Candy Argyle Designs Giveaway Winner is...

Anne!!! who loved the
"The SALE Shoulder Tote - Tree Party is adorable too!"

Thank you all for participating and remember today is the LAST day to get 15% off your order at Candy Argyle Designs!!!! (Think Christmas Presents!)

Creative Mind Boutique & Carriage Town Kids Review + Giveaway + Discount

We have two very special stores to review today! Both are the marvelous creations of an amazing woman named Becky. At these two stores you can find items for children and adults that you will just love!

At Creative Mind Boutique you will find Ponytail Cuffs, Key Fobs, Compact Pocket Mirrors, Nail File Holders and Wristlet/Hiplets. All items are very well made, I can tell you from first hand experience!

One of my favorite items from Creative Mind Boutique are the Ponytail Cuffs. As a mom most days I end up pulling my hair back at one point or another. And what is more boring than a drab old ponytail? But with the Ponytail Cuff Becky sent me, I actually feel stylish when I pull my hair back:)

Now on to Carriage Town Kids (LOVE the name!) where you will find Tooth Fairy Pillows for girls AND boys, beanie hats, ponytail holders, ponchos, aprons....and the list goes on!

Becky sent me a Tooth Fairy Pillow for my daughter. The sewing is exceptional and you can tell it will really hold up well, not to mention the fact that it's much more adorable in real life than in the pictures!

Now of course with every great review comes the discount & giveaway!

Becky is offering FREE SHIPPING on any order placed within the next week at either store!! (coupon code: OrganicMamasBlog, you will be reimbursed after payment)

And for the giveaway, Becky is generously offering from Creative Mind Boutique a Gift Set including a Pink Goth Nail File & Pocket Mirror and a Brown & Pink Pony Cuff!!!!

From Carriage Town Kids, a Tooth Fairy Pillow of choice!!!

One winner will be picked for each!

To enter into these great giveaways: (only open to U.S. residents)

You must be a follower of this blog and visit Carriage Town Kids or Creative Mind Boutique (or both!) and leave a comment here telling me what you love!

Additional entries:
(please leave a comment per additional entry telling me you did so)

1. Add my blog button to your blog/website (leave url)
2. Add my Sweety Baby button to your blog/website (leave url)
3. Subscribe via email to my blog.
4. Become a follower on twitter and tweet about this giveaway (leave username)
5. Blog about this giveaway (leave url)
6. Purchase something from Carriage Town Kids or Creative Mind Boutique (5 extra entries, leave 5 additional comments telling me what you purchased)

The winner will be chosen at random Tuesday, October 6th!

Don't break my concentration!

Whenever my daughter is deeply involved in an activity I literally tip toe around my apartment to allow her to keep enjoying her "work". But of course when I try to be the most quiet that's the time when I accidentally drop a pot or slam a cupboard or something. And then, pitter patter, little one is right there wanting to help me or wanting me to help her :)

I have been reading "Montessori from the Start, the Child at Home, from Birth to Age Three" by Lillard & Jessen (a must read if you have any interest in Montessori for your little one!)

I came across something that supports my anal need for quietness in my home when my daughter is occupied...I thought I would share :)

"In creating an environment that encourages concentration, it is important to remember that if the child becomes conscious of anything other than the task at hand, his concentration is broken. (so true for my daughter!) By applauding, saying "wonderful", giving a kiss or whatever, the well-meaning adult draws the child's attention to the adult and away from the task at hand. Too much such interference, and the child becomes self-conscious. When we are self-conscious, it is very hard to concentrate on the task at hand, whatever our age. To see this we only have to remember the problems we have in sports when we let our thoughts stray to the impression we are making on onlookers, or in giving a speech when we focus on our appearance instead of the audience and the message we want to give. When the child becomes deeply and constructively absorbed in a task, it is important to avoid drawing his attention to what the adults around him are thinking of what he is doing."

Lillard & Jessen go on to address the importance in encouraging and developing a child's concentration from very young. Today the numbers of children with attention problems have skyrocketed, why? There could be a number of factors but one that they present is that it may be possible that just as there is a Sensitive Period for language from birth to age 6, is it possible that there is "Sensitive period for the development of sustained attention - a time period when the child should have developed concentration and not having done so is handicapped for the rest of his life?"

When walking into a Montessori classroom, one is almost always struck by the peacefulness of the environment. Children, even at a very young age, are busy with their work. Busy furthering their self-formation in an environment that lets them concentrate and work as they will.

I just love the Montessori Philosophy, can you tell?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I've got two more activities to share with you as well. :)

The first is another sorting activity and you won't have to buy anything for this one!

Who loves beans? My daughter does, but not to eat, to sort.

Put two or more different kinds of beans in a bowl and sort them into their own containers. I used garbanzo and pinto beans here. It is amazing how such a simple activity can occupy a child for so long! (once again adult supervision is a must for this activity as it uses small objects)

The second activity is flash cards!

Now, I HATED flash cards growing up. I remember doing math flashcards with my mom and I dreaded them.

My daughter on the other hand LOVES them.

I purchased ABC and shape flashcards from Target before going on a plane ride with my daughter, hoping to keep her occupied with something new. She was 18 months at the time. She sat for an entire hour in my lap on the plane looking at the ABC cards. Coming home from the trip the cards made an appearance every day, she loved them. And I am very proud to say that by 19 months she knew her entire alphabet by sight and could pronounce(for the most part) each letter. She also knows her shapes too! Although octagon and pentagon pretty much sound the same coming out of her mouth :)

Children just crave learning! It really is amazing how much they absorb and how much they want to absorb it!

The winner of the Adorable Organics Giveaway is...

Marin!!

"Oh my goodness! SOOOO cute. I added her to my Etsy favourites. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Sweet Organic Newsgirl Hat with Flower - Bark, Rose Pink, and Sage Green - 12-24 Months."

Congratulations!

For those who didn't win, remember this is the LAST DAY Adorable Organics is offering 15% off your entire order!!! (enter coupon code: OMamaBlog15 in the note to seller box at checkout)

Candy Argyle Designs Review + Giveaway + Discount

Candy Argyle Designs is another of my favorite Etsy shops. If you are looking for darling pillow covers, purses, hot pads, gifts for your sister or best friend (or even yourself!) you will definitely find something you'll love here!

Candy, the owner & creator of Candy Argyle Designs is truly a super woman!

"I am 28 years old and a mom of three little ones! I have two little girls who are five and three, and a one year old boy. I've rarely slept through the night in over five years! My husband is very supportive of my love of sewing and creating. He's never once complained about the fact that my sewing machine has nearly been a permanent guest at our kitchen table. I often stay up late sewing or shopping for great new fabrics online. Then when I do go to bed, my brain tends to keep me awake thinking of a new design or what I want to sew the next day."

I don't know how she finds time to create but I'm glad she does!

Let's take a look at a few items in her shop!

Aqua Bloom on Tangerine Pillow Cover

Pink Maize and Green Bombay Hot Pads

Celery Dotted Daisy Luggage Tag

Honeycomb and Deco Rose Snap Pouch

I received one of Candy Argyle Designs Snap Pouches to review. It was very well made, the material was high quality and the stitching was exceptional. The only problem is, I can't decide how to use it! There are so many uses for a snap pouch!

Which is why you will be glad to hear that Candy Argyle Designs is giving one snap pouch of choice away to one of you!

Candy Argyle Designs is also offering 15% off your order to Organic Mamas readers! Just enter the code: OMamaBlog15 in the note to seller box at check out and you will be reimbursed.


To enter into this great giveaway: (only open to U.S. residents)

You must be a follower of this blog and visit Candy Argyle Designs and leave a comment here telling me what you love!

Additional entries:
(please leave a comment per additional entry telling me you did so)

1. Add my blog button to your blog/website (leave url)
2. Add my Sweety Baby button to your blog/website (leave url)
3. Subscribe via email to my blog.
4. Become a follower on twitter and tweet about this giveaway (leave username)
5. Blog about this giveaway (leave url)
6. Purchase something from Candy Argyle Designs (5 extra entries, leave 5 additional comments telling me what you purchased)

The winner will be chosen at random Tuesday September 29th!

Color Sorting Activity & Stacking Spools

One of the first Montessori activities I introduced to my daughter was sorting different color buttons. This activity was recommended for 2 years and up so I was extremely surprised that my daughter was able to accomplish the task at 19 months. Children really are like sponges. You put something in front of them, show them how it's done and before you know it they are pros at it!

As you can see from the pictures nothing had to be bought to do this activity. I used objects from around the house, just be creative!

Directions:

Put all the buttons in one container with the separate containers out in front that you will be sorting them into. With very little words/explanation start sorting the buttons yourself, saying the colors. If your child wants to try, let them take over. If they try to put a wrong color button in a container simply intervene gently and direct them.

Once all the buttons are sorted show your child how to pour all the buttons back into the main bowl. Congratulate your child! If your child wants to do it again (and again and again) let them :) Once your child is finished put the bowls back on the tray and have them carry it back on the shelf in it's place. (Or have them carry it into the room where you store it, this is what I do for many of my activities I don't leave in arm's reach of my daughter).

I first started with 4 different colors, pink, yellow, orange and green. She mastered this very quickly and got bored with it after a week or so.

So I then gave her five different colors to sort, blue, purple, green, orange and pink. The purple and blue were difficult to differentiate for her but she eventually got it.

Another "activity" my daughter loves to do when I am sewing is to play with my thread spools. Any child loves stacking, it is such a great activity for coordination & concentration. She loves her blocks and uses them so much that she welcomes a little change once in a while. She amazed me one day when I looked over and saw she had stacked 10 spools on top of one another, almost out of her reach!

Of course great care and supervision should be taken with BOTH these activity since buttons are small and can be a choking hazard, thread spools as well. I assure you that in my small apartment my daughter is literally at my side at all times and closely supervised with these activities. I don't keep these activities within her reach when she is not working with them. :)

Enjoy!

Dads Wooden Toys Giveaway Winner!

Congrats to Jessica Turner who said...

"I am a follower, and I love the cowboy!"

Thanks to everyone who participated!

And remember today is the LAST DAY to get 10% off your order at Dad's Wooden Toys.

(Get your Christmas shopping done early!!)

Adorable Organics Review + Discount + Giveaway

I have to honestly say that I am in love with this shop.

In love. Honestly.

Adorable Organics provides an eco-friendly source for handmade creations. Most of what you will find in this darling Etsy shop is hats. Hats for babies, girls and boys...in the newsboys style.

Alexandria, the creator of Adorable Organics, "Built this business because I love fashion and the process of creation, but I also believe we must do all we can to protect and preserve our environment. I believe that limiting exposure to chemicals and toxins is beneficial for both Earth and its creatures. It is the natural way of growth, and I hope that an increased demand for the products will allow more farmers to return to farming the way it was before chemicals were added to the equation. "

I couldn't have said it any better.

Alexandria sent me a hat for my daughter to try out, perfectly wrapped....

And I am not exaggerating when I say my daughter wouldn't take it off. She usually rips her sunhat off after 10 minutes but she actually kept her newsgirl hat on ALL DAY. Of course I was loving it because she was so stinking cute in it!!

This is one review that the store and pictures really speak for themselves....

Christmas presents, birthday presents, baby showers...these hats would make THE perfect gift!! And what a better time to buy one of these darling hats with Fall right around the corner!

Adorable Organics is generously offering 15 % off your entire order!!! (enter coupon code: OMamaBlog15 in the note to seller box at checkout)

AND giving away a hat of choice to one winner! Woohoo!

To enter into this great giveaway: (only open to U.S. residents)

You must be a follower of this blog and visit Adorable Organics and leave a comment here telling me what you love!

Additional entries: (please leave a comment per additional entry telling me you did so)

1. Add my blog button to your blog/website (leave url)
2. Add my Sweety Baby button to your blog/website (leave url)
3. Subscribe via email to my blog.
4. Become a follower on twitter and tweet about this giveaway (leave username)
5. Blog about this giveaway (leave url)
6. Purchase something from Adorable Organics (5 extra entries, leave 5 additional comments telling me what you purchased)

The winner will be chosen at random Thursday, September 22!

Genetically Engineered Food

We don't yet know if it's safe and we are most likely eating it without our knowledge. It is

Image by Melissa Maples via Flickr

especially concerning that we are feeding this food to our young children's developing bodies.

This video is phenomenal. It is long but really worth watching, even if you have to break it up into a few days.

Click here to watch.

Montessori - Introducing Activities

Hello again! This is the third post on Montessori that I have done and I feel like I have just skimmed the surface! I wanted to lay a basic framework for mothers wanting to introduce Montessori to their toddler and I think these 3 posts will do pretty much that.

So now that you have a basic gist of the philosophy of Montessori and what type of environment suits it best, the next step is how to introduce the activities to your child.

When demonstrating activities to a child use a minimum of words and movements. The child should be allowed to work with the materials only after they have been presented to him. Introduce new materials gradually and be patient, remember that your role should be an observer. It is hard for mothers to restrain themselves and not show the child how to do it. Let them work it out on their own and eventually they will.

All Montessori activities have a "control of error", which allow the child to see his mistakes when doing the activity in the wrong way. Even so, children must be guided in their proper use.

An atmosphere of quiet should be kept during school time. Absolute silence isn't completely necessary but an atmosphere conducive to concentration is key.

The child should be allowed to choose what they want to work with, even if it is the same thing for three days in a row. As the child masters and progresses beyond certain materials they should be removed. Children are always looking to be challenged.

Once the activity is chosen it can be worked with as long as the child pleases but the task must be completed before the material is returned to its place. Perseverance is a good lesson in self-discipline.

The time spent with school should be no more than one and a half to two hours at most. In the first few weeks, especially if you are working with a very young child, forty-five minutes should be sufficient.

But now what activities do you do??? There are a TON of books that would be great resources for you, the local library should carry all you need to know.

Here are some links as well that I have found very useful for activities:

http://www.montessorimom.com/toddler-scope-and-sequence-lesson-ideas-practical-/

http://www.montessori.org/story.php?id=271

http://www.dailymontessori.com/montessori-age-12-24-months/

http://estore.websitepros.com/1910659/Categories.bok?category=Teaching+toddlers

I was a little concerned at the beginning of my Montessori craze that I would have to spend SO much money on new activities for my daughter, but in reality I didn't. Many activities use items found in your home, just try and be creative. Also, most craft stores have a plethora of ideas/items to make your own activities for relatively cheap. Although I did invest in stacking blocks, puzzles and a few other standard items that any growing brain needs :)

Of course I would love to transform my home, put in new shelving, ya know just totally make it a Montessori home....but that will have to wait.

I will be posting activities that my own daughter has done so I hope that gives you ideas too! And if you have any activities to share, please do!!

Kennedy's Korner Giveaway Winner is

Amy!

"I love the green pom pom wand and am a new blog follower...love the new montessori stuff and keep up the good work"

Congrats!!! Please contact me at jflborn@gmail.com by Thursday to claim your prize!

For everyone else, today is the LAST DAY to get 10% off your order! (code: OMamaBlog10)

Get started on Christmas shopping and go to Kennedy's Korner now!

Dads Wooden Toys Review + Discount + Giveaway

The simpler the toy the better.

Natural and nontoxic toys....even better.

The perfect place to find toys that will spark your child's imagination is Dads Wooden Toys on Etsy. Joshua, a father of four, decided to start this business less than a year ago when he couldn't find the right kind of toy he was looking for. "The toys every where made noise and light but I think the kids not the toys should be bright."

And if you can't tell from the quote above he is a poet! His website is so enjoyable to read just for the catchy poems you will find everywhere you turn!

My daughter LOVED the horse and bunny that were sent to her (two of her favorite animals). She loved making them prance and hop everywhere and had to be dragged away for nap time.

At Dads Wooden Toys you will find...

Wooden People

Natural & Nontoxic Teethers

Natural Wood Blocks

Even a wooden laptop computer! (I LOVE this!)

Dads Wooden Toys is generously giving 10 % off each order (excluding shipping) for readers of Organic Mamas AND he is giving away two animals of choice to one reader!

To enter into this great giveaway: (only open to U.S. residents)

You must be a follower of this blog and visit Dads Wooden Toys and leave a comment here telling me what you love!

Additional entries:

(please leave a comment per additional entry telling me you did so)
1. Add my blog button to your blog/website (leave url)
2. Add my Sweety Baby button to your blog/website (leave url)
3. Subscribe via email to my blog.
4. Become a follower on twitter and tweet about this giveaway (leave username)
5. Blog about this giveaway (leave url)
6. Purchase something from Dads Wooden Toys (5 extra entries, leave 5 additional comments telling me what you purchased)

The winner will be chosen at random Tuesday, September, 15th!

Everyday Diamonds Giveaway Winner!

Congrats to Tj and Amy!

You won the Mini Green Lizard Purse! Please contact me within two business days to claim your prize.

And to EVERYONE else! Today is the LAST day to get 10% off your purchase at EveryDayDiamonds. Coupon code:OMamaBlog10.

Thanks to everyone who entered!

Montessori Materials & Environment

Hello everyone!

Last time I gave a little bit of an overview on the basic principles of the Montessori method. This post I would like to talk about the materials that should be used for Montessori activities and the ideal environment these activities should be done in.

Materials

One of the goals of the Montessori method is to bring children back to a more natural environment. This means using wood, glass, ceramic as opposed to plastic. Part of the learning process involves using care when handling breakables. A natural consequence of inappropriate handling is they break. Plastic doesn’t necessarily teach the children to be careful. When it drops, it bounces. Everything is okay. Using all plastic gives children the false sense that they can be rough with things and they in turn do not quite learn how to respect the item.

Does is make me nervous though to watch my daughter carry glass containers across our kitchen floor? Yes, but I also love to see how CAREFUL she is with it. She really concentrates on carrying it perfectly to her destination. We also have carpet in our living room where most activities take place so I don't fear her dropping and breaking things while she is working with them. Wood, glass, etc. are also heavier than plastic so it gives children a feel for differences in weight and how to be careful in putting those items down on the table carefully.

Of course budget does come into play, so just do what you can with what you have. Second-hand stores, garage sales, and dollar stores are great places to find inexpensive glass jars, ceramic items, etc. So be creative!

Environment

It is suggested to have a specific place to keep your school equipment and a specific room in which to conduct "school". The reason for this is to let your child depend on the permanence of this arrangement and know where each piece of equipment may be found. "A place for everything and everything in its place."

The items should be nicely arranged and laid out on open shelves for the child to easily take an activity off the shelf to use. Once an activity is done, the child should always put it back where it belongs. In this way he is taught order and respect for things. My daughter got the hang of this very easily. Rather than leaving all her toys out on the floor, she really has taken to putting them away where they go when she is done. She doesn't do this all the time by herself but she will if I ask her.

If you don't have a specific room that can be used for school you can also used a roll away shelf that can be rolled into a closet when not in use.

I personally live in an apartment at the time and don't even have the luxury of doing that. At the time I have some Montessori activities tucked away in a back hallway on a shelf, it is not ideal but it allows my daughter to be able to work with what she wants and put it back when she is done.

Next week I will touch on how to introduce activities to your child and give you a few activities I have used with my daughter.

If there are any questions about the posts thus far, please don't hesitate to ask, I love comments!

The Rick Rack Queen Giveaway Winner is...

Drumroll please....

Morgan Jean who liked the brown trio snack bags!

Congrats!

For those who didn't win, pick up your own here, they are SO worth it!!!