How To Get The Most Out Of Your Pumpkin Patch Experience.

7 simple tips to getting the most from your pumpkin patch experience.

Over the weekend we crossed another Fall Bucket List item off of our list. We went to a pumpkin patch! Pumpkin patches, or farm fall festivals are a perfect way to spend a morning or day together as a family. We especially lucked out as we had a chilly morning that lent itself to the perfect fall vibe we had going on. We donned our long sleeves and set out on our adventure.

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So how can you get the most out of your pumpkin patch? Try following these tips!

  1. Plan your visit. The first step to ensuring a wonderful experience is making sure the pumpkin patch you choose is age appropriate. We looked into a few different farms and found one geared more towards toddler-elementary aged kids. There were some other options with activities more appropriate for older kids, and while they looked like a blast, we felt we wouldn’t get the best experience there.
  2. Pack snacks.  This step is vital. We actually packed a picnic lunch. It was especially key as we arrived shortly before our normal lunch time, and were all feeling a little irritated from having spent an hour in the car. We ate first thing so that we could boost our moods and have plenty of energy to spend on all the activities. A full toddler is a happy toddler. By eating first we didn’t have to stop or drag our toddler away from activities to get her to eat. Setting up our picnic lunch first eliminates any distractions (have you tried to get a toddler to eat who just wants to keep playing??) and curbed the desire for the not-so-good-for-you snacks and treats the farm offered.
  3. Bring Cash. Normally a lot of fall festivals, local farms or pumpkin patches only accept cash. Even if they do accept major credit cards you might find some of their local food vendors or paid activities like pony rides, only accept cash.
  4. Bring a camera. There will be plenty of cute photo-opts during your visit.
  5. Participate! Many places offer fun activities such as hay rides, corn mazes, duck races, scare-crow stuffing, and more! It’s a great time to try something new, like burying yourself in corn kernels or feeding a goat.
  6. Pick out a pumpkin. This is the best part of a pumpkin patch. Searching for the perfect pumpkin. Encourage your children to pick theirs on their own. We had Emmie help find our pumpkins by giving her specific things to look for, “Can you find Daddy a pumpkin with a big stem?” but after she helped us we gave her free reign to find her own. The result was a very proud toddler and a very cute photo.
  7. Lastly, dress appropriately. Dress for the weather. If your child is cold, they won’t have the best time. The last thing you’ll want to worry about is not having fun because you’re either too warm or too cold. When in doubt, dress in layers! Another great tip? Wearing shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty is usually a good bet.

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If you’re searching for even more ways to maximize your pumpkin patch experience you can bring things like themed books, hot cider in a mug, or a pumpkin patch scavenger hunt checklist. It also can’t hurt to bring extra wipes because sometimes you just get dirty. But a dirty kid, is usually a happy kid. I mean, just look at this cutie. She was covered in head to toe dirt, from falling, pumpkin hunting, and wiping her face, but she was in her element.

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Fall Bucket List & Free Toddler Scavenger Hunt Printout

A toddler inspired fall bucket list and free toddler scavenger hunt printout.

Fall is here and with it cooler temperatures. Living in Florida means we’re still going swimming, but we’re no longer swimming in humidity. <Okay, okay, no more bad jokes> Just because our fall weather looks a little different than what we’re used to, we’re still planning on having a lot of fun this season! Here’s a peek at what’s on our Florida Fall Bucket List:

Collect pine-cones

Decorate for Halloween

Wear boots!

Pick out a pumpkin at a ‘pumpkin patch’

Visit a farm

Go to the fair

Carve a pumpkin

Roast pumpkin seeds

Go trick-or-treating

Have a fall scavenger hunt

Drink apple cider

Eat apple pie

Go camping

Do a fall-inspired craft

Have an outdoor fire

We have already started checking off things on our list, and some activities we’ll be checking off again and again. (Apple cider anyone? Yum!) What’s on your fall bucket list?

Toddler Scavenger Hunt

Don’t forget to download your very own Autumn Scavenger Hunt for Toddlers to join in on our fun!

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10 Surefire Ways of Getting More Much-Needed Sleep in Pregnancy.

Having trouble sleeping in pregnancy? Try these 10 easy ways to get more sleep during pregnancy.

I’ve hit that stage in pregnancy where sleep has become oh so elusive. You better believe I’m implementing every strategy I know to get more sleep! If you’re having trouble getting enough sleep during pregnancy try out some of these fail-safe ways get more sleep:

1. Body pillows: As you progress in pregnancy you’re no longer supposed to sleep on your back. You can’t sleep on your stomach, because, well, you’re pregnant. And they recommend you favor your left side. You can use body pillows to support your belly while also supporting your knees. Having a second body pillow can give your backside some support as well. Basically make yourself into a body pillow sandwich.

2. Sleep by yourself. Pregnancy is a time when rolling over takes a momentous amount of strength. Sharing a bed makes this even harder. Space is limited and your partner’s movements could keep you awake. If you’re really struggling, kick out your significant other. You’re growing a human, it’s hard work and you need sleep. You might find you sleep so much better solo.

3. Essential oils: A soothing scent can help relieve stress and help you drift off easier. Lavender is known for it’s calming effects. Not a lavender fan? Try a mix of orange, clove and lemongrass.

4. Hypnosis apps: If you don’t have an issue falling asleep at the beginning of the night, but anxiety or restlessness keeps you up after those early morning wakings, try a hypnosis app. Having a soothing guiding mediation can help keep your mind off whatever it is that’s keeping your brain awake. It’ll help you focus – just enough– to relax back into sleep. Don’t want to wake your partner? Try these Cozyphones.

5. Limit hydration at night: Curb those nighttime wakings for frequent bathroom trips by limiting drinks in the evening. Stop drinking a couple hours before bed.

6. Exercise: Keeping up a regular exercise routine can help you get a more restful night. Short on time? Even something as simple as a quick walk or a gentle 10 minutes of yoga before bed can help you fall asleep easier.

7. Use white noise: Tune out those background night noises with a white noise machine.

8. Keep a cool room: Your blood volume increases by 1/3 during pregnancy so you might find yourself running warmer than usual. Keep the bedroom cool and comfortable for sleeping. A bedside fan could be just the thing you need for a more restful night.

9. Receive a massage: Have your partner give you a quick rub down. Even something as simple as a 5 minute back massage can help release any tension your body may be carrying that would prevent easily falling asleep.

10. Have a bedtime routine: by creating a simple bedtime routine, and sticking with it, you set your body up with these cues that help signal it’s bedtime. This can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.

11. Take a nap: Sometimes you just can’t log enough ZZZ’s during the night. Make time during the day to catch up. A power nap has been proven time and time again to increase concentration, focus, and productivity.

12. Skip the caffeine: If you can, cut out caffeine completely. If you can’t live without your morning coffee, make sure you cut off your caffeine supply no later than 2pm. This also includes things like chocolate!

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Camping with Toddlers & Free Camping Checklist

5 Tips for Camping with Toddlers plus free downloadable camping checklist

We went camping with Emerson this past weekend and she loved every minute of it! The weather was perfect. Warm during the day but cool at night. We cooked on the fire, went hiking, and swam in a chilly river. I wanted to share my top 5 tips for camping with toddlers:

  1. Always pack a well equipped first aid kit, including remedies for your baby/toddler. The time you think you don’t need infant ibuprofen is the one time you will need it. It’s always better to be prepared in terms of safety than to be under prepared. Your kit should include things such as: band-aids, gauze pads, medical tape, antibacterial ointment, anti-itch cream, tums, acetaminophen/ibuprofen, pepto-bismol or similar stomach medicine, allergy medicine and other baby related medicinal items such as Aquaphor or teething tablets.
  2. Bring any favorite sleeping items. This is a must. Sleeping in a tent is so exciting, but at the same time you’re also abandoning the comfort and structure of home life. We made sure to pack items that would help Emmie feel secure when falling asleep in the tent, just as if she were falling asleep at home. We made sure to pack her very own pillow, her favorite sleeping blanket and both sleeping security items (lovey & sleep star). We extended bedtime and all went to bed together to help eliminate any bedtime anxiety while camping.
  3. Bring easy to serve snacks/drinks/foods. We like to cook our food over the fire pit but this means it can take a while before everything is ready. Toddler are notorious for having little patience when it comes to waiting for food. We made sure to pack easy to serve foods and drinks. We had things like single serving fruit cups, granola bars, cheese sticks & milk boxes all for easy serving. We packed a prepared jar of grapes for a quick healthy snack. We stopped any whining or fussing simply by having quick, nutritious snacks readily available.
  4. Pack versatile layers & store some in the tent. Temperatures drop overnight so while you might be comfortable and cozy in a packed tent, the moment you step outside you’re greeted with the chilly morning air. Packing versatile layers is essential for keeping toddlers happy. I made sure to bring an extra long sleeve shirt & sweatshirt into the tent when we went to bed knowing I wouldn’t want Emmie to leave the tent before layering up in the morning. As the morning warmed up we were able to strip down layer by layer and didn’t have any issues with being too cold.
  5. Get a toddlers version of everything. We bought Emmie her own sized camping chair, her own water bottle and she brought her very own owl lantern. I also had a small flashlight for her to use but she stuck with her lantern. By giving her her very own camping items she was much more apt to leave ours alone. It helped her feel like an equal part of the camping crew. Having her own items definitely eliminated any tantrums over “needing” something that we didn’t want her to mess with.

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We enjoyed camping so much that we have already booked a longer stay in a few weeks. There’s even been some talk at attempting a backpacking trip! If you’re looking to go camping with your little one anytime soon make sure you download my free camping checklist below.

Family Camping Checklist

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