How is 2021 already coming to an end?! In celebration of the New Year, I'm looking back at your favorite content from 2021. This past year you loved my kids activities, food allergy content, and gift guides the most.... at least after my top rated post! 

Top Post of 2021: Mask Organization Station and Carrying Kit, Plus How to Keep Your Masks Clean

With masks remaining an essential tool for staying healthy in 2021, it is no surprise readers continued to love this post (originally published in 2020)! If you haven't checked it out, be sure to do so! The organization system is great for a ton of essentials, not just masks, so it is worth having even once our current crisis has passed.

You can find the entire post here.

Top 10 Posts Published in 2021

The following are your favorite posts published in the past year:

#1 The Best Toys for 2 and 3 Year Olds

Topics: Product recommendations, toddlers, preschoolers

Some of my preschooler's favorite toys from earlier this year. He loves him, and your 2 or 3 year old will, too!

#2 Cotton Ball Sheep

Topics: Spring, kids crafts, Easter crafts, activities for preschoolers

With spring around the corner, you'll definitely want to check out this easy craft!

#3 Allergy Friendly Easter

Topics: Food allergies, Easter, holidays, health, spring

My tried and true tips for staying healthy and safe with food allergies this Easter.

#4 Santa Traditions

Topics: Christmas, holidays, winter, Christmas crafts, Christmas activities

This is one of my more recent posts, but quickly became a fan favorite. Be sure to bookmark it for next Christmas!

#5Easter Egg Crafts

Topics: Easter, spring crafts, preschool activities, sensory activities, toddler activities

These plastic Easter egg crafts are simple and fun; perfect for spring, or any time of the year!

#6 10 Timid Ghosts

Topics: Halloween, free printables, busy books, free worksheets, preschool activities, literacy activities

Even if you aren't a Halloween 365 days a year person, you still need to check out my 10 Timid Ghosts posts. BE sure to bookmark it for next Halloween season.

#7 Father's Day Gifts

Topics: holidays, gift guides, Father's Day

Father's Day will be here before we know it, so be sure to bookmark these great ideas. They are also perfect for birthdays or other special occasions.

#8Food Allergy Myths and Facts

Topics: food allergies, evidence based parenting, health

There are loads of myths out there about food allergies. Learn more about the facts here.

#9 Turkey and Veggie Chilli

Topics: food, recipes, family

This family favorite is perfect for a cold winter day! Plus, it is healthy and an easy way to get your little ones to eat veggies!

#10 Mother's Day Gifts 

Topics: holidays, gift guides, Mother's Day

These gifts for mom are great for Mother's Day, birthdays, and beyond.

Other Top Posts

Some of your favorite posts weren't published in 2021. Here are the remaining top 5 posts from 2021.... all published in 2020! They ranked as some of the most popular on my page, despite being a little older. 

#2  The Big One (Birthday Theme)

Topics: birthdays, celebrations, kids activities, free printables

This birthday theme was meant for 1st birthdays, but can be used for any age. Plus, many of the activities are perfect for everyday use. You can find this fan favorite here.

#3 Salt Dough

Topics: recipes, sensory activities, toddlers, preschoolers, homemade gifts

My salt dough post is another perennial favorite (originally published right after my blog was launched, almost 2 years ago!) to make the list this year. Check out my recipe, tips for using salt dough in educational activities, and how to use salt dough for ornaments or keepsakes. 

#4 Make Your Own Sand Cups

Topics: recipes, celebrations, summer, kids activities, cooking with kids, baking

This fun take on the traditional dirt cup is perfect for celebrations, rainy day fun, preschool classrooms, and more. Check it out here.

#5 Body Tracing

Topics: preschool activities, toddler activities, literacy, homeschooling

Body tracing is a common classroom activity, but it is also great to do at home. Get my tips for how to make it an educational activity here.

Get ready for 2022 with my strategies for keeping your busy schedule on track!

Share the Love!

Disclaimer: This post contains links to Amazon products. As an Amazon Associate, I earn on qualifying purchases. My participation in this program helps support this blog and has no added cost or strings attached for you. Click here to learn more. 

What kid doesn’t love a dirt cup? And just in time for beach season, here is a perfect take on this classic dessert. Use the ingredients and instructions below, or just get creative and have fun!

What you will need:

1. Clear plastic cups 
2. Vanilla/Gold/White cake, baked into cupcakes. Slice of top and crumble, leaving the bottoms of the cupcakes aside.
3. Chocolate chip cookies or sugar cookies, crumbled
4. Something blue! Use cool whip, whip cream, or vanilla pudding with blue food dye or blue frosting.
5. Candy toppings: Swedish fish, ‘o’ shaped candy like lifesavers or gummy rings.
6. More decoration ideas: You can use pop up cocktail umbrellas or plastic beach decorations like these:

Click on images to view product pages. We've not used these items in our own home, but they have great reviews on Amazon and would be great additions to this project.

​You may also like the following products for this activity:

Click on images to view product pages. We've not used these items purchased from Amazon in our own home, but they have great reviews on Amazon and would be great additions to this project.

Instructions:

​In three easy steps your child can create this adorable and delicious beach themed dessert.

1. Place a cupcake bottom at the bottom of the plastic cup. 
2. Add a layer of “blue”, followed by a layer of crumbles of choice (cookie, cake, or both), and a second “blue”
3. Top with candy and decorations.
4. ENJOY!!!

Many readers already know baking is educational. Measuring helps teach fractions and fine motor skills. Baking helps teach sequences, following steps, highlights cause and effect, and for older children, gives the opportunity to practice reading skills. 

So, to use the sand cup activity as a homeschool activity, simply have your children help with baking!

You can use prompts below as a guide, and tailor them to your child's academic level:

1. Read the instructions. What is the first step?
2. First we pour 'x'. What comes next? 
3. We need [1/2 cup] of [sugar]. Let's look at the bottom number (the denominator). How many parts make a whole in this fraction? (Answer = 2). 
4. What temperature do we need to set the oven at? What do you think would happen if we set it higher? Lower?
5. Let's use the food dye to make new colors! What color do you think yellow and blue would make? What about red and blue? What would happen if we added more [red/blue/yellow/green] to this?
6. The recipe says to bake for 30 minutes? 30 minutes is how much of an hour? (Answer: 1/2 Hour). What if we baked for 15 minute? How many parts of an hour would that be (Answer: 1/4)? How many parts of 30 minutes is 15 minutes? (Answer 15/30, 1/2, etc.). 

​Love this? Be sure to share!

​Disclaimer: This post contains links to Amazon products. As an Amazon Associate, I earn on qualifying purchases. My participation in this program helps support this blog and has no added cost or strings attached for you. Click here to learn more. 

​I remember trying to plan my child’s first birthday party like it was yesterday. Agonizing over the theme, décor, location, guest list. Second only to the stress of planning my wedding, I wanted everything to be perfect. Okay, so the stress being second only to my wedding is a stretch, but really, what mom can’t relate to wanting to get their child’s birthday party just right?! Countless hours on Pinterest. Coordinating with a bakery out of state, since we decided to hold my little one’s party in two parts (one for family back home in New England, and a second for friends here in New York), ordering supplies on Amazon, thinking up party games.... It was a lot of work, to say the least.

​Because we decided to celebrate at my husband’s family’s cottage on Peaks Island in Maine, we wanted to keep the theme nautical or coastal in nature. Since one of my husband’s favorite pastimes is fishing, and he does a lot of fishing on Peaks, we finally settled on a theme related to that:

​It wound up being an adorable theme, and we found lots of ready-made décor options on Amazon. Since we’ve been through it all already, I’ve decided to help you cut your stress for planning a similar party, and put together an all in one guide. Everything you need to host an amazing Big One themed birthday, all in one spot. I’ve even developed a free kit containing tons of printable material to get you started!

​All the things I wish I had when I was planning, and didn’t. My loss is your gain!

While we celebrated this birthday as "The Big One" (since it was, of course, my child's big first birthday!), you can use many of these ideas for any beach, nautical, or fishing themed party. 

Plus, many of the activities below are great for any day fun!

1. Menu Ideas 
2. Cake Ideas
3. Activity Ideas 
4. Decorations Ideas 
5. Thank You/Goodie Bag Ideas
6. The First Birthday Outfit
7. Taking this Theme Beyond the Party: Other resources and links to fun, educational thematic content
8. Information for Accessing Downloadable Kit

​We did a traditional summer barbecue at both parties, while offering some more theme appropriate fare as well.  For instance, we served Goldfish as a snack food. 
 
Check out this sample menu card with other theme related menu items!

You can find instructions for how to make sand cups here. While we offered gold fish as a themed snack, I've seen all a number of different creative ideas for fishing theme snacks, including pretzel rods with twine wrapped around the top to look like fishing line, lifesaver candy with twine tied around to look like life preservers, and more. 

Above: 'Sand' cup dessert.

Image shows a clear container filled with crushed cookie and cake that has the texture of sand. It is topped with teal blue frosting and red fish candy.

Also be sure to download the printables kit to get your own blank menu card, or get access to the one above!

We did both an allergy safe smash cake for our child and purchased a bakery cake for our guests. We asked the bakers to decorate the cake with colored frosting, piping, and sea life; we added bobbers and a center piece to the top to finish the look. 

Above: Three images show two different cakes from our first birthday party. Two images show a smash cake, which is blue and has wave like texture. It is topped with a single red and white bobber and a sign that has a fish and says "The Big One". A second sheet cake also has a sign with fish that says "The Big One", has a blue top with bobbers, and white sides with fish shapes affixed to it.

Be sure to keep an eye on my blog, too; I’m currently working on a piece with tons of ideas for allergy friendly cake options, and will place a link here when it is completed. 
 
Be sure to check out the following cake topper options on Amazon to recreate the looks above! Just click on the images to navigate to the product pages.

One of the best things about the following activities is that they are great not only for parties, but any occasion. Most of these activities continue to be in our rotation of favorite things to do!

FISHING GAME

​You can use the materials and instructions in the printables kit for a DIY option, or purchase one of the recommended products below. We purchased a kit and used our kiddie pool, which was amazing because my child’s birthday was held on a hot summer day. 

ABOVE: Our fishing set (this was taken well after the party, and we colored the water for extra fun, but when we used the set at the party we had it set up in our wading pool). Image shows a clear rectangular container with green water and 6 colorful fish toys. A single blue fishing rod also sits in the water.

Using the printables kit (this is best for slightly older children, while the kit you can purchase is a bit better for younger kids): Create fishing poles by taking kabob sticks and tying twine to one end. Then attach a paperclip at the end of the twine. Print the fish, laminate, and attach a self adhesive magnet to the back. This game is not only great for parties, but for a DIY home activity on rainy or cold days.

We have gotten a lot of use out of our fishing kit (long after the party was over). It is still one of my toddler's favorite backyard water play activities!

​DECORATE YOUR OWN FISH CRAFT

​You can use the materials and instructions in my printables kit for a DIY option, or purchase one of the recommended products below. For my child’s party, we purchased wooden fish and had the children paint them (some fo the adults joined in, too), but you can use glue, glitter, pom-poms, or any fun and festive craft materials. If you are having an adults-only party (for instance, if you are the first one in your family or friends group to have a child), you can get even more creative with a hot glue gun and smaller materials, too.  

This is another activity that is great for any occasion.

Here are some great products to help you with this activity. Or, access the printables kit using the form at the bottom of this article.

​BUBBLES

What toddler doesn’t love bubbles? We purchased an amazing bubble blower from Amazon and still get great use out of it. Or, use a storage bin with warm water and make bubbles using Dawn blue dish soap for an easy and more cost-efficient sensory play option. If you use the Dawn dish soap option, you can also use the bubble sensory bucket as a fishing spot.

​PIN THE TAIL ON THE FISH

Just use the materials in the downloadable kit for an easy and fun variation of Pin the Tail on the Donkey, perfectly modified for this adorable first birthday theme. You can access the printables kit using the form at the bottom of this article. Laminating the fish tails is a great way to make them more durable, too!

Above (Left): Image shows blue fish for "Pin the Tail on the Fish" activity. This printable has been formatted for poster size, so you can print a large version, perfect for the game! Above (Right): Image shows blue tails for pin the tail on the fish.

Memory Keepsake

This activity is best for the adults and older children at the party. Use the memory cards in the printables kit and have guests fill out favorite memories from your child's first year or wishes for their future. Children who don't want to (or can't yet) write can also draw pictures. You can insert these cards into a photo album or a similar storage system to enjoy for years to come. Or, have guests use the bobber tags to write memories and well wishes, and then paste them on the Memories Poster or arrange in a picture frame as a collage.

MAKE YOUR OWN "SAND CUP" DESSERT

​What kid doesn’t love a dirt cup? Simply use yellow/vanilla cake (instead of chocolate), chocolate chip or sugar cookies (instead of Oreos), blue cool whip/frosting/vanilla pudding, Swedish fish, and O shaped gummy candy or life-savers. You can even top them with little cocktail umbrellas! More detailed instructions for this activity can be found here.

​ Why go to the store when you can shop online? Here are some products perfect for this activity.

Click on images below to view product pages, or click here to view product descriptions and links included in the activity.

​You can’t have a decent party without decorations, right? Check out the following photos of my little one’s party, as well as product recommendations to help recreate the look. 

CLICK ON THE NAME OF THE DECORATION (IN BLUE) OR THE PRODUCT IMAGE TO ACCESS THE PRODUCT PAGE.

PHOTO BANNER

This photo banner received tons of compliments from our guests. It is still available on Amazon, or you can use my printables to create your own photo wall or banner.

​FISHING BOBBERS

Before my husband confiscated them for his fishing kit (kidding, kidding... I gladly turned them over for a second life serving their designated purpose!) we used these bobbers for cake toppers and decorations on food platters. You can see them in a number of the pictures throughout this post. Or, use my printable bobber tags and toothpicks for a DIY approach (laminating them can make them more durable, too).

The Big One Banner

We used this banner as interior decor, and then for a backdrop for the smash cake photo shoot. You can find the same banner by clicking the image below for the Amazon product page, or check out the Big One poster printable in my download kit!

1st Birthday Nautical Theme Party Supplies and Dangling Decor

This party supply kit includes decorations, goodie bags, napkins, plates, cups, and a table cloth, while the dangling decor matches the set perfectly. We ordered two, and supplemented with red, blue, and white paper goods. 

You can also access DIY decorations in my printables kit. See the form at the bottom of the page to sign up.

Before your guests leave, make sure to thank them!

We gave out goodie bags (available in the nautical themed first birthday kit here) containing candy, as well as letting our guests bring home their own fish (see below for the product we purchased).
 
You can also use the bobber tags from the printables kit and/or the printable thank you notes. Either use a hole puncher and ribbon to affix the tags to the bags, or handwrite thank you messages on the notes for your child to mail/give to your guests. 

What first birthday would be complete without a great birthday outfit? 

We ordered an adorable Big One onesie and a crown from Amazon. And, the choices turned out adorable, if I do say so myself!

Looking for a great gift for a 'Big One' birthday party? Or ideas for resources to help use some of the printable content for everyday purposes?

Be sure to check out the following content:

Fish and Ocean Themed Gifts, Books, and More!

I've compiled a list of perfect gifts for the little angler or beach lover in your life. I scoured Amazon for the best rated thematic products, so you don't have to! Some of these products we have in our home, some I've had in the classroom, and others simply got rave reviews. You can check them out here.

Fish/Summer Themed Printables

These resources are perfect for those looking to utilize the activities above for everyday fun. Learn more about these great printables here. 

ABOVE: Light blue background with white accents. 8 images of sample curriculum content, including color, shape, and sight word activities. Center has text stating "Get these pages and more!"

I enjoyed putting this post and my summer printables pack together so much that I decided to take it a step further and create thoughtfully designed literacy packs. As we are approach autumn, I will not only be releasing a literacy kit for summer, but adding a fall themed kit to the bundle!  See a sneak peek of some of the resources below:

Based on commonly utilized and research based phonics instruction strategies learned while I was a teacher, these resources will aid in teaching phonological awareness to pre-readers and early readers. A perfect supplement for preschool or PreK families preparing their little one for elementary school (or as an add on for those homeschooling this year thanks to the pandemic). The bundle includes alphabet words, instructions for phonological awareness strategies, a seasonal story, and supplemental activity cards for each season. They pair perfectly with seasonal subscriber printables (new fall content coming to the subscribers' library very soon)!

Stay tuned for an announcement on release (and an Instagram giveaway) soon!

What you get:

This kit comes with the following printable options:

• 4 different bobber tag/photo banner options.
• 1 "The Big One" Poster 
• 1 Memory Template Card for Guests to Fill Out
• 1 Memory Poster for Guests to Paste Bobber Tags with Memories On
• 1 Menu Card - Blank
• 1 Menu Card - Filled with Sample Menu 
• 3 Thank You Card Options
• 1 Pin the Tail on The Fish Set (1 poster, 2 pages of tails)
• 6 Pages of Photo Booth Props/Decorations
• 1 Page of Multisized Fish Tags
• 1 Decorate Your Own Fish Template
• 2 Pages of Fish for Decorations or Fishing Activity