Do your school-age kids help with cleaning at home? Or is this a constant battle in your house, as it was in ours until recently? I don’t like all the regular upkeep that goes with maintaining a house with a family. And my husband does his fair share, including lots of jobs he knows I
How I Got My Kids To Help With Cleaning Read More »
Does your family enjoy exploring new cultures through their foods? We do. Trying the local cuisine is always tops on my vacation list. Likewise, whenever I return somewhere I’ve visited or lived, I cannot wait to taste my local favorites again. Among my guilty pleasures whenever I visit Mexico is a plate of chilaquiles (CHEE-la-KEY-lays)
Chilaquiles (Breakfast Nachos): Fun DIY Breakfast for Kids Read More »
Are your kids starting to get squirrely for the end of the school year and the start of summer break? Do you find their school-year routines and ability to self-regulate breaking down? Those skills have long since flown the coop around here, so we tried something new this morning: a brand-new set of clothespin chore
Clothespin Chore Chart: How-To’s, Inspiration, and Tips for Success Read More »
There’s something special about mother-daughter bonding days. Taking some time to do something special with your favorite girl (or girls) is a great way to strengthen your relationship while having fun. And what could be better than a spa day? One with homemade spa products that you created yourselves! With winter winding down and spring
Mother-Daughter Spa Day with DIY Spa Products Read More »
The BEST thing to do with leftover Easter ham: Does your family eat ham for Easter dinner? Mine ALWAYS does. That’s because my favorite part of Easter dinner ham is all the yummy things you can do with the leftovers – yummy fried rice, the hash we all love, and especially Ham Casserole. When I
Our Favorite Leftover Easter Ham Casserole Read More »
Two weeks, one suitcase? No problem! Mastering the art of how to pack light takes some trial and error, but a few shortcuts can help. A week or two away from home with a single suitcase plus “personal item” is totally doable. I recently packed for three back-to-back trips simultaneously: an out-of-town meeting for a
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If your family is anything like ours, Saturday is a lazy day when it’s hard for the kids to get out of their own way. All they want to do is loll around in their PJs all day (which I’m fine with) and feed themselves junk food (not so much). Getting them to the table
Mexican-Style Avocado Egg Breakfast Cups Read More »
School safety is on everyone’s minds nowadays. It seems that every week, the news brings more horrific reports of another school shooting. As parents, we can sometimes feel helpless. After all, we can’t singlehandedly change gun laws or improve mental health funding in the United States. But there are plenty of simple action steps we
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Think about it. How many hours of your life have you spent hunting for a missing piece of paperwork? Your Social Security Card. Your kids’ birth certificates. The contact info for that guy who unclogged your drain a few years back. The warranty and purchase information for an appliance on the fritz. Time and time
How to Organize Important Documents: Organizing Important Papers Made Easy Read More »
Simple Bullet Journaling Ideas To Help You Get Started Maybe you’ve thought about starting a bullet journal before, but don’t know where to start. Or maybe you’ve wanted to try bullet journaling, but you’re intimidated by all the beautiful bullet journal pages on Pinterest. If you’re afraid to start a bullet journal because you fear
How To Start A Bullet Journal, Step By Step (The Easy Way!) Read More »
Mamas (and daddies) who spend time in the kitchen, have you put together your holiday gift lists yet? These ten must-have kitchen gadgets should be on your list. They are game-changers, saving you time AND money while making food prep with little helpers more efficient. I’ve raved about several items on this list in other
Must-Have Kitchen Gadgets for Busy Parents Read More »
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone celebrating in the United States (as well as expats overseas) today! In honor of this national day of giving thanks, I’m thrilled to share a guest post written by a blogging friend of mine, Michele Tripple. If ever there were a Supermom, this amazing mama is definitely one in my eyes!
How To Teach Your Kids Gratitude Read More »
Need some stocking-stuffer ideas for Christmas? Or a “little something” to give to friends’ kids at the holidays? These super stocking stuffers are under $10 each, and are favorites in our house for family travel. And one of the best parts? There are no batteries or sounds involved! No fighting over electronics, running out of
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When life throws you a curveball, how do you react? What do you do when life throws you for a loop? How do you cope? Wouldn’t it be nice if there were quick and easy answers to make it all better? But life doesn’t work that way, does it? A loved one gets a serious
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Not only is this scarecrow costume fast AND simple AND adorable, there’s a reasonable chance you already have everything you need to make it! (And if you don’t, you can probably acquire what you need for well under $10 at your local thrift store.) And with a few simple modifications, this costume will also work
Super-Simple, Super-Fast Scarecrow Costume Read More »
Does your child love doing science experiments in the bathroom? Is she a huge Doc McStuffins fan? Or does he long to be a doctor when he grows up? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then this 15-minute costume has you covered for Halloween. Even better, it involves things you probably already
Halloween DIY: 15-Minute Scientist/Doctor/Vet Costume (Cost=Free!) Read More »
Want a quick and easy DIY Halloween costume that you can put together in 15-30 minutes? How about one that costs you ZERO to make, because you probably already have what you’ll need on hand? If so, give this adorable spider costume a try! Essie learned about spiders a few summers ago, at a summer
So Simple Spooky-Cute Spider Costume Read More »
I’m a hard-core fan of children’s resale events, or what we refer to as “Baby Consignment Sale” in our house. Since this week’s post coincides with my first fall event, I thought a little peek into why I (and so many other mamas) LOVE these events was appropriate. What are consignment sales, and how can
10 Reasons Children’s Resale Events Rock Read More »
The kids are back to school (or will be soon enough), the days are getting shorter, the nights are cooling off. For those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s hard to deny it any longer: fall is coming. Fortunately, that means it’s time for lots of fall fun with your kiddos. The
Fab Fall Fun At Your Fingertips Read More »
August 2017 Dear Essie, The day you’ve been waiting for since at least last fall is finally here. It’s time for you to climb onto that big yellow school bus with your sister and start kindergarten. And when you do, I won’t cry, any more than you will. Part of me is sorry that you
Why I Won’t Cry When You Start Kindergarten Read More »
