This post is sponsored by Staples When I first began teaching first grade in 1998 in a low income public school, I was surprised that my public school budget for an entire year of classroom supplies totaled $120. $120 was supposed to purchase pencils, crayons, construction paper, glue, glue sticks, erasers, lined writing paper, writing…
4 Reasons Tweens Will Love Galactic Hot Dogs: The Wiener Strikes Back (w. giveaway)
This is a sponsored post While it’s generally not advisable to judge a book by its cover, tweens will find that the illustration on the front of Galactic Hot Dogs: The Wiener Strikes Back ($13.99) properly depicts an entertaining graphic novel that makes the perfect summer read. Following the success of the first book, Galactic Hot…
4 Things I Learned When I Ran Away and Joined Ringling Bros. for Out of This World
If you’ve ever contemplated running away to join the circus, I got to do exactly that. Ok, so perhaps my time with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey was temporary but my recent trip to the Feld Entertainment Studios in Palmetto, Florida provided a behind the scenes look at Out of This World, the newest…
Four Things I’ve Learned from Three Amazing Women in the Arizona Desert
This post is sponsored by Corning® Gorilla® Glass 4 If you got an invitation to journey to the desert with three people you didn’t know for a trip that would cover “interesting terrain and experiences” and require “a moderate to high level of activity,” would you say yes? I did and have no regrets. Let me…
Learning About Robotic Arms & What Kids 8+ Can Learn with Hexbug® VEX® Robotics Robotic Arm
One of the biggest challenges that parents face is over screen time and while lots can be learned from content consumed through screens, it’s not the only way to learn. Kids learn best when presented with different kinds of learning experiences ranging from paper and pencil tasks to immersive ones that provide hands-on learning. Even…
5 Ways to Protect Your Family & Home This Summer and Beyond #LSSS
This is part of a sponsored post series written as a compensated member of Master Lock’s Live Secure Safety Squad. June signifies the end of school and start of summer. Since we’re far more likely to be spending additional time outdoors and away from our homes during the next three months, it’s a good time to…
Finding Dory: 3 Things to Do Before You Go & 3 Topics to Discuss After
If you were first introduced to Finding Nemo 12 years ago and are eager to share the long awaited Finding Dory sequel with your children, this charming animated tale is filled with positive messages about family, devoted friendships, and teachable moments about conservation but also has some scary moments that could be frightening to young…
Parenting Through Changes at Every Age and Stage #BringingUpBates
This is a sponsored post By nature, human beings are creatures of habit and while change is inevitable, it’s not always easy. As parents, we deal with change on a constant basis as our kids grow. There are changes at every age and stage and it seems that just as you’re getting used to your…
4 Reasons Your Kids Will Want Every Weird But True Shirt from Crazy 8 & National Geographic (w giveaway)
It’s no secret that our family loves (like big puffy heart LOVES) the National Geographic Weird But True books. It doesn’t matter how many we have or how many times Thomas and Emily have read them, they never get old. These are books that I don’t mind the kids reading over and over again because…
How We’re Completing Our Summer Bucket List with Help From DC Mosquito Squad
Like those who are still in school all across the country, my kids are counting down the days until summer vacation where structured days mix with carefree ones that are opportunities to complete the items on their summer bucket lists. Thomas and Emily recently sat down and made a list of all the things they…
