Modern Parents Messy Kids

We're all about finding ways to make family life better while keeping our sense of humor. Check out our famous MPMK Top Toy Awards, already viewed over 7,000,000 times!

How to Maintain Your Zen When the Kids Have Lost Their Ever-Loving Minds

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I bet you read the title of this post, looked at the photo and thought something along the lines of, "Is this chic seriously trying to tell me a beach ball is all I need to stay calm when my child is having a level 10 melt down?... Go sell crazy somewhere else sister.  I ain't buying it". Don't worry, the beach ball photos are from my momtastic post this week - all about our favorite way to burn off some steam indoors.   As for maintaining your zen - I've got back up for that, a … [Read more...]

Christmas Gift Idea: Make a Dress Up Kit with Halloween Clearance Items

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When I polled you guys a few weeks ago on what you'd like to see more of here, one of the most popular answers was kid gift ideas.  So I wanted to share with you the DIY dress up kit I'm in the process of making for my two tots for Christmas.   I know, I know -  isn't it a little early for to be thinking about what Santa will have in his bag this year?  Yes... but if you too want to put together a dress up kit then now is the time to do it.  Striking while all the Halloween stuff is on … [Read more...]

Make Like a Montessori Mama: Part 3 – Animal Activities

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So now that the kids are all hopped up on sugar, I thought it would be a good time for some more constructive playtime activities.  To that end, Kylie is back with part three of our "Make Like a Montessori Mama" series: animal activities.  Take it away Kylie... Five great Montessori inspired activities about ANIMALS!   Animals, just like food and plants, give children an opportunity to explore nature. Once again these activities use materials that are widely available. There are a … [Read more...]

Halloween Traditions & What to do with All that Candy

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Happy Halloween everyone!  We've been talking about it for so long I'm sort of wondering what to do with myself tomorrow.  For one more look at all of MPMK's Handmade Halloween posts, see here.   I've also been wondering what to do with all the candy once Halloween's over.  Last year C was young enough that I just had to hide it and he forgot about it.  This year I know it's not going to work that way.  Luckily, I've been reading up on some of my favorite blogger's Halloween … [Read more...]

Giveaway: Enough Makedo for a Small Play Group!

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Congrats to Lyndsey, the winner of the Shen the Panda/Zylie the bear giveaway. If you didn't win, don't fret, there's still plenty of time to get a bear of your own for your child by Christmas. By the way, are you guys loving all these giveaways as much as I am? Yes? Good, 'cause another great one starts today.   The guys over at Makedo contacted me recently to see if I'd be interested in trying out their product first hand and doing a little giveaway.  Having already shared about the … [Read more...]

Elsewhere: A New Art Technique to Try

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I'm guest posting at Whip Up today with one of my favorite new art techniques: block printing with yarn.  This one is truly appropriate for all ages.  Our first go at it was a fascinating experience for C (he couldn't believe he was actually allowed to paint on a few of his blocks) and a successful attempt at DIY modern art for me.  Head over to Whip Up for the full tutorial.   P.S. Looking to simplify in 2013? Bonus: Use the code JANUARY for 10% off the PDF file through the end of … [Read more...]

Finding Quality Kid Music (That You Can Stand Listening to 483 Times a Day)

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If there's one tool in my parenting arsenal I couldn't live without it's kid music. There's nothing like springing a dance party on your children "flash mob" style to chase away afternoon crankiness. I wouldn't even think of getting into my car with tots in tow for longer than 30 minutes without some Raffi and I'm always prepared to launch into several rounds of "Wheels on the Bus" or "Old McDonald" if need be.   As life-saving as kid music and songs are - they can also be overly peppy, … [Read more...]

Handmade Halloween: Ghost Jell-O Treats

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If you've been paying close attention, then you probably already know where I derived the inspiration for these ghostly goodies. Remember these cloud parfaits? As soon as I saw them I knew I wanted to put my own spin on them and try to make Halloween ghosts.   The problem was the photo, like too many Pinterest finds, was a dead end (looks like it was originally pinned from a password protected site).  The description on the pin said something along the lines of "Jell-O + whipped cream" … [Read more...]