As exciting as it is to host a kids’ sleepover for the first time, it can also feel a little overwhelming to imagine your home filled with a group of children you need to feed, entertain and—somehow—put to bed sometime before the next sunrise. But don't worry, with just a little bit of planning, you can make your child's first sleepover a rousing success. #1 - Get Creative with the Sleeping Arrangements A large part of hosting a sleepover is understanding how many kids you can … [Read more...]
DIY Jewelry Organization Board
I'm gonna go on record right now and say this is one of my very favorite Project Organize Your ENTIRE Life projects ever!So cool, so easy, and so perfect for storing your #5RingsToStopYelling. Here's Julee with the full how-to... Now that my daughter is six-going-on-sixteen, the number of necklaces, bracelets, rings, hair clips and other accessories in our home seems to be multiplying by the hour.Our school day morning routine is hectic enough without the added task of tracking down a … [Read more...]
Healthy Eats: Taking Avocado Toast Up a Notch
Have you heard of the 'momiform'? This is what we wear on the regular.I'm talking favorite jeans with some version of a soft tee, a cardigan (in either navy or black) and a comfy leather shoe. The momiform is our go-to outfit that we wear on the daily.I actually love having things that I know work for me. Yes, it's predictable, but it's easy and always looks great. Let's move that thought to lunch.Avocado toast has the become the momiform of lunch. It's easy to smear some … [Read more...]
Parenting Styles: Why Can’t The Kids Sleep In Their Clothes?
My kids changed schools this year, and that means they no longer have a dress code. One of my selling points for the new school was that my sons could wear T-shirts and sweat pants every day—and after spending their entire school career in polos and khakis, they are reveling in the pure enjoyment of casual wear.Sweatpants are wonderful things. They are soft and warm and don’t need ironing. Sweats are so delightful that you can sleep in them quite happily.Which my children do. … [Read more...]
The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle is Back… and It’s Jaw-Droppingly Great
Good news guys, I know exactly what you should ask for from your hubby for Mother's Day this year!But first let's back up... Does being a mom and (and running the day-to-day workings of your family) ever feel a little too hard? Ok, that's not a real question... I know it does.There’s no question that you love your family like crazy and you’d do anything for them, but we all know it can be an exhausting job.If you're one of our 30,000+ newsletter subscribers, you know that this is a … [Read more...]
Earth Day Activities and Recipes
It's really too bad Earth Day doesn't get the same fanfare as Valentine's Day, Halloween, and the like.The shape our environment's in these days, we could certainly use a day where every family sits down and really talks to their children about the impact (both positive and negative) that they can have on the world they live in.Here are 14 of our favorite ideas to help you hold an Earth Day celebration at your house. Show Above Clockwise from top rightMake a Plantable Paper Earth - … [Read more...]
Good Idea: Start a Family Spring Cleaning Tradition
Spring is in the air! Or at least right around the corner for most of us. With the arrival of warmer temperatures, blooming foliage, and Little League Baseball, your house might still be crowded with the remnants of winter.Are there still cardboard boxes from Christmas in the garage? Are the blinds heavy with dust after months of the windows being closed? Have the kids’ toys begun to take over the house?It’s time to kick spring cleaning into gear.Sure, Mom and Dad may be motivated … [Read more...]
Parenting Styles: Better Than Me
Image Credit: © Alton Jefferson II | Horse Stance | CC by 2.0My kiddos are suddenly old enough to be better than me in certain things, and I’m as humbled about it as I am impressed. I’m not particularly competitive with my children, but as I sat watching my daughter at her martial arts test a few weeks ago, I realized that there is no way I could do what she’s doing.She’s eight. And she’s on the small side for an eight year old.But her Thai kicks are insanely high, her punches are … [Read more...]
9 Family Dinners Perfect for Beginning Kid Cooks
Bringing kids into the kitchen not only teaches them valuable skills that will serve them well later in life, it gives you time with them. And we all know that time is precious. Start using the time you're making dinner to involve the kids.There are nights where you're eating on the run or you have company coming and it might not be the best time to have a little one helping you. But, on the nights where it's just the family and you don't have any place to be, involve your kids in the … [Read more...]
Camp Mom Activities eBook – Back on Sale!
Happy Thursday guys, we've made it through another week.I've been receiving lots of emails from you all lately asking if/when Camp Mom would be available for sale again. At first I didn't get it (blame it on the baby brain) but then it dawned on me - spring break is rapidly approaching and you guys are looking for fun and easy ways to connect with your kids.So look no further - I'm here to help a mother out! Camp Mom, our jam-packed kid activities eBook is officially back on sale! CAMP … [Read more...]
Easter Potluck Must-Have: Rice Krispies Easter Egg Nests
Rice Krispies treats have always been a kid-favorite around our house. So we decided why not take the recipe and make it into an Easter-themed treat?This recipe is one that kids can help with, there's no oven time, and you'll be done in about 15 minutes. It's that easy!Not to mention these little 'Easter baskets' are as cute as can be.Ingredients7 cups Rice Krispies 1 package mini-marshmallows 3 Tablespoons butter 1 package cream cheese 1 cup powdered sugar … [Read more...]
Parenting Styles: How 10 (or even 5) Minutes of Yoga Made Me a Better Mother
I’m a bit of a high-stress person. One of my favorite and most time-consuming hobbies is to replay any and all cringe-worthy moments of my life over and over in my head. When I get bored of that, I like to devote some quality time—usually between 2:00 and 3:00 am—going over any potential calamities that may befall the children or myself in the future. If I have time left, I like to reminisce about Bad Things That Didn’t Happen Yesterday but Could Have. I’ve been told by … [Read more...]
Positive Parenting Gold: “Listen, Allow, Support, Repeat”
Yesterday was a crazy day (power outages, cancelled activities, melt downs, etc.) and let's just say, I wasn't at my positive parenting best.That afternoon, during a 5-minute period when all three of the kids had miraculously found something to entertain them, I picked up my copy of Parents Magazine. (Do you guys subscribe? I've found it to be surprisingly useful month after month.)Inside I spied an article on great podcasts for parents and immediately picked up my phone and subscribed … [Read more...]
Parenting Styles: Hot/Cold Friends Are the Worst
I have two daughters, and once upon a time I was a grade school girl myself. I knew girl drama was in the cards, but I was deluded enough to think that between an almost-nine-year-old and a three year old, I had years before we’d be dealing with that.Surprise! Seems everything starts earlier these days, because third grade has been rough.There are twelve or thirteen girls in my daughter’s class, and G has known most of them since kindergarten. One new girl - older and with a mean streak … [Read more...]