I’m thrilled to share this guest post today from fellow blogger Sarah Brumley! Sarah is one of my blogging sisters – I swear, half of what she writes makes me think, “I can hear myself saying that to my kids!” (The other half, I wish I had already thought of saying to my kids!) While …
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 …
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 »
Summer is here! And summer is a golden opportunity for kiddo fun – but at what cost? No worries; there are plenty of ways to have fun this summer without breaking the bank! Read on for 55 great ideas for low-cost and free summer fun activities to keep your kiddos entertained over the next few …
This is not the post I’d originally scheduled for today. But life happens. HOW we react when life happens is critical, especially as parents. Our little ones are always watching us, learning by example. When you encounter your next “teachable moment,” how will you react? The former classroom teacher in me is always on the …
Life Happens: Making “Teachable Moment” Lemonade Read More »
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 …
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 »
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! …
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 …
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 »
Even though the first week of December was rainy and dreary in our neck of the woods, the girls and I have had a super start to our month. Part of the credit goes to the fact that I’ve made some very conscious decisions to simplify our lives, both for the holiday season and beyond. …
Less Is More: Three Ways We’re Cutting Back and Living Better This Holiday Season 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 …
When you become a first-time parent to a newborn, you quickly learn that you just can’t leave home without a diaper bag. And that your diaper bag needs to contain several toys and clothing changes, as well as the diapers. But by the time I had two kids in diapers, I discovered something equally important: …
