Advent calendars have become such a HUGE part of Christmas these days – have you noticed? We’ve tried several variations over the years from our DIY Freezer Paper Stencil Advent Calendar and our Family Activities Advent Calendar to LEGO Advent and our Reading Advent Calendar. This year, though, with three kids including a feisty 1 1/2-year-old, I’m once again opting to go the super simple route.Our free printable Christmas Joke countdown (created last year by our contributor … [Read more...]
DIY Thanksgiving Table Poppers w/ Free Printable
There's a lot of work that goes into Thanksgiving. We can all relate to the hours of pie prep and casserole making that happen days before and that turkey's not going to stuff itself.Even with lots for prep, the big day can be filled with setting the table and getting everything just right.The thing that makes all this work even more challenging is that children are off school. And usually they aren't too interested in peeling potatoes for more than 5 minutes.This year, set them … [Read more...]
7 Unique Holiday Finds to Grab While You Can!
After holding off as long as I could, I'm officially embracing all things Christmas! I'm talking, the holiday decorations are coming out from storage TODAY people... who's with me?If you'd like a fun find or two to help get you started, you're in luck because I've rounded up a bunch... #1 Peking Handicraft Pillow La La La Llama Printed Pillow $30 Now $18.97Happy Holidays Llama Printed Pillow $30 Now $18.97I'm all about bright and happy this season and these … [Read more...]
The 2018 Top Toy Awards are Here!!
How great would it be to get all of your Christmas shopping done ahead of time this year AND feel confident your kids are going to love their gifts and keep returning to play with them again and again?I've got some HUGE news today friends! Drum roll please...The 2018 Top Toy Awards are Here! The Toy Awards Parents In-the-Know Have Already Viewed Over 7,000,000 Times! I am such a fan of your website and emails! Thanks for working so hard, especially at Christmas … [Read more...]
MPMK Freebie: Ultimate Thanksgiving Meal Planner
After getting our famous Christmas Gift Guides out at the beginning of October this year (woot!), I'm kinda on a "tackling the holidays early" roll. Next up- Thanksgiving. Get Your FREE Thanksgiving Menu Planner Here That's right, last year my partners in crime over at Relish! generously put together this FREE 24 page PDF with absolutely everything you need to pull of a fabulous Thanksgiving, including:A full Thanksgiving menu of mouth-watering recipes A complete … [Read more...]
Handmade Halloween: Make Spider Sack Decor with the Kids
I'm so excited about this Halloween project, it turned out even better than I'd envisioned. It's the quintessential MPMK project - easy enough for kids of all ages to get in on the action and the finished product is a decidedly stylish take on traditional Halloween decor. And did I mention how inexpensive it is? … [Read more...]
Spooky Halloween Sandwiches
Maybe it's because of my past life as an elementary teacher, but I love celebrating holidays.I'll take any opportunity to be festive.For Halloween, I have a fun little food activity that will work for little and big kids. You can make this something that you do together on a weekend, or surprise them by packing this spooky sandwich in their lunch. … [Read more...]
Strawberry Cream Cheese Flag Cookie Cups
Whether you're hosting the 4th of July BBQ this year or attending one, this super simple dessert idea is sure to please. Of course I love the festive presentation but my favorite part is that once you bite in you realize that what looks like a mini cup cake is actually a cookie. Plus it would go great with our homemade blueberry lemonade soda.And don't miss the variations at the bottom of the post - I'm digging the breakfast idea.Here's Janssen with the recipe... The Fourth of July is … [Read more...]
Parenting Styles: Should You Send Your Ex A Father’s Day Card?
This will be our tenth Father’s Day since the divorce. Like every other year, I’ll take my two sons to the store and help them pick out gifts for their father.Some years I’m surprised I didn’t get lock jaw from forcing myself to smile as I helped them wrap their presents, and I can’t say I’ve never stooped to passive aggressive gifting. (Please don’t ask me about the garden gnome.)It wasn’t always a joy to spend money on my ex-husband, particularly since I was mothering on a … [Read more...]