Planning and Pinterest--by Cajun Cowgirl at When in Doubt, Add More Salt

And last but certainly not least this week is my bloggy friend Cajun Cowgirl from When in Doubt, Add More Salt.  She has the cutest little boy (who just got his first haircut--sniff, sniff) that she lovingly calls Sheriff.  We've discovered that we share a love for the same types of books and have swapped mommy advice back and forth through many emails.  So without further ado, here she is!

Hey y'all! I was thrilled when Natalie asked me to guest post while she and her sweet family enjoy the end of summer! Her trip to salt water and sand? Yes, I'm totally jealous! But I hope they soak up every minute of beach thrills with Nolan!

In the meantime, you get this Momma! A former (and will be one day again) teacher, I find myself incomplete without some sort of planning/creating/sharing. I have not been able to turn of that switch that keeps me always alert to new ideas I could use in the classroom. This, however, does not directly transfer to being a SAHM.  Maybe not directly, but it does. Hear me out.

Our son is 14 months (close enough to Nolan to know that if we all lived closer, we'd be in real life family friends!), and I'm not pushing any homeschooling agenda on anyone. He's too young for that kind of structure, but I have found an outlet for my lesson planning spirit in looking for activities, projects, outings to do with him. Many are free, and others are simply being resourceful and thrifty when it comes to purchases.

I don't know it all; heck, I probably don't know too much, but I thought I'd share a few (hopefully) useful nuggets to help you happily pass the time with your baby/toddler. I'm not looking to overbook the kiddo either. I think a baby/toddler centered activity a day (along with your regular play) can be fun. And if you don't get to it and would rather giggle around in jammies all day, I'm ok with that (in theory ;)! Or if your activity is simply the park, totally ok with that as well!

Now this doesn't mean you get off easy, parents! Sometimes it seems like it takes more planning, set-up, and your own "hands-on" to make it happen.

I just wanted to share some of my favorite go-to sites that I've run across in my "planning." :) Hopefully these little bites will help you make some memories with your wee one.
ROOKIE MOMS

Be sure to stop by this one and check out categorized activities and suggestions for ages 1 month to preschooler. I for one had a  bit of a tough time adjusting to becoming a SAHM. Finding some outlet once or twice a week was fun. A personal favorite--building a fort! (We need to do this again. It's been a few months!)
And feel free to jump throughout the age groups; many of the activities are fitting for several ages.

TODDLER TODDLER
The link I've posted is for younger tots but has practical, "I never thought of that" ideas for playing with your sweetie pie.

MOMMY SCHOOL from Oopsey Daisy

I've got a lot of "in a few months" pinned from this site. These lessons are geared for an older toddler, but I imagine you could do something introductory things with the little ones. If anything, it'll get the wheels turning and creative juices flowing!

Speaking of "pinned," if you aren't on PINTEREST, well stop reading and get on it! But seriously, there are so many links for "busy bags," "printables," "crafts," that you'll spend an entire nap time perusing instead of cooking dinner or folding laundry. Hey, it's all for the kiddo right?!

And another for the older group--stop by PINK AND GREEN MAMA. She's got great art projects/tutorials/must have lists. It just takes a bit of searching (if you've got a younger toddler) for some great finds like this one! Hello DIY Christmas present! You just can't lose with entertaining the kiddo and fulfilling some crafty urges of Momma!

I really do hope I've shared some ideas that you haven't already run across and would LOVE to hear from you, so be sure to let me know what you try, as well as any sites/activities you and your wee one love.

Thanks Jenn for sharing all of the great sites!  I know that I personally needed this because now that Nolan can really interact I need some good activities to help him learn and have fun.  Now I have a place to start!  Now head on over to Jenn's blog to check out more of her tips and and to tag along on her mommy journey!