library

raise your babe’s design IQ

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If one is encouraged to learn their numbers and colors at an early age, surely one should do so in the best way possible? If one’s parents want to ensure their child has a discerning eye, a love for beauty, and , of course, the ability to recognize their numbers and colors, then shouldn’t they [...]

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peas pass the reality of a princess

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When a young girl enters the Princess phase, there is only one thing to do: drag your feet while kicking and screaming. I might mean that metaphorically, I might not. Either way, I’m looking to find that magical word – moderation – when balancing her interests while reminding her of the big wide world beyond [...]

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gotta get app: endless alphabet with endless laughter

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Birdie seems to cycle through iPad/iPhone apps much like she cycles through toys: rapidly. Most new toys and apps have an obsessed life-span of 2 days. Then they are replaced with something else. But, there are a few apps that she returns to with surprising regularity – and for lengthly amounts of time too. Endless [...]

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girl power in the guise of a fairy

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Sometimes accidental purchases turn into serendipitous solutions. As Birdie continues to dive head first into the land known as pink, sparkly, jeweled, and all things glitter, I continue to find ways to remind her that there’s more to life than Pretty. We found this book at her Montessori School’s book fair last year, but You [...]

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these books will make your clothes amazing

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Need an inexpensive, DIY, and totally FUN way to update and personalize your kiddo’s wardrobe this spring (and yours too!)? I didn’t realize how many cool iron-on options there were, but thanks to Chronicle Books, I think every possible fashion dilemna you might have could be solved with Suzie, Julia Rothmann, Mike Perry, and Gamago. [...]

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yes please, open this little book

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Children’s books are best when they encourage imagination, free thinking, and a healthy dose of surprise. That’s why I cannot wait to get a copy of Open This Little Book because it’s so unique. Leave it to Chronicle Books to find such a gem (because frankly, I bet the printing/binding discussions to get this thing published [...]

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finding inspiration:
experiencing something new (part 3)

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Sometimes I realize I’m so addicted to my habits that it never even occurs to me to try something different. As Erin was just saying in her Be Creative series: “…when it comes to prompting creativity few things are as important as cross-pollination with fields outside your area of expertise and having more diverse experiences.” [...]

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Birdie Learns to Fly

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Do you remember that little sneak peek I gave you last week? It’s time for the big reveal! I finally finished writing and illustrating my first children’s book: Birdie Learns to Fly. This is a project I’ve been wanting to work on for years. Luckily, the leaps and bounds in technology have made it easy [...]

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guest who?
dottie from modern kiddo

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I am so thankful for great blogging friends like Dottie from Modern Kiddo. Her adorable little girl, the Peach, is about the same age as Birdie, and it’s always fun to see what they’ve been up to. Not to mention the other many brilliant things Dottie and Alix get up to on their wonderful blog. [...]

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filling in the gaps with books

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Now that Christmas is over, it’s time for me to begin round two: Birdie’s birthday. For once, I actually have several gifts squirreled away for her already, just waiting for January 7th. But I always take a long hard look at the gifts she received for Christmas, and then fill in accordingly with a couple [...]

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gotta get apps for the holidays

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The holidays are drawing nigh, and with them comes the dreaded holiday road trips. We have a couple trips coming up between now and the 25th, and the DVD player will definitely be in rotation. Plus, there is always the what-to-do-with-the-kids at a different toy-free home. That (and ok, at restaurants throughout the year) is [...]

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reading this good is Child’s Play

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It seems December is going to be one of those months. I swore I wasn’t going to let the stress get to me! But at this point all I want to do is disappear inside a sweet Fairy Tale. You know, the kind of tale where you know everything works out in the end and [...]

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knitting your way through a good tale

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Yesterday we had our first snow fall of the season! Between the clean fresh snow and the deep dark daylight savings switcharoo, the world around us has flipped from a colorful Fall to a deep dark Winter. It feels very much like Annabelle’s sparse winter world found in one of our favorite books, Extra Yarn, [...]

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toca boca tailor is here – and it’s awesome

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Goody goody gum drops, it’s time for a new Toca Boca app! And this one feels particularly robust with lots of creativity. Toca Tailor is basically a Project Runway app for kids. I love that they didn’t call it Fashion Party or some other nonsense, which allows any child – boy or girl – to [...]

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gotta get app: toca band

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Our absolute favorite apps around this house are always from Toca Boca. We own every single one, and Birdie navigates to the Toca Boca folder on my ipad with extreme regularity! (and hearing a 3 year old say “toca boca” makes me understand why they may have chosen that name!) You can see our top [...]

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