Mother's Day is the perfect time to try a DIY project and I guarantee you're going to adore this one. I want to make one for every mom I know! Here's Alli with the details... I am loving the "make your own mug" trend for two reasons: 1. There's nothing better than a handmade gift. 2. It's so amazingly EASY! I mean, really. The possibilities are endless. I picked up one mug at the dollar store for this project, and I found myself wishing I'd grabbed a dozen. I decided to go with a … [Read more...]
A Rainbow of Healthy Homemade Gummy Snacks
Most of us busy parents are on the look out for new ways to squeeze extra nutrition into our growing kids. Around here, we love using our juicer and enjoying fresh fruit and veggie juice, but it's not really something you can grab-and-go (well you can.. but not without cleaning out a clogged-up juicer later on in the day). Fruit and veggie gummies are our latest solution for getting good nutrition in small, portable doses. Not only are the fruits and veggies filled with vitamins, minerals … [Read more...]
Kid Friendly Crunchy Kale Chips
I've never tried making kale chips at home, have you? Typically my go-to for getting some leafy greens in the kids is a smoothie - but that's getting a little old (and a little cold) for winter. I love how easy this recipe is and Kaley says her littles gobble up these healthy chips. Make sure you read to the end for her suggested flavor variations. Would you like your kids to eat a little healthier? Do you have issues getting them to eat enough dark leafy greens? Do you wish they would … [Read more...]
My Simple Plan for Saving Our Memories This Year
We're talking memories today as part of our month long mission to find ways to eat better, parent better, organize better and just generally live better this year. Before S arrived, I was actually pretty good about recording memories for our little family. At the end of each month I would use the photos we'd taken to create 2 - 4 new pages in an iphoto book, along with a few paragraphs with family anecdotes, accomplishments, etc. The idea being that at the end of the year I would have a … [Read more...]
MPMK Gift Guide: Top Learning Toys for Building STEM Skills
Welcome to the famous MPMK Gift Guides and congrats on finding the most comprehensive and easy-to-use kids' gift guide on the internet! (If you're not familiar with our famous lists, learn all about them here)... With all the talk I've been doing on the blog about the importance of fostering STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) skills, I felt I absolutely had to include a STEM themed gift guide. I just keep hearing over and over how important cultivating innovation is … [Read more...]
Best Homemade Playdough Ever: Jell-O Playdough
Homemade playdough - If ever there was a quintessential DIY this is it! Parents and children have been happily cooking up this stuff at home for decades. Today our newest contributor Kaley is sharing her favorite play dough recipe using another kid classic: Jell-O (because it just wouldn't be an MPMK post without some sort of twist). I think you're going to love this recipe. Kaley promises it comes out silky smooth and I could practically smell the fruity scents wafting from my … [Read more...]
The Beginning – READ THIS FIRST!!
I've been trying to figure out how to write this without sounding ridiculous. What I want to say is this: I finally did it you guys, I completely and totally organized my life! It took a lot of hard work and a lot of late nights but I now have a plan, routine, or system for everything. I've compiled and categorized enough healthy, inexpensive and easy recipes that I have a 90 day dinner menu (complete with theme nights like pasta Monday and slow-coooker Thursday) and I have the … [Read more...]