Tuesday, December 31, 2013

New Preschool!


Changing preschool can be stressful, especially because the process is combined with other life transitions such mommy's new position with the school district which I am super excited and nervous about. Due to the new position my hours have changed and Ari's previous preschool did not stay open late enough to fit my new schedule. Therefore. we made the decision to move her to a new pre- school. Originally, I was going to wait until she was 2 to make the move but the new position forced me to make a change. (Everything happens for a reason!) Saying good-bye is often difficult especially when you really love her teacher and that's her first daycare. Ari adapted remarkably well, she didn't even cry, which made me wonder if maybe she was ready to get out the house and return to a regular schedule. During vacation she seemed tired of playing with just mommy and daddy. Well, mommy is not great with changes so I had to mentally prepare myself for the big change. I went into the new preschool situation with a positive, welcome and open mind that required some thinking and pep talks in front of the mirror (lol). In this process I have learned that I am extremely picky and that I truly just want the very best for my little princess. We decided on Creative World which is located just down the street making it very convenient considering I was driving 45 minutes every day to her old preschool.

Creative World offered a great curriculum that I could appreciate as an educator. I also love the fact that they provide a portfolio that will show Ari's development growth. Therefore, mommy is happy so far... time will tell if I continue to feel this way.



Thursday, December 26, 2013

Magisto! Video Editing App


A few weeks back I was in search of a video editing app that I could use with my many videos of Ari. In my search I found Magisto! I absolutely love it. This app is FREE! Using the free version you are able to upload up to ten videos or photographs. Once you have selected your videos and/or photos you get to choose a theme and music. A few minutes later Magisto has automatically turned your videos and photos into a super cute video. Check out some of the videos I made.

Christmas 2013 Video



You can also go to their website Magisto.com to learn more.

Enjoy!

Great Christmas Day!

Whether you’re going to church or just spending time with your family, many people say it’s not about what’s under the tree, but what’s in your heart that matters most.Yesterday, was our second Christmas with our little bundle of joy. I must admit that Christmas gets better and better as our family continues to grow and Ari gets older. I think I was a bit more excited than the hubby and Ari!! Growing up Christmas was just another day in my life, nothing special, no traditions and so on. Now that I have my own family I have realized that Christmas has become a very sentimental holiday for me. I want the world for my daughter and I want her to remember the love that we share every day but especially on this holiday. I want to have traditions like marking off the days on an advent calendar, slipping into brand new pajamas Christmas Eve, and giving to those in need. This year, I added the Elf on the Shelf to the mix and I plan on adding additional traditions as Ari gets older and understands more. Building our own traditions will make this day very special. Our families live far away so its just our little family. My family normally sends gifts for us and calls to wish a merry Christmas and we tend to Skype and the hubby's family call t and wishes us Merry Christmas. I've learned that culturally we are different and celebrate this day in different ways. We also have great friends that love Ari who also send gifts for her. However, the coolest moment of Christmas was watching our little Ari open her gifts and be surprised over and over as she open her gifts. Her pure excitement and laughter is all worth it. Some people think I am spoiling her because I buy her gifts but truthfully I don't care! I will give my daughter everything I didn't have plus more because her reaction was priceless and that's all that matter.














I'm truly blessed to spend Christmas with those that I love!

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Fun with Elf on the Shelf!


A very lovely coworker introduced me to the Elf on the Shelf idea when I was pregnant with Ari. I loved the idea and wanted to take part on such an adorable tradition. I decided that I wanted to begin when Ari was still a baby so when she gets a bit older I could show her that our Elf and the Shelf was around even when she was a tiny baby.

Basically, if you are not familiar with the story of the Elf on the Shelf his main goal is to keep watch over the behavior of the children. Every night the Elf returns to the North Pole and reports to Santa his observations then returns home the next morning. Starting the day after Thanksgiving (even though I like to start on Dec 1) until Christmas Eve, the elf remains with its family to make sure that the children are well behaved. In order for his magic not to go away no one could touch the Elf because if the Elf is touched then the Christmas Magic disappears and Santa will not know if the children were good or bad. Every morning, the elf's position/location changes and the family needs to locate the Elf.

Ok, so this year Ari is still small so I am starting to think that her daddy and I are having way too much fun with the Elf idea. We have an agreement that I will move the Elf on the even days and the hubby would move the Elf on the odd days. So, this year daddy and mommy are the ones playing with the Elf. This is the magic of having children- the magic comes back and we begin to enjoy the holiday season.

I will continue to post pictures of our Elf on the Shelf- Ella!