Category: Parenting

10 Stocking Stuffer Ideas for 3-Year Old Boys

Christmas with a 3-year old is so much fun because they finally understand everything that is going on! This makes stockings way more fun. Here are some great ideas for stocking stuffers for your 3-year old!

Christmas for your 3-year old is a BIG deal.  In many ways, it’s almost like their first Christmas because they’re finally old enough to understand everything and get excited!  Which means you obviously don’t want to leave out any detail – including the stocking!  Stockings are a ton of fun to shop for, but obviously you don’t want to spend too much money. All of these ideas are relatively cheap, but don’t forget about the easy wins, like their favorite snacks!  Those will help to fill up the stocking so you can mix it up with other nice things.  

 

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10 Stocking Stuffer Ideas for 1-Year Old Boys

Shopping for 1-year olds can be really tough, but it's so fun when you get the right stuff! This list should come in handy for picking stocking stuffers that your 1-year old will love.

Shopping for 1-year olds can be so much fun.  Everything is brand new to them!  But it can still be tough because they haven’t quite grown into full-blown toys and there’s just so much out there to choose from.

My son was fortunate to be showered with gifts as a 1-year old and there were definite, obvious winners.  Luckily, you don’t need to spend a lot for these little guys, which is especially the case when you’re looking to fill up their first little stocking!  All of these gifts are inexpensive and small, so they’re perfect for little stocking stuffers!  

Related post: 10 Gifts that 1-Year Old Boys Will Love

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20 Ways to Incorporate the ABC’s into your Toddler’s Day

I love watching my son learn the ABC's and there are so many fun ways to teach him! Check out this list for some good ideas.

The ABC’s are one of the funnest things to start teaching your toddler – assuming they’re interested in learning. Luckily, there are so many different ways to incorporate the ABCs into their day – and more importantly, a billion ways to start exposing them to their letters so that they start to pick it up on their own.

Having a late talker, we were obsessed with learning the ABCs, so I’ve tested out more than you can imagine.  Here are some of the coolest ideas I’ve come across, as well as some new fun things to try:

 

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20 Unbelievable Thomas the Train Gifts for Your Thomas-Obsessed Little Boy

If you've got a little boy that loves Thomas the Train, then this is the list for you!

My son is obsessed with trains.  And leading the pack of all-things-trains is, of course, the one and only Thomas the Train.  I don’t know what it is, but something about that show has him completely mesmerized…so I’m always on the hunt for Thomas the Train gifts.   

Luckily, from that little boy obsession has sprouted an entire industry of Thomas the Train accessories and toys.  And while I’d love to say that my (not) crafty-self has discovered a way to make the equivalent of Thomas from scratch, the reality is that nothing makes me happier than discovering a new Thomas gift that sends my little guy over the moon.  He’s just too cute!

So if you’re in need of a new Thomas friend or accessory for your little one, check out these winners in our house:

 

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How to Transition a Co-Sleeping Toddler to Their Own Bed

Transitioning a co-sleeping toddler to their own bedroom can seem like an impossible task, but it's easier than you think and it WILL happen. Here are some tips to help!

Making the decision to transition a co-sleeping toddler to their own bed is a joyous occasion. Sure, you’ve looooved co-sleeping with them.  But as with all great things, at some point you realize it’s time to move on.  

And in this case, moving on means transitioning from co-sleeping to a toddler bed.  Whether it’s overcrowding, time to welcome a new baby, or just the right time for your toddler, you will reach a point where your co-sleeping toddler needs to move out! 

Related Post: 12 Ways to Make Co-Sleeping Safer

So how do you do that?  How do you get your toddler to sleep in their own bed after co-sleeping? Or, as so many like to point out, are you destined to sleep with your child until they leave for college?    

My husband and I co-slept with our son until he was 2 and then began the transitioning process.  And believe it or not, it was way easier than we thought!  Just like with breastfeeding, the transition seemed to be 1,000 times easier for my toddler than for me…which was a relief because I ended up being the only one that needed to cry-it-out. 🙂

Obviously every child (and parent) is different, so some tips may work better than others, but this is what worked for us.  And as I said, we were able to pull it off without any crying-it-out (at least from the toddler).

So if you need to figure out how to get a toddler to sleep in their own bed after co-sleeping, give some of these tips a try:

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Your Next Philadelphia Day Trip: The Crayola Experience

The Crayola Experience is such an amazing Philadelphia day trip for your toddler! If you're in the area, you have to check it out!

When we were invited by friends to join them at The Crayola Experience, I was so excited for a new Philadelphia day trip to enjoy with our little guy.  I had memories of The Crayola Experience (though at that time we called it The Crayola Factory), but none of my memories compared to what it is now.  What an amazing trip!  I’m not exaggerating a bit when I tell you this was just as amazing for a 2 ½ year old as Philadelphia’s Please Touch Museum – it was that cool!

The Crayola Experience is located in Easton, so it’s a bit of a drive for some of the Philly suburbs (it took us 1 ½ hrs.), but there’s so much to do there that it’s well worth the drive. We were also pleasantly surprised by how nice Easton was, so there’s lots of restaurants and shops to keep you busy if you want to hang around after The Crayola Experience.  We were there on a Saturday and a huge farmer’s market was set up right in the center of town, so check to see if that will be there!  It was a lot of fun.

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