I have a lot of talents, but cake decorating is definitely not one of them. However, as I am finding out, cake decorating is one of the requirements of being a mom. Recently, my daughter told me she wanted a rainbow cake for her birthday. Having attended some of her pals birthday parties, I knew enough to know that I absolutely cannot compete with anyone of her friends moms. Some of them have created awesome 3 layer fondant circus cakes. I wouldn’t even attempt that! After much thinking I came up with this idea and she was delighted. Though I may not win any cake decorating prizes, if my daughter was happy, I have accomplished my goal. So if cake decorating is not your forte, feel free to try this no fail idea.
a href=”http://pinterest.com/ultraquirkytot/”><img src=”http://passets-ec.pinterest.com/images/about/buttons/pinterest-button.png” width=”80″ height=”28″ alt=”Follow Me on Pinterest” /></a>
Rain is especially challenging during the summer months, when your toddler is used to spending his day outdoors. Try these 5 fun activities at home to keep him entertained.
- Toddler Bowling – Set up 3-5 empty soda bottles and have him roll a ball to try and knock it down. Bonus points for you if you can teach him how to set up the pins on his own.
- Get some help with your chores. It may be your worst chore, but toddlers will find it awesome to help you mop the floor. Pull off his shoes and socks and give him a mop and sponge. You may want to leave the cleaner out and just give him plain water. When he’s done give him a towel to help dry the floor. You’ll probably want to schedule bath time for directly after the cleaning spree.
- Play a combination of dress up and portrait studio. Give your toddler an assortment of shoes, hats, costume jewelery and scarfs. Take pictures, using different poses, in each of their outfits.
- Story time – this oldie but goodie works every time. Kids love to cozy up on the couch or rocking chair and listen to their favorite books.
- This may seem way out of the box, but if the rain is not too hard, and there is no thunder or lighting, get your kids in boots, raincoats and hand out umbrellas. They will have a blast stamping in the puddles and running through the raindrops.
<a href=”http://pinterest.com/ultraquirkytot/”><img src=”http://passets-ec.pinterest.com/images/about/buttons/pinterest-button.png” width=”80″ height=”28″ alt=”Follow Me on Pinterest” /></a>
First Birthday’s are huge! It’s a celebration of the birthday of a little child who has stolen everyone’s heart. It’s to celebrate a wide variety of milestones that the baby hit. And it’s a celebration to honor the baby’s parents for surviving this first year!
A first birthday is the only birthday when the birthday child won’t really be able to appreciate the gifts they are given. Why not make it a gift that both the parents and baby could benefit from? Here are some ideas.
1. Get the birthday baby an adorable, personalized wall print for their room.
2. This personalized duck towel will hit the spot!
3.Buy a personalized birthday outfit for the birthday kid. Here are our favorite boy and girl’s version.
4. Give the gift that will have Mom silently blessing you each day at clean up time. This Lay-n-Go makes cleanup simple! Kids play on the mat and then you pull the drawstrings, making cleanup easy!
5. Try a personalized birthday hat for a fun and easy gift!
Ultra Quirky Tot is giving away one of our bestselling tutus!
Our Hot Pink, Lime and Purple Birthday tutu is a hit with children of all ages. The birthday girl will love to twirl in this adorable, personalized tutu! This fun birthday tutu set features the birthday girl’s age, name, and a yummy sprinkled cupcake! 100% cotton ruffle edge tee matched up with hot pink/lime and purple tutu that is hand tied and sewn for stability and long hours of play. Makes a great personalized gift!
To enter out giveaway visit our selection of adorable tutus on our website, www.UltraQuirkyTot.com and comment below to let us know which tutu is your favorite! For a bonus entry sign up on our mailing list! Drawing will take place on July 15th,2012. One comment and mailing list entry per person. Tutu available in size 6 months to size 6/8.
When bringing home your precious bundle of joy you imagined him growing up, walking, talking, learning. Chances are you never dreamed that one day he make become (gasp) a biter! An estimated 10% of toddlers bite. They may bite because of teething pain, a way of showing frustration or even just to get attention.
If your child is the one biting, here are some pointers:
When he bites,
- Immediately remove him from the child he hurt. Focus on the victim and make sure he is OK. Apologize and comfort the child. Show your son that biting will not get him any attention.
- Say firmly to your child, “We don’t bite! Biting hurts! Apologize to Sam.” If you know what caused him to bite tell him “If he took your truck you ask it back with words or tell Mommy.” This way he knows what he can do in the future instead of resorting to violence.
- If this is not his first offense, show your strong displeasure by giving him a short time out. If it did not happen under your watch, be sure to discuss it with him later. Don’t use long winded speeches, tell him in a few sentences that what he did was unacceptable.
Watch what triggers the biting. Whether it happens when he is overtired, spends time with a specific child he doesn’t get along well with, or he has an inability to share his toys with a playmate you want to be super-vigilant to make sure it doesn’t happen again when he is the same situation.
What was your baby’s first word? Who was the one to hear him say it? Watching your baby learn to speak is such a fun experience. Most babies will be able to say 3-5 words by their first birthday. By 18 months they should have expanded their vocabulary to include 20 words. Each baby developes at their own pace, so don’t’ be alarmed if your child doesn’t fit exactly into the mold. Toddlers learn how to speak through everyday activities and by imitating what you are saying. Here are some fun activities that you can do with your toddler to help build up their vocabulary.
- Singing: Pick a few of your favorite children’s song and sing it to them everyday. Make up some motions to go along with the words. After some time you will see your baby copying the motions and then filling in the words. Some ideas to start with are “Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes”, “The Wheels On The Bus” and “The Bear Went Over The Mountain”.
- Reading: Turn your toddler into a book lover at a young age. Snuggle up on the couch or rocking chair with your child and read him books. At this age you should be reading him the same books again and again, and again. This helps them become familiar with the words in the book. My toddler loves the PriddyBicknell Board Books which shows them pictures everyday items. She loves to find the items I’m reading and point to it on the page.
- Gather together a box of items from around the house. Ask her to look into the box and give you a specific item. Keep repeating the word that you are asking her for. If she passes you the ball say “Wow! What a big blue ball this is. Look how we roll the ball.” Constant repitition will motivate them to try and repeat the word after you.
- Take a walk together in the park. Unplug your electronics and concentrate on spending the time talking to your toddler. Narrate what you see, where you are going, how pretty the the world is. The more you talk to your child, the more you are building up their vocabulary.
- Have a tea party! Take their favorite doll and set up a party! Use a play kitchen and cook up a storm. Set up a kids table with plates, forks and knives. Serve some of their favorite food. Be sure to narrate what you are doing the whole time. Use lots of everyday items such as plates, pots, toys and more. She’ll love spending time with you and her doll!
The bottom line is the more you talk to your toddler, the more words they learn. Keep working on it and eventually you’ll be wondering how to get yourself some quiet time!
The weather is gorgeous! Take advantage of the outdoors before it becomes way too hot to spend time outside. Make sure your toddler is dressed appropriately in a lightweight toddler t-shirt and kids sunhat. Hit the streets and try these five fun activities with your toddler.
- Get out the wading pool! Get ready to spend hours outside watching your toddler have fun with their water toys. No need to buy expensive beach sets. My toddler is perfectly content spilling water from one cup to another. If your toddler balks at going into the pool, you can get a water table. She’ll have all the fun with none of the fear.
- Hit the playground. Look for a nice, shady spot, lather on the sunscreen and watch them have fun! Kids this age love the swings, the slide and the freedom to just run around.
- Try gardening with them. Get them little shovels to help you dig. Remind them to water their plants. Dirt. Water. Toddlers. They will be delighted!
- Sidewalk chalk is always fun! Do it right before bath time. It makes them really dirty!
- Blowing bubbles is such fun. If they aren’t able to blow them yet, you can blow for them. They will love chasing the bubbles around and popping it.
So break out the camera, and get some really good outdoor shots! Have fun.
Do you have to get a little kid a gift and not sure what to get? Have you ever given a four year old a soft, warm blanket only to find out you are a few years too late? Don’t make a mistake!
Ultra Quirky Tot is excited to launch our new birthday gift section! We’ve taken the guesswork out of selecting the perfect gift for the toddler in your life! Check out our selection of gifts, divided by age, so you can be sure you are getting the perfect, age appropriate gift.
Personalized gifts are perfect for all ages. Kids love seeing their names on anything, so if you are looking for a present with their name on it, we’ve got a special section for monogrammed gifts.
If you are looking for something specific and can’t find it let us know. We love to hear your feedback!
Recent Comments