Tweens are at the cusp of independence but yet there can still be that occasional sweet side that longs to be the center of your attention. These gifts have a bit of the cool factor while also being practical, pure fun, and a bit educational too. Gravity Maze by ThinkFun ($29.99)— We never get tired…
Parenting
2014 Gift Guide: Best Gifts for Early Elementary Ages (grades K-2)
Kindergarten, first, and second graders span a wide range of skills and knowledge. While kindergartners are still getting used to routines of school and many are moving towards reading fluency at their own pace, experienced second graders have the school thing down and are all about building on their knowledge while first graders are always…
2014 Gift Guide: Best Gifts for Preschoolers
Preschoolers are constantly busy. If they’re not in motion, their minds are racing as they work to synthesize information about the world around them as they learn at home and at school. Friendships at this age can be rewarding but tricky. Parallel play- playing near each other but not exactly collaboratively- is something that develops…
2014 Gift Guide: Best Gifts for Toddlers
What makes a good gift for the toddler set? Something that sparks their imagination and facilitates imaginative play that helps them continue to better understand the world around them, challenges them to think as they develop pre-reading and beginning math skills, and also reinforces their basic need of feeling loved. These gifts for 2-4 year…
2014 Holiday Gift Guides
If holiday shopping fills you with dread as you look at your long list, let me help! Every year since 2008, I’ve evaluated tons of products for my age appropriate gift guides and specialty guides but I only recommend the items I’d love to give as gifts, receive myself, or know that my kids would…
5 Home Security Tips for the Holidays #LSSS
This is a sponsored post and video Whether you’ll be home for the holidays or planning to travel for a few days or the duration of Thanksgiving and the winter holidays, take these 5 steps keep your home, family, and belongings safer this fall, winter, and beyond. As a member of Master Lock’s Live Secure Safety Squad,…
Fall Weekend Fun: FrankenPets, Glow in the Dark Nail Polish, and Apple Strudel
Our house is all about Halloween, the changing leaves, yummy apples from the farmers’ market, and comfort food. We love that Fall is in full swing here in the DC Metro Area! In honor of it * almost * being Friday, I thought I’d share some fall fun that we’re looking forward to this weekend….
Share Your Family’s #FallFun with TotSpot on Instagram to Win Great Prizes
This is a sponsored post What fun things does your family look forward to in the fall? For us, the change of seasons means watching the trees gradually change from green to brilliant orange, reds, and yellows. We manage to squeeze in a trip to the pumpkin patch to choose the perfect pumpkins for carving…
Drawing My Line in the Sand to Preserve Our Family’s Digital Privacy #ShareAwesome
Despite being tech savvy, there’s a line in the sand that I won’t cross when it comes to keeping my family safe online. Social media requires me to maintain a constant online presence for my Tech Savvy Mama brand but that image is carefully curated to maintain my family’s privacy. I carefully evaluate apps, websites,…
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…
