The Kavanaugh Report

In the past, I've often shared what was on my kids' gift lists, but this year I thought I would actually share a few of the purchases I actually made since I got my shopping done earlier than I normally do. If you are looking for some Montessori friendly ideas, I hope this gives you some inspiration.  

Henry This year, Henry almost 9-years-old! (How did that happen?!) He was my easiest to shop for since he has some strong play preferences and interests. The fossil set will be perfect for his interest in rocks/gems/geography. I'm pairing with a book so he can research more on the subject. Lego is an all time favorite, and so are play silks! The castle was something he asked for specifically. The game is something I think he and Nora will both love! 
Fossil Set + Book | Guess Who | Lego Bases | Playmobil Castle | Black Play Silk 
Nora This year Nora is 5.5-years-old! She was by far my hardest to shop for! I 100% stole the treehouse and jewelry loom ideas from Free and Unfett…

Following your baby's interests can seem like sort of a daunting task at times, especially when they can't talk to you or even move all that much. But there are subtle clues for us to pick up and offer experiences related to those clues. This is the power of observation in Montessori.

At his age (just under 3 months) we often talk about the importance of the hand. And, that should not be underestimated. But, this week, I've noticed a strong new interest for Teddy, and that's in moving and kicking his feet. By taking notice of this interest, I'm able to prepare his space and our materials to meet this need for him to move in this way. 
This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you. 
Here were some signs that he was interested in moving his legs/feet around:  kicking in excitement when he sees someone/something noticing that during play he is literally wiggling right out of his pants his feet and legs kick up every time he is put down to sleep/waking up kicking…

The moveable alphabet is one of my favorite Montessori materials for ages 3-6. It really is genius. Dr. Montessori found that children were able and interested in writing before they could read. So, in Montessori the act of writing is actually taught first, and it's through this writing that children start to read. Children often have so many thoughts and feelings that they want to get out, but often lack the motor control to physically write all of these things. This is where the moveable alphabet comes in. It takes away the need to physically write the letters while giving children the ability to write. It's one small adaptation that makes such a world of a difference to a child. 
READ MORE ABOUT THE MOVABLE ALPHABET HERE
I'm sure there are almost endless ways that your child can come up with to use the letters of the moveable alphabet but here are 5 ways that we have used the moveable alphabet here at home. 

1.  Language Objects/Cards
You'll need: language objects (…

Over the 10 days or so Theodore has really started interacting with the world in a whole new way. He has been much more alert and active during his awake times, but more importantly he is discovering his hands in a new way. Suddenly, he is intentionally grabbing things around him and on occasion even bringing them to his mouth.
This is such a fun phase for me! This is a time when we can introduce some simple materials for him to explore in new ways.

This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you. 
For Teddy we have a few options that we could have started with but I decided to try this simple crochet ring rattle from Monti Kids (this isn’t sponsored, Teddy just really likes it - if you are considering Monti Kids, use code NICOLE30 for a discount) and it’s been a big hit.
There are lots of similar options available online including: Crochet with ring | ring with bells. I’ve personally really liked this style of rattle to start with because it’s so lightweight that Teddy can easil…

We have a big bench at our dining room table instead of chairs on one side. While I love the bench, it can also be a bit tricky for toddlers to navigate since it has nothing to prevent them from falling forward or backward. Anyway, the point of this story isn't the bench, but the importance of "the pause."
Recently, I was watching Gus trying to sit at the kitchen table. He chose to sit on the bench and pulled it way out out away from the table. At that moment, my initial feeling was to jump in and say something. My gut was to remind him that he could fall off both sides while trying to reach the table. But, instead of jumping in, I took pause. Just for a moment to see what would happen. 

In that brief moment, Gus attempted to climb onto the bench, but then stopped himself. He looked at the bench and said, "no, this too far from the table, I will fall off and bump my head." Then, he moved the bench to an appropriate spot and sat safely at the table.

Taking those…

With so much talk about Christmas, it can be easy to gloss over Thanksgiving. But, for our family, we really do try to make November a time when we are taking pause to be thankful for the many blessings we have in our lives. While we try to go around the table and say one thing we are thankful for every day of the year, in November we make special effort to give thanks.  This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you. 
A part of that focus is bringing out some books that focus on family, thanksgiving, and community. These include:

In November  - I love that this book focuses on how the natural world prepares for winter but also how we as humans celebrate this change with a time of togetherness and thanks.

Before We Eat: From Farm to Table - This one isn't specifically Thanksgiving themed, but is an important reminder to give thanks to all the people who contribute to the food we eat on a daily basis. I find this especially important during a holiday that is so food focused.

Sha…

For any adult in a Montessori environment, observation is super important. It's through observation that we are going to learn exactly what skills a child is ready for, what interests our child, and where our child might be struggling. Without sitting back and observing our child, we really will struggle to understand what our child needs. Parents of newborn babies are not exempt from this need to observe. It might seem like newborns don't do a whole lot, but when you sit back and observe you'll make a lot of interesting discoveries. 
I've been making sure that I take a lot of time to observe Teddy since he has been born. These observations don't need to be formal or lengthy. Really, it's just taking note of the things he is doing during the everyday moments. It's observing him while he is nursing, while I change his diaper, while the big kids interact with him, and while he plays. All these little moments.


I wanted to share some tips and share my observat…

Around this time of year there is always so much talk about what kids would love for holiday gifts but not as much talk about parents. So when my mom asked what I had on my Christmas list, I was a bit stumped. But, I gave it some thought and came up with a few ideas. 
This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you. 

Home Accessories: The little details make a Montessori home and so often the things that are appealing to us as adults are still appealing to our children. A few examples that I personally love include:

New Plants - I'll always take a new plant baby! Letter Board - I love the round letter boardCandle - these candles are amazing and I love them and want all of them! Calendar  - I have this calendar but want some more of the holiday coins, everything about it is gorgeous
Clothing: Here's one thing I hate buying for myself, but there are some seriously cute Montessori options out there!

Montessori T-shirt - I love the indoor/outdoor shoes!Montessori Mama T-shirt - L…

With Advent quickly approaching, I’m trying to get all of my Christmastime ducks in a row. I’ve spent far too much time during the past few years scrambling during December that the season becomes less fun and more stressed. This year, I’m hoping to have most of my chores done ahead of time so that I can soak in the peace, joy, and magic of the season.
One thing I’ve recently done is pulled all my Christmas books out of our book storage to get ready for our Advent calendar. For the second year in a row, we are going to do a book-a-day Advent calendar.


This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you. 

To do this, I take all of the Christmas books we have and wrap them and write a number on the front. The kids then take turns opening the book that corresponds to the day.
Mostly the choices are random, but if I know we have something special happening then I will pick specific books for specific days. For example, we always buy and decorate our tree the third weekend of Advent, so t…