21 Birthday Restaurant Freebies!

I came across this article today. Check it out... Click on the link below!
http://www.parents.com/blogs/thrifty-frugal-mom/2013/08/09/freebies/21-birthday-restaurant-freebies-2-other-birthday-offers/

2 Awesome Blogs/Websites for Enrichment Activities at Home!

Resources, resources, and more resources! There is so much out there… It is hard sometimes to select the best ones. I have been researching for a while for a few resources to teach my twin girls skills that they need at this age. I have found two marvelous websites… one from a Montessori teacher and the other one from a homeschooling mother. They are both filled with great activities for little ones!

The first one is www.justmontessori.com This is an excellent place to find age appropriate activities for a 2 year old or even younger. The Montessori philosophy focuses on developing a child’s independence while also working on motor skills, cognitive development and problem solving. If you have an infant or toddler (that is not ready yet for a more academic learning) make sure to check out the “Practical Life” and “Sensorial” tabs on the site. Those pages offer plenty of activities that can be done with little ones!

The second resource I would like to mention is www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com This is one is even better… The website is full of great resources from Pre-K to Primary to Famous Artists, Composers and Science Units. Yes… on this one you have to purchase the download of the PDF file or get the CD by mail, however, it is very affordable!

Make sure to check these out! Enjoy and have fun with your little munchkin!

Teach your child Spanish… Find resources here in St. Joe!

Some parents nowadays want to teach their children Spanish but many times they don’t know how to begin… I guess the first step would be finding resources and curriculum guides. In this short article, I would like to share with you a couple of places here in town that you can find great resources as well as an additional store at Zona Rosa that has an outstanding variety of curriculum guides!

So let’s begin here at “home”… Of course the first place I would like to mention is the library. All the libraries Public and RollingHills, have a great amount of books, DVD’s among other choices of Spanish educational materials. A couple of great DVD’s I have found at Rolling Hills Library are the “Little Pim” Series (for ages 0-5) and “Mommy Teach Me Spanish”. Just go to the libraries and check it out!

Also here in St. Joe another place I have found a few ideas/resources for a very reasonable price is at “Once Upon a Child”. The store has a small section of books and educational resources and there you can find a few that would be beneficial in teaching Spanish!

At last, one of my favorite places at Zona Rosa… “Barnes & Noble Bookstore”. So, if you happen to be around Zona Rosa and you would like to purchase any kind of educational material for your child… this is the place to go! Go to their second level and enjoy! They have all kinds of materials and of course many Spanish resources.

So here is my tip on Spanish Educational Resources for you. If you know anywhere else here in St. Joe that parents can find Spanish Resources just comment to this post.

Hasta luego!

Gymboree Play and Music at Zona Rosa?

Yes! Gymboree Play and Music has moved to Zona Rosa a couple of months ago. Gymboree is a great place where kids have the opportunity to develop physical, social and cognitive skills as they play among other kids of similar age. All the activities and equipment are age-appropriate. There is a theme for every two weeks and the equipment is rearranged every two weeks as well. So for example, if one week the theme is “Bears” then you will see a “cave”, a “tree”,among other equipment arrangements that resembles things that belongs with the theme. Super fun! My girls absolutely love it!

Once a member (yes, you have to get a membership), you can also take advantage of the other times during the week that Gymboree offers “Open Gym”. You can take your kiddos at any of those times and enjoy!

**They also offer a “Parents Night Out” at specific nights. YES! Parents Night Out at Zona Rosa July 27th from 5:30-8:30pm! This service is open to the public for kids 3-5 and is $15/child- RSVP required. So you can take advantage of it if you are going to have a nice dinner or shop until you drop at Zona Rosa!**

If you would like to check it out and want more information go to www.gymboreeclasses.com and find the Zona Rosa’s site. You can also request a day trial pass! Enjoy!

Mother of Twins? No Problem...

Fast food restaurant, twin girls and one mom? Does that work? Well, it does at Chick-Fil-A! 
Being a mother of two year old twin girls, i have always wondered if i could actually make through a meal in a fast food restaurant. At Chick-Fil-A in St. Joseph I CAN! The staff is soooo helpful and everyone is always so attentive to my needs that actually that adventure does not seem too impossible, in fact, it is not! Last time we were there, they helped me by carrying my drinks to the table, brought two highchairs for me and of course our meal! It was a great experience and i recommend to parents of multiples, or parents with multiple kids! :-) 
Thanks Chick-Fil-A, you guys rock! 

Concept Kits from Rolling Hills Library

Concept kits are boxes filled with educational materials. Fun and easy to check out and you can have it in your house for three weeks. My girls love it! They always get excited when i get the box out and we explore the contents... Read books, play games,etc. 

Here is a list of themes available to check out:

ABC's 

Arthur and Friends

Being Sick

Birthdays

Bugs

Building & Construction

Circus

Colors

Counting

Decmber Holidays

Dinosaurs

Farming

Firefighters

Halloween/Fall

Health & Safety

Let's get Dressed

Mice

Monkeys & Crocodiles

Mother Goose & Nursery Rhymes

Musical Stories

Occupations

Ocean Commotion

Pets

Rain & Rainbows

Rhyme Time

Senses

Shapes & Sizes

Silly Stories

Sounds

Trucks

Weather / Four Seasons

Yummers: Stories about foods

Zoo Animals

Wow! Isn't that an amazing selection! Go check it out! Enjoy! 

The bellow picture shows a few of the items that comes in the "Counting" box!

Have you ever wonder if a two year old can play a "board" game? Well, a few months ago i started researching a way to engage my girls in playing games where involves sharing and taking turns. So i found this brand that makes many games for kids starting at 2+. Awesome resource! It helps kids, specially twins, learn how to take turns, concentration and even some game strategies:-) love it! You can find this game as well as other fun games by the same brand at www.yoyo.com!

Dig Into Reading!

St. Joseph Puplic Library has a summer reading program for tiny readers now. So if your child is 2 or younger,you can pick up one of these and complete with your child. Once done, take it back to the library and they will receive a bag of goddies and a book! Great way to motivate your little one to read as well as practice key concepts of EarlyLearning!

Do you enjoy crafting with your kids? Michaels has a great program now during the summer... Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10am-Noon! You can take your kids, if they are older than 4 they can stay by themselves in the room while you shop! We have been there a few times... The girls just love it! After this summer session, they continue with the craft day for kids on Saturdays same time. Great way to introduce arts and crafts while you don't have to buy all the materials to do it at home!