• triple_chamber_challenge
    family - Giveaways - parenting

    If Laundry Makes You Cringe, Try This Triple Chamber Challenge #AHFreshPerspective

    April 12, 2017 - By 

    Someone asked me recently what I liked about laundry. I didn’t need to think hard about that because honestly there’s nothing I like about laundry. Nothing at all. Unless someone else does the laundry. Then I love it. I also love it when my clothes are clean and put away and ready to wear. Laundry is expensive and seemingly endless at times. Thank Goodness I have helpers. My husband and daughters help out. In fact my husband does three quarters of the laundry here. I do three quarters of the cooking so that’s fair. And my teens mostly help with the…

  • fashion_angels
    family

    Fashion Angels Introduce New Spring Craft Kits for Tweens and Teens #TMMSG17

    April 6, 2017 - By 

    Fashion Angels is a company I’ve written about several times. If you’ve read any of those posts, you know I’m in love with the brand. This company is all about wholesome fun, and as a mom, I really love that. When I look at what constitutes entertainment these days, I’m glad that there’s a company like Fashion Angels out there that provides my girls with an outlet that lets them be creative. The only person who loves Fashion Angels more than me, is my youngest daughter. So when I heard that the company had released a new line of spring…

  • gear_giveaway
    family - Giveaways - parenting

    Share Photos of Your Daughter’s Old Gear to Win #PlayOnWinGear

    April 2, 2017 - By 

    I am a spokesperson for Playtex Sport and as such I have been compensated. This is my opinion and my story and it is truthful.  Is your daughter’s basketball jersey junk? Is that wrestling singlet sunk? Volleyball uniform vanish? Don’t sweat it. You can still save the day. Right now you could win a new uniform for your daughter, or grand-daughter. You might even win uniforms for the entire team with the Playtex Sport Gear Giveaways. This is one contest you will want to share. The Playtex Sport Gear Giveaways are happening right now on Instagram. It’s easy to enter. All you have to do is…

  • teen_travel
    active family travel - Travel

    Teen Travel – When Are They Ready To Go Solo?

    March 26, 2017 - By 

    Solo Teen travel is something that most parents will have to deal with at some point. In this day and age of spread out families, international job opportunities, and easy long distance travel, solo teen travel is becoming more common. The question becomes this: How do you know when they’re ready to travel on their own? Maybe your teen has taken the bus around town or the train to an Aunt or Uncle’s Home a few cities away. They have most definitely done a bit of family travel with you their parents. But as for flying on their own, well that’s…

  • mad_river_glen
    active family travel - family - Travel

    Mad River Glen – The East Coast’s Most Authentic Ski Experience #IFWTWA

    March 21, 2017 - By 

    We started out twice on the morning we planned to meet up with our host at Mad River Glen. German Flats Road is slippery and winding. One of those mountain roads that you only find in ski states like Vermont, where there are signs dotting the roadway that say Moose Crossing. Clearly, we’re not in London anymore. All along the highway on the way into Vermont I marvelled at the strange winding single lane mountain roads. Our GPS threaded us through the APP Gap, and eventually we made it through to Sugarbush Resort where we stayed. For two days we skied,…

  • first_shave
    beauty products - family

    First Shave – Building Good Hygiene Habits for Daughters #ad #moveslikenoother

    March 12, 2017 - By 

    This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Gillette Venus. All opinions are 100% mine. First shave. There are so many teen and tween developmental milestones that are tricky areas to navigate. First period, first kiss, first shave, first date. There’s really no rule book for these areas. Even though your girls will probably pretend they do not want to hear any of this information from Mom, it’s important that they learn.  I mean everything Mom does or says is embarrassing at a certain point, but still you have to keep the channels of communication open. And it’s…

  • Two kids in colourful jackets looking out at the fall horizon
    Parenting

    “It Still Hurts” – Foster Care and Adoption Triggers – Teens

    March 9, 2017 - By 

    A smart person once told me at an adoption conference that adoption is not an event. Adoption is for life. So what does that mean exactly? In fact, adoption continues to be a piece of who you are as a family, as a person, long after happy court is done. Through elementary school and high school, children and teenagers also have adoption triggers. It is extremely easy to forget that adoption is not an event. From September to June the days mostly fall into a predictable rhythm. Wake up, get ready for school, leave for school. Hang out with friends and learn and…

  • parenting

    Limeapple’s Bubble Hoodies Give Back #BecauseICan

    March 1, 2017 - By 

    I have two athletic, talented, smart, comical girls that are fast becoming young women, and who seem busier than ever in 2017. This year has been a flurry of activity so far – from skiing, horseback riding, basketball, martial arts, travel, play rehearsals, and more. As a Mom, I choose clothing that lasts and works hard to keep up with my active girls. Limeapple fits every time. And Now Limeapple’s Bubble Hoodies also give back. We are particular about the clothing the kids wear and how it moves when racing back and forth to horseback riding, martial arts, dance, drama rehearsals,…

  • family - parenting

    Empower Kids with These Two Great Books

    January 23, 2017 - By 

    It’s important to empower kids. As parents and adults in general, it’s our job to help today’s youth grow up to be confident, well-adjusted members of society. One of the ways we do that is to empower kids by nurturing creativity and self esteem. I’m a big believer in this, and recently a couple of books that do just that caught my eye. Empower Kids with Learning and Creativity Although these books are quite different, their outcome is the same. They empower kids to use their minds and teach them that any goal that they set for themselves is achievable.…

  • online_activity
    Technology

    Keep Tabs on Your Child’s Online Activity With These 5 Programs

    January 4, 2017 - By 

    Online activity can be a scary proposition for parents. What are your kids seeing? What are they hearing? Who or what are they interacting with? With the ability to open up browser windows that never save data or history, your child’s online activity can be a frightening thing indeed. What if you know very little about social media, or computers? Maybe you have no real clue how to check Snapchat or Instagram Stories to view what they are sharing and doing. Don’t worry, this post is intended to help. There are ways to help keep tabs on your child’s web surfing.…