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Lunch Menu

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  If you're an MPMK facebook fan then you know the kids were sick last week.  Well, now both my hubby and I are down for the count.  Is there any way to avoid this from happening?  It's been nearly four years with kids and I've yet to find one. Luckily, Natalie is back today with another easy meal idea with endless possibilities.  These yummy sandwiches are perfect for a quick lunch or a casual summer dinner.  I especially like the idea of letting the littles build their own.  C … [Read more...]

The Weekend Look Book

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Source It's the weekend (yay!) so you're probably expecting a weekend look book (a reasonable expectation if you're a regular around here).  The look book is on summer break... but never fear, it still may be popping up here and there, and in the meantime I've got tons of great finds meticulously curated for you over on Pinterest.  Join me, won't you? Similar Stuff: Previous Look Books … [Read more...]

I’m A Judge (The Power is Already Going to My Head)

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Summertime is definitely a season for crafting, especially with the kids.  So why not make a little cash while you're stimulating the littles and making something awesome?  DecoArt, the makers of fun and high-quality paints and specialty mediums have a really fantastic contest, which they've selected me to be a guest judge for!    It's called the Summer of Americana "Best of America!" DecoArt craft project contest.  It's a mouthful, I know, but totally worth learning the name as you can win up … [Read more...]

Giving Back

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As a mom, it's so hard to imagine not being able to properly feed your children.  I love this collaboration between Feeding America and Juicy Juice to put thirty five million pieces of fruit into the hands of children in need over the next 3 months.  Nestle Juicy Juice, Feeding America, and celebrity mom and anti-hunger advocate Samantha Harris team up to fight childhood hunger with the Juicy Juice Fruit For All Project.June through August 2012, one piece of fruit will be provided to children … [Read more...]

Life-Size Building Blocks

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Happy Monday everyone. I'm pretty thrilled to be able to announce today that Allison of All for the Boys will also be joining the MPMK team as a regular contributor. If you've been paying attention, then you already know I'm a fan (featured her here and here). As you'll see from today's post, her ideas are spectacularly fun but also remarkably simple. You really won't be able to resist trying them out at home.     It's no secret that we love forts, tents, and hideaways … [Read more...]

The Weekend Look Book

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SourceIt's the weekend (yay!) so you're probably expecting a weekend look book (a reasonable expectation if you're a regular around here).  The look book is on summer break... but never fear, it still may be popping up here and there, and in the meantime I've got tons of great finds meticulously curated for you over on Pinterest.  Join me, won't you?Similar Stuff: Previous Look Books … [Read more...]

Father’s Day Craft

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So remember last week when the Elmer's Craft it! giveaway began?  Of course you do, entries have been nuts - apparently you guys are really excited about possibly being one of two winners of $250 worth of craft supplies (you can still enter here by the way).  Well, I promised I'd be sharing what I've been up to with my shiny new box of supplies and today's the day.   I thought it would be fun to challenge myself not to spend any money on additional materials (not too hard … [Read more...]

Simple Print Making

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I can't believe it's already Wednesday, short weeks always seem to wreak havoc on my schedule. Plus today was C's last day of preschool (Aggh! He must stop growing. Right. This. Minute.)   Anyway, no more school means it's time to start stocking up on ways to engage the kids over the summer. Kaley's gorgeous DIY play dough post was a good start and I'm at eHow this week posting on another kid art classic: bubble wrap print making.  Did you ever try this when you were young? The results … [Read more...]

Good Coffee

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Happy memorial day weekend!  How are you spending your day off?  The family and I are working outside on the yard as much as possible.  Now that summer is officially here, I wanted to quickly pop in and share my new favorite summer drink - iced coffee via the Keurig.   I know the newest version of the Keurig has an iced coffee setting but mine doesn't and, honestly, even if it did I probably couldn't be bothered to think far enough ahead to buy the special iced coffee k-cups. Instead I go … [Read more...]

Playgrounds Gone Natural: Play Gardens

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photos counter clockwise from top: The Imagination Tree, Pinterest, Paint on the Ceiling   After first writing about playgrounds and backyards going natural, I was so excited to hear you all wanted to come along on my journey in building S and C their own natural play space.  I've thought a lot about how best to approach this new series and I think the simplest route is to use each post to spotlight a different possible element.  Today we're talking about play … [Read more...]

What to Wear: Building Your Modern Mom Wardrobe

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I have a confession to make, I've sort of (OK I've really) let myself go in the fashion department since having kids.  At first it was because of the post-baby bod... then it was because of my need for everything to be breastfeeding-friendly... when that was done I was pregnant again and the cycle started all over.   But no more, I'm finally excited about getting my cute back!  The problem is I still don't know exactly what to wear.  So I've enlisted the help of MPMK's newest contributor … [Read more...]

What Is a Ritual?

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From the time I became a parent, it seems I've heard from everyone (family, parent educators, etc.) how important family traditions are.  I've already talked about how much I like the idea of starting birthday traditions but now that C is nearly 4 (gulp), I'm really starting to realize the value of the little rituals that make our family unique - our everyday traditions. That's why I asked Meg Cox, a journalist, author, and family traditions guru, with the rather impressive credentials of … [Read more...]