Parrot on a PorchA Journey Toward the Little Mansion Dream

I can’t recall if I’ve already shared this picture before. This is my son’s mini-library which we specially allotted a space for in our bedroom. Ever since he was just a few months old, we’ve started exposing him to board books and other books apt for his age. Even though he just gnawed them and did not necessarily looked at each page then, they say that doing such will inculcate in him to love books early on aside from the fact that mental milestones will be greatly and rapidly developed. And so, at 2 years of age, this is his collection of books and I’m just appeased that he, indeed, has become a book lover. However, since he has read all of his books already, he’s yearning for newer books. While we can easily buy tons of new ones, I’m also controlling the urge since we just have a small home and could not allocate a space for a huge library of books. That’s why we’re exploring other means to satisfy his yearning without necessarily spending much and cramping our little abode.

I find the services of Booksfree.com interesting. Basically, it’s a Book rental site in which a member can enjoy unlimited paperbacks and Rent books for all ages. Yes, including Children’s books! It works the same as Netflix only, instead of films, books and Audio books on cd are being rented for just a cheap membership fee and shipped for free. With a setup like this, I don’t have to worry about storage anymore. After all, what’s important is that he’d have books to read regardless how it was obtained.

My son is at the stage when his explorative skills are greatly exercised. According to parenting and child development books, this is the perfect stage when I can start introducing him to worthwhile creative art activities. It is great as there are so many different art activities available. Aside from painting and coloring, one easy and interesting activity he might enjoy is beginning his ceramic art education. He can start with the usual Play-Doh but there are also some other great products younger kids can use such as Cloud Clay that comes in great colors, is AP certified non-toxic material,and is fun to squeeze, shape, and mold. I found this great product at AMACO/Brent and I can’t wait to order some. It is great for kids because it doesn’t stick to their tiny fingers. The website also has classroom ceramics art lesson plans that are often used in classrooms that have ceramics arts as part of their art program. You can order any of the materials for these lessons online at Amaco.com. The site also has a great variety of different clays, glazes, ceramic pottery kiln and other pottery equipment, as well as their world known Brents potter’s wheels.

Aside from the wide selection of pottery materials, various resource materials about kids and crafts can also be researched for free online at AMACO/Brent. As I have mentioned there are art lesson plans as well as instructional books and dvd’s for artists of all different ability levels from beginners to the seasoned pros. Simply put, AMACO/Brent is the place to go to find art activities and supplies that are fun for everyone and a safe way for your child to begin to explore his artistic talents.

Since my little Asher isn’t pre-schooling yet and I’m a work-at-home Mom, I take advantage of the time that we’re together 24×7. When I’m not working and free from other offline obligations, I make sure that we bond and convert each to quality time by engaging in worthwhile bonding and learning activities. I am aware that I’m his first teacher so aside from recreational play times, we adapt learning activities like playing pretend with his clay Play-Doh kit. We mold food, stars, shapes and any other interesting stuffs we can think of. He enjoys doing it and albeit it can really get messy, I just let him explore and let his imagination run wild. When he gets a little bit older, I’m planning to introduce pottery with the use of ceramic clay to him. I’ve compiled several crafts lessons from AMACO.com and I’m sure that he’ll enjoy them all. I’ve already browsed the shop and I’ve bookmarked already the necessary equipment and tools we need to have like slump molds and self-hardening clays. For now, I can familiarize myself with pottery related terms like sculpting compounds, glazes and kilns so by the time that he’s ready, I’m well versed enough to teach him.

My toddler son is now at the stage when he’s constantly looking for a thing or an activity to engage himself with. He easily gets bored so when he has nothing to do, he approaches me in the middle of my work and insist that I play or join him in whatever he’s doing. This is the reason why I initiated lately to look for some art and crafty things that he can put his full concentration upon for a longer period. I think this is the perfect time to bring out the play doh set that he was gifted last Christmas. I had to set it aside momentarily because he was too young for that last year. This is also a nice activity to develop his artistic and creative mind at such an early age. I do not expect him to create museum portfolio like masterpieces but even a simple imaginary clay figure will do. Who knows this will be his stepping stone towards pottery and he’ll become expert with wheel throwing and other techniques to make artistic ceramic pots and ornaments someday.

Speaking of pottery, I think I have to scour more often the website of Amaco to learn more about this skill as well as research ideas about craft activities I can teach my son. It is not only a one stop shop of pottery making and ceramic clay supplies and tools like a ware cart and slab rollers. But also, it houses good tutorials and reads about kiddie and DIY crafts.

We do not need a twin bunk bed yet in our new house since we just only have one child at the moment. There is a room that has been allotted for him already but we’re still co-sleeping now so we’ll just leave the room as it is first. Perhaps, we’ll make use of it as a storage room of his clothings, other baby stuffs and toys for the mean time. But even though we don’t see the immediate need yet, I’m currently looking at Mom’s Bunk House now basically just to have an idea of what type of bunk beds for kids that we might implore in the future.

The bunk beds wood are the best choices to maximize space when kids are sharing rooms with each other. The Twin Over Twin style is the most common as it’s sleek yet it can occupy two individuals. Other styles include the Twin Over Full and the Full Over Full which are the more wider and bigger as it can accommodate more occupants. These are the perfect beds for kids as they also have security features that protect the child from falling from it. The ladders are designed is such a way that they can easily climb up to the top of the bed.

The wide selection of beds at Mom’s Bunk House is truly impressive. As it is a family-based company, they certainly know and can relate exactly to the needs of a family in terms of comfort, functionality and space-saving requirements.

I’m really tempted to avail this offer since I have a SM Advantage Card.  The 20% or Php 304 price difference can go a long way.  The little one would be delighted because I can buy him about 3 Shrek Happy Meals from Mcdonalds with that amount.  Or I can spend the savings somewhere else like groceries or even our credit card bills.

During these times when economic life is tough, sometimes we are forced to become penny pinchers and any discounts or sales we could get help a lot. These are also the times when getting a payday advance is a smart move.

This Keyway Storage Desk with 2-Chairs is perfect for the veranda which I’m planning to transform as the little one’s playroom.  Since the room space is just limited and as it’s given that he has tons of toys, the storage functionality of this desk will be great and just what we need.  He can use the desk while deeply engaging with his coloring books, board books or when playing with his toys.  I hope I can make the husband agree that we drop by at SM this weekend and get this. 

If you’re struggling to come up with a great birthday party plan for your child’s next birthday, think about throwing a pool party. If you don’t yet have a pool at your house, above ground pools are a great option. They’re easy and fast and they cost much less than an in ground pool. 

Children’s birthday parties seem to get more and more competitive every year, with parents going all out to ensure that their child has the biggest bash seen to date. Parties can be much simpler and more fun. A pool party in the backyard is all that you need to have a great time. Kids can run around and splash. They can alternate between playing in the pool and playing on the ground. Parents can relax and chat while the kiddies get the wiggles out. The host can relax because staying in the backyard keeps things cleaner in the house and rambunctious guests can still have fun without giving the host anxiety.

To set up a great children’s party, look into an above ground pool if you don’t have one yet. It isn’t just an investment for the party, you can use it again and again. It may even raise your property value. Only a few days of advance planning is necessary, unlike with in ground pools. After your pool is set up, grill some hot dogs and burgers for the kids. If you want to be more adventurous for the parents, marinade some chicken or prepare some kebabs. Buy a cake from a bakery or mix up a cake mix the night before. Throw some chips in some acrylic bowls, set out a veggie tray with some dip, and add drinks in the cooler and you are done! If you want to be festive, add some streamer and balloons. You can set up a fun pool party in no time!

Virtual window shopping is a favorite past time especially on days when I do not have much online works, is bored or just in the mood to browse online shopping sites.  Sites of baby and kiddie apparels are among my favorite destinations as that’s how and where I get ideas about the latest trends for my little boy’s fashion.  Sometimes, I get tempted to shop whenever I see streamers, banners and headers with the letters S-A-L-E boldly indicated.  But more often than not, I just content myself browsing and reading the product specifications and hoping that I find similar styles at a cheaper cost in our local shops.

Since boys’ getup are rather simpler and lesser than the girls, sometimes, I find myself browsing online catalog of girls’ wardrobe.  I make mental note which pieces look great together for my “soon-to-be” daughter.  Nah, not pregnant yet but I do hope and pray for a baby girl should we be prepared and ready for Baby Number 2 in the future.  One of the girl brands I’m loving right now is Flowers By Zoe.  I am drawn to the stylish designs and the pieces are simply adorable for a little princess.  Don’t they make you want to go back to your childhood years and model them?

I grew up having a younger brother who was so into pc games and video game consoles. The husband also grew up in fascination of the same type of techie games. So I won’t be surprised if our home will also see a young boy who’ll be so into such games a few years from now. Actually, I can already foresee endless debates and arguments between me and the little boy as he “demands” to buy wow cd key, the latest consoles or the newest games.

As I know that I won’t win and besides, it’d be a boy thing, I’ll let the husband handle that. Ordering game cards and a playstation network card comes easy with PC Game Supply, an online source and the leading online retailer of digitally delivered games for PC, Xbox and Playstation cards. They carry the hottest and newest games in the console and online world including the most popular World of Warcraft and Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 games. Ordering is as easy as 1-2-3 as the serial or let’s say the wow cd key will be delivered via email for instant downloading. No need to buy cards in mall retailers and most especially, no more scratching of cards.

My heart bleeds every time I see pictures and stories of babies and little kids having tremendous medical woes such as hydrocephalus, other congenital diseases and even the dreaded Big C. I’m a mother so while I’m grateful that my son’s healthy and free of such plight, I feel sorry for the child to have go through an unforgiving ordeal and his delicate body to endure all those physical pain and stress. Most especially, I empathize the Mom for all the heart wrenching moments she has to go through. From scouring for the best and most effective hydrocephalus treatment, scouting for hospital funds to cover the medical expenses to the emotional torture of seeing your kid suffer and can’t help him/her alleviate the pain and discomfort even just a bit.

Speaking of treatment, do know that there are effective treatments for children (and adults) having hydrocephalus that can help them live more comfortably. Check out Codman & Shurtleff’s services for more information.