Modern Parents Messy Kids

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Do You Have Your Advent Calendar Yet?

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It's mid-November, you know what that means... time to figure out this year's Advent calendar. What?  You're still thinking about Thanksgiving?  Me too.  But December will be here before we know it. I'm hoping to pull together an extra special list of Advent activities for the kids this year (more on that tomorrow) so I need to start planning now.  Step number one is to find a snazzy calendar.  To that end, here's a list of my favorite offerings this year. … [Read more...]

Is the Elf on the Shelf Part of Your Holiday Tradition Yet?

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Are you guys familiar with The Elf on the Shelf phenomenon?  If not, I HIGHLY suggest you get familiar fast and jump on the bandwagon while there's still time.  Here's how it works, in a nutshell: The first year your elf joins the family via a special delivery from Santa, each year after that he reappears on a certain date - in our family it's the day after Thanksgiving. When the elf arrives, he belongs especially to your family and your littles get the distinct honor of naming him or … [Read more...]

DIY Gratitude Turkey

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With Thanksgiving coming up (here in the US) there are plenty of opportunities to talk about thankfulness with our kids. Here is a fun art project that adds a little more than just whimsy to the Thanksgiving table - the thankful turkey. This little paper turkey can be constructed in many ways. The fun thing about him is that each of his feathers has a thankful note on the back for each person at the table to read during dinner. … [Read more...]

How to Get Kids to Eat Their Fruits & Veggies

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Have you guys RSVP'd to Wednesday's Zmoms facebook chat yet?  Today, I'm honored to have Zmom, best selling author, and nationally recognized health expert, Frances Largeman-Roth, here talking about ways to add some color to your family meals. Last fall my daughter Willa’s preschool class studied “the colors.” They talked about the various colors of the rainbow, identified them in nature, painted them, and generally absorbed themselves in color awareness. Of course, as any curious toddler … [Read more...]

What to Wear this Fall (& Winter)

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Lately I have found myself somewhat obsessed with the concept of a capsule wardrobe. Have you guys heard of, or do you even subscribe to, this practice?  Basically you buy a certain number of items (37 seems to be the number I come across most), and mix-and-match them over and over to create an entire wardrobe. The idea being that you get only pieces you love and then don't have to think too much about what to wear in the morning once you're capsule is complete. Whether you think this sounds … [Read more...]

One Week Outdoor Play Challenge

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Getting kids outside in the cold and wet weather can be a challenge, we know.  But doctors and teachers agree that kids need lots of time outside for a variety of reasons. Playing outside sparks imagination, improves motor skills and balance, provides a setting to learn about the natural world, boosts Vitamin D and promotes a healthy lifestyle that decreases obesity. … [Read more...]

Thanksgiving Bucket List

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It's officially the holiday season. What I love most about this time of year are all the special activities I get to do with the kids.  What I don't love about this time of year is how crazy hectic it can be - often leaving me stressed out that I'm not finding the time to actually do all those special activities with the kids! This year the plan is to get out ahead of the stress by deciding what we'll do now and arming myself with the supplies so we'll be ready to make memories at a moment's … [Read more...]