Every year the kids and I have a really fun time searching for cool Valentines to make for their class party Valentine exchange. We don't go super-crazy. We just do something a little special that will hopefully make their friends and teachers smile. It's a yearly tradition--the search, the planning, the mess, the crafting, and the delivering. It's a lot of fun, and honestly, I could weep thinking that this yera will be Maddy's last year for a Valentine's Day class party. Next year, as a … [Read more...]
the polar express night: a holiday family tradition
The Polar Express is more than a book for some people. It's a holiday family tradition that has become an eagerly-anticipated December event! The following guest post is written by Karen Blake in 2013, but it's one of my most popular holiday posts. Karen is a teacher, mom of three, and aunt of many. She's a lover of traditions and is quite honestly one of the most creative and crafty friends I have. —————————— Traditions are my favorite. And Christmas traditions are the absolute BEST! My … [Read more...]
5 fun back-to-school rituals for busy families
Friends. There's no denying it. Back-to-school season is in full swing, so I thought I'd take a minute to share a few fun back-to-school rituals for busy families. I Here's the skinny. . . 5 Fun Back-to-School Rituals for Busy Families Family Camp-In No matter where in the world you live, the weather's always perfect for a Family Camp-In. A Camp-In is the opposite of a Camp-Out, of course! A Camp-In takes place in your house, in a room large enough for the whole family. And though you … [Read more...]
hello teacher notes: let kids connect with teachers
Another one of our fave back-to-school traditions involves a little bit of writing, some decorating, and a wee bit of walking. Not much walking, really. Just to the mailbox or up to the school, depending on where you live. But for the last few years, we've rocked Hello, Teacher Notes to ease the transition from summer break to school year just a tiny bit easier for Maddy, Owen, and Cora. Okay, and me. We sent them: last year, when Owen went to Kindergarten, Maddy went to 2nd, and … [Read more...]
new year’s interview: fun family tradition
It's New Year's Interview time! (I can hardly believe it!) This year, we made some minor adjustments to our traditional New Year's Family Interview because as the kids get older, I'm more interested in their thoughts and reflections than on their favorite color or best friend. So after our late-afternoon fondue dinner, we busted out with the biggie ice-cream sundae fixings. We made monster sundaes, got all crazy on sugar, and then got to work on our interviews--a fun and easy family tradition … [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...]
kid-friendly july 4th treat: flag cake
One of our favorite summertime traditions involves sweets (big surprise). Every year for as long as I can remember, the kids and I have made a July 4th flag cake. It’s simple. It’s sweet. And it’s so pretty, it’s hard to take. It's a 100% kid-friendly July 4th treat: the traditional flag cake. All you need is a boxed cake mix, cool whip, strawberries, and blueberries, and you’re ready to rock and roll. Here’s the skinny. . . Traditional July 4th Flag Cake: Though there’s … [Read more...]
holiday traditions that make our family rock: what matters most
One of my favorite parts of being a parent is establishing and celebrating traditions as a family. And it's funny because some things that we never really even intended to become traditions have become just that--expected, every year events that my kids eagerly anticipate. Though I've written about them here and there over the years, this year I'm dragging them all out. Each and every one of our holiday traditions. All of the holiday … [Read more...]
april fools’ pranks and jokes for kids
Seriously, April Fools' Day is one of my favorite holidays, and I know that's not normal. I just think April Fools' Day gives us a good excuse to get a little silly and throw a few laughs into your kids'--and our--day. Because all too often, between homework, activities, meetings, projects, and work, I don't think we do enough silly things just to be silly. So there. I like April Fools' Day. I like good, clean April Fools' pranks and jokes for … [Read more...]
how every family should celebrate martin luther king, jr day
I love the idea of doing some sort of service project for the community to honor Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy. Imagine how great the world would be if every family did something small for others to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. It would be amazing. And the awesome thing is that there are dozens and dozens of fun ways that families can work together to give back and all year, but especially in January, when we mark , Dr. King's birthday. In 1957, Dr. King said, 'Life's most … [Read more...]
easy, homemade new year’s eve shakers
Any time we can use recyclables for learning or play, it’s a win in my book. So each year as New Year’s Eve approaches, we clean out our recycle bin and put some of those small containers to use for easy, homemade shakers! All you need are a few containers, beads, and ribbon, and you and your kiddos will be rockin’ and rollin’, shakin; and celebrating on New Year’s Eve—or any time of the year. Here’s the skinny. . . Easy, Homemade New Year’s Eve Shakers: Really, we’ve been making … [Read more...]
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