The first day of school is a big deal and capturing your kids on this special day is pretty important, too. Not only will it capture a memory that you’ll treasure forever, but it will also be a memento for when your children are older. If you’re unsure of how to capture the perfect first …
Tips for Enjoying Family Life
I don’t know about you, but sometimes it’s so hard to get my son to do his chores. He does find motivation in stickers, though, so chore charts are a great solution for us. And since right now he’s into all things Minion, I created this cute and easy-to-use Minion chore chart. I hope you …
Does your child seem to hate reading? It’s not an uncommon problem, and when storytime is a constant struggle, you may be tempted to throw in the towel on reading. Don’t give up even if you and your child are struggling to get through just a few minutes of reading every day. Teach your child …
It just isn’t summer without a road trip. Air travel can be expensive; so for most families, traveling by car is the more affordable choice for long trips. But when you put several people in a car together for hours on end–particularly when some of them are young children–you’re in quite a pickle. Road tripping …
For the past several weeks, we’ve explored lots of work at home productivity tips to help you succeed as a WAHM. You don’t have to make all of these changes at once–in fact, some of these tips might not even work for you. But if you choose one tip every week and commit to implementing …
Welcome to Part 4 of the Work at Home Productivity Tips series. During the past 3 weeks, we’ve explored lots of different ways to make the most of your time at home. From setting boundaries on work and personal time to getting out of the house a little more, these tips are practical ways to …
For the past two weeks, we’ve been talking about work at home productivity tips that can help you make the most of your work time at home. The series continues this week with three more tips that, when implemented, can help you start getting more done TODAY. Using just one of these tips each week …
Preparing for a camping trip can feel like organizing a small expedition. Throw a toddler into the mix, and you’re in for a whole different level of planning. You have to worry about more than just packing the essentials—tent, food, and clothing—you also have to anticipate the needs of an energetic little explorer. From ensuring …
Last week, we began our work at home productivity tips series, kicking off with three tips to help you get more done every day, starting today. Working from home is such a challenge, especially when you have little ones to take care of. I hope that these tips, even if you just implement on per …
Before I had a child of my own, I had a lot of opinions about children who were “picky eaters.” Why wouldn’t their toddlers try new foods? Weren’t their parents offering them enough variety? Didn’t they try the “just two bites” trick? What about a reward system? Yes, I was that person who thought I knew …
As work at home moms, we have many hats to wear. Heck, moms of any type (stay-at-home, work-at-home or work-out-of-the-home) do. But working at home has its particular challenges, especially when it comes to staying on task and being productive while at the same time being attentive to your children. Personally, I struggle sometimes. On …
I used to set my alarm half an hour before I needed to wake up. Why? I wanted some extra time to wake up every morning. Hitting that snooze button felt delicious—like I was giving myself a little treat for every 5 or 10 minutes I allowed myself to sleep. The thing is, it didn’t …
Although I love to study productivity and have picked up some good habits, I’m not entirely immune to terrible habits like pulling all-nighters. Though they’re less frequent than they were in my college days, not long ago, I found myself tapping at my computer keys well past midnight (until 5 a.m., to be exact). Ever …
Working at home is wonderful. You’re in charge of your schedule, you get to spend lots of time with your family, and you can work wherever you like. It’s also challenging for the same reasons. How can you avoid distractions? How do you stay motivated when you don’t have to answer to a supervisor? This …
Looking fashionable while pregnant is sometimes a challenge. Believe me, when I was pregnant with my son, I made many mistakes. D’oh! But when and if we have another little one, I’ll try to look more pulled together and stylish. Here are three of the most common maternity clothing mistakes pregnant women make.
Have you ever seen a child (or heck, even an adult) treat others rudely in public? I know I have. And while we may not have impeccable manners–I’m still not sure which pieces of silverware go where at a formal dinner–I’d like to think that we’re polite people. Teaching our son manners is very important …
I have been an ungrateful wife. That’s not an easy thing to say, but there it is. In our house, tensions have been high, and when we sat down to talk through a few things, I placed the blame almost entirely on him. Did I concede that I had faults of my own? Sort of–with …
Most of us have that you should read to your children for at least 20 minutes a day. Reading to them has all kinds of benefits, including building literacy and listening skills and strengthening the parent-child bond. But sometimes, 20 minutes may seem unmanageable. Maybe you’re dealing with a wiggly toddler who can’t sit still …
At times, I tend to procrastinate. That’s what has led to my obsession with reading productivity tips and tricks–to help me bust out of my time-wasting ways and be more meaningful with my time. I’m not perfect, though, and occasionally, I tend to fall back into old habits. When that happens, I use these tried-and-true …
I have partnered with U.S. Family Guides and Challenger Sports to bring you 5 Lessons Your Kids Can Learn From Playing Soccer. Playing soccer is good for our children in lots of ways. The obvious benefit, of course, is that it provides them with physical exercise. Running and kicking is a great workout! But some lessons will …
Getting things done when you’re pumped, motivated and excited is a breeze. The anticipation and excitement give you the adrenaline you need to push through even the most challenging tasks. But when you’re feeling down or just don’t feel like doing anything—what then? You can’t just ignore your responsibilities. How do you get things …
Do you nag your spouse too much? Most of us do it occasionally. Sometimes we do it out of love or concern. “You shouldn’t stay up so late. You know it makes you irritable.” Often, though, we do it because we’re unappreciative. “Did you really forget the carrots at the grocery store? They were on …
The first night away from home is a BIG DEAL for both parents and child. Last week, our son spent his first night away from home. He was with his aunt (and adores his older cousins), so we knew he was in good hands, but we still prepared him for the experience. Here are some …
Communicating and spending time together is important for married couples, especially when you have kids. It’s not easy when the two of you are on different shifts.