of life but we will never learn if we don't try. Hopefully, along the way we help our kids build self-confidence and teach them to have the courage to try new things. 

I still don't think head shots are in our future, but I'd happily drive (or have my husband drive) to Milwaukee any day for the chance of having my children featured in some darling Florence Eiseman. 

Yes Day!

This past weekend we had our first annual “Yes Day” and by all accounts it was a success! I discovered the “Yes Day” concept by chance a year ago. 

Last Valentine's Day there was a widely circulated essay about Modern Love called, You May Want to Marry My Husband published in the New York Times. The touching essay was written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, a Chicago resident and children's book author who at the time was battling terminal cancer. Unfortunately, Amy passed away last March but I was to say the least, intrigued by her story. As an avid consumer and lover of children's books I had to check out what she had written. 

After a trusty Google search or two I discovered that Amy had written dozens of books; even books that I was quite fond of such as Little Pea and Uni the Unicorn. There were however, plenty of new ones to discover including a book called, Yes Day!  authored by Amy and Tom Lichtenheld. I quickly ordered Yes Day! a genius book about a day in which once a year a little boy gets to ask his parents for exactly what he wants and they can't say NO! I mean this concept is so simple yet so creative - it’s genius! What kid doesn’t want to feel like they have some control over their parents? Once the book arrived I stashed it in the closet waiting for an appropriate time to introduce it to our kids.

After a few months I started to think that our oldest two children would dig a “Yes Day”. They had been battling cabin fever due to illness and frigid temps and most days we keep them on a strict schedule. Our 3 year old is at the point, where he frequently asks, "Daddy, why do you always say No, No No? Why don't you say Yes, Yes, Yes? Yikes! To be fair most of the time we say NO to keep our energetic son from injuring himself but his point has been taken. Loud and clear. We need to slow down and have some fun! This past weekend I knew was going to be relatively unscheduled so on Thursday night I warned my husband about Saturday's plans and on Friday night I introduced the book. After reading the book, I asked our kids if they would like a “Yes Day” to which they eagerly answered YES and from then on you could just see the ideas spinning in their heads.

So what you ask, did our kids ask to do on “Yes Day”? Well, they both woke up at 6am eager to get started...read below for a sampling of our day.

• Can we watch the iPads?  YES
• Can we watch the iPads for an hour? YES
• Can we have pancakes for breakfast? YES 
• Can the pancakes have chocolate chips in them? YES
• Can I pick out my own clothes? (Very important to our daughter) YES
• Can we build a fort? YES
• Can we keep the fort up? YES
• Can we pick up our toys later? YES
• Can we have lollipops? YES
• Can we go to the park in our old neighborhood? (It was freezing) YES
• Can I have cantalopue and ketchup for lunch? YES
• Can we have smoothies at Whole Foods? YES
• Can we play video games in the arcade? YES
• Can you paint my finger nails? YES
• Can we play a board game? YES
• Can we make banana bread? YES
• Can we take the El train to get ice cream before dinner? YES
• Can we watch a movie while eating dinner? YES
• Can we stay up late? YES
• Can I sleep in my sleeping bag? YES

I will be the first to admit that “Yes Day” is fun but exhausting! Our kids have endless amounts of energy however, I’m grateful that for our first “Yes Day” they came up with a very attainable wish list. For the most part their desires revolved around sugary treats and not cleaning up. In a few years I can imagine that their ideas will become much more elaborate. One thing that I didn’t expect was how challenging it was going to be to not say NO! I really made a conscious effort to do this , rather I thought more about the words I used especially if they wanted to do conflicting things. I fear I use the word NO far too often - I sometimes wield it like a weapon (to protect my sanity). But the more I think about it from a child’s perspective  being a grown up is like having a “Yes Day” every day. I can for the most part say YES to whatever I want besides all of those adult responsibilities but my children won’t grasp that concept for years. 

In the end the kids had a wonderful day, we started a new tradition and my husband and I albeit, sleepy gained some insight. The word NO is an extremely powerful word and children don’t yet understand the reasons behind the usage. It was almost freeing to say YES to them and if we use the word NO a little less often and give our children the option to chose for themselves this will help empower them and give them the confidence to make sound decisions (hopefully) into their adult lives. But baby steps...screen time will still be limited and we will not be eating ice cream before dinner at least, not until the next “Yes Day”!

National Handwriting Day

I can't lie beautiful calligraphy on a wedding invitation is like heaven to me. I've always been fascinated with penmanship. Specifically, the different ways people express themselves and how it can allude to personality traits. I for one typically write in all or sustained capital letters which IS not code for yelling rather it's just my preference aesthetically. After doing a bit of research I've read that writing in all-caps can mean that the writer is egotistic and uncomfortable talking about their personal life - yikes! This is even more interesting as my father and also his father preferred to write this way; perhaps, genetics can be linked to handwriting. Regardless, I prefer to think my all-caps lettering means I'm creative which sounds much nicer than egotistic! If you're interested in learning about what your handwriting says about you, check out this book.

In celebration of National Handwriting Day, I thought I would take the opportunity to share my TAKE on tools to help the littles develop their handwriting skills. We're at different stages of development in our house. For our eldest we've mastered capital letters but need to focus more on the lower case which is an important lesson to myself - as a parent we need to model good penmanship and I for one, need to curb my usage of all-caps! Our middle child is in the midst of mastering how to hold a writing tool correctly and learning the letters in his name. Regardless, of what stage your child is currently in these tools always prove to offer an educational activity and many are perfect on-the-go!

I'm obsessed with Kid O Magnatabs both the upper and lower case versions. The kids love to use magnetic stylus pen to trace the letters and all of the beads within the tabs are self contained.  These boards are a little pricey but extremely well made and great sensory fun!

Priddy Books makes an amazing selection of wipe clean books and flash cards. These are perfect as they can be used again and again and are quite durable. Our favorites vary from focusing on the Alphabet, Numbers and Sight Words. 

For a bit of nostalgia I love this red and blue ruled newsprint paper. Nothing beats teaching your children to write their letters with a pencil, eraser and the same paper you used a child. In my house a fun pencil and eraser go a long way in exciting my children to practice their letters.

As an adult obsessed with beautiful lettering I think I could use this Spencerian Penmanship copy book in my life. Most likely I would daydream about Mr. Darcy while practicing but I'm sure I could make good use of this to improve my rarely used cursive! 

Once your littles have mastered their lettering don't forget to write someone special a letter and drop it in the mail. Happy National Handwriting Day!

Kate's Book Corner - The Valentine's Day Edit

The last 30 days have been full of holiday travel, frigid temps, illness, 50 boxes of Kleenex and general exhaustion. I'm just starting to pull myself back together and get the house back in order. Unfortunately, I'm the type of person that can't quite relax until everything is in order and that can be frustrating for everyone involved. Putting our holiday decorations away is time consuming after the holidays and much harder to do with 3 littles in need of attention. As a means to save time this year I brought out our Valentine's Day books at the same time our Christmas ones were put in storage. Thankfully our Valentine's Day collection is much smaller and the fact that the books are in rotation in mid-January kind of makes me feel ahead of the game! 

Most of the eight books in my Valentine's Day Edit are toddler aged but all of them will bring a smile to your kids faces and I recommend reading them with a side of heart shaped candy.  Love Monster is a sweet story with an important message. Curious George and Karen Katz flap books have been long standing favorites for years in our home. Bagel in Love is a new addition this year and is a crowd pleaser. I'd be lying if I said reading it didn't make me crave a bagel straight away but then again I'm often thinking about my next meal!

Happy Reading!

The Valentine's Day Edit

• Love is Walking Hand in Hand
• The Biggest Kiss
• Love Monster
• Llama Llama I Love You
• Where is Baby's Valentine
• Pinkalicious: Pink of Hearts
• Happy Valentine's Day Curious George
• Bagel in Love

Birthday Traditions

In the midst of December, six days before Christmas to be exact is our eldest child's birthday. I despise the fact that her birthday is right before Christmas. Like, REALLY despise it. It's such a busy time that the added component of celebrating her birthday almost puts me over the edge. I try to remind myself that I should be thankful her birthday isn't on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day and I'm trying, REALLY trying to be better about voicing my negative opinion on this matter. I would feel terrible if my daughter ever felt bad or disappointed about her December birthday and don't ever want to feel that wer'e diminishing the day.

As a means to help keep my sanity I've developed a birthday template of sorts that makes both planning easy and the day (albeit in the midst of December) extra special for our daughter.  As an added bonus most of our traditions are really cost friendly which is helpful during December (actually, this is helpful all the time). Read on for my TAKE on birthday traditions.

Kate's Take Birthday Checklist

Streamers - We hang streamers from our children's bedroom doors the night before their birthday so they wake up to a fun surprise. This takes no more than 20 minutes and literally, entertains all the kids for a week until I get sick of them and tear them all down. We started this when my daughter turned 3 and have done it for our son as well.

Balloons - We started this tradition for all of our kids on their first birthday. There is nothing better than a large foil number balloon for a photo op. Just think...you'll never forget how old they were when you look back at photos with a number balloon in the background. I opt for gold or silver depending on the year.

Birthday Crown - This tradition also started on our eldest daughters first birthday and all of the kids wear this crown on their birthday. We got our crown from Oeuf and it's beautifully made and holding up quite nicely. There are a few other color options if a gold crown isn't your thing.

Donut Cake - I don't have anything against a real cake, I promise. However, I typically reserve a real cake for celebrating with extended family and/or friends. On the kids' actual birthday there is nothing better than a tower of donuts aka a donut cake for breakfast. We started this tradition for my daughters 3rd birthday and we've done a few different variations (mini donuts from Stan's in Chicago, a tower of glazed etc..) but the Hostess Donettes are at the top of Lucy's list. I love to add a number candle to the top (of course, we make her blow out a candle on the donut cake) and this year added some unicorn decorations for fun!

Birthday Cereal - This is a new tradition that I adapted from my sister-in-law who has done this for years. At the start of the week (Sunday) my husband took our daughter to the grocery store and let her pick out any cereal she wanted. This was a big deal as we typically stick to the non-sugary cereals. Our daughter was thrilled to pick out Lucky Charms which she then can eat for breakfast all week long. When it runs out, that's it. No more sugary cereal until her next birthday. I have to admit that she may be sharing a few marshmallow morsels with her younger brother so maybe just maybe he will reciprocate when his birthday rolls around. 

Scavenger Hunt - This is probably my favorite tradition. Again adapted from my sister-in-law (she has really good ideas) and is best suited for kids 4 and older. Eric Carle has this book called The Secret Birthday Message which is essentially about a message this boy receives that takes him on a hunt using shapes to find his birthday present. I love Eric Carle and children's books so naturally when I learned of this tradition I knew I wanted to start it in our family. We typically read the book the night before their birthday and in our case, give our daughter her "Secret Birthday Message" after school on her special day. It's so much fun to watch her run around the house in search of her most special gift. The night before my husband or I craft the message by using a mixture of words and drawings. Don't forget to keep the old messages as it helps in terms of coming up with different clues etc... This year our daughter discovered her gift behind her shower curtain.

Birthday Dinner - As the number of kids in our family has grown to three we like to take advantage of some one-on-one time when we can. One of those times is on their birthdays when we take them (starting at age 4) to a special dinner with Mom + Dad. Our daughter loves to go to Crosby's Kitchen in Chicago so she can finish her meal with a skillet cookie. And if your wondering...of course, I bring along that candle from the donut cake in the morning so we can sing Happy Birthday one last time.