Finding joy in every day life
Hello, I am Dina, a mom, a wife and a person who loves life. This blog is my virtual jar of notes on what brings me joy in day to day life. It includes time with kids, time without kids, food recipes and much more.
Summer Dreams
Summer is here and so are school holidays. My daughter has made it through her first Reception year at school and I couldn’t be more proud of her. I have also hugely missed our time together with her and all the activities we used to do. So I couldn’t be more excited to be off work for a month and to plan to spend this month at home with my two sweet little kittens, I mean children! The girl 5,5 and the boy just turned 3. As I dream of what I’d like to do with them this summer I wanted to share my favourite things here as well.
Easy Christmas Craft for Toddlers, Kids and Adults
I have to admit I enjoyed this craft as much as my kids! It was so easy and so fun! My company was my 17 months old boy and my 4 years old girl. I have ordered in advance on amazon a set of wooden Christmas tree decorations and we painted away altogether! The results are absolutely wonderful and a delight to look at on our Christmas tree!
Light Toys for the Dark Season
The dark season is upon us. December is the darkest month of the year, but also the most sparkling! All the decorations on the streets and outside the houses make me think of December as a sparkling month! And why not bring the sparkle indoors?! Kids absolutely love the magic of lights in the dark! To help navigate the choice I made the selection of the best light toys from our experience. They would make fantastic Christmas presents and would continue to make your house glow all winter long after Christmas is gone!
8 Ideas for Spring Walk with Kids
Spring is my favourite time of the year, and I am excited to share my love for the season with my little ones, and also with you. Here is what we love to do in Spring outdoors.
Three Ways For Kids To Learn About Nature
I like to teach my kids about nature. I find nature fascinating, I always have. And I think it’s really fun to explore and learn about nature together. And of course, it helps to raise conscious children. I want to help them find a connection with nature and feel part of it. Here are the three ways we learn about nature.
Every Child Needs Yoto Player (Review)
My daughter received her Yoto player from Santa this year and has been in love with it ever since. It has cards with stories and music, radio, podcast and it’s very child-friendly, easy even for my three-year-old to start, stop, control volume or skip to the next track. Learn more about why we love the Yoto player and get a discount to buy!
Becoming Best Friends with Our Children
It’s easy to be best friends with our children when they are babies and toddlers. But as they grow they have the mind of their own and relationships with them need attention and nurture like any other family relationship. This post is about what helps us with my daughter to feel connected and stay best friends.
Books about Strong Women for Girls and Boys
I was excited to stumble across these books. I love to read them with my girl and talk about strong women in this world. And I hope you will too!
3 Most Helpful Parenting Books for Baby and Toddler Years
As a busy Mom, I don’t get a chance to read a lot. So when I do sit down with a book I want this book to be helpful and fun and enjoyable to read. Here is the list of 3 parenting books I found most helpful for baby and toddler years.
“Plov” - Perfect Meal for Toddlers and Families
Winter, lockdown, and rainy (or snowy!) days are calling for some comfort food. Since all of us are home (and we like to eat!), my husband and I try to cook meals in large quantities and store them for a few days. “Plov” or “Pilaf” is ideal for that. My daughter loves loves loves the Plov. She never failed to enjoy it from the first time she tried. It’s one of the very few meals she didn’t get tired of and always gets excited seeing it on her plate. This is also a very easy meal to make!
Entertaining Kids At Home with Internet
Feeling tired? Overwhelmed? Demotivated? You are not alone! The start of 2021 is a tough one, and in the UK we have a “stay at home” order for the winter. In this post, I compiled Internet resources that are educational and entertaining for kids. These resources helped me to get through the first lockdown in 2020 while working, looking after a toddler, and being heavily pregnant.
Christmas Decoration Craft
I love to have little rituals while waiting for Christmas, like opening the advent calendar every day, decorating the Christmas tree altogether as a family, or making a Christmas tree decoration ourselves. This year we made a little house with a thatched roof and a tea light inside, and both my daughter and I were excited to put it on the Christmas tree!
In this post, I describe what we used and the steps we followed.
Baking Made Simple
The festive season is perfect for baking. It’s a great activity with little ones as well. I prefer to choose simple recipes with delicious results, where my daughter can help and not run out of patience. In the search for a simple solution, I made a wonderful discovery…
Gadgets For Christmas
Christmas is fast approaching and Santa is reading our letters to him. What have you asked for? Maybe a new gadget? Or are you thinking about what to give to a loved one for Christmas? Here is the list of my favourite gadgets I would recommend.
Simple and Delicious Apple Cake
Have you got a lot of apples in your garden? Try this cake! Need a recipe to bake with your kids? Try this cake! Feel like eating something delicious to sweeten another lockdown start? Try this cake!
Diversity For Children
The thought of bringing up kind, caring, and inclusive children is often on my mind these days. Sharing books that help to open the topic of diversity, empathy, and kindness .
Me time
Busy parent’s life doesn’t leave much time for us, here are two ideas how to carve that precious relaxation time