Elementary: 5-9 years

I didn’t know any better. Every summer, I lathered my fair and super sensitive skin kids up in the highest SPF sunscreens I could find to keep them safe in the sun. Turns out, I may have been doing more harm than good.  Want to protect your family from the sun…

It all started in the dance class waiting room.  One of the mom’s was complaining about about the Disney Collector video’s on YouTube that her daughter had become infatuated with.  I had no idea what she was talking about – she showed me, Lil’ M (age 2) caught one glimpse and was…

Over the last few weeks, I have shared the importance of making time for and taking care of yourself.  Equally important is making time for we – investing in your marriage and making time for the two of you as a couple is extremely important, and often times even more difficult…

For Earth Day last week, the girls and I read all about plants, grew a little pot of grass seed, and ultimately, started our own vegetable seeds.  They thankfully have begun to sprout, and with that, came a flood of questions from Big M.  How long will the rest take? …

My favorite part of every holiday is all the decorating and preparations leading up to the big day.  For Easter, that means coloring eggs.  And if you are game for a little creative inspiration, I have 25 unique ideas for decorating Easter eggs.  Some are even easier than just dropping…

I love all holidays… I love the food, the festivities, the decorations, but most of all I love all the traditions that go with holidays.  And I love learning about different traditions among other families and around the world for each holiday. Growing up in South Texas, we certainly celebrated…

You spend hours filling eggs, creating a diversion to sneak out and hide them all… the egg hunt itself is over in 10-15 minutes tops.  Now what?  Whether you are planning your preschooler’s Easter party at school or need some Easter ideas to burn off those chocolate bunny highs, these…

A fun way to introduce engineering to preschoolers is with simple machines.  If your last physics class was over a decade ago like me, for reference, simple machines include a lever, wheel and axle, pulley, inclined plain, wedge and a screw.  Gears can be considered a simple machine as a…

Blowing bubbles with our homemade bubble solution has been one of the girls’ favorite summer activities.  However, halfway through the summer, our giant Dollar Store bubbles wands are beginning to fall apart.  So this week, I decided to seize upon the girls’ favorite outdoor activity as a learning opportunity with…

Do you know the story of the Brooklyn Bridge? Twenty One Elephants and Still Standing tells the tale of the construction of this famous landmark, and serves as the inspiration for this week’s Architecture and Engineering activity with a fun engineering science for kids challenge.   Can You Build A Bridge for Twenty-One…

Easter is coming up quickly! Whenever it comes in March, it always happens so fast, I never feel prepared.  So to that end, this Friday, we’re in love with Easter!  With 100+ Easter Ideas for Kids and Families, we have something for everyone – from activities and crafts, to food…

Easter is early this year, and rapidly sneaking up on us!  Last week, the girls and I got busy making some fun Easter decor, perfect for decorating your brunch table.  These DIY lanterns for Easter are so simple, even Lil’ M (age 2) made one.  And they are both so…

Four years at Notre Dame teaches you a few things.  God. Country. Notre Dame is a strictly held mantra for life… and St. Patrick’s Day comes second in celebration only to Christmas!  So of course I HAD to host this week’s It’s Friday, We’re In Love featuring all things green, rainbow…

Despite Easter being less than a month away, it snowed here again this week… and since moving to New England nearly 10 years ago, I have seen more than my fair share of egg hunts amidst patches of snow, it’s always important to plan indoor fun for Easter, just in…

Last month, the girls and I read Look at that Building! and went on an Architectural Scavenger Hunt to connect the vocabulary in the book with the world around us.  The story ends with the kids in the book designing and building their own dog house, a great architecture for kids project… and…

It’s Girl Scout season, so it’s easy to find a box of the delightful Thin Mints… but y’all, these are better than that.  And better yet, you can make them all year round.  Better Than Thin Mints, Chocolate Mint Cookies! Better Than Thin Mints Cookies I almost called these ‘Amazing…

Anyone else have Ladybug Girl fans at home?  I have two – and I love encouraging it because she makes a great pint-sized heroine for little girls to love.  Ladybug Girl is adventurous, creative, imaginative and independent, all things I want to inspire in my daughters.  And after my mom…

Last year, I tried to make colored eggs with Big M and a friend… I thought I had it toddler-proofed, and within 30 seconds of sitting her in her booster seat, she spilled an entire cup full of yellow dye in her lap.  Her legs were yellow for days!  While…

Irish legend holds that a pot of gold can be found at the end of a rainbow, guarded by leprechauns.  I prefer to equip my kids with their own financial savvy, and instead of searching for fairy tale gold, encourage them to make their own luck by filling their pots…