Noise is one of my triggers. And when anyone in my family spends a little too much time in front of a screen we get a little crazy. And those are the days I wish there was a magic family reset button. I start wondering why I ever turned on the TV or start blaming…
How we celebrate Christmas became an important discussion my husband when our daughter was born. The Santa question was one we had to discuss, along with other issues that are common in today’s society. We choose to not get wrapped up in materialism – this means Christmas without Santa, Elf on a Shelf, or truck loads of…
We moved across the country and over 1700 miles from our home in Oklahoma City to Boston. In doing this, I learned to use a few inexpensive finds from the Dollar Store to facilitate our move because we had to learn to move on short notice. Here are 12 or more of our Dollar Store…
This year I have spent all twelve months stocking our family’s entryway closet with board games and activities. In fact, we have more board games for kindergarteners in our house than we have broken crayons and spare socks combined… and that’s a lot. Too many days in the past our family was looking for a…
Whether it’s a holiday celebration or just the clanking of forks from a meal shared together, there are always lively discussions when a large group of people break bread with one another. Arguments arise as our emotions take charge. But maybe there’s a better way. Maybe learning to take even just one step back to…
Marriage is work. And while there are times that could be written in the most beautiful love movie, many of us also experience the muck of wading through the mud. But part of that is all relationships worth having take work. My husband came home from spending a guys’ night out with other dads from…
There’s a magnet on our fridge that reads “Be not simply good; be good for something -Henry David Thoreau” and sits nestled above my daughter’s routine charts. It’s a gentle reminder for all of us to both be good, do good, and go the extra mile to make a difference. Jenn started Kindergarten this year…
Before I had kids, I didn’t fully understand why keeping a clean home after you became a parent seemed so darn impossible. Now as a parent to four young children, including a set of twins, I fully understand that it is because children leave a trail of stuff behind them all day long. They break…
When my oldest was 6 months old, we did 10 hours of tornado disaster relief with her on my back. When my middle daughter was one, our family served other children in the community teaching them how to play soccer and fulfilling their every need. And now with my youngest, we regularly go grocery shopping…
While I can’t believe it’s already April, 2017 has already had a great start! In the first quarter, there have been some amazing parenting stories from magazines, news sources, and blogs. So don’t miss this parenting digest to skim through and find some gems that interest you and spark some joy or pique your interest!…
Today it was a blue slushie. Yesterday it was the iPad. They’re things that my nearly 4-year-old daughter feels entitled to. She pleaded her case declaring that she ate “real food” and reminded me that she spent countless hours frolicking around the house and playing outside. Her righteous indignation came out demanding that she deserved…
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Tom’s of Maine. All opinions are 100% mine. It never fails, does it? Get the kids going on some activity, maybe even plugged into a screen just for the sake of needing a few minutes to unwind and relax. Alone. In the shower. With…