Toddler Life

What We Are Loving Lately!

~ Sabrina @ Fit Coffee Mom ~ Leave a comment

Hello, hello!

Dropping by to share some of some new finds, a new bed for the toddler and other favorites. Let’s go!

Through trial and error, we’ve realized Sammy has a wheat intolerance, [just like her mom]. I spotted these at Big Lots and purchased the chocolate and cinnamon ones. 34471821_10103432996229900_6165704515828842496_nThey are pretty delicious for gluten-free cookies.

Products have come a long way since I found out almost 10 years ago that I had the intolerance.

I spotted this protein bar one day in Walmart and I had to give it a go. I knew it would totally NOT taste like cake. img_5494They are sweeter then the other thinkThin bars I’ve tried and it’s perfect for a sweet tooth without the guilt! 😉

This infant/ toddler swing has been fantastic. 33940791_10103427890382060_4905422486817996800_nThe swing set we purchased had two “big kid” swings and Sammy just isn’t a fan yet (although she knows how to use them).34499434_10103432995361640_695666040595546112_n It’s big enough for her and good side for the babies!

Speaking of babies, they have been teething like crazy and loving the Happy Baby teething wafers. These were Sammy’s favorites too! 35749730_10103446684089320_7340758764301058048_nWe were planning on moving the toddler and Harrison into bunk beds in a year but for some reason, Sammy has grown like a million few inches and the toddler bed just became to short for her. 35686998_10103446537019050_5102733520619438080_nI found this twin loft bed on Wayfair on sale. It was not too bad to put together (and I did it alone) and took under an hour total time.35532005_10103444147951760_8152447896084545536_nI was worried that she wouldn’t be able to get in and out well but with her toy chest being next to the ladder, it adds a extra step. 35660829_10103446536949190_8136087549610295296_nWe opted not to put the slide because I just don’t see how with an energetic toddler, things go well!

My husband purchased this essential oil diffuser for me a while ago, but I totally love it. My current favorite combo to diffuse is a little lavender with Eucalyptus.34508496_10103432996993370_6644250575108046848_n If the babies are being fussy or I want to have a relaxing cleaning sesh, this stuff is my go to!

Hope everyone is having a great week! See ya’ll on the next post. 🙂

 

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“Day In The Life” – Mommy of THREE Under THREE!

~ Sabrina @ Fit Coffee Mom ~ 1 Comment

It took me six months to produce this post… why?

Oh you know because #momlife!33961285_10103427946429740_741801454007746560_nInitially I had planned to write it out when the twins turned three months old, but things just got hectic as I mentioned in my previous post.

Everyday is NOT like this by any means, but it gives you an idea of what we do!

My husband has 3 very long days where I am where the kiddos between 10-13 hours solo. For today I am sharing you a sample of that day… bear with me, it’s a long one!

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5:45am: Harry wakes up!

6:00am: Ally wakes up! Once both twins are up, the husband and I get them changed, fed and ready for the day.

6:30am: Sammy wakes up and hops into bed with us.

She’ll bring her rag doll and snuggle into out bed anywhere from about 10-20 minutes depending on her [toddler] mood.

7:00am: Make coffee…33867813_10103426852566850_7569210248028749824_n.jpg7:45am: Breakfast for the toddler. Breakfast has become quick and simple; sometimes it’s peanut butter and fruit, other times a small bowl of cereal with berries.

Some days this mom has cereal, other times it has been into oats, berries, sunflower and chia seeds. Delish!IMG_20180105_091022_398 - Copy 8:15am: Once we are done with breakfast, I get Sammy cleaned up and ready for the day.

8:30am: The twins will usually take their first nap at around 8:30-8:45am. They hang in the kitchen with Sammy and I while we eat breakfast.

9:00am: Toddler Independent Play. 33710707_10103426852851280_4696664686567882752_nI set my phone timer for about 30 minutes minutes and I’ll use this time to usually get the kitchen cleaned up, get some bottles prepped and start the laundry.34037556_10103426852656670_1396123933253566464_n9:30am: Toddler Structured Activity: This can be anything; whether it’s practicing counting, a craft or learning [outside] through nature.

As long as it’s something we are both doing the activity together

.10:00am: Snack and Play. The twins get up between 9:45 and 10:00 from their first nap, so I like to let Sammy eat a snack while I get the twins changed and fed.

10:30am: Once everyone is up (or sometimes a bit before, if we had an earlier start to the day), we play outside in the yard before lunch.33940791_10103427890382060_4905422486817996800_n12:30pm: Twins Second Nap. 33574477_10103425293850530_165597841396334592_oIn general, the twins have managed to nap before Sammy’s nap which is great!33780757_10103426852786410_1252215642342293504_n12:45pm: Lunch time for the toddler! This day she did a PB sandwich + crackers with blackberries, raisins and some Snapea Crisps.20180109_155034After lunch, we’ll usually watch a show to unwind after playing all morning.

1:45pm: Naptime for Sammy.34069030_10103427967737040_1726531846029705216_nI get the kitchen cleaned up [post lunch], switch the laundry and try to sneak a workout in (I used Pure Barre on Demand). 33965481_10103427908875000_4725409107383681024_n If there is still time before Sammy wakes up, I’ll watch something on Netflix, blog or catch up on YouTube videos while I have a post-workout snack!34137616_10103427890581660_6952416291072245760_n2:30-3:00pm: Twins wake up from nap.

3:30pm: Sammy is up!

The twins have been on a Mother Goose Club kick, but Sammy requested to watch Cars while we did some potty training (joy).33866553_10103426852616750_5872482425606504448_n3:45pm: Sammy is usually hungry after her nap, so I give her a quick snack. These are actually pretty delicious.34029284_10103427890651520_8708483935706808320_n 5:00pm: I clean up the living room, get any laundry folded while the twins play on the rug and Sammy in her room.33816537_10103426853000980_310251395032809472_nAfter Sammy plays for a bit, I’ll have her help me clean her room up before dinner.33962109_10103426852936110_1732429720890376192_n6:30pm: I was exhausted by the time dinner came around this night. We ate outside had eggs plus some Good Food Made Simple waffles.

7:00pm: Bedtime for the twins! We alternate who gets a bath between twins and Sammy. We uses THESE wipes for quick “showers.”

I wanted to get the twins to bed before Sammy so we could enjoy some one on one time. Sometimes they are up til 8 but most times, they are down by 7:30pm.

7:15pm: Bath time for Sammy. 🙂

7:30pm: Quiet time begins (this is her old bed!).20180107_183003 - Copy8:15-8:45pm: Bedtime for the toddler!

I’ll spruce up the house then relax for the rest of the evening while I wait for Pat to come home from work.

11:00pm: Bedtime for mama… there are plenty of days that I fall asleep around 9:00pm. Being a mom of three UNDER three is way more EXHAUSTING then being pregnant with a toddler. 

That’s a wrap on this “day in the life of” of mom of THREE under THREE. Our schedule* is not always perfect, but we try to have a routine of some sort to get us through the day.

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*Note: we don’t follow a particular “schedule” on Saturdays (aka family days) or Playschool days.

Our 5 Favorite Toddler Learning Toys

~ Sabrina @ Fit Coffee Mom ~ Leave a comment

When I hit my 30 week mark of pregnancy, doing active or outdoor activities with Sammy became extremely difficult.

I always had “learning time” planned in her day but it was definitely increased since it was easier to sit with her on the floor or table and do activities.I went through various toys and such that she had for learning ABC’s, 123’s, etc. and wanted to share with you guys my favorite ones!

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  1. Leapfrog Lappup: I have mentioned this “laptop” before (there is a actually a newer model) but she use to play with it to listen to the songs setting. Now she likes the ABC setting and repeats the letters. Some letters she will even associate the word such as “F is for Fish.”22730048_10103208240582020_7401522389758979835_n
  2. ABC Magnetic Letters: My mom gave us these letters but you can purchased them anywhere (Walmart sells them cheap).
    • On the fridge I have the letters that she knows (except for E, she will say D or F). She already had ABCD down, so I added a letter every couple of days.
    • We’ll repeat and go over them in order or I will pick and choose a letter out of order to make sure she does know it.
  3. Melissa & Doug Puzzles: These puzzles have been great for Sammy to learn her numbers and ABCs. However, I found the magnetic letters have worked better for her ABC learning but I do like using the puzzle to change it up.Sam
    • Her numbers is a different story. She knows them quite well (though 6, 8 & 9 she’ll mix up sometimes) and this puzzle has been the reason! I will do the same concept as the letters of going in or out of order. abc
    • I also like to use some of her favorite things such as her mini Trolls or french fries to practice counting.
  4. Melissa & Doug Shape Sorter: Not only is this one portable, it has been a favorite for quite a while (maybe since she was 10-12 months old). At first she was using it to learn colors, but now we use it to practice shapes and, of course, sorting.toy
    • She pretty much knew all the shapes except for oval, diamond and semi-circle so we’ve been able to work on those!
  5.  Flash Cards: There are so many kinds of flash cards ranging from $1 to over $10. We use ones from Dollar Tree; they always have some kind in numbers, letters, shapes, first words and so forth. 20170912_153340We also have ALEX Toys ones that she got for her birthday but they are still a tad too advanced for her, but we will use them here and there.
    20171126_175549

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Sammy is two years old (and few months). As I mentioned, some of items toys she’s had since she was around 12/18 months old but now plays with them in different ways.

I always looked for toys that had a wide range because I knew it was something that would last. Be sure to check out some previous toddler posts: