Amorcitos Magazine Spring 2024

6

Why maternity leave is NOT a vacation and how to manage your new life Maternity Leave

How to

10 DIY baby and toddler items for fun

12

Places to go with your kids on a budget Places to go

4 TWO is better than ONE!

8 Hacks that make you say, “Why didn’t I think of that.” Parent Hacks kid

Coloring pages

14 Interactive pages for your kiddos.

16

Creative crafts

Arts and crafts to have your kids entertained.

18 The kids want to be outside, too. Events and places your kids will enjoy.

Summertime fun

The Twin life

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How to handle TWO at ONCE

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TWO isbetter than ONE

MATERNITY LEAVE

5 Reasons It’s not a vacation

1. Total Exhaustion is the WORST- Ignimaximi, sinvent voloreseque ea volorerumqui ut verchit iberorum resequis et ullit vit voluptatem faccumqEmpores ex eum quodipsant, odi dolum es

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4. Motherhood is actually not relaxing at all- Ignimaximi, sinvent voloreseque ea volorerumqui ut verchit iberorum resequis et ullit vit voluptatem faccumqEmpores ex eum

5. Feeding and changing the baby alone could be a full-time gig- Ignimaximi, sinvent voloreseque ea volorerumqui ut verchit iberorum resequis et ullit vit voluptatem faccumqEmpores

MATERNITY LEAVE

We asked new and seasoned moms about their thoughts on Maternity Leave and the affects it has on them.

Kat Salinas, 31, mom of twins

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Joy Mendoza, 27, mom of one

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Mary Rico, 46, mom of five

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Birthdays on a Budget

ReuseandRepurpose

BirthdayDecor

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Purchase games you can play yearly- Tus sum dit aperum incillis rest ius dolor andigent deliqui dis minctemqui sandae voluptas estium que evende lam quam dolupta commod magnitio. Et earit re eiur, consequunt est landit officit volore, sit pra quias num illabore, adis dis rem quaepel luptam quia veliqui iliquidunti adis dolorrum laborep elenem quaectem rempore prae pa des por ma dent,

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Money can be saved on tableware in a few different ways- Tus sum dit aperum incillis rest ius dolor andigent deliqui dis minctemqui sandae voluptas estium que evende lam quam dolupta commod magnitio. Et earit re eiur, consequunt est landit officit volore, sit pra quias num illabore, adis dis rem quaepel luptam quia veliqui iliquidunti adis dolorrum laborep elenem quaectem

Theme-specific party decorations can be repurposed in many ways- Tus sum dit aperum incillis rest ius dolor andigent deliqui dis minctemqui sandae voluptas estium que evende lam quam dolupta commod magnitio. Et earit re eiur, consequunt est landit officit volore, sit pra quias num illabore, adis dis rem quaepel luptam quia veliqui iliquidunti adis dolorrum laborep ele

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How to make potty training fun!

by: Kat Salinas

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1) Bring the potty chair into the house a few months before beginning to potty train

2) Play with your child and pretend to potty train a doll

3) Get some wonderful books on potty time

4) Find a whimsical way to talk about going potty, like ‘watering the flowers’

5) Create a potty schedule to remind your child to go potty

10) No matter what, resist the temptation to comment on smelly business! This is a time to celebrate your child’s wonderful potty time accomplishments! 10 tips for fun potty training!

6) Reduce your child’s liquid intake in the few hours leading up to bedtime

7) Reduce anxiety of children who are afraid that they will fall in by using a separate potty chair or a toilet seat that reduces the size of the hole

8) Use training pants or a potty training system that will allow your child to feel wet drawers (see example of a lovely training take in the

9) Sing a potty song!

Family Day

Family Day, where parents have fun together as a family, often for free or without spending much money. Here is a curated useful list of some ways to have fun with your kids without spending a lot of money.

1. Have a reading marathon.

2. Paint or draw together.

3. Go to a playground.

4. Ride bikes.

5. Building sandcastles

6. Buy popsicles

7. Go to a pool

8. Paint each other’s faces

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Capuchin Monkey (Cebus capucinus)

Agile and lean, capuchin monkeys weigh only 3-9 pounds. The color of their fur varies, but is most commonly cream or light tan around the face, neck and shoulders, and dark brown on the rest of its coat. Capuchin monkeys usually live in large groups within the forest. Their exact range is not known, although it is assumed that they inhabit a large range in Brazil and other parts of Latin America. Protect the habitat of the capuchin monkey, visit http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/programs/aar.

Creative crafts for kids

Letter A is for Alligator Craft

yield: 1 prep time: 2 MINUTES active time: 10 MINUTES total time: 12 MINUTES difficulty: EASY estimated cost: $5 OR LESS

Make learning the alphabet fun with this Letter A Alligator craft. It’s perfect for preschool!

Materials

• Printable Letter A Alligator Craft Template

• Green Construction Paper or Cardstock

• White Construction Paper or Cardstock

• Googly Eyes

• Glue

Tools

• Scissors

Instructions

1. Print out the letter A craft template (available on the next page).

2. Cut out the A and trace it onto green paper.

3. Cut out the zig zag teeth shapes.

4. Cut the green A out.

5. Glue teeth to the inside of the A to look like an allligator mouth.

6. Glue on two googly eyes.

Summer is around the corner and you will have the kids at home *all day*; here are some ideas of activities you can do with your kiddos this summer.

Sign Up for a Summer Reading Program

Start with your local public library to see if they offer a summer-long program to encourage kids to read. Many libraries offer fun learning activities as part of their program, like storytimes, science shows and author meet-ups. Some even give away prizes for completing reading-oriented activities. Barnes & Noble

Create a Summer Fun Bucket List

Help your kiddos create their own summer fun bucket list. Make it checklist style so your kids can tick off each item they complete, like “fly a kite” or “create chalk art.” The items should be both easy to complete and fun to do. Aim for at least 50 bucket-list items. Encourage your kids to review the list each morning to see what

Camp Out in the Backyard

Pitch a tent in the backyard, and your kids can have camp-outs all summer long. It’s like a staycation, only more fun. Plus, there’s no need to pack and unpack the car, wonder whether you thought to bring lanterns or worry about the weather. At night, kids can roast marshmallows and play flashlight tag, then lay back for

Plant a Garden

Whether you want to create a small herb garden on your kitchen countertop or grow a bumper crop of veggies in your backyard, gardening is a fun activity that can keep kids busy all summer long. It’s also a great project that will get kids involved in all aspects of the garden — from choosing what to grow to learning

Turn Your Backyard Into a Water Park

No boring backyard this summer. Transform your outdoors into a mini water park, complete with an obstacle course, wet-sponge corn hole and water balloon piñatas. Grab everything you need the next time you’re at a big-box store or place a quick online order, along with some freezer pops for mid-play break.

Help Kids Discover a Fun Project

Create a Craft Station

Set aside an area in your home, like the dining room table, for a craft station that you can leave up all summer long. Lay out everything your kids might need to make fun summer crafts, like glitter, scissors, construction paper, feathers and crayons. Look to recycled materials, too, like toilet paper rolls, cereal

Chat with your kid about what project they’d love to create this summer. Maybe the idea of a fairy garden brings light to your child’s eye, maybe they’ve been asking for an aquarium forever or they want to turn their bedroom into the ultimate bookworm’s haven. Learn what their current passion is and embrace it with them.

Baby Toys

Must have toys for newborns

Rattles

Rattles are great for getting baby interested in sounds. Gripping the rattle will help baby strengthen their grasp. Place baby’s rattle out of reach to motivate them to lift their head, roll to get their rattle, or even squirm along the floor on their belly toward their toy.

Toys that Play Music

Teethers

Teethers help baby’s sooth sore gums and explore their sense of taste. Some of the newest teethers include mesh that hold bits of small frozen snacks. Find a teether that’s easy for your baby to hold. Always supervise your baby with anything they’re putting in their mouth.

Toys that play music promote your baby’s physical, emotional, and intellectual development by strengthening cognition and finetuning their senses. Just make sure the toy is age appropriate and watch your little one play and sway.

Toddler Toys

Must have toys for toddlers

Fisher-price piggy bank

It’s the classic poke-something-in-the-slot game. YOU NEED THIS TOY.

Fisher-price remote control

Playskool busy poppin’ pals

This classic has the element of surprise, plus it requires a variety of fine motor manipulations. Each button or lever has to be pushed or pulled in a different way, then – POP! Up comes a funny animal! Each of my kids have been abosorbed for AGES in this game.

These have been endlessly popular with all kiddos. They’re both the perfect compact size to slip into a nappy (diaper) bag as a distraction when you’re out.

Mega blocks

This may almost seem too obvious, but I have to include it, because these have been BRILLIANT value for money in any household.

Child Care Type: Home-based

Address: W Jeff Dr., Pharr, Tx 78577

Ages: 0 weeks to 14 years

Capacity: 12

Vouchers: No