Cute & Easy Button Snowman Ornaments (DIY Christmas Ornaments!)

November 18, 2020 / Crafty Mama / 15 Comments
These cute button snowman ornaments make great DIY Christmas gifts while helping little hands practice sorting and fine motor skills.

Making homemade Christmas ornaments with your children is a great way to spend time together, while practicing critical learning skills. These adorable button snowman ornaments are a great way to help your littles build fine motor skills and coordination while practicing sorting and measuring. And DIY Christmas ornaments make great gifts for the special people in their …

Cute & Easy Button Snowman Ornaments (DIY Christmas Ornaments!) Read More »

Easy Ways to Teach Your Child Gratitude (All Year Long!)

October 20, 2021 / Lessons in Parenting / 26 Comments
Raising a thankful child is easier than you'd guess. These tips to teach your child gratitude will help you raise a happier, healthier kid.

Wondering How To Raise A Grateful Child? Read These Tips: Teaching kids to be thankful is a lifelong project that works best as a year-round activity, not just something to practice in the days or weeks around Thanksgiving. But for many of us, raising a grateful child may not be as second nature as we’d like. Raising …

Easy Ways to Teach Your Child Gratitude (All Year Long!) Read More »

Raising Healthy Children: Everyday Tips for Parents

November 11, 2020 / Lessons in Parenting / 34 Comments
Every parent could use a few good tips for keeping your kids healthy. Experts agree: these tips for raising healthy children WORK!

Wondering How to Raise Healthy Children? These Tips WORK! Every parent wants their child to be as healthy and happy as possible. With chronic health issues on the rise, from asthma to allergies, doing everything we can on this front as parents is critical. But raising healthy children often feels like an uphill battle: As our …

Raising Healthy Children: Everyday Tips for Parents Read More »

Old-Fashioned Oven Baked Apples Recipe (Easy & Healthy)

November 18, 2020 / Recipes for Kids / 43 Comments

Old-Fashioned Baked Apples Recipe: Perfect Prep-Ahead Holiday Dessert, Easy and Delicious There’s nothing like the scent of oven baked apples cooking to make your home smell warm and cozy at the holidays. “Baked” apples are a ten-minute everyday breakfast treat in our home, thanks to the microwave. But when I’m making a lot of baked …

Old-Fashioned Oven Baked Apples Recipe (Easy & Healthy) Read More »

Thanksgiving Bead Bracelet Craft & Poem (Free Printable!)

November 1, 2022 / Crafty Mama / 31 Comments
This cute Thanksgiving bead bracelet is a great opportunity to teach your kids the history of Thanksgiving, while practicing colors and motor skills!

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, here’s a question for all you U.S.-based parents. Have your kids learned yet why we celebrate this holiday, and what the story behind it is? Need help? This Thanksgiving Bead Bracelet is a sweet craft to do with your preschoolers or elementary-school students, while teaching them about the first …

Thanksgiving Bead Bracelet Craft & Poem (Free Printable!) Read More »

Healthy Microwave Baked Apples Recipe (Ready in 10 Minutes!)

November 10, 2020 / Recipes for Kids / 91 Comments
Want a tummy-warming, healthy start to your day? These weekday-friendly microwave baked apples are ready in just ten minutes!

When I was growing up, each day began with a good breakfast. And breakfast always began with a serving of fruit. On chilly mornings, my favorite breakfast fruit was my mother’s delicious homemade baked apples. Originally published Oct. 5, 2017; last updated October 2020. My mama baked apples the old-fashioned way, in the oven. Usually …

Healthy Microwave Baked Apples Recipe (Ready in 10 Minutes!) Read More »

Are Weighted Blankets Worth It? (Comprehensive Review)

October 28, 2020 / Stuff I Love / 36 Comments
Are weighted blankets worth the hype, and worth the price? If you want to know whether weighted blankets are worth it, here's what we've learned.

Weighted Blanket Pros and Cons: One Neurodiverse Family’s Unbiased Weighted Blanket Review As long-time readers know, I am obsessed with getting a good night’s sleep. I am obsessed with my kids sleeping well. I am especially obsessed with overcoming all the hurdles mamas face to a good night’s sleep. So with all the hype in …

Are Weighted Blankets Worth It? (Comprehensive Review) Read More »

How To Make A Ghost Costume (It’s Harder Than You’d Think!)

November 7, 2022 / Crafty Mama / 156 Comments
Want to make a ghost costume out of an old sheet for your kid this Halloween? Be forewarned: it's a LOT harder than you would think.

When does your family start thinking about Halloween? Me, I start hounding my kids for costume ideas over the summer. I love DIY costumes; having them take forever to make, not so much. Hence I was thrilled this past August when Essie announced she’d be a ghost for Halloween. How hard can it be to make a …

How To Make A Ghost Costume (It’s Harder Than You’d Think!) Read More »

17 Tips (That Truly Work!) To Raise Strong Girls

August 3, 2022 / Lessons in Parenting / 16 Comments
Raising a strong daughter starts early. Help your daughter learn how to be confident with these proven tips for raising strong girls.

You’re dreaming about girl names, shopping for girl clothes – congratulations! You’re the proud parents-to-be of a girl! As a #girlmom for over a decade now, I’ve learned a lot about how to raise strong daughters who are ready for anything life has to throw at them. Here are some of the techniques we’ve used …

17 Tips (That Truly Work!) To Raise Strong Girls Read More »

How To Make Steamed Vegetables In The Microwave (Fast & Easy Side Dish!)

May 11, 2022 / Recipes for Kids / 1 Comment
Ready to try microwave-steaming vegetables? Broccoli, carrots, zucchini,or green beans are all great places to start.

How To Steam Veggies In The Microwave: Steaming vegetables in the microwave is about as easy as cooking gets. If you haven’t done this before – or if you wish your kids would eat more veggies – then microwave-steamed vegetables is a technique worth trying. Originally published May 10, 2016; last updated July 2020. Microwave-steamed …

How To Make Steamed Vegetables In The Microwave (Fast & Easy Side Dish!) Read More »

Positive Parenting Crash Course (The Stuck-At-Home Edition)

July 6, 2020 / Lessons in Parenting / 35 Comments
Have you tried positive parenting before? It's really helped our kids cope while stuck at home. If not, here's your positive parenting crash course.

Your Positive Parenting Crash Course for Stuck-At-Home Life: What the heck is positive parenting? And how can a positive parenting crash course make life cooped up at home easier? As parents, it can be hard to focus on praising our kids’ positive actions, rather than correcting undesirable behaviors. It’s easier to tell kids what they …

Positive Parenting Crash Course (The Stuck-At-Home Edition) Read More »

How to Protect Your Kids From Tick Bites: What Works Best?

May 10, 2022 / Lessons in Parenting, Stuff I Love / 57 Comments
Summer is just around the corner. Are you ready to protect your kids from tick bites? Here's what I've learned about the best way to prevent tick bites.

How To Avoid Tick Bites This Summer: Your Best Bet for Preventing Tick Bites (Originally published May 20, 2017; last updated May 2020) Summer is just around the corner in the Northern Hemisphere. Are you ready to protect your kids from tick bites? Since at least 2017, it seems that each spring brings fresh warnings …

How to Protect Your Kids From Tick Bites: What Works Best? Read More »

(Virtual) Family Schedule Organization Tips & Hacks

May 10, 2022 / Lessons in Parenting / 47 Comments
Having a hard time keeping track of everyone's virtual appointments and online meeting links? Download my virtual family schedule planner (FREE templates)!

Help for Managing Your Virtual Family Schedule: Keeping track of a packed family schedule was hard enough for a busy parent before the world shut down. Things seem ten times harder since we all switched our face-to-face interactions to virtual living: You’re now your kids’ virtual tech support, as you troubleshoot online class meetings, assignments, …

(Virtual) Family Schedule Organization Tips & Hacks Read More »

Easy Weeknight Shortcut Bean Cassoulet Recipe

April 28, 2020 / Recipes for Kids / 27 Comments
Looking for an easy, healthy weeknight meal that's ready in barely 30 minutes? This shortcut cassoulet recipe is our new favorite family dinner.

Homemade Comfort Food, Fast: Shortcut Cassoulet Recipe If your family is like ours, I’m guessing you’re cooking from scratch even more than usual, though your ingredients are often limited to what you have on hand. Yet paradoxically, between homeschooling and trying to get your own work done, you’ve got less time to spend in the …

Easy Weeknight Shortcut Bean Cassoulet Recipe Read More »