Our Five Ring Circus: EZPZ

Happy Friday, my friends!

It has been a while since I shared a few of my favorite things! I have the best intentions, but life just gets in the way sometimes. Two weeks ago, it was a broken wrist, last week it was what felt like a million appointments, and this week was the flu.

That's right, the flu. It took Grant, Dylan and I down for a few days. Well, they are still down. I woke up with it on Wednesday and could barely function, but I bounced back much more quickly than my husband and son. Despite the lingering congestion and tiredness, I felt somewhat normal tonight. Poor Dylan, however, is currently fighting off a 105 degree fever. It came down with medication, but this mama won't be sleeping tonight!

Without further ado, here are a few things that I'm loving this week:

{Spring Style}

The colors and the trends...I'm loving it all! Warm, sunny weather just makes me so happy. I shopped for Spring clothes over the past few weeks and I can't wait to share them all in an upcoming Mom Style post!

(I found this adorable top at TJ Maxx. They have so many cute tops this Spring!)

{Mug Love. And a cute bunny.}

My mug collection is out of control, but I can't help adding to it. I'm a sucker for holiday mugs, and my favorites come from TJ Maxx, too! This one was from last year, but they had a bunch of similar ones this year.

And the bunny!!! If you followed along on our bunny raising journey, you know that we ended up keeping 2 of the 7 babies. The other five are happily adjusting to their new homes. I'll recap that journey soon enough, but this one is all mine. Her name is Elle, and I didn't think she was going to make it for the first two weeks of her life. She was a fighter and took to following me around the house, so I had no choice but to keep her!

{EZPZ Play Mat}

This thing is AMAZING. If you don't have the EZPZ Play Mat, put it on your list of things to buy if you have kids! It seriously gets used every day. If you missed my post showcasing all the fun things we use it for, you can read it HERE. (And while you're at it, grab some Squigz!)

{Easter Socks}

Is anybody else obsessed with holiday socks? I have been since I was a kid! Now that I have my own kids, I scoop up the holiday socks from the Target Dollar Spot as soon as I spot them!

{Birthday Gifts}

My dear friend, Rich, gave me the sweetest gift for my birthday! He always manages to find things that I don't have and I end up loving everything. Sure enough, I loved these Alex and Ani charm bracelets and the Younique Lucrative Lip Gloss. (That convenient mirror attached to the side of the tube? GENIUS!)

{LuLaRoe}

So I'm completely new to the LulaRoe craze, but the leggings sure are comfortable! Liana sent me the sweetest package. Feature coming soon, but for now you can visit her on Instagram!

{Currently Reading}

I am loving Orphan Train! It was highly recommended, but I kept putting off reading it. It took me a while to really get started, and now I'm having a hard time putting it down! (And there's that cute bunny again and my newest Easter mug from TJ Maxx!)

{Ipad Accessories}

Even though I told Grant I didn't want any gifts from him for my birthday since I need a new camera, he insisted. My Apple-hating husband even did his research and found this amazing wireless keyboard case for my ipad pro! He hopes that I will use it more often now that it's similar to a laptop. (He was right!) He also gets bonus points for getting it in one of my favorite colors: rose gold!

{Daily Dose of Joy}

Last, but definitely not least, everybody could use a little bit of joy in their life! This kid has plenty to give!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! What's on your agenda?

Linking up for Friday Favorites // Oh Hey Friday // High Five For FRIDAY

DISCLOSURE: I received some of the products below from The Baby Cubby in exchange for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

We are so excited that Spring has arrived! The longer, warmer, sunnier days are amazing, but it's also the start of our rainy season. While a little bit of rain doesn't chase us indoors, there are days that trap us inside all day long. This time of year, I always find myself searching for new playtime ideas to keep my crew busy on rainy days!

I always encourage crafting, creating, building, sensory play, baking and perfecting fine motor skills. I love it when my kids can entertain themselves creatively, and I found the perfect item that helps promote independent play: the EZPZ Flower Play Mat! I found it while browsing the awesome selection of toys at The Baby Cubby. It's a new addition in our home and it's simply amazing!

Liam, Lily and Lexie use this 100% silicone suction play mat every single day, and they love coming up with new ways to play!

Here are a few of our favorite playtime ideas:

9 Awesome Playtime Ideas for Kids of All Ages

PLAY DOUGH

Sensory Play is so important for all kids, but it's especially helpful for Liam. Squeezing the play dough strengthens his hands, and using the play dough tools helps build his fine motor skills. I love to give him straws to stick in the play dough, too. It's a great fine motor activity!

FINE MOTOR PLAY

Liam does a lot of casual therapy at home. Fine motor play is part of his daily repertoire and we have a bunch of items in our rotation to keep him from getting bored. Dropping pieces of drinking straws into a small container with a hole in the lid is a great at-home fine-motor activity! You can see more homemade ideas HERE.

LEGO PLAY

My kids love playing with Lego sets, but the truth is, the pieces scatter everywhere and get lost, and my kids get frustrated. The non-slip EZPZ Play Mat is a game changer for this activity. Not only does it offer a great building surface, but the compartments in the flower separate the Lego pieces perfectly!

CUPCAKE DECORATING

Lexie loves to bake! Decorating cupcakes and cookies is one of her favorite activities, and using this mat for this purpose is genius. All of the items she needs to decorate her cupcakes are within easy reach, and the BPA/BPS/PVC/Phthalate Free mat is safe for food. It gets bonus points for easy cleanup. Instead of washing a bunch of bowls that hold her decorating supplies, there's just one item to wash!

BUILDING WITH BLOCKS

Block Play is a great activity that most kids enjoy! It also helps to build those vital fine motor skills. Magnetic Blocks are the perfect choice for younger kids like Liam. It's easy for him to get frustrated when his creations keep falling down, but the magnetic blocks keep their form, even if they tip over! (The Tegu 8-Piece Pocket Pouch is a great choice, and it's perfect to slip into your bag for on the go use. These blocks recently kept Liam entertained at parent teacher conferences!)

See...no tears, even when your pet bunny interrupts playtime!

PAINTING

Lily and Lexie love to paint! The flower on this play mat holds 5 different colors of paint and water for rinsing the brushes, and the mat fits a standard piece of paper. It's such a great tool to use while they create their masterpieces!

COLORING

Coloring is something kids of all ages love to do! A few crayons and pieces of paper can spark hours of creativity!

STRINGING BEADS

My girls love to make bracelets using beads! This mat holds the string in place as my girls thread the beads. Chunkier beads threaded onto pipe cleaners is a great alternative for Liam, and picking up the beads helps strengthen his pincer grasp!

SUCTION BUILDING

What is it about suction toys that captivates kids? Squigz are such a fun choice for fine motor and building play. All four of my kids, from age 3 to age 12, love them!

It's so easy to work up a big appetite during playtime! There's nothing better than a great snack after all that hard play!

The EZPZ Mini Mat is the perfect addition to snack time at home. This compartment suction tray sticks to the table and prevents Liam from tossing his plate when he's finished eating. And thanks to the awesome travel bag, it's perfect for on the go, too!

Hours of playtime paired with delicious food is the perfect combination for a fun day indoors!

This year, I visited The Baby Cubby for our new playtime items! All of the items available at The Baby Cubby are thoroughly researched. These items are the highest rated and reviewed items out there, so it takes all the guess work out of choosing a quality product for your child.

The Baby Cubby has a retail location in Lindon, Utah, but their great selection of quality items in every department is available online, too. Although I would love to have the store nearby, their online retail site is a great alternative. Ordering is easy, and the items ship quickly!

I had no difficulty finding a few fun items that I knew my kids would love, and those items did not disappoint in any way. They have already provided hours of fun for my kids!