Our NEW Website!!

We are so excited to announce that we are expanding our store from Etsy to our own website! 

To celebrate we are offering an AMAZING deal this week only!

Buy ANY Time for Tots Learning Kit (from our new site) and get the Summer Themed Kit FREE! 

So head over and join us while we party it up!  

I mean really.  Buy a kit and get one FREE?!

www.TimeforTotsLearningKits.com

Using Alphabet Drawers

Back in 2009, I created Alphabet Drawers for Maddie.  You can read about the initial process HERE.

I used a box from Lowe's (or maybe it was Home Depot?  Regardless, I think pretty much all hardware stores carry these plastic boxes for about $20).

Then, in 2010 I wrote about ways that we were using the tiny objects and drawers (she looks so young in those pictures!  Wah!!).

In 2011, Time for Tots started selling Tiny Objects collections, which means that every letter was sure to get an object!

And now, in 2012... We are really finding new ways to put those tiny objects to good use!

 I created an alphabet mat with pictures and Maddie has to match the letter card up to the picture.

She also dug through her tiny objects to match an object with a picture.

 We're learning about initial blends, matching pictures and tiny objects to the correct sounds.

 She loves matching tiny objects to the letter, too.

She likes it when I "trick" her by handing her a tiny object.  Then, she'll search the board to match the letter sound.

We started out doing this with initial letter sounds and then challenged her by doing final sounds (tricky but she totally caught on!).

All these printables, mats, and cards are now for sale in the shop!

*By the way, excuse the crazy hair and Angry Birds pajamas (aka Mike's shirt!).  As soon as she woke up and saw the new mats sitting out, she had to do them immediately!

Goals

The new year is here and I've been thinking a lot about the goals I have for 2012.  I'm a huge list maker, but I thought I'd share them on the blog, since I'd be more likely to look back on them here.  So, here they are:

1. Get back to bigger, better blogging.  I still do so many learning activities with Maddie, but I have completely dropped the ball with taking pictures, blogging, and sharing.  Plus, even though Grayson is only 7 months old, he's been getting in on the learning action lately and I want to share!

2. Improve at couponing.  Several months ago, I dipped my toe into the coupon waters and I became (almost instantly) hooked.  It's a rush when you save money or get items for free and I want to get better at it this year.

3. Create organizing solutions to problem areas.  There are so many spaces in our home that I'm just in love with, and they work so well for us.  But.  There are other areas that make my skin crawl and I'm determined to fix them this year (master bedroom closet, lower kitchen cabinets, master bathroom storage, and dun-dun-dun... the garage.  Yuck).

4. Go on more dates with my man.  We need to get a little selfish and just take the time for us.  We've got some really awesome gift cards burning a hole in my wallet and I want to use them!

5. More one-on-one time with Maddie.  We spend Grayson's nap times doing things together, but I want to make sure that we also have time out together.  She hates going to the post office with me, but we need to carve out more Mommy-Maddie dates.

6. Build my tutoring business and our store, Time for Tots.  God has definitely blessed me with both of these opportunities and I want to expand both of them.

7.  Take more risks.  Be it with decorating, cooking, fashion, or adventures... I want to see if I can take a risk or two.

8. Run?  I used to run Cross Country and I have such fond memories of it.  I'm forcing myself to channel those fond memories into motivation to get back to running.  I feel super out of shape and I want to fix that.

9. Slow down and enjoy my family.  Every Sunday I sit down with my calendar (now on my phone) and examine the week ahead.  Sometimes it is so packed with activities that I get tired before it's even started.  Grayson and Maddie are so little.  I want to enjoy this season of our lives and just slow down.  I'm not good at slowing down.

I think that's it.  At least, that's where I'll stop.  I'm getting a little overwhelmed already and despite it being 11:00 at night, I'm itching to tear everything out of our kitchen cabinets and organize.  I'm pretty sure every other member of this family would be less than thrilled with my endeavors!  Ha!

Back to School... Almost

Despite me not posting about our activities, we have been doing them! But, I rarely have my camera nearby or when I do, I rarely have time to sit and post. Ha!

But, I recently made some fun activities for Maddie and since she's enjoyed them so much, I even turned them into a back to school kit for the store!

We've been working so hard on sight words and she's really starting to pick them up quickly! She loved playing Bingo with me.

Over and over and over again. :)

We've also been working on numbers greater than ten (both writing and recognizing) and this was a fun apple cover up (with glass pebbles, or "magic rocks" as Maddie calls them) helped us do just that.

A paint bag was perfect for practicing letters and she loves that it "magically" disappears!

I'm not sure what she likes more: tracing the lines on the pre-writing strips or erasing her work. Ha! The beauty of lamination and erasable markers. :)

The kit has even more activities, but alas, these were all the ones I photographed her doing. Hey, four out of seven isn't bad, right?! It helps that Grayson is napping (and has been for 3hours!).

Maddie starts pre-k next month and she is SO excited. She'll be going three mornings a week this year and I'm praying that it's a great experience for her!

March Madness at Time for Tots!

Last day!

Today is the last day of our March Madness sale and I wanted to let you all know, in case you were thinking of ordering!

If you enter the coupon code:

MARCHMADNESS2011

As you're checking out, you will get free shipping!

If you're a Kit of the Month Club subscriber, enter coupon code:

KOTMCMEMBERMARCH

And get 50% off your order (limit 2 kits)!

We'll run this promotion through midnight tonight, so hurry! It's a great way to get some kits with a big discount!

Visit our store HERE to shop!

Giveaway Winner, Big Sales and a Basketball Belly

A couple days of no blogging means that I've been busy! Just when I think that there's nothing left in the house to organize and clean, I find a whole new pocket of chaos. Lately, it's been our bedroom, Maddie's bedroom, Maddie's toys and her dress up clothes, too.

Anyway, all this cleaning leaves me incredibly tired, but equally as fulfilled. I love, love, love throwing things out, donating other things and living with less.

But now, I need to play catch up! First is the giveaway we hosted from Lillybug Lane! Thank you for all who entered! Maddie cut up little (and I mean LITTLE) bits of paper and I wrote numbers 1-24 on them (because we're scientific like that over here, haha). She drew one number...

And, the winning number was entry #13... which is...

Lori!

So Lori, email me and let me know which TWO fabric flower clips you want and I'll make sure they get to you. Congrats!

Second up is a reeeeeally amazing sale we're running over at Time for Tots.

Seriously, it's amazing.

From now until March 10th, you can get FREE SHIPPING on your order when you enter this code during checkout:

MarchMadness2011

We like to call it our own March Madness. :)

Plus, if you're a Kit of the Month subscriber, you have from now until March 10th to get 50% off any kit (limit 2). 50% off! What a deal, right?!

And finally, a picture.

A picture of the basketball I've been smuggling under my shirts. Ha!

{Forgive the mess behind me. I just donated a ton of Maddie's clothes they kind of took over our bedroom for a while.}

In good news, I passed my gestational diabetes test! Yay! Unfortunately, my blood pressure is low and my iron level is even lower, despite the supplements I've been on. But, I can handle all these things and was elated to not have gestational diabetes (since two of my great loves are Sprite and Skittles, haha).

And, despite the clock telling me that it's after 1am, Grayson is practicing his acrobatics and I'm wide awake. Doesn't a Sprite sound so good right now?! :)

Kit of the Month Club!!

Time for Tots is excited to announce our newest adventure, Kit of the Month Club!

What: An opportunity for you and your tot to receive an exclusive, monthly kit. These special kits are ONLY available through a subscription purchase. Each kit contains anywhere from 6-8 hands-on learning activities, perfect for ages 18 months and up.

Where: Subscriptions are available for purchase in our store, HERE.

When: You get to select the length of your subscription, with options being 3 months, 6 months, or a full year. For each month, you will receive one kit in the mail (with free shipping each time).

Why: You get the benefit of having a limited edition kit, mailed to your home, the first week of every month AND you get to utilize the free shipping we're offering through the subscription. Each kit is month appropriate, packed with games and activities that are relevant to major holidays or the specific season.

So, head over to our store, Time for Tots, and check it out!

Early Learning Kit

I know this is kinda... self-promoting... but I'm excited to share the newest kit over at Time for Tots: The Early Learning Kit!

One of our most popular kits is the Early Toddler Kit and this one follows suit with the type of young child activities.

There's everything from tonging to matching to opening and closing tiny drawers...

But, it is limited edition because of the amount of supplies we were able to buy.

So, if you've enjoyed the Early Toddler kit, this one may be the perfect follow up for you and your tot! Or, if you're looking for a gift for a newly two or three year old child, this could be perfect!

Time for Tots Year End Report

Thank you so much for supporting me this year as we opened Time for Tots! I appreciate everyone that helped spread the word about our learning kits.

In addition to our holiday themed kits, here are the most frequently purchased kits of 2010:

Early Toddler Kit

Beginning Letter Sounds Kit

Little Scientist Learning Kit

Uppercase/Lowercase Alphabet Kit

Everything Fine Motor Skills Kit

Counting Kit

We have so many exciting ideas and plans for 2011. Thank you again for all of your encouragement and support!

Time for Tots Kit WINNER!

Wow, you guys BLEW us away with all of your support! We are so excited to see such a great response. We already love what we do but it makes us even happier to see that others are enjoying the kits, too!

So, without further ado, the winner of the 12 Days of Christmas Crafting Kit is...

Entry number... (I used THIS random number generator, even though Maddie insisted that number one million should win; haha)...18...

2ndheartmom!

Leave me a comment or shoot me an email, letting me know your email address and I'll get the kit in the mail as soon as you do! Congrats!!

And, thank you ALL for entering! Stay tuned because we'll be doing another giveaway, over on The Activity Mom real soon!

Giveaway: FREE Time for Tots Kit!!

How would you like to win our new 12 Crafts to Christmas Kit?? :)

Just look at all the crafts you and your tot could make together:

The best part (well, there are lots of best parts) is that everything you need, from scissors to glue to ribbon, is included.

Everything is also separated by activity, along with directions, making your craft time smooth, memorable and fun!

So, here's your chance to win one (this was originally a Facebook giveaway but it was brought to my attention that it is actually illegal to do a giveaway on Facebook; I mean, if you can afford the $10,000 fine they charge, then no worries! Ha!).

You have FOUR chances to win. Here's what to do:

1. Become a follower of this blog and leave a comment, letting me know that you (or that you have already been following).

2. Become a follower of my partner's blog, The Activity Mom, and leave a comment letting her know that you follow (or again, that you have already been following).

3. Head over to our Facebook page and become a fan! Leave a comment on this post and let me know that you did (or, that you already are a fan!).

4. Finally, visit our store and look around. Leave a comment on this post, letting me know which item is your very, very favorite! Our store is HERE.

How easy is that?!

This giveaway will close on Wednesday, November 3rd!!

Good luck!

Big Announcement!

I am SO excited to announce the opening of my new store,

Time for Tots!

The Activity Mom and I have teamed up to create kits that make learning fun. Our goal is to save moms time with organized, ready to go learning kits that include 5-8 hands-on, laminated activities. Each activity also comes with extra ideas so that you can really get the most for your money.

I hope that you'll stop by and check it out. We'd also really appreciate it if you passed our store name along to anyone else you know that might be interested. For a limited time, we're offering free shipping, too!

Here's a sneak peek...

Tiny Object Alphabet Kit

A Year of Grid Games

Colors Kit

Uppercase Alphabet Kit

Fine Motor Skills Kit

So, take a minute and stop by Time for Tots! We're constantly listing new kits, so don't forget to check often. Everything has been run by, and approved, by our own toddlers and preschoolers and we just know that your little ones will love them as well.

And, thank you! This has been such an exciting adventure for us!