Practical Parenting

Last month, we launched our virtual book club, Mom’s Book Nook.  While we all still love to read, as most moms will identify, post kids, those lazy Sunday afternoons we spent drinking wine, eating cheese, catching up with our friends and bantering about great books, have likely ceased to exist. …

The secret to keeping your kids entertained, especially through this interminable winter, is a well stocked craft closet.  You’ll often notice in my At-Home Activity posts, I mention that an activity was free or cost me a $1 because I already had everything else in the craft closet.  So what…

After rescheduling three times due to the horrific winter weather we have been inundated with over the last month, Big M finally had her second dentist appointment today.  She passed with flying colors.  And she provided quite the entertainment to the hygienist, when she wanted to take over all the…

As promised in last week’s Transition series post on Baby Led Weaning, this week I am sharing two of my kids favorite, BLW-friendly, recipes.  And the best part… I love them too because they are perfect veggies for kids, and can be made in large batches and frozen in individual…

As promised in last week’s Transition series post on Baby Led Weaning, this week I am sharing two of my kids favorite, BLW-friendly, recipes.  And the best part… I love them too because they are full of vegetables, and can be made in large batches and frozen in individual serving…

It seems crazy to be thinking about summer when temperatures are still sub-zero and there is snow falling outside, but many local camps have already opened registration for their summer camp programs.  Below we have compiled a list of Connecticut Summer Camps, including links to their brochures, websites and registration…

We continue our Transitions series this week covering daily transitions.  If you have a toddler or preschool aged child, I know you have been there… The morning is going swimmingly, right until the moment it is time to load everyone into the car to be somewhere.  They don’t want to stop…

The dreaded day has finally arrived… There is no more nap for Big M.  She has always been a great sleeper, and I cherished my daily 2-3 hours of peaceful solitude.  It was enough time to do household chores, shower, AND still have time to myself to catch up on…

How many of you have participated in a book club before?  Weren’t they the best?!?  Get together with your girlfriends on a Sunday afternoon for wine, cheese, yummy snacks… and of course some discussion of the book, and at the very least, selection of another great book to read.  Post…

Every Tuesday, we post tips to make family life easier, covering an array of topics from the kitchen, to parenting, to managing your household.  Over the next few weeks our tips will focus on childhood transitions, and how to make them as seamlessly as possible.  We started with our best…

…and 6 of them are FREE! There is great debate over the use of ‘screens’ with children under the age of 2.  Beyond 2 years old, the debate shifts to how much screen time is too much screen time.  If you don’t believe in screen time before 2, then this…

Every Tuesday, we post tips to make family life easier, covering an array of topics from the kitchen, to parenting, to managing your household.  Over the next few weeks our tips will focus on early childhood transitions, and how to make them as seamlessly as possible.  Last week, we offered…

This time last year, I was stuck indoors with a newborn and a 2 year old who was chomping at the bit to put on her snow pants and go play in the feet of snow that seemed to keep falling without end.  I did my best to bundle her…

When I was expecting Lil’ M, my mother-in-law kept telling me to prepare myself… that 1+1 did not equal 2.  I would laugh, and think to myself, how much harder can it be?  How I Survived 2 Under Two I had reached the honeymoon stage of babyhood.  By the time…

Every Tuesday, we post tips to make family life easier, covering an array of topics from the kitchen, to parenting, to managing your household.  Over the next few weeks our tips will focus on childhood transitions, and how to make them as seamlessly as possible.  First up: saying goodbye to…

When Big M was a toddler, she would eat just about anything.  Then, the closer she got to her second birthday, the less and less she would eat.  Food I had considered among her favorites (avocado, lunch meat, peanut butter), suddenly became tantamount to poison when put on the plate…

Big M took a nap the day after we got home from visiting the in-laws for Christmas for the first time in literally months!  It was a reminder to me that her napping days are essentially over.   And if I plan to get any work done (and let Lil’…

I am a chronic over-buyer, over-cooker, over-indulger.  Any time someone is coming over, there must be food, even if it is just one of my husband’s buddies stopping by for a beer.  And any time there is food, there must be copious amounts of it.  Maybe it’s my Southern roots,…

Fancy New Years Crafts for Kids As many of you may have noticed from our photos, Big M pretty much lives in Orange Tutu and Snowflake Crown (she refers to them as though they are people, hence the capitalization!).  As long as we are at home and she is awake,…