Y'all know I love a good festive kitchen for the kids to enjoy this time of year. We had tons of fun decorating it for Halloween so if you haven't seen that post, you can check that out here. For spaces like this, we love the Target Dollar Spot or even the Dollar Tree for inexpensive decorations! Add in some seasonal books and you've got the perfect little set up!
Speaking of books, I wanted to also share our newest favorites we have added to our collection, Ditty Bird Books! Melanie is the absolute sweetest and sent these to us to check out and honestly, the kids called dibs on them the minute the box arrived at the door! Each book consists of 5-6 songs with the cutest illustrations. There is a small button that the kids can press and follow along with the music. Finn is very into music at the moment so his favorite is the nursery rhymes, Zoe loves the classical music and pointing to the different animals in the illustrations and Vivian sings along to the Christmas version nonstop and likes to practice reading the lyrics before listening to the song!! I love how each of them uses the book in a different way. You can find Ditty Bird Books here! I think they make for such a cute baby shower gift, Christmas gift, etc. and there are so many different options to choose from!
These little spaces make me so happy but the kids even happier. Do you have a space you always decorate just for your kids? A felt tree that they can decorate over and over? They're own separate tree they can take the ornaments off and on as much as they want? I may have to have one of those trees next year, haha! I'd love to see any spaces in your home you have decorated so be sure to tag me on instagram so I can see! (@leasims) And don't forget to check out Ditty Bird Books, your little ones will love them as much as ours do! Have a great Tuesday you guys!!
Bring on all the pumpkins and fall decorating! Isn't that really what Labor Day Weekend is for? ;) I admit that I tried to hold off as long as possible but the Fall time is our favorite and it seems to fly by so we want to enjoy it for as long as possible! To be fair, so far this is the most decorated spot inside the house, haha. I probably won't decorate our more heavy traffic areas until after Zoe's birthday next weekend! I absolutely love this cute little kitchen corner though and was so excited to share this space with y'all! The kids have been obsessing over it too!
We've had this cute little KidKraft kitchen for probably 5 years and she's very well loved & holding up well! I just took some of the kids favorite Halloween books, a glittered kitty headband of Vivian's, and some faux leaves from our Fall decor box that I probably won't use this year. That bat print I love so much and you can easily make one at home too! I just cut out a black bat from black printer paper, taped it to a white sheet of paper, and threw it in a frame from a box we had downstairs! You could also print a cute "Hocus Pocus" sign that I think would be darling too!
I encourage y'all to find things around your home, maybe decor pieces you don't want in your high traffic areas that you can retire to a kids bedroom or playroom, etc. but work with what you have! I'm all about being on a budget and creating new things with what you already have but if you're wanting something new, the dollar spot at Target and the dollar tree are great places for cute nick nack decorative cuties for a space like this! Target Dollar Spot is actually where the majority of the stuff is from!
Tag me in your spaces so I can see them on instagram (@leasims)!! I can't wait to see what y'all come up with!! Happy weekend!!
Hey friends!! We are so excited to kick off Labor Day weekend knowing that Fall is just around the corner! I haven’t touched much on how we are doing since Finn’s diagnosis so I wanted to share a few valuable things we have learned not only since his official diagnosis but just in starting his speech and occupational therapy 2 years ago. The first week, even two really after his diagnosis were literally a roller coaster.
My mind raced on all different scenarios, all of the what if’s came into play, feeling as though one moment we could tackle it all and the next just wanting to lay in bed and just be. He started his new preschool, we adjusted his IEP so he now gets ABA along with speech and OT and he is doing fantastic y’all!! This week especially has been really awesome for him so I just feel so thankful. It's a celebration week for sure!! It makes me teary even typing this because it can be scary putting trust in a new team of people and we all want him to succeed but some days are flat out hard, exhausting, and emotional. So if you’re reading this and maybe you’re in a place of lost hope, feeling down because maybe your child is not making progress or regressed, maybe you yourself are questioning your own decisions and wondering if you’re a good mom (or dad!) I see you! I hear you! You are not alone and you are doing an amazing job!! KEEP GOING! Here are a few of my most important reminders:
2. Acknowledge your feelings. There have been countless times of overwhelming feelings and I think the best thing to do is to talk about why you’re feeling that way. Maybe your feeling conflicting emotions, I know I do. Some days I feel like we can sign up for all the therapies, research all the toys that might help, go to dinner as a family, like we can conquer it all but others I just want to stay in bed and be sad for a little because I can’t fix the meltdowns or the screaming. Don’t push your feelings away, talk about them. I kind of consider his speech therapist my therapist too, haha! ;)
3. Redirect. Being a parent is stressful in general, but with autism it can easily become out of control. When it comes down to it, talking about the disorder can be painful. However, I think it’s super important to have some semblance of adult life. Spend time together as a family and individually with all of your children and refrain from constantly talking about it. Try to avoid conflict with your partner when talking about an autism related issue when really it’s probably that autism that has you so upset and angry. The truth is, everyone in your family needs support and to be happy despite the circumstances.
4. Celebrate the small victories! Love your kiddo so hard and celebrate every single accomplishment. It can be hard to not draw comparisons to typically developing children when your surrounded by milestone check offs but focus on what they CAN do. This took me probably up to this point to really let go of what everyone else is doing/thinking. They don't know how hard we have worked, chances are they won't know how hard you and your kiddo have worked either so celebrate!!
5. Network. Get involved in the autism community. (I'm still learning about this world too!) Maybe you have no resources readily available in your community, join Facebook groups! Local events! While it’s true you may be the captain of your team, you cannot do everything yourself. This was hard for me feeling like I can just do it all alone. Make friends with other parents who have children with autism. Talk to other parents while you wait at therapy. You will gain so much support of families who understand the day to day challenges. Getting involved with autism advocacy is so empowering and you’ll be doing something for both you and your child! You are not alone!! Autism has kind of forced me to come even more out of my shell. I think I'm more introverted most of the time but there is something so freeing of just being like "this is where we are at" and having someone say "us too!" or "I totally understand!"
I'm taking my own advice from this post but remember that your child is so much more than a diagnosis. They are still a human being with their own unique quirks and likes and above all else, they are perfectly and wonderfully made and made for a reason! They couldn't thrive without YOU. Wherever you are reading this, at whatever stage you're at in this journey, know I'm sending you all my love and support and I UNDERSTAND. WE'RE RIGHT THERE WITH YOU.
I want to thank all of you who follow Finn's journey and have shown SO much love, support, and prayers. It has touched our family beyond what any of you could understand and we are so thankful for each and every one of you! Have the best weekend friends!!
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