I love celebrating the holidays with my kids - they have such a knack for getting excited about each and every one. But that doesn't mean I want to stay up all night frosting cupcakes! Simple but special treats that take under 5 minutes to prepare are much more up my alley. Here's Janssen with a great one... Last year, I made some of that rainbow jello that's floating around on the Internet to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. It looked great, but it took hours to make (because it had to set between … [Read more...]
My Family Lives in the Coronavirus Epicenter in the U.S. – Here’s How We’re Handling It
As the coronavirus continues to spread across the country, more and more families will have to deal with its effects. Today, I thought I'd share with you my experience so far as a mom of three elementary-aged kids living in the center of the U.S. outbreak. I live 10 minutes away from the hospital where the six American Coronavirus deaths occurred. Two of my three children were born there. My husband was actually a hospital administrator there for 5 years before switching hospitals last … [Read more...]
Why I’m Making Breakfast Our New Family Meal (and You Should, Too!)
Thank you Honey Bunches of Oats® Frosted Cereal for sponsoring this post. Now available at major retailers nationwide! This time of year, my kids’ after school activities start to really take over our schedule, especially All. The. Sports. Skiing for all three is wrapping up, we just had little league baseball tryouts for my oldest son, AND my daughter decided to start basketball. No joke, in the spring we’re often gone during dinnertime as many as four out of five weeknights. That means we … [Read more...]
My 7 Nordstrom Winter Sale Picks Not to Miss!
Only three days left of the Nordstrom Winter Sale- have you check it out yet?! Today, I've rounded up the 7 pieces every on-the-go mom can use in their closet this spring. I hope you love them all as much as I do (and that you grab a great deal!!) #1 - Button Ankle Skinny Jeans $135, Now $81 MADEWELL These are my FAVORITE jeans. I wear them all the time- they're super comfy and flattering and I get so many compliments. Such a great way to easily change up your wardrobe … [Read more...]
Rainy Day Play: Gum Drop Engineers
With cold days persisting and school breaks coming up, I thought now would be the perfect time to share one of my all-time favorite indoor play ideas... Have you noticed the big emphasis on both creativity and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) skills for kids lately? At first glance these two things may seem to be in opposition, but in reality creative thinking and innovation are necessities to scientific and technological advancement. So how do we foster these … [Read more...]
Making Snowmen… Inside!
You know how we love a good messy sensory art project here at MPMK. So far we've tackled Jell-O Play Dough, DIY body Paint, and even Dr. Seuss' Oobleck. So what's next? Why, indoor snowmen of course! Kaley's here today sharing with us... I always think of sledding and building snowmen as the quintessential wintertime activities. Unfortunately, we don't live anywhere near snow. I didn't want to rob my little one of all that winter fun, so I had to get a little creative. With a few boxes of … [Read more...]
My Favorite Valentine Activity for Toddlers
Valentine's Day is just a couple weeks away and it can be hard to think of an engaging way to celebrate with young toddlers. I told you I was going to help you grow better eaters and the holiday is the perfect time to try something new! So today I've got a fun activity your kiddo will enjoy- and will produce lots of cute pictures too ;) When introducing new foods to new eaters, it’s important to go slow. Just like adults, young toddlers eat with all their … [Read more...]
Easy and Healthy To-Go Snacks for Toddlers
Running around with young toddlers is challenging for a number of reasons. There's the dreaded task of having to work around nap time. Not to mention the mountain of stuff you need to bring: diapers, changing pads, and- of course - healthy snacks! Today I'm sharing 7 of our favorite healthy snacks that you can make ahead of time and can grab-and-go without worry. #1 - The Roll Up Simple to make and easy to create lots of different varieties, the roll up is a great snack (or … [Read more...]
10 Immunity Boosting Recipes for Keeping the Family Healthy
It seems like this time of year my family (and basically every family we know) gets hit with some serious sick bugs. One of the worse seasons I can remember lasted for more than a month. I won't get too much into the gory details. Suffice to say that it was a stomach bug/flu that hit everyone, except for me, for over a week at a time (some of us multiple times). It. Was. Awful. And it was somewhere around the moments I was alternating between rubbing the back of my 21-month-old while he slept … [Read more...]
Free Printable: A Week’s Worth of Valentine Lunchbox Jokes
I've been talking to you a lot about healthy kid food lately. You know what goes fabulously with healthy lunches? Absolutely anything that makes eating them more fun! Younger kids almost universally love knock-knock or punny jokes. So we've put together a printable with valentine jokes for you to slip inside your child's lunchbox. Simply print out the free form, cut along the lines, and you're good to go. Send me the lunchbox notes! You'll have one for every school day the week of … [Read more...]
Playtime: Valentine Fortune-Tellers & Knock-Knock Jokes
I don't know about your kids but mine are totally obsessed with knock-knock jokes - they think they're hilarious and absolutely love getting a laugh when telling one. So I know they're going to go nuts for these adorable Valentine Fortune-Tellers. Be sure to click for the printable with all 14 Valentine-inspired knock-knock jokes! Do you remember folding fortune tellers back in elementary school? (Maybe you called them cootie catchers?) If I wasn't busy playing M.A.S.H. with my BFFs, we were … [Read more...]
Healthy Toddler Meals Perfect to Batch and Freeze
Feeding new eaters and toddlers can feel like a lot of work. It feels like they're hungry all day long! And let's not forget about the joy that is having a picky eater. Wouldn't it be great if you could just pull something you know they like out of the freezer that's healthy and wholesome instead of processed? I've got just the list for you my friends- 7 healthy foods ideal for babies, toddlers, and picky eaters that will allow you to do just that! #1 Apple Muffins Are … [Read more...]
How to Connect at Dinner Time: Conversation Starters & Parked Phone Stations
Life comes at you fast these days. Have you noticed how we drink our morning coffee and the next thing we know, we're tired and crawling into bed? If we don't stop to be intentional, we can miss out on some really important moments with our spouse and kids. There are two things we've found helpful in being more present with our kids at dinner time: A no-technology rule at meal time. A handy set of conversations starters to get the ball rolling. Today we're going to show … [Read more...]
2-Minute Strategies for Strengthening Your Child’s “Mental Game” in Sports and in Life
In our fast-moving world today, there is barely enough time to squeeze in a meal together, let alone time to work on the emotional development of your kids. Yet, no matter how well you provide for their every need, if you neglect your child’s mental well-being then you are doing them a disservice in life. But, before I explain how you can find that precious time, you need to understand the following facts: Parents are the epicenter of their child’s world and creators of their … [Read more...]