Questionable Choices in Parenting
Laughing at life as a parent so they don't commit me
We have a rule in this house: where we go, Suggie (our dog) goes. So that lady has been hitting the road with us since she was a puppy. She’s a great traveler but usually we have to do a little extra planning. So if you are taking your four legged friend on a trip with you, here’s a few tips to make that trip run smoothly. Click right here to read!
P.S. Yes, this is Wrangler from the Today Show and not Suggie but how stinking cute is Wrangler?
See these two? They are part fish. Party super cute kiddos and part fish. Since my kids are part fish, that means lots of swimming that leads to wet kids in my car. So if you’re looking to save the seats in your car from wet kiddos, I can show you a super easy way to do that. Click right here to learn how to make your own DIY waterproof seat cover.
I LOVE summer. LOVE summer–I love summer so much, I never want it to end. But since all good things (like summer) have to come to an end, why not have a whole lotta fun? If you’re looking for some summer fun with your family and you are in or around the DC Metro area, I’ve got a whole list of summer fun. Click here to see all of the fun roadtrips you and your family can take in and around DC this summer!
Around here, we are Olympic Super Fans. We watch all the events, cheer way too loudly, and I get weepy every single time Team USA wins a gold. So with the excitement of the Olympic Games in Rio, your kids may be inspired to try some of the Olympic events for themselves. If you have future Olympians ready to play, a few inexpensive items from the dollar store can put you on the road to Rio for your very own backyard Olympics. Here’s my TODAY Show post with super fun and super cute ideas for your future Olympians. Click right here to read!
If you’re a huge Olympics fan like me, you’ve probably already spent countless hours watching Team USA going for the gold. If you’re throwing a little viewing party for yourself or a few friends, check out my Fourth of July party hacks video because all of these red, white, and blue party tips are also perfect for the Olympics too!
When the school year wrapped up, I was really anxious to see both of the kids’ final report cards, but it wasn’t just to see their academic success. With one kid in kindergarten and the other in preschool, a lot of their academic growth is still focused on social growth. So when both kids had notes from their teachers that they are happy, kind, and good friends, I felt like doing back flips.
So all those times of reminding them over and over to say please and thank you, encouraging them to be kind and respectful, and looking for those teachable moments to model the kind of tiny humans we want to bring up in this world, was actually paying off. But, Friends, this isn’t my first rodeo, and I know my job isn’t done around here. But you know how we always joke that we need a manual for raising kids, I feel like I found one that’s going to help me during this journey of raising kind and grateful kids, The Big Life Journal.
The Big Life Journal is a six-month journal that’s designed for you and your children to complete together. It’s broken into 13 different concepts, each covered over a span of two weeks. So don’t worry that it’s going to be ONE MORE THING you have to do, forget to do, and then feel guilty about. Really!
Every concept comes with an illustration, poem, quote, and a story, and all of stories are based on real entrepreneurs, scientists, authors, non-profit founders that you and your kids can really relate to and will want to know more about. YES to positive influences in our kid’s lives, right? Here’s my favorite lesson: Being Persistent with a little story about a book called Harry Potter and how it almost never happened.
After each concept, you help your kids respond to questions that require them to think about things related to and discussed about each section of the journal. So they start talking, you start talking, and the entire family can start talking–brilliant considering I ask my son what he did in school and he says “I forgot.”
Something that encourages you and your children to spend REAL time together, gets everyone talking to each other, and gives you the perfect opportunity help your kids learn about positive influences, which they so need right now, I know you are thinking–“Where do I get this journal?”
As with any great idea, the Big Life Journal needs financial backing through a Kickstarter campaign and I really love how each level of donation can help benefit your child’s life and another child too. So swing over to their Kickstarter page to learn more about The Big Life Journal and to see how you can get your hands on one.
The Big Life Journal is on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram too
I was compensated for this post, but all opinions are 100% because I really love this journal.
Happy summer, friends! I hope your days are filled with lots of fun, sun, and maybe a nap or two for everyone in your house. You may have seen on my Facebook or Twitter that I have a webseries over on TLC and it’s all my favorite #LifeHacks. So I’m sharing my favorite mom hacks, party hacks, home hacks, sanity saver hacks, and a little of everything hacks to make life easier, less stressful, and a whole lot more fun. So if you miss my videos, never fear, because I’m going to share them here with you! First up, in honor of summer, here’s my favorite beach hacks.
Usually when I start to pack, everything is neat an organized. Then I start to panic that I don’t have enough clothes, the kids don’t have enough clothes, and surely the dog needs something to wear too, right? Then it happens. My neatly packed bags start to overflow and I have no idea how I’ll fit everything in the car. So I have to backtrack just a bit, unpack A LOT, and follow my own tips for saving space while packing. If you want to check out my ideas, click right here to be magically transported to the article!
#9
“Did I shave today? No, no I did not.”
#7