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My Kids’ Schools Have Been Shuttered for Almost Two Weeks- Here’s What I’ve Learned

March 16 by Steph (MPMK Founder)

Did you know my kids' school district was the very first to be shut down in the country? Today is our 9th day of no school and we've got a minimum of 6 weeks to go. There's still a long haul ahead of us all, to be sure, but I've learned some things since we've been stuck at home and I have one big piece of advice I'd like to share with any of you who aren't as far down this road as we are...Take a little time to throw together a general daily schedule- you'll … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Parenting Tagged With: coronavirushomeschool, coronavirusmom, coronavirusparent, coronavirusshutdown, homeschoolideas, schoolshutdown

10 St. Patrick’s Day Books for Kids

March 10 by Janssen

We're on day two of forced homeschooling- it's time for some St. Patricks Day books!  With the Irish holiday just around the corner, these ten St. Patrick's Day books are perfect for celebrating all things green and gold. Whether you're looking for an informational book about the holiday, a classic folk tale, or just a fun tale of a tricky leprechaun, one (or more) of these books will fit the bill for your preschool or elementary-age child. There Once Was a Man Named Michael Finnegan by … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Janssen, The Book Nook Tagged With: children's books, st patrick's day, St. Patrick's Day books, St. Patrick's Day books for kids

My Glamour Article on Our Coronavirus Forced Homeschooling

March 6 by Steph (MPMK Founder)

Earlier this week I shared my experience living at the center of the coronavirus outbreak in America. It's only been 4 days and the situation has elevated quite a bit. Late Wednesday night word came from our school district's superintendent; effective immediately, all schools in our district are closed for up to 14 days. Teaching will continue, at home, via the internet. For the foreseeable future, I’m a working mom with no childcare, overseeing the daily lesson plans of a kindergartner, a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Parenting Tagged With: coronavirus epicenter, coronavirus homeschool, coronavirus prep, family preparation for coronavirus, talking to kids about coronavirus, washington coronavirus

Super Special Sensory Play: Ice Cream Playdough

March 5 by Kristin

Ice Cream Play Dough. This amazing play dough looks, feels, (and smells) just like real ice cream BUT DOESN'T MELT - such a fun activity for birthday parties or other special occasions!

On Tuesday I wrote about how my family has been affected living in the epicenter of the American coronavirus outbreak and I plan to continue writing about our experiences in the coming days. Late last night, though, we got word that every school in my kids' district is closing- and we will be participating in at-home, mobile learning for up to 14 days.  Needless to say, I'm scrambling for ways to make it work having my kindergartner, 3rd and 5th graders home while I also need to work. One of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Creating & Engaging, Kristin, Sensory & Interactive Play, The Make & Play Vault Tagged With: arts and crafts for kids, easy crafts for kids, ice cream dough, ice cream dough recipe, play doh recipe, play ideas, playdough recipe, rainy day play, sponsored, tactile DIY for kids

St. Patrick’s Day Treat: Rainbow Drinks

March 4 by Janssen

Such a quick and easy way to celebrate St. Paddy's Day with the kids - love the sherbet version at the end of the post!

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...]

Filed Under: Holiday Projects, Janssen, Seasonal Fun Tagged With: kid snacks, kid treats, rainbow dessert, rainbow fruit drink, recipe, st patrick's day, St. Patrick's Day dessert, St. Patrick's Day treats

My Family Lives in the Coronavirus Epicenter in the U.S. – Here’s How We’re Handling It

March 2 by Steph (MPMK Founder)

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...]

Filed Under: The Everyday Tagged With: coronavirus epicenter, family prep for coronavirus, family preparation for coronavirus, talking to kids about coronavirus, washington coronavirus

Why I’m Making Breakfast Our New Family Meal (and You Should, Too!)

February 25 by Steph (MPMK Founder)

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...]

Filed Under: The Everyday Tagged With: cereal, frosted cereal, honey bunches of oats frosted cereal, kids breakfast

My 7 Nordstrom Winter Sale Picks Not to Miss!

February 20 by Steph (MPMK Founder)

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...]

Filed Under: Mom Health, Beauty & Style Tagged With: capsule mom wardrobe, capsule wardrobe, minimalist mom wardrobe, mom wardrobe, nordstrom sale

Rainy Day Play: Gum Drop Engineers

February 18 by Steph (MPMK Founder)

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...]

Filed Under: Parenting, The Make & Play Vault Tagged With: gum drop engineering marshmallow engineering, indoor play, preschool play, rainy day play, rainy day play ideas, toddler play

Making Snowmen… Inside!

February 12 by Kaley

Making Snowmen inside! Say it with me, "Do you wanna build a snowman?"

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...]

Filed Under: Creating & Exploring, Kaley, Sensory & Interactive Play Tagged With: Christmas craft, cloud dough, do you want to build a snowman?, Frozen play activity, homemade dough, indoor snowmen activity, making snowmen inside, play snow, sensory activities, sensory activities for kids, winter activity

My Favorite Valentine Activity for Toddlers

February 6 by Steph (MPMK Founder)

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...]

Filed Under: In the Kitchen

Easy and Healthy To-Go Snacks for Toddlers

February 3 by Steph (MPMK Founder)

on the go toddler snacks

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...]

Filed Under: In the Kitchen Tagged With: 1 year old snacks, 1-year-old meals, healthy kid snacks, healthy kids snacks, healthy toddler snacks, on the go kid snacks, on the go snacks, on the go toddler snacks, snacks for 1 year olds, toddler food, toddler meals, toddler snacks

10 Immunity Boosting Recipes for Keeping the Family Healthy

January 30 by Steph (MPMK Founder)

Immunity Boosting Recipes to Keep Your Family Healthy this Cold and Flu Season- can't wait to start feeding these to my family!

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...]

Filed Under: 1 Year to a Non-Toxic Home, In the Kitchen Tagged With: cold and flu recipes, cold gummies, elderberry, immunity boosting drinks, immunity boosting recipes, immunity boosting smoothies

Free Printable: A Week’s Worth of Valentine Lunchbox Jokes

January 28 by Kristin

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...]

Filed Under: Holiday, Kristin, Printables Tagged With: lunchbox valentines, valentine jokes, valentine printable, Valentines for kids

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