Lessons at Goldfish Swim School {3}!

19 Wednesday Apr 2017

Posted by Planning for Paris in Daily Happenings, Life's Loves

Tags

advice, baby, fun, Goldfish Swim School, health, learning, Life, lifestyle, spring, summer, swim, swim lessons, swimming, toddler, water safety

Good morning!! Eleanor has officially graduated to mini 2 classes at Goldfish Swim School! Mini 2 classes are for ages 16 months-35 months and at 35 months she will be ready to swim on her own! She has developed so many skills already, but the one we are the most excited about is her confidence in the water. If anyone remembers back to that first lesson, Eleanor screamed her head off which was super embarrassing because I’ve actually never seen a child cry or even throw any kind of fit at Goldfish. It’s the happiest place on earth. But that first lesson was rough. Luckily, we had a great instructor who loaned her his baby doll and we made it through. With each lesson since she has grown to love swim lessons and her time in the water. She happily jumps back into the water when she practices crawling out, collects the balls without any help kicking, and goes under water without freaking out and sputtering when she comes back up.

Another key part of E’s lessons that we really appreciate is how she is learning to get out of the pool. With just a bit of a nudge, she can get herself up out of the pool. It will obviously take some time before she can truly do this on her own, but she is learning the skills that she could use in an emergency if she needed to. It is never too soon to start learning water safety! The week of May 14th will be Water Safety Awareness Week at Goldfish and they will have a special focus on the skills needed to be safe in and around the water all summer long!

Has anyone else started swim lessons? What skills has your little one mastered? Which do you appreciate the most??
If you are interested in getting your little one signed up you can check here for a location near you to get started! Summer will be here before we know it!
Hope you all have a great day!
Erin

*This post was sponsored by Goldfish Swim School, but all opinions, as always, are my own!

Spring Style for the Toddler Boy!

13 Thursday Apr 2017

Posted by Planning for Paris in Fashion, Life's Loves

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

accessories, boys, clothing, fashion, lifestyle, rainboots, spring, spring style, style, summer, summer style, sunglasses, Target, toddler style

Good morning!! As a follow up to yesterday’s post, as promised, here are some of my favorites for the boys! Back when I thought Eleanor was going to be a boy, which now seems so so odd, I stocked up on boy clothing and many of those items remained in her wardrobe which I kind of love. I really love boy clothing and there are some amazing pieces out for spring/summer this year!

1. How stinking cute are these sunglasses!? AND they are only $5.

2. I just about keeled over when I saw this hat. And again, a steal at $8.

3. For those chilly mornings and evenings, this light sweatshirt and jacket are perfect.

4. Leggings like these or these are great for transition or evenings and then SHORTS! I like that these can be dressed down with a tee or tank or up with a linen shirt!

5. Like I mentioned in the girl post, rainboots are toddler gold–E can almost get hers on by herself! I love these!

6. These striped shoes I actually bought before I had E and she wore them because I just love them. So, so much.

7. I thought my love for Natives went deep and then I saw that this pair GLOWS IN THE DARK!! They actually have several colors that do!! How perfect for the spring and summer evenings!?!

8. And don’t forget about my post on Swimwear for the Littles!

Happy shopping and a very happy Thursday!
Erin

Spring Style for the Toddler Girl!

12 Wednesday Apr 2017

Posted by Planning for Paris in Fashion, Life's Loves

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

baby, essentials, fashion, gear, girl, growing, Janie and Jack, June and January, shopping, spring, spring style, style, summer, summer style, Target, toddler, toddler style, Wunderkin

Spring has sprung, people! Here in Ohio, the temps have stayed at a fairly steady 60-70 degrees and the little person in our house is loving it. I think there would be riots if there was even a hint of snow in the forecast. With all the baby prep, spring kind of snuck up on me this year. E loves to get outside and all of sudden I found that her plentiful wardrobe really didn’t contain many warmer temperature pieces. I think we’ve finally reached the point in her life/growth that we have to actually shop every season. Before, she just had tons of stuff that were a wide range fit (think 6-12 months) that we got at showers, hand me downs, or that I bought when I saw a good deal, etc…and I just mixed and matched to fit the season. Now, she is growing like a weed and is now a healthy 2T. Plus, last year she didn’t really play much outside so I could get away with less summer specific items. She has a lot of sweatshirts and sneakers that fit, but she was lacking in sandals that fit, spring dresses, and short sleeves. Leggings will make a great transition piece, but soon it will be all shorts all day!

There are so many great pieces out there for girls right now (and don’t worry boy mamas–I have a post coming next on toddler boys!) so let’s get to it!

1. Eleanor has these sunglasses in blue and they are by far my favorite thing ever. She doesn’t keep them on long, but I think she’ll grow to love them like her bows which she now tries to put on herself. 🙂

2. These bows are seriously darling. I also love her June and January knotted headbands.

3. It’s still pretty chilly in the mornings and in the evenings so a jacket is a must. This one would also double nicely as a rain jacket!

4. Off the Shoulder Top

5. This dress would be perfect with a cardigan and can be worn well into the summer. I’m thinking this would be a perfect dress for Memorial Day and/or Fourth of July! And at $13?! It’s a steal.

6. Love these linen shorts and these striped shorts, I actually kinda want them to come in my size?

7. E has these Native shoes in multiple colors and sizes. They are the same texture as Crocs, but closed in which I think is great for this age!

8. Just ordered these rainboots in the next size E will need so they are ready to go when she outgrows her yellow Hunter boots! Rainboots are solid gold in toddler world.

9. I mentioned these sandals in last week’s favorite’s post and I cannot wait to get them!! Gah, baby toes!!

10. A couple of weeks ago I also posted a roundup of Swimwear for the Littles!

Happy shopping and wahoo for warmer temps!!
Happy Wednesday!
Erin

Easter Basket for the Littles!

10 Friday Mar 2017

Posted by Planning for Paris in Daily Happenings, Life's Loves

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

baby, basket, creative, easter, Easter Basket, Eco safe, Finn + Emma, fun, gift, holiday, Organic, summer, toddler

Good morning!! Ah, I could just squeal!! I love love love holidays if you can’t tell. I have had these baskets ready pretty much since Valentine’s day. The holidays are such a point of tradition for me. I grew up with every single holiday being a big deal and I can’t wait to start traditions with our girls. Eleanor already gets so excited about the littlest things and it is just so fun to watch. Makes my mama heart explode. All of these factors sends this mama into overdrive for all things holiday (St. Patrick’s day post coming next Friday with a pretty sweet giveaway so stay tuned for that!!).
So, today I’ve paired up with Finn + Emma to share some ideas to fill up those baskets for the littles this year! I absolutely love the look of the pieces that Finn + Emma make. The bicycle and hedgehog are going to be perfect on baby sister’s stroller this summer! Plus, they are organically made and eco safe! The pieces could not be more perfect for spring/Easter!

Eleanor’s Basket (found basket at Target for $1):
Dreamcatcher Pajamas from Finn + Emma
Chick and Bunny Socks
$1 Target bubbles
$3 Beauty Kit from Target Dollar Spot
Filled another bag I found at Target for $3 with Books and stickers (from Target dollar spot):
Stuck
Hooray for Hat
The Tiny Seed
Happy Easter, Mouse!
Found the Eggs at Target and will fill those with:
Toddler Fruit Snacks
Cheddar Bunnies
Other ideas for toddler basket:
Sidewalk Chalk
Hair Accessories
Pouches

Little Sister’s Basket (found basket at Target for $1):
Mini Rattle from Finn + Emma
Bicycle from Finn + Emma
Hedgehog Stroller Set from Finn + Emma
P is for Peter Book

I am so excited about all of the pieces from Finn + Emma. They are such nice quality! And bonus! If you click through this link you will see a coupon code for 15% off a purchase of $50 or more!

Now I just have to patiently wait to give all of these things to Eleanor for another month or so. Hmm…

Hope you all have a great weekend!
Erin

Ps. you can also check out last year’s basket for E for more ideas!

*This post was sponsored by Finn + Emma, but all opinions, as always, are my own!

Lessons at Goldfish Swim School {2}!

06 Monday Mar 2017

Posted by Planning for Paris in Daily Happenings, Life's Loves

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

baby, Goldfish Swim School, learning, lifestyle, skills, sports, summer, swim, swimming, toddler

Good Morning! We have now had six swim lessons and E is loving the water. I apologize that some of the pictures are a little blurry…I sit behind the glass at the lessons and try my very hardest not to be seen. When she is with Matt and she is well-rested she is ok seeing me at a distance, but when Matt’s mom took her, she was having a blast until she saw me behind the glass. Holy yikes. I am also already that mom behind the glass, so I am choosing to spare Eleanor’s (Matt’s) embarrassment at coming in and taking pictures poolside. Pooltime has become a daddy/daughter thing and it is the sweetest ever.

Some of the skills E has mastered since her first lesson:
Climbing up out of the pool with just a bit of assistance
Jumping back into the pool with confidence
Going underwater without freaking out
Kicking while holding onto the barbell raft thing
Splashing on the raft
Kicking her feet to move to get the balls or the ducks

Her instructor, Deon, is absolutely phenomenal. He kept his distance when he knew she was uneasy and now Eleanor is as happy as a clam around him. He sings with the kids, smiles the entire time, and has just the right amount of energy for this age group.
The way that the class is structured is also a huge part of the reason E stays calm. The activity that the class is working on changes every minute or so. She never has too much time to go looking for what’s behind the glass. Bam: quack quacks are out and now we are climbing out of the pool and now we are jumping back in! And now get on the raft! The whole class goes by really fast and every single baby is happy and learning. That is skill right there!

We honestly look forward to her swim lessons–hands down the best part of the weekend! With summer approaching we are so glad that E will be excited about the water and have the basics of swimming down!
Thank you so much Goldfish for creating such a positive experience for the whole family!

Hope you all have a great start to the week!
Erin

Also: In case you need some swimwear ideas, I posted several great options here!

*This post was written in partnership with Goldfish Swim School, but all opinions, as always, are my own!