Chalkboard Mom Quote #3

I am in love with this quote by Linda Wooten. I never thought I would be able to raise a tiny human being without screwing everything up but, as it turns out, I'm doing it! I went almost an entire year with two under two and everyone survived!

I don't think women understand how much strength they have until they have kids. And, obviously, a lot of fear comes with it. I wake up every day feeling so thankful for my babies and I can't wait to spend the next day with them after they've gone to bed.


"Being a mother is learning about the strengths you didn't know you had, and the fears you didn't know exsisted." -Linda Wooten

I hope you enjoy my chalkboard creation and be sure to share it with all of your mommy friends.

What is your favorite part about being a mother/what do you look forward to when you become a mother?

Floor Beds? For Kids?

My newest natural parenting discovery is floor beds for kids. I was surprised to learn that there are parents that ditch cribs and bed frames all together and opt for mattresses on the floor starting at infancy. It's genius...seriously! The idea is to give children the freedom to move about their child-proofed room freely and one of the biggest perks is that injuries are avoidable because your toddler won't have to mastermind their escape from "baby jail."

I thought for sure Oliver would sleep safe and sound in his crib until he turned two, but he started scaling his rails not long after he turned 18-months-old. I wish I would have known about this method two years ago, but it's never too late to let your child begin finding their independence and self confidence!

I put together a gallery of floor beds so you can see for yourself and possibly find inspiration in these sweet bedrooms.

liveloudgirl on Instagram

Coastal Kids

made_by_mallen on Instagram

Joyful Abode

The Sprouting Seed

MAMA.PAPA.BUBBA

Image found here.

Ikea

lerkascrap

Erin Chaiton-Murray on Pinterest

Project Nursery

The Bump

Fawn & Forest

Aren't they amazing? I especially love the Ikea Hackers bunk beds for siblings who share a room. I'm curious to know what you think of floor beds.
Would you consider a floor bed for your child's room?

Chalkboard Mom Quote #2

When I started this blog, I thought of a quick name so I could get started as quickly as possible and I haven't been feelin' it ever since. The name of this space is now "That Ginger Mom," and I made a quick little header to go along with the new change. I hope you like it!

I love that I've been making time to tap back into my creativity again and I made another chalkboard quote today for more practice. I think all moms can relate, wouldn't you agree?

"My children are the reason I laugh, smile and want to get up every morning"

-Gena Lee Nolan

Feel free to share this quote with any of your friends!

What is your favorite thing to wake up to every morning?

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Fascinated by Montessori

I've been striving to live a more natural life with my family. For us, this means eating a cleaner diet and seeking out more natural products for our bodies. Something I've recently stumbled upon during my research is Montessori-style learning and I've been doing my research to learn more. Montessori in a nutshell means: a system of education that develops natural interests as opposed to formal teaching methods. As a mother, I have been most interested in the hundreds of unique toys because they look so different from what you see while browsing Toys-R-Us.

I put together a few "criteria" for these earthy toys based on what I have read thus far. There is so much more to Montessori living, but I'm going to keep it as short and sweet as possible.

Natural: Montessori toys are made of natural materials like wood, cotton, and wool. This totally makes sense for babies and toddlers because everything goes straight to their mouths. There are also toys made of porcelain and glass and, if I'm honest, I think that is strange. The purpose of these materials is to teach children to be delicate, which is a great concept, but I have two tough little boys that love to wrestle. The word "gentle" has been crossed out in my dictionary a couple of years now!

Simple: Less is more in the natural world so batteries are not necessary at all (imagine how much money you could save on all of those double A's!) Toys with sounds and voices do all the imaginative work for little ones which can hinder the process of children learning to speak and make the noises of animals and vehicles. Simplicity also eliminates the need for unrealistic colors like pink cats or purple dogs.
I agree to an extent with Montessori realism; I understand parents who want their children to grow up as realists instead of living in a fantasy world, but adults with artistic minds are some of the most intelligent, interesting, and successful people I've ever met. 

Independent: These toys are intended to develop independence because no adult help is needed during assembly or play. Of course, parents can join their children during play time, but the overall goal is to develop their self-confidence.


After learning all of this, doesn't it makes sense why a child would rather play with a box, rather than the toy that came in the box? I thought it would be fun to include a few natural toys from Etsy sellers that I am obsessed with. Hope you enjoy!

T-Red & Tadpole

Their element stackers are amazing; they have water, fire, and air and they also make the cutest little wooden sheep and hedgehog!

Kat and Company

Kat and Company also has a baking set that I love, wooden teethers for babies, and adorable Waldorf style dolls.

Wooden Caterpillar

This shop has so many options for a lot of different ages which I love! They have balance toys, rattles, puzzles, and more.
Jacob's Wooden Toys
Jacob's Wooden Toys makes me want a baby girl so bad! They sell two and three story houses, along with sweet barns and extra furniture. You can even choose your upholstery fabric. You have to see the insides of these little homes for yourself.

A Summer Afternoon

As a mom of boys, we own a lot of cars and trucks, but this wooden dump truck and passenger bus are much cooler than anything we have now. This is a must-see shop purely for the creativity and talent that is clearly displayed in their toys.

Essential Montessori

I think any Montessori momma would be ecstatic receive this as a gift at her baby shower!

A Toymaker's Daughter 

What child doesn't love knights and castles? The geeky side of me would have loved to have this fantasy set as a child. The seller also makes child sized kitchen sets and so much more! You have to see the hand carved woodland critters.

Dendrik Eco Toys

I couldn't leave this shop out because they have one of the best wooden trains I've ever seen. There are lots of boyish options and some great learning toys.

Des Choses En Bois

I want to get every single animal figurine from this shop. They also sell an arctic set, an African set, and more. Also, be sure to check out their wooden names with your choice of animal attached!

As I mentioned before, I am only starting to learn about the Montessori style of learning and I'm very interested in incorporating a lot of the style into our lives. I know I won't be able to resist purchasing a few of these toys for my boys and do reviews on the shops and their creations later! I love Etsy and I love supporting small businesses because it helps individuals and families support themselves. Their income really depends on your support!

What do you think of Montessori style learning?

Chalkboard Mom Quote #1

For some reason I feel most of my inspiration in the middle of the night when I should be sleeping. I guess you could call me a night owl. I love all the chalkboard quote art I see all over Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest so I figured I would try my hand at my own!

I think it turned out kind of cute.
I wanted to make this as a reminder to myself to set a good example for my kids since they are little sponges for knowledge and they are a product of their environment. I feel like patience and affection is key to a wonderful childhood!
Feel free to share!

What do you think is the key to a memorable childhood?

6 Ideas for a Woodland Kids Room

My dream is to transform Oliver's room into a sweet little woodland paradise with a forest vibe and little critters everywhere. I've put together a few fun do-it-yourself projects from other bloggers that I love!

Your child will love snuggling up with these Woodland Throw Pillows during nap time!

How cute is this whimsical little Reading Nook?

If you need some book inspiration for your little ones, check out this review.

You're going to want to try out this tutorial on how to make your own completely cruelty-free Buffalo Head!


No woodland theme would be complete without a faux Bear Rug. She made it for only $6!


Add functional style to your child's room with these Woodland Animal Stools.


Personalize their room with these easy Moss Letters!


I hope you're feeling as inspired as I am to turn your little one's room into a woodland wonderland!
Which idea was your favorite?

Skip Hop Diaper Bag Review

If you have a baby, chances are, you have a diaper bag. I received the cutest diaper bag at Oliver's baby shower and I loved everything about it, but I was disappointed when the seams started shredding and the pockets were falling off after only a few months of use. I had been hearing good things about Skip Hop diaper bags so I was interested in trying one out.

The style I picked is the Waverly in the color Organic Dot. This bag is absolutely beautiful in person. Skip Hop is known for their diaper bags in all different styles and fun designs!

My requirements when shopping for a new diaper bag included:

-Lots of space
-A zipper closure
-Not too many pockets
-A messenger style strap

Space: My favorite part about this baby is that it's so roomy. If you have two kids then you probably know that your diaper bag is always packed like you're going on a week-long vacation. I was delightfully surprised when I filled this bag with the boys necessities and still had room.

Zipper Closure: I feel a sense of security when my bags have a zipper. I don't feel like anything is falling out and I can be sure no one is reaching into my bag while I'm out and about. This bag passes the zipper test!

Pockets: I can never find anything with those extra pockets, so I feel this bag is perfect. The drawstring pockets on the side are perfect for quick sippy cup storing.

Messenger Strap: The only let-down for me is that this style doesn't have a messenger strap. Fortunately, the shoulder straps have plenty of length so the bag doesn't fall off your shoulder constantly while you're wrangling munchkins.

I'm a firm believer in the saying "you get what you pay for" and Skip Hop is amazing quality for the price. I am far from gentle with my bags, so I am totally surprised that my Skip Hop bag is showing no signs of wear after months of use.

I hope you enjoyed this Skip Hop review and if I've convinced you to pick up one of your own, you can order here. I promise, you won't be disappointed!

What is the best thing you've purchased lately?

Birthday Boy

Where did the last two years go, Oliver? You are so silly and smart and I can't imagine where I would be without you. Becoming a mother has been the best thing that's ever happened to me and I look forward to watching you grow up.

I tried so hard to capture this little grump during a smile...

I'm going to make this short and sweet because I only have about fifteen minutes to write!

Today didn't go quite as planned, but we still had a great time. Oliver and Elliott's cousin, Axel, caught a case of croup last night meaning they couldn't play together today so, instead of going over to Nana's house for dinner, our immediate family came to our home. Ollie sensed there was sugar in the house immediately and he tried to sneak tastes of his cake the entire time. Needless to say, he was in his glory blowing out the number "2" candle on his cake so that he could dig in!

Rewind to getting ready for the party, Ollie was taking his afternoon nap so this cutie was keeping me company. I was putting on makeup and it got too quiet. I turned around to check on little E and he had already removed all of the toilet paper from the roll. Well played, naughty boy.

I don't have great photos from the party because the lighting is terrible at night. I will probably end up posting a couple on our Instagram if you're interested in having a look. Thanks for stopping by!

What is your favorite birthday memory?

Let's Talk

It has been so rainy in our area for the past couple of days and I think it's triggering a bit of writers block so I've been at a loss as far as what to post about. I am reading a book about how to start blogging and it basically says to just post, post, post, and you will find out what you're passionate about, so forgive my randomness as I discover my niche. Thus far, I love posting photos of the boys and I like doing reviews, so I think I'm going to try out treating today's post as if it were a journal entry.

I really think 2016 is going to be my year! I have so many goals, but I'm only going to go into details on a couple of them.

Just like a lot of other moms, I've been feeling self conscious about my body since having the boys. I started gaining weight as soon as I graduated high school, but I really started packing on the poundage during my back-to-back pregnancies. I had a really good diet and exercise routine set up before the Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts and I was down fifteen pounds. I was so proud of myself, but I gained back a little bit of what I lost. Now that all the foodie holidays are over, I plan to resume my routine, starting tomorrow, which means I've a carb monster all day in honor of my last day being naughty. I have a long journey ahead of me, but I'm excited and I plan on taking progress photos so I can post them when I gain the confidence to do so. I may even post my favorite recipes and give tips on how to feed your toddler and infant whole foods that they will love!

Another goal of mine this year is to do a little interior designing around our space. We are renting our current home so we are stuck with horrendous red carpet and outdated wallpaper (ugh,) but I think it's time to make this old place feel a little more homey! I have always been crafty and I love doing do-it-yourself projects for the home so I think my projects could become great inspiration for other mommies who want to decorate their living space and nurseries, but they are limited on their options and their budget.

Anyway, on to the kids. Oliver's birthday is tomorrow! Originally, I planned on throwing a combination party for Oliver and Elliott, but my immediate family has been going through a lot of personal issues for the past few weeks and I didn't prioritize party planning. Now it's too late to book a venue and send out invitations so we are going over to their nana's house so the boys can play with their big cousin, Axel, and eat tacos and birthday cake! I plan to take lots of photos so I can have a great birthday post.

Thanks for reading!

What are you goals for 2016?

A New Home for Some Old Things.

I purchase a lot of items secondhand at consignment shops and yard sales and I've always taken pride in calling myself "thrifter." I love the thrill of finding hidden treasures and the sense of satisfaction when I give an object a new life outside of a landfill.

One of my favorite treasures is books because I've always been a bookworm; I love reading and I love reading to my children. A child's brain develops rapidly between the moment they are born to the age of three so it's the perfect time to fill their little minds with knowledge and trigger their imagination! Not only does reading from infancy build language skills, but it's a fun activity to bond over. Fun fact: did you know that a child's brain is 85% developed by age three?

Thrift Books sells mostly used books that start as low as $3.59. I purchased five children's books for $16.41 ($19.32 before promo code) which means I saved $49.54 off of list prices. You can choose the condition of your book and their selection of titles is huge! As I am writing this Thrift Books has saved over 300 million books from landfills so far. That's a huge number to try to imagine. In this haul/review I'm going to list the rating of the book, the price of the book, and my overall thoughts on the book.

"What Does the Fox Say?"

Quality: Good

List Price: $17.99 • Thrift Books Price: $3.79

I would consider this book to be in "very good" condition, rather than just "good." The outside of the book showed wear, but nothing noticeable throughout the pages. It even came with the jacket.

"Disney Bedtime Favorites (Storybook Collection)" 

Quality: Very Good

List Price: $15.99 • Thrift Books Price: $4.35

This book is in great condition so I would agree with the quality rating. It even came with all 200 stickers!

"Disney Bedtime Favorites"

Quality: Good

List Price: $15.99 • Thrift Books Price: $3.79

This book does have some of the same stories as the "Disney Bedtime Favorites" I mentioned previously, but each of them have a couple of stories that the other doesn't. If I had done a little research I would have only purchased one of them. My only issue with this book is that it seems as if something sticky got on the pages because they stick together a bit, but not enough to ruin the book.

"Where The Wild Things Are"

Quality: Good

List Price: $7.99 • Thrift Books Price: $3.79

I agree with the rating of this book. There is a tiny bit of pen writing on the inside cover, but nothing is written on any of the pages.

"You're All My Favorites"

Quality: Very Good

List Price: $7.99 • Thrift Books Price: $3.59

This is the family favorite out of all of the books. It did arrive in what I would consider "Good" condition because the cover is bent, but for only $3.59 I am not worried because it could have easily happened during shipping.

Shipping is free if you spend over $10 and it's worth noting that if you order multiple books they may ship separately like my order did. I placed my order during the holiday season so I'm not sure if my order is an accurate representation of their shipping time, but it took about a week and a half for me to receive my final Thrift Books package.

Overall, I am happy with our new thrifted additions and I will be placing another order soon! Hope you enjoyed this little book haul and review and I hope you will visit again soon.

What are your favorite books you have read for yourself or for your children?

Learning Something New

Do you ever have those days where you just don't feel like doing anything? That's how I was feeling yesterday. I tried to take photos for a review, but the natural light that shines through the window was so dull and gray (thanks, winter!) I tried to sit down and simply write a post, but nothing was falling place. Ultimately, the kids and I spent the whole day playing, reading, and being lazy. 

Today I've had boost of motivation and inspiration! I whipped out the camera and took photo after photo. The pictures started out dark and blurry, but I kept snapping away and tweaking the settings and I think I may finally be onto something. I'm no photographer, but practice makes perfect and I'm really happy with how these photos came out. Maybe it's just me, but I feel like kids are one of the hardest subjects to photograph because they are always on the go! Here are the results of my photo frenzy:

I love those big blue eyes and the way one of his ears sticks out more than the other! Whenever I notice his ear I always think of it as his "lucky fin."

I can't believe Oliver turns two on Monday. Two. Where did the time go?

No one even believes me when I tell them how old he is because he is so tall compared to other kids his age. We will find out his height and weight on Tuesday when we visit the doctor for his routine check-up.

And my little Elliott has the sweetest, most kissable baby face. He has been super cuddly for the past week because he's adding two new teeth to his collection, making a grand total of six! 

He always makes me laugh when walks around on his hands and feet like a tiny bear cub and we've been hard at work practicing sign language which is a fun learning experience for both of us. The only sign he knows so far is "milk," but we've been practicing the signs for some of his other favorites like "eat" and "bath."

I hope you enjoyed stopping by to get to know a bit more about baby boys. 

My question today is: What is something you want to learn to do?

Review of Pediped: Originals Channing Navy

Chances are you've heard the myth about babies needing hard soles and ankle support to learn how to walk, but with a little research you will find that doctors actually recommend your little ones learn to walk on their bare feet! Elliott is mastering the art of scaling the couch. He practices his little shimmy back and forth all day with naked feet while we are inside, but the dilemma is that all little ones love their fresh air. As mommies (or daddies) we want their little piggies safe from the ground and a lot of us can't even go outside barefoot because it's only 6° as I type this!

My hunt began when I realized I needed a soft-soled shoe that could support healthy foot development and protect my little guy's feet from any terrain or cold weather. I knew crib shoes couldn't do the job because they are usually made up entirely of fabric. Can you imagine trying to walking around in paper-thin shoes? 

I found out about Pediped footwear through a support group I follow on Facebook and I started my research right away. Pediped's website has claimed that their shoes are the "next best thing to bare feet" and they have a philosophy of "comfort, quality, and style, in that order." I was intrigued, but I tried not to get too excited because I'm one of the pickiest mothers when it comes to how I dress my kids. As I was browsing through their selection of "Original" footwear I fell in love with about five different styles of shoes. This was a big deal for me so I decided to give them a go and I placed my order. 

I eventually narrowed my choice down to the "Originals Channing Navy." I love the style, I love the name, and it matches almost everything Elliott wears.

These shoes clean up so easily because they are made of genuine leather and they have an orange strip of soft suede for added style. 

Elliott is an impatient wiggle worm so the Velcro straps make it easy to slip the shoes right onto his feet. The laces are only for style and the lining is a breathable leather for added comfort.

The most important part are the soles. 

They are made of leather with diamond tread that grips just enough for your child to keep their footing, but it's not so "sticky" that it will make your baby trip or fall. The sole is nice and thick so you can feel confident that your child's feet are safe, but they are still super flexible so your little one will feel like they are wearing next to nothing. 

The price point for these Pedipeds is $37 and this style also come in "chocolate." We have a local store that sells Pedipeds, but trying to wrangle a toddler while fitting an infant for shoes sounded terrifying so I used the online sizing chart. It turned out to be super easy to measure his feet and his shoes fit well! We've had our Pedipeds for a couple of months now and I'm convinced that they are a great investment; they are sturdy and there is a great selection to keep any baby stylish!

If you're interested, you can place orders here.

Thanks for reading! hat is your favorite brand of shoes for your child or yourself?

A Bit of Honesty & A Glimpse of Our Day

I am loving blogging so far, but I can't really say I'm confident in the content I'm posting yet because it's been so long since I've expressed my creativity through text. I almost feel like my writing is on an elementary level because it's something I haven't practiced in so long!

Keeping up with this blog has really helped me bond more with my kids. I'm finally taking the time to interact with them and putting forth the effort to make them smile and capture photos of all the happy memories that I can post and look back on! Unfortunately, I was becoming the kind of parent that spent more time with their nose in a smart phone and less time sharing all of life's precious moments with my children. I went to bed every night feeling like an insufficient mother and feeling like my babies deserved better. One of the New Years resolutions I made is to be more patient with the boys and to spend more time with them. It took me far too long to realize that this change needed to happen, but it feels good to finally go to bed know my babies had a full day of giggles and fun!

Today started with my little redhead waking me up bright and early as usual. His crib is in my room, but we co-sleep for most of the night because he needs to nurse so often. He wakes up about thirty minutes to an hour before his brother so it gives me time to stumble around, make my coffee (oh, how I love my coffee,) and have some time with just this cutie.

Ollie woke up on the wrong side of the toddler bed this morning, so I put on one of his favorite movies and made him one of his favorite breakfasts: hashbrowns and scrambled eggs with cheese!
(I wanted to do posts on what we eat in a day, but I've discovered I'm horrible at making food look delicious in photos )

Elliott still has that infant innocence-the calm before the toddler storm-but he will always have that look that melts my heart!

Once Oliver hit "toddlerhood" he would not let me read to him. Recently, he's started picking out books to be read to him or just sitting on the couch and looking at the pictures.
(I love his little feets and the way he gets all chubby before he hits a growth spurt!)

And that's all I have for today. The kids are taking a nap and the sun is starting to fade away, so no more decent lighting for any more pictures. I'm sure you can tell that I have a lot to learn about taking and editing pictures so you'll have to bare with me.

I have a couple of fun posts planned for the next couple of days so be sure to come back!

Also, what are your New Years Resolutions?