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.
The tween and teen years can be heartbreaking . . . Here are five tips to help your teen find balance, reduce stress, and manage the pressure of adolescence. A big thank you to Magination Press Family for sponsoring today’s post. The tween and teen years are a time of rapid change, growth, and challenges. That means kids this age are… Read More
Dinnertime doesn’t have to feel like a chore, with these fun family dinner ideas you’re sure to end your day feeling closer to your kids. Don’t miss more ways to make mealtime special along with an awesome selection of family-friendly recipes inside the hottest new cookbook for kids. POP QUIZ: What does dinnertime look like for your family? A) We… Read More
If the ticking of the clock (or the ping of your phone) has been guiding you and your family for far too long, it’s time to escape. Here’s the answer to connecting with your kids and finding UnBusy moments within the chaos. Photo by © Alena Ozerova Tic-Toc goes the digital clock on your phone. All day long, day and night…. Read More
I live with a bunch of messy people. Not just physically messy, although at 18 my older daughter still leaves a colorful trail in her wake. But messy in the sense that they challenge me. They’re different from me. They perpetually call me out of my comfort zone into growth. I adore these messy people of mine and wouldn’t want to change… Read More
When pressure, expectations, and stress make your daughter’s world start spinning a little too fast, this is one powerful way to guide her back toward inner calm, peace, and stillness. Below are three ways mindfulness for teens is pivotal during these transition years. Kids are incredibly mindful beings, able to hyper-tune into their current surroundings in an awe-inspiring way. After all, have… Read More
The first time I saw a mom walk into my daughters’ dance studio with a load of laundry, I looked at her skeptically. She plopped down across from me and started folding her darks. “Who does that?” I thought to myself. I went back to mindlessly scrolling apps on my phone. A few minutes later, the woman stood and left… Read More
This new Netflix original is a must-watch with your older kiddos. Watching movies and TV with your tween is a great way to open the door to conversations that would otherwise be uncomfortable. The key is finding the right content to watch. Two shows I’ve enjoyed watching with my daughters (10 & 12) on Netflix are Girl Meets World and The… Read More
How you interact with your daughter now will impact the relationship you have with her for years to come. Below are three intentional situations that you can facilitate to create amazing small moments with her today. I cannot put my finger on the exact moment it happened, but … my girls are big. That little cutie pie with the glasses has grown up. Playgrounds. Cartoons…. Read More
Considering doing a donation? Be sure to check out these seven tips for donating toys to hospitals, including how to get your kiddos involved. A big thanks to Melissa & Doug for sponsoring today’s post. . . . Sometimes as I look at my two girls, I smile and think, “I’m rocking this parenting thing.” Other times, I hold my head in… Read More
Do you ever feel like you just have to “survive” the holidays? What if you could do this one thing and make it through the holidays with your joy intact? I look forward to the holidays, but I also want to survive the holidays. Every year, I find that I’m too easily engulfed by a tsunami of details — a school celebration; finding… 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
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
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