Do you have an Elf on the Shelf? How do you feel about him? Does he bring stress to your house? Or joy? Both? I think it's time I introduced you to someone. Meet Dingle. This is the original Elf on the Shelf. Dingle existed long before the Elf on the Shelf commercial racket, as Charlie ...
Parenting
20 Dinner Time Questions to Get Your Kids Talking
Dinnertime conversations are powerful. Use these 20 dinner time questions to get your kids talking! The research is clear that one simple thing can have profound impact on children and teens: the family dinner. Kids who eat dinner together at least five nights a week with their family are more ...
Because I Can’t Sleep with Two People at the Same Time
When you're pregnant for the first time, people tell you, "Your sleep will never be the same," and you think you know what they mean. You think that once you're given this insight, you can prepare yourself for this change in your sleep life. But the truth is, there's no way you can ever ...
Why I think I’m Going to Like Having a 9 Year Old
This little girl is nine years old today. Nine! Isn't it a surreal thing, watching your own children grow up? The years pass by quickly, yet we don't see the changes in our day to day life. One day, you just wake up and realize the little girl who loved princesses and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is ...
If Mama Ain’t Healthy, Ain’t Nobody Happy
We've all seen her. The mom who would do anything for her family. The mom who would give her everything to help her family be the happiest and healthiest they can be. The mom who is giving her everything for that goal. Literally, she is giving it all. And leaving nothing for herself.She's the ...
Are Your Kids Picky Eaters?
This has got to be the most frequently asked question among parents. I know I get it all the time. Are your kids picky eaters? I think the answer for most all parents is not a simple yes or no. What does it even mean for a kid to be labeled as "picky?" What does it take to get placed in that ...
Parenting During the Easy Years
My daughter, son, and I were watching home movies recently. At 8 and 5, they love watching scenes from when they were babies and toddlers and laughing at all their cute idiosyncrasies. We watched Meghan, as an uninhibited 5 year old, stand on the hearth of our fireplace, dancing and singing her ...
How Not to Lose Yourself In Motherhood
September 21, 2008 around 9 o'clock in the evening my whole world changed. That first moment when my daughter, brand new to the world, grabbed my hospital gown with her tiny hand I knew I was done. Motherhood took hold of my heart and it was never letting go. But what does that mean? When I gave ...
How to Plan for Eating a Bigger Variety of Foods
I'm as guilty as the next person of eating my favorite foods over and over. Hardly a week goes by that sweet potatoes don't pass my lips. Nearly every day I eat a banana. Even though I do eat my favorite foods a lot, I also am cognizant of eating a wide variety of foods and helping my family do ...
Are Healthy Family Dinners Really Important?
Life is busy and there are so many important things to juggle as a mom, it's hard to know what's really critical to focus on. We all want the best for our kids; there's no doubt about that. I'm sure there isn't a parent reading this who wouldn't agree that she'd do whatever it takes to help her ...
And Then She Was Eight
Yesterday, the girl who first made me a mama turned eight years old. Eight. There's something different about this age, isn't there? A feeling like something is ending. An edging towards something. Or is it away from something? It's like she's holding hands with me, but just my pinky, not ready to ...
Stop Doing This When My Kid is Crying
When my four-year-old son Luke wants something, he wants it. He wants it and he wants it now. “No” is a hard word for him to hear. Anyone who’s ever witnessed Luke’s response to my answer no when he really wants something understands that he ranks up there with the best of the preschoolers. The boy ...