kids – Francois et Moi

Our Experience Renting the Snoo Bassinet

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Mon, 24 May 2021 19:27:51 +0000

Choosing a bassinet can be overwhelming! Read about my (unsponsored) experience using the Snoo Bassinet with my 2nd child. Let’s talk about bassinets. With the recall of the Rock n Play (which is what we used the first time around) I wasn’t sure what to do for our second. I spent an embarrassing amount of time researching your suggestions last summer and actually had a lot of anxiety around choosing one because I didn’t want make a wrong decision. But the truth is every baby is different, so all you can do is pick one, try it and if it’s not working, try something else. We decided to try the Snoo, and at first, Leo didn’t seem to like it. We put it away for a week, gave it another shot, and it has been great ever since. The Snoo senses when he’s fussing and turns on soothing noises + swaying motion. It ACTUALLY calms him down and puts him back to sleep—much of the time. Good to Know There’s something called the ‘Motion Limiter‘ setting that’s typically used for preemies and newborns, when less motion is needed to soothe. I’d recommend turning this feature on right away. Without it, […]

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DIY Summer Camp Cabin for Kids

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Mon, 17 Feb 2020 12:00:00 +0000

Turn ‘cabin fever’ into cabin fun with this DIY cardboard summer camp cabin perfect for keeping little ones busy when cooped up inside over Winter! Freezing winter temps and cold + flu season have indoor playtime for little ones at an all-time high right now, and I definitely struggle to find things to keep Sylvie busy without resorting to hours of screen time. When my sister and I were little, my dad would bring home big boxes for us play in, and we thought it was the greatest thing on Earth, keeping us busy for hours and saving my parents’ sanity. Taking a cue from my dad to help stave off cabin fever, I decided to stop over at an appliance store loading dock to ask if, by chance, they had an extra big box they’d let me take off their hands. My thought was to make a vintage-summer-camp-inspired play cabin for Sylvia. I have the most wonderful memories at camp as a kid, and it’s an experience I want for Sylvia as she gets a little older. So why not start now, right? Summer camp conjures up warm feelings of summer fun which is something we could all use […]

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12 Books to Empower Girls

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Wed, 04 Sep 2019 18:20:41 +0000

As the mom of a two year old daughter, I think it’s important to be mindful of ways Ken and I can help her develop strength of character, encourage her to embrace her individuality, and create a positive self images as she grows. At the toddler stage we’re in, I like using books as a tool to help simplify and explain these ideas in fun, yet powerful ways. Many of these books we’ve discovered at the public library, ended up falling in love with, and purchased for our home library, and others we’ve received as gifts.* *Shout out to my sister who is an expert Girl Power Book Scout! So if you’re looking for books for your kids, or as a gift for a special girl or mom-to-be, I hope you enjoy this feel-good list of titles the way our family has. teach our girls that with hard work they can be or do anything they set their mind to. I Am Enough, By Grace Byers ABC What Can She Be?, By Sugar Snap Studio She Persisted, By Chelsea Clinton She Persisted Around the World, By Chelsea Clinton Shark Lady, By Jess Keating My Strong Mind, By Niels Van Hove […]

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Top 40 Toddler Toys

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Mon, 08 Jul 2019 11:00:30 +0000

Need ideas for kids? Come check out the ultimate list of toddler toys! Let’s talk toys. There are SO many different one there, so where does one even begin to start? I’ve pulled together this ultimate toddler toys list of our family’s favorites, as well as the favorites of my trusted mom blogger friends. So whether you’re reading this post as a mom-to-be, new mom, or as a gift guide, you’ve come to the right place! Jen at Paisley & Sparrow Taylor at Greens-N-Chocolate Ana at Primp and Prime Jena at A Spoon Full of Faith Morgan at construction2style This list of toys is compiled around four major toy criteria: Fun Factor Educational Good Design Parent-friendly: Easy set-up/clean-up, convenient, etc. And I’ve broken down this massive list into categories: Puzzles, Budding Artists, Forts, Outdoor Toys, ‘Let’s Play House!’ Toys, Musical Toys, Books, and Under 12 Mo. Toys. So without further ado, let’s get down to the good stuff! Puzzles 1. Magna-Tiles Magna-Tiles are a fan favorite around here, and it’s not hard to see why! The tiles are magnetized around the edges so you can connect them to build anything. They are a blast and help develop math, science, and […]

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10 Outdoor Toy Storage Ideas

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Tue, 18 Jun 2019 16:17:46 +0000

Tame the toy chaos and take back your outdoor space with our 10 outdoor toy storage ideas that are also easy on the eyes. Summer is here which for us (and our small house) means we have a whole untapped family play area…the backyard! I’m not saying we don’t use the backyard in the Winter–but our Winters are fah-reezing here in the Minne-snow-ta, so it’s not always a reliable or long term place to play. With summer backyard play comes toys. And with outdoor toys comes the question of where to we store them, while still keeping them close at hand? I’ve done the research and found 10 outdoor toy storage ideas. Many of these storage pieces also do double duty as benches and coffee tables. Others, like the wood slat planter and bar carts, are ones we’re thinking outside the box for creative and good-looking storage ideas. Please note, while some pieces here are rated for 24/7, balls-to-the-wall, outdoor use, others are recommended for covered porch or awning use (no direct exposure to mother nature), so make sure to review product spec’s before purchasing. And with that, let’s cut to the chase! 1. These tall powder coated iron baskets […]

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10 Time-Saving Mom Hacks That Will Streamline Your Life

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 16:15:56 +0000

Busy Parents Unite! Get in on these 10 time-saving mom hacks to help make your routine a tiny bit more efficient and streamlined! This post is sponsored by Cascade Pure Essentials. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Since becoming a mom, I don’t think I’ve ever felt so perpetually short on time—time for my family, myself, friendships, housework, etc. Moms (and dads) out there I’m sure can attest that there are seemingly never enough hours in the day. Needless to say, this time-saving mom hacks post is more than two years in the making. It’s a master list of ideas from fellow new mom friends, as well as tips I’ve learned out of personal necessity. Many are about saving time, and others are about putting systems in place so we have less swimming around in our heads at any given moment, a.k.a less to remember at the drop of a hat. I’m coming at this post as the mom of a two-year-old who’s trying to keep all her plates simultaneously spinning, but these hacks are really for anyone looking for ways to spend as little time as possible doing mundane weekly tasks. So, without further ado, let’s dish, eh? […]

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DIY Party Bunting: Easy, Cheap & Festive

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Fri, 15 Feb 2019 02:22:42 +0000

Party Time! Decorate with this ridiculously easy, cheap and festive DIY party bunting. Sylvia turns two this month, and the week leading up to her birthday, she talked non-stop about her party: the people who were coming and all the ‘treats’ she was going to eat. I wanted to decorate the house to help make her party special and festive, but I didn’t want to spend $$ on decorations that we may never use again. We have a colorful paper stash in my blog room that I use for projects + Sylvie colors on. I have a love/hate with ‘stashes’. I love having materials on hand to craft–or in Sylvie’s case play with–but stashes also just seem to take up space in our small house. So I thought what better way to deplete the stash than make a colorful party bunting? I also have a ginormous spool of baker’s twine leftover from my wedding 6 YEARS AGO, that I swear is bottomless, so I used that to string together the bunting. All in all, I spent zero dollar bills to make this project and man, that feels good! Here’s the video tutorial on how to make the bunting. I hope […]

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DIY Prismatic Magnets (Video)

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Thu, 11 Jun 2015 12:51:31 +0000

I’m pumped today (to say the least) to share my first ever stop motion video! I’ve been wanting to try my hand at one for a few months now, because I think they’re downright fun and quirky. So as I was developing a tutorial for Homedit on how to make a set of interactive prismatic magnets, I realized the “interactive” component to the magnets make them just about the perfect project for such a video. Check out the short and sweet video below! I love how graphic and colorful the magnets turned out. They’re playful and fun for the kiddos, but also totally at home in any modern home. Head over to Homedit for the tutorial on how to make a set of Prismatic Magnets for your fridge! The song in the video is Cheerful Clapping Whistler and the video was created in Wondershare Filmora Video Editor.

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