After 17 Years of Kids’ TV Shows, Here Are Our All-Time Favorites
Our family is unapologetic about our love of TV. As such, I’ve watched a lot of children’s television in my seventeen years of parenting. Since our kids span such a large age range, I’ve seen a lot of good shows come and go over the last two decades. The TV shows your kids watch become […]
Grin, Gripe, Let Go: 3 Ways to Compartmentalize Unsolicited Advice
When you become a mom, you suddenly realize you’ve been surrounded by parenting experts all along. Well-intentioned family members, online acquaintances, even the elderly stranger you meet in the HyVee checkout line is full of golden nuggets of wisdom you didn’t even ask for (or necessarily want, for that matter)! It can be overwhelming to […]
6 Easy and Fun Fine Motor Activities For Preschoolers
Playing with a purpose is especially important when it comes to developing fine motor skills. For preschoolers, consistent integration of this type of play can increase dexterity development, as well as hand-eye coordination. It’s easy to add fine motor activities into your child’s day using a few craft store and household items. Plus, they will […]
Miracle or Marvel: A Toddler Travel Success Story
Travel with young children is no easy task, especially when said kiddo is a teething toddler who just learned the powerful world no and somehow can shriek it in three different languages. That’s no, nein, and nee, for those keeping score. Our trio took our first family vacation ahead of the spring break crowd. This […]
{Re-Cap} Indoor Playdate Series
Spring is coming! We promise, it is!! It’s been a long, freezing cold winter and we are ready to get OUTSIDE. However, we had an absolute BLAST at our Indoor Playdates, and we were so glad that you joined us! We’re so lucky to have so many fun, exciting places to take our little ones […]
Five Cookbooks You Need in Your Kitchen This Spring
Spring has sprung! I don’t know about you, but about this time of year I have about had it with comfort food and crock-pots. I’m ready for fresh, grilled, get-on-the-table-so-we-can-head-outside-again meals. Every season I like to shake the dust off of my cookbook collection and my weekly menu. This spring, I’m focusing on quick and […]
The Easiest Way to Meal Plan
Organizing and planning come naturally to me. I use these skills to our advantage and have developed a foolproof meal planning strategy that has been working so incredibly well for our family. Even if you are not a type A mama like me, this can easily work for you! If you are ready to take […]
9 Steps to Put an End to Bullying For Our Children
We all know someone who has either been a victim of bullying or has somehow been affected by bullying. Bullying in schools has become a national epidemic. Studies have found that 19 percent of U.S. elementary students are bullied. Each day more than 160,000 kids stay home from school because they fear being bullied, according […]
Whole30: 6 Tips Before You Start Your Journey
What is Whole30? The Whole30 is a “reset”, not a diet. It’s a 30 day program designed to reduce your cravings while improving your metabolism, digestion, and overall health. It’s not about weight loss: there’s no calorie counting, targeting grams, or blah blah blah. You eliminate commonly problematic foods from your diet for 30 days, […]
5 Things I Will Tell My Children About My Sexual Assault + 1 thing I Won’t
It was 15 years ago in January, and I can remember the event like it was yesterday. January 1st, 2003. The day I was sexually assaulted. The memories of that night are still vivid, and yet I think about that day less and less as the years go on. The times I am reminded of […]
