Amanda of Tickled Pink {The Mommylogues Series}

My very first guest blogger for The Mommylogues Series is Amanda from Tickled Pink and one of the bloggers I have yet to meet in person but consider a great friend. Is it a surprise that Beth introduced us? ;)  ***Fun fact: it was during one of many email convos that Amanda and I have had that inspired me to bring into life this very series!***

Hello there!! I'm Amanda & I blog at Tickled Pink where I share my daily adventures in parenting one spunky, very sassy, & determined 3.5 year old girl and also a super sweet, cuddly, hamhock of a 9 month old boy! I mostly blog about my kiddos and how they keep me on my toes, but my other escapades include cooking, gardening and fun kid's crafts & activities! I'm so excited Whitney is letting me take over for the day, I adore her and her blog! Isn't she the sweetest? I hope you'll stop by and say hi so we can be friends too!

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Now, I must first say, I had this post drafted way before snow storm Jonas blizzard was even thing! I'm just ahead of the times that way. ;) I wanted to share some indoor winter activities to do with your kiddos because I think we can all agree that being cooped up with toddlers is no joke and definitely trying at times. Especially when you are out numbered!

Although we don't live in the coldest area, we do have some cold snaps starting in January that run for a few days at a time, basically shutting down the outdoor fun. Keeping the kiddos entertained inside, all day, is no easy feat. There is just so much energy that needs an outlet. I often wish we had one of those mini-indoor trampolines because honestly, I don't know where my daughter finds her plethora of energy. It's like superhero status. For real. 

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//At Home// 

Lily loves {LOVES} crafting. We usually craft a bit each day. Even if it is just painting. Anything to get the creative juices flowing. I shared a couple winter crafts a few weeks back. We also love reading books and doing a related craft to help bring the illustration to life. Even if you aren't crafty yourself, Hobby Lobby and even the Dollar Tree both have lots of pre-made craft kits. Not to mention, there is always the Target Dollar Bins. 

We like to have fun over here, so of course we take the usual "outdoor" activities and bring them inside. We often play hide-n-seek and race indoors. Benny even gets in on the fun too! Except he always gives away our hiding place. ;) One of our absolute favorite outdoor activities to bring inside is hopscotch! Yes! Hopscotch! We use painter's tape to mark off our squares and a stuffed animal as our item to toss.

An oldie but a goodie is when we build forts with sheets hanging them from love seat to couch. We also like to take all of the pillows off of the couches and build "castles". Not to mention having dance parties where we turn on Pandora, put on costumes and dance around to some tunes is definitely one of both Ben & Lily's favorite activities. 

Over Halloween, we even set up an indoor bowling game with mini-pumpkins. You could easily sub toilet paper rolls for the pins!

//Out and About//

One of our favorite ways to keep busy when we need to get out of the house is our local story time. Actually, it's not that local. We drive to the library across town because their story time involves singing, dancing, stories, and finger puppets. By far, this activity is one of Lily's favorites and it keeps Ben engaged. On non-story time days, we go to our local bookstore to read a new book together and play with the train table. This occupies both kids while mama sits back a bit more hands off.

Indoor bounce houses & Chik-Fil-A playgrounds are always a great way to spend a morning out of the house too. 

We also love attending play dates through our local MOMs Club chapter which has been our main source of support since we moved into our area. (If you are looking for a support system for you and your little one(s), I highly recommend finding a local chapter in your area.)

We are very lucky that we have an amazing (and inexpensive) children's museum nearby that even has section for younger siblings as well. We can go in the morning, exhaust ourselves, eat a packed lunch and be home by nap time.

When all else fails, we just go get a popcorn and sparkling water for two bucks at Target and buy stuff we don't need walk around for a bit. ;)

How do you keep your sanity kids entertained during the Winter months?

Thanks for having me Whitney!! 

-XO-
Amanda

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