Explaining the complexities of an election and current political issues to kids of any age can be a challenge. Fortunately, kids can Build the Vote in Minecraft thanks to Rock the Vote and Sid Lee. Build the Vote invites kids of all ages to learn more about the United States’ electoral process. It also teaches about…
How to Talk About Marijuana with Your Kids
When our kids were little, we used to hold their hands when crossing the street in order to keep them safe. As they’ve grown, we’ve asked them to wear helmets when riding bikes and scooters, approve social media friend requests from those they know, and nervously sat in the passenger seat while teaching them how…
How I Made the Decision to Protect My Kids Against Cancer
This post is sponsored by the American Cancer Society As parents, we work hard to protect our kids against things that harm them. When they were young, we used to hold their little hands in ours when crossing the street. These days we try to keep track of who their friends are and who they’re…
How to Vote Safely During a Pandemic
This post was made possible by AARP in their effort to protect the 50+ vote. All opinions are my own. I remember casting my first ballot a few months after my 18th birthday, sending in absentee ballots during college, and waiting in line at polling places in my community. Through the years the issues that…
5 Teacher Tech Essentials for Virtual Classrooms
This post is sponsored by Logitech When coronavirus closed schools in March, every teacher did the best they could to transition to emergency schooling. This fall educators across the country reimagined their teaching spaces and got creative to engage a new group of students. They’re using new online teaching tools and tech essentials for virtual…
LEGO® Education Rebuild The World Inspires Today’s Middle Schoolers to be Tomorrow’s Problem Solvers
This post is sponsored by LEGO® Education I like to tell my 8thgraders that the world of work will look far different than it does today. As a middle school teacher and parent of teens, I want my students and own two children to develop transferable skills that can be applied to any situation. But…
Photomath App Teaches Math to All Ages with Step-by-Step Explanations
This post is sponsored by Photomath School poses a multitude of challenges for our kids. Being in a virtual classroom fits some learning styles well but some subjects are harder to understand online. Last spring many of my 8th graders told me math was much harder to learn through a screen than in person. Despite…
So Um… I Won the Iris Award for Mom Blog of the Year!
The name that flashed on the screen of my phone made me smile as I swiped to answer the call. “OMG! You won!,” my dear friend Danica said as I Iaughed. “Mom Blog of the Year! Can you believe it?” Honestly, no. Minutes before I was watching the Iris Awards livestream on my phone while…
Minecraft Uncensored Library Gives Censored Journalists Freedom in the Virtual World
As parents, we sometimes feel conflicted about Minecraft. We want to shut it down because it’s screen time but we also recognize the creative worlds foster real world skills like math skills, spatial reasoning, and perseverance, while building confidence. Now Minecraft Uncensored Library has given us one more reason to love the game. In the…
Vejo Review: Portable Pod Blender for Premium Plant-Based Nutrition
This Vejo review is sponsored but all opinions are my own At a time when we’re balancing work, trying to manage a household, and adjusting to a new virtual school year, it’s easy to forget to take care of ourselves. Sleep, exercise, and personal nutrition tend to fall by the wayside as we adjust to…
