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The Forever Home Project: Modern Farmhouse Style

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Top photo source Threshold™ Carey Dining Chairs from Target - $120/pair Dining Table I just ordered for nearly 50% off at Joss & Main - no longer available, sorry. Armoire wine cabinet from BHG Rustic barn art via Etsy. It's time for another update on The Forever Home Project. Thanks so much for your help choosing a rug for the living/playroom last time around. The decision has been made and I hope to be updating you guys with some pretty photos soon (hint: if you just can't … [Read more...]

Back-to-School DIY: Washi Tape Book Covers

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For many of us, the first day of school was this week.  How did you fare?  Today I'm excited to share a seriously cool (if somewhat time consuming) book cover project I have up at eHow's Mom Channel. Believe it or not, anyone can achieve this look with one simple tip.  Check it out here. Also this week, I've been over at Sulia chatting about, what else, more back-to-school: Best back-to-school tradition ever! Back-to-school DIY: tassels Back to School Resolution: I Won’t Overschedule … [Read more...]

Seven Ways to Help Your Child Love Reading

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Our resident children's librarian, Janssen, has been peppering MPMK with all sorts of great book lists this summer (see them here).  But recently I realized that as amazing as those lists are, I'm not fully tapping her potential.  So, with school back in session, I thought now we be a good time to ask for her thoughts on how to raise book-lovers.  Here's what she had to say... As a voracious lifelong reader, I care deeply about helping my children learn to enjoy reading. Of course, if … [Read more...]

How to Eat and Feel Better This Fall

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So... it's September.  That means it's time to get in gear for fall.  The lovely ladies from Prescribe Nutrition are with us once again today sharing their thoughts on how to do just that.  They've got lots of great tips, plus 2 delicious recipes, to get us feeling our best this autumn.  Read on for all the goods. It's hard not to love summer. We gather, appreciate a couple of sunny months and enjoy a little less structure.  Often by the time it comes to an end, though, we are ready. Ready … [Read more...]

A Month’s Worth of Healthy Family Snacking

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Afternoons can be a busy time for parents. We get the kids in the door after school or practice and just as we start to think about preparing dinner, we hear those little voices asking for a snack. Active kids require almost constant fuel. Having healthy snack ingredients handy can keep them from lashing out or melting down.   I’ve pulled together 18 easy snack ideas for you - half are savory and half are sweet. That’s about a month’s worth of after-school snacks for you and your family. … [Read more...]

Playtime Tool Box: Silly Straws

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Happy Friday guys!  This week I've got a quick and easy playtime activity over on eHow's Mom Channel that I'm super excited about.  It's one of those genius activities that's inexpensive, requires no set-up, and will engage the kids for tons of time. Plus, this one's a two-fer, so once the littles tire of the first idea, you can just move onto the next. Check out all the details on bendy straw fun here. Also this week, I've been chatting all about back-to-school over on Sulia.  Here are a … [Read more...]

End of Summer of Fun: Camping and Canning!

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Happy Friday friends.  Any big plans for the weekend? This past month I wrote a couple of summertime tutorials for the good folks over at Van's Natural Foods and I thought now would be a good time to share them with you.  You know, in case you're looking to squeeze in a little more summer before Labor Day.  Plus (bonus), there are free printables! First up is this piece I put together on how to ensure a successful camping experience with little ones. Second, is this post on how to start … [Read more...]

Happy Family Habit #7: Get the Best Rest Every Night

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Is it just me or do the 3 weeks between our Happy Family Habits, fly by?  Really, what?!, I'm still working on teaching my kids something cool.  Today Kristin's exploring a habit, good sleep, that I feel is VITAL to good parenting.  It's so easy to put caring yourself on the bottom of the list but we all know that well-rested parents are more patient and more fun parents.  So make the commitment today, we'll help with our tips. And speaking of good parenting, today's my mom's birthday! (See … [Read more...]

The Forever Home Project: A New MPMK Series

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So I've talked a bit here and there about our move this summer, but I haven't really told you guys the whole story.  This move was a big deal for us, as most moves are for most people, in terms of logistics and timing and just overall stress.  But it was also a big deal for us because it represented a major milestone that we've been working towards for the past 5 years. For all intents and purposes, we intend for this new house to be our forever home.  The place where our kids ride their bikes … [Read more...]

Shhh: 7 Amazing Wordless Picture Books

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I used to find wordless picture books so disconcerting. Where were the words? How was I supposed to know what to say?   Now, though, I love the chance to focus more on the illustrations and also let my child interpret the pictures for herself. It's so fun to see her figure out the story based on the images, and it's just a pleasure to see a different reader pick up something you had never noticed or interpret the story in a completely different way. It's a perfect way for pre-readers to … [Read more...]

Friday Wrap Up

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Did this week get away from anyone else?  I can't quite believe it's Friday already!  Which means I've got lots to share... First up is one last experiment to try with the kids this summer.  Check out all the details over on eHow's Mom channel here. Finally, I've once again been chatting it up over on Sulia.  This week we're most intrigued about newly released data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention that shows having difficulty getting pregnant and/or carrying a baby to … [Read more...]

Back By Popular Demand – FREE Positive Parenting Webinar

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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 a FREE webinar to MPMK readers next Wednesday, August 21st at both 10am PST/1pm EST and 6pm PST/9 pm EST.  I'm such a fan of Amy and her Positive Parenting Solutions system that I try to host these free training sessions about every 3 months.  But we haven't covered this topic, "Are Time Outs a Waste of Time" since February so be sure to RSVP and grab your … [Read more...]

Back to School: 4 Picture Books and 4 Chapter Books

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Ack!, our in-house children's librarian, Janssen, has done it again with her latest list of recommended reads!  Llama, Llama Misses Momma is seriously beloved at our house and was a big help with preschool transition, Ramona was one of my all-time favorite characters as a kid, and anything written by Mo Willems is solid gold in my book.  Hope you guys love these back-to-school reads as much as I do! Isn't back-to-school season a great time of year? Of course, it can be stressful and busy, … [Read more...]