Miss Maggie's Room Reveal

Since our move earlier in the pandemic, I’ve been putting a lot of my energy into decorating our home and the kids rooms, especially Maggie’s was one of my first projects. When it comes to decorating, selecting finishes and furnishings for kids rooms is at the tippy top of my list. They can be so colorful, free wheeling and just plain fun! But, best of all is seeing their look of pride and joy when they see their newly decorate room for the first time. Read along for my TAKE on little girls’ room decor.

Prior to this home, Maggie never had a room of her own so to say, I’d been thinking about it for a while is an understatement. Before, she was born I commissioned the embroidered artwork on the left, You Are My Sunshine from Rachel Castle and purchased the white Jenny Lind dresser and bookcase from Crate & Barrel; so those were my starting points. Other than these three items everything else was purchased for our new home or was repurposed from another room in our old house.

We started with a new Jenny Lind bed to match her dresser and bookcase, and ordered some navy check wallpaper from Caitlin Wilson Design that I knew would really make the furniture and artwork pop as well as transition well enough as she grows older. I sourced an old Serena & Lily rug, a ceramic lamp as well as the modern rocking chair all previously from our older daughter’s room and commissioned another sentimental embroidery piece from Rachel Castle but it wasn’t until the wallpaper was installed that the room really started to take shape.

With the wallpaper in we could finally play with scale and lighting. We hung the colorful artwork, brought in the green nightstands which fit perfectly and supply a pop of color as well as a visual break from all the white furniture. These nightstands are old but they are basic wood nightstands from IKEA, just spruced up with paint and a little campaign hardware. I found the brass lamps at Target and in addition to providing much needed light they add to the vibe without breaking the bank.

Finally bedding and linens from Biscuit Home, Pottery Barn Kids and Caitlin Wilson Design, plus a monogrammed pillow round out Maggie’s bed. The rest of the room houses stuffed animals and toys inside Serena & Lily La Jolla baskets, a Melissa & Doug giraffe and one of my favorite accessories in kids room decor, the always functional Moroccan leather pouf. Despite the hodge podge of items both in color, materials and price the room just works and Maggie loves it, so that’s what matters most.

Happy Decorating!

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The Harbour Island Guide

This past year I have thought of Harbour Island often, possibly everyday…I can’t wait to go back. My husband and I traveled to Harbour Island, Bahamas in late February of 2020, just a mere week or two before the COVID-19 global pandemic swept the world. It was our first trip away from our kids in almost four years and we had planned it a year in advance. I’m so grateful we were able to go. Harbour Island is a beautiful place with the friendliest people, loads of roosters, pink sand beaches and golf carts! Let’s just say that life was pretty darn great when we were there. Unfortunately, that post vacation bliss didn’t last long as uncertainty and fear shortly crept into our lives but I’m so thankful for our time there. Similarly to my family in Chicago, Harbour Island has been on lockdown for much of the past year and only within the past couple of months did international travel open back up to the Bahamas. I started writing this post back in early March right after our trip but stopped due to the pandemic. I’m sure I’m not alone in hoping that travel can soon become a big part of our lives again, I’ve decided that now is as good a time as any to share my TAKE on a Harbour Island Travel Guide.

COVID Precautions

Harbour Island is taking every COVID-19 precaution as the tiny island doesn’t have the medical infrastructure to withstand a surge so please read up on the current restrictions before you plan your travel. At this time, everyone traveling to The Bahamas must obtain a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR (swab) test taken no more than 5 days prior to the date of arrival. Once in possession of a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test, travellers can apply for their required Bahamas Travel Health Visa at travel.gov.bs. Each day while on the island you must complete a daily health questionnaire and if staying longer than 4 nights and 5 days you must take another COVID-19 Antigen test up, every 5 days up until your 14th night.

When to Travel/How to Get There

Barring a global pandemic the busy season starts March 1st and runs through hurricane season. December is popular as well and Mid March is quite busy due to Spring Break so if I would avoid any time on the island it would probably be then. I had quite a few locals tell me that they won’t even get in the water until the mid summer months but anything seems to warm to me after a midwestern winter. We traveled at the end of February just at the cusp of the busy season and temps were in the mid 70s and the pretty blue water was quite refreshing! I would opt to travel at this time of year again although preferably for a longer stint of time. We stayed one night in Miami before arriving at the island and next time, our preference would be to come straight to the island, to reduce our days spent in airports and increase our time spent at the beach.

The most common ways to arrive at Harbour Island are either a ferry from Nassau or flying into Eleuthera (pronounced E-loo-tha-ra). The ferry from Nassau runs daily and is about 2.5 hours in duration. It can be booked via the Bahamas Ferries service. We flew into North Eleuthera airport (ELH), just over an hour’s flight from Miami. Carriers offering direct service to ELH include American Airlines from Miami, Delta Airlines from Atlanta, and Silver Airways from Fort Lauderdale. Candidly, North Eleuthera airport is one of the tiniest airports I’ve ever traveled to…it was both charming and shocking. There are maybe six commercial flights a day but private planes arrive frequently. Regardless, of how you arrive at the ELH you will need to take a short taxi ride to the bay where you will then need to take a ten minute water taxi ride to Harbour Island. There are taxi drivers to greet you upon arrival and help you get to a water taxi or you can arrange for transportation assistance from your place of stay.

Where to Stay

If you’re looking for the Bahamas of cruise ship ports, large resorts, and slide laden pools then you might want to pass on Harbour Island. It’s incredibly laid back, quaint and charming, I’m not sure there is even a building over two stories but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t incredible luxury to be found.

We stayed at The Dunmore and fell in love…hard. The decor, the setting, the staff, and food was all just like a dream. There are cottages and residences available to rent on the property all equally charming and close to the beach just varying in size and views. My only recommendation would be too book far in advance as the property is quaint and popular. I’m not sure anyone could stay at The Dunmore and not immediately want to come back.

Beyond The Dunmore there are a few other hotels/resorts to stay on the island… Valentine’s Resort and Marina, The Other Side (technically across the bay on Eleuthra), The Ocean View Club, Coral Sands Hotel and Pink Sands Beach Resort. Location and amenities are probably the biggest factors when considering accommodations on the island but regardless of where you stay it will be easy to get around as long as you have a golf cart!

If traveling with larger groups of friends or just family members often times renting a house is a more comfortable option, these are some of my favorites on the island: Bahama House, Coral House and Touchstone House. I would willingly stay at any one of these properties but if you’re with young children, Touchstone House is set on some lush grounds perfect for the chiclets to run around an there is even a cottage on the property that can be rented as well if traveling with multiple families.

Where to Eat

The food on the island was delicious each meal perhaps more enjoyable than the last. As we stayed at The Dunmore we ate most meals at The Dunmore Club which is open to the public for lunch and dinner. The Dunmore Tacos are a favorite for lunch and if you make a Saturday evening reservation you’ll be entertained by local musicians. Honestly, everything we ate was spectacular and the decor and setting of the quaint clubhouse made for memorable meals. The most popular restaurant on the island is the Sip Sip famous for their lobster quesadilla, carrot cake and some seriously good fresh watermelon cocktails. All are delicious! The Sip Sip is only open for lunch and doesn’t take reservations so if you’re a party of 4 or more get there at opening or be prepared to wait…the view and the food will be worth it. The Rock House and The Landing are both located on the bay side of the island and are both highly recommended. We ate at the Rock House for dinner and to be honest, wished we had stayed at the hotel or tried The Landing. Don’t get me wrong the food was great..I mean I will take any excuse to eat stone crab but the ambience was somewhat lacking for us. It might be great during the day when you can look over the bay but it was quite windy and dark when we were there so the windows were closed. As for The Landing it’s housed in an old colonial building (always a bonus for me) and oozes some serious charm. Dinner or brunch at The Landing will definitely be on our list for our next visit. The Ricotta Hotcakes might just be the most loved brunch item on the island. One of my most unexpected food finds on the island was fresh arugula. Almost all of the island restaurants serve a version of an arugula salad with fresh arugula grown on the island. The salads are delicious and the leaves are larger and less peppery than what you might find in the States.

If you’re looking solely for cocktails an light bites or a night on the town perhaps try The Elbow Room, Romora Bay for a sunset cocktail and for late night fun, Daddy D’s Nightclub.

What to Do

Relaxing on the Pink Sands Beach with a book and a Goombay Smash or a Kalik might have been our favorite activity but there are a few other much loved options. We took a half day charter on with Captain T on The Sandy Rooster and fed sea turtles, explored the bay and some smaller exterior islands where we found some beautiful sea glass and shells. Depending on the weather and more specifically the wind in the bay there are also a few sailboats you can charter and once anchored can enjoy a picnic lunch. Riding horses on the beach, deep sea fishing, swimming with pigs, paddle boarding and kayaking are also very popular activities on the island. If you prefer curated services and/or activities Conch and Coconut is a fabulous one-stop-shop resource for your vacation. Depending on where you’re staying on the island tennis and/or paddle ball may also be available to you and as always exploring the island via golf cart is a must! For golf cart rentals, book through your accommodations or directly via Major’s Rentals.

Where to Shop

Despite the island’s size and laid-back nature there are a few shops worthy of your time, that is, if you dare spend time away from the beach. The Sugar Mill owned by India Hicks is right in the harbor and stocks a curated collection of clothes for men and women. If you forgot to pack an eclectic dress, are looking for unique earrings, a straw clutch or need a colorful scarf to add to your ensemble The Blue Rooster is the place for you. The Dunmore Shop is located in the entry portico to the Dunmore and stocks Maryisa swimwear, Lake Pajamas, resort wear and a handful of Dunmore branded items. Now if taking home a handmade straw tote is more your style then stop by A and A Hidden Treasures. There are a number of different bag styles and sizes and Alice (the owner) can even add a customized monogram or logo. I may or may not have come home with a few!

What to Pack

The island is fairly casual so swimsuits, cover ups, flip flops, a beach bag, and a straw hat should be at the top of your list. You can certainly get away with wearing these items for breakfast and lunch on the island - the more colorful the better! Dinner attire is when guests on the island step up their game. Think dresses, colorful tops, sandals, big earrings and some arm candy. For men jackets aren’t necessarily required but some do wear them…otherwise bright button downs and pants in light fabrics are the norm. Here are some examples of items that would fit in perfectly on the island… Striped Shirt Dress / Eyelet Dress / Embroidered Tunic Dress / Scalloped Swimsuit / Beach Cover Up / Sandals / Raffia Tango Earrings / Tortoise Disc Earrings / Panama Hat / Sunnies / Colorful Bracelets/ Straw Bag

Most importantly bring your passport because traveling to the Bahamas is considered to be international travel. If traveling from the States there is no need to secure Bahamian dollars though as U.S. Dollars are considered to be the equivalent and are widely accepted.

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The Baby-Sitters Club Themed Birthday

This may not be a popular opinion but December birthdays are hard…December birthdays during a pandemic even harder. The point being that we always try to do something special for our December baby that really separates her birthday from the holidays. Usually, this involves family and friends or a special activity but for obvious reasons this year it could not. So that’s where this slightly over-the-top Baby-Sitters Club Birthday celebration came in.

But first, a little context…Lucy has always been our bookworm and as a huge book lover myself, I have actively encouraged this hobby. However, for the last 10 months her book reading has really turned into an obsession or perhaps more like a coping mechanism. She reads incessantly and this past summer fell in love with The Baby-Sitters Club series. She loves both the original books and the graphic novels so when I came across a themed Baby-Sitters Club birthday idea (borrowed from @baileyquin) I filed it away for Lucy’s birthday. This past Fall when the virus was still raging and she asked for some more Baby-Sitters Club books for her birthday I knew we had to pull this off.

Aside from my make shift birthday sign and a cake that Sweet Mandy B’s knocked out of the park the main premise of this party was that the gifts were from the main characters in The Baby-Sitters Club series. Each gift was based on the characters’ personality so in theory she could pretend that she was surrounded by her friends for her special day. One could easily adapt this (in non-COVID times) so that party guests dressed up as their favorite book character (or wore BCS t-shirts like this or this), brought a gift based on that character, ate candy and watched the new Baby-Sitters Club Netflix series together. It’s been a while since I read the books so to prepare (and to screen it for Lucy) I binge-watched the entire season to spruce up on my knowledge and I’m happy to report that it was quite enjoyable. Read on for my TAKE on The Baby-Sitters Club themed birthday.

The Birthday Sign - We have a few birthday signs/banners that we reuse every year but I didn’t feel that any of them resembled our theme so I picked up some pre-cut card stock (blue and gold) and paint pens. My goal was for the letters to look like the lettering on the cover of the original books but my freehand didn’t exactly nail the effect. A trip to the craft store for some red vinyl sticker letters might have solved for my shaking hands but I’m avoiding most stores these days.

The Cake - I have to say the birthday cake design turned out better than I could have imagine, it seriously pained me to cut into it! Sweet Mandy B’s is our favorite in the city and I just emailed them an image of the original block lettering and they were able to replicate in the message of my choice. I’m sure loads of local bakeries could do this or something similar!

The Gifts - Planning what each character was going to “gift” Lucy for her birthday was certainly the most fun and over-the-top part of planning. There were five gifts from the five main characters (Kristy, Mary Ann, Claudia, Stacey and Dawn) with a tag giving a little hint to what they might be. Each gift also included one of the books i.e. Kristy’s gift, included the book, Kristy’s Big Day. Usually our gift giving is a little bit more low key so I’m hoping next year we can get back to more experiential celebrations but for this year, this was fun! Also in hindsight, I totally failed on theme coordinated gift wrapping. Some brown kraft paper and power blue or red ribbon would have done the trick perfectly but I’m doing my best to let some things go these days!

• Kristy - As the BCS president, Kristy welcomed Lucy to the club and gifted her with a clear see-through phone just like they used in every variation of the show. Of course, I wanted one of these as a kid and luckily with the renewed popularity of the series I was able to find one on Etsy! The kids were fascinated with the novelty of the phone…I’m not sure they have ever seen one with a cord (nor have we ever had a land line in our home) and when Lucy asked me what the button “flash” meant I seriously had to think about it! In case you’re wondering, we fully plan to set the phone up! If you didn’t want to go the phone route, Kristy’s an athlete…so sports equipment or a jersey could be another gift option.

• Mary Ann - I had the hardest time with Mary Ann. In the Netflix series she wears overalls ALL the time and seemingly loves musicals…so overalls and or tickets to a musical would be great ideas. Lucy has new overalls and theatre isn’t an option right now so I did some research on some fan sights and polled a couple of friends. It turns out that Mary Ann loves to knit and read…she sounds exactly like my daughter! Lucy learned to knit in a virtual class this Spring and we had recently purchased some more yarn so for Mary Ann’s gift she selected a Wizard of Oz crochet kit and Unicorn craft kit…perfect winter indoor activities.

• Claudia - This was one of my favorites as Claudia is an artist and loves all thing ART. Having spent the last 10 months at home we are stocked on art supplies but Lucy is currently into “tracing” pictures so Claudia gave her a Crayola Light Up Tracing Pad, a Faber Castell Face Drawing Set and black drawing paper.

• Stacey - Stacey is into fashion and clothes, so she gifted Lucy the most 2020 related gift there is…a new sweatshirt, sweatpants and some cozy socks! Who doesn’t want to be comfy for remote learning?

• Dawn - In the series Dawn comes to live in Stoneybrook, Connecticut from California. So as an homage to Dawn’s CA roots, she gave Lucy a skateboard and a pack of stickers to decorate the bottom of the board. Lucy loved selecting her stickers for the board! A new pair of Van’s slip ons or roller skates and knee/elbow pads would also be fun!

Again, this was so fun to plan…perhaps it was a diversion from reality that I liked so much or perhaps I relived a little bit of my childhood! Either way, I know Lucy loved it as she spent all afternoon (even her birthday lunch) with her nose in her new retro set of BCS books! Finally, which Baby-Sitters’ Club member are you? I’m totally a Kristy with a dash of Claudia and Stacey!

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Virtual Gingerbread Decorating Party

Back in the Spring we put together a few Virtual Ice Cream Socials for some of our classmates and family members. It certainly helped to lift our spirits and gave everyone something to look forward to. Now that it’s December, the virus is raging again and parts of Illinois are essentially back in a shelter-in-place situation and we’re looking for new ways to make the season bright. Enter my newest TAKE on a virtual party…A Gingerbread Decorating Party!

It just so happens that my oldest has a birthday in December so we’re going to use a virtual Gingerbread Party as an excuse to celebrate her birthday. However, if I’m being honest I would have planned one anyway…anything to break up ALL the days at home and make some memories with friends. We’re opting to decorate Gingerbread houses but you could just as easily do Gingerbread people. As with the virtual ice cream social, we collected all the supplies and dropped them off at friends houses a day or two before the event. Sharing all the steps to create a virtual party of your own below.

1. Decide on the date/time and create an invite. I used this pdf from Art Bar Blog , customized and then printed and pasted on card stock. I also used scalloped pinking shears to make the invites a little bit more gingerbread-esque.

2. The biggest key to making this party easy for everyone involved is to buy pre-assembled Gingerbread houses or pre-made Gingerbread people. Whole Foods sells both and they are perfect for decorating…don’t wait too long though as they do sell out! If you don’t want to bake the Gingerbread people yourself, I bet you could call a local bakery and ask if they would sell you undecorated cookies - therefore, saving you time an supporting a local business.

3. The next step is to decide what kind of candy you’d like to include with your delivery kits. We opted for the following: Dots, Pretzel Snaps, Necco Wafers, M&M’s, Lifesavers and Mike & Ike’s. Nilla Wafers are also some of my favorite to use for roofing. What are some of your favorite candies to decorate with? Do you prefer bright or pastel colors? This site provided us some major decor inspiration.

4. Icing is a necessary evil in this party and again, I wanted to make this simple for myself and for the other families so I was thrilled when I found these pre filled pastry bags by Pillsbury. Wilton Cookie icing is also a great option and comes in multiple colors if you’d like something other than white.

5. Once all the supplies were collected we packed them into these bags, added tissue paper and tied the invite to the handle.

Finally, deliver your Gingerbread party goodies to friends and/or family (this is one of the best parts) and have fun during your virtual event. We’re hosting our Gingerbread Party this coming weekend and we’re going to play some holiday music and wear our new candy cane aprons…hopefully, they help to contain some mess! We’ll be sure to share our finished products…Happy Holidays!

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Our Suburban Migration

It’s true, we’re moving to the burbs! My husband turned 40 and we bought him what he always wanted…a house in the burbs! While this is sort of true here is the real story…My husband and I are longtime city dwellers and genuinely love the city of Chicago…it has so much to offer yet, here I am sharing a bit about our decision to leave. To stay or to leave…I think this is a question that many families ask themselves no matter what city they live in. Despite the fact that we love our community, the culture, our school and friends it’s been something that we have been grappling with for a couple of years.

If I’m being honest we’ve been short on space for three years, ever since our youngest and third child was born. I have been consistently looking for a larger home for over a year and a half but hadn’t really narrowed it down to the city or the burbs until this summer. Regardless of the pandemic we felt that we were coming to a precipice in terms of the kids ages and had to make a decision to leave or stay for the long haul as soon as possible. Without the pandemic I’m not sure I would have been able to leave the city but once we realized that the pandemic was here to stay, our life in the city was permanently changed and working remotely would become a long term option the decision became a little bit easier. Our fate was sealed when after a year and a half I fell in love with a house with loads of charm and appropriately, a built in office perfect for e-learning.

I’m sharing some of the key factors that drove our decision…

Space - We have a three bedroom condo in the city and while the kids could have shared a room, their rooms were pretty tiny and we just needed more space for them to grow into young adults. Our youngest has shared a room with us her entire life, so having space for her to have her own room and for us to have our room back was a top priority.

Spending Time Outdoors - After sheltering in place in the city and being confined to a postage stamp sized yard we realized how much spending time outdoors was grounding and important for all of our mental health. Moving to a far north suburb means that we were able to get a larger yard in our price point which will come in handy if shelter in place becomes a possibility again. We also have access to more forest preserves, bike trails and beaches than we ever did before.

High Schools - Students need to apply to high schools in the city…it’s somewhat akin to the college application process and the seventh grade year is very important. The possibility of having three kids at three different high schools wasn’t appealing to me…I can barely maintain their schedules while all at the same school.

Proximity to Family - We don’t have any family in Illinois so moving to a northern suburb puts us closer to family in Wisconsin and hopefully an occasional babysitter or two! Cutting our commute to the lake by forty five minutes is a major bonus.

Despite the fact I feel a little bit like we’re giving up on the city that we love so much, we’re excited yet nervous for the move but mostly grateful to have a sense of focus during this time of uncertainty. We will all be starting from scratch in the burbs so taking on this new adventure together is thrilling - here’s hoping my family will want to partake in all my renovation and decorating projects for many months to come!

At-Home School Ramp Up

95% of my thoughts lately have been about school and the education of our kids. If I am being honest, this has been at the forefront of my mind since last March as I know it has been for many families. We are very fortunate to have options this fall where many families do not. However, because we have options doesn’t mean that we haven’t agonized over them and will probably continue to do so for foreseeable future. These decisions are just hard for everyone involved and there are no easy answers.

In the spring we had two school aged children but now in the fall we have three which makes everything just a bit more stressful. It became very clear during e-learning in the spring that one of our kids were able to adapt better than the other and neither of them wanted their parents to be their teachers. As the school year starts next week we are going to send our kids to in-person school, for now ( I feel that most every decision sounds better with this after it because I know everything could change). We are bringing greater risk into our lives (which is scary) but have worked so hard to be cautious to get to this end point. Two of them will be in-person for a couple of hours every day while our oldest will be following a hybrid model of two days in-person and three days virtually. I am so grateful for our school and the community around it that has spent countless hours developing procedures to keep the staff and students safe. It’s going to be an adjustment but we are up for the challenge.

Despite all of our gratefulness there is still a lot of anxiety and a loss of a sense of control that washes over us daily about this decision. If you’re new here organizing and planning is often how I attempt to regain that sense of control. I know it’s really a false sense of control but it still makes me feel better! So with that being said, I am trying to mentally prepare myself for a time when all of our kids are back at home e-learning. Living in the Midwest with colder temps and a looming flu season I fully expect this to happen so I have been collecting loads of supplies (especially for our pre-schooler) to help prepare us for a time when the Wilson School for Wayward Children is fully back in session. Back in March I shared our Homeschool Cart so the new tools will be able to complement what we already had in the home. Read on for my TAKE on ramping up your school supplies at home!

Pre K + Kindergarten

• Three Bear Counter Families

• Matching Eggs

• Weather Station

• Four Color Sliding Puzzle

• Peg Number Boards

• Sensory Table

• Water Beads

• Sensory Bin Tools

1st Grade and Up

• Timer for Silent Reading

• A new set of books for Silent Reading

• Silent Reading Caddy

• Think Tank Scholar Sight Words Flashcards

• Think Tank Scholar Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division Fast Fact Flashcards

During the past six months there have also been a lot of great ideas shared across Instagram and my favorite accounts for ideas and encouragement are as follows: Days with Grey, ETST, The Workspace for Children, Busy Toddler and Jordan and Co. I love the idea of learning through creativity so aside from some flashcards that’s what we will be attempting to focus on this year. If you have found something that works well for your family, please share I’m always looking for new ideas!

Best of luck to all of you on this school year and stay healthy!

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CYO Harry Potter Day!

I sometimes liken myself to a voracious reader and despite my love for Young Adult novels like the Hunger Games trilogy and Twilight series I never read any of the Harry Potter books when they were first published. This shocks a lot of people and me too, to be frank. I wish I had read them years ago because I can still recall how bookstores would have launch parties when the next book was released - oh how I would have loved to have participated in that excitement. Despite not reading any of the books I have seen all of the magical movies (own them too), am a huge fan and have been dreaming of reading the books with my kids ever since they were babies.

Last year when our oldest was 7 we started reading the illustrated editions and this past May finished the Prisoner of Azkaban. The oldest two love listening to them, looking at the beautifully illustrated pictures and ask at least 5 questions per page. The books are quite long but keep the kids interest which is important as they sometimes take us months to complete. Finishing a book is a big deal for the kids and we always celebrate by watching the corresponding film. This has worked well with the first two films and would have worked just as well for book three except that we were in the grips of a global pandemic and the kids have barely been allowed to leave our backyard. So our celebration for finishing the Prisoner of Azkaban escalated a bit and became Harry Potter Day!

Before I share my TAKE on what a Harry Potter Day is and how you can create your own I want to back up a bit and explain. A few years ago I was down a rabbit hole on the internet and discovered all of these Harry Potter LEGO sets from 2011 and even dating back to 2001. Of course, they were all sold out or cost an arm and a leg so when LEGO started releasing new sets in 2018 I was thrilled and started collecting them and have been since that time. Initially, I had planned to give the kids a set or two for Christmas or their birthday but either forgot or decided that they already had too much and eventually I had compiled 12 Harry Potter LEGO sets! What was I to do with all these sets?

Well, my slightly impractical mind concocted the idea of a creating a Harry Potter Day where we build the sets all day while watching the movies. I thought what could be more memorable and exciting for a child than that? I imagined we would do it on Harry’s actual birthday or that it would rain that day so it was best to be inside, that we were in a larger home so we could properly store the completed sets and that my kids were a bit older so they did most of the building and that my youngest didn’t grab pieces and hide them under furniture. Basically, I was holding onto this fabulous idea for another year but then the pandemic hit and we were self isolating for months and this idea was pushed to the forefront of my mind…even more so when we finished the third book and needed to find a way to celebrate the end of the school year. The lesson here being there is never going to be a perfect time for anything so if you want to do something to create memories with your family there is no time like the present. Read on for my TAKE on a creating a Harry Potter Day with your family! I hope you have as much fun as we did…much to my husband’s dismay I just found out that there LEGO will be launching new Harry Potter LEGO sets on August 1, 2020 so perhaps we will get to this again next year!

• Surprise kids with a ticket on the Hogwarts Express and a letter explaining about Harry Potter Day. I found this template for the ticket and this for the letter on Pinterest. The letter can be used for various things like a trip to Universal but I just changed it to suit my needs. You can even download your own Harry Potter font - so there are really endless options to make this special! Our letter shared that they would be watching the first three Harry Potter movies, building LEGO sets, eating candy and pizza while in their pajamas. They were thrilled!

• We surprised the kids with their Hogwarts Express tickets after lunch so they quickly got dressed into their pajamas and costumes and settled in to watch the first movie. Once our toddler took her afternoon nap we started in on the LEGO sets. There were 12 in all and they ended up taking three days instead of one but these sets are really spectacular and having them all set up together is awesome. It’s hard to narrow it down but our top three favorite builds were: The Knight Bus, The Great Hall and The Whomping Willow. Also, I’m not sure why we’ve never done this before but we used these trays (we mostly use them for kinetic sand) and they were amazing in helping us to avoid lost bricks.

• For snacks during the movies we popped popcorn and I picked up some Harry Potter themed candy from our local shop, Amy’s Candy Bar or you can order a selection of candy from Amazon. The gummy slugs and chocolate frogs were the favorites in our house. If you want to be a bit EXTRA you could even make themed Harry Potter food from The Exclusive Harry Potter Cookbook, including a batch of butter beer!

• If amping up a celebration with decor is more your thing you could add Hogwarts house pennants or a customizable banner. We had pennants from a prior business trip to Orlando and I ordered the banner from the Krafty Hooker on Etsy. The Etsy shop was able to personalize the banner based on my request, accommodate an expedited timeline and I was so pleased at it how it turned out.

• Depending on the attention span of your children you might want to plan for time between movies…maybe even a walk. This helped our kids focus and get some energy out. If you’d like some non movie or LEGO activities you can also incorporate some activities and/or games. Harry Potter Paper Flyers and Harry Potter Labriynth and/or Harry Potter Headbandz.are all excellent and would be a great addition as a gift or perhaps as an alternative to playing with LEGO.

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2020 Summer Travel

E-learning has come to an end and summer is upon us. Like most things this year, summer will be different. Still that doesn’t mean it can’t be memorable and at times carefree. One of my favorite things about summer are the road trips…we look forward to them all year long. Are you planning any travel this summer? A relocation for a change of scenery, perhaps? Or have you cancelled your plans entirely due to the pandemic? If I’m being honest I wanted a change of scenery about two weeks into our time quarantining. So in mid May when Florida opened up their short term rental ban we quickly and perhaps impulsively booked a home along 30A. We were all desperate for a change of scenery, fresh air and sunshine so in late May we set off on a nonstop 15 hour road trip during these unusual times.

The drive and our time in Florida itself was eye opening - it was abundantly clear that our shelter at home experience in Chicago was vastly different than that of much of the country. Social distancing efforts were in place yet I couldn’t have fathomed the sheer amount of people and extended families going about their lives as everything was the same. While we certainly assumed some risk traveling to Florida for the most part we were able to avoid crowds. We stayed in a house which I wiped down with Clorox wipes and sprayed with disinfectant as soon as we arrived, ate all meals at home and avoided public restrooms. We went to the beach only in the morning to avoid the crowds and spent much time bike riding and going on walks.

Despite it being the Summer Season along the panhandle it was still far less crowded than living in Chicago and that was a relief for us…I can’t tell you how many times we didn’t leave our house in the past few months. Let’s just say there were more days than I can count so the time away spent outdoors instantly changed our moods…the kids smiled again, slept well and as parents we were able to recoup some of our lost patience. Since our return and quarantining at home for two weeks I can assuredly say that we are grateful we went if only to be reminded that there is still a beautiful world beyond our four walls. Road trips aren’t a new concept for us…we actually enjoy them but this adventure didn’t involve any overnight stops and required some careful planning. If you’re thinking of doing something similar this summer read on for some considerations for your journey. Safe travels!

• If driving consider leaving in the middle of the night so the kids can sleep and you can avoid traffic. We found that leaving at 1:45am also helped reduce the number of restroom stops we would need to make.

• Pack a cooler or two full of snacks, beverages and at least one meal. On the way there I had baked store bought cinnamon rolls and wrapped them in aluminum foil for the kids to eat when they woke up.

• If you do intend to stop for food along the way I highly recommend ordering ahead doing curbside pick up. This can help save time and generally restricts interaction with other people. This worked so well for us on our drive home and we were able to pick up our favorite Hattie B’s Hot Chicken in Nashville in a matter of minutes. Some restaurants have apps that can accommodate this but just checking the restaurants website should inform you.

• If renting a home consider bringing not only some food supplies but also toilet paper, paper towel, Clorox wipes, sanitizer, dish soap etc…Stores in these communities are much depleted of essentials just as they may be in your town. While we did need to visit the grocery store once we came very prepared with supplies and it made everything so much more relaxed.

• When we embarked on this road trip, Illinois was just emerging from it’s shelter in place order so my anxiety was still pretty high. I was a little nervous about our need for bathroom breaks so I did a couple of things to prepare. I held off on potty training our toddler, brought along a portable potty, ordered Travel Johns and encouraged our five year old son to pee outside. In the end I think we stopped at two rest stops each way and while this completely freaked me out we wore our masks, washed our hands and sanitized our hands and arms before we got in the car. I resigned myself to this reality on the drive yet at other times avoided public restrooms.

• Traveling to a destination you’re infinitely familiar with removes some uncertainty. Knowing where essential business are and even perhaps where an Urgent Care Clinic or Hospital are is reassuring.

• Finally, don’t forget to bring your masks and carry them with you wherever you may go. Every state has different restrictions just as all stores and restaurants will as well. I personally won’t walk into any place without one on and while we may not always wear them outside we have found that the more our kids wear them the more comfortable they are with them on.

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LEGO Organization

If you have school aged kids in your home then you’re likely to have a stockpile of LEGO too! I have loved to play with LEGO since I was a kid and while under a shelter-at-home order my kids love for the toy increased ten-fold. This in turn, meant that the amount of LEGO bricks around our home also increased. I attribute this partly to the show LEGO Masters and partly to my late night online shopping. With nowhere to go during quarantine my kids built with LEGO for hours on end and left bricks all over the house, which, finally brought me to the brink. There are only so many times a person can step on a LEGO and not start to lose it! I have always struggled to find a way to organize our LEGO and with the additional time at home I took some action! If you’ve struggled with this too, read on for my TAKE on LEGO organization.

I’m going to break it down into pre and post quarantine organization styles which I think is important because it’s completely enhanced how our kids engage with their LEGO bricks.

LEGO Organization - 1st Attempt

Our oldest child is 8 so we’ve been acquiring DUPLO and LEGO sets for quite a few years now. For the most part all of our DUPLO pieces are stored in these large LEGO storage heads. It’s no surprise that I am a sucker for these - they are cute and stackable but to be honest, don’t have a ton of storage capacity. However, they work fine for the DUPLO and for some reason, using these entice my kids to clean up after themselves.

As for our regular LEGO brick collection…we would really just store these in bins. The sets would be built and sometimes displayed but more times than not dismantled. Additionally instruction booklets and excess pieces would go together in a Ziploc bag and sit within the bin forever…as in were never played with again. The oldest two each had a large bin of LEGO and not only were they never played with but they were busting at the seams.

So thanks to the show LEGO Masters the kids had a renewed interest in actively building with their bricks and it motivated me to come up with a better organizational system.

LEGO Organization - 2nd Attempt

We are a bit limited on space in our home and don’t have a dedicated playroom so I wanted to find a solution that wouldn’t be space constrictive or always visible. After a bit of internet scrolling I landed on the 3-Tier Rolling Cart. I selected this option because I knew that it would fit perfectly in my son’s closet and we could easily move it around our main floor.

In order to organize the bricks within the cart I purchased a handful of complimentary items. The cart has three tiers so each tier has one of these handled trays placed in it. Under each handheld tray on each tier we store our LEGO baseplates which has been a huge space saver because I didn’t know where to store these in the past. We color coded most of our bricks (this alone was a great way to keep them occupied) so within the handheld trays we also have these small tote inserts to create space for additional colors. I believe I ordered 8-12 of the inserts because each side of the tray has 2-3 of the inserts. In addition to aiding in color coding they are great for storing lego figures or smaller random food pieces. We added one magnetic tray to the exterior of the cart which is also used for figurines (we have a lot of them) but could be used for random LEGO accessories like food or flowers or tiny pieces.

As for our instruction booklets we opted to continue to store these in plastic storage bins. Each child still has a bin in their closet for these albeit, a much smaller bin. I didn’t have the heart to get rid of the books because despite the kids loving to devise their own creations it’s nice to know that they can take an instruction booklet and rebuild a set. If you don’t want to store the booklets in a bin an alternative would be to get a three ring binder and insert the instruction manuals into plastic sleeves. Overall, we’re really happy with the organization overhaul and I have noticed how often the kids will bring out the cart to build or use it to complete a STEM challenge during e-learning. You’d be surprised how many LEGO bricks can fit in one cart!

P.S. If you haven’t watched LEGO Masters definitely check it out. It’s great for kids and adults…Will Arnett may be slightly obnoxious, there will be some cringe worthy scenes, and you’ll also learn some grammar. For example, did you know that the plural of LEGO is LEGO? Happy brick building!

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Kate's Monthly Take - May 2020

We’re nearing our 75th day in quarantine in Chicago except for those two days we skipped town for some fresh air…we’ve been here the whole time. I’d be lying if I said we don’t have quarantine fatigue because we absolutely do. Remote learning, two jobs, no childcare and three kids equals a lot of emotions stuck in one condo in the city. I know that we are lucky in so many ways but there have been a lot more meltdowns lately and we’re all reaching a breaking point.

Sometimes I find myself wondering what folks without kids are doing in quarantine…or perhaps folks with just one kid and I might be a bit jealous. Time to reflect, read, enjoy a walk or sit in quiet…basically any kind of “me” time is nonexistent for myself and my husband and it’s hard to be everything for the kids without a solid foundation. However, reminding myself that I wanted this life…I wanted the three kids and all the family chaos that goes along with it…helps.

This is the only life we get. This is our adventure. So even if it involves 75 more days in quarantine, working from home for the remainder of the year and a fall semester of remote learning I’m going to make it memorable and am grateful to be here for it!

Enjoy my Monthly Take!

Kate's Monthly Take - May 2020

Mood

• Maybe she’s losing it. Maybe it’s quarantine.

  • As the days go on the number of virtual meetings the kids have been late for, birthdays I have forgotten, thank you notes to write, emails to respond to and laundry piles to fold all grow higher. I’m afraid the ever changing schedule of the day just gets jumbled in my head.

Currently Coveting

• Staying home is the new normal and will be for a while so I figure we should make life at home as comfortable as possible and that includes our postage stamp sized backyard! I think it’s finally time we upgrade to some outdoor chairs for the grown ups.

Currently Coveting Kids Edition

• These days I’m constantly trying to think of new ideas to keep the kids engaged. I know it’s important for them to learn how to be bored and that certainly happens in our house but as the temps get warmer I’m a little bit concerned about what our summer will look like. Most likely, we will remain in at least a partial quarantine so I’ve been eyeing this sand and water table for our younger kids. They love sensory play and I’d imagine the kids would fill it with water beads or use it to wash their die cast cars or Schleich animals. It just might keep them occupied for twenty minutes.

Favorite Product

• I have a couple of favorites this month. My oldest daughter has been writing letters to friends and family almost every weekday morning for the last two months. Thankfully, for a while we were stocked with stationary and notecards but when we ran out we were able to quickly stock up on these notecards and pen pal sets from one of my favorite Etsy shops. The pen pal set comes with stickers and a brightly colored pen - the perfect enticement for a second grader to keep up with her writing.

• As for me I’ve been loving this nylon belt bag. It’s the perfect size for a little bit of cash, bank card, face mask, chapstick, hand sanitizer, phone, keys and wipes - I carry it with me on all of our walks either around the hood or in a nature preserve. I prefer to use this over any of my bigger bags if I go to a grocery store as well…I don’t have to put in a cart as I wear it around my waist and it’s less bulky than wearing a purse making social distancing a little bit easier to comply with.

Design Pick

• I found my dream home. Or at least a dream home that I could rent. I love the interior of this house especially the kitchen. The blue cabinets and mosaic tile, the island and the basket pendants. Seriously, I love this house known as The Spindrift House. The exterior isn’t necessarily my favorite - I generally go for a less assuming color scheme but overall it’s so lovely and is giving me some major inspiration for that someday home.

What I'm Reading

• I’ve been pouring over my new cookbook: What’s Gaby Cooking: Eat What You Want: 125 Recipes for Real Life . There are so many great recipes in it but honestly, I just wish that someone could cook them for us!

• Recently, a lovely friend also gifted me a copy of Tell Me More: Stories About the 12 Hardest Things I’m Learning to Say and it’s captivating. The stories are so relatable you’ll want to tear through them in an afternoon and hopefully, just hopefully, I’ll start incorporating some of these teachings to help me better navigate this life. I truly loved this book .

What I’m Listening To

• Aside from the song One Day More from Les Miserables that my husband listens to every morning while he makes his coffee. We’ve been listening to a lot of But Why: A Podcast For Curious Kids from NPR!

What We're Reading the Kids

• The kids are reading a lot of books these days as I’m sure yours are too! I just signed George and Lucy up for a subscription book service through Literati. I’m excited to give it a try and I hope they can get lost in some adventurous books this summer!

  • My 8 year old is revisiting her collection of Ivy & Bean books staying up until all hours of the night reading until her eyelids can stay open no more.

  • My 5 year old has started to get really into the kids series Arthur on PBS so we’ve started to read the books as well. Arthur’s New Puppy is a favorite.

  • For her 3rd birthday Maggie received a few books one of them being Gaston. She loves the dogs in this book and frequently asks us to repeat the names of them…Fi Fi, Foo Foo, Oh La La and Gaston. She may never tire of it!

• Additionally, in light of recent horrific events wanted to share these books with an underlying message of inclusion. It’s my belief that the earlier we start talking to kids about inclusion the better off this world will be.

  • All Are Welcome

  • Strictly No Elephants

  • The Day You Begin

What I’m Watching

• Unfortunately, bedtime is taking a lot longer than it used to so I haven’t been watching much unless you count the Michael Jordan documentary, The Last Dance which for Chicagoans is a must! However, I may just start a free trial on Hulu so I can watch Normal People, I’ve heard so many good things and I could use a new distraction.

Instagram Handle

• If you’re trying to speak with and educate your kids about recent events or perhaps just better equip them to be positive influences in society than check out theconsciouskid. This nonprofit organization shares some powerful research on race and how early we as parents should start talking about it.

Guilty Pleasure

• These days it’s buying fresh flowers at every opportunity.

I Need A Vacation

• I miss traveling. Seeing new places, trying new things and having new memorable experiences is one of my favorite things but for now I’m amused my funny things I find on the inter webs like “I hope the weather is good tomorrow for my trip to Puerto Backyarda. I’m getting tired of Los Livingroom.” This is best said with a margarita or a paloma in hand!

Shit My Kids Will Eat

• Kid Tested & Approved - Since quarantine started we’ve been cooking up all of our favorite recipes for breakfast, dinner and in between and have tried a few new ones. One of recent favorites and perfect for the summer is Gaby Dalkin’s, Greek Chicken Trough. Ok so maybe the name leaves a little bit to be desired but the recipe is easy, the meal tastes fresh and we love to eat it with a side of hummus and pita. It’s also one of the recipes in the new cookbook I talked about earlier!

*Note affiliate links may be present in this post*

*To read previous Monthly Take posts, please check out the Archives section of the website.

Parenting during the Pandemic

Never has being a mother to three young children been more challenging than it is now. There is no balance between supporting the kids and my husband while continuing to work. There never really was a balance but it’s a tightrope these days. Most things take 10x longer than they used to and there is no additional support. There are bright spots but each day is different, each child is different and there is never enough time to tend to their needs. Most of the time I don’t beat myself up about the failings of the day and take comfort in the fact that staying positive doesn’t mean you have to be happy all the time. It means that even on hard days you know that better ones are coming. I do believe this…even if those better days may be months away. 59 days in quarantine at home has taught me (and my husband) a few things about our kids. Maybe you can relate.

• Kids are resilient yet often emotional roller coasters. Perhaps more attune to their emotions than we are as adults. They give into them much more freely than we do…this is both a blessing and a curse and it makes for some incredibly exhausting days.

• They have a strong connection to nature and being outdoors. It’s so important to them to thrive and it’s hard being in the city to foster that in a safe way. We have made some of our best memories during family walks in nature preserves.

• Just like being outside our kids really need to engage with sensory materials. Things like play doh, kinetic sand, water beads, rice engage and calm all of them. I truly despise the mess but setting up an invitation to play puts them all in a much frame of mind.

• It’s been a blessing to have more time to observe their school work. We better understand where they are struggling and excelling and when time allows are able to better accommodate their educational needs.

• They struggle with not being able to look forward to something (and perhaps we all do) so setting their expectations is important as are planning little things. Small events like sleeping in a tent in the backyard or having a virtual ice cream social are impactful and will help them to create positive memories of this time.

• Just like myself some of them struggle with life feeling out of control. Of course, most of it has never been in our control but these are terribly uncertain times and finding opportunities to take control has been helpful. For example, by involving them in organizing their toys, or making dinner or planning a movie night they can regain control of some situations.

• I’ve never cut anyone’s hair before but I’ve become an at-home stylist and they will let me do whatever I want as long as I reward them with a lollipop and sticker at the end of it!

• Time and time again I think about how despite their almost constant fighting that they are so lucky to have each other. They’ve never needed built-in playmates more than they do now.

• They would eat 100 snacks a day if they could…even after the three servings of breakfast we just fed them!

• Before our world was turned upside down I thought managing the logistics of three kids with three different schedules was hard. Without a doubt, those logistics are harder now. I appreciate that there are virtual ways for my children to engage and learn but managing their ever changing schedules on top of navigating the balance between two work schedules is overwhelming. Playing hooky once in a while is a much needed respite.

It is a privilege to be their mother, their parent and their fierce advocate but on this Mother’s Day, I would just like a few hours to myself. Sure, I may start scrolling through pictures of them after a mere 30 minutes but I know than I am a better mother to them if I can put myself first sometimes. Wishing you all a Happy Mother’s Day!

9 Steps to Hosting a Virtual Ice Cream Social

I love to plan. Birthday parties, dinner menus, fun activities, school events, travel itineraries, outfits…you name it and I love to do it! I’m not the best at impromptu anything so if my children were to list my faults as a mother one fault would surely be that they don’t get to have friends over nearly enough. I try to remedy this with fun birthday parties and group activities…you know, anything that I can plan; preferably out of my house! Lately, weekly Google Meet or Zoom parties have become popular for the elementary school set…think trivia, dance parties or “minute to win it” games. With these in mind, I decided to take it a step further and create something memorable for our kids and some of their classmates. Read on for my TAKE on a Virtual Ice Cream Social!

9 Steps to Hosting a Virtual Ice Cream Social

1. Make a guest list

   • My only criteria for our ice cream social was that all guests had to be local as we would be delivering supplies. However, classmates, family friends or relatives would all be appropriate!

2. Make a list of supplies

   • This is based on preference but some ideas are: ice cream, ice cream cones, napkins, sprinkles, maraschino cherries etc…

3. Order non perishable supplies

   • For our party I opted to order these fun ice cream dessert bowls and spoons for our friends. However if you wanted to order something a bit more gender neutral and cost effective (depending on your quantity needed) I love this paper polka dot set.

   • I also ordered these kraft paper bags to put the party supplies in for each family but ice cream bags would be cute too!

4. Order perishable online via Instacart

   • As we’re under a shelter at home order and doing our very best to only leave our house occasionally I ordered everything but the ice cream from Instacart. Think hot fudge, sprinkles, Reddi Whip etc… In standard Instacart fashion not all of the products are the brands I requested but they were able to fulfill the order!

5. Pre-order Ice Cream or Custard

   • Part of my goal in devising this virtual ice cream social was to be able to support a local business. With that in mind I pre-ordered chocolate and vanilla pints of custard from a favorite local business, Scooter’s Frozen Custard. I did have to pick the pints up but the shop has an outdoor walk up window which made it extra quick and I could schedule pick up for the date we would be doing our delivery drop offs.

6. Make Invitations

   • I made an invitation template and the kids got involved by adding some stickers and then we had homemade invites to attach to each bag.

7. Package + Delivery

   • We picked up the custard and made an assembly line and packed up the supplies in each bag while in the back of our car and set out to deliver a surprise package to some friends. Deliveries were made a couple of days before the date of the social to ensure guests could attend.

8. Create a set of Questions to Center the Party

   • A bunch of elementary kids and ice cream is sure to be raucous maybe even more so virtually. We came up with a bunch of questions and a game to at least focus some of the party. Of course, these questions are ice cream themed…What is your favorite flavor? What are your favorite toppings? What is the difference between ice cream and custard? The list goes on!

9. Set up Virtual Meeting + Share with Friends

   • Use Google Meet or Zoom to send out a meeting link with friends to join at the confirmed time and have a blast!

If you wanted to add another layer to the party or do this for one of your kids birthdays’ there are also some great ice cream DIY crafts, craft kits and even a paint-your-own ice cream truck!

For me, one of the most challenging things about COVID-19 pandemic and sheltering in place is the uncertainty of it all and the inability to make plans and really have the opportunity to look forward to something. Planning and coordinating this virtual ice cream social was some of the most fun I’ve had in weeks. It was something that I knew would bring joy to other people and the kids were excited, engaged and I was motivated to put my energy towards something other than cooking and cleaning. Dropping these packages off at our friends home and seeing their surprised faces (from afar) was truly the cherry on top! Hope you love and can adapt this idea for friends and family in your lives! Stay safe and healthy my friends.

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Easter Baskets in Quarantine

There have been a lot of times are a lot of times during this pandemic when I would have preferred to deal with things by curling up with a blanket on the couch and hiding for a while. I kind of just want life to stand still so that when things start to normalize we will be starting back where we left off. I so wish we could do this but we can’t so while we are doing our best to stay home; birthdays, anniversaries and holidays are coming to pass. It will be strange and sad not to celebrate with family as so many of have planned but Easter has always been a big deal in our house so I’m trying to motivate myself to make it memorable and fun for the kids.

So since Easter isn’t going to be cancelled and it’s in less than 10 days, we’re going to keep our traditions pretty simple this year…dying eggs, matching pajamas, dressy Easter attire (even if it’s cold and we don’t have anywhere to go) an egg hunt and Easter baskets. Regardless, of our reality I still love building Easter baskets for my kids - it’s a form of escapism for me. This year I had some items pre shelter in place orders, ordered a couple of items online and then tried to shop from some local shops in Chicago that are offering delivery or curbside pick up. Read on for this year’s TAKE on Easter baskets.

If you’re still looking for some Easter basket ideas this is the majority of what I collected so far mostly before the Illinois shelter in place order. Since then I have been able to shop a bit from a neighborhood toy and book store and have ordered some Easter candy from a local spot. It may not be much but it feels helpful to assist in supporting small and local business right now.

• Monica & Andy Ruffle Striped Swimsuit

• Too Many Bunnies

• Junie B; First Grader: Dumb Bunny

• Happy Easter Llama Bunny Socks

• Peeps Marshmallow Scented Bubbles

• LEGO Star Wars Kylo Ren’s Shuttle Microflighter

• Crewcuts Spiral Hair Ties

• Furry Bunny Glasses

• Grow Alien

• LEGO Dots Bracelets

• Bunny Pajamas (The ones I ordered are no longer available but I always love some classic stripes!)

• Jellycat Blossom Bunny

• Meri Meri Bunny Bag

This year as activities to keep my kids engaged are even more valuable than ever I’ve bought into the hype and ordered the EggMazing Easter Egg Decorating Kit. I hope our eggs turn out half as well as advertised! This Easter will be a bit heavier than usual for most everyone around the world so no matter how you celebrate this year stay safe, stay healthy and try to make some new memories.

***Affiliate links are included in this post.

Our Homeschool Cart

Our days at home now number 19 and we’ve become somewhat resigned to the reality that we will be here for a while. All five of us in our home can be a lot sometimes especially when two of us are trying to work while help the kids succeed at e-learning. We only have one true office/desk area and the bedrooms aren’t large enough for desks so it’s been a bit of a free for all with laptops and school supplies all over the place. I love myself some school supplies but after not being able to see our dining room table for the past two weeks I needed to take control. Perhaps this was my way of dealing with the uncertainty of the times but creating a homeschool cart to organize all the supplies the kids need for school plus a bunch of educational games and books felt so good! The kids loved helping to organize the cart and so far have actually kept it organized. So if you’re like me and are opening to regain a bit of control during these times, read on for my TAKE on a homeschool cart. Hope it helps at least one more parent stay sane!

I’ve always wanted to build an art cart for my kids so when the dining room table became a school desk for two (sometimes three) kids I took it as an excuse to create a homeschool cart. Having everything in place makes it easy for the kids to grab what they need throughout the day and alternatively, put things a way when they’re through. Plus the cart is easily wheeled into other rooms when the need arises.

The cart itself I ordered from the Recollections line at Michael’s. I opted for the larger version as I needed to house items for two kids but there is a smaller version with a lid accessory that could help the cart transition into a desk. Aside from the cart itself we had most if not all of the educational games, school and art supplies at home and I just pulled them from different closets and arranged on the carts shelves. There is a lot that can fit into this three tier cart and despite being jam packed is quite durable.

We have the cart full of the standard workbooks, pencils, crayons, paper, scissors and glue sticks but some items that have been helping to make our transition into e-learning a little bit easier are as follows:

• Osmo Base for iPad - We do have Osmo and love it but the base has been particularly helpful when needing to prop the an iPad up to join a Zoom meeting or to use the Seesaw Class app.

• A new set of these Crayola Double Doodlers have been a hit and have helped to get the creativity flowing during art projects.

• We start each day with journaling and writing a letter to a friend so a journal and stationary are located in a prime spot on the cart. Thankfully, I randomly stocked up on some stamps in early March so we will be able to keep up with our letter writing efforts for a couple of more weeks.

• Supplemental games for Math and Spanish are played a few nights a week in our house. Mobi a fast numerical tile game, Math Dice Junior and eeBoo’s Time Telling game are most popular. As for Spanish our workbooks were accidentally left at school so we’ve been using eeBoo’s Spanish Bingo and vocabulary flash cards to supplement. Luckily regular Spanish lessons are starting this week!

• Kinetic Sand and Mad Mattr have been popular for my younger two. They love sensory things and you can use these materials to trace letters or to discuss textures.

• Headphones! Don’t forget the headphones! They help my oldest of focus when there are many distracting younger siblings abound.

• And of course, painters tape which has been the most surprisingly useful homeschool product to date. Mostly for the pre school set in creating invitations to play but also for chalk art.

There are so many supplies that you can add to a cart to make it useful for your family…books for quiet time and Magna-tiles have also been really helpful for us. Hope you have fun with putting your school supplies together and most of all good luck with this e-learning adventure!

***Affiliate links are included in this post.

Camp Corona

Today we embarked on our new reality in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic. We have been working from home and have been practicing social distancing for a few days now but today is the first day the kids are home from school and any without any extra curricular activities. Adapting to this new normal is going to be a challenge especially as it is very likely to extend beyond two weeks but we 100% want to do our part in helping to flatten the curve and protecting our community. I’m so appreciative of the work the medical professionals are doing to treat the sick and educate the masses on best practices.

I’m not sure what we should call this new normal and it’s hard for the kids to understand so for now it’s going to be “Camp Corona” as we’re partially out of school and on Spring Break. We’ve received a lot os support from teachers, friends and educational companies as we all come together to aid our children and come up with ideas to creative routines and foster learning during this time. If you’re on the hunt for some educational ideas/games as you navigate this time please read on for my TAKE.

Know that I’m not an educator and these ideas span multiple age ranges so they may not work for all but they are a starting point for my family as we navigate this uncertain time. The most important thing to remember here is to give each other a break…we’re all doing the best we can. As time goes on and you come across new ideas please share, I’d love to adopt more and will plan to continue to share on my Instagram account. Stay healthy friends!

Daily Routine

• Get dressed and out of PJs each morning

• Exercise in the morning and afternoon (We started to train for a mile run this morning)

• Set up a school/desk area to do work (Do this away from toys and the TV)

• Adopt daily chores like making a bed or taking out the trash (I’m going to teach my kids to fold laundry)

• Our kitchen has been coined the “Cafeteria” and snack and lunch time will be in the kitchen

• Quiet reading time and journaling will become a part of daily life

• Adopt play and self direction into learning as much as possible

• Take time for arts/crafts

• Recycle paper towel holders, bags and boxes into boats, spaceships and robots

• Write a daily letter to a classmate

• Find ways to connect with family/friends via FaceTime or Marco Polo videos

Educational Tools/Games

Many of these games we had prior to locking ourselves in but I stocked up on new workbooks, math games, a couple of new books and the volcano set via Amazon over the weekend.

• Brain Quest Workbooks

• Brain Quest Cards

• Priddy Learning Wipe Clean - First 100 Words Workbook

• Alphabet Go Fish Matching Card Game

• Osmo Genius Starter Kit

• Osmo Little Genius Starter Kit

• Math Dice Junior Game

• Rush Hour Junior Game

• PlanToys Sort and Count Cups

• MOBI Fast Fun Numerical Tile Game

• National Geographic Exploding Volcano Science Kit

• Imagination Magnets

Additional Resources

• Virtual Museum Tours (ex: National Museum of Natural History)

• GoNoodle - dance along activities to help kids stay active

• Jack Hartman - Kids Music Channel

• Cosmic Yoga - for when the weather outside is frightful

• Mystery Science - School Closure Lessons

• Scholastic Learn At Home - Lessons by Grade

• Listen to stories read aloud on Instagram by favorite authors such as Oliver Jeffers

• For Elephant & Piggie lovers - Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems!

A Silver Lining

In the absence of our normal routines I’m trying to find a silver lining…

• More time together when our kids are in this short season of life called childhood!

• Game Night, Dance Parties and Movie Night will become a regular occurrence!

• While the museums may be closed, there are many that we plan to view virtually.

• We can finally get back to reading the kids Harry Potter - we’ve had a long break but just started the Prisoner of Azkaban again!

• Family baking - the kids have always loved to bake but now we’re going to find more time to do it.

• The kids are excited to start their own research project…my oldest has selected her favorite state, Florida. TBD what the end report state is but something similar to a book report with visuals.

• Purging - I can finally prioritize time to clean out the kids closets!

*Affiliate links are present in this post.

**For accurate information about COVID-19 please refer to the CDC.

Disney or Bust!

The only thing standing between my family and a trip to Disney World is a couple of days and a whole bunch of packing. I’ve been planning this trip for months and daydreaming about what I would pack for the kids for at least as long probably even longer. I love coordinating the kids outfits every chance I get and a trip to Disney is no different, if anything it has only enhanced my obsession. One could say I’ve gone down a rabbit hole - Disney gear is a whole new level and the merchandising has sucked me in! Join me as I share my TAKE on what on theme items I’m packing for the kids for our trip to Disney World.

Backpacks

When we travel the kids always get a backpack full of books, activities and snacks. The contents are generally a combination of new and old items and always are a surprise to them i.e. no opening your backpack until we are seated on the plane. For this trip I’ve gone full out Disney all the way down to the Mickey Mouse Goldfish and Frozen fruit snacks. Here’s hoping that the kids actually notice the theme.

See below for some of my favorite finds:

• Disney Themed Water Bottles

• Panini America Sticker Books

• Disney Pixar Cars Die Cast - Snot Rod

• Mickey Mouse Backpack

• Moana’s Big Leap + Star Wars Little Golden Book Library

• Mulan Royal Clips Doll

• Star Wars: Where’s the Wookie? Search and Find Book

• Minnie Mouse Emoji Lip Smacker

Clothing

Typically I dress my kids pretty plainly meaning that their wardrobes are full of solid colors, stripes and if they are lucky stars, polka dots and an occasional floral applique. So I think they will be pretty surprised when they see some of their new Disney gear. I mean I didn’t want them to be the only ones in the theme park without a Mickey Mouse shirt on. Over the course, of a couple of months I collected a few items for each kid and naturally, at the last minute felt like my husband and I needed something too so I placed an Amazon order for sweatshirts!

A lot of what I purchased is no longer in stores but here are some of my current favorites:

• Mickey Mouse Joggers

• Rapunzel Pajamas

• The Apple Princess Dress (Snow White)

• Mickey Fan Club Tee

• Minnie Mouse Plush Set

• Mickey Mouse Icon Denim Jacket

• Mickey Mouse Classic Sweatshirt

• Born a Rebel Tee

If time allows, I’d highly recommend personalizing some basic items from Primary or a denim jacket with some Disney patches. We opted for Minnie Mouse and Star Wars themes and sewed them vs ironing to ensure they were properly attached.

The only thing I don’t plan to pack but probably should, is raincoats. It often rains in Orlando even if just for a bit, but I can’t bring myself to pack the raincoats. For one, I’m always short on suitcase space and there is something nostalgic from my youth about of those yellow Mickey Mouse ponchos that they sell in the parks! They are indeed a photo op waiting to happen.

If you’re on your way to Disney or just thinking about a future trip, I hope you have just as much planning and preparing as I did!

A compilation fo Katestake.com Disney Posts:

• We’re Going to Disney World

• Disney or Bust! - A Packing Guide

• Walt Disney World Guide

• Walt Disney World Park Review

***Affiliate links are included in this post***

We're Going to Disney World!

It’s official, we’re going to Disney World! It’s a secret we had been keeping from the kids for at least six months and shared on Christmas morning. It was a challenge to keep from the kids and personally, I feel that sharing news of a trip to Disney World is a pretty big deal. If you’re kids are into Disney it can be one of those magical moments. I mean we’ve also seen the videos on YouTube when the kids find out they’re going to Disney and start crying, right? But when is the right time to share? Do you do it when the trip is booked months in advance or do you share the day of departure? We netted out on sharing Christmas morning as this really was their big gift and we felt that it was close enough away that they would still be vested. I was excited and nervous to share both because of the amount of planning that goes into such a trip and the fact of the matter was, I wanted a big reaction. Please read on for my TAKE on sharing news of a trip to Disney!

Not surprisingly, I read up a bit on this topic and the majority of parents agree that if you plan to share this news prior to the day of departure it’s best to include some sort of book or toy to further excite them. Because, our kids had never been to Disney World and don’t understand exactly what such a trip means or what to expect I agreed with the advice. I knew this would especially be true for my 2 year old and somewhat for the older ones and the bottom line was, I wanted them to be excited!

In order to accomplish this goal, I came up with the following plan. On Christmas morning the first gift of Christmas would be a gift for all of them announcing our trip to Disney World (inclusive of a note about the trip and our magic bands) and then each child would open a Disney themed box full of presents geared towards their interests. It was really fun to collect the Disney themed items leading up to Christmas and share with them on Christmas morning along with the news. We made sure to reiterate that these gifts were from Mom and Dad as I certainly don’t want to be the parent of kids who spreads rumors that Santa gives out trips to Disney World! :)

Disney Themed Goodies

Each kid had their own Disney themed Christmas present to open that included a variety of books, toys and clothes appropriate for them. Here are some of my favorite finds: Mickey Mouse pajamas, LEGO DUPLO My first Mickey Build, LEGO Steamboat Willie, Disney Pixar Cars Die Cast Set, Disney Princess Ultimate Sticker Collection, Minnie Mouse Lip Smacker, Where is Walt Disney World?, Birnbaum’s 2020 Disney World for Kids Guidebook and finally, The Disney Book: A Celebration of the World of Disney.

Without a doubt, the Birnbaum’s 2020 Disney World Guidebook for Kids has been the most popular because it shares photos of most of the rides in every park, ranks them, offers tips and planning guides all based on a child’s perspective. Literally, this book is read or the pictures looked at by one of my kids every single day and it will absolutely be coming with us on our trip!

Counting Down the Days

When we shared the news we were still a month plus away from our departure date so we made a paper chain, which was included in the first box they opened (see below) to help the kids count down the remainder of the days. It has continued to help engage them and works as a daily math lesson!

Needless to say, the reveal was a hit. I was kind of hoping for jumping up and down or spontaneous tears but regardless, the kids were very excited and their excitement has intensified especially as we are less than two weeks out from our trip. All of the planning has paid off and while we know it will be exhausting we can’t wait to experience the magic with them and hopefully, some sunshine!

A compilation fo Katestake.com Disney Posts:

• We’re Going to Disney World

• Disney or Bust! - A Packing Guide

• Walt Disney World Guide

• Walt Disney World Park Review

  
  ***Affiliate links are included in this post***

Five Tips to Make A December Birthday Special

I don’t think I’m alone here when I say that December birthdays are just hard. Our eldest daughters’ birthday is six days before Christmas and without a doubt, it’s one of the busiest weeks of the year. We’re inevitably wrapping up school and work before break, attending Christmas programs, doing some last minute shopping, attending parties, without childcare, battling some sort of illness and trying to celebrate this girls’ birthday all at the same time. I know that we’re not the only ones with a busy December schedule, which makes it a challenge to celebrate her day with anyone other than immediate family. Finally, after a little bit of trial and error I think I’ve got the December birthday down. This doesn’t mean I don’t end up exhausted but it does mean that I’ve discovered a few tricks to help make the birthday stand out from the rest of the month while maintaining some form of sanity. Read on for my TAKE on making a December birthday special!

1. Be consistent with your Birthday traditions. This helps both in preparation for the day and establishes baseline expectations for the kids. Some of our favorites involve starting the day with a donut cake aka tower of donuts and ending it with a birthday present scavenger hunt inspired by the book, The Secret Birthday Message by Eric Carle.

2. I often incorporate paper products into a birthday celebration and when that birthday celebration is in December…I stay away from typical holiday colors and go for something colorful and bright! This is an easy way to separate the birthday from the upcoming holidays. These are some of my favorite paper plates and napkins!

3. Perhaps my number one trick…is to forgo any birthday celebration with friends until after winter break. I didn’t catch onto this until a few years ago and it saves me ever year! Plus it spreads out all the celebrations and gives your birthday kiddo something to look forward to! Honestly, a birthday party in mid January is a godsend for kids stuck inside during the cold winter - you may end up with more RSVP’s than you had planned for! If celebrating in January isn’t your thing and you want to do something in December…plan way in advance (at least two months) so friends can get a date on the calendar. Another option is to poll some of your childs best friends about their schedule and settle on a party date based on availability. I’ve done all of these things but in order to enjoy the season a bit more…I’m sticking with a larger celebration in January!

4. Because we don’t host a birthday party in December we make sure to do something special on our daughters birthday…this can be something like dinner out, a play, ice skating, a trip to a museum, a movie etc… Something that marks her day and is not tied to the holiday in any capacity. This year we got manicures and went to the Toys R’ Us Adventure pop up in Chicago!

5. Being December it may take a little extra effort but carving out time to talk to or face time with relatives and friends on your childs’ birthday is a great way to make them feel special. Whatever you do, just make your child feed loved on their birthday and enjoy the day!

Happy Celebrating!

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Fallin' for Fair Isle

I’ve lived in the Midwest almost my entire life so each year I take prepping for the winter season seriously. Generally, this includes collecting hats, mittens, coats and snow pants for the littles but for me involves something a bit more fun…sweater shopping! I practically live in sweaters during the winter months and I love adding one or two new favorites to my collection each year.

This year I fell hard for the multitude of Fair Isle Sweaters showcased by retailers. I can’t recall a season with so many Fair Isle options, from neutrals to brights there were so many options for myself and the kids that I snatched some for each of us. If you’re looking for a new sweater to keep you warm and fashionable this season I shared my TAKE on this popular sweater trend below! My roll neck sweater shown above has sold out at J.Crew as have so many others so act quick if you’re interested because their are deals to be had this holiday season.

Womens’

J.Crew Turtleneck / J.Crew Cashmere Crewneck / Vineyard Vines Pop Fair Isle / Vineyard Vines Turtleneck / Vineyard Vines Tonal Sweater / Madewell Sweater Dress / FRAME Fair Isle Mock Neck / Old Navy Crewneck

Mens’

J.Crew Crewneck / Vineyard Vines Traditional Fair Isle / Barbour Fair Isle Cardigan

Girls’

Crewcuts Crewneck / Boden Grey Marl / Zara Cardigan / Old Navy Crew Neck

Boys’

Crewcuts Crewneck / Vineyard Vines Zip Up / Boden Festive Fair Isle / Zara Knit Sweater

Baby

Boden Fair Isle Penguins / Boden Fair Isle Cardigan / Zara Knit Sweater / Jojo Maman Bebe Cardigan

***Affiliate links are included in this post***

Thankful Themed Books

We’re more than a full week into November and Thanksgiving is quickly approaching. Meep! Our Halloween decorations are still up and I’m not sure when they’ll be coming down but you better believe that our November seasonal book corner has been displayed since November 1st. Holiday themed books are perhaps the only thing I’m good at keeping on top of these days so the bookshelves are full of Fall and Thanksgiving themed books. Luckily, Thanksgiving is less about decorations and more about giving thanks and spending time with family. Thanks to the early onset of frigid temps in Chicago we’ve been mostly indoors and have had plenty of time to spend time reading together!

It’s been a couple of years since I’ve posted our favorite Thanksgiving themed books and naturally, our collection has grown! (Read: I have a serious addiction to purchasing picture books!) Below you can find my TAKE on some new books focused on gratitude and thankfulness and if you’re interested in my original collection of Thanksgiving themed books you can find them here. There are so many great options, I’m sure you’ll be able to find something perfect to enjoy with your family but most of all best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving/Fall Themed Books

• Apple Cake: A Gratitude

• The Thankful Book

• Otis and the Scarecrow + Otis Gives Thanks

• The Long Way To A New Land

• Leaf Jumpers

• Apples and Pumpkins

• How to Catch a Turkey

• Thanksgiving in the Woods