This time of the year is insane. We're moving so quickly, our to-do lists are nuts, and often we're totally forgetting to breathe. At least I am. So when I saw my sweet and smart friend Danielle Smith, of Pretty Extraordinary, take a minute to say "thank you" to the delivery people, I stopped and smiled. This is so simple. But it can really make someone's day. Here's the skinny. . . Thank You Delivery People -- Free Printable for Families It's a simple "thank you" that you can … [Read more...]
create summer sparks with everyday acts of kindness
Sponsored by author T.A. Barron and the Spark Goodness Program. If you want my expert opinion, teaching our kids about the importance of being a good, kind person is the greatest lesson we could teach them. It's the absolute biggest, most important lesson ever. And it's not like we can just say, "You've got to be kind to others," and we're done. Nope. Teaching our kids about kindness is something we need to do nearly on a daily basis from the time they're toddlers until they … [Read more...]
quick and easy flower wish boxes
It's amazing how easily you can create sweet and easy gifts sometimes when you have a bit of inspiration. Sometimes it's a walk in the craft store. Sometimes it's a stroll through the park. Sometimes it's a glance through a photo album. Sometimes it's a movie, tv program, or book. These quick and easy flower wish boxes were inspired by a book series that we've recently discovered. It's a book series that Maddy and Cora have devoured, and it's a series that I love as … [Read more...]
teacher appreciation gifts for all of your kids’ teachers
Friends. Teacher Appreciation gifts can sometimes break the bank, and I know that can be hard. But being a teacher myself, I can tell you that really, sometimes simple and heartfelt is a much better way to go. Teachers appreciate hearing 'thank you' any day of the week. Really and truly. Having three kids in school and about a million teachers to recognize, I know it can also get super expensive to give gifts to these important people in your children's lives. Here's a sweet and … [Read more...]
teach kids to give back: $250 volunteer grants for students
I am thrilled to be able to share with you some super ways to teach kids to give back to their communities. WeAreTeachers has asked me to help spread the word about $250 grants that teachers can earn thanks to the Allstate Foundation WE Volunteer Now. Friends, if ever there was a blog post to share with your child's school, this is the one! We all know that volunteering--or giving back to our great, big world--has profound effects on all parties involved. Now your child's school can … [Read more...]
what can you do about gun control? start here.
Friends, it's time to stop talking and start doing. No matter which political party you stand with, the gun violence in our country has gotten way out of hand. It's time to really, truly do something. But before I get all nuts about things, I must be clear: this is not about gun control; it's about gun sense. I am by no means trying to take away anyone's 2nd Amendment right to bear arms. That's not my jam. Rather, I'm advocating for better gun sense laws--laws designed to keep … [Read more...]
secret message valentines: homemade, candy-free, totally cool
Longtime fans of the ole homemade Valentine, I've had to get a little more clever and crafty as the kids get older. But I still want them writing, reading, and thinking (come on. . . at least a little!) while they're making them. So when I did some Valentine searching this year, I found a ton of cool ideas. A ton of cool ideas. There are about a million, trillion awesome homemade Valentines out there. But the Secret Message Valentines caught my eye. I knew Maddy, Owen, and Cora would … [Read more...]
family volunteering on martin luther king, jr day
Four years ago was the very first year we volunteered as a family to honor Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday. But it will not be the last. Already, we're looking for other ways we can give back to our community this year to celebrate the life of this great man. Family volunteering on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is easy, thanks to a handful of really awesome organizations designed to make finding volunteer opportunities the easy part. Not even kidding. It takes five … [Read more...]
gifts that give back: ideas for kids and family #givingtuesday
Did you know that today is Giving Tuesday? It's a really simple concept: give. Any way you are able, to anyone. Give. The concept of giving is especially important at this time of the year, and lucky for us, many organizations have made it super easy--and so meaningful!--to give at holiday time. Looking at my kids' bedrooms and our playroom, I see we need very little. So I'm encouraging all of our family members to do something this year that packs a bit more of a punch: buying … [Read more...]
advent activity calendar for kids and family: 2017
We do this every advent season. And the kids love it. I actually contemplated switching things this year--finding another advent activity calendar that would get our family into the holiday spirit, but I decided against it. Because in this quickly-changing world, sometimes I think it's nice to keep things consistent. Here's the skinny. . . Advent Activity Calendar for Kids and Family--2017: I print out a copy of the calendar to keep on hand for myself, and then I cut each of … [Read more...]
halloween giving: how to BOO! your friends (on a budget)
I've said it before--spooky Halloween is not my thing. So this weekend, when our family was officially BOO'ed for the first time, a whole new chapter of Halloween fun--and Halloween giving--opened up for us. BOO'ing is all the craze, it seems, though (boo-hooo!) we haven't fallen victim to BOO'ing quite like this--ever. What I love about BOO'ing is that it actually adds an element of sneaky, fun, giving to this candy-saturated holiday. Maddy, Owen, and Cora were actually thinking … [Read more...]
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