Category Archives: family time

Gentle TV Shows for Kids – Part 3: Stella and Sam

Thanks for tuning in to Part 3 of this series on gentle TV shows for your little ones! These are some of our family’s favorites! Not too busy, scary, negative, or in your face. They’re gentle, fun, and entertaining stories with sweet characters in beautifully whimsical settings.

If you’re just joining in you may want to also check out Part 1 about the show Tumble Leaf and Part 2 on Puffin Rock.

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“Funny how things get so much better whenever we spend a little time together!” – Stella and Sam Theme by Emilie Mover

Stella and Sam is the whimsically animated series, based on the books by Marie-Louise Gay, about a little brother with with fuzzy blonde hair and big sister with curly red hair! The show is sweetly creative, gentle, and full of imaginative adventures in and around their country home.

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Our family enjoys how nonjudgmental the show is. Things aren’t looked at as problems, they’re just things. Stella takes it all in stride and helps her little brother through any difficulties, frustrations, or disappointments. Sweetly, thoughtfully, and creatively!

When Sam is feeling limited by his small size, Stella helps him imagine they’re gaints! Apples are cherries, a caterpillar is a farmer, and you have to be careful not to drop the cow from way up high! To help Sam feel better after subbing his toe, Stella teaches him how to make Laughabet soup, a pot full of things that make Sam laugh!

Stella invents Brother’s Day where she makes a super sweet day full of thoughtfully simple surprises for her little brother, Sam. She even asks the “sky painter” to paint a beautiful sunset for him!

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Stella and Sam play through all seasons, in the rolling hills and woods around their home. Jumping in piles of leaves, playing in the snow, using their imaginations in the spring warmth and the summer heat. They even search for the wind, which the find on top of a hill, there’s plenty of playing outside in nature!

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Stella and Sam also like to play with their neighbor friends, Felix, Ivy, and Owen! On a hot day they imagine they’re on an African safari! Blasting off to an alien planet to find where kiwi’s come from, playing a concert over in the meadow, along with little farm animals! An imagined trip to China, complete with a friendly dragon!

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We adore how simply sweet Stella, Sam, and their friends are! They’re thoughtful and sweet with big imaginations! What shows do you like to watch with your little ones?

Gentle TV Shows for Kids – Part 2: Puffin Rock

Thanks for tuning in! Hopefully this series will help you find good gentle TV shows for your little ones! These are our family’s favorites! Not too busy, scary, negative, or in your face. They’re gentle, fun, and entertaining stories with sweet characters in beautiful settings.

If you’re just joining us you may want to check out Part 1 about the show Tumble Leaf on Amazon Prime Video.

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On the show Puffin Rock a young puffin named Oona and her little brother, Baba, live with their parents and friends on a tiny but gorgeous island off the coast of Ireland. The textured illustrations have amazing light and color! I would love to hang prints from this beautiful show on our walls!

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Nature facts are beautifully blended with the story through narrations by the hilarious Chris O’Dowd, (IT Crowd, Bridesmaids, Pirate Radio). There are plenty of funny comments for parents to enjoy right along with their little ones! Not to mention the lovely Irish accents!

Whether they’re pretending to be grown up puffins, going on a family trip to an underwater cave, or simply in awe of a murmuration of starlings the adorably sweet characters of Puffin Rock are brilliantly funny and super cute!

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Oona and Baba even help tidy up their burrow by finding new soft things from around the island to replace the old bedding, as a surprise for their parents when they return from fishing.

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The little puffin siblings play with and care for each other, their parents, friends, and anyone come across. Their best friends include Mossy, the pygmy shrew who loves to eat, May the bunny rabbit, and Silky the seal.  They also have nocturnal friends, the owls, and Bernie the hermit crab, their friend and mentor, (who they help find a new shell when his cracks)!

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Flynn the fox has a bit of a grumpy exterior but truly a heart of gold. And the seagulls don’t really get along with puffins, but it’s nothing major. My guy is really sensitive and they don’t bother him much.

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The puffins adventures take them all over land, sea, and sky! From traveling through burrows with bunnies and hedgehogs to swimming through glowing phytoplankton with whales, (on Oona’s first night time trip to the sea by herself because she’s a big puffin now)!

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We’re especially found of the episode where Oona goes around telling all her friends about the supermoon so they can stay up late to watch it together!

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Hope you and your little one enjoy the show as much as we do! I’d love to hear what you think or hear about what shows you like to watch with your family! Please leave a comment below so we can share!

Toddler Weekend Road-trip Adventures

This weekend our little family took an impromptu trip to visit my husband’s family in Evansville. Fox was super excited to see Grandma and Grandpa!

It always takes longer than you think to get out of the house with a toddler and husband so I packed for Fox and I while Russ was at work so we’d be ready to go when he got home.

We always make sure to bring teething necklaces, books, toys, crayons, a coloring book, and snacks for the car ride. A travel bag partially packed with diapers, wipes, diaper cream, portable dvd player & charger is always packed and ready to go. I also downloaded shows on my phone for the car, using my Amazon video app. (A couple Tumble Leaf Episodes, some Peep and the Big Wide World, and the Little Bear movie).

We always aim to travel when Fox’ tank is full; fed, well rested, clean diaper, after some time to run around. I hear some kiddos like to nap in the car, but Fox has never been one of them. Do what works for you and yours.

Long car rides with our little guy have always been tricky, but they’re getting easier as there are more things he can do in his carseat. We listen to music while the fox puppet dances. We watch shows I’ve downloaded onto my phone, read books (especially interactive books like flap-books), and when we’ve done all that and there’s still about a half hour to go we go through daddy’s wallet and get silly.

There were few squirmy moments, wanting out of his car seat to sit in my lap, but it didn’t last long before we found something else to entertain us.

We were super happy to see Grandma and Grandpa! Once we got settled Foxer played pool with them in the pole barn, telling jokes about Grandpa not having any balls down there, (at his end of the table).

While they played Russ and I got to sit and have a conversation, just the two of us, for the first time in a LONG time. It was very nice. People who live close to your family, be grateful!

Toy tractor Grandma found at a yard sale!

Toy tractor Grandma found at a yard sale!

Grandma found a wonderful toy tractor at a yard sale and it was a big hit with Fox, who’s been pretty into construction vehicles lately! He also loves throwing the ball for Abby Girl, their big sweet golden retriever.

On Saturday we went to the Fall Festival! (The 2nd largest outdoor festival in the country, behind Mardi Gras). We ate lots of yummy food and drank apple cider. I rode the merry-go-round with Fox and we played a few games. He especially liked the rubber duckies that went around on the water in a loop. He won a stuffed cheetah and a colorful little soccer ball! But it was super crowded and with all the sights and sounds it was a bit of sensory overload for a toddler. We didn’t stay too long, but it was certainly a memorable experience!

Believe it or not Fox enjoyed his first merry-go-round!

Believe it or not Fox enjoyed his first merry-go-round!

That night, while we were playing in the pole barn again a little black kitten came up to the door! She was super sweet and let us all pet her. The following morning she was on the front porch. We asked around and found that she didn’t have a home. So Russ and I agreed to bring her back home with us! Her name is Jiji, (from Kiki’s Delivery Service), and she is possibly the snuggliest and most playful kitty I’ve ever met! Perfect for Fox!

Bringing Jiji home!

Bringing Jiji home! Can you spot the kitty?

After getting Jiji settled back home we went to Musgrave Orchard for our friend’s 30th birthday party. It was the perfect Fall day for it and the orchard was gorgeous! They even had live music, with fiddle, playing on the patio for the party. Love that we have a place like that so close to home! Fox loved exploring their walking trail and checking out all the apples, pumpkins, and flowers.

Musgrave Orchard & Cider Mill

Musgrave Orchard & Cider Mill

We all had such a wonderful time and are looking forward to our next trip to visit family and to the orchard! What special Fall activities do you like to do?