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Healthy Homemade Banana Chocolate Ice Cream

March 4 by Kaley

Since trying this, it's become my kids favorite snack. Love that there's no additional sugar added - we love cocoa and cinnamon!

Kaley's here today with one of our family's favorite snacks.  My littles totally think of this as dessert, which I love because it's really nothing more than bananas. Be sure to read to the end for some of Kaley's favorite flavor variations as well as a list of MPMK's all-time favorite healthy kid snacks. I am trying to figure out why my daughter will only eat half of her banana then leaves the rest to get mushy and brown. And speaking of brown, if it has even one tiny brown spot, forget it. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: In the Kitchen, Kaley Tagged With: bananas, chocolate ice cream, healthy snacks, ice cream recipe, spring activities

Learning to Explore Food Through Play: Fruit-Filled Jigglers

March 3 by Kristin

Today we're once again exploring ideas for building good eaters through food play with our sponsor Ella’s Kitchen, producer of some of my kids' favorite fruit and veggies squeezers (yes, big kids love them too) and big time believers in the importance of raising healthy and adventurous eaters. (Be sure to also check out our previous adventures with pancake decorating and rainbow, scented glitter slime.) I just love how these colorful fruit-filled jigglers will entice all of baby's senses … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Kristin, Seasonal Fun, Sensory & Interactive Play, The Make & Play Vault Tagged With: ella's kitchen, exploring food through play, getting kids to try new foods, play activities for babies, seasonal fun, sponsored, spring activities, St. Patrick's Day activity, St. Patrick's Day treat

How to Organize Photos Like a Professional Organizer: POYEL

March 2 by Annie

Can't wait to try this 5 step process from a professional organizer this weekend.

Our post on How to Store Your Digital Photos Like a Professional Photographer was so popular that we decided to follow it up with another Project Organize Your ENTIRE Life post on how to organize print photos from our resident professional organizer, Annie.   She's got a fool-proof 5 part process you're sure to love! While the majority of us have shifted into the digital realm most households still have a stockpile of family pictures. Printed at the local drugstore some several years ago, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Annie, Organizing, Photography & Memory Keeping, Project Organize Your ENTIRE Life, Style & Simplify Tagged With: family photos, how to organize photos, live simply by annie, organizing photos, photo box, photo organization system, picture organization

Teaching Kids About Money: Spend/Save/Share

February 26 by Steph (MPMK Founder)

A great project for introducing money concepts to kids - including saving and giving.

Happy Thursday guys. Any big plans for the weekend? I'll be wrapping up some loose ends getting ready for baby - hanging artwork in the nursery, taking kids clothes to my local consignment shop in the hopes of trading in for some onesies and baby PJs, and also (finally!) packing that hospital bag. Before I do that though - a few things I wanted to share: I also whipped up this super quick and easy Spend/Save/Share Piggy Bank project for my older two... now is a great time to emphasize … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Educational Activities, Parenting, The Make & Play Vault Tagged With: DIY piggy bank, kids bank tutorial, save spend share bank, teaching kids about money, teaching kids to save

How to Arrange Art: The Forever Home Project

February 25 by Steph (MPMK Founder)

AWESOME tips from a professional designer on how to arrange art on your walls, mantles, and in gallery walls... Exactly what I needed to finally make the house look like I wanted it to!

Arranging art is tough! Actually, let me back up - picking out art and THEN figuring out where and how to hang it and arrange it is tough.  Which is why this is definitely my favorite post for The Forever Home Project ever - hands down. For this mega informative post, I brought on two partners... First, my new styling guru and founder of Sun + Dotter, a personal shopping & styling service for design-conscious parents, the lovely Janette is back.   You may remember that she stopped by … [Read more...]

Filed Under: The Forever Home Project Tagged With: arranging art, displaying art, hanging art, how to arrange art, how to display art, sponsored

Happy Family Habit #11: “Time-Ins” for the Whole Family

February 24 by Steph (MPMK Founder)

Image Credit: © Alexandre Normand | 06.09.13 & 04.30.12 | CC by 2.0 I'm so honored to have my friend Zina from Let's Lasso the Moon  participating in our Happy Family Habits series.  I relate so much to Zina's parenting philosophy and just adore her blog.   Today she's sharing TONS of great tips and resources for stopping melt-downs in both ourselves and our kids before they even start. Above all else, this post just made me feel incredibly hopeful about what I could achieve with this … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Happy Family Habits Tagged With: how to stop yelling at your kids, parenting, positive parenting, stopping meltdowns, stopping tantrums, time-ins, toddler tanturms

Genius Ideas for Going Green and Saving Money

February 23 by Kristin

I might spend all weekend making these DIY green clean and beauty products - the DIY foaming hand soap is my favorite!

DIY cleaners and beauty products that will save me money, keep toxins out of the house, and help the environment?  Yes, please.  I'm loving this roundup Kristin put together for us.  Now I just have to decided what to make this weekend - foaming hand wash, a few two-ingredient spa treatments, toilet bombs, or all of the above. Going green doesn't have to mean a whole-life overhaul.  If we all make simple little changes, we can make a difference in the condition of the planet we leave for our … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Cleaning House, Kristin, Project Organize Your ENTIRE Life, The Everyday Tagged With: beauty diy, DIY cleaning products, going green, green cleaning, green diy, making your own cleaning products, saving money

Tips for Talking to Kids About a New Baby

February 19 by Steph (MPMK Founder)

Helpful tips on how to prep your kids for a new baby

In other news, I've been having lots of fun writing about my pregnancy for eHow's Mom Channel lately.  My latest post, Talking to Your Kids About a New Baby, is no exception. Check it out for all my ideas on prepping my 5-year-old and 3-year-old for our impending arrival. Be sure to read to the end to find out their suggested name for the new baby - it'll make you smile, I promise. Question of the Day What's the best advice you received about prepping your kids for a new baby? … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Parenting Tagged With: preparing kids for a new baby, talking to kids about a new baby

St. Patrick’s Day Recipes – Our Favorites for Everyone

February 18 by Steph (MPMK Founder)

So many great St. Patrick's Day recipes here - definitely gonna make the rainbow bread and/or pudding pops with the kids and the Irish coffee sundaes for me and the hubs...gonna have to make the green velvet cupcakes too!

A good St. Patrick's Day recipe contains one of three things: a rainbow theme a green theme classic Irish ingredients Let's face it, a little Bailey's can go a long way towards greatness too.  Today I've gathered up 17 of my all-time favorite St. Patrick's Day treats. Some are perfect for making with the kids (might I suggest the Rainbow Bread, Rainbow Pudding Pops, or Green Velvet Cupcakes?).  Some are great for celebrating with adults - the Boozy Thin Mint Milkshake is calling my … [Read more...]

Filed Under: In the Kitchen, Seasonal Fun Tagged With: St. Patrick's Day desserts, St. Patrick's Day drinks, St. Patrick's Day ideas for kids, St. Patrick's Day recipes, St. Patrick's Day treats

Kid Friendly Crunchy Kale Chips

February 16 by Kaley

I've never tried making kale chips at home, have you?  Typically my go-to for getting some leafy greens in the kids is a smoothie - but that's getting a little old (and a little cold) for winter.   I love how easy this recipe is and Kaley says her littles gobble up these healthy chips.  Make sure you read to the end for her suggested flavor variations. Would you like your kids to eat a little healthier? Do you have issues getting them to eat enough dark leafy greens? Do you wish they would … [Read more...]

Filed Under: In the Kitchen, Kaley Tagged With: favorite, healthy eating, healthy kid snacks, healthy snacks, kale, kale chip recipes, kale chips, kid food, vegetables

Getting Kids to Listen While Staying Calm

February 12 by Steph (MPMK Founder)

I’ve got some very good news to share today.  Parenting guru, Today Show expert, and MPMK favorite Amy McCready is once again offering up UPDATE: New Date A FREE Positive Parenting Webinar to MPMK readers next Monday, September 29th at both 10am PST/1pm EST and 6pm PST/9 pm EST.   I’m such a fan of Amy that I try to host these free training sessions about every 3 months.  But with the baby prep, I haven’t hosted one since … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: calm parenting, getting kids to listen, positive parenting, stopping tantrums, stopping whining, tantrums, whining

Top 10 Reads for Every Expectant Parent

February 11 by Steph (MPMK Founder)

I'm over at eHow's Mom Channel this week talking about my top 10 books for every expectant parent.  The list spans reads on everything from picking the perfect baby name and helping dads to prepare to books on mindful parenting with young children and preparing kids for a new sibling.  Come check out the full list here. P.S. Did you know that facebook has recently drastically changed the way pages like MPMK can share with their followers? Even if you’re a fan of the MPMK facebook page, only a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: The Book Nook Tagged With: books for expectant parents, new baby books, parenting books

10 Easy Lunches Made with Chickpeas

February 10 by Natalie

Our roasted chickpeas snack post (or roasted garbonzo beans, if you prefer) from last year was so popular that we thought you guys might appreciated even more ideas for how to incorporate chickpeas into your day - especially with recent studies showing that consuming fiber-packed chickpeas leads to consuming less processed snacks during your day.  Here's Natalie with 10 new chickpea recipes! I'm a poor planner when it comes to lunch time. I tend to assume that when I open the fridge, a suitable … [Read more...]

Filed Under: In the Kitchen, Natalie, Uncategorized Tagged With: chickpea recipes, chickpeas, easy lunches, healthy meals, quick lunches, roasted chickpeas, simple meals

Valentine Photo Bookmarks

February 5 by Steph (MPMK Founder)

When the folks at eHow's mom channel asked me to come up with a Valentine photography project that kids could make for their parents, I knew I wanted to it to be something parents could actually use. Check out my super simple DIY bookmark tutorial here and have a great weekend watching the olympics with the kiddos this weekend!  The hubby and I are both sick with the flu so that's it from for today. P.S. Did you know that facebook has recently drastically changed the way pages like MPMK … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Creating & Engaging, Photography & Memory Keeping, Seasonal Fun Tagged With: photo craft, Valentine craft, valentine diy, Valentine photo craft

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