Lasso the Moon • Life is a Gift
A wise friend of mine told me a child is like the moon, they reflect the light in their universe. This analogy has always stuck with me. Our children echo our parenting style, our religious beliefs, our outlook on life, our creativity, and our curiosity. Below you'll find inspiring ideas & tips on raising a family in today's chaotic world.
‘Are you ok in here?’ ‘Yeah, I’m just having some time to myself because I’m angry and I don’t want to hurt anyone’ That was from my 5-year-old last week. I admit I gave myself a pat on the back there. Sometimes things just go right! A lot of the time they don’t go so well. Sometimes there are siblings… Read More
Feeling out of sorts? Check out this list of 21 easy things you can do TODAY to make yourself happier. Thank you to goodnessknows® for sponsoring this happy list. It always sneaks up on me. Even now. Even though I know the warning signs that it’s coming… I start to tap my fingers impatiently. I begin to feel my jaw clench with irritation. I’ll… Read More
Ask yourself this one question and you’ll immediately have more patience with your kids, no matter their age. . . . It seemed like overnight that I was suddenly on the receiving end of the ubiquitous tween eye roll. I was caught so off guard that my only response was “Seriously?” To which my son responded with a groan. Please give me more… Read More
There’s a new memoir out by Glennon Doyle Melton, author of the popular blog Momastery. While Love Warrior is not a book for those typically in line with the status quo, it is a moving story of personal empowerment, what it means to be a woman in a world built for men, and what it looks like to fight for love. After devouring the book… Read More
Kids with seasonal allergies can really have a hard time in autumn. Below you’ll find ten insanely useful tips to help your family. A big thanks to Saline Soothers for sponsoring today’s conversation. Itchy, watery eyes. Sniffling and sneezing. Wheezing and coughing. Seasonal allergies might be the culprit if you notice these symptoms this time of year. Ragweed is the villain… Read More
My children ask for two things when we sit down to dinner most nights: “Tell us stories about when we were babies!” “Can we play ‘Would You Rather’?” I don’t know about you, but by the time I’ve handled after school snack, a dosing of free time, homework, overseen household chores, piano practice for both kiddos, and prepped and cooked… Read More
Check out this list of 20 fun fall activities for kids (that adults will love, too!). Caramel apples, cozy sweaters, colorful leaves, crisp evenings, and pumpkin patches… Are YOU ready for all the beauty and fun that fall has to offer? This year take autumn from good to great with these unique, family-friendly fall activities. 20 Fun Fall Activities for Kids… Read More
Want to change your child’s bad behavior? Your child may be misbehaving because they need this one thing that you are able to give , pronto! WHAM-O! My little guy kept crashing into me, even though I’d asked him, at least ten times, to stop. Before I could spin around, he started hurling things to the floor and in the general direction… Read More
I had such grand plans about all the books I would read to my children when they were old enough to comprehend chapter books. I’m stellar at good intentions. Then life happened. Did it happen to you, too? My kids are eight and nine years old and I haven’t read aloud nearly as many of these novels I was going to share with… Read More
Sometimes it’s less effort to handle the cooking ourselves. But what could we gain by embracing the mess and encouraging contribution in the kitchen? The other day my 7-year-old dropped a full jar of jam on the floor, smashing it. Organic jam mind you, because don’t you know that organic sugary condiments are pretty much health food? Ha! But the… Read More
Is your tween starting to get the Middle School Jitters? Here’s what you need to know BEFORE school starts to prevent a First-Day Panic. Thanks to Justice for sponsoring this article. From the backseat of the car, my soon-to-be middle schooler asks, “When do we get our school schedule?” I look in the rearview mirror and see she’s biting her… Read More
Every year, the girls and I drive for an hour to Fox River Mall for Back-to-School shopping. The girls “do their thing” and I patiently wait as they try on 101 different outfits. My favorite part of the day is AFTER the shopping is done. We head over to The Melting Pot for a long, very sloooOOOooow celebratory lunch. Now I… Read More
It’s time to turn the tables and empower your tween to do their own laundry. Check out these five parent-to-parent tips for making this transition. Thanks to Downy Wrinkle Releaser Plus for sponsoring this post. . . . The scene stops me dead in my tracks… Standing in the doorway to my daughters’ room, I see it lifeless on the floor. It… Read More
“Don’t wait for the perfect moment; take the moment and make it perfect.” — Author Unknown My daughter and her sweet laissez-faire attitude towards life; something I aim to cultivate more of. It’s 6:00 am. The morning sun dances in golden streams across my floor, and I savor the stillness as I settle in to start my day. Cupping a perfectly foamed… Read More
This small slip, this simple phrase that comes out so easily, can unintentionally defeat the entire purpose of bringing your kids into nature to relax and unwind… Thank you to OFF!® for sponsoring this post. . . . I say it… more often than I’d like to admit. I say it… when I’m rushing around helping the kids get ready for school… Read More
My seven-year-old daughter and I were out and about recently and she was playing with rocks. Later that night and in the weeks following, a missed opportunity has haunted me. I knew it in the moment and still I couldn’t think on my feet fast enough. What could I have said differently? My daughter wasn’t throwing the rocks; she was being creative… Read More