Mama Must-Haves

My girls had been asking for well over a year if they can sell lemonade and we finally decided to just go for it! I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, I figured we would either have zero response or an overwhelming one and luckily we had the latter! The girls were so excited about how much lemonade they were able to sell and loved serving all of the neighborhood kids! There are a few things I wish we had done differently so I figured I would share our list of lemonade stand tips for first-timers to help anyone else who wants to have a successful lemonade stand experience!

This multipurpose lemonade stand was given to the girls for their birthday last year and it worked out perfectly for our sale! They use it in our playroom year-round and even host puppet shows from behind it! The wheels make it easy to transport and the cute design is just precious!

I made this double-sided lemon sign for my youngest to wear since she can’t hold up a sign for very long. I found this yellow foam board from Hobby Lobby which you can also find on Amazon or from most craft stores.

We cut it into the shape of a lemon and hole punched two holes at the top and tied string through so it could easily rest on her shoulders. The older girls decorated neon yellow poster boards with lemons and wrote “lemonade here!”

Quick tips for a sucessful lemonade stand:

1. Set your price and make it visible. We went with .25 cents per glass and wrote it on the chalkboard of the stand.
2. Make sure the kids know that not everyone will stop for lemonade. When we first set up at the front of our neighborhood it took a good 15 minutes before we got our first customer. The kids got a little discouraged at first but then we luckily started getting lots of traffic. I wish I had taken the time to explain that this might happen before we got out there!
3. Pick a highly visible area. We set up at the entrance of our neighborhood not far from a busy road.
4. Decorations help! Lots of people stopped just to say how much they adored the cute setup, and balloon garland then I could tell they felt obligated to buy some lemonade 🙂 It doesn’t have to be elaborate but I think people appreciate seeing the effort that was put into the stand. Our lemonade garland and balloons both came from Amazon.
5. Assign everyone a job. Assign each kiddo with a task that way when several customers show up at once you can dish out the drinks quickly. This is the pitcher and lemonade jar we used. One of my daughters took the money while the other poured the drinks.
6. Have lots of change! We needed a ton of change and I’m so glad I had brought some. Lots of people were SO generous to give the girls lots of extra $$.
7. Spread the word in advance. I messaged a few neighbors and some friends and family the day before and told them when we would be out so we could for sure get some guaranteed customers.
8. Have fun!!! It’s a great first lesson in entrepreneurship, I hope your kiddos enjoy it!

Please feel free to leave any other good tips or questions in the comments section below! Also, please feel free to reach out anytime via the contact page!

I love the saying “life is what happens between coffee and wine” because those two beverages are pretty much what keeps this mama going! Naturally those dark colored drinks aren’t doing any favors for my teeth. Over time I started noticing less of a white smile in a lot of our family photos so I was very excited to be approached by Smile Br!lliant to review their at-home professional kit to help teeth whitening for coffee stains.

When I learned that the first step I needed to take was to make a mold of my teeth for the whitening trays I had instant flash backs of gagging on clay molding trays at the orthodontist about 20 years ago. (That kind of torture will stay with you forever). However, the molding trays were extremely easy to use! I had no trouble making the impressions, and it was effortless to drop them in their pre-paid package and stick in the mail to send out to the lab. Not even a week later my finished trays arrived!

I received the whitening trays and began whitening my teeth every evening. I love to read a good book at night so I simply popped in my trays before reading and it became a part of my night time routine.

My teeth have always been extra sensitive so I used the desensitizing gel provided in the kit and noticed a huge difference in sensitivity when I consistantly used the gel after whitening sessions.

As mentioned this mama really can’t go a day without coffee and I was afraid that would affect my results but luckily the desensitizing gel
helps close the pores on your teeth faster – which also helps prevent re-staining! I still used a straw when sipping my morning Starbucks to help minimize stains.

After just one week of using the whitening trays I could see a huge difference in the brightness of my smile, which really makes you feel confident all over. I continued using the trays every other day for a total of 12 days and I still have some product left over for touch-ups later on!

Here is a look at the before and after results of my teeth whitening. I love the noticeable difference and how easy this entire process was!

I’m so excited to partner with Smile Br!lliant to giveaway this great product! Click the link below to enter a professional at-home teeth whitening kit by Smile Brill!ant, a $150 value! Good luck!!!

 Click here for chance to win:

www.smilebrilliant.com/g/makingmemorieswithmyminis

Also feel free to shop 15% off store wide code using my code: makingmemorieswithmyminis15

Pretty much the first question people ask when they see a new mom with her baby is “how is he/she sleeping?” I think everyone is just curious because if you’ve ever been there you know that getting that sweet baby to sleep is no easy task. I’m currently in the beginning phases of sleep training my 4 month old daughter and was lucky enough to get to chat with Lauren Lowenstein, a Certified Gentle Sleep Coach to get some expert advice on infant sleep training.  This subject is super broad so we are breaking this up into a two-part series, see nap time tips to get helpful info about your child’s nap time. 

• What does a sleep coach do? Can you come to my house at 3 AM? (That’s a joke unless you say yes)

My girls just started preschool last week and I’m not going to lie, I am VERY excited they have started this transition! I can just tell they’re at the point where they need constant interaction with other kids their age. I also feel like a structured learning environment will be really beneficial for them. They have late summer birthdays and are the youngest kiddos in their classes so we started working over the summer on basic learning tools I thought they should know to help prepare them for preschool. So far I have found these toys to be the best learning toys for toddlers.

• The Counting Cookie Jar

I love this one because there are so many different ways for them to learn. They can count the number of chocolate chips on one side of the cookie and the number on the other side helps them with number recognition. The cookie jar also talks and asks that they find different numbers to put in the jar, if they find the wrong one the jar will ask them to try again.  Finding the correct way to place the cookies into the jar also helps improve their fine motor skills. There are a few different types of these on Amazon, this one is our favorite and is currently priced at $19.99.

• Mega Blocks

One of my daughters in particular is obsessed with Mega Blocks. Mom loves them too because it keeps them entertained for long periods of time and they are fun to do together. I find that it also helps improve their team work because they have to work together to make sure their “castle” doesn’t fall over. Carefully stacking the blocks also helps improve fine motor skills in toddlers.

Mega blocks run around $15 to $20 at most retailers, we purchased ours on Amazon.

• Melissa and Doug Double Sided Easel

Creativity through art is a big part of preschool and this double sided multi-purpose easel is great for displaying all of the girls art work. They can hang their pictures on it or color with chalk on one side and with the dry erase markers on the opposite side. It’s a major bonus that both kids can use this easel at the same time on different sides without anyone fighting for space to color! This one is currently on sale for only $62.99.

• Letter, Number and Animal Magnets

These magnets helped my girls learn the alphabet at a very young age. We practiced putting the different letters on the boards and worked on learning colors. We are just now starting to get into spelling as well. They also have animal magnets which helped them learn the names of all of the animals and made going to the zoo so much more fun since they immediately recognized the names of all of the animals!

The animal magnets in the picture above are currently on sale for $10.64.

The number and letter magnets are $18.69, this package also includes addition, subtraction and multiplication math signs that can be saved for when the kids get a little older. 

• Foam Letters for the Bath tub

Similar to the magnets my kiddos love spelling out different words in the bathtub. These letters stick to the wall in the bathtub and float in the water. This is such a great and educational way to spend tub time! The ONLY thing I do not like about these is that the foam letters absorb water like a sponge and over time water collects and attracts bugs to the tub – yuck! We occasionally set ours outside to completely dry in between usage. These foam letters are less than $15 and this set includes a bath tub toy organizer. 

• The Learning Journey Match It Puzzles

This one is a little advanced but it’s great for kids who LOVE puzzles like mine do. It’s nice that each word is only three or four letters long so they don’t get overwhelmed trying to figure each one out. This puzzle helps with cognition of spelling and words, it’s also great for improving their attention span and concentration because they have to work until each individual puzzle is completed.  The Learning Journey Match It Puzzles run around $10 on Amazon.

• Dr. Seuss Flashcards

You can’t go wrong with some old fashioned flashcards! These are wonderful because similar to the counting cookie jar there is a number on one side of the card and the same number of pictures for them to count on the other side. The bright pictures on each card also helps keep them stimulated. We were given these flash cards as a party favor at a birthday party about two years ago and the girls still love playing with these! Such a perfect idea for a party favor!

You can get several packs of numbers, letters, colors, and shapes cards for only $14.95 on Amazon. This pack also includes a dry erase board to practice writing. 

• The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game

This one was recommended to me by another mom, I just ordered it and am so excited for the girls to play it. The point of the game is to be the first to fill your log with all of the different colored acorns for the squirrel. This game reinforces color learning and the development of strategic thinking because you can spin to pick an acorn or lose an acorn in the game. It also helps emphasize turn-taking which is something my girls definitely could use some practice with! The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel Game is less than $20 on Amazon.

• Interactive Books 

I try to keep two of these in the car for the girls to look at with while we are running from place to place. This book in particular has over 100 words and 12 different interactive pages to keep them engaged. Most books like these also include music and touch and teach quiz games to help with word association. There are lots of interactive books like this but this one is currently one of our favorites.

• Board Books

The director of the girl’s preschool told me that the best thing I can do for them at this age is to read to them and I really could not agree more. Reading helps them learn in so many ways, and it’s such a great way for them to bond with mom or dad before bedtime. I really like the board books because they don’t get ripped when the girls want to touch the pages and hold the books themselves. A few of our favorite bedtime reads are Good Night Moon, Guess How Much I Love You, and any of these Sesame Street Board Books. 

Which toys have helped your child learn? Please feel free to share your comments below or by reaching out to http://makingmemorieswithmyminis.com/contact/.