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Category Archives: Spotlight

Tried-and-True Toddler & Kid Discoveries Too Good to Keep to Ourselves

Tried-and-True Toddler & Kid Discoveries Too Good to Keep to Ourselves

Posted on January 25, 2021 by Kendra Jernejcic • 0 Comments

By now, y’all know how much I enjoy sharing product discoveries with you here on the blog. Between Christmas, Charleston’s birthday, and my usual parent- and homeschooling- product searching, our family has acquired quite a few fun toys and other kid-related items in the past couple of months that we are absolutely loving.

Today, I’m highlighting a few of these recent tried-and-true toddler and big-kid items that my kids are really enjoying and that we know you and your kids will love, too. Whether you’re shopping for gifts or simply curious about “what the kids are into” these days, this roundup is happy to oblige.

Playskool Sit ‘n Spin Classic – My brother had this toy when we were little, and it’s been fun to introduce this classic activity to my own kids. The twins are still a little young for it, but Charleston has loved spinning on it and helping them with it as well. The three of them are adorable sitting on it together!

LEGO DUPLO Classic Deluxe Brick Box – You probably don’t need me to tell you about the wonder of the LEGO, but I would be remiss not to include this toddler-friendly set on this list. Kali and Sully each got a set for Christmas, and though I thought they’d still be too young to enjoy DUPLOs, they’ve been a huge hit. Clutter is always my one frustration with LEGO blocks, so I love that these come in a sturdy lidded container, making for easy cleanup and storage.

Melissa & Doug Learn-to-Play Piano – Melissa & Doug makes the BEST toys, and this piano fully lives up to the brand’s stellar reputation. It’s sturdy, has great sound quality for a toy piano, and is the perfect size for my littles. It’s a great introduction to keyboard skills and musical concepts. It even comes with a color-coded songbook of familiar children’s songs that Charleston has enjoyed learning while the twins listen on.

Freshly Picked Moccs (Boy /// Girl) – I wrote about these shoes when Charleston was little, and we are falling in love with the brand all over again for Kali and Sully. These are the only shoes we’ve found that go on easily and actually stay on my kids’ feet. The craftsmanship on the leather shoes is superb, and I love that Freshly Picked now has girl-friendly styles as well as many shoes with the option of rubber grip soles.

Hide N Side Kids Play Tunnels – Charleston, Kali, and Sully all LOVE this play tunnel! They’ll spend hours chasing each other through the tunnels, playing hide and seek and rolling balls back and forth through the tubes. The tubes are easy to assemble and fold back nicely into the carrying case when the kids are done playing.

Owlconic Telling Time Teaching Clock – Charleston is intrigued by the concept of clocks but has had some trouble learning how to tell time. We hung this attractively colorful clock on the wall of our school/playroom and Charleston has since made great strides in his understanding of time-telling concepts. I particularly appreciate the second hand, which has been helpful when timing Charleston on school assignments like flashcards and timed worksheets.

Early Reader’s Bible – We have amassed quite a collection of children’s Bibles and have enjoyed reading through each of them during our nightly story time. This one is a little different from the others in that it is written in child-friendly language that Charleston is mostly able to read for himself. It’s been a great tool for combining Bible study with early reading skills—cross-curricular learning at its finest!

JOYNOTE Classroom Magnetic Letters – This $20 item is the best purchase I’ve made for our schooling this year! The set includes plenty of each foam magnetic letter, meaning that Charleston can use the letters to write out long words and even whole sentences without running out of letters. The red vowels and blue consonants have been helpful and are in line with our spelling program, and Charleston likes that he can alternate between using the foam letters and writing his own letters using the white board markers included in the set. Since our school room doubles as the playroom, our school supplies need to be easily stowed away after school time, so I love that this set comes in a convenient carrying case (with compartments for each letter!) that is easy to take out for school time and put away when we’re finished.

The Folk Tale Classics Treasury – Charleston has enjoyed reading fairy tales from the time I began reading aloud to him, and Paul Galdone’s versions are some of his favorites, so we were excited to discover this treasury containing six of Galdone’s books in one volume. The foil cover accents and ribbon bookmarks are an especially nice touch.

Harper Collin’s Treasury of Picture Book Classics – This treasury contains twelve books in one! Some are stories we already knew and loved, and others have been new for Charleston and me. The stories are ordered from oldest (Goodnight Moon, 1947) to most recent (Pete’s Pizza, 1998), and at the end of each story are a few pages of editorial commentary, suggestions for sharing the book with your child, and additional biographical information. This treasury is a homeschooling parent’s DREAM!

The Read-Aloud Challenge – This technically isn’t a product, and it also isn’t something you have to pay for: it’s a free program designed to get kids excited about reading aloud. This challenge has been the incentive we’ve needed to get Charleston enthusiastic about reading aloud to me for just ten additional minutes each day. The downloadable packet comes with a reading tracker, suggested incentive coupons, and a certificate of completion as well as tips for parents and answers to some FAQ’s. This is great for homeschoolers or really any parent who wants to spend more time sharing reading with their child.

LEGO Super Mario Adventures I’ve never seen anything quite like these LEGOS, which combine traditional LEGO blocks with some creative interactive features. I’m amazed at how LEGO has infused the joys of block-building with the adventure of video games. (The concept is difficult to explain; check out the demo video for a better idea of how these work.) Charleston is obsessed with these: he got the starter pack for Christmas, and seeing how much he loved them we got him some add-on packs for his birthday. Charleston was already a Super Mario fan, but I imagine even kids who aren’t familiar with Mario would enjoy these.

HEXBUG Junkbots This toy doesn’t look like much, but the collection of pretend “trash” items has provided Charleston with countless hours of entertainment, and building robots from the pieces in this junk box has become his favorite quiet afternoon activity while the twins nap. Part puzzle and part sorting activity, this fun little dumpster of miniature junk reminds me of a button box for today’s generation!

Race to the Treasure! Board Game Charleston and I both really enjoy this board game, which teaches strategizing and creative problem solving. It’s a cooperative game (meaning all players work together to beat the game, rather than competing against each other); I wasn’t sure what Charleston would think of this model, but he really enjoys it, and I love the opportunity to model game skills as we play together.

Flashing Cube Electronic Memory & Brain Game This nifty little toy is compact and contains four games in one. The cube is great for building brain skills and coordination, and it’s easy enough for Charleston to play and challenging enough for me to enjoy as an adult. It’s even a hit with the younger crowd: the twins are delighted by its lights and sounds.

Super Mario UNO What kid doesn’t love the game of UNO?! And this creative version is more than just UNO cards with Mario figures printed on the front: the game features a few additional twists that make for an enjoyable and unique card playing experience that has been a lot of fun for our family.


I hope this roundup provides the inspiration you need next time you are shopping for your littles. If you discovery a new favorite from this list, please come back and tell me about your experience in the comments!

Filed Under: Kids, Spotlight
Links I Love {12.17.20}

Links I Love {12.17.20}

Posted on December 17, 2020 by Kendra Jernejcic • 0 Comments

Take some time in the midst of the season’s hustle and bustle (or perhaps this year’s uncomfortable lack of hustle and bustle) to appreciate the words of wisdom and encouragement in these links. Made to Believe, by Jun Shu “I realized we all were made to believe in something. That something we believe would serve… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Spotlight
Links I Love {11.19.20}

Links I Love {11.19.20}

Posted on November 19, 2020 by Kendra Jernejcic • 0 Comments

If I were to give a themed title to today’s link roundup, it would be “Mental Health.” As we enter a season that is joyful yet typically quite stressful, I think we can all use a little extra encouragement and support in practicing mental self care. What to do With Worry, by Jennie Denney “Maybe… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Spotlight
Links I Love {10.20.20}

Links I Love {10.20.20}

Posted on October 29, 2020 by Kendra Jernejcic • 0 Comments

Whether you are in need of comfort, inspiration, or solidarity, there is something here for you within these links. Enjoy! Blue Skies and Unexpected Things We Take for Granted, by Joy Allen “Here’s the shocker my friends conversation highlighted to me: I’m not entitled to blue skies, even though I thought I was. It doesn’t… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Spotlight
Links I Love {10.8.20}

Links I Love {10.8.20}

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Kendra Jernejcic • 1 Comment

I don’t know about you, but personally I’ve had better weeks. When I feel stuck or overwhelmed, I find comfort and wisdom in the words of others. I hope these links will provide that for you today. Pandemic Parenting, by Burke Nixon “A child’s imaginative acts [provide] a much-needed sense of joy and control during… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Spotlight
Links I Love {9.18.20}

Links I Love {9.18.20}

Posted on September 18, 2020 by Kendra Jernejcic • 0 Comments

There are some beautiful ideas and words within the links I am sharing today. I hope you will find something new to reflect on or consider. 15 years of blogging (and 3 reasons I keep going), by Austin Kleon “Every time I start a new post, I never know for sure where it’s going to… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Spotlight
Links I Love {9.4.20}

Links I Love {9.4.20}

Posted on September 4, 2020 by Kendra Jernejcic • 0 Comments

Most of us are ostensibly less busy these days, yet the world still feels loud and frenzied. I hope today’s links will bring some much-needed clarity, quiet, and rest to your week. Why Can’t I Focus???, by Amy Simon “I feel like my brain is unhinged, shooting off in every direction, forgetting things all the… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Spotlight
In the Spotlight: New (and new-to-me) Podcasts I’ve Been Loving Lately

In the Spotlight: New (and new-to-me) Podcasts I’ve Been Loving Lately

Posted on August 21, 2020 by Kendra Jernejcic • 0 Comments

I thought the field of podcasting was pretty saturated at the start of 2020; then COVID and quarantine hit, and suddenly the podcasting world was more flooded than ever before. With even the most unexpected voices jumping onto the podcasting bandwagon, I’m sure that not every new show is a good one, but in the… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Spotlight
Links I Love {8.14.20}

Links I Love {8.14.20}

Posted on August 14, 2020 by Kendra Jernejcic • 1 Comment

As we stare down the second half of August, I think our collective minds are filled with questions and a longing for some normalcy. Today’s links might not provide answers, but I hope they offer some encouragement, insight, and perhaps a new perspective or two to consider. Why you Need to use the Lens of… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Spotlight
Links I Love {7.24.20}

Links I Love {7.24.20}

Posted on July 24, 2020 by Kendra Jernejcic • 1 Comment

If you’re anything like me, you’ve appreciated a little hand-holding as we navigate what is perhaps the strangest summer of our lives. Today’s links offer entertainment and encouragement as we make the most of this unique and (for better or worse) MEMORABLE summer of 2020. Summer’s One #MustReadBook 2020, from Carol @ Reading Ladies Book… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Spotlight
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  • Hi, I’m Kendra! I am a follower of Jesus, an avid reader and podcast-listener, an Enneagram enthusiast, and a big fan of lists. Born and raised in Southern California, I am now living life in Austin, Texas, with my husband Luke, our son Charleston (2015), twins Sullivan and Kalinda (2019), and Arlo the Labradoodle. Thanks for visiting my blog!
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