Teachers, parents and kids alike breathe a sigh of relief as the school year starts to wrap up. Nine months of hardcore learning is exhausting. Plus the school year usually ends with an Open House, which means kids are working hard or projects to show parents what they've learned. So, by the time we are looking at the last few weeks of school, everyone is staggering toward the finish line. Summer break can mean different things to different people. Working parents need to line up child … [Read more...]
Parenting Styles: The One With The Puking Kid
You know it’s going to be an eventful day when your five year old wakes up puking. And maybe it’s just me, but by kid number three, we're long past stripping the sheets when one of them tosses his cookies all over the bed. Now, we clean up the crying kiddo, lay down a few towels and wait. Because there’s always more to come, right? Also, I take out my contacts before bed and I’m legally blind when I’m stumbling around at night. I may not be so willing to throw down a towel and call it … [Read more...]
Free Printable: The Single Page Summer Planner!
I'm gonna keep it super short today guys and simply present you with an organizational tool I love to help you stay on top of your mom game. I'm really enjoying coming up with free tools to help you win the war we're all waging on busy - I hope you guys are too. Today, I've got something I rely heavily on this time of year. Drum roll, please... Get the FREE Single Page Summer Planner Printable Now! There are SO many camps, vacations, swim lessons, etc. during the summer … [Read more...]
Happy Family Habit #11: Take a Time-In
Image Credit: © Alexandre Normand | 06.09.13 & 04.30.12 | CC by 2.0 Be honest... When was the last time you yelled at your kids? Sometimes right before a major "parent fail," I can actually see myself about to fly off the handle, yet I still can't seem to diffuse my emotional momentum in time. Can you relate? Most days, I'm as cool as a cucumber and can handle a tantrum like I'm Super Mom. Other days, the littlest bit of whining triggers a nasty, snapping response in a … [Read more...]
“Camp Mom” Post-Memorial Day Sale!
Since last weekend was the official kick-off to summer, what better time to have a sale on our Camp Mom eBook and activities pack? POST - MEMORIAL DAY SALE: Get Yours Now for $11.99 $9.99 Here's more info. on what Camp Mom is all about... What's on your spring break and summer vacation bucket lists this year? How about the simple goal of entertaining the kids with some good 'ol fashion at-home fun? Sounds like a good plan, right? But scouring the web to find activities to … [Read more...]
Parenting Styles: The Kid Who Doesn’t Eat
The other night at dinner – and I don’t need to tell you about all the work that goes into planning, preparing and serving dinner for six, let alone the legwork involved in actually getting all six people to sit down in one spot at the same time – our two-year-old took one look at her bowl of some shredded-chicken-and-quinoa dish and slapped the entire thing onto the bench, where it fell to the floor. Cue… absolute silence. The three older kids were wide-eyed, forks halfway to … [Read more...]
My Tried & True Non-Toxic Beauty Routine
I am WAY overdue on this post guys - so sorry it's taken me so long to share my non-toxic beauty routine! I know I promised it to you long ago (maybe so long ago, you've totally forgotten about it by now). My only excuse is that overhauling your beauty products to go non-toxic is a bit of a tricky task and it has taken me a while to really find my favorites. But find them I did and I'm so excited to share them with you today. Before we get to that, though, if you're … [Read more...]
5 Ways to Get Your Kids Off Their Screens and Playing Outside
Despite living in rain city USA, I believe strongly in getting the kids outside as much as possible (also, the summers in Seattle are gorgeous). So today I've asked Lea to stop by with her top 5 tips for getting your kids away from a screen and outside to play. (And added a few photos of my family because I just couldn't resist.) Playtime is serious business. Just ask the American Council on Pediatrics. In their concerns about the effect of media on young minds, they encourage … [Read more...]
3 Last Minute Mother’s Day Gifts That Aren’t Flowers
I'm not the only one out there still scrambling to pull together Mother's Day gifts, am I? I didn't think so. No worries, though, with a little ingenuity you can still totally pull off a heartfelt gift that she'll have no idea was last minute. Here are my top 3 favorite ideas and I've even hunted down some deals too! #1 - Birchbox My MIL gifted me a Birchbox subscription last year for my birthday and seeing what arrived in the beauty box subscription every month was so fun (also the … [Read more...]
Free Printable: No More “Mom, I’m Bored!”
I absolutely adore the idea of hanging something on the wall that I can direct my kids to whenever boredom strikes- so I've got a present for you! It's a free printable and our contributor MJ included some cute icons next to each item so even my pre-readers can use it. Get your copy today and get prepped for a summer of fun. School is barely out and I’m already anticipating the inevitable, “Mommy, I’m bored!” This summer we’re fixing that complaint with this creative checklist that I … [Read more...]
Parenting Styles: Taking a 2-Year-Old on a 9 Hour Road Trip to Disneyland
Fun fact – our two oldest kids have the same April birthday. Our son was two weeks early, and two years later, his new little sister was a week early. So far, the dual birthday party thing has worked out, but now they’re ten and eight, and I think that window is coming to a close. So this year, we decided to surprise them with a trip to Disneyland instead of a party. My husband and I were extra secretive about our internet research, ferreting out bargains on three-day hopper passes … [Read more...]
Natural Play Spaces: Children’s Veggie Gardens
You guys! It has been the rainiest season in Seattle in the history of ever (literally) but the sun is out today. And - of course - it's making me want to plant all the things. If you're feeling me, here's a post we did a few summers ago on one of the coolest kinds of gardens out there; the kids' garden. Enjoy and happy planting! Now that the bark has been laid, we've made one more major addition to our backyard natural play space. But don't get too excited - I haven't had a chance … [Read more...]
Tips from a Teacher: 9 Questions to Get Your Kids to Finally Open Up!
When your child gets in the car after school, do you immediately ask, 'How was your day?' Nine times out of ten, the answer is 'good' or 'fine.' Most kids don't elaborate. Maybe it's because their brain is on overload after a full day of school. Maybe it's because they aren't able to verbalize what they're thinking. As parents, we need to ask the questions that allow kids to explain their day at school. It gives us a peek into their world in the 6-8 hours they are away from … [Read more...]
“Mommy, You Had a Gold Star Morning”
"Mom, you had a gold star morning." Those words from my 6-year-old daughter almost brought me to tears yesterday. After what seemed like months of sick kids, snow days, school vacations, and a very busy workload, our routine had gone down the drain. More and more I was finding myself hurried, frazzled and irritated when trying to get the kids out the door, to do their homework, to get to bed, or to do pretty much anything else. I realized when my daughter spoke up, as much as it was … [Read more...]
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