Review: Piping Hot Clothing

I was asked to review the new Piping Hot Clothing range that is currently in Target. So I did what we are all warned not to do. I tried to work with my children!

Thank god we don’t have any animals.

As you can see by most of the photos – they are selfies. Why? Because no one was in the mood to help Mommy!

I don’t actually own any Piping Hot Clothing (until now). I am sure it is not deliberate but it’s just one of those brands I always associated with the Beach.

I am not a sand in the pants/shoes/ears/nostrils/hair kinda gal.

I really enjoyed wearing them and styling them to suit different (non beach) outings. From a casual lunch to morning coffee with the girls after a rough sleepless night with kids in my bed. (Gone are my “rough” nights out partying).

These clothes have a wonderful feel to them, they feel like old favorites soft and snug. The kids jeans came with adjustable waists which is crucial for my lanky little ones who need length and not width.

The cardigan was warm and comfy and I loved snuggling up with it. Everyone commented on the nice bright colors, perfect for a winters day.

Check out the full range at Target Australia.

The notion of the importance of teaching kids how to write cursive seems to wax and wane. While some schools have taken it out of their curriculum, many still see the value of learning how to write and read script. My daughter learned how to write in cursive and though she doesn’t need it often, I’m glad to know she has those skills anyway.

If you’re a teacher or you want to teach your own children how to write in cursive, I found this great resource from The OT Toolbox that I think will help. They did a whole series of 31 days of posts about writing cursive and breaking down the skills that are needed to know how to form letters in cursive. It starts with the most basic elements — how and where a child is sitting, and how their paper is positioned.

It includes gross motor activities to get kids warmed up for writing, letter families and the starting lines used to start to form letters, tips for left handed students, letter identification, pencil grasp, writing speed and assessing problems, among other things.

You’ll also find some cursive letter flash cards that can be used to help with writing practice or letter identification.

You can find the whole series at The OT Toolbox.

Looking for more tools to help kids learn cursive? I love these free cursive letter practice printables from Living Loving Lancaster, which include practicing individual letters and tracing letters to write quotes.

Or grab individual letter practice worksheets that just include the letter in upper and lower case for kids to practice. These are from Everyday Chaos and Calm and are a great way to start practicing the individual letter forms. They also include a little map at the top that shows which way to form the letter or in what order if there are multiple strokes involved.

[Photo via The OT Toolbox]

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