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…
Lifestyle
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…
The Importance of Unplugging and Being Present to Make Moments Count #BringingUpBates
This is a sponsored post “How was the concert?” my friend, Thien-Kim of I’m Not the Nanny messaged me when I returned home from last night’s end of the year instrumental music and band concert. “It was your typical elementary school band and orchestra concert!” I replied. “The kids were great but there were way too many parents…
9 Reasons to Visit Hersheypark
This is a sponsored post It’s no secret that my 9 year old, Thomas, loves amusement parks. He’s a thrill seeker who loves a good adrenaline rush and has never met a roller coaster that has intimidated him. So when Pepsi asked if we might be free to join them at HersheyPark for Memorial Day…
14 Tips for a Walt Disney World Trip with Tweens and Teens
There’s no doubt that Walt Disney World is a magical fantasy land where proud little girls in updos twirl in their finest princess attire and boys wait patiently in line to channel The Force in their battle against Darth Vader or Kylo Ren but if you’re wondering if you Disney is still a cool place…
6 Things MTV’s Catfish Teaches Us About Being Authentic Online #AuthenticME
This post is sponsored by Domain.ME When we talk about being authentic online, the individuals duping others into believing they’re people they not on MTV’s Catfish are anything but. catfish [kat-fish] verb: To pretend to be someone you’re not online by posting false information, such as someone else’s pictures, on social media sites usually with the…
The Importance of Being Authentic Online (even if friends choose to believe only part of what you share) #AuthenticME
This post is sponsored by Domain.ME “Your trip to the Caribbean looked SO fabulous,” commented a friend on the set of photos I shared on my personal Facebook page during a January work trip to the Caribbean when the temperatures at home in Washington, D.C. were downright frigid. Traveling to St. Lucia and Grenada during one…
Orange is the New Black: New Season 4 Trailer #StreamTeam
With just 28 days left until the launch of the new season of Orange is the New Black, Netflix has released a brand new trailer. This preview hints that the newest season of Orange delves into the racial and economic tensions that we’ve seen in previous seasons. It appears that Litchfield is now overrun with new inmates and overseen by inexperienced guards, the prison…
What Parents Need to Know About Blue Light
This is a sponsored post written in partnership with VSP Did you know that by the time the average American child reaches age 17, their eyes will have spent the equivalent of nearly six years looking at digital devices? This figure comes from new survey by VSP® Vision Care that found that while we’re concerned about…
Why There’s No Replacement for Calling Your Mother on Mother’s Day Even in the Digital Age
This is a sponsored post written on behalf of Mother’s Day the movie. There is no doubt that today’s landscape of technology has changed parenting and the relationships with those we love, especially our moms. The days of “call your mother” have been replaced by the ability to text, Facetime, Skype, Facebook Message, or even…
