My August/September Amazon Favorites!

October is here and I am so excited! This is my favorite time of the year. So many fun holiday activities and the weather is just beginning to change. With the start of the school year about 2 months behind us, I finally had time to sit down and compile a list of my recent Amazon favorites for your viewing pleasure! This month was mainly personal items but quite a few that can also be used in therapy... check it out :)

This post contains Amazon affiliate links for your convenience. This means if you purchase something using my link, I may make a small commission. 

First up is this Melissa and Doug cash register. Last week I posted about our grocery store that my kids created in their playroom. This is the cash register I bought them for their store. It works like a real calculator and comes with dollar bills, coins, and a credit card. You can check the whole post out, here.

Next up is a weighted blanket, a chewy jewelry necklace, and a visual timer. Would you believe that none of these items are for work? These 3 items were all purchased for Kenzie, my daughter. She seems to have some difficulty with sensory processing, especially lately, so I bought all of these for her. The necklace is great because it doesn't look like the traditional chewy jewelry. She isn't embarrassed to wear it because there is an adorable unicorn on it! So far it has really helped her at school. 

The Time Timer has been used in the morning when getting ready for school. It's helping both of my kids understand the concept of time better and getting them ready quicker. They know that once the red is all gone on the timer, it's time to get in the car and head to school. They always want to watch TV in the morning so now they can better independently manage their morning without me constantly giving them a countdown. 

Weighted blankets have been proven to help both kids and adults sleep better and reduce stress/anxiety because of the deep pressure it gives. I read a ton of reviews before deciding which blanket to get. I love this one because it comes with a super soft cover and at $39 the price is incredibly reasonable. Kenzie doesn't like it to sleep, but she uses it before bed when reading to calm down and relax before lights out. 

I have still been trying hard to keep my new year resolution of reading a new book a month. This month I have been reading What Happens When Women Walk in Faith by Lysa TerKeurst. In this book, Lysa talks about walking in faith and embracing the path He has for you. They say when you make plans, God laughs. It's so true. I am trying to release the control I have on my life and follow the path meant for me. 

Anyone else leopard obsessed right now? I am loving leopard print. Last month I added these leopard sneakers to my leopard collection! They are Dr. Scholl's brand so they are incredibly comfortable. I get compliments on them every time I wear them! 

And last but not least, who doesn't need a wristlet keychain? I was always losing my keys in my therapy bag, so this was my solution! My husband thinks it's ridiculously large but I love it! 

Thanks for reading! If you have any awesome Amazon finds, please share in the comments :)

DIY Grocery Store FUN!

In a time where tablets, television, and video games are taking over, I love seeing my kids get creative when they play. A few weeks ago, Kenzie had a friend over and they created a grocery store in the back playroom. It was simple and consisted of a sign, some plastic food, and Kameron's tool stand. Over the past few weeks that grocery has grown leaps and bounds. I am so excited to share it with you!

    

Since the day that the grocery store was born, Kenzie and Kameron have been on a constant hunt for more items to add to their store. When the kids were little, we frequented a local children's museum. One of their favorite parts of the museum was the pretend Publix grocery store. The museum used recycled boxes of real grocery store items... anything from cereal boxes to laundry soap. They would wrap them in clear packing tape to give it a little more durability. That inspired me to start saving boxes of food after they were used up. I taped them up a bit and let the kids stock their own shelves! This is a great opportunity to talk to your kids about recycling and how to reuse items at home. 

    

As they got more and more into having their own store, I started looking for items for them. I started sharing their excitement for this mock supermarket! I found a great Melissa & Dough cash register on amazon. It works like a real calculator and comes with play money. I thought this would be a fun way to stat introducing different kinds of money, how to buy with cash (they usually see me using a debit card) and how to make change. A sweet friend of ours spotted this mini shopping cart for us (pictured above) at a local consignment shop and we snagged it right up! (Here is a link to the original one.)

What do you need after you have your grocery store all set up? Customers! The kids created a commercial and had me send it to their grandparents. Wouldn't you know that within the hour the kids had their first customers over shopping away! 

 While creating this grocery store with my kids I couldn't stop thinking about how great this would be for a speech room, a classroom, or for parents to make with their kids at home. It doesn't have to cost a thing, just save up your old food containers and set up shop on the floor or at the table. I love any opportunity I get to share with the families I work with that they don't need fancy, expensive materials to give their kids amazing language opportunities. This grocery store provides a TON of fun learning experiences through PLAY!

- Vocabulary

- Nutrition lessons

- Creating a grocery list

-Memory skills/following directions ("mommy needs cereal, oranges, and juice.")

- Asking questions ("Do you have any....?" "Where is the....?"

-Answering questions

-Social skills (greeting other, asking questions, engagement, etc)

- Food groups

-Health vs unhealthy choices

 Whitney, from WhitneySLP on TpT and the Let's Talk blog created an adorable Grocery Store Dramatic Play printable set that is perfect!! It includes name tags, coupons, signs for each food category, Employee of the Month signs (my kids quickly added their own photos to that one!), grocery lists, open signs, and more!! You can check it out, here.