Recently, my family and I attended the Medieval Times dinner and show in California. The kids who attended with us aged from 3-13 and they were all mesmerized—in fact, every child and adult in the arena that I observed and had a blast! This visit inspired my daughter’s Medieval Birthday Party. At the show Medieval…
kids
Should I Have a Second Child? 7 Reasons Why Two Kids Are Better Than One
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of P&G. The opinions and text are all mine. My friends are just about to welcome their second baby. The first was quite an adjustment for them (as it usually is for most). They are a little nervous and apprehensive that this second one…
DIY Lego Roll Top Desk
My husband, Cam, is very good with construction and building things. His son takes after him and loves Legos. Cam wanted to make a DIY Lego desk or table for him for his birthday. He found a roll top desk for $20.00 on a local classified ad site. When Cam asked me what I thought…
How to Teach Your Toddlers to Work, Earn Money, and Become Frugal
Children thrive in environments where they learn to help, have skills to do things, and feel like they contribute. Children should be taught the concept of earning something through work at a young age. I have been learning by experience how to teach toddlers to work, earn money, and become frugal. My daughter, Aurora, is…
How to Cut Watermelon Smart
Everyone in my family loves watermelon! We are constantly eating it in the spring and summer time. Although I don’t love the drippy mess all over the kitchen floors, clothes, and faces, watermelon is totally worth it. In an effort to cut down on the mess and make eating watermelon a bit easier on us, I…
Make Your Kid a Money Genius (Even If You’re Not)
I had the book Make Your Kid a Money Genius (Even If You’re Not) by Beth Kobliner show up on my doorstep the other day. I sat down in my living room and began to read through it. As an author of a financial book myself, I was excited to read another money guide for parents…
My Back-to-School ‘Must-Have’ Item
As a stay-at-home mom who also works from home, I need to have reliable internet with fast speeds. My children also appreciate good internet for their TV/streaming time. As a result, it really is a good possibility that all of us will often be connected to the internet at once. Thus, we really need a…
Packing Tips for Kids
When I go out of town without my kids I like to pack their bags efficiently. This is so that those watching them know exactly what is what and where things are without having to dig. I’ve found packing in the following way really helps those who are watching my kids to have a stress-free experience. Further,…
Garage Sale Haul 3
My daughter just hit a growth spurt and grew out of her 18 month clothes. I was looking online for garage sales that were selling girl clothes and came across this one. When I arrived, I found that they were selling high-quality girl clothes for .25-.50 cents each!!! This is one of the BEST deals…
Kids’ No Sugar Added Slushies + Win $100 Walmart Gift Card
Summer is fast approaching and we love cold drinks, juice, and slushies. Today I took my kids’ favorite new juice–Mott’s® Apple Cherry Juice–and blended it with some ice. I put it in a few cups with color-changing straws. My kids have been going crazy over the sweet frozen goodness of this simple treat. (Admittedly, I have also…
Resurrection Easter Dessert Rolls
My friend has been making these Resurrection Easter Dessert Rolls for years. She taught me how and told me I could share this amazing recipe and object lesson with my readers. I showed my son and his friend the marshmallow and told them it represented Jesus Christ. He was laid in the tomb (Pillsbury® Butter…
33 Ideas on How to Get Children to Love Reading
I’ve always wanted to raise children who love to read. I believe that reading and continuing our education are very important habits to develop and cultivate in life. Capabilities, knowledge, and skills are empowering—especially in this day and age. In our book, Living a Rich Life as a Stay-at-Home Mom: How to Build a Secure Financial…
How to Create a Memorable & Cherished Christmas for Children
Creating a memorable and cherished Christmas for your children doesn’t have to be overly expensive or complex. To prove this point, just take a minute and think back on when you were a child. What do you remember and cherish most about Christmas? As I did this, three main things game to mind: 1- Helping and…
19 Fun Homemade Halloween Costumes for Ages 2-5
If you caught my Halloween costume post for babies and toddlers that I published a few days ago, you know how much I love making homemade Halloween costumes. I’ve rounded up some great ones that are not only darling, creative, and cute but are also inexpensive (and a few of them quite easy). Enjoy! 1. DIY…
27 Reasons Why I Love Being a Stay-at-Home Mom
Being a stay-at-home mom is not an easy job (that is an understatement by the way), but it sure is rewarding! Below are just 27 of the many reasons I love being a stay-at-home mom. Quick note- By writing this blog post I’m not trying to personally demean anyone who is not a SAHM. I’m just simply sharing what…
15 Steps to a Successful Morning Routine for You and Your Kids
Mornings are such a double edge sword for me. I love that I wake up rested and looking forward to a new day. But yet, I kind of dread getting out of my soft comfy bed (esp. if I feel like the morning could be chaotic). I’ve found (and I’ve heard from other moms, including my…
Organic Lunchbox Solutions
O Organics is an affordable lunch-friendly brand that has made lunch box ideas and recipes easy, quick, and healthy. Like these delicious Organic Apple Fries and Cinnamon Dipping Sauce Or these amazing DIY Strawberry Lemonade Fruit Leather snacks I can’t wait to try this delicious Chicken Salad Wrap I bet your kids would love the…
How to Protect Your Kids from the Sun While Enjoying the Great Outdoors
We love to be outside, hike, bike, play in the yard, at the play ground, go boating, and camp. We recently had our backyard remodeled. We put in an in-ground trampoline, re-sod the lawn, put in a small sand box area, installed a new fence/gate, and I’m working on new patio furniture. My kids’ friends…
My Favorite Recipe to Teach Children How to Use Kitchen Tools
Today I’m over at MyMommyStyle.com sharing my favorite recipe that teaches kids how to use kitchen tools. Check it out here.
The Top 5 Tips for Parenting An Introverted Child To Bring Out The Best In Him/Her
A child who is not outgoing and who does not seem to be keen on making friends can be a source of concern for his or her parents. Some parents react by labeling this sort of behavior as abnormal. This vocal labeling can alienate their child and even push them into depression. It is perfectly…
How to Get 30-50% off Thrift-Store-Priced Clothing
My daughter just went through a MAJOR growth spurt. She went from a size 3 months to size 6 months being snug, so really from size 3 months to 9 months and from a size 2 diaper to size 4 in just a few weeks. Although I have tons of 9 month pants, shorts, skirts,…
9 Ways to More Easily Afford NEW Baby and Toddler Clothes
I have written about many different ways to save on used baby and toddler clothes. My detailed posts on how to snag used clothing items at thrift stores, consignment shops, garage sales, hand-me-downs, purchasing ‘clothing lots’ on your local classifieds, etc. have been well read. But what about ways to save on NEW toddler and…
How to ‘Kid-Proof’ an App (like Netflix) on an iPhone or iPad
As a parent, there are just times when you need your child to sit quietly. We recently experienced one. I was leaving to go to a funeral and our babysitter cancelled due to the flu. Her cancelling meant that my wild toddler and newborn and I were going to a funeral together—gulp. As expected, we…
How to Teach a Toddler Their Colors (37 Creative Activities!)
Children learn their colors between 20 months-3 1/2 years of age. Doing some of the following 35 activities will help facilitate their learning. Playing with colored blocks. Color with crayons, colored pencils, etc. Go on a treasure hunt! Using paper lunch bags with colors on the front go collect colored toys together. Tutorial…
The Best Way to Teach Your Children about Money
Hello readers of Anita’s blog. We are Paul & Camille Walker from www.kidsfamilyfinance.com and honored to guest post today. Over at KidsFamilyFinance we are a niche blog that is all about teaching kids about money. One question we have asked ourselves (and heard many others ask as well) is why do kids learn so much…
How to Get Rewarded for Drinking Water
My family has a boathouse on a lake nearby that we have been visiting at least few times a week this summer. We love going there to water ski, wake board, tube, swim, and play in the sand. With the summer heat being so strong, we are always trying to keep the kids hydrated…
Why & How a Daughter & Granddaughter of Multi-Millionaires Was Taught to Be Frugal
In psychology they have found and continue to prove that at the roots of our thought and actions are beliefs that we formed quite strongly while we were young. Psychologists call this your family origins. And while I’d like to think that it is not really the case (I like to be individual and…
Five Reasons Why You Should Be Proud of a Messy House
Before I got pregnant cleaning was pretty easy. I usually kept a clean house and enjoyed having it that way. During my fourth through nine months I had PGP (you can read about it here) and cleaning became very difficult. Yet, I still managed it for the most part. Then came the newborn stage and,…
How To Help Your Child Conquer Their Fear of Dogs
Guest post by Karen Jensen, my sister and co-author of our book Living a Rich Life as a Stay-at-Home Mom: How to Build a Successful Financial Foundation for You and Your Children. My son was terrified of dogs. I mean the blood curdling scream kind of terrified, when a dog the size of a cat…
How to Break Through the Smog of Daily Routines and Drink In Life’s Beauty
Some days pass in almost a haze. Sometimes I’ll sit back and think about what I did during the week and wonder where the time went. Often, I don’t even remember what I did in specifics. And sadly, if I do remember what happened, it is usually how stressed out I was about this or…