ODo you use time-outs with your kids? Are you a veteran of both time-outs AND when to use them? When Kimmie was two and I was pregnant with Essie, I’d hear other mamas at play dates trading stories on kids being in time-out. It was around this time that I first became aware of blog …
Stocking up on swaddles, receiving blankets, and diapers. Putting the finishing touches on the nursery. And, of course, waiting (im)patiently for your labor pangs to begin. Yup, no question about it – if you’re doing these things, then you’re probably preparing for birth and excited to become a parent. If you’re in the final nesting …
Feeling stressed? Feel like you need more sleep? Or is life just too much from time to time? Want to make your home more relaxing, but don’t know where to start? We all feel like this, more often than not. And while you may do your best to keep everything at bay, there are times …
a.k.a. Help for Sleep-Deprived Parents As I type this, the rest of my household has been in bed for well over an hour (the girls much longer than that). And that’s after I was first one up this morning, in part so I could sneak off to yoga class before the girls went to summer …
Why Mama Needs More Sleep (And What She Can Do About It!) Read More »
Children don’t need stress relief tips … or do they? You might be surprised. True, your kiddos probably don’t have to worry about paying bills, going to work, or getting dinner on the table. But that doesn’t mean that they’re completely carefree. We all like to think of our kids as happy-go-lucky bundles of joy, …
Who dreads returning home when vacation ends? It’s not just that you’re no longer away from all the stresses and cares of daily life. Readjusting to daily life can be a major challenge – especially if you’re a mama. We’ve just returned from the first of several family trips this summer, and I’m already struggling …
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 unplugged 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: My New Secret Weapon Read More »
The Bullet Journal Quick-Start Guide, Step-By-Step for Beginners: Maybe you’ve thought about starting a bullet journal before, but don’t know where to start. Or maybe you’ve wanted to give bullet journaling a try, but you’re intimidated by all the beautiful bullet journal pages on Pinterest. If you’re afraid to start a bullet journal because you …
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! …
I’m now just over two months into my bullet journaling experiment. For those of you who’ve thought about bullet journaling – either to become more efficient and organized, or to help you juggle your competing to-do’s – yes, it’s made a huge difference in those areas. But I’m also surprised to discover another upside: Bullet journaling has unquestionably made …
How Bullet Journaling Has Made Me A Better Parent Read More »
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 …
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 »
Do you need a few good holiday hacks? I know I do. Barely a week in, my December is already bursting at the seams. My to-do lists keep getting longer, and some things (like this post) never get done until weeks later than I’d planned. What’s on your plate this month? Too many kids’ concerts, …
Holiday Hacks: Ten Tips to Make Your Life Easier This December Read More »
Oh, the ironies of parenting. Not twenty-four hours after publishing my last blog post, on finding your kids’ reset buttons, I found myself mentally running through my own checklist, searching in vain for one of my own tricks that would work on a five-year-old who stubbornly resisted each and every attempt I made to help …
My house is a mess of unpacking, my writing is behind schedule – can you guess that my family and I have just spent the past few weeks on various road trips? For many families, summer means travel. But the reality is that in two-parent households, parents can’t always coordinate limited vacation time with other …
Sanity-Saving Hacks for Roadtripping Solo With Small Children Read More »
My husband is a math teacher. He lives, breathes, and eats numbers. Thus it’s not too surprising that numbers are floating through the atmosphere in our house on a pretty regular basis, or that Kimmie and Essie have been a bit ahead of the curve in learning to count. But early in our parenting journey, …
Recently I spent a rare kid-free day at a conference with a dear friend. Cathleen is one of those friends you wish you could share more cups of tea with. Nowadays, our paths don’t cross nearly as much as they used to before I was married and a mom, back in the days when I’d …
You probably have your own toiletry kit that you keep packed for travel (if not, I strongly recommend one that hangs, so you can hang it up high, out of kiddos’ reach). But do you also have a separate one for your littlest travelers? Keeping one packed, and reviewing its contents before each trip, is …
Traveling With Kids: Packing Your Kids’ Toiletry Kit Read More »
I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. Instead, I set New Year’s goals. IMHO, resolutions are made to be broken. “I resolve to go to the gym more.” “I resolve to lose weight.” “I resolve to go on a diet.” I mean, come on – who even talks like that? And besides, what happens when the …
