Tag Archives: motherhood

Updating the Memory Box

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I have about a week more to go before dragging myself back to work. I’m enjoying my summer vacation too much I  wonder if I could ever get the strength to wake up early again.

While on this long summer break, my diet seems to be in a bit of a vacation too. Yes, diet just went out the window  this entire break. I’ve been feeling kinda sluggish and thought I was pregnant. We’ve been trying and really praying for another baby…probably in God’s own time it will happen.

Not to feel too depressed about the whole thing, I took out my little girl’s memory box. It was actually the husband who insisted that we create a Memory Box for our five-year old.

When the husband was still trying to pursue me, he showed me an old heavy box full of stuff from his childhood. He even  had his school ID in kindergarten! He had pictures of his 4-year-old self making silly faces, an article from the newspaper with his picture and name on it as a contestant in a Spelling Bee Competition..precious, precious memories to last him a lifetime.

Looking at him with his memory box and smiling from ear-to-ear, I said to my single-ready-to-get-married self that I was going to marry this man with the memory box! Tee! Hee! He had me at ‘memory box’.

Please do’nt stop reading, I know it’s too cheesy and too over-the-top but I will stop getting too melodramatic. Trust me, it’ll get better in the next sentences.

Fast forward today, our little lady has her memory box too. We had actually changed it to a bigger and more sturdy box. We’ve kept her kindergarten class picture, her first school ID (too cute!) her pretty onesies when she was just 3 months old… Ah, so many keepsakes that bring smiles to our faces.

Memories to last us a lifetime.

Do you keep a Memory Box?

Sensory Tubs: A Handful of Fun

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As an Early Childhood Educator in the Philippines and a Certified Special Educator in the US, I’ve always believed that sensory activities provide children with another meaningful avenue for learning. Though we have a different curriculum here in the Philippines or in your school, you can always decide to incorporate learning centers in your classroom to provide for more opportunities for learning. More valuable in fact than having four to five year olds sit and listen to the teacher for more than 15 minutes. Trust me, not a good idea for these young children.

I know I haven’t updated my posts on teacher resources and some of you have in fact  emailed about teaching strategies I employ in my classroom. Here’s s peak at one of my corners.

I have a Science and Sensory Corner and that’s where I placed my sensory table/tub. I try to use different materials every quarter (operant word: TRY). My classroom does not give me the luxury of space to have as many centers as I want to but that’s never an excuse. This center should be part of your classroom. a MUST!

Cognitive Development

Sensory tubs or sensory activities promote cognitive development. While playing with the materials in the tub, they develop math skills and science concepts.

Language Development

It promotes language development too. Sometimes it’s free choice for the kids in the centers but most days, I use the pocket chart and popsicle sticks to rotate them (more of that on another post). Most of my kids want to be in the science center because of the sensory tub. I’ve noticed that they talk amongst themselves, negotiating, sometimes arguing while playing in the centers and thus promoting language development.

Fine Motor Development

There’s a lot of scooping, pouring happening in the tub and that’s what they really enjoy most. What they don’t realize is that while all the pouring is going on, they learn pre-writing skills.  Be prepared however to have spills on the floor every so often. Read: EVERYDAY! :)

Creativity

Some days when there’s not much checking to be done, I sit with the little kids and it’s such a joy to witness young children at play. Some days I hear them “scooping ice cream” and selling it to their playmate. When in fact it was all just sand or rice. This promotes creativity which builds their confidence.

The Materials

I prefer using organic materials usually food like rice in my tubs. I’ve used macaroni pasta but the corn meal and rice were their favorites. I put in the beach toys that came with the tub and some tiny cups and bowls.

That picture above was taken on the last days of school this year. Notice that the tub isn’t anymore half-filled with corn meal. You’ll have to deal with spills. I placed rubber mats under it to make the children comfortable while playing.

Will share more of my classroom centers in the next posts.

Nursing A Very Bad Cold But Still Beading

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Day 2 and it’s getting worse. I’m probably down with the flu. I’ve been sneezing the whole day and finished a box of kleenex. Hubby was talking to me and the next thing I knew, the little lady woke me up. I had slept for more than an hour.

Errands can wait tomorrow, I guess.

I woke up a few minutes ago (the nth time I fell asleep) and got my beads to cure my boredom. Somebody asked me to make those necklaces I posted. It won’t be long before I fall asleep again :)

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How to Make Kids’ Hand Washing Easy + Giveaway

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It’s summer in my part of the world and the little lady is always outside in the late afternoons, playing with her friends. Every so often you see her coming inside to wash her hands. She probably got used to being told in school to wash hands before eating or when they get dirty.  Also, hubby and I have taught her that the best way to keep from getting sick is to make sure her hands are kept clean at all times.

Lauren is getting bigger and heavier and it becomes a bit harder to pick her up to reach the faucet. We use a step stool to help her reach it. Even with the step stool, she may still have trouble reaching the water faucet. Also, the step stool is not portable. Whenever we go to the malls, it can get tricky. Lifting her with one hand, and washing her hands with the other. Most times, her shirt gets soiled and her hands not properly washed. It’s a mess!

I wondered if there was anything to solve this problem.

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If you read my earlier post, I’ve recently discovered this wonderful online store, babiestotoddlers.com that sold hard-to-find items.  I was browsing through their products and found the answer to my problem – Aqueduck Faucet Extender. You just attach it to any faucet and the water streams out far enough for your little one to reach. It’s been designed to fit most bathroom taps. This not only promotes cleanliness to your little one, but also independence.

aqueduck-tap-gadget_may12The Giveaway

Babiestotoddlers.com has partnered with me to give one lucky reader of marrylallwrite.com one a. (1) Aqueduck Faucet Extender. This retails for P780.00 but I’m giving this away for FREE.

b. Not only that, another lucky reader will get the chance to win Potty Covers which retails for P699.00.

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The only OVERSIZED potty cover which provides maximum coverage by covering the sides and front of the toilet keeping hazardous bacteria away! Again this is for FREE. This contest is open to all Philippine residents only. Contest will start in a few minutes and will end on April 20, 2013.

Click HERE to join the Giveaway:

You will be taken to my Facebook Page for the Rafflecopter mechanics. All you have to do is just click the number + 5 Entry and register to babiestotoddlers.com. You will get more chances of winning by clicking the other numbers and just follow the instructions.

Good luck!

Babies to Toddlers Online Store + Giveaway

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My little girl is growing up so fast. Too fast. She’s five years old and most days she’s like her Dad -the way she walks, talks and thinks. She’s even ambidextrous like Daddy. You should hear her talk about music and stuff my husband likes.

Some days she’s like my mini-me too, always busy making something from paper, candy wrappers and beads. When asked what she’s doing, she will tell you,  “I’m busy making something”.  Most days she finds me working on some orders or beaded wedding cords, or maybe sewing a wedding ring pillow or a necklace. She imitates me all the time. Those little things just warms my heart. Motherhood has definitely brought in so many beautiful surprises in my life.

It wasn’t too long ago when I was pregnant, a soon-to-be mom and very busy shopping for baby stuff. I only wanted the best for her and I was always checking online stores since the products sold locally were either of low quality or too expensive. I realized that there were a lot of products that weren’t even available here in Cebu or in the Philippines for that matter. Six years ago there wasn’t a lot of online retail stores selling hard-to-find items for babies or toddlers.

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Whether you’re new to parenthood or a veteran of the diaper-changing club, all parents know that raising a baby is not a simple matter. Fortunately, there’s an endless supply of toys, gadgets, and knick-knacks specifically made to make child-rearing just a bit easier. Question is, where do you find all these handy baby stuff? I’m pretty lucky I found one such place in cyberspace -  BabiestoToddlers.com. It’s a one-stop shop for hard-to-find items for babies and toddlers.

Products of BTT

Babiestotoddlers.com was developed and run by Filipina entrepreneur Teresa Rufino who happen to have two babies of her own. I’ve always admired women entrepreneurs who have a vision and this woman took bold steps to address that need in the market. ( I, on the other hand, am still taking baby steps toward my dream craft store, however, my little online shop gives me an excuse to do more crafts and classes). Teresa, when asked about her online store shares that “BabiestoToddlers.com is a no-nonsense online retail store made for busy parents on the go.”

I do a lot of online shopping myself and I find the site simple and easy to navigate, with all the features of the latest online stores sans the clutter.  There’s a standard landing page, which immediately showcases the company’s latest offerings and promos with colorful pictures. To the right of the page, there’s a toolbar neatly categorizing all the products into different sections. Having trouble teaching your two-year-old how to potty? Check out the bath and potty section? Looking for the latest in baby couture?. Click on the button for clothes and accessories.  They’ve got everything you could want for your baby and then some.

Aside from variety, BabiestoToddlers.com is also about convenience and reliability; featured on the landing page is the promise of free shipping within Metro Manila for purchases over a certain amount. And the site makes use of the nifty Pay Pal system ensuring safe and reliable online transactions. The site also features contact numbers for any customer concerns and a helpful FAQ page for newbies to Internet shopping.

The Giveaway

Great news for all the moms in the Philippines, babiestotoddlers.com has partnered with me and I’ll be giving away not just 1 but 2 products to two lucky readers of marrylallwrite.com:

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1. Aqueduck Chldren’s Faucet Extender – helps kids reach the faucet’s water flow, making hand washing easy for our kids.

2. Potty Cover – the only oversized potty cover which provides maximum coverage by covering the sides and front of the toilet keeping hazardous bacteria away!

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Click HERE to join the Giveaway:

You will be taken to my Facebook Page for the Rafflecopter mechanics. All you have to do is just click the number + 5 Entry and register to babiestotoddlers.com. You will get more chances by clicking the other numbers and just follow the instructions.

Click here now.

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