Or laundry-routine must-haves, if your laundry “room” is the nearest laundromat. These laundry hacks have saved my clothes more than once over the years. They’ve also helped keep the girls’ fave outfits in the rotation, especially after major mealtime mishaps. Far as I’m concerned, keeping things organized around a home with small children starts in the
Laundry Hacks I Love: 16 Laundry-Room Must-Haves Read More »
The ultimate parenting hack, if I could pull it off, would be figuring out how to bring back my mojo. That sense of bigger-picture control over my life that I vaguely recall feeling before Kimmie was born. In other words, the Ability To Get Things Done that I had before becoming a parent. Memo to self:
Will BuJo Bring Back My Mojo? Read More »
Happy New Year! I’m in the middle of several weeks of enjoying holiday and vacation time with my family. Hence, in lieu of a longer post, I thought I’d share seven-year-old Kimmie’s resolutions and goals for the new year. Kimmie’s New Year Resolutions Kimmie actually volunteered some personal new year resolutions to my mother a
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Do your kiddos practice bucket-filling on a daily basis? Have you even taught them about bucket-filling yet? You probably have, and just don’t realize it. But in this season of celebrating miracles and light and goodness, many of us are focusing in our families on bucket-filling anyway. Even if we don’t do so in the context
Bucket-Filling For Your Kids Read More »
I admit, I’m addicted to home-decor magazines. I’m a sucker when I find myself waiting in doctor’s offices or checkout lines; next thing I know, I’m reading them cover to cover. I usually find their ideas for things like room makeovers and holiday centerpiece creations drool-worthy. But drool-worthy is one thing; realistic to replicate, especially
Super-Simple Holiday Centerpiece Read More »
Looking for some super gift ideas for your little ones this holiday season? Try some Smart Games. What are Smart Games? Smart Games is a company founded in Belgium that makes a super selection of games to grow your kid’s brain. The games are designed to help kids develop problem-solving skills and other basic brain functions that
Smart Games For Your Holiday Gift List Read More »
Do you have responsible kids on the road? Maybe you’re thinking, Hah, I can’t even get my kids to be responsible for their own stuff at home, let alone when we’re traveling. (I hear ya; it’s an ongoing struggle.) But take heart. Being away from home is a great time to mold responsible kids. You’re
Responsible Kids On the Road: My Top Tips for Travel Read More »
Do your kids love tacos as much as mine do? Does your family need some new ideas for school lunches, now that we’re several months into the school year? If so, here’s the recipe for one of my kiddos’ new lunchbox faves: Take-Along Taco Salad. As soon as Essie saw this recipe in the January
Recipe: Take-Along Taco Salad Read More »
Overheard at bedtime the other night, a half-hour after lights-off, as I’m trying to get Kimmie tucked in: Kimmie: “I’ve got to have a talk with Huckle’s teacher.” Huckle, a stuffed-animal incarnation of the Richard Scarry character, is Kimmie’s bedtime buddy. Oh, crud I think to myself – did she overhear me saying something along those
Overheard at Bedtime: The Fuzzies Economy Read More »
Have big-kid nightmares got your household missing more sleep than you’ve missed since you had a newborn around? That’s how our house has been feeling lately, since Kimmie went back to school. For example, take last night. It’s around 9pm. My husband and I had just wrapped up our nightly planning meeting and settled into
Big-Kid Nightmares? Try Big-Kid Massage Read More »
So the kiddos have been back to school for a few weeks now. How’s the back-to-school anxiety level in your household? In ours, it seems we’re still sorting through back-to-school anxiety, with mixed results. Your back-to-school anxiety checklist Have you noticed any of these back-to-school anxiety symptoms in your child(ren) since they resumed classes this
Back-To-School Anxiety: Tips on Herding the Purple Cow Read More »
Last weekend my mom came for a visit. And since my energy is not up to par these days, she did some fun back-to-school things with the girls. Including making Back-To-School Cookies. What? You’ve never heard of Back-To-School Cookies? Well, I hadn’t either. Until my girls dreamed up this idea as a great excuse to
Back-To-School Cookies Read More »
Parenting While Disabled. There’s a loaded topic. I’m icing my left knee as I type this, having recently reentered the land where I can’t trust my body. Meaning that self-care is my top priority. This land doesn’t mesh well with caring for small children. In the United States, there’s growing awareness of the challenges of parenting
Parenting While Disabled: My Latest Attempt Read More »
Maybe you’re a first-time parent of a less-than-one-year-old. Maybe your kiddo is going through a sleep cycle shift. The switch to summer vacation and longer daylight hours in the Northern Hemisphere can leave even veteran parents wondering how to get your kid to go to sleep. And as seasoned parents know, you will find yourself
How To Get Your Kid To Go To Sleep Read More »
Ever since becoming a parent, I’ve been on a quest for beverage containers that won’t leak. First it was a leakproof sippy cup. Then it was leakproof not-quite-sippy cups for the preschool set. Next it was leakproof water bottles for school, hikes, and family outings. Why is the quest for a leakproof sippy cup or
From Leakproof Sippy Cup to Top Travel Mug: My Fave Beverage Containers Read More »
Has your family done thank you notes for teachers yet? With the school year drawing to a close, now’s the perfect time to say thanks. Why bother? Believe me, nothing means more to teachers than handwritten thank-you notes, whether from students or their parents. It doesn’t have to be long, or fancy; so long as
Thank You Notes for Teachers Read More »
So you want to teach your kid to ride a bike. Maybe you’ve even heard of the “one day” method, and been suspicious – as I was, when I first stumbled across references to it online. Perhaps you’re wondering, as I did: does it work? Can you really teach your kid to ride a bike
Teach Your Kid To Ride A Bike In One Day? Really? Read More »
Hey there, peeps! How goes your spring? You may have noticed I’ve been kinda quiet of late. It’s not on purpose – but life has been filled with my own form of spring cleaning. My mother has held many jobs in her life, both as a working professional and a professional volunteer. Yet at her
It’s Spring Cleaning Time: A Shout-Out From The Trenches Read More »
How do you know you need to find the best highchair ever? Maybe you’re a first-time parent. Maybe your second or third child is ready to try solids, but a slightly-older sibling is still hogging the highchair. Or maybe you’re realizing that your former mealtime solution no longer works. Whatever the case, you realize you
From Best Highchair Ever to Only Booster You’ll Need: My Top Picks Read More »
Do you always feel overburdened? As if you’ve got too much on your plate, because responsibility for the entire world somehow landed on your shoulders? Would you like to free up a few brain cells for something else? If so, then it’s high time you turn over some of that responsibility to your kiddos. Experts
Teach Your Kids Responsibility: Ten Super Hacks Read More »