Easter Activities for Toddlers


With Easter fast approaching I thought I would put together a little list of the ways Noah and I will be entertaining ourselves. I also received an email from KatchUp who wanted me to team up with their Easter Activity post too, so even more reason to share! 


Egg painting
- For the kids who like to get creative!

Noah isn't usually one for messy play as he doesn't like the feel of paint on his hands. I don't let that stop us and I still encourage him by re introducing the paints every now and again. A few weeks ago I bought a ceramic egg kit from a local craft store as I thought it would be fab for a little Easter activity to do together. As there was a paintbrush included in the pack I thought it would limit the amount of mess created which would be a plus for Noah! I was right and he really did enjoy himself and I didn't have much mess to clean up either, win win! 



A trip to the farm
- For the animal lovers and aspiring farmers!

We recently took a trip to Folly Farm in Wales and had one of the best days ever. Noah loves animals just as much as we do and he was intrigued by all the different animals and the different noises they made. The goats were ever so friendly and Noah couldn't stop giggling at them bleating away! I think a trip to a local farm or petting zoo's would make a lovely Easter treat for children of all ages and it's something a little bit different too.  



Easter reading
- For the little bookworms!

Another of our loves as a family has got to be reading. I had already bought half a dozen books for Noah before he was even born so it's no surprise that he is such a baby bookworm. I like to buy themed books to celebrate different occasions and picked up some lovely Easter books last week. We love lazy afternoons, snuggled up with a pile of books surrounding us so if the weather isn't on our side on Easter Sunday it will be the way we spend our rainy day. 



Nature trails
- For the nature babies!

Now the weather is becoming milder it's the perfect opportunity to get out and about. We really enjoy going on nature trails and outdoor adventures as a family, even more so now Noah is walking. There's nothing like a bit of exercise while you breathe in all that fresh air and it's free too! 



Finger painting
For the children that like to get messy!

As I previously said Noah doesn't usually like messy play but with a little encouragement he can take that leap. Finger painting is great for making collages or even putting together some personalised Easter cards for family and friends! I am hoping to catch Noah on a good day so we can make some cards for our loved ones and even put one away in his memory box.


How will you and your children be celebrating Easter? 




My Sunday Photo - 13/52




Project 365 - Week 13 - 13/52



Week 13 and what a week it has been! We spent most of the week on our first family holiday at Bluestone in Wales. It was an opportunity that came about through the blog and I can't wait to share my review with you! We had a blast!

March 22nd - 28th / Week 13

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I spent all of Sunday packing for our first holiday away. I was so flustered trying to remember everything all while making sure I didn't mess up the house too much in the process. My Mum took Noah to Blackpool for the afternoon so he didn't have to endure a day of sorting and packing! 


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Monday was the start of our holiday, the long 5 hour drive to Wales. We worried that Noah would struggle being in the car for so long but he was an angel. He napped, had snacks, sang, dance, watched the iPad all whilst sitting next to his Mummy in his car seat. It was great when we finally arrived at the lodge! 


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Our first full day in Wales was took Noah to soft play where he met up with other blogger babies. They had a little play date and took a sensory class together, it was adorable watching them interact with one another. We then went on a huge nature trail through the woods and walked down to Camp Smokey which was so surreal. 


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Wednesday we ventured out of Bluestone National Park and visited Folly Farm. We had the most amazing time and I can't wait to let you all know what we thought of the place, review coming soon. We then visited the Tafern for dinner and then called it a night. 


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Thursday we finally had the chance to go swimming at The Blue Lagoon and visited soft play again. This was our last full day at Bluestone, it flew by way too quickly.


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Friday is was time to leave Wales. The holiday flew by and it was sad to go. We had an excruciating 6 hour drive home as we were stuck in traffic on many occasions. It was good to get home and sleep in my own bed again. 


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On Saturday both Nick and Noah were unwell and rested a lot. I made the most of the time by doing all the holiday laundry and catching up on a lot of blogging. When Noah perked up a little we sat and did some Easter crafts together which was nice. 


We've had a fantastic week! Did you?

TheBoyandMe's 365 Linky

Wales, nature trails and blogger friends - 13/52 - #littleloves


Another week, another round of little loves!


Read
We have just come back from out first family holiday, a four day break in Wales. I took advantage of all that travel and holiday time ahead of us by indulging in a book or two. On the drive there I finished reading Red for Revenge which is a Galaxy Quick Read. It was okay but it didn't really appeal to me and was rather bog standard and a bit boring to be honest! 


On the drive home I started reading an ebook I bought a few months ago called Saving Wishes. So far the story line has my attention but it's on the cusp of either becoming a real page turner or turning into a pile of old tripe! I will have to let you know!



Watched
You all must know by now how much I love my American TV shows but this week I have watched none. I haven't watched TV at all actually. Being on our outdoorsy holiday we just wanted to spend as much time outside in the fresh air. We spent most of our holiday exploring the Welsh countryside, at soft play, sensory class, the adventure centre, the zoo, at swimming or reading. It's been so refreshing not to be glued to a TV or laptop screen. I've really enjoyed the down time.



Wore

Frumpy clothes to keep me warm. We have been very fortunate on our break when it comes to the weather. It has been warm and sunny but there was the occasion when the sun hid behind the clouds and it became chilly. 



Heard
Lots of different accents! I absolutely adore the Welsh accent and their overall demeanor, they are so welcoming and friendly.

Made
We made many miles on foot this week. We've been on many nature trails and have probably walked more in the past four days than we do in a month! We've really enjoyed it and intend to go on more nature walks as a family.



And lastly
On our break, I met up with a dozen blogger friends who were all visiting Bluestone at the same time as us. I was so happy that I finally got to meet my bump buddy and one of my best blogger friends, Shaz from
A Pinch of Shaz! We followed one another through pregnancy and now the kids are toddlers it was great to finally meet for a natter whilst we watched them play together. I think we really clicked and I hope to meet up again one day! 




Noah - 16 Months Old


Character

This month it feels like every little thing about him that reminded me of babyhood has now been washed away, he is certainly his own little person now. He has gained so much confidence in so many different area's lately. In social situations he is much more quicker to warm up and enjoy himself. He doesn't rely on me for half the things he once did, he's a lot less clingy. Noah is ever so cheeky, stubborn, inquisitive, funny and loving.



Size
He has had a growth spurt lately and looks a lot taller to me. He was measured recently and was 80cm which means he is around the 50th percentile for height. I'm not sure how much he weighs but he is solid and is deceivingly heavy for such a string bean! He still wears 12-18 month clothes. 


Health
We finally overcame our colds which lasted weeks only for them to return two weeks later. I feel like we've just been ill for the first three months of the year. We also had a trip to A&E this week as Noah was struggling to breathe. He is fine now though and I will blog about it soon.

Noah has cut some more teeth this month and now currently has 7. Top 4 front teeth and 3 at the bottom. After so many months of Noah being a gummy bear I am still getting used to his super cute toothy grin. 


Feeding

Noah's appetite picked back up once he got over his cough and cold. He is back to eating everything that you put in front of him (minus jelly!) Noah is still having two bottles of milk, morning and night. He has three meals a day; breakfast, lunch and dinner. He has snacks, sometimes a supper and sometimes a cheeky bottle in the afternoon. It really depends on how much food he eats, what time his meals are or if he is having a particularly hungry day. He lets me know so I let him lead me.  



Sleep
Sleep was all over the place last month and it's pretty much the same now. We began giving him a porridge supper as he was waking up at 3am hungry and it did help. He would sleep through but now with it getting lighter earlier he is waking at the crack of dawn! I need to invest in a black out blind! 

Noah usually has one long nap in the afternoon but if he wakes up particularly early in the morning then he tends to have two. He always goes down for a nap without a fuss. 



Speech
The new words you have learnt this month are; teddy, doggy, bum bum.

Here are the words he now knows; Hiya, Mama, Mum, Dada, Dad, Nanna, Nan, Grandad, dog, up, gone, Mickey, Jake, dirty and light. 


Milestones and new tricks

Jumping and running.

Understanding. He seems to understand pretty much everything that I say now and I can't help but be amazed. 

Noah can now easily point out his peggies, nose, eye's and toes as well as his head, belly, boobies and others that he learnt last month. 



Likes

Playing with his wooden toys.

His trike.

Walking. Since he learnt to walk it is all he wants to do. 

Playing fetch! I couldn't think of a better way to describe it but Noah really enjoys to find something and bring it to you. Or you can give him an item and say "Go give it to Dada" and he will walk all the way through the house to find his Dad to give him the item.

Exploring. Noah loves to go out and about.  

Playgroup. We started attending a few weeks back and he really enjoys it. I think it has really helped with his confidence too. 

Clapping. Clap with him and you will make his day! 

Teddies and Books. Two of his favourite things. 



Dislikes
Having his face wiped. It's so dramatic, every time!

Using his inhaler or having medicine.
Being told no!



A spot of Messy Play



I loved arts and crafts as a little one and it's something I hope Noah will enjoy too. I say hope because at the moment he isn't really a fan. He won't entertain it longer than ten minutes or so and the entire time he cringes because he has messy hands! 









These photo's I took a few weeks back. As you can tell he wasn't really enjoying it but he did make some rather interesting collages, ha ha. 

Does your child like messy play? Do you have any tips on how I can help Noah enjoy it more? 

Noah's Book Collection - New Additions from Maverick Arts


I started purchasing books for Noah back when he was still a tiny little thing inside my tummy. I have always been such a lover of books and reading is a passion of mine that I always knew I wanted to pass down to my children. 

Noah is now 16 months old and has a countless amounts of books. He has his favourites and there are some he hasn't even picked up yet. I like to lay numerous books across the floor and let him choose which fascinates him the most. Sometimes he will sit there looking at the cover, other times he will open it up and skim through the pages and there are times he will bring one over to me so that I can read it to him. 

I recently received three new stories from Maverick Books and each has attracted Noah in different ways. 



The Dog Dectectives in an American Adventure

I am a lover of everything American so this was a hit with me the moment I read the title.

The Dog Detectives take you on a fun tour across different states in America. It's a great way to introduce your child to new places and landmarks without it being boring! 


You can buy The Dog Detectives in an American Adventure here for £6.99. 

Daniel O'Dowd Was Ever So Loud

I can see why this "Ever so" series is such a hit with the kids.


In this story Daniel becomes lost in space, he likes to shout, yell and holler and he doesn't like to listen. Will he learn to tone it down and will he ever get home? 


Daniel O'Dowd Was Ever So Loud is £6.99 and you can buy it here.


The Four Little Pigs

This story is great and all about a boy called Tom who's Granny is a witch. 

Granny doesn't have a TV but has lots of books but Tom think's books and fairy tales are rubbish. Gran decides to liven things up a bit by casting a spell which transports Tom into the story of The Three Little Pigs! Will this story have a happy ending?

This book is £5.99 and can be seen here.




Have you bought any new books for your children lately? What are their favorites? 


- I was sent these books as samples. I was not asked to review. 

An Easter Garden fit for Mr Bunny



With Easter weekend just around the corner, it’s no surprise that after what feels like months hidden inside we can’t wait to get out into the fresh air and enjoy the sunshine.  

Although there’s still a chill in the air, Easter weekend is set to be a warm introduction into spring and what better place to enjoy it than in the garden letting the little ones burn off all that excess energy after too much chocolate.  

Prepare  
The garden can be an overgrown jungle after a winter of neglect, so before you begin preparations for Mr Bunny’s impending visit, it’s time to ensure that it’s a safe environment for the children to enjoy. Removing any debris, and cutting back any untidy shrubs can give the garden a new lease of life ready for the spring buds to appear.  

If you’ve got toddling tots ensure that their adventures are not going to be disrupted with any slips or trips. Checking the safety of any paths is essential, but a quick fix for any play areas can always be found with a sprinkling of colourful rubber chippings such as these, which can break the impact of any falls.   

Plant  
If you don’t want to wait for the flowers to bloom invest some time in picking out some new plants with the children. Give them the responsibility of helping you pick them out at the local garden center and plant them. You could even give them their own patch and encourage them to take care of the pretty flowers they are growing. This is a fantastic opportunity for them to get involved with the great outdoors and enjoy being outside in the fresh air. Besides little ones love to get muddy.   

Decorate  
It’s not often that we decorate our gardens unless we have a big family event or a BBQ, but Easter is the perfect time for celebrating a new year and putting some colour back into a space that has been grey for far too long. Hang bunting around the garden, or making an Easter Egg Tree like this one, are all crafts that the children can take part in.  They’ll love painting the eggs and decorating the garden in fun vibrant colours.  

Have Fun   
Of course once your garden is looking like Mr Bunny’s dream home it’s time for the fun and games to begin. Before the chocolate takes over, give the children a few fun activities to do, like pin the fluffy tail on the rabbit. Whether you’re holding an Easter party for your little ones or just celebrating with a big family meal, there will no doubt be an Easter egg hunt along the way. Just don’t forget to treat yourself as well.  


 - This is a guest post.

Project 365 - Week 12 - 12/52

Can you believe we are on week 12 already? This year is flying by! Minus the trip to the hospital we have had a very busy and lovely week! Here is our week 12 of Project 365.

March 15th - 21st / Week 12

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Happy Mother's Day to me! I woke up to Noah walking into my room with a card and chocolates in hand. What better way to start the day? I was given some flowers too and Nick brought me breakfast in bed. Bliss. 

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Monday, play group day! We met up with friends and Noah had a blast as usual. 

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Tuesday was my nephews 7th birthday and here are the three cousins after their meal. Noah idolises the pair of them. 

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Thursday it was my Mum's birthday and she came over for the day. We went for a lovely walk and I took her out for lunch. We had such a lovely afternoon. I ended up having to take Noah to A&E that night though as he had a very bad wheeze and was struggling to breathe. My poor baby. He is fine now though. 

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After being in the hospital until 3am the previous night it was lovely to see Noah smiley and worry free. He napped a lot on Thursday as he must of been catching up on sleep. 

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Noah and I watched the eclipse from the front of our house. We did see glimpses between the clouds but I couldn't capture it on camera. 

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Saturday we spent the day shopping for last minute bits for our trip to Wales on Monday. Noah loves walking around and exploring when we go to the shops and always manages to walk the opposite way. We then spent the rest of the day at Noah's Great Grandparents house. 


TheBoyandMe's 365 Linky