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Back To The Grind Teacher Gift With Free Printable

August 20, 2018 by Stacy Craft 8 Comments

This back to the grind teacher gift will be appreciated by your child’s teacher at the start of the school year. Use the free printable gift tag to fix this present up quicker than you can make your own cup of coffee.

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

Can you believe that it is time to start thinking about back to school again? As the last few days of summer come to a close, I have school supplies, backpacks, and brown bag lunches on my mind. Once I get the mandatory items out of the way, it is time to move on to taking care of those sweet teachers! With this back to the grind teacher gift, you will give him/her the lifeblood of the school year. COFFEE!

Coffee is how I make it through the days with my two little ones. I am not a teacher but I can only imagine if I had 10 or 20 little bitty babes running around. Talking. All. Day. Long. Yes, our teachers need some fancy, free coffee in their life on the first day of school.

Back To The Grind Teacher Gift

I like this teacher appreciation gift because you can really customize it to the recipient and based on how much you want to spend. My little girl currently attends two different mother’s day out programs and has two teachers in each class. So even though I wish that I could shower all of them with everything that they deserve, I do have 4 teachers to buy for and I have to budget.

These ideas are great because you can tie the tag to one item or make a filled cup or basket. Either way they will love that you thought of them. And yeah they will love the caffeine boost too.

Teacher Coffee Gift Under $10

A simple and inexpensive gift for your child’s teacher can be made by purchasing a single coffee item and attaching the free printable below to it.

One of my goals this year is to give more. Even if the gift isn’t perfect. It does not have to be elaborate. Or amazing. It just has to show that I care. This is a tough one for me because I am a perfectionist. I want things to look like a Pinterest masterpiece. But the truth is that I don’t have time to give as much as I want if everything has to be perfect.

I’m finding more and more that most people just love to know that you thought of them. Teachers always seem to fall into that “should be appreciated more than they are” category. So this year, I’m going to give to them. It might be something nice and elaborate or it might just be a cup of coffee. And I hope that to the person receiving the gift that it won’t be JUST a cup of coffee. I hope that they will know how much we appreciate them taking care of our babies.

So here are some ideas for single items that would work well with the free back to the grind teacher gift tag printable. These are all around $10 or less making them pretty affordable but also still a nice treat. These can all be purchased on my favorite – Amazon – because I know you are busy at this time of year!

Flavored K Cup Coffee Pod Box

But First Coffee Mug

Starbucks Via Coffee Packets

Bring Me Coffee Socks

Starbuck’s Gift Card

Coffee Scrub Soap

Free Back to the Grind, But First Coffee Printable Tag

Click on the photo below to be taken to the PDF file for the Back to the Grind teacher gift printable tags.

Just print the tags and trim around one. Punch a hole at the top and thread some colored raffia through.

I hope you and your kids have a great start to the school year! If you need a no sugar added breakfast for the kids that you can make Sunday and warm up all week, please check out the Baked Georgia Peach Oatmeal. Even my oatmeal hating kiddo loves it.

What are you doing to prep for back to school?

Vegetable Soup Water Table Play Activity

August 7, 2018 by Stacy Craft 2 Comments

Playing with our water table is almost a daily activity during the spring and summer for us. My kids enjoy playing with it just as intended but I also like to occasionally provide themes to spice it up and keep it interesting. We decided to be a pretend chef and cook up a vegetable soup water table play session this week.

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

If your kids love sensory activities, don’t miss the 10 Second Edible Baby Sensory Play Activity and the Fall Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bin. And if you need a way to organize your kid’s dress up stuff, read this!

Vegetable Soup Water Table Play

Making vegetable soup in our water table entertained my 4 year old for about 30 minutes. My 9 month old even got in on the fun, although his attention span is not as long!

What You Need:

Water Table

Pretend Vegetables

Plastic Spoons/Bowls

Water

Vegetable Soup Water Table Play Set up

Reason #3849 that I love water table activities – it is so easy to set up. As a busy mama, things that take just a couple of minutes to set up are the best kind of activities!

I just gathered up our play vegetables, plastic bowls, and spoons. If you don’t have play bowls and spoons, just use some plastic ones from your real kitchen! My daughter decided to add in some fruit to our vegetable soup, so we went with it.

Once it was ready, she spent some time washing her fruits and veggies (it is amazing what our kids pick up on watching us in our daily lives).

Drop the veggies (and fruit if you are using it) into your water table and fill it with water. It seems like such a simple idea but just offering the simple task of “making soup” completely reinvigorated the water table for my little one. She spent time creating different recipes. Of course we tasted each one. She even washed the dishes after we tried each new creation.

I love that she can be creative and practice life skills while playing pretend. Not to mention that we all got some nice outside time as well.

Don’t mind the little one. He is trying to make “bulldozer soup” a thing.

Here is a bowl of her delicious soup that she created. Seeing your kid’s imagination at work is a rewarding experience. I also love that I can keep a toy that we have had for a while (note the baked on dirt that no amount of scrubbing will remove) fresh and fun.

This vegetable soup water table play activity is a simple water table idea to encourage creative play. Would your kids enjoy this cooking theme for the water table?

Stimulate Your Baby’s Brain (With Things You’re Already Doing)

July 29, 2018 by Stacy Craft 5 Comments

You want to make sure your baby is given all the opportunities to learn and develop to their best, right? But if you spend 30 seconds on Pinterest looking at baby sensory play ideas you may quickly realize that you should have started on this project long before you were pregnant.

It is overwhelming and HELLO, you have an infant to care for, who has time for that! Here you will find 8 ways to simulate your baby that won’t require days of prep. In fact, you are probably already doing all of these. You just need to capitalize on those activities.

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

My baby is 8 months old and I was thinking of sensory activities that would stimulate him the other day. I quickly pushed all the elaborate thoughts away when I considered that:

A. my sink was full of dishes and that needed to change quickly
B. I needed to shower
C. reminded myself that I am a good mom and deserve some grace (and don’t need some fancy sensory activity for an infant).

When I got to “C” it made me think about all the things that we are doing every day with our kids that our actually sensory activities. We just need to utilize the opportunity and focus on it.

BINGO! So now I don’t have to whip out the paint in a gallon ziplock bag and pray it doesn’t pop open anytime soon. I will just focus on the baby sensory play activities that we do in our daily routine and ensure that we are getting the most out of our day.

Stimulate Your Baby With Activities in Your Daily Routine

Just by being aware and focused, you can stimulate your baby throughout the day without fancy toys or over the top set ups. You will still catch me creating an activity for my little one to occupy his time on a lazy Sunday.I just wanted to remind myself that you can be in the moment and engaging with your baby without being elaborate.

Meal Time

Meals and snacks are a great time to engage with your baby. I particularly like meal time because typically I sit down for a meal at the same time which means that I can really focus on the time together. Here are some things to do during meal time to enhance the sensory experience and stimulate your baby:

How does the food taste? Does it taste sweet? Salty? Savory? (even if they can’t answer, still ask the question. You can provide an answer afterwards)
How does the food feel? Fruit is soft, Cheerios are crunchy and hard, pasta with sauce is kind of slimy. You get the idea!
What colors do you see? Use this opportunity to not only discuss the colors of the food but also name the item that they are eating. Red Strawberry, brown toast, green beans, white egg.
Here is a 10 second Prep Baby Sensory Play Activity that is edible and you can incorporate during meal time.

Reading

Of course books are a great way to get your child ahead in education. Is is consistently proven that children that are regularly read to perform better (I’m not going to find a study but ya’ll know..). Did you ever think of other sensory related engagement that you are providing when you read to your baby?

Baby in lap – If you are holding your little one while you read, you are providing a warm touch. Providing comfort and a sense of protection is a great way to stimulate your baby.
Touch & Feel Books – Some of our favorite books are the touch and feel board books. These are great ways to provide sensory engagement while reading to your child. Sandra Boynton is one of our favorite baby and kid book authors!

Outdoor Time

Spending time outside is so good for the soul. I really believe that babies can get “stir crazy” just like we do. The change of scenery always seems to cheer my baby up if he is having a rough day. So break out the stroller and start your outdoor sensory expedition to stimulate your baby.

Take a Walk – Talk about the things that you see and tell your baby about them. Do you see the big tree with green leaves? Look at the duck swimming on the pond. Ducks make a noise like this, quack quack. The sun is really bright today. I’m glad I brought my sunglasses. Just talking to your kids using real words helps to improve their vocabulary.
Outdoor “feels” – Wind, Cold, Heat are all things that your little ones can feel when outdoors. Of course you will use caution to not expose them to extreme temperatures. I love to take our jumper outside and let our baby get some fresh air. He feels the breeze on his face, watches the trees sway, leaves float by, hears the birds singing.
Park Or Swingset – Once they can sit up, they can use the baby swing, both of my little ones have loved that. Depending on the type of “flooring” at the playground (assuming it isn’t something that could be a choking hazard), I will let a crawler move around the area.

Getting Ready for the Day/Baby Care

Clothing – Your blue jeans are stiff. Your PJ’s are very soft. Let’s put some socks on your feet to keep them warm.
Diaper Changes – I mean this one is kind of weird but it is an opportunity to engage the senses. You may even wish your nose couldn’t sense during this time! The wipes are cold (or if you are a good mom they might be warm.. haha I skipped on the warmer the second time around). The wipes package makes a crinkle sound. I usually say “Shoo Wee” when I take the diaper off and we both giggle. Talk about getting clean and ready to do your next activity.

Bath Time

Taking a bath could go under self care but it is such an awesome baby sensory play opportunity, I had to give it a little spotlight.

All the Feels – Warm water, soft washcloth, hands massaging shampoo in hair. It is a tub full of sensory experiences to stimulate your baby!
Splashing – Babies love splashing in the tub. Talk about the size of the splash. Did the splash make a sound? Did you get mommy all wet?
Introduce Toys – squirt toys are fun to use and you can help if your little one doesn’t have the hang of it yet. I also like alphabet foam letters to spell out words, teach letter recognition (when they are older).

Playtime with Toys

Thankfully the toy manufacturers have come up with plenty of toys to help teach our kids and keep them engaged in something (so that we might have time to shower or make a meal in semi-peace). You don’t have to make your own playdough from organic figs or use a blade of grass to paint a replica of Eiffel Tower. Just playing with your kids is a great way to help to stimulate your baby and their little brains.

Toys that Make Noise – Let me introduce you to Elmo in a Box. I have had this song in my head consistently for 4 years and counting. My son now absolutely adores it too, so it looks like I may end up with a decade of “Elmo’s got 5 crayons in a box” running through my head. It really is cute. I promise! Whatever toy you choose, those that make sounds are always a favorite.
Age appropriate baby puzzles – You may end up completing the puzzles for a while but you are introducing the ability to think critically and solve puzzles. Shape Sorters and bead mazes are good starter toys.

Car Rides

My little one usually rides with me to take his sister to school. The car is yet another spot that we can interact together.

Music – My 4 year old loves for us to sing in the car. Of course the baby can’t participate yet but hearing the music and instruments is just fine for now (I’m hoping he can drown out my voice and focus on the professional).
Discussion – I have a lot of one way discussions with the baby during car trips. Something that I heard a lot when my daughter was young from others was that I “spoke to her like an adult.” That doesn’t mean I am not nurturing or even silly at times, but I do typically speak to her in an adult manner. The same goes for this new little one. I detail out our plans for the day or really whatever is on my mind. I really believe that just talking to your kids enhances their future performance.
Windows Down – If you are lucky enough to live somewhere with nice weather, cracking the window in the car can be a nice sensory experience. The heat index has been >100 for the last week so we are currently enjoying the sensory activity of not melting by using the AC!

Playdates

Socialization – playing with other littles is great for kids of all ages. If you don’t have other kids or friends with kids of similar age, check to see what Mommy & Me activities your town offers. I have found great mommy and me activities at local libraries that are for kids as young as 6 months.

I hope this list helps to remind you of all the good things you are doing to stimulate your baby! Just remember to focus on the activity at hand and that baby sensory play doesn’t have to be fancy or formal.

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Sensory Bin

July 29, 2018 by Stacy Craft 3 Comments

It may still be 9,000 degrees outside, but that is not stopping me from dreaming of Fall. This fun apple cinnamon oatmeal sensory bin presents kids with an open invitation to play with Fall inspired items.

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

Sensory bins are great for their educational benefits. But do you know why I really love them? They are usually very quick to set up (as a mom, you need that right?). The bins can usually be made with things you have on hand or with just a couple of small purchases. And the absolute best part is that they entertain! It will keep your little one busy while you do something on your long To Do List.

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Sensory Bin Contents

I found most of these things at home or at the Dollar Tree. Sensory bins are also great because you don’t have to have exactly what I used. Just use this as a guide and get creative with what you have at home.

In our apple cinnamon oatmeal sensory bin you will find:

Container – I use a dish bucket from the Dollar Tree for most of my sensory activities.

Oatmeal

Play Apples

Various measuring cups / funnels

Play spoon, bowl, skillet (From my daughter’s Play kitchen)

Shovel/Strainer/Rake (These were Dollar Tree sand toys that I threw in)

Apple Cutting board (from Dollar Tree)

Sprinkle of Cinnamon & Allspice

Magnet Letters

Plastic Tablecloth

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Sensory Bin Set Up

Setting up this sensory bin is as easy as (apple) pie. Forgive me, I hang out with a 4 year old and an 8 month old all day! It really is simple and will give you time to do some work or maybe relax for a few minutes. Of course, with all sensory bins, you should gauge your child’s maturity and provide proper supervision.

Spread out a big plastic tablecloth or towel if you are doing this inside. I love using plastic tablecloths for all types of messy play activities. Grab your bucket and dump some oatmeal in. If this is killing your OCD perfectionist self, I understand. I would rather someone tell me to add 57.2 ounces than to tell me to “dump” something. I promise, it will be fine. Just dump some in. It doesn’t need to be precise. We are going for quick and easy with this sensory bin.

Sprinkle a little cinnamon and allspice in with your oats. Just enough so that you can smell the spices which will add to the sensory experience for your kids. Mix the oats and spices together. Remember to have them smell and describe it while playing!

Stick the apples, measuring utensils, and other items in with the oatmeal and present it to your kids. My girl made apple pies, dug around in the mixture, and let the oatmeal fall through the funnel.

I also wrote out the word “apple” on a piece of paper. She then matched the magnet letters to the letters that I had written for some alphabet recognition practice.

I hope your toddler or preschooler will enjoy this fall inspired apple cinnamon oatmeal sensory play activity! If you have a baby, check out this 10 second setup baby sensory activity. Do your kids love sensory bins?

More Fun Apple Items:

Easy Dress Up Station

July 16, 2018 by Stacy Craft Leave a Comment

Are dress up clothes taking over your house? I have enough issues with regular laundry to then pile on top a bunch of princess costumes, my house was becoming a wreck quickly. I wanted to create an area in our play room that would be fun to play and use but that would also create some organization for all of the stuff! This easy dress up station was just the right fit for our little princess.

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

By creating some order to our princess mess, I found that my daughter is actually playing with this stuff! Before she either couldn’t find her stuff because it was wherever she dropped it or I had shoved it in the bottom of the closet in an attempt to clean up. Now that she can easily see her pretty dresses and jewels, she usually becomes Belle or Sophia once or twice a week!

And if LOL Surprise Dolls are also becoming tiny little residents in your home, check out this LOL Organizer.

What you Need for the Easy Dress Up Station:

Adjustable Garment Rack

Princess Wall Art

Wood Wall Clear Knob Organizer – I got mine at Hobby Lobby and can’t find the exact same thing. These are really pretty and these are reasonably priced and would be cute.

Lots of Princess dresses, play jewelry and little girl high heels.

Setting Up the Easy Dress Up Station

The adjustable garment rack took less than 15 minutes to put together and that was the first thing that I did. Once that was ready, my daughter helped me hang up all of her princess dresses. The dress up area isn’t just limited to princess costumes. She can dress up as a chef, vet, or a girly super hero.

I stored extra dress up clothes and play shoes at the bottom of the rack. (Don’t mind that missing Elsa from the blue shoe! Hey, they still work!)

Next, I had my daughter stand in front of where the mirror would go. I did this because I wanted it to be a “kid friendly” mirror. (not hung so high that she wouldn’t even be able to see her face)! We hung the mirror so that she could see her full princess ball gown in all it’s glory.

The princess wall art was hung level with the top of the mirror. The hooks went right under the art so that she could easily reach her purses and jewels.

I set our vanity next to the easy dress up station so that she can move right on to hair and make up once she gets dressed. I love that this area provides a fun play area for kids to use their imagination. Plus it helps to get the princess dress mess off my floor.

If your pretend play costumes are causing chaos, I hope you try this super easy dress up station solution for your playroom! Once your playroom is in order, check out this bathtub toy organizer hack so that you can see the bottom of your tub again!