This guide is a little different than the others in that it's really two guides in one. The first half addresses the best toys for burning off steam when you're stuck inside and, let me tell you, these finds can be an absolute life-saver on a rainy day. The second part of this guide is all about getting outside. If your little one has an adventurous spirit, I say run with it! Whether their fascination lies in the stars above, their own backyard, or testing out their own speed and … [Read more...]
They’re Here! The 2013 Gift Guides Have Arrived!
Today's the day friends - All 10 of MPMK's 2014 Gift Guides are finally available for your perusing pleasure! How great would it be to get all of your Christmas shopping done ahead of time this year? I've spent hours upon hours talking to friends and school teachers, reading reviews, polling our readers, and scouring toy award lists to come up with these finds. With over 250 of the most engaging and stimulating toys out there, I guarantee there's something for everyone here. “Which toys … [Read more...]
Play Theme Cheat Sheet #6: Fall Fun!
It's fall! My absolute favorite season. So, of course, I had to make it into a Play Theme Cheat Sheet. And really - cool weather, gorgeous leaves, pumpkins galore - what's not to love? I have always wanted to take my little family apple picking in the fall. (I've never actually been. Sad, right?) But since apple farms are few and far between where I live, I decided to bring apple picking to us–with a little educational value built in. We've been working on our numbers at home, so I thought … [Read more...]
Thanksgiving Day Craft: DIY Pilgrim Hats
One big holiday down, two to go! Today Janssen is here with a classic Thanksgiving craft that takes me back to my own days spent at the kids table. This one is simple, inexpensive, and can be used both for craft time and dramatic play afterward! This year I think I might get all the supplies ready for the grandmas to make these with the kids while I'm working on Thanksgiving dinner. They both love bonding with the kids and who doesn't appreciate the ease of not having to think up of a … [Read more...]
Happy Family Habit #9: Teach Gratitude by Remembering to Thank Your Kids
Have you been able to slow down in between the frenzy of Halloween and Thanksgiving that's around the corner? In talking about our next Happy Family Habit, Kristin and I were noticing things on social media like 30 Days of Thanks and throw-back photos thanking parents and friends. We love how these things shift the focus off our busy schedules and onto the people and things we have to be thankful for. As parents, we try to instill that into our kids. Writing thank you cards and teaching … [Read more...]
The Forever Home Project: The Plan for the Family Room
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to work with a professional designer to pull together a room? I definitely have but I've just never had the budget. Fortunately for all of us, there's a whole new breed of designer these days. People like Janette, who have style in spades and are all set up to work with you remotely and on a budget. I was introduced to Janette Crawford after she attended my talk at the Alt conference last year and when she said she'd love to help me out with a room … [Read more...]
MPMK Gift Guides 2015: Top Learning Toys for Quiet Time & Independent Play
I'm so excited to introduce MPMK's 2015 Christmas Gift Guides! I've been working like mad on them (we're talking some serious man hours here) and, although I will admit that all the researching, photo-editing and linking can be more than a bit tedious, every year the process also gets me incredibly excited about what I want to get my own kids! This list was a new category for last year and quickly became one of our most popular. When I came up with it, quiet time was on my mind … [Read more...]
Family Playtime Challenge: Get Outside Every Day for a Week – We’ll Help!
It's that time of year again - no, I'm not talking about the post-Halloween week that you spend secretly pilfering your kids' candy stash... It's time for the "Every Day a Play Day" challenge. If you're not familiar, our pals over at Polarn O. Pyret sponsor this week each year in an effort to encourage parents to get outside with their kids even when it's not summery warm out. And this year they're throwing in a big incentive - a $1000 prize pack to one lucky participant. So why do we all take … [Read more...]
How to Spot Executive Functioning Issues in Your Child
Happy Friday guys - hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween! Now that the sugar-rush has (hopefully) subsided, I wanted to pass on some free resources from my friends at the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD). As parents, we're lucky to live in a time in which a lot more is known about learning disorders, and a lot more resources are available. To that end, it's always helpful to know the signs if your child is dealing with a learning issue. The NCLD has just come out with a … [Read more...]
Holiday Baking Essentials for Last-Minute Traditional & Healthy Sweet Treats
'Tis the season for making memories, enjoying time with family and celebrating the sweet pleasures of the holidays. 'Tis also the the season for running around like a crazy person, staying up past bedtime doing projects and throwing together treats at the last minute. While I am all for the memory making, I prefer to avoid becoming a crazy person - at least when it comes to holiday baking. As soon as Halloween passes, I stock up on my holiday baking essentials so I'm never left without the … [Read more...]
The Forever Home Project: Dining Room Update
Happy Monday guys. We spent the weekend finally entertaining in the new house and it felt so great. We had three families over, 7 adults and 8 kids in all. The littles wore their Halloween costumes and the adults stuffed our faces with some super yummy chicken tortilla chili/soup (keep an eye out for the recipe in our newsletter soon) and watched lots of college football. I've been fortunate to score some major deals lately and we finally have the house furnished enough to accommodate … [Read more...]
25 Totally Do-able Halloween Lunch Ideas
I've said before I could never be a mama that regularly Bentos (see how I made it a verb?). I lack the time and, more to the point, the creativity. But that doesn't mean I can't appreciate the appeal. Not surprisingly, this glimpse into how guest contributor Wendy works her lunch-time magic has gotten my wheels turning on creative ways I can incorporate healthy new options into my kids' decidedly pedestrian lunches. Additionally, I love the idea of pulling out all the stops like this for … [Read more...]
Two-for-One Halloween Treat Bags & Luminaries
Happy Friday friends. I have to end this week with a big thank you to all of you newsletter subscribers who wrote to me. As I shared a few days ago, I've got some excited things planned for the MPMK newsletter and I need lots of reader feedback to make it happen so thank you so much for taking time out of your busy lives to help me out. Also this week, I'm over at Van's Natural Foods blog sharing a useful little 2-for-1 DIY project. I love how party guests can fill these bags up with treats … [Read more...]
Absolutely Everything You Need to Know to Get Kids Suited Up for Winter Weather
Every year around this time our family starts gearing up for what is (somewhat ominously) know as "the rainy season" here in Seattle. It's a two part process, first we arm ourselves with the right gear, second with the right attitude. Today I'm teaming up with our friends at to give you a detailed look at our techniques for making sure a little (or a lot of) rain doesn't stop us from getting out of the house and enjoying nature. I'm going to be sharing all of my tried-and-true methods … [Read more...]
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