Time For Another Ultimate Blog Party!

Well, somehow I missed out on participating in the Ultimate Blog Party in 2012, so this is my second time to join in. If you would like to find out more about this great Blog Party hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom, just head on over to their UBP 2013 Post. 

It's hard to believe I have been blogging for 3 1/2 years now. I started Tots and Me as a place to share the different crafts and activities I was doing with the girls, who at that time were only 2 1/2 and 1. I wanted to share with other mothers of young children. Since that time we have added two more blessings to our family and have officially joined the homeschool world. 

(This is the most recent picture I have of us. It was our first day of school, Aug 2012. Now to figure out how to get daddy in a photo too)

As our family has grown and changed, so has my blog. I joined blog hops to gain more followers. I started participating in group giveaways to help grow my social media stats. I was able to start hosting reviews and giveaways of my own. Unfortunately, these things have kept me so busy, my original reason for starting my blog has slipped away. I don't find the time to blog about our homeschool days. Sure, part of it is having 4 children, one of them being just 1 year old and into EVERYTHING. But I have just recently decided that I have got to get back to the reason for my blogging. I want to be able to share with other mothers of young children ideas that I come up with or have found elsewhere. If I share reviews and giveaways I want to make sure they fit with the heart and soul of this blog. 

I have continued to join in with certain blog link ups every week (or close to every week). These have remained important to me. 

• Scavenger Hunt Sunday (a photo scavenger hunt, where we are given 5 prompts to look for during the week)
• Muffin Tin Monday (sharing our lunches made in a muffin tin)
• Wordless Wednesday (sharing our Wordless (or nearly Wordless) posts with many other bloggers who also host WW linkies)

I have also started joining in with 

• Photo a Day Challenge
• ABC Photo Challenge
• Many recipe sharing linkies
• Blogging Through the Alphabet

And I have a few linkies I host 

• Tuesday's Giveaway Link Up (which goes live Monday night at 7pm EST)
• Wordless Wednesday (I host my own linky while linking up with many other bloggers.)
• Kids and a Mom in the Kitchen (Sharing our time in the kitchen creating kid-friendly recipes.)
• Lovin' The Weekend Blog Hops (A multiple linky blog hops that runs all weekend long where you can  link up your blog and social media to increase your numbers, link up your blog to find new readers, and link up your giveaways.)

I have plans to possibly start up a couple of my old memes.

• Toddler Ideas Tuesday (which has been neglected far too long)
• Words of Wisdom Wednesday (also neglected far too long)

I also miss linking up with Tiny Talk Tuesday and sharing the fun and funny things the girls are saying. 

I am looking forward to moving forward with Tots and Me and I hope you will join me for this adventure. Besides following me via GFC, if you still have it, you can follow me in the following ways:

Facebook

Twitter 

Pinterest

Thanks for stopping by. Please leave a comment and I will make sure to stop by your blog as well. I am looking forward to getting to meet new people this week.

My First Ultimate Blog Party!!!!

I just recently found out about this awesome Blog Party over at 5 Minutes For Mom called Ultimate Blog Party. If you like to party and make new friends you have got to head on over there.  There are different categories to link up with.  There are lots of giveaways.  Sorry to say I don't have any current giveaways, though I am working on two for the very near future.  This blog is primarily about my girls and I.  We are home preschooling at the moment.  I love to post about what we are doing, sharing our crafts, recipes, activities and books we are reading.  Every week I post a school time week in review and link up to multiple school type carnivals/linkys. I love to take pictures and the girls are more than likely going to be the stars.  I love linking up to various linkys through the week.  You can see my posts on Muffin Tin Monday, Tiny Talk Tuesday, and Wordless Wednesday each week.  I also host a few linkys myself.  Words of Wisdom Wednesday and  Breakfast for Dinner Thursday.  And right now, through Easter Sunday, you can link up to the Hopping Along to Easter Blog Hop, there is a new topic each week to respond to.  Occasionally I will have a review or giveaway and I love sharing giveaways that I find, so don't forget to check out my Giveaway Opportunities Link on my sidebar (you can find it under all the little widgety ways you can follow me, like GFC, Facebook, Twitter and Subscribing to my blog).
We are very very relaxed homeschoolers at the moment.  I do believe that children learn through play.  But the girls do love having their "lesson time" and have loved the art lessons we have been doing lately.  Though I have to admit it has been a little tricky with the baby at times.

If you are here from the party I invite you to stay for a while, get to know me a little, leave a comment, and if you would like to follow my blog, Facebook page, Twitter, whatever.  I will make sure to hop on over for a visit, though it could take several days.

Blessings