Holiday Thank You Cards as a Family Ritual

Gratitude is a gift you give back lovingly, not a chore to be forced.   SO, how can we, as parents, set this up for success for our children to take on this task with pride and wholeness of heart?   We make it into a full family ritual, complete with sounds, smells, tastes, and a Thank [...]

Top 5 Gifts of Music

“I LOVE Music !” your child says, whether with words, or with their body when music is playing and when enjoying an instrument,  or with their facial expressions when you are singing with them.  If they could, they might tell you their top 5 gifts of music like this. I love to listen in the car, and [...]

Local Treasures – Holiday Events for 2011

It is hard to find a good listing of ALL the wonderful local holiday events for Lakeland, FL, in one place.  It has actually taken a good bit of research and even some phone calls to compile this list of what I consider “must-do” holiday events coming up in Lakeland or nearby.  I WISH I could do all [...]

Grateful for Local Treasures

As I look around this holiday season, I am looking with a new perspective.  Looking past the glitter and hype, I am extremely GRATEFUL to find myself surrounded by so much personal talent, passionate interests, and dedicated hard-working people in my community.   Looking past the mass produced objects, and chain services, I find my neighbors [...]

Hands On Play with Pumpkins

At the beginning of October, I set out to find just the right real Pumpkins for my annual Pumpkin Party !   This year, I had a new goal, to find a variety of sizes, from very small to very large.  I was led, in part by a desire to demonstrate a growing pumpkin in the [...]

Party with the Pumpkins – Fourth year

WOW !  Pumpkins have such a wide variety of possibilities !  I’m SURE the first person to find a pumpkin never imagined how much fun they could be.    This is our FOURTH year to Party with the Pumpkins and Mrs. Debbie !    With a review of my blog postings of the past, I have [...]

The Old Woman in a Shoe gets a Mommy Makeover

A nice short sweet note for you for Mother’s Day.  Enjoy this loving revision of  There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe (by Becky Bailey) with your child.   Look directly into your child’s eyes, use your most expressive voice with your young child as they sit on your lap, or lay in bed.  [...]

Bunny Rabbits – Funny Habits

   Bunnies just look soooo cuddly that it is a natural  impulse to want to pick them up and hug them.  Luckily we have a lot of stuffed animals for little children to do just that.   Wild rabbits are actually very timid creatures (some children can really relate to them), and it is fun to explore [...]

Kindermusik and Gingerbread Art FUN

Bake, Build, Sing & Decorate ! Our Kindermusik & Gingerbread Art Event, at the Bay Street Bistro in downtown Lakeland, was Fantabulous.   An hour of fun interactive Kindermusik activities based on the music set “Bake, Build, Sing, & Scrub” was perfect preparation for the Gingerbread Art to follow.  Families came away with lots of new playful [...]

Sleigh Rides and Bell Horses

There are TWO fabulous classic folk songs about jingle bell horses and their fun sleigh rides.  While singing or listening to these fun songs, have some fun with different ways to make this song come alive for your child. “Over the River and Through the Woods”  is a Thanksgiving classic.  My FAVORITE book featuring this song [...]