Monday This + That

We are back from my family's lakehouse where we spent a great Easter weekend. I have so many wonderful photos to share from our time away!

Two major highlights of the weekend: the first is that the baby had her first ever boat ride.

She actually did a lot better with the life jacket than I was expecting! And isn't it adorable?! It's by Stearns and I coudn't find the exact one online with the fish, but here's one that is built similarly. It zips up the back so you don't have to worry about them undoing it. 

The second highlight is that my mom surprised us with a handmade Easter dress and bonnet. It is absolutely precious on Camille and it fit her perfectly. I was just so shocked. Love, love, love my mom. 

In other news, a fun opportunity came my way to appear on the news this morning and talk a little bit about encouraging our children to be "makers" -- turning off the iPads, turning away from cartoons, and reaching instead towards items around the house that can be turned into fun toys with a little imagination. With a 10.5-month old, I still have a long road ahead of me to try to spark that little imagination, and I can't wait. 

We had a designated area when I was growing up, "the art pantry" as we called it, that was filled with construction paper, watercolor paints, coloring books, markers and crayons, safety scissors, yarn, and tracing paper. It was low to the ground, easily accessible, and it was where Mom sent us when we complained of boredom. You can easily create a space in your home like this that really helps these little minds to grow.

Here is a link to my clip!

The toy that I featured is a pretty neat little one. It's made in the USA from recycled, environmentally-friendly materials, and the pieces in the box are shaped like Y's, O's, and X's (hence the name -- YOXO, pronounced "yock-so"). An instruction sheet shows how you can make what's on the front of the box, but it also gives you alternate instructions for making other objects -- and you can even combine the pieces with household items like paper towel rolls and empty cardboard boxes to create other items. The possibilities really are endless. My favorite kit offered is the dragonfly version which is great for boys and girls. 

YOXO can be found at specialty toy stores but it also just got picked up by a little company that we know and love, Target! The kits are under $25 and would be a fun item to have on hand for bored kiddos during spring break or the summer days. I can't wait for my nephew's birthday to roll around!

I hope your weekend was a lovely one and that you had a very special Easter!