Gift Giving

The MAGIC of the holidays... what does that even mean?  Maybe you're one of those people who loves to go above and beyond when it comes to making Christmas magical. Maybe you're just trying to find easy, cheap ways to keep...

Scheduling is super important in my household.  My husband's work schedule varies with nights and weekends, so in order for us to get errands run and make time for family fun, date nights, and more, we schedule things out...

One of the many fabulous qualities of Iowa City is the abundance of locally-owned shops, restaurants, and businesses.  One of the many fabulous qualities of the people that live here is our dedication to supporting our neighbors.  Today the Iowa...

However you celebrate the holidays–and even if you don't celebrate them at all–the "holiday season" is a demanding time of year. Being a mom is hard enough without the added pressure of the holiday season. The commercial trappings. The office...

As moms, we hardly ever take the time to celebrate ourselves. Our focus is always on our children, our spouse, or other members of our family. The daily grind gets in the way of us being able to take...

The research is clear. Reading aloud to children is one of the single most important things a parent can do to encourage language development and build a solid foundation for success in school and beyond. Not only that, but...

Tonight I'm making enchiladas. One of our favorite meals. It's simple, and yummy, and we can eat the leftovers for days because let's face it, our small children prefer a cheese quesadilla from the microwave and therefore the entire...

My kids’ latest favorites and obsessions seem to come and go like the tides. The exception to this would be my youngest, whose love for “Frozen” may never die. (I'm sure I'm not the only mom wishing they could...

As a kindergarten teacher, I have done countless craft and paint projects with my students as gifts for their parents that involved handprints, fingerprints, tearing paper, tracing, cutting, and so many other things. Some of them have been easy...

Technology is a wonderful thing. It allows us to communicate with people all over the world with the touch of a button. It allows us to wish Grandma a Happy Birthday or Uncle Frank a Merry Christmas no matter...