Shopkins Love and A Giveaway!

You must have heard of Shopkins by now.  It won toy of the year last year, and I won sucker mama of the year along with it.  Ever since it debuted in 2014 we've been collecting the damn things.

They are now on Season 5.  

I should've known the evil geniuses behind them would milk a good thing while it lasts.

Fast forward.  We now have 100+ extra Shopkins and am giving the whole lot of them away!

But first, let me share with you the sneaky ways they sparked more learning in our home.

What A Working Mom Misses Out On

I've been a stay-at-home mom for two months and counting. I haven't quit my job -- *breathe out, folks* -- I've just been on bed rest.  
It was Divine providence in many ways.  My body's stress signs were screaming for attention : shingles and early labor contractions became medical orders for isolation and complete bed rest.    A recipe to shut down.  And I did.  Except my guilt didn't when it hit me what I had been missing.

This is My Home Office Set-up. Seriously.

I thought I'd give you a laugh and show you where important business calls and global webex conferences happen when I work from home:

The Trouble with Arts and Crafts

I am so very jealous of all these crafty mamas of the Internet and Instagram showing off their children's art.  It makes me feel both inspired and inadequate!

I know they are meant well, but I end up expecting picture-perfect finished products from my daughter and feeling frustrated when things don't match the blog post.  After years of too many un-fun, high-effort sessions,  I've become desensitized to the eye-candy kid crafts on my feed. 

So here's an idea: how about we working mamas relax and let our kids take the lead?  

Valentines Game on the Hundred Board

One of the biggest challenges in this daily working mom juggle is finding the time and energy to play after getting home from the office.  That's why I leave-behind play trays ready in her room so inspiration and energy takes a lot less effort.  

This idea is Montessori-inspired and easy to do, which frankly are two things that don't often go together, in this lazy mama's opinion.  So I'm sharing this little hack with you to tweak for your preschooler or early elementary lovey.  We did this last year for Valentines:

If you haven't heard of the hundred board yet, don't leave this post.