Filed Under: Education, Kids Activities //
If you know me, you know how important Interest-Based Learning is in this household. When my daughter told me she wanted to learn about ladybugs, I immediately thought of incorporating that into a counting lesson.
We started the lesson by reading Ten Little Ladybugs, by Melanie Gerth. The picture book begins with 10 little ladybugs. As the story goes on, another animal comes along and takes one of the lady bugs. It’s a fun story that combines rhyming sounds with counting down concepts.
After practicing our counting through the read aloud, we created ladybug stamps from potatoes! Super simple and fun. For this activity, you will need:
1 Potato (& a knife)
Paper Towels
2 Different Colors of Paint (we used traditional red and black)
1 Q-Tip
Paper (we used cardstock for a sturdier base)
Step 1: Cut & Dry the Potato
You will need to cut the potato in half to form a circle at the bottom. Pat the bottom of the potato dry using your paper towel.
Step 2: Form the Body
Once the bottom of the potato is dried off, stamp it into your base color. We found that it was better to use a minimal amount of paint on the stamp. You could also use a paint brush to paint the base color onto the potato. Place it gently on the paper to form a ladybug body. Do this as many times as you can fit on your paper! Once you have all of your bodies, set the paper aside and let it dry.
Once your bodies are dry, the counting comes in! Use a Q-Tip to create a separation on the wings and a head for your ladybug. As you add dots to the ladybug, count them aloud with your child. After a couple examples, I had my daughter dot them and count them as she went.
There you have it! A beautiful ladybug stamp and an interactive counting lesson. You can watch the step by step process here!
Filed Under: Breastfeeding, Motherhood //
Breastfeeding brings out a variety of emotions in a new mom. It is such an incredible bonding experience, but can also be quite stressful!
Is my baby eating enough?
Do I have a large enough supply stocked up?
Am I producing enough milk?
What should I eat?… What should I avoid eating?
All breastfeeding moms have asked themselves at least one of these questions a time or two during their breastfeeding experience.
One of the biggest concerns I had while breastfeeding was my diet. What you consume while breastfeeding does impact your milk. It can effect your supply, the milk itself, and your baby’s eating habits. Not only what you consume matters, but the amount is important too. According to the CDC, breastfeeding women need an extra 330-400 kilocalories a day.
Making sure your consume enough of the right things can be super overwhelming. That’s why I have put together the BEST diet for breastfeeding mamas.
So, what is the secret to the perfect breastfeeding diet? Well, it isn’t much of a secret at all. The best diet is a well balanced one. Getting the appropriate amount of calories and nutritional properties paired with lots of water is the ultimate breastfeeding diet.
Incorporating plenty of whole grains and vegetables into your diet will help to increase your milk production. These foods boost prolactin levels, the hormone produced by the brain that controls milk production. (Jennifer Ritchie, IBCLC)
Whether you’re looking to boost your supply or just eat a well balanced diet, these are the recommended foods to include in your next meal plan.
Staying well hydrated is CRUCIAL while breastfeeding. Breastfeeding women need about 128oz of water per day. If keeping up with your water intake is a struggle, try grabbing yourself a marked water bottle. These water bottles can be filled in the morning with hourly goals to remind you to be consistently drinking throughout the day.
Now you have an idea of the foods you should be including in your diet while breastfeeding! Putting those foods together throughout the week can be challenging as a new mom (or a mom of multiple children.) I highly recommend meal prepping for the week to reduce the stress of getting healthy meals together. Check out this ultimate meal prep cookbook! It includes weekly recipes along with a shopping list. It is our go to cookbook in the Tindall house.
Keep it up, Mama! You’ve got this! If you have any foods you think other breastfeeding moms should try, let us know in the comments below!