This is part of a sponsored campaign with Choice Hotels. Today officially marks the end of summer as school starts for our kids but last week we had the opportunity to visit one of our favorite local vacation spots— Chincoteague, Virginia. Just over three hours from Washington, D.C., the town of Chincoteague feels like a…
Join Me for Staples #MakeRoarHappen Twitter Party This Wednesday!
This is a sponsored post. As a former teacher and current parent of two elementary aged children, I make it a priority to support classroom teachers in a number of different ways. It doesn’t take a lot of time or money to show our kids’ teachers that we care but a little effort goes a…
Maintaining #SummerReading Momentum by Reading Under the Stars
This is a sponsored post While summer may seem short, it can feel long to the most motivated readers to stay inspired to stick with even the most captivating of books during the two and a half months away from school. Remember how I shared how I got my kids to keep reading this summer?…
4 Things Staples #EasyTechTS Techs Wish You Knew About Maintaining Your Computer
This is a part of a sponsored post campaign with Staples. Through the years, I’ve become the voice inside friends’ heads reminding them to run an automatic backup, ensure their virus protection is current, and create separate logins for kids to ensure their computers remain in top shape. Complaints about sluggish machines and urgent texts…
What Parenting Books Don’t Tell You About Creating a Lifetime of Conversations with Your Kids
This is a sponsored post written as part of my involvement with the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility. In every parenting book I ever read before our first-born daughter was born, there was never any advice to always be prepared to have any conversation at any time but as a mom of 5th and 3rd…
5 Ways to Teach Compassion, Empathy, and Kindness to Our Children
With a new school year on the horizon, we’re gathering school supplies, checking to make sure fall clothes will fit when the weather turns, and wondering what our child(ren)’s experience at school will be like this year. We’re thinking about the math facts and writing skills they’ll be learning and hoping that they’ll be…
Why a Guarantee is the Best Protection for Our Most Important Devices
This is a sponsored post Gadgets are great until they stop working and for some reason, they always seem to stop working when the warranty has just run out. Most manufacturers won’t consider helping if the warranty has expired so consumers often purchase pricey extended warranty protection. Since there have been few times where…
Streamline Online Shopping for Back to School Essentials When You #PayPalIt (w discounts from favorite online stores)
This is a sponsored post This weekend we did a little back to school shopping for some of the remaining school supply items that are on the kids’ must-have lists. Our goal was to hit only one store and go early to avoid crowds and be there early enough to shop among aisles that had…
Educational Apps, Websites & Devices to Prepare Your Child for Preschool and Kindergarten
Even though it may seems like summer just started back-to-school season is here! School shopping lists and new clothes and supplies are a big part of preparing for back-to-school and since parents always want to give their kids the best start when it comes to first school experiences, we’re also incorporating technology to get our…
How I Got My Kids to Keep Reading This Summer (and why it isn’t too late to start!)
This is a sponsored post. “Do we HAVE to go anywhere today?” asked my 10 year old daughter in an exasperated voice one mid-summer morning. “I just want to stay at home and read.” While I usually reprimand my daughter for displays of tween attitude (can you sense the eyeroll and a hand on hip…
