Kerry Sings!

Top Eight Favorite Toys For my 17-20 Month Old Daughter

February 14, 2019 Baby blog, Blogging, blogpost, Community, family, Ideas, kid toys, Moms, New moms, toddler, Uncategorized

The sweet age of 17-20 months can be kind of a challenge when it comes to finding the right toys that early toddlers will want to play with (at least it was for me!). 😜 At 16-17 months, my daughter was still reluctantly playing with her stacking cups and shape cube. I also still had all her smaller toys out from her baby months which she barely touched. I couldn’t hardly wait for Christmas to arrive so that she could be gifted some newer (more her age) toys:) But I had to figure out what kinds of things she was interested in.

She just started getting into the shows: Sesame Street, Bubble Guppies, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and Winnie the Pooh. (I didn’t really let her watch TV until she was 16 months). She became OBSESSED with all these characters – especially Elmo!

I also noticed that around 16-17 months, she would start asking for a cup and spoon (shah-veh as she called it ☺️) to play with. She pretended to stir and drink out of the cup from watching my husband and me. I also noticed that any time there was a pencil or crayon around, she would try and use it – on any piece of paper she could! LOL! And above all else, she LOVED to read her books and be read to. I started reading to her at about 4-5 months, and the love of books has now been ingrained into her which I’m so thrilled about!

Christmas was a wonderful success in the toy department, and she’s been having a blast with all her new things!! So, without further ado…here are my daughter’s top seven favorite toys (items) for 17-20 months! 😄🙌🏻

Picnic Basket and Food Items

You can find this one or others like it on Amazon for a decent price! (Link below) Don’t forget to buy extra food items as well for more playing options (I have shown a bunch here that didn’t come with the basket set. You can see that my daughter has munched on a few of these, too! lol)

https://www.amazon.com/LeapFrog-Shapes-Sharing-Frustration-Packaging/dp/B00DCWM1M8/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1549741127&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=picnic+basket+toy&dpPl=1&dpID=51m4Zvpm9qL&ref=plSrch

A Princess Castle (or house) with Figurines

My sister found this particular Fisher-Price castle at Kohls, but you can also buy it on Amazon (link below). It comes with Cinderella, Rapunzel, a magic wand and a little bed. It lights up, plays music, and my daughter just LOVES the little mirror inside the upstairs room.❤️ She calls it (“I sock-ee” which means “I see you”).☺️

https://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Little-People-Princess-Magical/dp/B01N7QYTRM/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1549741558&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=Princess+castle+Disney&dpPl=1&dpID=51Yr7slahUL&ref=plSrch

Baby Doll Set

This is the one my mother-in-law got her for Christmas! It is by the company GIGO, but I couldn’t find this particular one, so I linked a couple similar ones below. I am due in May with our little boy, and my daughter keeps pointing to my tummy and saying, “baby’s inside?”😂 She just loves babies – pictures, videos, you name it! So, she has been loving taking care of this little doll! She’s gonna be such a great big sister to her little brother.💕

https://m.boscovs.com/shop/prod/gi-go-toys-12in-baby-in-a-basket-set/548103.htm?utm_source=Google&utm_term=548103&utm_content=Kids+%26+Teens+%3e+Toys&utm_campaign=CSE&cid=CSE:Google&scid=scplp26855857&sc_intid=26855857&adpos=1o1&utm_medium=CSE&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4fLusbyv4AIV1VmGCh0J-QfXEAQYASABEgI6t_D_BwE

https://www.amazon.com/Gi-Go-Baby-Doll-Stroller-Set/dp/B01D20AATK/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1549744137&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=gi-go+baby+doll&dpPl=1&dpID=51zveOyfAlL&ref=plSrch

Figurines

My daughter absolutely adores her Mickey and Elmo figurines! There is something about the smallness that makes them so easy to play with and bring to life for a 17-20 month old. And these are two of her favorite TV shows, so it’s a win-win! I’ve also been meaning to get the Winnie the Pooh figurines as well. You can find both of these on Amazon. You can also purchase the Mickey set at Walmart and the Elmo set at Target. (Links below)

Sesame Street Set –

https://www.amazon.com/Sesame-Street-Playskool-Collector-Figures/dp/B01C5TFNPA/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1549920391&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=elmo+figures+set&dpPl=1&dpID=51LoG%2BCVS2L&ref=plSrch

https://www.target.com/p/playskool-sesame-street-collector-pack-5-figures/-/A-50698543

Mickey Mouse Set – (Note: You can find other similar ones on Amazon that might be cheaper and with prime!)

https://www.amazon.com/Disney-Mickey-Collectible-Figure-Minnie/dp/B01MEGUKCC/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1549920343&sr=8-5&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=mickey+and+friends+figurines&dpPl=1&dpID=41neuPV60GL&ref=plSrch

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Disney-Classics-Mickey-Mouse-Clubhouse-Deluxe-Figure-Set/47389727

Mess – free Coloring and Old – fashion Coloring

I just LOVE these mess – free coloring books! They are perfect for toddlers learning how to grasp and fine motor skills without the worry of them bleeding marker all over the table, rug and their clothes. 👍🏻 These markers are filled with water and the colors on the page magically appear when the water marker is used. It’s genius, and my daughter loves them! You can find them at Target, but I’ve seen them cheaper at Home Goods, and someone told me you can find them at the Dollar Stores as well!

Conventional markers and crayons are also a great idea with lots of supervision! 😆😄

Books, Books, and more Books!

Ok, books are about her favorite things in the whole world (aside from her milk☺️). As I said earlier, I started reading to my daughter from a super young age. I had no idea that she’d fall so in love with them! But when we go to the library, I am very picky with what books I bring home. I know what will keep her attention (pictures and sentence lengths), so I sit and look through children’s books while she plays in the kids area. 😋 Right now, the book series’ that have been big hits are: Llama Llama; Duck and Goose; Ladybug Girl; Books by: Joanna Cold such as, I’m A Big Sister; Books by: Sandra Boynton such as the Little Pookie book series; And books by: Caroline Jayne Church such as, Good Night, I Love You. Board books and picture books are still what we mostly get, and her attention span for more sentences on a page is getting bigger! 🙂

Tea Set

Obviously any tea set will do, but this is the one that she was gifted at her one year birthday. She was too little to play with it at the time, but around 16 months when she kept asking for cups and spoons, I knew it was the time to pull it out! She loves playing “tea” with me, and we even do “cheers!” 😄💖 This set is from the company, Hape. It also comes with a sugar dish and wooden spoon (not pictured). You can find it and more like it on Amazon (link below).

https://www.amazon.com/Hape-Wooden-Play-Kitchen-Accessory/dp/B00BHEEH1G/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1549925928&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=hape+tea+set&dpPl=1&dpID=41IN-IaLVXL&ref=plSrch

Electric Car

This absolutely adorable and perfect Minnie Mouse electric car was gifted by my dad and mom:) I knew my dad was itching to get my daughter one, and he found this gem at Walmart. You just plug it in to charge up the internal battery. My daughter was a bit timid at first, but now she loves this little car! She zooms through the dining room like a champion driver! I can’t wait till the weather is finally warmer so we can take it outside.🙌🏻 Any ride-able car/scooter at this age will do, but if your toddler likes Minnie, this will be a big win! 😄 You can find it at Walmart. (Link below)

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Disney-Minnie-Mouse-Happy-Helpers-6V-Battery-Powered-Quad/783609919

Honorable Mentions

• The Coogam Wooden Lacing Apple Threading Toy (Link below)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07GW6DCFC?aaxitk=YJeNM1yhu0TORybFZKpCzA&pd_rd_i=B07GW6DCFC&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=42a36a50-34e6-4541-8fbe-901185ed0a9a&pf_rd_s=mobile-sx-top-slot&pf_rd_t=9701&pf_rd_i=magnetic+abc+for+refrigerator&hsa_cr_id=7714610970301&sb-ci-n=productDescription&sb-ci-v=Coogam%20Wooden%20Lacing%20Apple%20Threading%20Toys%20Wood%20Block%20Puzzle%20Travel%20Game%20Early%20Learning%20Fine%20Motor%20Skills%20Educational%20Gift%20for%201%202%203%20Years%20Old%20Toddlers%20Baby%20Kids&sb-ci-a=B07GW6DCFC

• Shopping cart and food play set. Mine is from Walmart, but again you can find all kinds on Amazon, too! (Link below)

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Spark-create-image-shopping-cart-food-play-set-pink-designed-for-ages-2-and-up/935649889

• Rocking Horse. Our specific one is from the company KellyTOY, and it was purchased at Marshalls.

I hope some of these ideas helped a little bit! 😄 They have been a super success for my daughter’s entertainment! And thanks to all my family for the gifts! 😘

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Every day He can be trusted

September 14, 2018 Uncategorized

“But the Lord is good, and he is there in that city. He does no wrong. Every morning he governs the people fairly; every day he can be trusted. But evil people are not ashamed of what they do.” ~ Zephaniah 3:5 (NCV)

………………………………………………

A friend of mine posted on social media about how he felt very saddened and disappointed in his some of his Christian friends. He felt abandoned by them, and because of this deep wound, he was contemplating not going back to church.

………………………………………………

In Zephaniah 3:1-5, we read about Jerusalem (a city in God’s chosen nation) and the wicked deeds that are taking place at that time. Although this is God’s chosen nation, they were in no way perfect or sinless. Even the prophets and priests, whom were supposed to be leading God’s people, were rebuked. “It’s prophets are proud; they are people who cannot be trusted. It’s priests don’t respect holy things; they break God’s teachings.” (vs 4). They were having some problems to say the least…

But then in verse 5, Zephaniah comes back and declares how good the Lord is and how “He does no wrong.” He governs fairly & can be trusted! 🙌🏻 Isn’t that an awesome truth?! Zephaniah is telling us that we CANNOT trust in humans. We are gonna be disappointed again and again. We can only trust in our perfect God! When we receive Jesus as our Savior, we are born again into the family of God! “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” ~ 1 Peter 2:9. Christians are not perfect people, but we are being sanctified and renewed by the Holy Spirit to be like Jesus. It’s an ongoing process till we are finally with Him in heaven. But until then, we are going to mess up…a lot and disappoint people. In my younger years, I had a temper problem. Yes, I loved Jesus with all my heart, but I struggled with my temper and hurt many of my loved ones feelings. God has really done a work in me with this, but it still rears it’s ugly head every now and then, and I have to go back to Jesus for forgiveness and grace. But God is faithful and loving…and “every day he can be trusted.” …………….

If you’ve been hurt by another believer, ask God for the grace to love and forgive them. Jesus suffered too greatly for us to throw in the towel and do our own thing. We must come back to the only One that can be trusted – Jesus Christ. ❤️ “It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in humans” ~ Psalm 118:8

The God who sees you!

June 28, 2018 Bible, Blogging, blogpost, Christian, Christian life, Daily devotions, Devotions, God, Jesus, Uncategorized

One night I was struggling inwardly. I felt like the enemy was beating down so hard on my mind. I tried to fight back, but it seemed useless. I felt alone and oppressed. Did God really see and understand what I was going through? Sometimes it feels like He’s so far away, yet I know that He is closer than a whisper.
I began to pray and cry out inwardly to God for help.
A little while later that night, I moseyed onto Instagram and saw that someone had commented on one of my pictures. It was from a girl in Florida that I followed. (I lived in AZ at the time).

She wrote, “God put it on my heart to pray for you tonight.❤️ He sees you.”

If I ever needed someone’s prayers, it was that evening. And God put it on someone’s heart (who was not even one of my followers AND was 2,000+ miles away) to pray for me that same night. God heard my prayer and showed me (in such a timely manner) that He saw me!

In Genesis 16, we read about Hagar (Sarai’s slave) whom God also displayed His great grace in such a timely way to show her that He indeed saw her. You see, after Hagar became pregnant with Abram’s son, she and Sarai had a bad falling out, and so Hagar ran away. But God saw Hagar in all her inward suffering.

Genesis 16:7-13
“7 The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. 8 And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?”
“I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered.
9 Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” 10 The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.”
11 The angel of the Lord also said to her:
“You are now pregnant  and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael,  for the Lord has heard of your misery. 12 He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.
13 She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”

Hagar must have felt so alone when she was fleeing away from Sarai. She may not have even thought that anyone noticed she was gone. But God kept His watchful eyes on her and met her where she was. He comforted her, and she realized that He indeed (saw) her. She was never alone!

Friends, God sees you, too! He knows what’s happening inside your heart and mind. He sees the struggles, and He’s waiting to take them from you.

Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-29, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Psalm 33:13-15, “From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth – he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.”