It’s officially summer, when my kids seem to excel at the game “How many water bottles and pair of goggles can you lose?” and “Where did that tube of sunscreen go?” I’m a working mom who works through the summer, which means fun summer camps (with a hefty side of working mom guilt) for …
“We seasoned our dinner with herbs from our garden, and topped off our salad with our homegrown tomatoes,” the neighbors said. Not us! Steak on the grill and frozen french fries over here! I tend to think I don’t have the skill — or the time — for a fancy, productive garden, though I do …
You know when you buy Dad a tie as a Father’s Day gift, but he rarely dresses up? Or you get your husband a coupon book for various golf courses, and he never uses it because it turns out there are limitations on days and times, and none are convenient? Yeah, let’s avoid that, right? …
Resolutions. Ugh, it’s that time of year again. Every year I try to make a few resolutions; every year I keep essentially none. Not because I can’t commit, but usually because I don’t have time to fit whatever my resolutions are into my schedule. Yeah, yeah, I know, I need to “make time for …
Spread joy and kindness — it is key to how I’m wired, and something I very much want to instill in my boys as a natural, wonderful, automatic thing to do. We do kindness projects whenever we can, try to model kind/good behavior, and choose charities to donate to in order to spread joy in …
Being thankful, even when there’s a lot going on and sometimes it’s hard to see through it, is like finding the golden ticket in a sea of, well, I guess bronze tickets? I’m thankful for this table, and all the mess on top I’m thankful for my boys, and the chaos that won’t stop When …
We all love to express thanks around the Thanksgiving holiday, but in my house, we try — admittedly sometimes without success — to teach thankfulness as a way of life regardless of what time of year it is. That includes writing thoughtful thank-you notes. I know a lot of people who actually don’t bother with …
Family photo: It’s the time of year when when we practice our perfect smiles and get the kids new perfect outfits for a family photo, right? Well, not in our case. We try to do a professional family photo shoot every few years (for holiday cards, or to frame in the house, or to simply …
A little kindness goes a long way, I think. I try to model it whenever I can — not just consciously, but because it’s how I’m wired to act — buying a hot cup of chicken soup for a homeless man, supporting a local family in a time of need, donating to charities, smiling at …
Have you ever had just 15 minutes you need to pass with your kids, and you desperately need a quick activity to fit into that time? Here’s a quick and easy, yet sparkly and festive, easy holiday craft you can do with even the rowdiest of boys. Holiday Hanging Ribbons: What you need: Sticky bows …
