Teen: 13+ years

My mom once told me, “People will talk about your children in one of two ways: ‘Wow, your kids are so well behaved,’ or ‘Wow, please don’t ever bring your kids here again.’”  And while no one ever wants to be, we’ve all experienced moments of the latter. As parents, we…

This post was sponsored on behalf of Connecticut Higher Education Trust (CHET). As always, all opinions remain 100% my own. I blinked. And Facebook kindly reminded me that our visit to her preschool… the one we made before we actually enrolled… really was 2 years ago. Her preschool graduation is…

My mom is retiring this year after more than 30 years as an early elementary educator. A parent is throwing her a retirement party and via the beauty of Facebook events, the outpouring of congratulations and appreciation from her former students and parents has been incredible to read! But don’t wait…

I received complementary product from Stickerkid to facilitate my review.  As always, opinions remain 100% my own. With kids, comes stuff.  And with summer, more of their stuff just seems to get lost or left behind.  Schools, parks, playgrounds, pools – wherever kids congregate – are always littered with lost…

I received complementary product from Circle with Disney to facilitate my review. My opinions remain, as always, 100% my own. My girls are still young at 4 and 2.  But monitoring their screen time, and what they access while they use their iPads, already keeps me up at night!  What…

I received complementary product from Start Engineering to facilitate this review.  The opinions presented remain, as always, 100% my own. “When I grow up, I’m going to be a Princess Ballerina.” That has been my preschool daughter’s adult aspirations for going on two years now. I am all for encouraging pursuit…

Starting the seeds for our garden on Earth Day is quickly becoming an annual tradition in our family. The wonder and awe the growing process inspires in young children makes gardening even more fun!  To turn our garden into a season-long learning process this year, I created a Preschool Garden…

What better way to celebrate Earth Day than to get your hands in the dirt and start a garden?  That’s exactly what we did last year, when we started our seeds… which launched a whole study of seeds and germination.  This year, we are kicking things off in the garden…

Need a preschool craft for summer camp? Or maybe a kids’ craft table at your summer Lobster Bake?  I’ve got your covered.  These Red White and Blue Patriotic Station Necklaces will be the hit at all your summer festivities from Memorial Day through the 4th of July! Red White and Blue Sea…

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…

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…

It used to be a college degree was the ticket to upper-middle class prosperity, even wealth, a guaranteed investment win.  However, most millennials will tell you differently. This month’s topic on Financially Savvy Friday is student loans and student loan debt.  Most millennials today will tell you student loan debt has…

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…

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…

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…

Growing up in Texas, it only snowed with any accumulation twice in my whole life… the month I was born and when I was 3.  Now, living in New England, I love experiencing winter with my kids because I feel like a kid myself – sledding, building snowmen, making snow…