Apple Slices

08/26/2021

Instagram vs. Reality. I'm taking a step back this afternoon and showing the ins and outs of how we organize our playroom and rotate our toys! Will you be there? Sign up with the link in my bio.
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Can't make it - let me know, below, what time works best for you and I'll try to hold another one!

08/24/2021

If you want to bring learning to life, I shared a few of my favorite homeschool resources on the blog!

When it comes to homeschooling, it can feel very alone and overwhelming. Luckily, there are many homeschooling resources that can really bring education to life. Museums, zoos, and private individuals stream a wide array of topics. Educational sites allow students to engage in the world around them....

08/19/2021

Let's chat toy rotation for a minute. In order to do it easily, your toys should be organized. So I'm going to sit down and show you how we do it, next Thursday at 2 pm EST. That's right! I'll be coming LIVE from my children's toy closet and sharing the nitty-gritty of how I organize our toys, and how you can do it too in just an hour or two. Organized toys mean they're fast and easy to rotate every week. And freshly rotated toys mean more independent play!!! (Can I get a YES, PLEASE!!)
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Head to the link in my bio to register for free! And then be sure to save this post and come back after the webinar, when your toys are all organized, and use this simple guide to plan your weekly rotation! I make it so simple for even the busiest of families!
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What are you most excited about in this free webinar? Drop a comment, below and let me know!

07/19/2021

I had the best time taking over 's IG Stories last month! We talked all about setting up your playroom to make sure it's engaging for your kids and I shared some of our favorite activities for little ones. Most importantly, I shared these three secrets and how they changed the way I look at our playroom. My goal is to help you do the same. Each secret is simple and FREE to implement right now - and I can GUARANTEE that you'll see *more play* as a result. Instantly! If you don't, I'm happy to do a playroom audit with you, where you send me some photos of your playroom and I help you set it up so it's a space your children will love to play.
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If you're new here or missed it, I saved the Instagram takeover in a highlight so you can go back and check it out anytime! (Rooted Routines) hung out in my stories and talked all about routines for 6-12-month-olds. And you can see my posts in her highlights!

07/15/2021

When our children start slacking on their independent play, I know it's time for me to update their playroom. Typically, I choose a theme and use the planning page from my Independent Playroom Freebie to set everything up! Selecting a theme, like the transportation theme here, helps bring similar activities together, promoting more independent play, and helps me choose what goes on the shelves. Swipe to see why I select certain to us for a theme! If you're not sure where to begin in your own playroom, the Independent Playroom Freebie is the perfect place to start! What would you like to see next? A clothing-themed shelf or a shape-themed shelf? Tell me, below!

07/12/2021

Guess what! The day your baby comes home from the hospital is the perfect time to begin independent play. As long as your child is content & safe, you can let them stay in tummy time or watch a mobile for as long as they'll allow it. Sit back, watch them enjoy their independence, & sip your smoothie, coffee or wine!
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Here are some of our favorite activities, as pictured above!
- Lay your little one on different types of blankets, introducing them to multiple textures.
- Tummy time! Lay your baby on a soft & stable surface to help them build their neck strength.
- As infants move from observing the world around them to interacting with it, give them objects (like mobiles) that they can bat at instead of just watch.
- Start introducing your child to a daily routine so they can anticipate what will happen next, providing them with a sense of surety.
- As your baby is starting to narrow in on their grasping skills, find small toys that have finger holds & encourage your child to hold onto it.
- Prop up books with simple, bold images for your little one to enjoy while on their tummy or their side.
- Sing songs & dance around the house together.
- Roll up a blanket & prop baby up on their side next to a shatterproof mirror for them to look at. Switch sides after a few minutes.
- Give baby toys that make noise for them to start playing with. Shake them nearby so your child can get used to the sound.
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07/04/2021

Holidays are hard. There are so many expectations of getting the best photos and spending time doing all the "fun" things, and sometimes it just doesn't come together like that. And that's okay. Here's your reminder to take the photos anyway. Stay inside and watch a movie if that's all you can handle. (🙋🏼‍♀️) And turn that sound machine wayyyy up tonight because fireworks really suck when you have sleeping babies 😂😅. Still, Lord knows I'll happily snuggle a grumpy awakened baby anytime. And I'll take crawling away babies and laughing toddler photos over half-smiles (swipe to see) any day.

06/16/2021

Have you ever completed a 🚘 trip screen-free? I'll be honest, I don't hesitate to pull out the iPad when we need it, but last week we did a 10-hour road trip, mostly screen-free, and it went way better than I ever thought it would. Double tap if you want to know what made it possible (and for less than $50?) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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WE MADE DECISIONS THAT BENEFITED OUR FAMILY:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- Our children are much happier in the mornings, so we left early (4 am - woo!) 😴☕️⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- I know what types of toys and topics interest my son, so I made sure to load up on those (cars, sea animals, baby dolls, paw patrol, etc)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- My husband and I went to the on a date night a few weeks before and spent $35 on toys for our toddler (there are SO MANY great options there!)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- I placed each toy in a brown paper bag and labeled the bags. While I was at it, I planned accordingly for the return trip as well. Each bag was labeled with a number, so I knew which one to give him next. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- I gave our toddler one paper bag every hour-ish (depending on his mood) and he opened the bag and pulled out the toy/activity. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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RECOMMENDED SCREEN-FREE TOYS:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- Small notebook and a pencil bag with crayons and stickers⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- Foam bath animal toys⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- Glow in the dark wand (especially for early mornings or late nights, when it's dark)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- Small stuffed animal⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- Simple handheld car⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- Bubble popper fidget toy⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- Baby doll and pretend food or baby bottle⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- A nut and bolt toy set⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- Board books! (I grabbed a few new ones I knew he would love)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Don't forget to save this post so you can come back before your next road trip! And let me know your favorite (and cheap) travel activities, below! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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06/08/2021

We've been talking about independent play a lot this past week. But what are some good toys for independent play? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Great question!! I'll be sharing some of our favorites all week long! One that's always a hit around here is a car and a "road". Sometimes I'll create a road out of painter's tape, or other times I'll use this printed road from my Toddler Curriculum (in the Transportation Unit). Incorporating different cars are great too. This wooden truck is from the Hearth & Hand with Magnolia line at and came with some adorable wooden animals you can place inside.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Anything you can play with immediately and use your imagination makes a great toy for independent play! What's one of your child's favorites? I'd love to share it with other parents - leave a comment below 👇🏼 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

06/07/2021

A gentle reminder that all children develop at their own pace - and it's okay! I see this in action every day with Isla and Orion. Orion is a wrecking ball. He is always going for that next thing and is willing to try, try, try even when it's messy and not perfect. Isla on the other hand, observes and waits and quietly practices until she "gets it" and then does it well. She's not yet crawling like Orion is, but she's talking up a storm. All children develop at their own pace and it's not right or wrong - it just is! These two children have been engaged in the same activities, are on the same schedules, and are being raised the same way but are so completely different. I have loved watching their similarities and differences come out. And am embracing them for exactly what they are because even though they're different, they're perfect in every way. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

06/04/2021

Is there anything more fun than a scavenger hunt? What about a scavenger hunt when you finish up your last day of school?! 🎉 In my recent blog post, 12 Simple Ways to Celebrate the End of Your Child’s School Year, I shared a resource that will help you create the perfect indoor scavenger hunt. Just add some sq**rt guns, popsicles, and all the Summer toys to make it feel absolutely magical and special. I especially love any toys that can support independent play for those long Summer days! Go check it out and choose one (or ten!) ways to celebrate that amazing child of yours!

05/31/2021

🌎 Taking care of Mother Earth is so important to me. 🌎 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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🪣 Yes, I could grab a $1 set of beach toys from the Dollar store. And sometimes that's necessary. But knowing that our family will need durable beach toys that could get left behind, I really tried to figure out an option that wouldn't add more pollution to our beaches. I found these biodegradable beach toys and instantly fell in love. They're $35 but so worth the price. If they were to go missing in the sand or water, they would completely break down into harmless organic matter within 12 months. THAT is a good toy.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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During my search, I hit a LOT of dead ends. I found many toys that are produced sustainably (which is awesome) but not all will break down into organic matter if they're swept away in a wave. So I pulled together everything I learned and created a mega resource for anyone looking for water and sand toys that can be added to your compost bin when they've hit their life expectancy! You can find the post on the blog, via the link in my profile, if you want to learn more.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀