Modern Parents Messy Kids

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8 Best Books for Raising Financially Responsible Kids

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If your child has ever suggested you just pay with your credit card when you said you couldn't afford something or wondered why your family vacations are less grandiose than the neighbors (or cousins!), you know how early money education can and should start. There's so much you want your child to know about money before they leave home, whether it's about spending and saving, investing, interest rates, and real estate. And frankly, if you're like me, there are some of those things you're a … [Read more...]

12 Month Book Club Guide for Moms: Amazing Books for January to December

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Don't you sometimes wish someone would pick out your next book? I frequently think that when I'm standing in the library or bookstore and completely overwhelmed by the options. Whether you're looking for things to read on your own this year or trying to pick titles for your bookclub, these books are perfect for reading each month in 2016. JANUARY 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think by Laura Vanderkam What could be a better way to start out the year than this book? You may … [Read more...]

The 20 Best Books of the Year

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If there's one thing I love about December, aside from the holidays, it's the Best of 2015 book lists that come out. As a former librarian and a huge reader, both on my own and with my small children, it's basically like Christmas all over again when I get a little time to pore over the lists and max out my library card with the ones I haven't read yet. Of course, I can never resist putting together my own list too. If you're looking for something great to give as a gift to a spouse, … [Read more...]

Cinnamon Chip Oatmeal Cookies for a Cozy Winter Day

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*This post is sponsored by The Quaker Oats Company, but all opinions are 100% my own. Who doesn't love a good holiday cookie? Fun to make with the kids, share with the neighbors and, of course, to eat! Plus they make the house smell heavenly. As part of our official role as a member of The Oat Authority, we’re once again teaming up with The Quaker Oats Company to offer you lots of simple and yummy ways to use their classic oats. Today is without a doubt one of my favorites. Here’s our … [Read more...]

POYEL: Mudroom/Family Command Center Reveal

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We're back today with the big reveal of our latest Project Organize Your ENTIRE Life makeover- Janssen's mudroom/family command center. You may remember from our previous post, that Janssen had a bit of a fail the first time she attempted to get this room organized. Today she's back showing us how a little support from our latest sponsor, DYMO, helped her right the wrongs in this space. I am so smitten with the "Hooray!" idea - total genius! I seriously couldn't believe what a huge … [Read more...]

All-Time Favorite Kid Books (Picks for Every Age)

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There are lots of signs that the holidays are around the corner: the radio is blaring Christmas tunes non-stop, every store is filled up with holiday treats, decorations, and gifts, and my inbox is filled with requests about what book to buy their child or niece or grandson as a gift. So many of us want to buy books for the children in our lives - we want them to love books, share our favorite titles from our childhood, and give them something that won't break or wear out in a few … [Read more...]

POYEL: Creating an Organized & Family-Friendly Mudroom

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About a month into the new school year seems like pretty much the ideal time to tackle a new project for our Project Organize Your ENTIRE Life series. This week we're teaming up with our new sponsor, DYMO, to put their LabelManager 160 to work whipping up a stream-lined mudroom that serves the needs of an entire family. Here's our contributor Janssen with the details... Do you have a room in your house that has so much potential but just somehow misses the mark and ends up frustrating you … [Read more...]

Sending Kids Off to College on a Budget

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*This post is sponsored by QVC but all opinions are 100% our own. Check out #QVC for more info. on the QCard. I don't have any children heading off to college yet; my oldest just started kindergarten, so those days are still a ways off for our family. But my husband's youngest brother begins his first year of college in a few weeks and even that is pretty much blowing my mind. I met him when he was nine years old, so it is hard to imagine that he's old enough to head off for university … [Read more...]

Trying out Gymnastics for Young Kids: A Morning at The Little Gym

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Finding just the right activity to sign up your little one to attend, can be nothing less than maddening. I really value classes that allow my kids to be active, gain confidence, and grow their social skills. That said, I also like to spend a lot of our time on unstructured play and usually limit activities to just one per season. Which means, I am VERY choosy about which classes we take. Gymnastics is far and away one of my favorites. There's just something so amazing about watching S … [Read more...]