Zootiful!

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The zoo couldn’t have been a better place for our last-minute play date.  The best part about having a zoo membership is that it doesn’t matter if you stay digging for fossils for 80% of your visit…hey why not…you can always come back tomorrow!

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I do wonder how often that rock pit get’s cleaned…and to never have that thought again…

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A future Paleontologist?

Reagan’s Outfit-

Grosgrain Bow Hat from Janie and Jack

Swan t-shirt from Target (tons of super cute and cheap play tops)

Jersey Leggings from Old Navy

Chuck Taylors from converse.com

Pink Horse Socks from Ralph Lauren

Word World

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Welcome to the place where words come alive! Word World has been Reagan’s show of choice for the past few months. Luckily, we have Hulu and can access multiple episodes at anytime. I absolutely love doing hands on activities with Reagan, however, there are times when the TV saves me from a serious melt down as I try to wean Reagan from her morning breast feed. It also, at times, is the perfect addition to a letter, word or color that we are learning or simply just allows for me to unload the dishwasher.
Word World is bright, colorful, fun and musical! The characters are animals and mostly everything, including the characters, in Word World are shaped by the spelling of their names.After doing a little research on the show I discovered that it is partially funded by the United States Department of Education as part of the Ready to Learn literacy initiative targeted to 3- to 7-year olds, and airs in 10 languages and in 90 countries! The show aims to focus on print awareness, Phonics sensitivity and letter knowledge, Reading comprehension (including vocabulary development) and socio-emotional skills. (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/WordWorld)
This is a fabulous show for teaching early literacy skills. Reagan is in love with the show; she is singing, dancing and spelling every time that it’s on!  I absolutely approve of dog, frog, pig and sheep building words at my house!

Here’s a clip from one of Reagan’s favorite episodes !

Bathing Beauty

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It was a beautiful morning on Lake Ontario!  How blessed are we to have such fabulous friends, that live in such awesome places! 

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Cherry Halter One-Piece Swimsuit from Janie and Jack

Grosgrain Bow Sunhat from Janie and Jack

 Quick Dry Towel Martha Stewart 

Super Cute Father’s Day Gifts

Sunday is Father’s Day and since Reagan was born I’m on double duty, my dad and my husband, until she is old enough to come up with her own gift ideas. I wanted to share some cute ideas that I found; incase anyone is in need of a last-minute idea or two.

Artsy-Fartsy has these FREE decals ready to be downloaded and printed!

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I’m loving these Stencil Cork Coasters from inner child giving

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These Note Cube Pads from Cool Mom Picks are perfect for daddy’s desk!

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Handmade and from the Heart! Work from Home with Kids; this is adorable!

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the blue basket has the best idea for Mother’s…I mean Father’s Day!

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These photo ideas are super cute and if you can pull it off…go for it!

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love From an Igloo

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precious

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Happy Father’s Day to all the daddy’s out there!

Shaped Foods

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Squares are boring, but flowers are fun! The quest continues for creative ways to get Reagan to eat something other than snacks. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, no matter how important, are just not on Reagan’s to-do-list. We’ve found, at times, making meal time fun- engages her in eating just a little bit more.
If Reagan had the choice of what to have for lunch, she’d choose an orange popsicle and a cheese stick. She would then prefer to eat while playing in the sandbox. I’m totally for popsicles, cheese sticks and playing in sandboxes, but not at the same time.

I’d like to sit at the table and attempt to eat somewhat of a nutritious meal…such a horrible mom, in Reagan’s eyes, I know… But manners are important and instilling them at an early age is important too.

So yesterday to get Reagan to eat most of a grilled cheese (that I hid her probiotic and DHA in) I gave her choices. Not choices of what to eat, although that does happen often, but the choice of the shape that she would eat.

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She loved picking out a shape and then creating something new out of her boring square sandwich!

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Flower Power! The sandwich was eaten with no complaints!
There’s a party in her tummy…so yummy, so yummy! Oh dear lord, I just quoted Yo Gabba Gabba- So Yummy!