Memorial Fun

Happy Memorial Day!

I believe it's very important to have fun and celebrate the freedoms we have today. People have given their lives so that we would have these liberties and out of gratitude we should enjoy them fully.

Yesterday we did just that and worshiped outside in our church's parking lot.  Oh what joy it was to 'see' our dearest friends.  It was also so fun to leave our house in our Sunday best (matching naturally). Similar Jumpsuit

Some of our most fun memories are made in the great outdoors / our backyard. So I thought I'd share some of them with you and encourage you to share your laughter under the sun.

This splash-pad was such a treat for Vivian when she woke up from her nap on Saturday.  She had a blast jumping and playing in the water.
Vivian's Swimsuit
Splashpad

That tiny water heinie!

I bit the bullet and embraced one of those toddler activities and honestly it wasn't that bad.  It was amazing how long she was entertained washing her outdoor toys. It also made me happy because they had collected dirt and pollen and benefited from good scrub.

Another good one was painting the fence with water using a sponge brush. 

Excuse her mismatched outfit, her Daddy dressed her for bed the night before and rather than soil her clothes for the day we had a late morning getting dressed. 

She received this picnic table for her 2nd birthday from her grandparents and it's one of my most favorite things.  We do ALL the crafting activities here (because I'm surely not letting her make a mess inside). Watercoloring is fairly easy and a washable mess. 

Another great idea is to take a trip to a park.  While the playground is still off limits (I may have let her play on it anyways ... until the park police showed up with their sirens and announced on their megaphone to 'get off' UGH While it was breaking the rules I'm so glad she got 15 mins of play) you can visit the pond and have fun with a scavenger hunt, ball or hollering at geese.

This car is one of her favorites.  She drives to the 'grocery store' b/c it's the only place she's gone in months. We also push her in it around our neighborhood on our evening strolls.

Vivian's Sunglasses

She's really getting the hang of her tricycle. I love that she always wants a baby or animal companion.
Vivian's Shoes (a fav for summer - great for outside & water play)

Bubbles = Happiness!

She loves this chair! She moves it from her play house to our patio to the backyard.

We Hope that You have so Much Fun Under the Sun!

Dress Beautifully Making Memories Outside

XOXO Sarah-Louise

Mamma Monday: Toddler Activities

Happy Monday Mammas! In case I haven't told you enough, Mondays are my favorite day of the week.  I feel like I start the day with so much fresh energy.  Vivian Louise is as busy as can be and that means so am I. Thankfully I've never been able to sit still so me and my mini fit perfectly.

And since we are on a mission to have the best Summer ever with all the fun we can squeeze in, I've had to embrace toddler activities.  I say 'had to' because I'm NOT a crafty person.  I don't want the supplies cluttering my home and I HATE messes.  I'm leaving a good portion of activities to her pre-school teachers! But I do want to experience some of them alongside her.

Tip:  Doing them outside is the key to enduring the mess.

So here are some toddler loved activities I've found that I hope you'll enjoy ...

Finger Painting (or watercolor for older kids)

I taped the large paper down on a shady spot on our drive way and had her down to a diaper.  This paint come out super clean (praise!). After we were done I carried her up the stairs and straight into the bath. I probably could have washed her off outside but she was due for a good soak and was excited for more play time.  Two of my Mamma friends recommended getting rolls of paper to use for these projects.

Play-doh

Her Aunt Rebecca got her some for Easter and we've gone outside to play with it on top of clear plastic so it doesn't pick up dirt.  She LOVED it! I have actually seen Mammas make it homemade #NOPE.  By all means enjoy yourself but my version of Motherhood has me making as little as possible.

Paint the Fence

I saw this on Pinterest and it is easy enough for me and water is a mess I don't mind.

Frozen Paint

I'm actually going to put forth the effort to try this.

There's also classic coloring! 

Toddler activities are WAY OUTSIDE my box so I'm going to refer you to the Busy Toddler for lots of fun ideas on keeping your toddlers busy!!!

19 months yesterday!

Be the Mamma that you are! That's what our children love about us, just us.  So if something isn't your style don't do it. I certainly don't. Gracious, you couldn't pay me enough to make her baby food or stock shelves of crafting materials. BUT I will happily have all the play dress up clothes :)

Vivian's Dress & Sandals

Dress Beautifully
(in casual/discard worthy clothes)
Doing Toddler Activities

XOXO Sarah-Louise