Don't you love it when you finally find the tool you've been searching for to make things run more smoothly!? For me that elusive tool has been the perfect budget-priced computer for my kids (ages 5 and 7). Bonus: We're giving one away! All you have to do is follow these two steps: Sign up for our newsletter Be sure to click the confirmation email we send you. You'll automatically be entered in the giveaway and, as a bonus, I'll also send you my Free Report: The 3 Apps I Use … [Read more...]
Earth Day Activity: Upcycled Juice Box Seed Starters
Looking for a quick and easy Earth Day project to do with the kids? Our contributor Janssen teamed up with our newest sponsor, Juicy Juice, for the perfect Earth Day kid craft- upcycled juice box seed starters! It's spring break this week around here and I can't wait to make a whole batch with the kids this week. I also love Janssen's idea of making them now and using them as gifts for Teacher Appreciation Day later. spring break activity and teacher appreciation gift- who doesn't love a … [Read more...]
Our Secret Tool for Raising Kids Who Are Safe & Responsible On Their Phones
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of OurPact. We've got such a cool tool to share with you guys today from our newest sponsor, OurPact. I really, really think you're going to find it to be one of the most valuable apps you own- and it's free! Kristin is going to go into lots of detail below, but in a nutshell this genius app gives parents the ability to control exactly when, and how long, their kids can use the apps, or the internet on their phones AND to block any apps … [Read more...]
How Iris is Helping Combat My Mom Brain
I was telling a friend recently that I don't feel like I ever suffered from "pregnancy brain" during my three pregnancies, but I definitely have "mom brain." Between three little kids, a new house that needs a fair amount of updating, a small business, and all the regular household tasks like laundry, library books, grocery shopping, and dance classes, I feel like things are always falling between the cracks. I'm always looking for things that make managing my life a little easier and … [Read more...]
1 Year to a Non-Toxic Home: Best Bedding Ever
Last month I announced a brand new series on the blog, 1 Year to a Non-Toxic Home. In the coming months I intend to cover it all, beauty products, self-care products, cleaning products and, of course, your bed. In fact, I'm starting off with the bed and I'm sure you can guess why. Because of the huge amount of our lives that we spend there, of course. This makes it so, so important that everything about these comfy sanctuaries are designed to support and nurture our health! As you may … [Read more...]
An Inside Look: Snowland at Great Wolf Lodge
It's about this time of year that the folks in my neck of the woods start making plans for family vacations come spring. (It's somewhat of a natural consequence of the start of the rainy season.) But our family isn't joining them this year for two reasons: We did the vacation thing BIG last year and it seems prudent to keep it much more low key this year Our youngest is at the perfect age (20 months) for making the idea of a plane trip or long lines at an amusement park sound … [Read more...]
Cinnamon Chip Oatmeal Cookies for a Cozy Winter Day
*This post is sponsored by The Quaker Oats Company, but all opinions are 100% my own. Who doesn't love a good holiday cookie? Fun to make with the kids, share with the neighbors and, of course, to eat! Plus they make the house smell heavenly. As part of our official role as a member of The Oat Authority, we’re once again teaming up with The Quaker Oats Company to offer you lots of simple and yummy ways to use their classic oats. Today is without a doubt one of my favorites. Here’s our … [Read more...]
POYEL: Mudroom/Family Command Center Reveal
We're back today with the big reveal of our latest Project Organize Your ENTIRE Life makeover- Janssen's mudroom/family command center. You may remember from our previous post, that Janssen had a bit of a fail the first time she attempted to get this room organized. Today she's back showing us how a little support from our latest sponsor, DYMO, helped her right the wrongs in this space. I am so smitten with the "Hooray!" idea - total genius! I seriously couldn't believe what a huge … [Read more...]
Kids & Phones: A Guide for the Newbie Mom (from a Mom In the Trenches)
Our family is still slowly dipping our toes into the world of having school-aged kids. One of the topics that seems to keep coming up when chatting with my mom friends in the same position is that of the cell phone. And, of course, that one topic leads to a bevy of questions. When are kids ready for one? When might it be a good idea for communication/safety concerns? What rules and limits should be applied? How do we keep our kids, and those expensive phones safe? When questions like these … [Read more...]