Preschool: 3-5 years

A year after its release, and both my M&Ms are still as Frozen-obsessed as ever.  Big M has dolls named Elsa and Anna (that are not actually Frozen dolls), she orders Siri to “Play Frozen soundtrack” when we drive to preschool every day, and she has to wear her hair…

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.  Two weeks ago, we offered…

More than 50 years have passed since the Civil Rights Act was first enacted in 1964, and yet race seems to be as hot a topic today as it was in the 1960s.  In honor Martin Luther King Day and his leadership in the advancement of Civil Rights, Big M and…

As the temperatures have remained sub-freezing this month, we have kept busy and warm indoors.  We have celebrated the snowy season with 6 winter crafts so far… Do You Wanna Build a Snowman? Our snowman busy box keeps Big M quiet while Lil’ M takes her afternoon nap. Marshmallow Snowflakes Quick and…

At 3 years old, Big M has developed a few major infatuations: ballet, princesses and horses.  She lives in a tutu as long as we are in the house, asks to watch The Nutcracker at least once every day, and now requests her ballet slippers so she can dance along…

For years now, we’ve all sent around the Elf Yourself videos.  And this year, at Big M’s preschool, we actually ‘Elf’d’ the kids as a craft to create a bulletin board at our local library to give the town ‘The Gift of Laughter.’  While brainstorming ideas for the board, I…

On Fridays, we offer financially savvy advice for the household CEO – from household budgeting, to saving for college, to where to find the friendliest deals for your wallet.  This week – where to find FREE, or very affordable, engaging activities for your kids, no matter where you live. Nationwide…

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 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’…

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,…

We are days from Christmas, and if you live long distance from family like we do, chances are, large boxes are descending upon your house.  The shipment from our Texas Santa arrived late this week.  I waited until the girls were asleep to unpack everything… and when I opened the…

I can’t remember the last time I made a gingerbread house… but Big M has become quite Christmas-obsessed this year, and taken especially by gingerbread houses.  Given her propensity to meltdown over a collapsed Lego tower, I knew this could be a treacherous undertaking. So when my mom showed me…

Big M is obsessed with making ornaments for the Christmas tree this year… we are going to need a bigger tree soon, and I’m on a quest for more ideas!  I remembered these candy cane mice my Mom made with us as kids and has made them with her kindergarten…

In honor of our first snowfall of the season and the start of Hanukkah next week, we wanted to share this quick and easy holiday craft with you… Popsicle Stick Snowflakes! Shopping List: Jumbo Popsicle (Craft) Sticks Paint (if not colored sticks) Adornments – stickers, sequins, foil snowflakes Glue Ribbon…

For Big M’s second Christmas… the first she would be mobile and capable of tearing down the tree… we were fully prepared.  We bought a play yard system to put around it, and fortunately, never even had to take it out of the box!  She was very content obeying the…

Music brings rhythm, levity and entertainment into any home.  And music education should be a critical component in your children’s curriculum.  To help you understand both why and how to bring music into your children’s daily life, I’ve invited my brother-in-law, a multi-decade music educator, as well as musician in his…

Every day it seems to take less and less… Big M, my lovely threenager, can dissolve into tears at the drop of a hat.  It’s usually preceded by an audible gasp, followed by “Oh no…”  I don’t have a solution for ending the madness, other than you have to just…

I grew up with Christmas insanity.  It originated with my Grandfather – he did every holiday BIG.  Big tree, the whistling train set circling the bottom complete with a village, outdoor lights visible from a block away, a weekend baking dozens of cookies, copious amounts of food, and a house…