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This easy paper straw garland craft takes so little time! Kids will love to make it, and it takes just 15 minutes! Why is it that I get most creative when "stuck" at home? The other day we had plans to visit some friends, but my son spiked a fever randomly, so we stayed put....
Help your kids create a personal coat of arms with this free printable project. Includes kid-friendly instructions, symbolism ideas, and classroom/homeschool ready examples. (Affiliate links included in this post; I earn from qualifying purchases). "I am a KNIGHT in shining armor!" my three year old declared. And ever after... so he was. Both the boys...
The crunch is on! With just 5 days till Christmas... who's still shopping? I'm here to help you shop with this list of 50 last-minute gifts for kids that will arrive by Christmas with Amazon Prime!!! AND all under $25!!! Affiliate links have been used in this post. Last minute gifts for kids I've created...
This is a sponsored post by HEXA by Spectrum Diversified Designs. Spring is here again. So… it's highly probable that you, like me, are launching a full-scale cleaning plan for your house. I like to start in the hub of our home: the kitchen. This week, I tackled our most-used, but rarely organized coffee station...
I absolutely cannot stand when I see Christmas decorations in September! It feels like we're rushing the year along. However, one thing I have learned is how planning ahead can help you actually enjoy those times of year instead of rush through. So... here are some ways to get ready for Christmas--in July! Sponsored by...
If you have your own kids, plus nieces and nephews, plus friends with children...no doubt you've been invited to a birthday party or two! Of course, that always brings the dilemma of what to bring for a gift! This list focuses on great gift ideas for 6-9 year olds, because that's my range right now!...
Hosting a backyard birthday party or family picnic this summer? Everyone can get the grill going, but with this unique picnic gear, you're going to step it up a notch! Set out natural sunblock for your guests Everyone forgets sunscreen when they go somewhere other than the pool or beach. But kids (and grownups) can...
I still get excited to check the mail every day. I'm holding out hope for something more exciting than another way to save money on cable/windows/electricity, etc. The heydays of snail mail have long passed, but I think we should send more snail mail! Here's thirty-one times you could send a little snail mail someone's...
Kids love books they can explore. Books that don't necessarily have to be read in order. Books they can carry around, pick up, put down, return to a favorite page. All of this is really great literacy work for young readers and non-readers. Just getting kids to pick up a book is "win" number one!...
Brick-building play a big deal in our house. Some days it's the only deal! So naturally when I found out about LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Westchester just a few hours away, I had to check it out with our boys!! I've partnered with Legoland Discovery Center to share our favorite parts of our Legoland experience (and we've gone...
In the lovely book Little Bear (both my son's nickname and his lovey's name), Little Bear asks his mother to tell him the things he once did. That little line just breaks my heart. "Tell me the things I once did..." That's what I've been trying to do (not always very well) here on the...
No matter how I tried to not think about it... no matter how many times I told you to "never grow up," you continue to grow. You laugh and say "I can't help it, Mom! I'm growing!" And so you grow, and here you are, age 7! Age seven-plus to be exact, because this mama has...
It's a train revival in our house these days. From a recent train book review, to train snacks, and now the DAY OUT WITH THOMAS™: THE FRIENDSHIP TOUR 2017. This new tour is pulled into the Essex Steam Train and Riverboat station this April and May. We got our tickets punched and then it was "All aboard!" Here's...
As the boys grow, certain toys have silently slid into the background. There must be a word for this wistful feeling I get when I see abandoned toys, still infused with the warm, worn edges of past play. When I realized the train set hadn't come out of the drawers for months, I had this sad...
*This guest post is brought to you by Christie Thomas, mom and blogger at Little Shoots, Deep Roots. I "met" Christie as a fellow MOB Society writer, and have been touched by her heart for teaching children the Word of God. She's also a published author of a book of devotions for children that I have...
Cinnamon Tortilla Cookies are a unique treat that tastes great are super easy to make. Do you ever just need a shaped cookie but cannot for the life of you find it at the store!? That happened to me this past week while planning out an Advent Birthday Party for Jesus activity. I really wanted...
I'll admit I had no idea how motherhood would shape and reshape my life. God had special plans on that one, plans yet unfolding as I follow His leading. It's been a journey of purpose in raising children and the repurposing of God-given talents and yearnings. I didn't realize how much I had neglected (yet...
Each year for my boys' birthdays, I like to make them something to wear to the party! I've done iron-on, fabric paints, fabric markers, and other types of DIY T shirt crafts. I just love how this year's DIY Penguin T Shirt craft turned out for the boys! DIY Penguin T Shirt Craft Supplies needed: Black t-shirt...
It's been three months since his sixth birthday party, and I'm finally getting around to writing this post! How DID my firstborn get to be six years old? You know, he still will march past random people and proudly announce: "I'm SIX!" It's quite an achievement, and he is pleased as punch about it. I'm...
Hope you had a great week and had lots of adventures! But even if you didn't do anything big this week, I am sure all sorts of tiny moments happened along the way. Maybe your baby broke their first (or 5th) tooth! Or perhaps your son rode a bike for the first time, or had his...
I love the clatter of chunky granola toppling into my breakfast bowl. All those chunks of slightly sweet oats and nuts and fruit! For years, hubby and I have been making homemade granola - altering the recipe to suit the seasons (apples for fall, berries for summer, etc.). What I love best about granola is...
Once I got over the excitement of my sister announcing her TWIN pregnancy, I bet you can guess what my next thought was!? Twins baby shower! Yes, I love party planning, and was thrilled to do something outside of birthday party themes! Here's our Animal Babies Twins Baby Shower idea! Since she's having twins AND...
When my son asked for a dinosaur themed birthday party, the first thing I thought of was that a green smoothie would be the perfect breakfast treat for a dinosaur themed day! Don't you think!? So I've been playing around with smoothie combos and came up with this Ginger Kiwi Green Smoothie Recipe! Friendship Dairies asked...
You know I love making things with my essential oils!! I've got a whole list of recipes and ideas I'm working through to try out, and believe me, when something comes out right I will share it! Like this DIY Lavender Eucalyptus Salt Glow Scrub Recipe! This recipe is wonderful and the perfect handmade DIY...
The past two months, I've written a series of posts over on the Maggie Bags blog, which has been an exciting experience for me as a writer! Since all the posts are somewhat holiday / Christmas themed, I thought I'd share them with you in a round up style post! DIY Paper Straw Party (or...
For my husband's birthday, the kids and I usually hand stamp him a card or gift. D-A-D-D-Y. Right? Well... all my son could focus on was the large "A" in "Daddy," which happens to be the first letter of HIS name. For the rest of the day, he thought the card was for HIM! "Mommy,...
The days go fast, nights too. Between meals, and errands, potty training and diaper changes... Our family spends "quantity time" together and that is healthy, I think, to ensure our daily rhythms always include each other. Still, we enjoy caving out "quality time" moments ... The ones we hope will shine like winking stars in...
Having recently gone on two separate camping trips, I've had time to ponder what to do with that child crying in the backseat. Each camping trip was a five hour drive away from home, which was a bit much for our 17-month-old, even with a few stops. So I've collected these toddler activities road trip style!...
I've been honored to be a guest blogger or contributing writer for many sites around the 'web. Here's a list of my writing featured on other sites! Podcast Appearances: How to Find Gratitude in Unexpected Places - MillionPrayingMoms.com, 11/18/20 Family Hobbies Make the Best Unit Studies - Homeschool Solutions Podcast, 5/12/20 TV Spots: Swim Gear...
I have craft activities for stay-at-home fun for everyone! Have we used up all the ideas yet? (When I wrote this post it was 2020, Coronavirus and we were heading into our 8th week of staying home, so it was a good time for fresh ideas for craft activities!). There's a little of this and...
We've had a series of snow days here, so it was time to get out the craft stuff! I've been wanting to teach my boys how to sew buttons (yes, we're raising little Renaissance Men here!). So when the chance came to partner with Oriental Trading to do a drawstring bags project, I had the...
So I dove in this month and started a Whole30 eating plan. Which means a lot of yummy party favorites are off limits for me for thirty days! Now 'tis the season for game day parties, and other events like birthdays, so I've tried to be proactive in creating party foods to bring or serve...
We test and play with a lot of toys during the year for the blog and other work I do with various toy brands. Here are my top engaging toy gift ideas from our playtime. Many are toys that have been around and I think will continue to stick around for some time, as they...
One way I love to give gifts to kids without just giving more "stuff" is with craft kits. Not just kits where kits put together a pre-determined item that quickly gets junked. No, I mean real crafting kits that help children learn a particular skill set! Skill building craft kits for kids make great gift ideas!...
I love when I find cool new games for my kids to play. Especially when they check off all my boxes: unplugged, develops brain skills, encourages problem-solving, can be played alone if needed. SmartGames does all of these with their amazing line up of board games that boost brain power! We received three of the Smart Games' new...
I meant to write this letter. When you turned one. And again when you turned two. three. four. This weekend you'll be turning five. And although I've done a lot of writing over the past five years, and much of it involves you.... I still never wrote TO you (except birthday cards, and little notes)....
When you get asked to sign up to "bring a favorite snack" do you instantly get deer in the headlights? I do, because I have not decided what my "go-to" or signature dish is for public events. I am always trying new things, and sometimes those trials don't go very well. On the other hand,...
A friend and I were reminiscing a few weeks ago about our playtime as children. We were "wild child" types who ran around the woods, made up adventure stories, pretended we were lost in the forest, or invented dramatic re-enactments of Little House or Anne of Green Gables (without the clinging-to-the-bridge-pilings type of results that Anne...