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Virtual Summer Camps!

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Happy Friday everyone.  We're currently on family vacation at the lake, yay!  But I still wanted to quickly stop in and make sure you guys are checking out all the fun summer camps popping up around the blogosphere.     First up is dandee's Summer Craft Camp, which is actually her posts on a real camp she holds for girls every summer.  I recently found out that she's only about 3 1/2 hours away from me and I'm already plotting how to get S to this camp when she's big enough (the … [Read more...]

Kid Decor DIYs You Can Get Done in a Weekend

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It's been too long since we had a good "design with kids in mind" post around here.  To make amends, I've got three of my all time favorite kid room DIYs.  These projects will add a nice punch of style to any kid space and (the best part) each can be completed in a weekend or less.    There's a lot to love about this modern gray nursery featured at Buy Modern Baby (the monotone wall letters for one).  But my favorite element is definitely the DIY dresser.  You all know I'm a big … [Read more...]

Kid Craft: A Modern Take on the Classic God’s Eye

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 Happy Monday everyone, I hope you had a wonderful weekend.  I'm excited to be over at Make and Takes today participating in their wonderful Summer Camp for Kids series.   I'm posting my modern take on the classic summer camp craft: the God's Eye.  Head over for lots of pictures and step-by-step instructions like these.  See you back here tomorrow! Similar Stuff:Paper Crane Tutorial to Help Your Children & Those in Japan DIY Paint Chip Birthday BannerDIY Vases for Mother's Day … [Read more...]

Ideas & Tools for Dramatic Play

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This week started off with routine doctor appointments for the kids, which also meant routine shots.  To say I wasn't looking forward to it is an understatement.  I had visions of one kiddo watching the other scream in pain only to find out (from me) that they were next on the hot seat.  In the end, though, it turned out to be a rather benign experience.   Ironically, my saving grace was C falling down and scraping his knee the day before.  The cut was so minor that I didn't really … [Read more...]

MPMK’s “Learning to Love Reading” Book Lists: Beginning Readers

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I'm so excited to announce a new series starting today - MPMK's Learning to Love Reading Book Lists.  Several of you have written me requesting book recommendations lately.  So I contacted my cousin Lisa and asked if she'd be willing to do a post or two on summer reading for the kids.     Lisa is a fantastic resource because she's currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Literature for Children and Young Adults at The Ohio State University. She reads everything from board books for babies to … [Read more...]

DIY Paint Chip Birthday Banner

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I've already told you guys my little S turns 1 this month.  Of course we couldn't let that momentous event pass without a proper party.  I'll be sharing lots of details with you in the next few weeks, starting with today's DIY paint chip birthday banner.     You may remember when I debuted my paint chip Easter garland, I mentioned that I had a few more paint chip projects up my sleeve.  That little post ended up going viral (thank you all so much for over 1,000 facebook likes!).  … [Read more...]

The Latest & Greatest Posts on Parenting

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It's finally Friday!  It's been a hectic week and I'm ready for the weekend.  I was over at momtastic   earlier this week posting on how to make a nature bowl with the kids and more family friendly finds from around the web.   I've been reading A LOT of interesting parenting posts lately so I thought I'd share some of my favorites.  In no particular order, here they are:   The New York Times is talking about raising siblings to be friends.  They mention the book … [Read more...]

How to Get Great Pictures of the Kids

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With the abundance of digital cameras out there these days, it's easier than ever to capture all of your kiddo's special moments - or at least it should be.  Sadly, no matter how great your camera is, it doesn't change the fact that taking pictures of kids (especially young kids) is hard.  They never want to sit still, don't like to smile on demand, and you can forget about asking them to "act natural".  But don't worry, all hope is not lost as today I'm sharing two great tools every parent … [Read more...]

Sand Castles in San Diego

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There's something I didn't tell you guys last week... we took the boy and went on vacay to sunny San Diego (S got to hang out with the grandparents at home).  Did you notice I was phoning it in a bit?  I actually worked really hard to get all of the week's posts done ahead of time but there were still a few things that fell through the cracks like making the Look Book photos open in a separate page.  Oh well, the sun and fun were definitely worth it!   I literally took over 500 pictures … [Read more...]

Birthday Party Goodness

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My little S is turning one very soon (sniff, sniff).  Along with wondering where in the world the time has gone, my brain has also been consumed with all things birthday.  I've found some great inspiration around the web for S's party that I'll be sharing with you soon.   Until then, check out today's birthday goodies.  While most aren't really suited for a first birthday, these finds are all super creative and original.  From yarn invitations to cupcake fondue, these are some of the … [Read more...]

Why One Big Blogger Says “Do NOT Take Your Little Ones to Cars 2”

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Hi all, I'm off enjoying the holiday with the family today and I hope you're doing the same.  I just wanted to stop in quickly and share this with you in case you were considering hitting up a showing of Cars 2 with the kiddos today.  Rookie Moms makes a short and convincing case on why that might not be such a good plan.  Check it out and have a happy 4th!   Similar Stuff: How Thomas the Tank Engine Can Make Your Kids Smart & Popular Do You Mighty Machine? Dolls for Boys in Honor … [Read more...]