Getting Ready for Baby on a Budget: Finished Girls' Room/Nursery

Here it is! Paint, floors, mattress, bedding, curtain, and decor, everything has been done in our little girls' room. I love the light grey walls, with the pink, white, grey and gold in the decor, bedding and curtains. If you missed out on us working to transform this room, you can read that here. I mention how much it cost and any tips I had for a diy room redo. Today I am sharing with you the finished product!

It's hard to believe that in just a couple of weeks I will be changing and dressing a little baby in here!

 

I talked in a previous blog post about how that I wanted to keep the Disney Princess theme subtle here, and I think I achieved that. The canvases above the changing table are Icons of my favorite Disney movies: Rose from Beauty and the Beast (my favorite movie of all time), Crown from Tangled, and Carriage from Cinderella. Not pictured is a Sleeping Beauty light switch cover, and if you look at the pictures below you'll find Snow White and Belle. 

We ordered this quilt from Amazon. I also got Baby Girl these Frozen 2 sheets, as she is obsessed with that movie right now. The sheets will be something easy to change out as she changes likes/dislikes, but the classic pink quilt can grow with her for years to come!I also bought these blackout curtains so it can be dark and cozy for nap time. We have a side bar that will go on this bed to keep Baby Girl from rolling off while she sleeps. 

Last week I talked about organizers for the nursery, and you can see most of them here! I have the two (pink and grey with gold) baskets that I bought on sale at Kirklands. They hold all the diapers, wipes, and creams on one side, for easy access during diaper changes. The other basket holds burp cloths and receiving blankets at the ready as well. I share where I got the other baskets and what they have in them in my stories on Instagram. You can check out that and all my other baby themed stories in my saved stories on my profile. 

I also shared the bow organizer I used, and while they hold quite a few bows, I had so many left that needed a place to stay! I found this 40 piece bow set from Amazon, and there are so many bows of so many different colors! The quality feels great, and I'm excited to try them out on our new Itty Bitty. I don't know about you, but bows are like socks for me...they disappear! I've learned you can never have too many bows!

Above Baby Girl's little kitchen, I've stored the remainder of the bows and put up a few more decor pieces. To the side of the kitchen is the chifferobe where both girls clothes are stored. Everything is ready for our Itty Bitty to arrive, and Baby Girl is loving all the girly sweetness of her new room!

Do you have any questions about this room? You can comment below, or go to Facebook or Instagram and ask me there!  

Note: Amazon Links are Affiliated

Getting Ready for Baby on a Budget: My Favorite Organizers

Organizing baby things can be challenging, as you normally plan for several months in advance. You'll normally not just have diapers in newborn size but be given ones a couple of sizes up as well. Then there's the many sleepers, socks, hats, bows, bath supplies, burp rags...the list goes on and on! I thought I would share my favorite organizers, as well as how to find them on a budget!

Cube Storage:

Cubby storage is all the thing right now. It is a great way to forgo the bulky chests of drawers and get something easy to keep organized. While I love the chiffarobe we have in the new room, it's nice to have cubby storage for toys. It's much easier to keep toys organized than when it's in one big box, and you can teach your children just to pull one kind of toy out at a time. 

The cheapest place to get them, is the dollar tree. They often have the cloth bins that fit, but they are flimsy and don't hold toys well. They might work for clothes, but you still have little choice over color.

Walmart and Amazon has the cheapest prices on cloth cube bins. At Walmart they are 3.50 for a solid color, and at a little more if you want a cute design. At Amazon you can get a six pack for $20!

Baskets:

Baskets are perfect for the changing table, bath things, blankets and burp rags, etc! Unfortunately they can also be quite pricey. I did best when I had several weeks to look around for sales. Hobby Lobby, Kirklands, Ross, TJMaxx often have good deals on these, you just have to take the time to look for what you need. 

At Hobby Lobby I used their 40% off coupon on a basket I had been eyeing, and found a wooden basket to store muslin blankets in their major clearance section. At Kirklands I always shop around the edges of the store, and less in the middle, because that's where all the sales and clearance are. I found two beautiful baskets for about $7 a piece. This was great for a diaper changing station where I kept diapers, creams and wipes, and in the other one kept receiving blankets and burp rags. This was all kept on the changing table for an easy grab. 

You can also find random plastic bins of all sizes at the Dollar Tree. I found a few white ones to store 'extra' things in. It kept is looking organized, but I didn't have to spend a lot of money to sort them. 

Bow and accessory storage:

I like to watch videos from Natalie Bennett, and when she did the nursery reveal for her little girl, I absolutely loved this kind of bow organizer. This is great for the headband bows, and it gives you a limit as to how many you buy too! I used it as a decor shelf as well and set a vintage book and little shoes to decorate it. When baby grows out of it, you can take it for yourself as necklace storage which is what it was intended to be anyway!

For my toddler, I am adding ribbon to a Hobby Lobby wooden letter I bought when she was newborn, and creating my own clip bow organizer. Right this second it's all thrown in a bathroom drawer, haha! I am scouring Pinterest for better ways of organizing all of those little hair things she has collected. If you have a great system, let me know!

I use the Dollar store plastic bins to set up organization in the closet or drawers for little socks, winter gear, or summer wear. As I said before, this is great for all the 'extra' stuff you need! If you have not watched Do it on a Dime's YouTube channel, you need to! She has all kinds of great Dollar Tree storage and DIY ideas. 

Nightstand storage:

I said this before in last week's blog, but a diaper caddy is an amazing thing to have for those first few months! It's a great way to have a diaper station by your bed (and it can also travel with you as you move about the day) for those middle of the night diaper and outfit changes. It easily fits diapers, wipes, creams, extra pjs or two, and the extra bassinet cover. It's nice to not have to hunt those things down when it's 2 in the morning!

Getting Ready for Baby on a Budget: Baby Must-Haves

I remember when I found out I was pregnant with my son, and I started day dreaming down the baby aisles. As the weeks drew near for him to be born, I realized there was just so many things people put down as 'must-haves' that it became overwhelming! With this being baby #3, here are some things I've learned:

Babies just need to eat, sleep, and soil their laundry when they're first born.

That's it. They don't have to have warmed wipes, fancy toys, elaborate outfits-none of that! So since all they mostly do is eat, sleep and dirty their diapers, here are my absolute favorites in those categories and how to get the most bang for your buck. 

Eating:

I have been blessed to be able to nurse both of my babies. Since I'm not as familiar with bottle-feeding, I am sharing what I like for nursing. 

For nursing my big must haves are:

Nursing cover

I like this one, both for the price, and because the top provides a good view of baby. With having to use a shield, a cover is a huge hassle, but I want the ability to modestly cover. This has been the best option for me. 

Something I discovered with Baby Girl is a Haakaa! 

Since I do not pump, it allows me to express milk for the occasional bottle, without the noisy, cumbersome pump. I also have an over-supply problem, so this also helps with comfort levels when just getting started. 

Burp Cloths

These are some I just got for baby #3 and they feel absolutely amazing! You want something large and absorbent, and these fit the bill. I had some flannel ones with my daughter that weren't my favorite, and with my son, my mother-in-law DIYed cute material onto these plain Gerber cloth diapers that worked great! Cotton is the way to go when it comes to burp cloths, and they can be as cheap or expensive as you want to pay. 

These are honestly these are the only 3 things you need (and let's be honest, you don't even need that! If you still want to cover up, the blankets I mention in the sleep category can work just fine. I just like the ones recommended because of view of baby.) I also recommend a baby tracker app. They have some for free that will help you keep up with what side you last fed on. Sleep deprivation is a thing, so any help during the brain fog is great!

Extras: 

Boppy Pillow. If you splurge on anything-splurge on this!! It helped so much during that first month, trying to figure out how to properly hold baby to nurse. I've also heard they are great for those with C-Section recovery, as they hold baby. 

Bottles for expressed milk. Just like diapers, each baby prefers different kinds. Since each time I don't know if baby will be able to be nursed, I collect the bottles from the free baby boxes you get from registries. You can sign up for an Amazon Registry, complete the checklist and get a free baby box! I have found it's well worth it and use many of the samples to figure out what best fits baby. The free bottles also give me options for when the Hubby and I go on that first post-baby date and need someone else to feed the baby. 

Sleeping 

Sleeping is probably the most worrying thing to a new parent. I've had both a 'bad' sleeper and a 'good' sleeper, so I'm going to try to help you with the things that are absolute must haves!

Bassinet

With Little Man our budget was quite small, so I needed something that could serve a dual purpose and decided on this Pack and Play with a bassinet on top. It worked out wonderfully for both babies. Unfortunately, the bassinet part got bent on a trip, and we are having to buy an actual bassinet for the new little one. I chose this one, based on price and reviews, but I will let you know how it works out! 

I liked having the baby so close to me and also loved the dual purpose of the pack and play and the bassinet. It's something that grows with them!

Swaddles

Here is where I step out of the budget world and recommend you get Aden and Anais muslin swaddles! They are amazing and I haven't had any brand feel as soft as this brand. Plus, I am still using a blanket or two from Little Man. They serve so many purposes (you can lay them down on them, use them to wipe spit up, nursing covers, whatever!) and have lasted so well. What I did with Baby Girl was register for my favorite set, and then shop around at TJ Maxx, Burkes, and other such stores for cheaper sets. I really like to have at least 6, as they go through them very quickly in the beginning. 

White Noise

I'm guessing this could be a controversial thing, as some people don't like to have their kids dependent on noise for sleep. I have found, however, this helps so much during those first few weeks. It can be as cheap as a free app on your phone, a small fan in your room, or an actual white noise machine. We have a fan in our room for under $20. 

Extras:

This is more for naps rather than night sleep. 

A basic swing. This has lasted through 3 kids already (my friend borrowed it with her kid) and is on it's last leg, but will last through this one as well. Sturdy, good swinging motion, and 'basic'. The high dollar ones can be hit or misses (even with basic swings, you just won't be out as much money). 

My favorite bouncer. This is great for mobility. I used it as a way to be able to shower with baby in the room with me. It also worked out great for homeschooling hands free.

My favorite wrap. I actually don't have any experience with other wraps, but this one has worked fine. I used it the most with Baby Girl, as it tended to get warm with a summer baby. I am curious how much I'll use it this time around. With Baby Girl I used if for about 3-4 months. 

Sleep sacks. You technically don't NEED this, but they are amazing for transitioning out of swaddles. Baby girl loved to put her hands near her face, and these were perfect for that. 

Diapering

I am not going to recommend any brand of diapers, as each one of my babies have been allergic to different ones. Instead I am recommending my favorite accessories to keeping baby clean!

Diaper Caddy

I love this one! It's perfect for the night stand but can travel with you throughout the house. You don't actually need a changing table (I got mine for free, so I do use one), but it is handy to have a place to store diapers, wipes and diaper cream where they are at the ready. You can also keep a spare outfit to keep handy. 

Diaper bag

I have had a different diaper bag with each kid, so I don't feel super qualified to give advise. This is the one I got this time, and it is very sturdy and incredibly roomy. Since I will have 2 under 2 I felt a backpack was a necessity this time around. 

Soaps and Creams

This is another area where each baby is different. Baby Girl is highly sensitive to any other diaper cream but Destin and A+D. Some are wary about scented soaps and lotions while others aren't. This is another area where if you are unsure what you like or what baby is going to be able to handle, you can get a free baby box and try out all the samples before settling on what you like best. 

I know I am missing things like clothes and toys, but I wanted to cover these essential categories. I'll put some of the 'fun stuff' in my Amazon recommendations (note: links are affiliated). When I share with you the room tour and baby's hospital bag, you can see my picks for clothes and other items. This will be on Facebook and Instagram, so be sure to follow me there!

Also, if you missed it, Here are the other baby themed posts in our July series:

Budget Nursery Ideas

Guest Room to Girl's Room Transformation

Getting Ready for Baby on a Budget: Guest Room to Girls' Room/Nursery

Last week I shared how Baby Girl sharing a room with us, helped us save money on re-doing a room for a nursery right away. It also saved money on how much furniture and decor we needed as well. With our second baby girl just a few weeks from her arrival, we felt like it was time to get a room ready for both Baby Girl, and a spot to put a few nursery things for our newest little one. We've been following Dave Ramsey's plan for a little over a year, so putting a realistic budget together was important. Since everything needed to be changed, I decided to make $700 the budget for room. Let's see if I was able to keep to this budget!

First step in doing the room redo was to take the furniture and other odds and ends that either belonged to me or my mother in law, and get rid of or move it elsewhere. The other thing we needed to do, was to remove the wallpaper border that had been there since my husband was a boy!

I don't know if you've ever removed wallpaper, but if you have, you know it's a pain to get off! In our house I've removed either wallpaper or wallpaper border in almost every room of the house. Fun! My top tips for getting it off, is to remove the top layer as much as you can, then use a walpaper remover spray (I've also used fabric softner and warm water) on the white under part. This can be a slow process, but eventually I was able to get all of it off. I did use a scraper (like this) to help me get some of the tougher spots off. Unfortunately, the top part of the wall had been left unfinished, which meant that often times pain came off with the wallpaper. I was able to scrub the whole thing down, however, and you couldn't tell where it had been left unfinished once I had it painted. 

This part cost $0 for me, since I had all of the supplies already. The wallpaper spray is about $8 at Lowes. 

Next came the fun part! As we've re-done other areas of our home, I've learned a few things about choosing and prepping for flooring and paint. Some of the big ones are:

Choose a paint color slightly lighter than what you want. 

I learned this the hard way with my son's room. The grey on the paint chip looked lighter than after the couple of coats it needed. Now I am really wanting to go back over it with a lighter grey, as it makes his room feel darker to me. For Baby Girl and our new little one's (I really need to find a blogging name for her!) room, I knew I wanted the lightest grey I could find. The color was Sherwin William's Icicle. Absolutely beautiful, light, and airy, which was exactly what I was going for. For the flooring, since my husband DIY's it, he prefers peel and stick laminate. For it a big tip is to:

Make sure your first row of flooring is straight.

For some reason, baseboards aren't always the way to line things up, and while it suggests you work in the middle first,  my husband found it easiest to make sure things lined up at the wall, and then worked his way from there. 

Other things to remember are to be sure and buy painter's tape to cover border. I've tried 'winging' certain sections before, but it has always failed miserably. I also take off all the outlet covers beforehand to make it easier. This may seem like 'duh' things to do, but when I was a newbie, I had no idea what I was doing! Making sure the floors are covered (we didn't have to this time, since the carpet was going to be removed), baseboards are prepped, and you have a clean wall to work with, makes for an easier time painting. I only had to do one full coat, with some touch-ups in a few places I missed. 

For this part of the project we spent:

About $150 for flooring (11x13 room, at $1 a square foot)

$40 for paint

$6 for painter's tape

$15 for painting kit (comes with rollers, brush, pan and liner)

Around $211 for everything. 

After removing the very old mattress already in the guest room, we wanted to get a mattress that would not need a box spring, so it would be closer to the floor. At first, I had wanted a whole new bed frame with a roll out trundle to still accommodate  my in-laws and any guest we might have come. After doing research, I decided to stick with the vintage iron bed frame that was already in the room. It's beautiful and feminine and only a full size, so it wouldn't' be too massive of a transition for Baby Girl. 

We could have waited a ordered a mattress a bit cheaper, but we needed to go ahead and take it home this past week, as my in-laws were coming in for a night. We went to Sams Club and bought a Serta Mattress 10". It was one of those that comes in a box, and our kids loved playing in the box almost as much as they were excited about seeing the room transformation! 

I also bought this dark grey rug from Sams. I was sad at first at the limited stock they had, but after choosing this one, I am absolutely in love with how it looks in here! I will be adding some pinks and golds to the room to bring some contrast, but I am loving the neutral-ness of it. This will make it easier to change out decor down the road, without having to completely re-do the room again.

For this part of the project we spent:

$300 for the mattress at Sams

$100 on the rug, also from Sams

$400 total for this part of the room transformation. 

Overall I spent a little over $600 of my $700 budget. I still need to get new bedding and some curtains. Any new decor pieces I'll be getting over the next year or two, as I find it on sale (and as it fits in our Home category in our Dave Ramsey Budget!)

In a couple of weeks I'll be sharing the finished product, with all the decor and organization done. Also if you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, I'll be sharing a walk through of what the room looks like right now. This is part of my baby themed month, where I am sharing stories and/or IGTV videos with content on organization, hospital bags, and more!

For now, here is a sneak peak of one part of Baby Girl's room that she is enjoying most right now! I think she approves! 

Note: Amazon links are affiliated. While these products aren't what I have in the room, I tried to find similar things. 

Getting Ready for Baby on a Budget: Budget Nursery Ideas

When I found out Little Man was a boy, I decided to pick a nursery theme that would age well. As much as I love safari animals, pastel blues, or Winnie the Pooh, those things would only last 3-4 years at the most before he wanted a change to fit his growing personality. I am so glad I did this! It has saved me so much money over the years! His nursery was Marvel Superheroes themed, that morphed into solely Spiderman over the years. Him preferring Spiderman (his dad may have had something to do with this 😄) meant I kept the same color scheme, and most of the same decor. 

With Baby Girl I thought she would be my only girl, since we felt certain she was our last. I decided to go with what I absolutely love-Disney Princesses. My hope here was that again, it was age with her. I realized that she might not be a 'girly-girl' so I decided to make the Disney Princess theme subtle with a few decor and accent pieces, instead of over the top princessy-ness. The colors were grey and pink, that I thought could easily adopt different decor later. So, with that all being said, my first tip for a Nursery on a budget is:

Use a Theme and Color Scheme that Grows with Baby

This way you are only having to change out bedding and a few things here and there, rather than having to re-do the entire room, every couple of years. 

Think outside the Nursery Box

For us that was letting Baby Girl share our bedroom for the first couple of years. We have a large bedroom that I portioned off for her, and let that be the nursery space. If you have a smaller master bedroom, you could easily make a nursery nook. This means less decor and equipment that needs to be bought, as well as being able to keep it simple for the first little bit as you discover your baby's personality. 

We devoted a bedroom to Little Man (that he still uses, so no regrets really) but he didn't sleep in there for the first 2 years of his life. It's actually recommended to room share with a newborn, and with me nursing up until 2 with little man, and 15 months for Baby Girl (had to stop sooner due to being pregnant), it makes sense for them to sleep in our room until they are weaned. This time around I let Baby Girl stay in our room and it allowed a couple of years to save up money to redo our guest room now into a beautiful little girl's room. 

Our newest addition will still be sleeping with us for a while, but I won't be decorating a separate space for her. The bassinet, then crib will be in our room until time to transition, and the remainder of her nursery things will be with Baby Girl. This is also saving us money, as we aren't buying for a new theme. 

DIY's 

This is one of those 'no-brainers' but for a non-crafty person, it might seem daunting to create decor, paint furniture, or sew curtains. You definitely don't want to buy supplies for something you are unable to do (thus wasting money), but as you scour Pinterest, Etsy, or wherever, be thinking about ways you could recreate something on a budget! I found this mobile on Etsy and decided to recreate it. I saved about $20-$30 and it's now very special to me, since I made it. Sometimes more creative people in your life will create things as shower gifts. I have a very talented aunt who painted these canvases to go with the Disney Princess theme, and my husband's grandmother made beautiful quilts for both kids. My husband's aunt not only has created canvases, but also made beautiful clothes for my kids. I am surrounded by wonderful, talented people! 

 

I also looked up how to best paint furniture (for me it was chalk paint. I am not super talented, and it was an easy choice. Be sure to look up methods and materials for painting with chalk paint, to help it hold up. I've had no problems so far!). I was able to transform a free changing table, and an entertainment center that had been my in-law's into pieces that would hold Baby's girl's things!

The best advice I can give on DIYing things for baby, is to be honest with your creativity level (and it may surprise you how creative you actually can be!), find what it is you are aiming for and research, research, research. Pinterest and YouTube are my favorite places to learn how to do things. Be sure you look at several websites and YouTube videos before attempting, as it will help your confidence level and success!

Next week, I'll be sharing budget saving tips on a room redo! We are transforming our guest room into a little girls' room on a small budget. New paint, flooring, rugs, mattress...you name it! Be sure you follow my Instagram and Facebook page to see when that post is live!

Summer at Home: Outdoor Activities

In my childhood summers, we spent a lot of time outside. In fact, I feel like 90% of our day was spent outdoors playing with the neighborhood kids, cousins or friends, and somehow I didn't feel like the heat quite like I do today! ha! Knowing how important outside time is for the kids, I am trying to make sure they spend a good amount of time out, even if here in the south we have to go out at 8am to get temperatures lower than 90F! 

These 'activities' may feel like no brainers, but I wanted to share what we've been doing and enjoying outdoors. Hopefully this will be an encouragement and inspiration for your outdoor excursions. 

Water Play

My kids love anything to do with water. In the above picture we set out a bucket of water for them to fill their water guns, and they spent more time paying in the bucket than actually shooting the water guns! I've used buckets before for water play. Here are a few ideas:

Wash station-I had some dirty rocks I let the kids clean one day and they spent so much time, and had so much fun, just washing the rocks off in cold water.  You could use dirty toys, or whatever you have on hand.

 

Car Wash Station-Put a little dawn or baby soap to make it bubbly, and let the 'work' begin! My son has done this for several years and loves cleaning all his plastic toys. He can't wait to get them dirty again, so he can clean them. I set aside old rags and sponges for his budding business. Here is another waterplay idea:

DIY Splash pad- Our splash pad isn't open yet, but you can create one at home! I like this kind of splash mat- ours is a bit different, but this one seems the most like it. Ours has held up for over 4 years! Little Man is 5 and still enjoys splashing around on it. I like to set out a big tarp (we have stickers at the house), set the splashmat up, add the water table (check out here for water table ideas), and maybe other water toys or sprinklers. Let the kids splash around as long as they want and get ready for some wet lovin's when they want to get momma wet too!

Our Favorite Lawn Games

We've become big fans of lawn games over the past couple of years. My hubby introduced us to a game called Kubb and made his own set for us to play. It can have up to 6 players per side (12 total) so this can turn into a fun group game if you are having a get together at your house. I'll include links here for an about the game, and a link here for a set you can buy. 

We also enjoyed making a ladder ball set last year (Instructions to make one here), and have already gotten it out a few times to play with friends. 

Corn hole and frisbee golf are other games we enjoy playing as a family. We try to let Little Man have it easier, but also try to include him as much as possible, so we can enjoy them together as a family. I love games like this promote a lot of good conversations...and often times those 'fails' make the best memories!

Outdoor Treats

There's nothing like a cold treat on a hot summer day. Popsicles are a go to, but they can often be full of sugar and dyes. I am linking some 100% juice ones here. We've been enjoying Mott's juice pops, but this is something pretty comparable.  You could also make your own if you are less lazy than me. I'll add some fun recipes to my Pinterest summer board that you can check out here!

If you have a fire pit, you can enjoy a warm treat as well! I have so many good memories of hot dog roasts and s'mores. There are so many more fire pit recipes out there you can use these days. Unfortunately we are unable to use one due to my husband's allergies. I am seriously considering investing in a grill, since we will be so much at home. My kids love eating outdoors and grills and fire pits make it even more fun for the adults!

I will be sharing more summer treats next week! What activities have you been enjoying outdoors?

Summer at Home: Fun Learning Activities

If you follow a traditional school year and are off for the summer, then you know that summer is a great opportunity for your kids to forget absolutely everything! This is why most textbooks spend the first week or so catching your kid up on the things they forgot during the summer. Knowing this to be the case, I have tried to come up with ways to keep Little Man learning, while not overwhelming him with too much 'school'. 

My original plan was to use this book to work in a little. Someone had given it to me, and unfortunately I didn't look closely inside and see that half the pages were already worked through! This meant I needed to get creative! Here are a few things that I am doing/going to do (we are getting a slow start to our summer. We are also working on getting some house projects done before baby #3 shows up in August!) during the summer to help keep the things Little Man has learned, fresh in his mind. 

Reading

My sister has created this adorable prize system for Little Man to get stickers for reading. Just like the library, every 10 minutes he colors or puts a sticker on a little picture, 3 pictures = a box, 3 boxes= a prize you draw from a box. She created prizes like a free sno cone from our local sno cone place, free shake from Sonic, free frosty from Wendy's etc. Unfortunately, unlike the library I have to pay for these prizes 😄 but it gives Little Man the Library summer club experience when he can't actually go to the library! 

During our reading time, I am encouraging him to pick one book to read himself, while I read for the remainder of the time. The older your kids are, the more books they can read on their own. I am hoping this helps him keep up his phonics and reading, without having to do any workbooks. I can still help him with new words and concepts, but organically while sitting down and reading with him. 

In my Amazon recommendations below, I am sharing some of my favorite books per level!

Summer baskets

If you follow me on Instagram, you know I did these last year. You can look and still find all the ones I did last year in my stories. For this I take a 'boredom basket' and fill it with themed books and activities. I normally added Science and picture books, puzzles, dry erase activity books, and any other item that would keep Little Man busy, but learning at the same time. I haven't put one together for this year yet (as I said, summer has come a little later for us this year) but I plan to for the new week. I'll share what I put together on Facebook and Instagram, so be sure and follow me there!

I am also adding some math activities, since I don't have a workbook for him to do. Activities will include adding a measuring tape for him to help us measure things in the areas we are working in the house, and perhaps even a measuring scavenger hunt to measure things around the house or outside. It can include games that promote adding and subtracting, as well as free worksheets I find online. 

In my Amazon recommendations below I am sharing my favorite books and activities to add to a boredom basket!

Journals

I haven't used these yet, but I've heard great things about these Thinking Tree journals. My siblings have used these as supplemental work or extra curricular work and have loved the inter-activeness of them. I think these would make great summer learning activities for both younger and older grades. You can get anything that fits your child's interest. It covers art, reading, thinking skills, etc.! They even make these things for Mom, so you can use it during your kids' downtime to get a little 'mother culture' learning yourself. 

Along these lines, lapbooks are a great way to make learning fun. You could pick a theme a week and make a lapbook to go along with that theme. It's one of those things that you can make as complicated or as simple as you want, and kids love exploring topics on their own. 

What will you be using to promote learning  this summer?