DIY Homemade Playdough

I know, over the course of the next month, many parents will be seeking new activities to help keep their kids busy without using electronics as a babysitter all day long! Now….I know when some see the term “DIY”, you immediately say NEXT, thinking it will require too much time, brain power, and/or supplies. But, this really IS quite simple and easy….AND your kids can help make it, too! This provides a nice break from the paper/pencil workbooks or e-learning {Read More}

Sports Coach Thank You Tags

Calling all sports fans! Whether you are the parent of a little leaguer or travel team star, these gift tags are perfect for all ages! Coaches put in a lot of time and effort, often times unpaid as a parent volunteer, to create a fun and motivating environment for your child to experience all the benefits of a team sport! They have an important role in character development and teaching your child about grit, perseverance, teamwork, and so many more {Read More}

Teaching Kids about Money!

There comes a lot of responsibility with raising kids. Aside from things like personal safety and fostering good character traits, there are other life skills you want to teach them, like managing money! We have 3 kids…ages 6, 4, and almost a year and a half. I never knew when the appropriate age would be to start teaching them about money. Would they be able to grasp and understand the concepts of spending, saving and giving? I believe, as long {Read More}

It’s not about the ABC’s/123’s!

As I get ready to send my oldest to Kindergarten this year, I can’t help but wonder if I’ve prepared him enough. There are SO many important concepts and skills to teach, academically, socially/emotionally, and functionally (life skills, hello!). Being a former elementary school teacher, I’m realizing after almost 10 years of having worked in the classroom, that parents (myself included) focus too much of their energy on the wrong things. It’s saddens me the expectations that are put on {Read More}

Activities for traveling with kids

Can you smell it?!  I know I can. SPRING!  It’s just around the corner….finally!! It has been a really long winter here in Chicago, so Spring Break couldn’t come soon enough.  To say I’ve been pining for some sunshine is an understatement. Since many of you will be traveling in the coming weeks, hopefully to warmer destinations, I’ve put together a little list of activities that are perfect for kids to do in the car, on the airplane, waiting at a {Read More}

The Waxing and Waning of Wanting and Wishing

I WANT, but I WISH…. We all go through this cycle. I’m not immune to it and neither are you. Life is interesting (to say the least). Whether you’re a parent or not, I’d be shocked if you haven’t found yourself fluctuating between the wanting and wishing of things. Our thoughts and feelings can often contradict each other, and sometimes it happens all in the same breath, the very same moment. I WANT a bigger house… but WISH I didn’t have to clean it {Read More}