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Showing posts from November, 2014

HABA Ball Track Instagram Giveaway

Friends! I am so excited to announce that I recently made it to 1,000 followers on Instagram! To celebrate, I've teamed up with HABA USA and their Take Time To Play Campaign to bring you this Ball Track Starter Set Giveaway!

HABA is a company that I have loved for a long time. Not only are their toys Montessori-friendly, they are beautifully crafted and sustainable. Made in Germany, these toys are meant to last a lifetime. Nora is obsessed with every HABA baby toy we have. The quality is evident in every single wooden HABA toy we own.

This HABA marble run is no exception. This toy is amazing. Each block is sturdy, yet beautiful. They are made with beech wood, and even the biggest blocks -- while solid -- are lightweight enough for Henry to use with ease. I also love that they are made to be compatible with unit blocks so they are the perfect companion to our larger block collection.

The HABA Ball Track Starter Set is the type of toy I don't feel guilty about letting Henry pla…
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Montessori Friendly Christmas List Roundup

It's hard to believe that Christmas is just around the corner. But, we really are here! And that means it's time to start thinking about Christmas shopping. For several years, Morgan and I left shopping to the last possible second -- law school does that to you -- but I've come to the realization that there are lots of great deals to be had by shopping early. 
So I've gotten my lists together for Nora and Henry and I'm scouring the stores and the web for the best deals. 
This post contains affiliate links. 
Not only that, I've teamed up with some of my favorite Montessori bloggers to bring you a ton of great Montessori-friendly Christmas present ideas. So, make sure to take a peak at the links to see what's on other's lists! You know you want to! 
Henry's List
Playmobil City Life Sets
USA Puzzle Map
Lego/Duplo Baseplates
Learning Resources Cash Register 
Janod Body Parts Magnets
Schleich Animals 
Plan Toys Balancing Scale
Terra Barn -- from Target 

Nora'…
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Nora -- 5 months old

I can't believe that Nora is already 5-months-old. I know I say this every month, but it really does go way too fast.


Nora is such a beautiful, wonderful, focused girl. She just concentrates on things like no other baby I've seen. When she is doing something, she is connected body, mind and soul.


Thanks to a run to the doctor about a potential ear infection this morning (no infection just painful fluid buildup) I know Nora is up to 14lbs 14oz. She's wearing mostly 3-6 month clothes with the occasional 6-9 month size shirt/onesie or 0-3m pants. She's wearing a size 2 diaper during the day but a size 3 overnight diaper at night. 

Nora seems to have really come into her own this month. She's both serious and silly which is such a big change from Henry. She rarely gets super frustrated or upset but seems to have a lot more patience. This month Nora has become a lot more aware of the people and things in her environment. Henry is still her all time favorite and the two…
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Montessori Geography Trays

Since this spring, Henry has loved maps and all things geography. He has a small globe that he often just carries around pointing out continents and various countries. At the time, I was unprepared in the classroom. So, I've been working hard to fulfill the geography void. Our Montessori geography work includes --
This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you. 

U.S. Puzzle Map -- this is not the nicest puzzle, but it's what we have right now. It was from a $1 bin at an office supply store. I'm hoping to get a true Montessori puzzle map for Henry for Christmas. 

This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you. 

This tray includes a small card listing all the states, a blank control map, and the foam puzzle. Henry uses this every single day. Sometimes he just asks me to read the list of all the states' names over and over. 

Continent Boxes -- I have a "box" for each continent (actually a box for two, and bags for the rest since Ikea was sold out last t…
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Montessori Infant Mobiles -- Visual Series

While Maria Montessori did not specifically create work for infants, Montessorians have created guidelines for infant environments. An integral part of this environment is the visual series of infant mobiles. 



The mobiles themselves are all developmentally appropriate for babies. They help to develop concentration, hand-eye coordination, depth perception and other essential skills. Plus, they are wildly entertaining for babies. 
The first set of mobiles are visual mobiles, meant for the baby to look at. I have made four of these -- all DIYed on the cheap!
Munari Mobile -- this is the first mobile in the visual series. It can be used starting at birth. I did not make a true Munari, but a Munari inspired mobile. I used small Styrofoam balls that I had left over from the Gobbi. I painted black patterns on them, and hung on a small ring at varying heights. I hung it so the lowest ball was a few inches above Nora's body but still out of her reach. 

Nora loved this mobile. It kept her atten…
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