ok, seriously, if someone had told me when i was pregnant that there would be so much stress involved with daycare/preschool i would have been frightened to death, but much better equipped to handle things as my daughter grew from baby to toddler.
who knew the horrors that are involved in wait lists, paying to be on
waitlists, who you know, who you don't know, what you don't know that goes on when you aren't there, will it damage your child for life or will it not, and the other trillion worst case scenarios that go through a parents mind when deciding on any type of care/education for their child.
my daughter isn't even 2 and we had to start hunting for preschools and getting on
waitlists a month ago. what the
fu** is that about? i want to enjoy my baby. i don't want to be constantly fretting over where she is going to go to preschool, what type of preschool (who knew there were so many kinds) and then to top it off the cost of preschool! yes, the cost. i think i must have been living on some other planet when i thought that preschool was affordable or by a donation of some sorts. well, it's not free and to our shock, we can't afford to put our daughter in the type of preschool we would want to. how is that fair?
now don't get me wrong, we live quite happily on my hubby's salary. we don't make
a lot but we are creative with our budget and we get by. does that mean that my child or someone
else's child, that isn't well off, receives a better type of education as a toddler? i guess so. the preschools we can afford are not bad, they just weren't the style of school we were after.
during my research on preschools i came across the wonderful
global mama. if you are a parent struggling to figure out the differences between the many types of preschools available for your toddler, check out her ongoing series on "hunting for a preschool".
laura has provided us with a resource written in a language that parents can understand to help take the cloud of confusion off some of the many questions parents may have about
montessori/
waldorf etc. each post in the series:
"will profile a different type of school, giving you key information about the background and philosophy, curriculum, strengths and critiques, a typical “day in the life”, as well as a list of further resources."
global mama hopes to help "demystify the process of choosing a preschool". you can find her links here:
a big thank you to
laura, for her kindness, her link love, for providing such a helpful series and for helping me clarify the blurry world of preschools. we have now decided on the type of preschool that fits our families needs and also our budget.
are any of you suffering from the same bubble bursting feeling of preschool being a fun experience for a family? i am trying to stay optimistic, yes, it's hard to tell by this post, but i want my daughter to have a wonderful preschool experience free from all the worries us adults have to deal with. what ever happened to that kind of place? was i the only one who went to a preschool like that when i was younger?
i'd love to hear your thoughts.
bakerella brightened up my day with these spring chicken easter cake pops. if you would like to make some of these, click here for bakerella's colorful tutorial.
one crafty place has bunnies galore this month and today she posted this little guy to decorate your table with this easter. my paper crane brightened up her bunny with a great red and white polka dot napkin. so cute! you can learn how to fold one of these bunny napkins over at good housekeeping.
croq zine has an easy way to make your own play stove with handy utensil, play dishes and food storage inside using a simple plastic storage container. what a great idea!!! click here for the how to.
image courtesy we wilsons
we wilsons also links over to this great project idea if you happen to be a swiffer lover. merwing shows you how to make your own swiffer cover and duster. you can find the tutorial here.
ohhh, pascale in paris got me again. check out her tutorial for these cute little egg warmers. you can find her tutorial on her blog between the lines. one of these days i will make it to paris and we are going to go for a cup of espresso together :)
do your kids suffer from any food allergies? simple mom has a great article up today about healthy recipes your kids will love without gluten, dairy or soy. from smoothies, turkey & veggie patties to salmon & veggie nuggets, there are lots of yummy recipes your kids and you are sure to love. click here for the recipes.
these rainboots by vincent shoes are adorable! how cute are these?
design sponge posted this handy little cozy pattern from a merry mishap today. this would be a great little insert into your next baby shower gift for a new mom. you can find the pattern here.
learn how to make this great pleated purse pattern over at my spare time. while you are over there make sure to take a look at her tea towel apron tutorial as well.
awww, isn't he cute? those eyelashes are just so sweet. don't you just wanna squeeze him? i do.
chica and joe have a great contest going on right now called the craft green contest in honour of earth day in april. they are challenging everyone to submit their best craft recycling projects for a chance to win prizes. the deadline for submissions is april 20th. for more information and to enter click here.
i am always on the lookout for ways to make my daughter's umbrella stroller more cushy for the tushy. this fleece wrap looked super cozy and very soft. what toddler wouldn't want to snuggle up in there for a while and get pushed around? hell - i would love to snuggle up in there if she doesn't want to!
how about orange has a great project for turning your basic envelope into a gift bag. click here for the how to.
birthday parties galore are just around the corner at our house and these funky pipe cleaner tiara's caught my eye. you can find the directions here at whimsy love to add a little princess sparkle to your day.
it's big time bunny week over at lollychops, which is one of my favorite places to go find a new project or inspiration. i don't know where she finds the time! she has a great tutorial up for some wonderfully cute and addicting bunny appliques here and then using some felt and paperclips to make these guys here.
