Free Valentine Printables can be a busy parent's best friend. If you're like me, you'd ideally plan out your child's Valentines weeks in advance. Thanks to pinterest and a world of creative bloggers, we are inspired to create Valentine masterpieces. There are some years that I just can't pull my act together until a day or two before the classroom party and I end up scrambling. If that's you, we've got ya covered. We've scoured the web and put together our 15 favorite free printable … [Read more...]
Happy Family Habit #10: Creating a Blessing Bag
Today we're focusing on giving back in our month long mission to eat better, parent better, organize better and just generally live better this year. We've got another Happy Family Habit for you to start working on. It's #10 on our list and I personally think you're gonna love this one... You know that feeling you get when you see a situation you wish you could fix? It's a tugging of the heart strings when we see someone we want to help, but just don't know quite how. I live in a … [Read more...]
DIY Wrapping Paper
Handmade wrapping paper is a labor of love, but the process is all part of giving a gift that is special and meaningful. Get the kids involved and let them wrap special gifts for siblings or grandparents with their own handmade gift wrap. This project is great for cold winter evenings when we're stuck inside! Plus, this simple stenciled wrapping paper looks elegant and is so easy that it's even toddler appropriate. Start with a piece of kraft paper. I love painting on kraft paper … [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...]
Thanksgiving Side Dish Round Up
If you're like me, turkey is not the star of the Thanksgiving meal. It's all the side dishes. Typically, we make a meal with one or two side dishes. Thanksgiving is an excuse to make little bit of everything. Or at least delegate family and friends to help you make a little bit of everything. (1) Let's start with a MUST. Mashed Potatoes. These are hands-down the best. And it's all in the technique. As in, TWO ingredients. These are worth the effort. (2) As a kid, I was never a fan of … [Read more...]
Fall Favorite: Salted Caramel Apples
I've been dying to entertain fall style lately (hot apple cider, pumpkin bread, etc.). I really just love the tastes and smells of autumn. It's all just so comforting, like curling up in front of a warm fire in your favorite cozy sweater and wool socks (or is that just me?). In that spirit, we're sharing one of our favorite fall recipes from our eBook, Hands-On Holidays: Simple Ideas for Making Memories October through December. You can currently get the eBook at 50% off as part of our … [Read more...]
Happy Family Habit #8: Get Your Kids to Talk with a Chatting Spot
We're back with another Happy Family Habit today and it's a really good one. Kristin has a lot of really useful tips not only on the when and where of setting up a chatting spot with the kids - but also the how and why. So what do you say? Ready to spend the next 21 days establishing a chatting spot? Talking is easy when kids are little. In fact, sometimes we feel like it would be nice to have a little less talking! But getting into the habit of talking with your kids will be worth it's … [Read more...]
Our Ten Favorite Things in the Kitchen
I don't know about you, but I don't cook much in the summertime. Mostly we grill, which I leave to my hubby, and munch on lots of fresh fruit, cold salads, and corn on the cob. But autumn is a different story, it's a time when I look to get back into the kitchen and to start focusing on making heartier soups, stews, and casseroles. In fact, I often cook these thing two batches at a time - one to eat and one to freeze. If you're looking to work your way back to the kitchen too, we've got a … [Read more...]
Happy Family Habit #7: Get the Best Rest Every Night
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...]