Displaying Special Family Memories

I'm sure I'm not the only mum that has absolutely stunning photos of my kids saved in folders on my computer - just waiting (begging!) to be put on display.

Photos of your kids are just so precious, and I must admit I have a few more around the house of Miss M than of Little Man - so that's why I chose this gorgeous photo of him (taken about a year ago mind you), to have printed on a canvas by CanvasChamp.

This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Brand Meets Blog. 

57

Mother's Day Art, Craft & Gift Ideas

Well we are half way through the school holidays here in SA which only leaves a few weeks to get the Mother's Day gifts sorted! How quickly is this year going???

I've found some super cute ideas during my Pinterest scrolling that I really wanted to share with my teacher and early childhood educator followers. You might recall that last year my Year 2 students and I combined science with our Mother's Day gifts and created home made bath bombs. I also wanted to remind you of this post from the previous year - these ideas are super simple, perfect for dads to do with the kids at home.

Anyway, now for some new ideas! This first one is of course from Teach Starter which is always my first stop when looking for resources. This flower paper craft is so simple but so effective.

81

A Little Penguin's Guide to Life {Book Review}

When the title of this book first popped up in my Facebook feed, it immediately caught my eye. I was intrigued! I fell in love with the book even more when I received it, turned to the first page and began reading it to my children.

*cue heart melting

A Little Penguin's Guide to Life is a children's book about life's most important lessons (ten to be precise). In the words of the creator herself, it's more than a picture book. It's an emotional developmental tool. Think of it like a handbook.

The book has been written and developed by Chantelle and Ali Terai, and 'Little Penguin' is based on their son Marcel. He was at the forefront of their minds when writing the book. Chantelle, like me is a school teacher and Ali who has previously worked in education and now runs his own business. They are just your ordinary couple who dreamed of creating something special - and they have! So that's why I'm helping them to spread the word.

Kindly gifted for the purpose of this review. Not sponsored. 

21

Our latest craft contributions for Inspire Book Box

Did you know that I'm one of the regular contributors to Inspire Book Box? Every second month I'll come up with an art and craft activity that ties in with the theme and key text from that month's book box. I really love how children's reading and literacy is being extended into the arts (and cooking too!) through these comprehensive packs. Here's my previous post with my very first activity contribution + review.

Inspire Book Box is so much more than a book delivery. It's almost like a mini unit of work carefully curated and themed to match the picture book perfectly, and that's why I'm so proud to be part of the team. It really warms my heart to see other children all over the country enjoying my activities after their Inspire Book Boxes have arrived in the post!

49

Diary of our Summer

I have really treasured these summer school holidays for a number of reasons. Number one being that Miss M is off to school very soon! So I've been wanting to make the most of this time with her (especially the days that Little Man is at Child Care and it's just the two of us).

As always, I love to share these little snippets of our daily life and beautiful city here on the blog. We did so much and has a great variety of things to see and do over the five weeks (as well as Christmas and Little Man's birthday of course!).

I seriously cannot believe we are nearly at the beginning of her school journey. She really is so excited and I'll be sure to share how it all goes over the next few weeks. School also means that on the days I'm not working, I'll get some special time with the Little Man to take him to Kindergym, Play group, swimming and the Library.

So here's just some of the summer holiday activities that we got up to!

Kid and Hub

9

An update, a look back and a cheeky birthday

Well hello there my little blog! Long time no see.

It's been a bit of a quiet December here, so I thought I should post one more time for the year with a bit of an update and a reflection of the year that was. The end of a calendar year also marks the end of another year of blogging, that's been four years since I started Teacher Types (a very easy blogiversary date to remember) so it's time to get back into it and set some goals for 2018!

So 2017 for me was the year of the juggle. The spinning of the plates. Motherhood, part time teaching + extra relief days, and maintaining the blog, and I think I've managed to do it all! I actually had a really good year.

I wrote 85 posts in total, with January and February being the busiest months (I must have started the year more enthusiastically than I finished it lol), and here are my top 5...

Kid & Hub Opened in Adelaide!

We absolutely love Kid & Hub! They have had such a successful first year of business with their movers and makers classes a big hit for both of my kids and we love their new and improved play hub!

21

What I've Been Reading This Month

Hi everyone! Sorry I've been a bit absent this month... I've still been active on Insta but not so much on Facebook or here on the blog. I'm trying to get back some motivation and finish off all of the things on my blog to do list by the end of the month!

In the mean time there are some articles and blog posts that I'd love to share with you all!

First of all I was over at Teach Starter this month for their regular Teacher Spotlight feature. Cassie asked me all sorts of questions about returning to work after having the kids, what my schedule is like, my favourite Teach Starter resources... and then she cleverly crafted a fantastic and comprehensive piece all about me! I would love for you to check it out.

3

Adelaide's BEST Nature Playgrounds

The October school holidays fall at such a beautiful time of year. The weather is just perfect to get outside and experience our natural world. Gorgeous nature playgrounds and spaces are popping up all over Adelaide and are becoming increasingly popular as our communities are seeing the value in getting kids climbing trees, taking responsible risks, getting dirty and connecting with their environments.

So as you start thinking about how you're going to fill the next two weeks - schedule in some time to visit some of Adelaide's best nature playgrounds.

Glenelg Foreshore

7

How KAZOOPS Will Encourage Imaginative Play in your Child

One of the fundamental principals of child development I learnt when I was at Uni was that children learn through play. They make sense of their world, act out familiar experiences when playing and use their imaginations to process and solidify their understanding. Just a few examples you may have seen or experienced include home corner play, acting out "mums and dads", feeding dolls, pushing trains along a train track, making animal noises as they play with toys - it's all imaginary play! They are learning while they're playing and using their imaginations. An essential ingredient to a well rounded childhood.

The TV show Kazoops is embracing this philosophy as imagination is the key theme throughout each episode. Targeted to preschoolers, young children will be encouraged to use their own imaginations as they watch, and chances are it will spark some learning through play experiences of their own.

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. 

4

When Should Your Child Start School? {Guest Post}

My daughter will be starting school next year! It's such an exciting time for our family and we are really looking forward to it. She'll be four when she starts, turning five in early March. There was no doubt in my mind that she would be ready. Not that I have pushed her to do any of the educational activities you've seen on the blog or Instagram - I really do try to take her lead and follow her interests of when she wants to do writing, drawing, reading, numbers, sensory or imaginary play. As well as being academically ready (in my opinion), her Preschool teachers agree and she is so used to the daily routine of a 7:30 - 4pm day that I think she'll cope with school life really well.

However in my chats with family and friends, it can be a difficult decision to make for March & April babies who will either be 4 turning 5 when they start (making them one of the youngest in their cohort), or 5 turning 6 when they start school. And in many cases you need to have a plan the year prior to decide if they will commence sessional kindergarten or not. A really good piece of advice I heard from a friend (she read it in a book) was to ask yourself; "Will they flourish? Or will they just cope?". Parents often do not regret their choice to wait another year before sending their child, but some who choose to send them 'early' do.

So to help you navigate this big decision and to give you some food for thought, today I welcome Aly from Grow to Know. She's a teacher of the Early Years like me and her website Grow to Know is all about preparing children for school. Aly has some really clear dot points for your to consider to decide if your child really is ready...

26

Fab Father's Day Crafts

I can't believe that another Father's Day has rolled around again! This year is just going way too fast. Before I know it I'll have a two year old and Miss M will be at school - eek! 

Anyway - just like last year, I've decided to bring you all some simple and sweet Father's Day craft and gift ideas. So if you haven't already planned anything - check these out!

4

Fantastic Father's Day Gifts!

Is it just me or did Father's Day sneak up on anyone else? It's about 3 weeks away, but if you're planning on getting anything online (especially if it's something personalised) you better hop to it! Which is why I'm smashing out this blog post tonight to get it out there to you all so you have enough time to get your orders in to some of these brilliant small businesses!

1

8 Ways to Keep Your Family Organised & Have More Time to Play! {Guest Post}

Hi everyone! How are you at organisation? I always thought I was pretty good at it - but with two kids, working part time and just the general chaos and busyness of life it's not always easy to keep your household running like clockwork. 

Today, guest blogger Erin (you may have read my interview recently) has some fantastic organisational tips to keep the household running like clockwork, ultimately leaving you with more time to actually play with your kids!

--------

...so if you are anything like me, you are always on the hunt for fresh ideas to keeping the home, routines, family as organised as possible. Today I am sharing eight ways to help keep your family organised so you have more time for play. These ideas are nothing new, we didn't create them (other than our version of #8), these are ideas that we have seen and/or adopted from various experiences and influences. Some we have changed to meet our needs and others we have simply followed in the original form. By using these systems, we have found there is more opportunity for family adventures and PLAY!

6

Teacher By Day {Melissa - Paper Halo}

Hi everyone!
Today's teacher by day is an Adelaidian like me and I'm so pleased to have her here on the blog to share a bit about her biz. Meet Melissa from Paper Halo. She knows all about weddings, parties and events and creates gorgeous invitations and stationery. 

17

That time we went to Sydney {and survived Little Man's first flight}

Hello friends!
We have just got home from our first 'family-of-four' holiday. We enjoyed 4 days in gorgeous Sydney, more specifically Darling Harbour. It was crazy busy with the kids, trying to juggle everything and keep everyone happy - but we made it and the fun times far outweighed the tantrums and grizzles ;)

There was so much fun stuff for kids to do over there that I couldn't keep it all to myself and had to share a few highlights and snapshots of our trip!

The kids are checking out the view

6

Why does my child eat at child care but is fussy at home? {Guest Post}

So many parents struggle with fussy eaters! I know I was as a child!! A perplexing issue that seems to be quite common is that fussy eaters are happily gobbling up their meals choc full of meat and veggies at Child Care, but turning their nose up at it at home. So frustrating!! So I called in Nutritionist & Feeding Therapist Simone from Play with Food to give her insight as to why this is a thing, and what we can do about it. 

Click here for Simone's recipe for this Roasted Carrot, Apple & Fennel soup. Yum!

Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge with us Simone, I know you are a busy lady!

*This post contains affiliate links :)

15

What it's like being a Teacher Mum

When you become a parent, you are on duty 24/7. That new little person is 100% your responsibility and your life is utterly consumed by their existence. However as they grow, you might return to work and spend the hours of 9-5 in an office. 8 hours of kid free time…

Not teacher mums! We go back to work and are still surrounded by little people with no escape. 24/7. At the start of this year I went back to work part time after having my second child, and here’s a little insight into what life is like as a teacher mum.

35

I'm the Mum... On Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day everyone!

To the all the mums. The single mums, the nannas, the great grandmas, the mothers in law, the working mums, the stay at home mums, the new mums, the seasoned mums... All the mums.

Gorgeous lettering by the gorgeous lady - Emma Kate Co

Today marks the third Mother's Day that I haven't had my own mum to share the day with. I think of her often often, but especially on days like today. There are so many little snippets of her that I remember. Little bits and pieces that made up our life as mother and daughter.  I felt like if I wrote them down somewhere then they'd be preserved and I wouldn't forget them as time goes on... So I keep a list in a word doc on my computer, and thought I might share just a few of them today.

27

Teacher By Day {Jenny - Eckles Invites}

It's been a while since my last Teacher by Day interview so today I'm really pleased to introduce you to Jenny from Eckles Invites. Turns out her hubby is a teacher too (how great would that be to have 12 weeks off as a family each year??). They live in the most beautiful part of Australia and I am serious jealous of the year round stunning weather they get to enjoy. 

Read more about Jenny's #teacherlife and her stunning custom invitations and stationery she creates over at Eckles Invites...

3

Homemade Bath Bombs for Mother's Day

Yay for May! It's Mother's Day month!

Being a teacher/mum means you usually need to plan a gift + card for your class to make to give to their mothers or special people in their lives for Mother's Day. During our planning meeting I had the brilliant idea of making bath bombs with the students, because it would tie in perfect with our Science unit on mixtures and chemical reactions. Yay for integrated learning opportunities!

So Miss M and I had a practise run, because I've never made them before and I wanted to be confident that they would work when I do them at school. She has decided to give them to her Nanna and Aunties for Mother's Day (she has loved bath bombs even since I bought one home from her from Lush - and I get her one every time I go to the city!). But making your own is faaaaar cheaper and an educational experience too.

7