Yesterday was my (ahem) 30th birthday! Although I told everyone it was my 29th... again! I am not handling being in my 30's well. I feel as though I have left my youth behind and now I'm destined to be OLD! Johanna on the other hand feels that now that she is 30 (well in 2 months she will be) she will be taken seriously! She doesn't realize she is just going to be old! :) How have you handled getting older? Any tips for accepting being 29 plus 1? I'd appreciate it! … [Read more...]
Legoland – Kansas City
This past weekend my family went to the newly opened Legoland in Kansas City for my son's birthday. We hadn't been there before and I didn't know anyone who had so we were simply going off of knowledge obtained through their website. On their website you can see the map of all the activities and it looks like a fun place. There were a couple of rides, several play areas, Kansas City made up of legos and lots of building areas. The price was a little expensive in my opinion, but you could save a … [Read more...]
What to put in your Food Storage
Most of us know that food storage is a vital part of emergency prep. But sometimes we are unsure of what foods they should have! This can be difficult since everyone is different. There aren’t any food storage systems that work for everybody. We all have different food preferences, and these should be thought about when planning your family’s food storage. For example, my family doesn’t like pickles, so we don’t have them in our food storage. Ideally, you will want at least 3 months of food … [Read more...]
Creating a Cardboard Castle
For whatever reason, there is something about castles that is truly compelling. They are the ultimate setting for imaginative play. Whether your child likes horses, knights or princesses, all of these things can find their home in a castle. Imagination can supply the stories and even the castle if necessary but having a castle looking structure around is simply fun. Building a castle out of cardboard is an easy and fun way to get involved in a project with your children as well as … [Read more...]
What you really need in your hospital bag
Congratulations on your pregnancy, while you are getting used to the back pain, sickness and other ailments that come with pregnancy I thought I would give some real advice on what you need for your hospital bag.Towel – Useful for all the blood loss or to use if you have a bath while in labour or decide to have a water birth while you are at the hospital. It will also be useful when you want a wash after the birth. Nightie – You really need a loose fitting nightie for the labour as the … [Read more...]
Fabric Flower Tutorial
We are about to leave on vacation to go to Seattle for my Brother's-in-law wedding. For this wedding my Mother-in-law made my daughter a dress to perfectly match their wedding colors. She then sent me the scraps of fabric and asked that I make a hair accessory for her. I've never made a fabric hair accessories so I searched online for some easy tutorials. This is what I came up with! My favorite tutorial came from Wise Craft. She provided a template to download, so you could cut out the flower … [Read more...]
Are Outdoor Activities Important For a Family?
Mainly due to the uprising of social media in the last decade, parents nowadays are more likely to find out about their children’s every life by stalking their social media profiles instead of asking them face to face. With the passing of time, the communication gap between parents and children are increasing and the presence of internet technology merely reinforces the nature of the relationship.Although a lot of people blame social media sites like Facebook and Twitter for distracting … [Read more...]
Starting a Small Business From Your Home Kitchen
Economic downturns are stressful times that try the nerves and make uncertainty the normal state of daily life. People seeking to bring in extra money to supplement or replace shrinking, disappearing sources of income wonder what they can do from home. The world-wide web and the wide availability of shipping services expand cottage industry options. Starting a small business from your home kitchen is not only possible, but easier than ever before. The current economic climate is similar to other … [Read more...]
Fun School
by Toni McKinley Summer is here! What do we do? The kids are out of school. They are so excited to play, swim, and sleep in. But, we all know that after about a week or two the boredom sets in and the kids want to be entertained. On top of all that; as a mother we worry what information they are going to and not going to retain until school starts. That is why I started what we call, “Fun School.” Fun School is the idea to work on a skill that your child did NOT do well in. Maybe … [Read more...]
Creating Summer Memories
Summertime is something all kids start dreaming about the first day back at school. All the adventures they can go on and memories they can make. Having a summer to remember with your little ones doesn’t have to break the bank. It can be created. Using common household items and budget friendly supplies you can visit water parks, go on treasure hunts, and even celebrate your UNBirthday’s without even leaving town or your own backyard. 1) Visiting a waterpark as a kid can … [Read more...]
Pro Home Stores Review
Have you heard of Pro Home Stores? They are an online retailer that sells several different products like Hammocks, Ventless Fireplaces and Bean Bag chairs. We were lucky enough to get to review the Jaxx Pillow Sac Jr Lounger. I picked this item to review because I thought it would be the perfect place for my kids to gather to read books together.When the box arrived I was sure how the pillow was going to turn out. After all the box was small and the pillow is huge! So here was the amazing … [Read more...]
A Mother’s Intuition
Thanks for the opportunity to join you on your blog today, Stefanie! And thank you for your interest in my book, Journaling by the Moonlight: A Mother's Path to Self- Discovery and its accompanying deck of 54 journaling prompt cards. I believe that mothers are a significant part of the "ripple effect" - that will transform the world into a more loving, more nurturing place. Imagine for a moment a pebble thrown into a pond. It creates a ripple that goes on and on and on.Because moms are … [Read more...]
Bringing Up Biligual Kids
Having spent ten years living in France, I always wanted my children to find languages easy. Now I’m back in the UK, with a talkative two-year-old, I’m finding that children do find language easy – so easy in fact, that it barely matters what language you’re using.So what does it take to bring up bilingual children? Is it an extra burden on the family or does the child take on the extra language with ease?Rule number one: don’t be afraidWe used to believe that children wouldn’t be … [Read more...]
Meringue Swirls
Here is a recipe Johanna and I made together when she was here visiting a few weeks ago! I used the recipe out of the Martha Stewart Living Magazine, but Johanna has a much easier recipe from The Toddler Cookbook that we will recommend instead!Here is the meringue recipe:You Will Need: 3 egg whites (medium) 3/4 cups superfine sugar 1/2 tsp cornstarch 1/2 tsp lemon juiceMakes 30 meringues. Bake at 250˚FTo make swirls you will need gel food coloring, painted into a piping bag. … [Read more...]
Kids and Dental Appointments
It may seem strange if you, as an adult and a parent, have been to the dentist for your whole life – but it is a simple fact that a large percentage of children fear trips to the dentist. This is true for a number of reasons, but at a very basic level, kids just aren’t often comfortable with allowing strangers to root around in their mouths with metal tools! If you think about it from a child’s point of view, it is actually a rather troubling concept. However, it is also necessary to alleviate … [Read more...]
