Anything with a hammer has to be a fun learning activity, right?

You'll need to purchase a few supplies ahead of time for this activity: I got the wooden golf tees from Target and the kneeler pad from my local Dollar Tree.
After making sure of the kneeler pad's size, I started by printing H's name with a block letter font ("Happy Writing Outlines" from the same font pack I used for the Q-tip letter activity!) onto a large piece of cardstock. I used photoshop to create dots inside each letter for the tees, but sharpie-d circles would also work. I taped the name onto the kneeler pad and let H hammer the tees into each of the dots! He needed a little help "getting them started" but otherwise loved whacking them down.

I had way too much fun designing this one, but could be done MUCH simpler. I brought this activity in the car and H enjoyed that a lot!

Start by drawing a large rectangle on sturdy cardstock paper and drawing a line horizontally through the middle to create two skinnier rectangles. Write your child's name in large letters in both boxes. I chose to also do lines between the letters on the bottom name. Cut the whole thing out when you're done!

Then write letters on each of the ends of the clipping ends of the clothes pins and ta da! You're ready for learning time. I laminated mine and would recommend that if you're wanting to use it more than a couple times.

I personally used photoshop and the pages application to digitally create and then print his name instead of writing it Definitely over-the-top, but it was more precise and a great waste of my naptime! 🤪 

H is ready to switch to identifying individual letters of his name instead of viewing it as a whole entity. We started with this super fun search and find across the house. Very engaging and a perfect way to keep him inside on a particularly warm day. 🙃

I started by writing his name in huge letters (still only the first letter capitalized and the rest lowercase) on a big paper scrap I had and taping it onto the wall. You could use butcher paper or even individual sheets of paper for each letter. 

I let the kiddo loose and whenever he would find a post-it letter, I'd have him run back to the paper and he'd put the sticky note letter on the matching written letter. Meanwhile I'd be asking, "what letter did you find?" or "Can you find the last H?" 

We probably hid them all two or three times in a row. He LOVED it and was pretty good at naming the letters, especially since we put the name next to our kitchen table so he could see it during meals.

My bestie is about to have her second baby, so we were discussing packing hospital bags and I thought I’d share what my mom friends recommend! In addition to the normal things you’d think of, like toothbrush/toothpaste, socks, change of clothes, and your favorite pillow, here are our tips:

The longer the better! The beds are high and always miles away from outlets.

Aka "depends." The hospital give you huge, giant pads, but honestly wearing the “diapers” I brought was so much more comfortable because I didn’t feel like I had to constantly adjust my pad to not leak everywhere

If you have a vaginal birth, they will probably give you a standard peri bottle at the hospital, but honestly they’re just a little awkward to maneuver. The ones with the crooked neck that you can hold at an angle to spray are the way to go!

I don’t wear a robe in my normal, everyday life, but for post-birth it was incredible helpful. Simply having to untie it so your stomach and nether regions can be checked by nurses instead of removing layers of clothes was so nice.

Your baby might be bigger than your cute newborn sized outfits you brought for them to wear. Or smaller! You can always return what they don't wear. (My H couldn't wear his "coming home" outfit until he was a month old!) And bring a swaddle if you have a specific one you want for pictures or whatnot.

Remember that sound machine you registered for? Bring it. Or you can use your phone as one in a pinch. Hospitals are way noisy and your little one is gonna be hearing all the sounds on the outside for the first time!

If you plan on pumping, there is usually a lactation consultant at the hospital who is trained and able to help you learn how to use it properly!

Having a baby is HARD WORK. So, let's be real. You’re gonna be hungry, so reward yourself with some yummies after getting that baby out. Of course hospitals have food you can order or purchase, but they may not have the exact snack or drink you're craving!

And lastly, it's not something to pack ahead of time, but fill up your suitcase with these on the way out. The hospital will have giant ice packs that you will want to bring all the extras home! 😅

Pack all the goodies into one big, rolling suitcase — it’ll save your back and space in your hospital room (which likely isn’t going to be huge)! I packed a diaper bag for H, but really, it wasn’t necessary as the hospital will provide you with most everything you could possibly need for your baby while you're there! 

As mentioned in the last post, H is over the whole name activities and only wants to play outside, so I thought I’d adapt the sticker name covering to a more nature-based approach. 😅

Super simple: I wrote his name with chalk and together we lined up things we found in the backyard on the lines of the letters. 
He used his mini leaf blower and construction vehicle toys to clear off the letters while I said things like “oh no! There goes the leaves on the H!” or “bye bye letter __!” 
​Interactive learning is the best.