Parenting

September 21, 2018

Traveling with a Newly Potty Trained Toddler

When it comes to potty training, I thought the second time around would be a breeze. When I potty trained my son, it was simple. Based on the recommendation of a friend, I tried that 3-day method and it was so simple! He potty trained just like that and we never looked back. Thinking potty training number 2 would be easy was my first mistake. I thought I’d breeze through it a second time with the 3-day method and bam! No more diapers. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Potty training a headstrong toddler was something I wasn’t prepared for. At all. Once we finally had it down, it was time to travel with this new found freedom. That was something else I needed to prepare myself for. [Read more…] about Traveling with a Newly Potty Trained Toddler

December 7, 2017

Make it Game Day Every Day – Tips to Host an Epic Game Day

Thank you Goliath Games for sponsoring this post. Pick up your favorite game today to enjoy the holiday season and beyond!

My kids love a good game night. In fact, they love it so much we try to have one at least once a week. Sometimes hectic schedules get in the way and we miss a week or two but we easily make up for it the next weekend. Game nights are even better when they’re shared with friends. The laughs and giggles that ensue throughout the night make it all worthwhile. The last few months have been really busy and it’s been a little while since we had our last game night. So I knew we were way overdue and I wanted to fix that – stat. So I invited some friends over, put together a little menu perfect for gamers big and small and grabbed some games from Goliath Games and Pressman Toys for an epic game night. [Read more…] about Make it Game Day Every Day – Tips to Host an Epic Game Day

November 10, 2017

10 Ideas to Get the Whole Family Involved for Family Volunteer Day

This is a sponsored post in partnership with Disney and GenerationOn.

Kids learn by example and one of my jobs as a parent is to model good behavior for them to follow. As parents, we are our kids first role models. I see it with my toddler on a daily basis and even still with my tween. They follow our example and our lead on just about everything. One thing I wanted to instill in both my kids from an early age was giving back. We’re very fortunate but there are so many others who are not, and I want my kids to experience first hand the benefits of service to others. Getting the kids involved on Family Volunteer Day is a great way to teach kids the importance of giving back. [Read more…] about 10 Ideas to Get the Whole Family Involved for Family Volunteer Day

May 22, 2017

5 Tips To Be The Best Sideline Parent Ever

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SaveSnackScore #CollectiveBias

My son has been playing sports since he turned 5. So for the last 8 years I’ve been a sideline parent for his baseball, soccer, track and whatever other sport he decided to play. With most years seeing him play a few different sports a year, that’s given me about plenty of time to practice and hone the skill of being the best sideline parent ever! Whether this is your first year as a sideline parent or your tenth, I’m sharing some of the tips that have helped me over the years. [Read more…] about 5 Tips To Be The Best Sideline Parent Ever

December 7, 2016

Tips for Choosing the Right Baby Bottle

This is a sponsored post with Philips Avent

With baby number two, I thought I knew what to expect and when to expect it. Having done this parenting thing once already, I felt more confident in my abilities as a mom the second time around. I was sure I was going to do this and that and she’d be an easy baby just like her brother. What I wasn’t prepared for was the fact that I was going to be wrong. Wrong on just about everything. While she is an amazing toddler and was an amazing baby, everything she’s done has been on her own terms. Not her brothers or even mine. Even when it comes down to little things like her bottle. While she’s this close to giving up her bottle for good, she still needs her “ba-ba wit che-che” (that’s her bottle with leche for anyone who doesn’t speak toddler) at nap time. Honestly it’s not worth the fight since she won’t nap without it. She’s feisty just like her mama and I know she’ll do things on her on terms when she’s ready. [Read more…] about Tips for Choosing the Right Baby Bottle

November 29, 2016

Make This Holiday “One Big Happy Wonderland”

This post is sponsored by Gymboree.

The holidays are my favorite time of year. I look forward to decorating, Christmas shopping, our annual cookie baking party and so much more. This year the holidays are even more special since it’s the first year my little one is really excited for Christmas. When she sees the holiday lights throughout the neighborhood she squeals with delight. Last weekend we put our Christmas tree up and she was so excited and happy to see it all light up. One of our holiday traditions is to decorate the tree together the day after Thanksgiving and every year, the kids get their own holiday ornament that represents something that they did or they experienced that year. My oldest waits for his new ornament every year and this year, even my little one couldn’t wait to hang hers on the tree. Watching the excitement through Evie’s eyes brings a whole new meaning to the holidays. This year, we’re excited to make this holiday one big happy wonderland and create even more fun, family traditions. [Read more…] about Make This Holiday “One Big Happy Wonderland”