Lasso the Moon • Life is a Gift
Help your children understand and feel gratitude through art. Below you’ll find 10 gratitude drawing prompts for your children. This sponsored post was originally published on Melissa & Doug’s Playtime Press. Time and again, studies have shown that cultivating an “attitude of gratitude” can increase one’s hope, happiness, self-esteem, empathy, and optimism. Phew! That’s a hefty list of benefits for something so EASY to do! Or… Read More
Making this Cake Cookies recipe is a wonderful way to spend a rainy autumn afternoon with your kids. Get the full mega-frosted, super-buttery, cookie recipe below! . . . My kids are obsessed with those store-bought “Birthday Cake Cookies.” Do you know the ones I am referring to? They’re super soft and taste like they’re made out of 90% frosting and… Read More
Turn that slow cooker on and spice up your life with this easy Crock-Pot Chili recipe. A big thanks to BUSH’S® Beans for sponsoring today’s heart-warming family dinner. Autumn is my absolute favorite time of the year— Pulling out sweaters… Feeling the crisp fall breeze on my face… Getting “into the groove” with back-to-school routines… At our house, though, nothing… Read More
Love at first bite. If you’re a grilled cheese fanatic, you’ve got to try this Inside-Out Grilled Cheese Sandwich recipe. The secret ingredient? Cheese, of course. I’m going to be blunt, you’re making grilled cheese sandwiches all wrong and you need to stop. Once you’ve gone Inside-Out, you’ll never go back to a standard grilled cheese sandwich again. I promise–It’ll be… Read More
This Slow-Cooker Beef Stew recipe makes dinner easy. Whip these five ingredients together (Hint: They’re not what you’d expect!) and you’re done. Best recipe ever. Your family will be BEGGING for more. It’s literally comfort in a bowl. A big thanks to Reames® Frozen Homestyle Egg Noodles for sponsoring today’s dinner recipe. I remember being a kid during Wisconsin winters like it was yesterday… Looking… Read More
Cooking for a holiday can be overwhelming, even for the uber-organized. Below are seven make-ahead side dishes guaranteed to save you time. Thanks to Crystal Farms® for inspiring today’s recipe collection and for hosting the BONUS Crate & Barrel Nesting Baking Dish and Serving Bowl GIVEAWAY at the end of the post! “It just isn’t a proper holiday meal if we don’t have ____________.” ← (Fill in the blank… Read More
Learn how to carve apples and transform them into irresistibly spooky shrunken heads (right before your eyes) with this DIY Halloween project for tweens. The air is crisp and fall has officially arrived. I’m so excited to celebrate the autumn season with my family, but holiday traditions with tweens can be a delicate balance. They’re at a point where they’ve… Read More
Do you get frustrated with all the skimpy Halloween costumes available for kids? If you’re from the Midwest too, you know it gets darn right COLD at night in October. I’m excited to share a few of the chilly weather costumes we’ve done in the past (coming next week!), but right now I want to show you our favorite uber-warm default costume choice…. Read More
Teach your kids to focus on the good… Get your tween or teen involved in this completely inspiring Words of Gratitude project. A big thank-you to Animoto for sponsoring today’s post; they’re officially one of my favorite Fall Finds—Click here to see why for yourself. Teaching gratitude to little kids is simple. There are literally HUNDREDS of ideas online for children’s gratitude crafts and activities…. 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
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
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
In one-week, this Just Between Us Journal has already changed my relationship with my daughter. Raising teenage daughters is hard. I know — we’ve currently got two under our roof. Sometimes things roll smoothly, and other times I find myself asking, “Why won’t they talk to me?” I stumbled upon Just Between Us: A No-Stress, No-Rules Journal for Girls and Their Moms while… Read More
FYI: This post contains an insanely delicious chicken pot pie recipe that your family will demand you make over and over (and over) again. It is the ultimate comfort food. I’ve had a fierce craving for chicken pot pie. Earlier this fall, my husband and I sneaked away to enjoy a weekend in Bayfield. We enjoyed a quiet lunch at a funky, slow-food deli called The… Read More
This recipe for slow-cooker Swedish meatballs is sponsored by Johnsonville Sausage. As the days start getting shorter and the nighttime temps drop, I begin to seriously *crave* winter comfort foods. The Crock-Pot takes a permanent place on my counter as slow-cooker recipes start to hold a regular place in our family’s weekly meal plans. I often find myself looking for traditional recipes that… Read More
This Sausage Stuffin’ Muffins recipe is sponsored by Johnsonville Italian Sausage. When I was a little girl, one of my favorite meals was Sunday dinner at my grandmother’s house. Except our grand dinner took place right after church — at one o’clock in the afternoon. I loved the quirkiness of this tradition. The idea of eating a big roast complete with mashed potatoes and… Read More