When I started Mom Needs Merlot back in 2018, the heart of my mission was simple: connect with and help support fellow new parents.
Nearly three years later, that's still priority numero uno in everything that I do and share publicly - from engaging in honest dialogue about our wins and fails, to sharing tips and products that help make our lives better.
Living through the last year of a pandemic, stuck at home for months without much of any support system available, what I really needed help with was entertaining my children. Toys and activities lost their appeal quickly, and many of the Pinterest-y sensory activities we tried would keep Everly occupied for only a few minutes at a time.
Many of them were wonderful experiences, but it felt like I had built up an arsenal of them to buy myself any sort of time for feeding myself, folding a load of laundry, loading the dishwasher or even just scrolling my phone for a while.
As I shared some of our projects on social media, I began to connect with so many other mamas who felt, like I did, that sensory and fine motor activities were important, but challenging to execute. Researching, sourcing materials, setting up and cleaning up the whole thing felt overwhelming. So, we'd pop the kids in front of the TV again for a few more minutes.
Today both my children are wild toddlers, and I've happily built up a great stash of tools and projects to have at the ready when boredom strikes. And I want to share them with you!
Introducing: Mom Needs a Minute and the Sensory-Based Busy Box.
MORE than a sensory bin, each busy box is carefully crafted to include numerous sensory experiences, along with activities, projects and tools that can be saved and re-used to truly engage your child for more than just a minute. Take a look through the collection at shopmomneedsaminute.com.
And in the spirit of helping others, I'm donating five meals to families and children in need through Feeding America with each purchase from the Busy Box collection. Read more about it here: One Box, Five Meals.
Today, I'm debuting a collection of five hand-curated sensory-based busy boxes for sale in a limited, first-time drop, along with a handful of standalone items that make wonderful gifts for under $20, from recycled tie-dyed crayons to ready-made rainbow rice.
Each busy box kit comes with a sensory base (or two), reusable tools, fine motor activities, a coloring sheet and more. I've also created customized, guided instructions for each kit to help foster creativity and encourage independent play.
As a special thank you to Mom Needs Merlot readers and subscribers, please enjoy 10% off your purchase today with the code WineTime10 and don't forget to follow on Instagram @Shopmomneedsaminute.
If you are local to the Rochester, NY area, save on shipping by selecting the "local delivery" option at checkout (for purchases of $40+) and I will drop your order right at your doorstep!
Thank you for being here and I hope that you and your kiddos absolutely love your new busy boxes. They're especially great for playing, packing away for a rainy day, and pulling out again like new time and time again!
Won't you let me know what you think? Hit the comments below or drop me a line at MomNeedsMerlot@gmail.com, and please expect to see a follow-up survey after you receive your order. I can't wait to hear from you!!
XO,
Mom Needs Merlot (and a Minute!)
