S is for Shark: Shark Sensory Bin, Two Ways
We love sensory bins in our home. Give us a theme, and we'll have a sensory bin to go with it! When I chose our featured book, Usborne Lift-the-Flap Sharks, and Safari Ltd. Shark figures TOOB for our shark activities, I knew we needed a shark sensory bin where we could play with the shark [...]
S is for Shark: Our Favorite Shark Books for Toddlers and Preschoolers
Shark Week is just around the corner, and we're launching a set of shark-themed activities for toddlers and preschoolers. Let's kick things off with our favorite shark books! {This post contains affiliate links. This means we'll make a small commission if you purchase from the links, at no extra cost to you. Win-win!} Our Top [...]
Usborne Books & More Gift Pairing Guide: Preschoolers
Shopping season has arrived! Books pair so well with toys and clothes for gifts, so I wanted to put together some suggested pairings to inspire you as you shop for the kiddos in your life. This gift guide is geared towards preschoolers, age 3-5. 1. A Bedtime Set Get here: 5-minute Bedtime Stories & Carter's [...]
Usborne Books & More Gift Pairing Guide: Babies & Toddlers
Shopping season has arrived! Books pair so well with toys and clothes for gifts, so I wanted to put together some suggested pairings to inspire you as you shop for the kiddos in your life. This gift guide is geared towards babies and toddlers, ages 0-2. 1. That's Not My... Books Little ones cannot get [...]
Tips for using Favorite Things to Encourage Early Language Development: Rainbows
The first stop in our favorite things series is rainbows. In the world of pregnancy loss and pregnancy after loss, rainbows signify the baby born after a loss: the rainbow after the storm of loss and grief. I didn't really embrace the whole "rainbow baby" thing while we were pregnant with Stitch, but this spring [...]
Our Ten Favorite Pirate Children’s Books
Long before I was married and had kiddos, I ran two different after school programs. I based much of my curriculum on children's literature and built quite the collection of children's books. I'd also coordinate with the weird and wonderful different "holidays" that I could find. One of my favorites has always been Talk [...]
Hope Floats: Hot Air Balloons as a Symbol of Hope
Things look a little differently around here at Meek Manor. We've had a hot air balloon make-over! When my husband and I met at a coffee shop in 2011, we were drawn to each other through our love of comic books and children's literature. We each identified with a character, and we quickly became known [...]
Request an Usborne Books & More Catalog
The Meek household has kept super busy this summer--with both planned fun and some unexpected experiences. Summer seems to be slipping by. Soon comes fall, which is my favorite time of year, especially in New England. So gorgeous! But! Before we get ahead of ourselves, July also means the release of the Fall/Winter Usborne Books [...]
May’s Featured Book: Gift Pack of Literary Quotes, Folk Art Patterns to Color, & Crayola Colored Pencils
Today is Teacher Appreciation Day, and Sunday is Mother's Day. May is also filled with graduation celebrations. So, when I was choosing our featured book(s) for May, I wanted something more gifty for adults. Coloring books fit the bill! They're all the rage right now--a great mindfulness activity and their benefits are well-documented. May's featured [...]
Shame-Free Screen Time
When my daughter, Stitch, was about six months old, she got sick with a terrible upper-respiratory virus, which was accompanied a horrendous cough. On one of our five trips to the pediatrician's office that week the doctor wanted to try giving her a nebulizer treatment to see if it offered any relief. She was not [...]
10 Ways to Bond with Baby through Books
I just sat my almost 14-month-old daughter on her floor quilt so I could write this blog post. On her floor quilt, I placed a few books and a few toys. The toys haven't been touched; she keeps studying each book. This is not an unusual occurrence. She gravitates towards books. I can't help but [...]
April’s Featured Books: All Better & Little Bear Needs Glasses
When I initially chose our featured book for this month, I was incredibly excited because I had never seen it in person but had heard so much positive buzz. All Better had been out of stock for months because of its popularity. As soon as it became available, I ordered a copy. [...]