This post was created in connection with my appointment as an Ambassador for Toyota. With August here, summer has picked up the pace and is racing by faster than ever. I’m trying to hold on to time before it appears in my rearview mirror and I’m left with memories. As a mom of a rising…
summer
4 Things Kids Can Learn from YMCA Camps
As a parent and a teacher, I’ve seen the amazing ways children grow and learn at summer camp. I cherish the memories of the days where my own kids piled in the car after a day of camp. With faces flushed from being outside in the hot summer sun, they’d excitedly tell me about the…
How I Know My Teen is Living His Best Life at Summer Camp
Last weekend we dropped our almost 15 year old off to work at summer camp. I haven’t heard from him in days but that’s how I know my teen is living his best life at summer camp. We spent so much of the past year in such close proximity. Just like every other family, we…
Explore Camps Virtually with Family Summer Fun Virtual Expo (w free tickets)
For a second summer in a row, the pandemic is making it difficult for parents to plan for summer. Vacations, camp experiences, and other hallmarks of summer fun might be in limbo until we know what our kids can do safely. If you’re looking for options and want to start thinking about what socially distant…
Sending Your Child to Sleepaway Camp? Read This First!
For parents and kids alike, achieving sleepaway camp status is a milestone but getting kids ready feels like training for an Olympic event. Last week our kids packed up their stuff and boarded a cross country flight for their two weeks of unplugged fun at sleepaway camp. Whether your kids are camp veterans like ours…
How to Manage Mosquitos and Tech Overuse This Summer
This post was written in partnership with We love the allure of summer for the promise of warm weather and vacations but at the same time, it can also be a challenging season. There’s so much to look forward to but the reality is the absence of structure, schedules that can change weekly due to…
Hate Mosquitos? Here’s Why We Use All-Natural Mosquito Control from DC Mosquito Squad
This post was written in partnership with When we bought out house nearly 19 years ago, it came with gorgeous old trees that give us plenty of shade in the spring and summer months but the shade we love also resulted in an explosive mosquito population. I’d spend time after summer thunderstorms emptying vessels to…
A Guide to Unplugged Summer Fun to Help Get Kids of All Ages Away from Screens
This post was written in partnership with D.C. Mosquito Squad and contains affiliate links We want to breathe a sigh of relief when we abandon school year routines but in between vacation, camp, and pool time, summer can bring its own challenges especially when we’re trying to get our kids to unplug and go outside. The lure…
8 Tips for Maintaining a Mosquito-Free Yard This Summer
This post was written in partnership with D.C. Mosquito Squad and contains affiliate links I used to have a love-hate relationship with summer. The carefree, warm days meant for a season of relaxation bring summer thunderstorms and an explosion in the mosquito population. I’m a mosquito magnet and for years, was unable to enjoy our outdoor space…
The Importance of Reclaiming Summer Before 18 Summers Disappear
Five years ago while attending Disney Social Media Moms, Disney executive Amy Foster, talked about 18 summers and reminded that our time with our kids is limited. 18 summers. That’s all we get with our kids before they’re off to college. At the time, Thomas was 6 and Emily was 8 and I remember thinking…
