Packing lunches Monday through Friday can be a little monotonous. Sandwiches are our go-to, so when we run out of combinations of ingredients to go on the bread, it's time to switch things up!Meet the roll-up! You can make a roll-up out of just about anything.Today we're going to show you how to make two roll-ups with a tortilla and two roll-ups with lunch meat (a great gluten-free option).And hey, the roll-ups are a perfect idea for those times you forgot to buy bread at the store. Not … [Read more...]
Halloween Recipe: String Cheese Bones and Blood
I love seeing all the food that people put out for Halloween get-togethers.At no other time is it appropriate to make food look disgusting. But, for Halloween, the grossest thing you can come up with is the biggest hit with the kids.This year, I put together an easy cheese-stick recipe that will work as a spooky after-school snack or as something you take to a Halloween party. Cheesy Bones and Blood Ingredientspre-made dough (Trader Joe's sells a bag of pizza dough) string cheese … [Read more...]
Project Organize Your ENTIRE Life: How to Get Rid of Your Paper Piles for Good
Five people live in this house. That's five times the amount of paper a single person sees in one day.That means I have to organize my way through bills, business items, personal correspondence and all the paper it takes to make one's way through middle school and high school. It can be a lot to handle.I consider myself a fairly organized person, but before I created a system for my house there were tears over lost homework, stress over client invoices and the embarrassment of a late RSVP. … [Read more...]
6 Things Teachers Would Like to Tell Parents
Image Credit Top: © Phil Roeder |edited and text added | 08.25.11 | CC by 2.0 Bottom: © Woodleywonderworks |edited and text added | 10.17.08 | CC by 2.0 As a former elementary school teacher, and having written about things that your teacher would like you to share about your child, I thought it would be fitting to also let parents know some things that teachers would love to share with you.Today I've rounded up 6 thoughts that most teachers would agree are highly important for parents to … [Read more...]
13 Must-Try Traditions for the First Day of School
When my kids were old enough to start school, my mother-in-law passed down a tradition that she continued into adulthood with her children.On the first day of school, she would take a photo of the child holding the door knob ready to leave. She did this every year and even has a photo of her children in their college cap and gown, holding on to that same door knob.I've continued the tradition with my kids. Now that I have two high-schoolers and a middle schooler, I don't think my kids would … [Read more...]
Establishing “Family Jobs” & “Money Jobs” at Home
My kids have recently reached the age where they're interested in chores, money, earning, saving... all of that good stuff. And as we started to dip our toes into the world of chores and piggy banks, I realized it's not quite as straight forward as I had thought.So today we're publishing the first in a series of posts on responsibilities and money management for kids - a super important topic in our book.Our hope is that you'll get some good tips and resources and will also add your own … [Read more...]
Go-To Get Together Recipe: Fiesta Dip
One of my favorite recipes over the hot summer months when no one wants to cook is this Fiesta Dip.It comes together in 15 minutes, tastes amazing and doubles as a side dish.I've become known for this recipe and I'm not giving up the secret that it's so easy to make! Most days I have the ingredients on hand, so I can serve it with grilled chicken for dinner any night of the week.When we're headed to a potluck or get-together, I serve it as a dip and never go home with … [Read more...]
4th of July Fire Cracker Popcorn
Who remembers Pop Rocks? The snap, crackle, pop candy from when you were a kid is still around!And it's the key ingredient in this recipe for firecracker popcorn that actually pops in your mouth. How cool is that?I love the way the snack comes together visually. When you put it in a cute container, it would be the perfect thing to bring to a 4th of July get together. In fact, I'm pretty sure this dish will totally steal the show.If you're having trouble finding this candy from … [Read more...]
Summer Budget Bucket List: 25 Ideas that Don’t Cost a Lot of Money
I'm all about the bucket lists. Let me re-phrase that...I'm all about lists in general. Maybe it's the first grade teacher in me? I have found that lists help me stay on task, focus and get things done.So, when it comes to summer fun, of course I would make a bucket list. Summer seems to go as quickly as it comes. I want to make sure that we soak up every moment of enjoyment.The only problem is that I don't have endless amounts of cash to spend on amusement … [Read more...]