As I zipped up my suitcase, the knot in my stomach grew tighter and tighter. Was I forgetting anything? What if they needed me? Should I make my Midwestern kids practice a tsunami drill, just in case? Leaving your kids while you travel is never easy. There are lots of logistics to planning a grown-up getaway and many parents skip adult vacations altogether because it's ... Read More
5 Tips for Taking Kids to the Farmers Market
Farmers markets make the perfect family activity whether you're exploring your hometown or visiting a new one, but sometimes kids don't love the actual 'shopping for veggies' part or dealing with the crowds. To avoid a mid-market meltdown, it's a good idea to have a few strategies for navigating your visit with kids. Here's my favorite ways to make sure we all enjoy our ... Read More
A Pinterest-Worthy Birthday Party (without the hard work)
One quick glance through Pinterest in search of ideas for your child's birthday party might be enough to send you into a spiral of doubt about your self-worth. It seems like every mom is trying to outdo one another in the quest to style the perfect birthday party. And while I love to drool over the pretty images and adorable details, I just don't have the time to put that ... Read More
What Your Child’s Teacher Really Needs for Teacher Appreciation Day
If you search on Pinterest for Teacher Appreciation Ideas there are a never ending supply of adorable and clever ways to thank you child's teacher. From gift cards and kids artwork to my personal favorites - the clever puns - there are thousands upon thousands of ideas and most of them really do work to shower teachers with small tokens of appreciation for the incredible work ... Read More
Should My Kid Watch That? – A Tool for Evaluating Your Kids’ Media
"Should My Kid Watch That?" Unless you just love watching kids shows in your free time, previewing every single show or movie your kids want to watch is almost impossible. But if you're like me, you do want to make sure that their media diet is fairly healthy. What you choose to let your kids watch is a very personal choice based on your values and beliefs but making that ... Read More