Practical Parenting

Thank you Mardi Gras Napkins for sponsoring this post. Visit your local retailer to get the conversation going in your home! “Mom, Annie’s mom puts notes in her lunch box for her everyday.” This wasn’t the first time my 6 year old had mentioned this touching gesture from her friend’s…

This is a sponsored post on behalf of  who wants to celebrate strong mothers everywhere this Mother’s Day. As always, opinions remain 100% my own. Strong mothers raise strong daughters. My mother taught me that. And I see it now first hand, raising three children of my own, including two…

One of my most popular posts of all time is about how to start your baby on solids with baby led weaning foods. And while those foods can literally be just about anything provided they are the right texture and cut to the appropriate size, it can be helpful to…

Thank you to the Chinet® brand for sponsoring this post. Last month, my daughter’s school had multiple Spirit Days, Half-Way Day, the 100th Day of School, a Children’s Fair and all the fanfare associated with Valentine’s Day – each requiring special attire and more. My husband asked me how I…

This is a sponsored post for Angela Santomero’s new book for parents, Preschool Clues as part of The Motherhood influencer network. As always, opinions remain 100% my own. The first season of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood aired when my oldest daughter was a toddler. I fully credit the episode on potty…

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Red Bee and the CT Bloggers Collective. All opinions remain 100% my own. Read on to learn important facts about honey for toddlers – benefits and cautions, as well as the tremendous health and wellness benefits of honey for the whole family.…

Is your baby ready to start solid foods? You can feed them right from your plate using the baby led weaning technique. Learn what that means, how to do it, the best baby led weaning foods to start with, and our favorite baby feeding supplies for success (and easy clean…

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Learning Resources. As always, all opinions remain 100% my own. For more ways to ask your kid, “How was school today?” be sure to check out why we think playing school is just as important as the REAL thing this month over on…

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Learning Resources. As always, all opinions remain 100% my own. Visit Let’s Get Ready for Kindergarten, my guest post on the Learning Resources blog, to get a full outline of each skill your child needs for kindergarten, as well as resources and…

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Schreiber Foods, Inc. The opinions and text are all mine. If your kids are anything like mine, they would live on peanut butter and jelly for lunch and dinner every day. And while there are certainly worse food choices they could…

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Learning Resources. As always, all opinions remain 100% my own. Catch all our playdate ideas in our guest post this month on the Learning Resources blog. I already have 3 kids under 6 of my own at home all summer. The last…

What exactly is a Savvy Mom? A savvy mom believes in the village – that connecting, sharing your experiences and learning from other moms makes us all better, smarter and stronger parents. And these 20+ online support groups for moms all share in that belief. Whether you are looking to…

How often do you celebrate your mom friends? Let me guess – planning goes something like this… you start a group text and between kids’ activities, family obligations, travel plans and husbands’ softball or poker nights, you finally arrive at one night 3 months out that most of you can actually make it…

Just when I thought we were having the mildest winter ever – I could see buds forming on trees at the end of January!!! – this week, we’ve been buried with over a foot of snow. And while I would love for winter to be over sooner rather than later, I…

Around Valentine’s Day, my 75+ Dates for a Date Night Jar goes bananas. And since it has been a few years, and my husband and I have exhausted most of the ideas in our original jar, it was time to brainstorm more date jar ideas! Why Make a Date Jar? The…

One of my favorite reasons to meal plan is that you can leverage your efforts from one night to the next. Use ingredients that overlap to buy in bulk and save money. Cook double the protein one night, and use the rest the next to save time. And that is…

I am participating in an Ambassador program on behalf of Influence Central and hosted by Claritin®. I have received compensation to thank me for my participation. All opinions expressed are my own.  Every season brings it’s own set of wonder, entertainment and challenges as a parent. The beauty and bounty of…

There are lots of children’s developmental and educational milestones we celebrate as parents… your baby’s first steps, first words, their first day of school, learning to read. Raising your kids to love books and be lifelong readers is one of the best things you can do for them – no matter…

The first day at kindergarten… your child’s first foray into REAL school. It can be exciting, overwhelming, and anxiety inducing – for you and your child alike!  To help your family prepare, here are 10 things your kindergarten teacher wants you to know before your child’s first day. 10 Tips…