Spring

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…

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…

With two ND alums in our house, you can bet our house is filled with Irish spirit, if not Irish blood, year round.  St. Patrick’s Day is a momentous celebration around here, not only because of our Fighting Irish schooling, but also because it typically signals the beginning of Spring…

Spring is in full bloom all around us here in New England (finally!).  And with it, lots of sunny days in the great outdoors.  This year, Big M more than ever is full of questions and wants to know the names of all the flowers!  We recently made our own…

Growing up in Texas, there’s a lot of state pride ingrained in you from an early age.  Come every March and April, there are fields upon fields of blue bonnets as far as the eye can see – so many, and all left to flourish, untouched!  The blue bonnet is…

Signs of spring have been popping up all around us finally… first puddles from melting snow, then buds on the trees, next daffodils popping open, and most vibrant of all, forsythia in bright, golden bloom everywhere.  Since moving to Connecticut nearly 9 years ago now, I have learned that forsythia…

Earth Day is next week.  In celebration, the girls and I have been exploring all about seeds, plants and gardening this week.  It all started when Big M went to Home Depot with the hubby last weekend and the cashier gave her a tiny pot of sprouting grass… We let…

The Masters Tournament is this weekend!!!  And for those mommas out there who don’t share my love of golf (it was an acquired taste for me as well that I only got once I started playing myself), the Masters is one of the four major tournaments annually, and unlike other…

Last Thursday, I kicked off a multi-week series of golf-related activities to put my dust-covered golf bag and all its contents to good use.  I launched the series with a Backyard Golf Ball Hunt last week, and promised a post to Create a Creature with Golf Tees for today… but…

I love Christmas, don’t get me wrong… who doesn’t love stockings hung over a crackling fire and a tree full of ornament memories and twinkling lights?  But there’s something about the green grass, birds chirping and warmth of Spring that adds a little extra sunshine to Easter.  I love shopping…

Contact paper has been on our craft wish list for a while now.  It’s one of those things that I always mean to get, but never remember when I’m actually at the store, nor am I entirely sure what the right store is to find it in!  Then, last week…

For us, spring means green grass, buds on the trees, daffodils and tulips blooming, puddle jumping, Easter, and… golf.  Before kids, my girlfriends and I golfed regularly. Post kids, my golf bag has been collecting a thick layer of dust in the corner of the garage.  But this Spring, we…

When you spend your whole childhood in one place, you grow up believing the foods you eat and traditions you celebrate are the norm for children everywhere.  It wasn’t until I graduated from high school and went to college across the country with people from everywhere that I came to…

Before Big M started preschool, we used to attend a weekly playgroup at our local elementary school.  It was a great way to meet other moms with kids the same age, the kids got to play together, do a craft, and at the end, had a little circle time singing…

As I mentioned earlier this week, I started reading Big M The Wonderful Wizard of Oz before bed.  We read a chapter every night, and each night, she is more excited than the last to hear where the story will lead us next.  Earlier this week, our weary travelers finally…

Have you ever had what could have been a kitchen disaster turn into one of your favorite foods ever?  This Mint Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is just that – a giant oops, that ended up tasting so good, I now make it on purpose. Mint Chocolate Chip Banana Bread The…

As I mentioned in last week’s post on School Fundraisers, this month, we have been raising money at Big M’s school with Coin Wars.  Every week we sort out the coin of the week from Daddy’s coin jar to bring into school and fill her class’ jar.  Having sorted the…

Coloring the driveway with sidewalk chalk is one of Big M’s favorite outdoor activities, and has been since she was barely walking. We live in a townhouse, with limited outdoor space, so it’s a safe, creative option. Shopping List: Sidewalk Chalk Cost: Less than $5 (and you can use the…

St. Patrick’s Day is a BIG deal in our house… My husband and I both went to Notre Dame, so though we may not be Irish by blood, we are definitely Irish by devotion! Big M is very into painting these days, so this was a perfect festive craft for…