** This post about V's Frozen 2 birthday party contains affiliate links. I am compensated for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting Floradise! My strong, brave, smart, funny and beautiful V turned 6 this week, and we celebrated her birthday quarantine style, that is via Zoom with our family. She is an Elsa fan, so she chose Frozen 2 as the theme ... Read more
Teacher Appreciation Day in Quarantine
Teachers deserve all the praise and much more. I've appreciated V's teachers before the pandemic forced me to facilitate my child's learning, but now even more so. V's teachers created lessons for the remaining weeks of school that contain activities for each subject. Each Monday-Thursday we find new lessons on her school iPad, while Fridays are catch-up days. I struggle with not only balancing ... Read more
Working From Home With Kids During the Pandemic
You would think that since I've worked from home with at least one child at home for a few years now I would be a pro at it now that both my girls are home every day, but I am not. The truth is the reason I was able to do it before the stay-at-home order was that one of my girls was in school until 3 p.m. and that I hired a babysitter to come over and care for my youngest on my busy workdays. Now ... Read more
Keeping Kids Entertained With WE Events Chicago Craft Kits
Like so many parents, I've been looking for ways to keep my kids entertained and happy during this difficult time. It seems so unfair to them to tell them they can't go to playgrounds, attend swim lessons, play with friends or see family members in person, even though it's necessary. At the same time, I have tried to support local businesses, so I picked up some craft kits from WE Events Chicago ... Read more
Baby Shark 2nd Birthday Party at Home in Quarantine
** This post about our Baby Shark birthday party contains affiliate links. I am compensated for purchases made after clicking these links. Thanks for supporting Floradise! A few months ago I began planning Addi's Baby Shark-themed second birthday party. I ordered decorations and invitations in January and February before it became clear that friends and family would not be able to attend because ... Read more
What’s in My Kids’ Easter Baskets
** This post about what's in my kids' Easter baskets contains affiliate links. I'm trying to keep our daily life as normal as possible given the circumstances, and that includes planning to have an Easter egg hunt at home and give the girls their Easter baskets. This year I purchased their Easter basket gifts ahead of time, in early February. Luckily I have not needed to go anywhere to shop for ... Read more
Favorite Children’s Books
**This post about our favorite children's books contains affiliate links. I am compensated for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. My girls are both at such fun ages when they love to listen to (and try to read) colorful and inspiring children's books. If you are a parent or you spend a lot of time with young children, you might agree that not all children's books ... Read more
Flying With a Toddler
The last time I flew with my youngest she was 2 months old. It was was an easy and smooth trip with no hiccups. Flying with her at 18 months as a toddler, meanwhile, was ... challenging. My mistake was choosing an evening flight. My daughter's normal bedtime hit during the end of the flight. I could tell she was tired, yet she was ready to play. She refused to be rocked or nursed to sleep, yet ... Read more
Brick or Treat at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago
** Thank you, LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago, for hosting my family for a visit to Brick or Treat. I've wanted to take the girls to LEGOLAND Discovery Center in Schaumburg, near Chicago, for quite some time, and the Brick or Treat event, happening now until Nov. 3 this year, was the perfect opportunity to get festive this Halloween while doing something new as a family. For Brick or ... Read more
How We Prepared Our 5-Year-Old for Kindergarten
V started kindergarten yesterday, which is mind-blowing. It's been a busy couple of weeks of shopping, attending classes, visiting her new school and meeting her teacher. We have tried to pump her up for the start of school and she seemed excited to go to a new school and make new friends. Yesterday morning we walked her to the school bus stop, because she wanted to ride with her friends in the ... Read more