I just heard about a really cool event (or series of events) that I want to share with you guys! It's called "Spark Monument Circle". Lots of things will be happening between August 1 - October 16th to engage Indianapolis people in "extraordinary temporary cultural experiences."
Some highlights that would be great for families:

*An answer to the perpetual question “what are we going to do today?” The calendar on Spark’s website (circlespark.org) lists thing happening on or near Monument Circle from August 1st to October 16th, 2015

*Big toys, including a giant Jenga, jumbo sized playing cards, a soft foam playground-in-a-box, hopscotch, stilts, and more!

 *A curious machine for kids and adults

 *Live music, of all style including drum group playing on overturned buckets and classical muscians

 *Free outdoor seating on the circle for people watching, stopping for snacks, and taking a load of your feet!

Click here for the full article from Indianapolis Monthly!

A few weeks ago I posted this on my Nurtured Beginnings Facebook page:

"Hey experienced moms! I need your words of wisdom.

I am helping a family come up with a plan for potty training their 3 1/2 year old son.

Any tips from experienced moms? Especially from any moms who might have had some challenges with potty training boys. What did you find helpful? What did you find didn't work at all?

This family found it was really easy to potty train his twin sister, but it's been more difficult with him. They're hoping to have him potty trained by the fall, because it's a requirement before starting preschool.

Thanks for your tips!"

I wanted to follow up. Together, the family and I made a plan for potty training the little boy. And it worked!

He is now successfully potty trained, day and night. They are ready for preschool!

Below are details, for anyone that is looking for advice if they have a little boy or girl that is struggling with potty training. Although, I’ll admit we specifically tailored some things to fit the needs of this family, and yours might be a slightly different situation. So as you read it, rather than trying to follow it exactly, I would see what applies to your situation, and what you could change to be a better fit for your child’s motivations, etc.

(Side note: I try not to use names of kids on my Facebook page, so I’ll call this kid Scotty, not his real name, for simplicity below.)

Here was the plan that worked for them:

*We used the book “Potty Training in One Day” as the starting point for the plan, because it’s one they had gotten from a friend. (I haven't read other potty training books, so I'm not specifically recommending this one over others. It just happened to be the one we used.)

*This book suggested making the biggest changes on one day, called the “Big Day”

*It suggested that all family members leave the house for the whole day except Scotty and his mom. However, with this family, his mom was nursing an infant which would make it difficult to have no distractions for her. Instead we had the dad stay home with Scotty and the rest of the family went to a friend’s house. This worked out well because Scotty loved having one-on-one time with his dad! Between potty attempts they could play and make the day really special!

*Before the Big Day get Scotty really excited about it! Tell him how he’s going to be a big boy and learning to use the potty! How exciting!

*Learn Scotty’s motivation. What would be a good reward for each time he uses the potty? The parents had tried treats and stickers before, but they didn’t seem to work. Using one of the suggestions from the book, we decided that the reward would be that he would get to call his mom and grandparents after he used the potty. We realized he was socially motivated and would love the excitement of getting to call someone on the phone!

*On the big day, Scotty and his dad stayed home together. Scotty didn’t wear pants all day, just underwear, so that they could act very quickly when Scotty felt the urge! And when Scotty said he needed to go, they would drop everything right away and go straight to the potty!

*The rest was up to Scotty and his dad. They went through their day and had lots of successful trips on the potty. There were a few accidents that day, but they saw so much more progress than they had in month before of trying on and off. It went so well that they decided to do a second day of just Scotty and his dad. By the end of the two days, Scotty was doing really well!

*Over the next few weeks, Scotty continued to practice. He had a few accidents, but they got less frequent. Now 3 weeks out from the Big Day, he’s potty trained during the day and at night and naps. They are excited that he will be able to go to preschool in the fall, and not have to be delayed for potty training! 

I had so much fun catching up with some of my buddies this weekend! We had a cook-out in my backyard, and found out that I have a tree that is perfect for climbing! (And a gymnastic mat that is perfect for 2 year old boys to play and roll on!)

I love that in my job, I get to form meaningful relationships, and I can continue those relationships even after we're officially finished working. It's so much fun to see these boys grow from babies into little men!

I'm visiting a friend this weekend. She and her husband are expecting their first baby in the fall! They are so excited to feel the kicks, sign to the baby, and start decorating the nursery.

The other day they went to the baby store to browse and start thinking about items for their registry. They were completely overwhelmed!

Which breast pump should she get? What brands of bottles are best? Do you need those Pee Pee Teepees? What kind of crib is best?

It's almost like you need the help of a personal shopper! I was thinking about it, and I would actually love to add that to my services.

Contact me if you want to reduce stress, save time of researching tons of different product reviews, and save money on items you won't use!

I help people in Indianapolis, Zionsville, Carmel, Avon, Brownsburg, Fishers, and other suburbs of Indy.

I will sit down with your family and get to know your preferences. Do you like to have the newest and most fun gadgets? Do you like saving space and reducing clutter? Do you like high quality products at low prices?

After getting to know your preferences, I can point you in the direction for the products that are right for you. I can help you create a wish list on Amazon, or go to Baby's R Us, or Buy Buy Baby, or Target with you.

Together, we'll help cross off one more item from the To Do list and help you feel more prepared to welcome a little one into your home!