We took a brief break from our Happy Family Habits series in July because a lot of you guys (and a lot of our team) were vacationing with the fam, and that in and of itself is a happy family habit to be celebrated! But we're back now with habit #6. Ready to give it a go for the next 21 days? (And if you're new to this series - check out all 6 Happy Family Habits here.) Summer is a blessing and a curse. You don't have to be out the door at a certain time and there's no lunches to pack. … [Read more...]
Happy Family Habit #4: Staying Young (and Silly!) with Your Kids
It's been another 21 days so Kristin is back again with a new Happy Family Habit. (By the way - how did you all do with daily unplugging? I found it hard but immensely helpful!) This time it's all about having a little more fun... QUESTION OF THE DAY How do you stay young and have fun with your children? Do you find yourself being the serious parent? Some people are born silly. They don't take themselves too seriously because they feel comfortable in their own skin. I am NOT one of … [Read more...]
Getting in the Picture with Your Kids
MPMK contributor and professional photographer Kristin is here today sharing easy ways to ensure that you show up in the family photos. As moms, we're often the ones snapping the pics (or sometimes even hiding from the camera), but we need to remember it's such a gift to our kids to make sure they have photographic evidence of these years with you! With Mother's Day around the corner, I wanted to talk about some easy tips on getting into the picture with your kids. As moms, we need to do … [Read more...]
New Series: Happy Family Habits
Last week something kind of remarkable happened to me. I had one of those rare days where everything just seemed to be flowing. The kids and I were connecting, I was getting stuff accomplished without feeling frazzled or distracted, and the whole day through I felt... happy. It was so wonderful that once the kids were in bed that night I sat down and took a few minutes to reflect on what we'd done differently that day to make it so. In fact, lately I find myself doing quite a bit of … [Read more...]
POYEL: Using Technology to Get the Chores Done Whine-Free
It's March! Which means spring - and spring cleaning - are just around the corner. Which also means it's time to dig into some more Project Organize Your ENTIRE Life ideas. Today Kristin's here sharing her favorite app for motivating her kids to get their chores done (without having to nag, yell, or essentially drag the will to participate out of them). And speaking of POYEL - don't forget, our new freezer cooking eBook is coming out in a matter of days. Be sure to join MPMK's newsletter … [Read more...]
DIY: Photo Valentine Favors
It's that time of year again - time for the kiddos to get creative and show some love to their classmates... and possible neighborhood buddies, family members, etc. Kristin's here today sharing her template for personalized favors - a simple trick for producing something fancy with minimal effort. We're also debuting something new this week - questions of the day. Today we want to know: do your kiddos share Valentines with family or just classmates? Share your tradition in our comments … [Read more...]
How to Store Your Digital Photos Like the Pros Do
One of the things I've been dying to tackle with Project Organize Your ENTIRE Life is digital photo storage. I have thousands (maybe even tens of thousands? I'm not sure - I'm too scared to look) of photos currently on my computer. Not at all organized, not even a little. I just haven't been sure how to go about it. Then it hit me... I have some stellar professional photographers on my team, why not ask them how they do it? So today MPMK's own professional photog Kristin is here doing just … [Read more...]
Teaching Kids to Give Back: The Sock Project
Two weeks ago, our family was on our way to pick up a Christmas tree when my 4 year old spotted a homeless man with a sign on the street corner. He asked me what he was doing and thus began an ongoing conversation we've been having this holiday season about those less fortunate than us. It's not always easy to know what to say, or do, to help young children understand. Which is why, I'm so happy Kristin is here today sharing a lovely personal project her family has recently taken … [Read more...]
Our Modern Update on a Holiday Decor Classic
Kristin's back today sharing a really smart way to bring your holiday decor up a notch this year. I'm already eyeing a large window in our living room to try it out! Decorating for the holidays can be so much fun! I love changing things out and making each year slightly different from the last. This year, I wanted to stray a little bit from all the greenery that I used last year. … [Read more...]