NURTURE Motherhood

Tot School with Grey - 18 months

3/5/2018

I officially got my stuff together long enough to do my first Tot School post.

Hooray!

A daily activity we started at 15 months, Grey and I have been working this into our schedule for the past four months, every day during the week, except for taking a week off during Christmas. My first post, I'll just start off with the basics, what we've done so far, how I've felt it's helped us and where we plan to take it in the future.

You Can Follow Me On Instagram To Watch Us Every Week

What Is It?
Tot School is a way to introduce your young toddler to structured learning and play time. It involves simple themes tailored to your child's abilities and interests.

I never force anything on Grey, as he is still so young I don't feel like any of this is a "necessity" right now as I follow much of the Montessori way. I let him lead and he seems to really enjoy it and thrive on a curriculum.

Why Tot School?
I introduced Tot School for three reasons.

1. As Grey got to be more active, I wanted a way to break up our day and give us, not only activities to bond us, but to grow his learning, while waiting for daddy to come home.

2. I saw that he naturally was progressing well with speaking, and picking up concepts, and I wanted to enhance his daily learning experiences with an actual lesson. And these lessons we work on all week.

3. Due to my view of the school system and our family's personal beliefs on certain topics, I very well may homeschool beyond preschool. Tot School is a good way to prepare me to work on curriculum, organization of a class environment for Grey and patience when it comes to teaching a younger mind.

Curriculum + Themes
Currently on Week 19, we have been having fun mixing it up week by week. Now that I see that Grey is grasping concepts easier and easier, and as his attention span increases, we now do TWO themes most weeks, breaking it up into one activity in the AM around 10, and the other around 3-4 after nap. I primarily search for craft ideas on Pinterest, books from Amazon and the library and more educational based activities from the local teacher resource store and choose our themes based on what I feel like he's about to really take off with or may need help with. Read below to see the themes we've already worked with and what we have coming up this Spring.

Themes And Activities Weeks 1-19

Week 1 // Pumpkins
Painted pumpkins, Pumpkin shaped quesadillas, Pumpkin Muffins, books on Halloween and a cute book about an adventurous pumpkin seed.
Week 2 // Monsters
Create-A-Monster craft, watched Super Monsters, made construction paper monsters, Pinecone Spiders, Halloween Sensory Bin, bat shaped pancakes
Week 3 // Colors
Basic books on colors, focusing on one color a day. Focused more strongly on fall colors, painting with red, orange, yellow and brown.
Week 4 // Food
Activities: For food, we have Grey help more in the kitchen for hands on Montessori learning. We also read books on food and play kitchen.
Week 5 // Thanksgiving
Activities: foam turkey craft, finger painted with fall colors, had Grey help in the kitchen with Thanksgiving food
Week 6 // Shapes
Activities: Shape sorter, focused on one shape per day, books on shapes
Week 7 // Winter
Activities: Make your own snow, TV show episodes on snow/winter, winter books,
Week 8 // Christmas
Activities: felt Christmas tree play, paint an ornament, build a snowman craft kit,
Week 9 // Off For Family Time
Week 10 // Off For Christmas

Week 11 // Dinosaurs
Dinosaur books, Dinosaur sticker book play, hand print dinosaur
Week 12 // Colors
Rainbow sugar cookies, Color books, Pom Pom sorting,
Week 13 // Animals
Read many animal books, field trip to the zoo, named all animal toys for Grey to repeat, animal color pages, habitat felt mat
Week 14 // Off For Travel
Week 15 // Valentines
Taped paint canvas, painted construction paper hearts, heart shaped pancakes
Week 16 // Valentines
Write and send valentines, pom pom heart gluing, valentine's cupcakes
Week 17 // Opposites + Habitats
Opposite books, silverware tray animal habitat, animal graham crackers, soft/hard box, opposite word printables
Week 18 // Desert / Arizona
Cactus pet rocks, Desert animals habitat, desert coloring pages, nature walk in the desert,
Week 19 // Counting
Fingerprint flowers, Fingerprint Caterpillars, Books on counting, pom pom counting

What We Have Planned For Spring 2018
Themes to watch for this Spring/Summer! Also, moving forward, more of the crafts, books and activities will be linked to printables, how-to's and more.

Arctic animals, Ocean, Weather, Emotions and Feelings, Spring, Gardening, Farming, Bugs, Alphabet, Easter, Summer, St. Patricks Day, Jungle Animals, Farm Animals and so much more!

FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM AND SEE OUR TOT SCHOOL LIVE IN ACTION EACH WEEK!

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What Grey Ate - 11 Months

7/27/2017

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This month has brought on A LOT of new tastes to little man's palette and many more opportunities for him to sample foods outside of the house. This has made going out, and bringing him along on our date nights, much more fun and easy.

Not having to bring so much external food from home makes it easier to be spontaneous and I'm thankful he is eating so many fruits, vegetables, healthy oils and meats now because we can order something for him at almost any restaurant I can eat at.

He's moved to having lunches and dinners that are unique to what we are having, so moving forward you will see separate breakfast, lunch and dinner sections for even more meal ideas.

We also introduced, GLUTEN. (insert shocked gasps here), for many reasons, that I will talk about in next months post, but you will see some bread included in the meals below.

*Note that these are the meals he's served from breakfast, lunch and dinner. He also gets two-three snacks a day. Snacks include apple slices, pear slices, organic teething cookies, organic puffs and vegetable based baby food purees

breakfasts

My sweetheart chowing down on waffles and fruit

Oat Flour Belgian Waffle (GF), Blubes and Blueberry Oatmeal

Hardboiled Egg Yolks, GF Blueberry Muffin and Strawberries

Puffys, Raspberry Banana Oatmeal and Bananas

Organic Egg Yolks, Watermelon and Avocado

Organic Egg Yolks, Blubes + Chicken Apple Sausage

Banana Bread, Strawberries and Egg Yolk

lunches

Turkey and Primal Avocado Oil Mayo on Organic Udi's Kids Wheat Bread (I cut it into tiny cubes), Blubes and Peas.

Turkey lunch meat, Peas, Peaches and Jelly on a Cassava Coconut Tortilla

Roasted Chicken, Pears and Avocado

Turkey Lunch Meat, Avocado and Leftover Campfire Hashbrowns

Leftover GF/Vegan Pizza, Blubes and Broccoli

Sweet Potato, Turkey Lunch Meat, Olives and Avo

Puffys, Ground Turkey, Avocado and Strawberries

Chicken Apple Sausage, Baked Potato, Blubes and Avocado

Turkey Lunch Meat, Avocado, Freeze Dried Berries

dinners

Chipotle cilantro lime rice, avocado and black olives

GF Pasta in veggie puree sauce, peas and freeze dried apples

GF Chicken Nuggets, Green Beans and Pear

Turkey Burger (that I shredded), bread, peas and carrots

GF Pasta with veggie puree as sauce, blueberries and avocado

Shredded chicken, avocado, potato and freeze dried apple cinnamon apples as "dessert"

Coconut Aminos "Teriyaki" Chicken, White Rice and Broccoli

Spanish Rice, Ground Turkey, Avo and Bread for Taco Tuesday

Gnocchi in Sweet Potato Puree and Green Beans

Sweet Potato cut into shapes, peas, carrots and his "smoothie" because Mr. Charming and I got Jamba Juice.

Leftover rice from Chipotle, Shredded Chicken and Peaches

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What Grey Ate - 10 Months

6/25/2017

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As we dive deeper into Baby Led Weaning, I thought it would be fun to share the meals that little man enjoys. He's got SUCH an appetite and it's no surprise he's our child, since he's a foodie through and through. We stick to organic, healthy choices for him, and as of yet he's still dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free and pretty much Top 8 Free. We are going slow with introductions and now that he's almost 1, we will be introducing more and more for variety and nutrition.

I've posted some photos of the meals I put together for him, and I plan to share along the way, leading up to toddler meals. These are the meals he's currently enjoying at 10 months of age.

I would love your ideas too! If you have some great infant or toddler food or meal ideas, feel free to share. Any recipes of a specific dish I make for him, I will link to the recipe here on NoshandNurture.com!

*Note that these are the meals he's served from breakfast, lunch and dinner. He also gets two-three snacks a day. Snacks include apple slices, pear slices, organic teething cookies, organic puffs and vegetable based baby food purees.

breakfasts

Pancakes
Before we started having more egg-based breakfasts, I experimented with baking with eggs. He loved my oat flour pancakes with a little fruit spread. (I let him try one with a little pure maple syrup, one of the only times he's had sugar)

Banana Bread and Oatmeal Puree
Another puree "yogurt" (this one is raspberry, GF oats and banana) so that he could practice spoon skills. I also baked a batch of my Banana Bread, so he got a square of it which I broke into small cubes for him to pick up with his fingers and chew easily.

Eggs & Fruit
Blueberries are his FAVORITE right now. He would eat a whole clamshell if I let him. So organic blueberries (I halve them before serving), organic pears and hardboiled egg yolks are an easy go to this summer. I use hardboiled eggs, because I found he likes the consistency of hard boiled yolks over scrambled.

Fruit Purees and Puffys
Since we are holding off on dairy, I use baby fruit purees as his "yogurt". This was an organic strawberry banana mix that he enjoyed with some Happy Baby Organic Puffs. (I choose those because they have the least amount of ingredients, they are organic and they don't contain folic acid. More on that another time.)

Egg Yolk, Pear & Puffs
Most mornings he enjoys 1-3 items and now that we do egg and beans, I like to try to give him protein at 2 out of his 3 meals to keep his tummy full without overwhelming his still delicate digestive system. This was organic hard boiled egg yolk, organic pear and puffs.

Scrambled Eggs and Breakfast Potato
My husband and I had scrambled eggs and hashbrowns with ketchup, and I try to model most of his meals after ours so we share a "family meal". Grey's breakfast was scrambled egg yolks (we have not introduced whites yet as they are more allergenic) and a smashed plain baked potato with carrot puree as his "ketchup".

lunches + dinners

Taco Night
We did "Taco Tuesday" and I wanted Grey to be able to join in. So for him he got plain ground turkey, a half of an avocado and I made him a black bean quesadilla with smashed black beans and a Coconut + Cassava tortilla.

Protein + Fats
Avocado is this little mans jam. I paired it with black beans and scrambled egg yolk for a protein pack lunch of leftovers.

Meat + Potatoes
I pick up organic rotisserie chickens often as they are SO easy to share and always a soft, baby-friendly texture. I shredded 1/4 of a chicken and served it with cubed sweet potato. We had the same thing and I love showing him that we eat as a family!

The Perfect Mix
I love when I can give him a carb, protein, fat and fruit. I rarely give fruit with meat due to all the research that it's hard on the gut, but occasionally when we need a big lunch for a play or swim date I pile on all the food. haha. This mix was organic jasmine rice, avocado, pear and organic chicken breast shredded.

Sandwich Alternative
Since we have not introduced any type of bread yet, (still researching) for lunches, I have been sharing my turkey lunch meat with Greyson and he loooooooves it. I only give him organic, nitrate free by True Story Foods or Applegate but its a definite go to when I want him to get a full belly. I pair it with avocado and applesauce for a traditional kids lunch.

On The Go
When we're on the go, I pack up easy to feed finger foods. We were going to look at our new house, so I packed up some banana bread and avocado for carbs + healthy fat to keep him full until dinner.

Veggies Upon Veggies
Black Beans, Peas and Carrots make a nutritious lunch and he loves being able to pick up all the items.

The Randoms
Some days are just RANDOM leftovers from the meal prep before things go bad, haha. Black beans, turkey and pears.

Baked Potato Night
Mr. Charming and I were doing stuffed baked potatoes, so for Grey he got a baked potato and steamed broccoli and carrot puree to add another veggie and give him potato a "sauce" if it was to dry.

Pasta Night
One of my favorite dishes for him, because he looooved it. Rice pasta cooked real soft tossed with peas, organic turkey and some leftover sweet potato. A little carb heavy, but I've noticed this kid can EAT and dinner he takes in most of his calories.

when we're out

The beauty of eating clean, whole foods, is that Grey can usually eat some of what I order.

When traveling in Long Beach, we stayed at the Westin and for breakfast I ordered scrambled eggs, gluten free toast and avocado.

I shared my avocado with Grey, ordered him a side of bananas and brought a puree pouch of baby food to round out his meal.

Mama + baby were satisfied. Done and done!

Keep an eye out for What Grey Ate, every month on Nosh and Nurture! And as always I'd love to hear your feedback and what you're feeding your littles.

I also share a lot of our mealtimes, and more, on my Instagram Stories, so if you're over there, follow along! Find me @noshandnurture.

Baby Led Weaning - 10 Month Old - Nosh and Nurture

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Save on Pampers This Weekend

6/9/2016

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As you all know I am already a Pampers mama. I not only adore the actions they've taken to provide hypoallergenic options for sensitive babies, which if Baby P is anything like his or her mama, will be, but the customer service I've received in speaking directly with them has been phenomenal and makes me feel like a valued mama every time.

I get to share something special with you fellow Pampers mom's who currently use diapers or training pants. And if you're not currently a Pampers user, the coupon coming out this weekend will make it worth trying.

Since June is National Potty Training Month, I've partnered with Pampers to tell you about an offer you can find in your Sunday paper THIS WEEKEND, on June 12th, 2016.

There will be a coupon offer for $3 off two bags or one box of any Pampers Diapers or Pampers Training Pants. So put on a hot pot of coffee, feed the kiddos breakfast and get out the scissors as you kick back, relax and peruse the paper while getting your savings.

Being a manufacturers coupon, you can use the coupon at any grocery, mass retail or discount store where diapers are sold. If you are new to Pamper's there are many options to choose from in the Pamper's line -

Pampers Swaddlers
Pampers Cruisers
Pampers Baby Dry
Pampers Easy Ups
Pampers Under Jams
Pampers Splashers

I will be sharing a Print-At-Home coupon as well all this week through this weekend, follow me on Twitter @NoshandNurture and Facebook @NoshandNurture to grab it and print it!

For more information on Pampers diapers and training pants, visit http://www.pampers.com

Or visit Pamper's on social media -
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Pampers)
Twitter (https://twitter.com/Pampers)
YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/Pampers)

Do you currently use Pampers? Which ones are your favorite? I stocked up on the Pampers Sensitive for when I bring Baby P home this summer but would love your feedback!

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Forward>>

Tot School with Grey - 18 months

What Grey Ate - 11 Months

breakfasts

lunches

dinners

What Grey Ate - 10 Months

breakfasts

lunches + dinners

when we're out

Save on Pampers This Weekend

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