Jump Start Reading

With all the TV, video games, and smart phone apps out there, it's hard to get kids to pick reading over screen time. One of the best ways parents can encourage their children to read is to read to them and with them. Here are a few tips to get your little ones started right from the get-go so they will love to read before they realize how cool screens are (because let's face it, screens are cool).

Itty Bitties
Make reading tactile. Mary Kate Frank & Rachael Taaffe, of Scholastic Parents, recommend, "Urg[ing] babies to touch and turn the pages. Also mime actions (like eating), and use toys as props." Using books with tactile elements will help to keep them engaged. It will also continue to increase the development of their senses. Also, pick books that are relevant to your child. By selecting something that applies to their everyday activities, like riding in the car, learning to use the potty, holidays your family celebrates, they will understand the material better because they have similar experiences. 

Reading Activity: Create a story bag for your child's favorite bedtime story. A story bag is a collection of objects or materials that help demonstrate the story while you read it. As you read the story, pull each associated object from the bag and hand it to your child. Let them touch and play with it for a moment, then continue reading. Try to find items your baby will enjoy touching and moving, like a stuffed animal, a bell that makes noise, or a pretend flip phone. Also, try to include items of different textures, like piece of silk ribbon for a kite string or burlap square to represent a bag of potatoes. 
 

Toddlers  

Nichole Staker Design

As your baby grows and learns to form sentences, now is the time to make the books more verbally interactive. Ask your child questions while reading the story. Frank & Taaffe encourage asking questions to help your child relate to the characters’ emotions, as well as more simple questions like "Where did the cat go?" Also, point out items your child is learning, like shapes and colors, or objects you have in your house or have seen while you were out. By interacting with your child during the story, you will keep their attention and encourage their enjoyment of reading. 

Reading Activity: Make a library space for your child in their play room, your craft room, or family room. Create a pretend library card for them to use when "checking out" books. By pretending to go to the library, you'll create a special & fun exercise that teaches your little one a beneficial habit. 



By reading early, your child to learn to love books. You will create fun memories together, which you can share for years to come. And who knows... maybe when they hit college they'll come home for your book club because they remember how fun it was to read together.

My Ohio Home

Last week, I read a great article from Moms Magazine on how to personalize the decor in your home. One of the tips that really stuck with me was #2: Don't Tap into Ephemeral Trends, the author suggested that, "as a rational, hardworking mom you may want to do some soul-searching and determine the real classics that you can no longer live without." It's so true. By keeping in mind what I couldn't live without, and thinking forward 10, 20 years, I was starting to see our new house as our house, plain and simple.

One room that I've been focusing on a lot is the kitchen. It's where I spend a lot of my time, cooking, cleaning, and I work from home, usually perched in our breakfast nook.

  Ahh this view! #ILoveFall

It's the room that I want to finish sooner rather than later because it's my piece of our home. Slowly I've filled the ledge with bird cages, water cans, and farm and kitcheny nic-nacs. I've hung a fork and spoon push-pin board for recipes. I've made a drink station complete with a wine rack and decanter (that I still need to use... does anyone actually use their decanter?). But there was a spot on the wall near my sink that remained blank. I've known exactly what I wanted to do with it, but I had no clue how I was going to do it. 

Back Story: My husband and I were given this awesome cutting board for our wedding. It's so cool, I can't bring myself to actually cut on it. So, I hung it up on the blank wall, but as cool as it looked, the wall still felt empty. That's when it hit me- what if I used a wall decal to frame the board and take up the remaining space? I know, I know, wall decals are a trend... psssh. But I knew just the phrase. "Home, The Heart of it All." A play off of the old Ohio slogan, I loved it so much and couldn't get this "trend" out of my mind because it really encompassed everything.

The part that stumped me was... how do I make such a personal wall decal? I searched high and low for something already out there like it, and thought, maybe if I bought a couple ready-made decals I could used the letters or words. But none of it was cheap and none of it would actually fit the space (the letters were too big, the words were different fonts, etc.).

That's when I found Twelve9 Printing. It's this great Etsy store located here in Columbus. I loved their designs and loved that they were local! The final piece of the puzzle that made it all just too perfect was they made custom decals. Yahtzee! I contacted Miquel, the store owner, and he was more than kind enough to make my decal and at such a reasonable price! 

P.S. I strongly recommend Twelve9 Printing- Miquel was so nice, very responsive, and super fast as creating and delivering my decal (not to mention great prices). 

Over the weekend I received my decal and couldn't wait to put it up!

All I needed was the instructions, my decal, the application squeegee (provided), a damp lint-free cloth, and some masking tape (which I didn't have, so I used some leftover painter's tape). After that, I followed 5 simple steps to put it up on the wall:

Step 1: Use the squeegee on a flat surface and press over the decal to ensure it's adhering to the paper.

Step 2: Use a damp lint-free cloth to clean off the surface you'll be sticking it to, and let dry. I walked away for 5 minutes and came back once it dried.

Step 3: Use masking tape to position the decal where you want it. I eyeballed it, but if my hubby had done it he would have used a ruler and level to ensure it was perfect... meh.

Step 4: At a sharp angle, remove the backing paper, making sure the decal remains attached to the front paper.

Step 5: Press the decal firmly to the wall and slowly remove the front paper, going over it with the squeegee when necessary to ensure the decal sticks. This step took the longest, but was completely worth it. All in all, the whole process only took me about 15-20 minutes.

My custom wall decal turned out beautifully! It was so easy to put up and reasonably priced (waaaaay cheaper than if I had bought it at Hobby Lobby, and it came right to my door!).

By staying true to my family and our love of Ohio, I know that this "trend" will fit with our family forever. It's one of the signature pieces in our home that I just love. So biggest THANK YOU to Miquel and Twelve9 Printing here in Cbus!! You've helped to make my house a home.

Okay, OhioMoms! What have you done to customize your home? What's that one piece you catch yourself staring at that really completes the space?