As a mom of college students, I love visiting my kids on campus. There’s nothing better than getting to spend time with them in the spaces they love. My two engineering majors spend a lot of time in their campus machine shops where they’re carving wooden bowls out of blocks of wood and turning metal…
3 Manageable Ways to Prioritize Your Mental Health
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to recognize the importance of mental wellbeing since it affects how we think, feel, and behave. One of the most powerful ways to honor this month is to lead by example and prioritize your mental health. As parents, we tend to put others first and that’s not always…
5 Easy Ways to Help Teachers at the End of the Year
The start of May makes it feel like the end of the school year is finally in sight but for teachers, it’s one of the longest months and busiest times of the year. The weather is warmer and kids have gotten way too comfortable in their learning routines. Plus standardized testing throws off every school’s…
Best Gifts for Favorite Women in Your Life
Some links in my best gifts for favorite women are affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on a link. Mother’s Day is a day to honor the special women in our lives, whether blood related or not. This May show aunts, sisters, adoptive mothers, foster…
Talking About Underage Drinking Prevention with Kids of All Ages
When conversations about alcohol between parents and kids increase, underage drinking rates decrease. April is Alcohol Responsibility Month so it’s a great time to talk about about underage drinking prevention. Here’s how to have age-appropriate conversations with your elementary, middle, or high schooler so they’ll understand how alcohol affects growing brains and bodies and can…
Easy Spring Break Learning Goals for Kids of All Ages
Spring break is right around the corner and while everyone needs a brain break, unstructured time can be hard for kids who thrive on a routine. Help your kids keep from getting too restless by working together to set spring break learning goals. How to Set Spring Break Learning Goals Spring break learning goals can…
Teaching Kids About Taxes in Age-Appropriate Ways
As the April 15 deadline for filing taxes approaches, chances are your kids have questions about taxes. Teaching kids about taxes is just as important as conversations about money so they become financially literate. However, understanding what taxes are, who they benefit, and how they are paid often gets left out of the conversation. For…
Lighthouse Parenting: Tips for Raising Emotionally Healthy Kids
Many phrases are used to describe the different types of parents: tiger mom, lawnmower dad, and helicopter or snowplow parent. I never felt that any of them described me until I heard about lighthouse parenting a few years ago. What is Lighthouse Parenting? How Lighthouse Parenting Differs from Other Parenting Styles When I first heard…
Building a Fast Pinewood Derby Car: 14 Tips from My Former Scout
Every year since 1953, Cub Scouts across the country have participated in the Pinewood Derby with the goal of building and racing small, driverless wooden cars down a sloped track, powered only by gravity. Things haven’t changed much in the past 65 years of the Derby. All cars still start as a block or wedge…
How to Embrace the Dopamine Décor Trend on a Budget
Some make new year’s resolutions, others select words. Instead, I spent the first part of this year focusing on purging, organizing, and redecorating part of our home. My goal was to transform a cluttered office into a colorful upstairs sitting area without spending a lot of money. Without realizing it, I unintentionally embraced the dopamine…
