July, 2021 - Not So Crafty Momma

Six Toddler Essentials

July 23, 2021July 23, 2021by Patricia21 Comments

The toddler years can be a wonderful, but sometimes frustrating, part of your child’s life. You will find yourself repeating “Don’t touch that” over and over again, they will outgrow outfits over night, and you’ll learn something new every day. Life with a toddler is full of curiosity, hugs, smiles, and the occasional tantrums. You may also suddenly realize that most of the things you received at your baby shower are items you no longer need. Today, I’ve put together a list of affordable products that will help you through the toddler years.

**This post contains affiliate links. We may get a small commission, at no additional charge to you, for purchases made from our links. All opinions are our own.**

Bath Spout Cover

Your toddler is likely mobile now and has outgrown their baby bath tub. Keep their heads and hands safe with a spout cover.

Supportive Shoes

When your child reaches the toddler years, it is time to get rid of those adorable little soft shoes and get more supportive shoes.

Two Piece Pajamas

Once potty training starts, it is also time to say goodbye to one piece pajamas. Easy to remove clothing can help prevent accidents.

Potty Training Toilet

Choosing a potty is an important step! We picked one that looked like a real toilet and then moved on to one that was attached to our toilet seat once we were further along in the process.

Travel Stroller

You are probably ready to be done with a bulky stroller by now, but if you have a young toddler, it might be a few years before you are done with strollers. My four year old still likes to ride in hers from time to time. If you haven’t yet, now is the time to pick up a very light weight stroller.

Straw Cups

Getting rid of the bottle was easy for my daughter, but getting her to drink out of a straw cup was a bit harder! She hated everything but soft spout sippy cups for the longest time. Sometimes, you just have to keep buying different cups until you find one that clicks!

Your sweet toddler will be a preschooler before you know it, so try to enjoy this stage as much as you can! If you are already past the toddler stage, I’d love to hear from you! What products were essential for your little one when they were a toddler?

Are you buying for an infant? Check out this video!

My Preschooler’s Favorite Things To Do At Living Treasures Animal Park

July 22, 2021July 22, 2021by Patricia19 Comments

Living Treasures Wild Animal Park in New Castle, Pennsylvania is a great destination for families who are looking for a more intimate wildlife experience than you can find in many zoos. The animals are well looked after, are kept in high-quality enclosures, and seem to be pretty happy. We have taken several family members with us on visits to the animal park and they’ve all raved about their experience. Today, I want to share my four year old’s five favorite things to do while we are visiting Living Treasures.

Talk To Prairie Dogs

The prairie dog enclosure is set up wonderfully for little ones. The glass front makes it easy for even the smallest child to get face to face with these little creatures. My daughter will sit down and have a chat with them while she watches them scurry around.

Hang Out With A Giant Snake

Living Treasures is home to a gigantic snake. They also have a much smaller snake that you can hold for a photo. When the snake is right on the glass, my curious preschooler loves to just hang out with it for a few minutes.

Press The Parrot

When we are waiting to enter and usually when we leave, my daughter loves pressing the button that makes an animatronic parrot talk. It says several different things, so it can be lots of fun to press the button more than once.

Watch The Flamingos

Flamingos are a family favorite. They are so colorful and graceful.

Walk With Goats

The goat petting area at Living Treasures is a lot of fun. There are always tons of baby goats to pet and feed. They also have a smaller area that has goats and sheep.

We always have a great time visiting Living Treasures! It’s much more intimate than a traditional zoo! On top of that, it is very educational and you can feed most of the animals!

Paper Sandcastle Craft

July 13, 2021July 13, 2021by Patricia18 Comments

This week, we have decided to bring a day at the beach home with some fun activities and crafts! Yesterday, we built a “sandcastle”. This craft is extremely easy and only takes a few materials!

**This post contains affiliate links. We may can a small commission, at no additional charge to you, for purchases made from our links.**

Materials Used

Construction Paper (White and Brown)

Scissors

Glue

A Crayon or Marker

To start, I drew several sandcastle “parts” for my preschooler to cut out. If you are doing this craft with a younger child, you can do the cutting. If you are doing this craft with an older child, you can let them draw the sandcastle themselves and have them cut it out afterwards.

After the cutting was done, we drew a door and windows. Next, my daughter glued the castle together. I let her put the pieces on the paper however she wanted them.

When your little one is done, you will have a one of the kind sandcastle that you don’t have to worry about washing away!

Little learners enjoy pairing a book with a craft or activity! Here are a few suggestions.

You Don’t Have to Be Perfect, But You Do Have To Be You

July 3, 2021July 3, 2021by Patricia22 Comments

While most people think self-acceptance is the same thing as self-esteem, the two are actually quite different. Self-esteem is the value we have in who we are, while self-acceptance is our ability to embrace all aspects of ourselves. Simply put, it means both understanding your value and fully embracing your personality and actions.

It is not enough to just accept the positive in yourself. To truly experience self-acceptance; you must also accept your quirks and weaknesses. It is not easy to accept the things we may not like about ourselves, but once we start accepting who we really are, we can begin the process of meaningful self-improvement. Self-acceptance can be difficult at first, but here are a few suggestions to help you along the journey!

Don’t Rush Things

The process of accepting yourself takes time. It is not easy but loving the person you are will make you happier. Not only will you feel more at peace with yourself, but you will connect better with others as well. Once you accept yourself, you will have an easier time finding others who also embrace you for you. Learning to accept yourself begins with understanding that one does not have to achieve perfection and that it is okay to simply exist just the way you are. A great first step is learning to accept your mistakes and to acknowledge that both good and bad things are part of life.

Get To Know Yourself

Many people have no idea who they truly are. Self-discovery is a necessary step towards self-acceptance. Even though a lot of us can love and accept others as they are, we still harshly judge ourselves. I believe that is because humans hate to recognize our own weaknesses. Once we truly get to know ourselves, we can choose to accept everything that makes us unique. Journaling is an amazing way to get to discover more about yourself. Try to set aside fifteen or twenty minutes a day just to write out your feelings and thoughts!

Accept That There Are Things You Can’t Change

There are things you can do to change your life for the better, but there are also things that will never change. Wishing that you could change things that will never change is just a waste of time and energy.

To be happy with who we are, we must let ourselves accept all who we are, flaws and all. Take the time to be kind to yourself and learn to overcome that inner voice that says “you are not good enough”.

Forgive Yourself

In order to forgive ourselves, we have to admit that we have made mistakes in the past. This is incredibly difficult, but it is also a crucial step towards self-acceptance. As long as we feel like we are not good enough to deserve forgiveness, self-acceptance can seem difficult. Remember that mistakes and failures are part of being human. They also help us learn and grow. Every misstep is a stepping stone on your path through life. Take responsibility, acknowledge your mistakes, and try to use those mistakes to work towards better choices in the future.

As you learn to accept yourself, you will also be able to work towards becoming the best version of yourself you can be. This will bring you happiness and success.