Printable Grocery Shopping List for Kids

I go back and forth on the whole "taking kids grocery shopping" issue.  On one hand, it's an awesome, hands-on educational experience.  On the other hand, it's pure torture.  In our last town, grocery shopping was my mommy time.  I'd bring with my ipod and a coffee and leisurely meander through the store.  Here it seems like I'm not able to sneak in as much mommy time, so I usually have a kid or all three with (yes, three...Jeremy is just as bad at sneaking treats into the cart as the small children are).  :-)

So I decided it was finally time to make a picture shopping list for the kids.  I've been meaning to do it for awhile, and today was the day.  I put pictures of things we typically get on most shopping trips on the list...the basics: milk, eggs, bread, etc.  There is a little check box for me to mark if we need the item that time, a picture of the item and then the name of the item.  Even though Micah can't read yet, we try to put labels on EVERYTHING.  It's a simple way to promote literacy development and build connections between words and objects.

I laminated the list and put it on a clipboard.  I explained to Micah that as we shopped, he was in charge of making sure we got the items on his list and wiping the X off when we put it in the cart.  That kid has never been so excited to go shopping before!  He excitedly told daddy "I get to be the boss of these things and make sure we buy them!!!  I'm in charge!"

He took his role VERY seriously.  And it kept him so focused that he didn't once ask for anything off of the list or whine that it was taking too long.  It was actually enjoyable to go shopping with him!  We even got several comments from other shoppers that he was being a great helper and that they wish they had a personal shopping assistant too.  He was sooooo proud!

Checking to see if we need it

Yep!  Erasing it off his list.

Here's a pdf copy of the list.  If you want me to email you the Word copy, just send me a message with your email address.  That way you can switch out the items that you want on it, but have a starting place.

Kids' Printable Grocery List

Liliana's First Day of School

Okay, let me preface this post by saying, before I had children...I seriously judged any stay-at-home mom who sent her kids to daycare/preschool.  Ummm....aren't you staying home because you want to spend time with your children?  Why would you pay someone to watch them when you can do it yourself?

And then I had Liliana.

I've learned many things from parenting this child...one of which is never say never.  "I'll never use the television as a babysitter."  HA!  "I'd never allow my kids to eat sugary snacks before dinner."  Heck yeah I will, if it means they're quiet for long enough for me to cook.  "I'd never give into a tantrum just because we're in a public place."  Yeah...right. 

So on that note, Liliana had her first day of preschool today!  We decided she needed to go to preschool two days a week for a few hours, to help her work on her social and emotional growth.  There's only so much mommy can do with her from home and playdates.  She really needs a structured group setting, away from mom, where they tell her where to play and what to do and she HAS to follow directions and listen.  Plus, Micah has been getting the short end of the stick lately, since Liliana requires so much attention...so now he has special Mommy time!  And let's face it, Mommy needs a break!  So win/win/win!

She did not want to go and was crying about it this morning when we woke up.  But the more we talked about it, the more she seemed to accept it and be okay with it.  And she actually had a GREAT time!

Here she is all ready for her first day!

She has her very own cubby to hang her coat/backpack in.

The teachers said she did great at following directions and was even "helping" correct the other kids when they weren't following directions.  I bet she was.  :-P  When I did daycare, she would knock the other toddlers over the the ground and yell "IT'S TIME TO CHANGE YOUR DIAPER!!!!"  She has...well, let's call it "leadership qualities."  One of the many skills I'm hoping preschool will help her refine.

When we went to pick her up, she was busy playing and in a great mood.  She told us all about her day.  She got to help carve a pumpkin and said that the pumpkin guts were slimy.  She had cold hands on the playground, so the teacher shared some gloves with her.  She played with other kids at the toy kitchen and she learned a new song.  When we walked in to pick her up, she was playing at the science table.  She seemed very eager to go back next week! 

 

And Micah and I had a great time having alone time!  Sometimes, I get so busy with keeping the kids out of trouble and getting housework done, that I don't really get to enjoy them and the little things that make them special.  It was good catching up with my son and really taking in all of the unique ways in which he's my Micah.

All in all, a pretty successful day!

Collage Time!

I've been really, REALLY slacking on the projects with the kids lately.  They've been perfectly happy spending time in our "writing center" (post to come another time) creating their own art with printer paper, markers, scissors and glue.  So I haven't really been doing anything formal with them...but today, Micah asked first thing for a project.  What do you do when it's too early in the morning to think of anything creative or elaborate?  Collage time!

I gave the kids big construction paper pumpkins and grabbed a bunch of bags of craft supplies...gems, colored noodles, foam shapes, stickers, buttons, etc.  They've been really into gluing lately...especially Liliana (who recites "just a dot, not a lot" the whole time).  If your kids are too young glue, or just for a change of pace, you can use clear contact paper.  Just cut a frame/outline of a shape out of construction paper and stick it on the contact paper, then cut around it, and put it sticky side up in front of your kiddo.  It's also great for doing "stained glass windows" with tissue paper.

They worked really hard for a long time!  This is all you get to see of Liliana because she was wanting to create her art in a natural state this morning.  ;-)  She just learned how to write the letter L, and added L's all over her pumpkin.  I've been trying to teach it to her for a long time and she'd just get mad at me and want to do it her way...then all of a sudden at church yesterday, she says "down, over.  down, over.  down, over." and I check out her paper and she's writing perfect L's!!!!  So apparently, she listens when I talk to her even if she isn't following my directions at the time.

Collages may be a low prep craft project, but they take a long time to clean up after.  So much stuff!

I try to hang onto things I think might be good for collages in plastic bags or containers and keep them in one place to pull out quickly.  Beans, feathers, sequins, ribbon scraps, spare photos, pom poms, etc.  You can also use a muffin tin to put a few of each item in, in case your child is in a dumping phase and you don't want all of your stuff mixed together.

Pumpkin Carving

Tonight was our pumpkin carving night!  Every year, I have these great visions of family fun...all of us happily carving away at the dining table, laughing and enjoying the moment.  Why haven't I caught on that stuff never goes that well with kids!?!?!

It started off well....all excited to carve our three pumpkins.

They were VERY enthusiastic scoopers.

We put the scooped goop in a bin for a mini sensory table.  My sensory-seeking girl LOVED it.  We gave her chopsticks (her idea), the little plastic scooper thing from the pumpkin kit and some measuring cups to explore with.

Then it all went downhill.  The kids wanted Phineas and Ferb themed pumpkins.  (Here are a whole bunch of Disney themed printable pumpkin patterns.)  Anytime you're cutting something out besides a simple triangle/square face, it's not going to be a kid-friendly activity.  Liliana was happy with the pumpkin gunk for about 15 minutes while Micah watched an episode of Phineas and Ferb to get into the spirit.  But the next 2 hours worth of carving (yes, 2 hours!!!) was spent with us taking turns carving the pumpkins and breaking up fights between the kids.

They turned out super cute though!

Here's Phineas:

Ferb:

And I know what you're thinking "Hey, where's Perry?" 

Oh, there you are Perry.

I desperately wanted a Dr. Doofenshmirtz pumpkin, since he's my very favorite...but we couldn't find a pattern.  My hand is insanely cramped right now, but it's worth it!  At least we don't have to do this again until next year...and by then I'm sure the kids will be ready for it to be a really fun, enjoyable family night.  Right?  ;-)

Car Kit

It's a huge milestone all parents come to look forward to:  the day you know longer need to carry a diaper bag!  But odds are, even after the diaper changing days are over (or after you discover to just throw a diaper in your purse), you'll still need access to a change of clothes or extra snack from time to time.

We have a car kit in our van for just those situations.  Micah spilled his lemonade on himself at church just the other day and I quick ran out to the van and got him new clothes, thanks to our car kit!  The kids were extra whiny after going to the Farmer's Market because they were thirsty, but I had a bottle of water for just such emergencies, thanks to our car kit!  Band-aids?  Got em!  Wet wipes?  Got em!  Whatever the emergency, the car kit is your answer.

Yay for car kits!!!

Here's what's in ours:

Snacks for the kids and us and a bottle of water (I should really add a couple more of those.)

A Ziploc filled with sunscreen, lotion, hand sanitizer, lysol, etc. and a travel size first aid kit

Wet wipes and antibacterial wipes

Two complete sets of clothes for each kid, one shorts and short sleeve outfit, underwear and socks and one long sleeve and pants outfit.  Be sure to coordinate so you can mix and match short and long as needed.  This has come in handy so many times not only for spills or accidents, but also if we dress for the wrong kind of weather or if we stop by a PlayPlace and need socks.

Be sure you restock your kit whenever you use something from it, so that you're never stranded.  We keep ours in the very back, so the kids don't know to ask for snacks, etc. all the time...it's only for those dire emergencies when we can't take the whining any longer.   They think I just magically produce this stuff from thin air.

What else would you find useful in a car kit???  I'd love some more ideas!  Of course, then I'd need a bigger container.  ;-)

DIY Scarecrow

As previously mentioned, I LOVE fall.  Especially fall decorations.  There are sooooo many cute ideas on Pinterest for fall that I could easily spend a fortune at Hobby Lobby getting our house all festive!  But, could I just as easily decorate without spending a dime???

Yep!

Meet Max!  Max is our new scarecrow buddy that we made out of stuff around the house.  We stuffed some old clothes with some thin old blankets (because we didn't have any straw or newspaper on hand), sewed a face and a hat out of some fabric scraps and set him up on a chair.  $0.  The kids LOVED helping with it!  And every time we go out to get the mail or drive away from our house, they say "Hi Max!!!"  The pumpkins and gourds are courtesy of our parents' gardens.  $0.  Corn stalks were given to us by a church member who farms.  $0. 

Inside our house, Micah has been decorating up a storm.  He's been coloring pictures of pumpkins, ghosts, and bats and hanging them on the wall.  He also decided to make some "streamers" to decorate the door leading up to their bedrooms.  He worked so darn hard on those streamers, and kept setting off to make more and more and finally I just said, "Honey, why don't we just buy some streamers for you to decorate with."  And he said, "Well, you could.  But why buy something when you can make it for free?"  Love that boy!!!  While saving money AND having a cute home is great, teaching your children the joy of being thrifty is priceless!

Micah's "streamers."  He's so proud!  And those little dots on the wall behind are the tiny pumpkins he made leading up the staircase.

Fall Fun!

I love fall!  It's my favorite season!  Fall in Iowa meant corn mazes....lots and lots of corn mazes.  Fall in Wisconsin means corn mazes too, but also tons of apple orchards and pumpkin patches.  I think there are enough where we could go to a different one every weekend.

Last weekend, we checked out a pumpkin patch.

The first thing the kids did was ducky races.  I loved all of the free activities to do!  They had scarecrow decorating, a corn box (like a sandbox only with corn), and a HUGE playground that was really fun!

 

They also had a lot of photo ops of course!

The kids loved walking through the pumpkin patch and singing their pumpkin song (I won't post it here because it will be stuck in your head FOREVER!...Thank you very much Barney!)

The big thing around here is apple cider donuts.  Everyone is crazy about them!  I have to say, I thought they were really overrated after trying them at this place….and then we went to an apple orchard yesterday….OMG!  Their apple cider donuts were incredible!!!  So incredible that cars were backed up for 40 minutes to get in, you had to stand in line for another 20 minutes to get into the building where the donuts are, and another 15 more to get your donuts once inside....worth it?  Not sure.  But they were darn good!

Besides the donuts, the kids also enjoyed the other activities, despite the large crowds.  They went on a wagon ride with Nana!

Micah loved the maze they had set up!  I liked it better than the corn mazes because I could see him at all times.

Liliana was obsessed with the mums everywhere.  She kept bending down to sniff them.  So cute!

On the way home, we stopped by our church friends' house to visit their baby pigs.  Oh my goodness!  So very, very sweet!!!!  

    

We're savoring each moment of fall glory before the long months of winter come.