Potty train or not to potty train......

So who doesn't LOVE potty training??!!!  
Most moms...dads....daycare providers....the carseat....the bed....the washing machine.....oh, the couch....the carpeting....

The BIGGER question is what is the best method and WHEN to work it??  
For me, I think it truly depends on the age of the child and their personality type.  What motivates them?  Is training important to THEM or just important to YOU?  Just because YOU don't want to buy diapers anymore doesn't mean it's motivation enough for them to hault usage.  But I will be the first to say, bribery with M&Ms....is the bomb diggity!  And almost every parent I talk to ends up at the bribery route and loved it.  So don't judge til you try it yourself.  

We personally did the 3 day method for our oldest son, however due to his dyspraxia and verbal apraxia, we didn't train him until just over 3 yrs old.  Not that we didn't try--but we weren't in the best daycare environment that was eager to "help" on their end.  Once we made the switch, it happened very quickly.  Of course, it wasn't "perfect"---and NOTHING will be 100% in only 3 days, but it was a start.  I'm not so sure that method would work for those who want to train at 18 months...but maybe....I'd love to hear from you!

I came across this great article (link below) about different methods--- take a look for yourself.  I highly recommend this BEST POTTY CHAIR EVER BY PRINCE LIONHEART (click for link to it).  It's a seat that goes on top of your toilet seat so no extra "chair" in the bathroom (great for those with tight spaces or who don't want to "dump" the contents.  Just get a little stool like those they sell at Ikea for a few bucks and voila--- instant potty chair.  And trust me--we tried 'em all.....froggy chairs....elmo chairs.....go diego go seats.... and this was a true winner.  So that's what I recommend to my friends =) 

ARTICLE:  POTTY TRAINING METHODS BROUGHT TO YOU BY BeautyThroughImperfection.com

prince lionheart potty chair

Poison control anyone??

The day started out by calling poison control about 15 minutes before I would be taking my oldest son to school.  NOT exactly how I planned my day.  But thankfully all was ok, however I kept him home from school since I wanted to keep an eye on him and didn't know what the extra dosage of medication might do later in the day.  It was also one of those moments that make you realize that it could all be gone in an instant.

The day was actually WONDERFUL!  I got special, very much needed one on one time with my oldest while my toddler was in preschool and then later on got one on one time with my toddler who told me "it was the best day ever"!  

So wonderful that I found this poem later in the day--a great reminder that I needed to hear since today I didn't get much done on my "to do" list, although it was a mile long...and that was totally ok.  Somehow I'm at peace for once, even the the floors desperately need cleaned.  

Check it out-- Poem from MomentsADay.com called The Kitchen Can Wait

Weather: 80 with a chance of snowmen.....

So although it's 80 here in Chicago today, I find it a "must" to post this adorable idea from OneCreativeMommy.com's website for an Olaf snowman.  Oddly enough, this is the costume of choice for one of my boys this year and we literally just saw Frozen a week ago (loved it!!!).  

I'll post our "after" pictures once we complete this project but thought it would be a good one to share as we get ready for the long, cold winter in the midwest.  

Link:

Olaf sock snowman tutorial from OneCreativeMommy.Com

She's Baaaaaccckkkkk!!!!!

Oh look who's back!!!!!!   That's right....the crazy one.  Mom of 2 little boys.  Wife.  Homemaker?
So where did I leave off?  Hmmmm...from the looks of the blog photo, it's been a while.  I'm pretty sure my oldest is now driving.  Ok ok....maybe it hasn't been THAT long, but it's been a while.

The latest in a nutshell is that I lost my corporate job last fall after being there for over 10 years.  And I'm pretty sure I did a "happy dance" on the way out, but they won't turn over the video.  Last year I got in "better" shape, started running and losing weight and finished my first half marathon in September of 2014.  Yeah, you read that right.

Of course, fast forward a year and a few pounds have found their way back and I lost my map to the gym....BUT I'll get back....within this decade...I'm pretty sure of it.  Life has certainly gotten crazy.  I used to think that I would get "so much more done" if I wasn't working and my stress level would be nothing---but wow, was I wrong!  Guess what??  While at work no one can mess up the house.  Home 24/7 and crap happens.

Anyways---glad to be back.  I'll be posting some new recipes, craft ideas, stories..the latest bargains and more!  Don't miss it.....  :)
#sheisback
#momisnuts
#whatswiththehashtags
#icantstop
#seriously

Popcorn party!!!!

Do you really want to impress the kiddos?  Pop popcorn in a bag, in the microwave. 
Here's how it works:

• All you need is one brown "lunch bag" size paper bag

• Put about 1/4 cup of your favorite popping corn inside
• Fold down the top a bit so it doesn't pop all over your microwave
• Place in microwave---I use the "popcorn" button and listen for it to stop popping.

The kids are absolutely amazed that they get to make their own popcorn and can even eat it out of the bag if you'd like--just sprinkle with a bit of salt.  Otherwise, it pours out great in to a big bowl. 

Big letters....little letters....learn learn learn

As a mom of two boys who LOVE to play cars, I found this to be a fun, interactive way for them to learn their letters --both capital and lowercase. 

 

WHAT YOU NEED:

--Foam board

--26 matchbox style cars

--dot stickers for the letters (or I used a label maker)

 

WHAT YOU WILL DO:

Be creative and have fun with this. 

I made "parking spaces" with capital letters and dotted some roads.  On the actual cars you will put the lowercase letters.  The GOAL is that they would match the lowercase and the uppercase. 

 

The kids have had a lot of fun with this.  In the larger spaces we have placed people, trucks, houses....whatever the day brings. 

 

HAPPY LEARNING!!

 

Thoughts on Diagnosis Day

Boy, sometimes I truly don't know how "real" bloggers do it.  Where do they find the TIME to keep up with these things????  But I digress.....

So I just had to re-post something that was shared with me on another board for special needs mama's, like myself.  This truly brought me to tears, but not in a "bad" way as much as a "it's going to be ok" way. 

If you have a child who has special needs, take a look at this youtube.com video---it's a great one!!

Please feel free to comment on this post and add some of your own feelings. 

Diagnosis Day--your thoughts