Parenting Archives - Page 19 of 22

My GoGo squeeZ kids enjoy Goodness On The Go

It was back in 2011 when we became a "squeeZer" family, as the kids called them. Due to a dental issue, my son was unable to eat solid foods unless they were cut up in super tiny bites, and most hard foods were impossible for him to eat without having to deal with bleeding gums. Thank goodness it's also when we found GoGo squeeZ, because otherwise life with a hungry boy who couldn't eat most foods would have been rough for all of us.

That dental issue has since been resolved, but our love of GoGo squeeZ just keeps growing. And growing.

I appreciate that they are 100% fruit and veggies that I can feel good about the kids eating, and they love that they are delicious and easy to eat on the go. It's wholesome goodness I can carry with me, and it's a guaranteed way to get them to eat their fruits and veggies – all while thinking that they are winning the food battle.

Visit The International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes in Seattle

Remember earlier this year when I was raving about the Seattle Rep production of Sherlock Holmes and the American Problem? Well, I'm back raving about Sherlock Holmes in Seattle, only this time the fun was across the Center, past the fountain, in the shadow of the Space Needle at the Pacific Science Center. The new Pacific Science Center’s The International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes brings the legendary Sherlock Holmes to life, showing backstory of his creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, as well as the history of those Sherlock was modeled after. You will be transported to the Victorian time of Sherlock Holmes to learn about the science, technology, and methodology of the time while solving a mystery created just for this exhibit.

Any guesses what our newest DIY project is?

This fall I've been hard at work collecting fans, switches, PVC pipes, and all sorts of other parts to make a little DIY project that my son is going to flip for this Halloween. Any guesses as to what I'm building? Don't worry, I'll post here once it's finished and share the step by step … Read more

Side yard hopscotch with DIY stepping stones

I've been debating for years about what I wanted to do with our skinny side yard. We need to leave it unobstructed because it's the main pathway to our backyard, but I hated that it would turn into a wet and muddy mess every time it rains. Doing stones of some sort that you could walk over, wheel barrow over, and also keep the side yard from getting swampy made a whole lot of sense, but I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do. That was until I visited Swansons Nursery in Seattle and started talking to their team about what made sense for a marshy yard. We decided we needed to dig the side yard down, add a weed barrier, and then add sand and fill dirt along with some stepping stones. After that was complete, we could add some ground cover plants that would help with drainage and keep the side yard from turning into a mud pit.Inspiration really struck when I started filling up Swansons` boxes with plants and ground covers and realized that the box I was loading them in was the perfect stepping stone size.More specifically, they were perfect hopscotch size. If we made our own hopscotch stones and laid them in our skinny side yard, we could actually utilize the space better to make it a play space as well as a pathway. With a smaller, urban yard I'm always looking for ways of maximizing space, and making it dual purpose is always a win.

The summer I lost control

This summer, I completely lost control of the kiddo clutter. The kids were a never-ending mess that started from the moment they woke up and went until they were supposed to be asleep in bed. They would jump from activity to activity and they would raid Barbie bins, Calico Critter stashes, American Girl collections, and Lego boxes only to mix everything up in one big disaster that spread from room to room.

With one borderline hoarder of an 8 year old who decides random scraps of paper are "special", one 5 year old who has never met a toy he didn't want to pull apart just to see how it works, and a one year old with zero impulse control, the deck was stacked against me from day one. It was just too much for me to take, and I started fighting back.

So, this summer I boxed up tons of stuff, I donated massive amounts of toys, and I made more "pick up piles" than I can count just trying to contain the mess each day. But, nothing seemed to help because they would just find something else to play with and leave out, like when they raided my recycling bin, sewed toilet paper "quilts", and when they decided they were going to sell handmade crafts that took over my entire kitchen. Sadly, we missed many a playdate because my kids didn't clean up their messes in time for us to get out of the house on time.

How to throw an awesome science party for kids

I’ve never been great at birthday parties. Usually, I slap together an event with a loose theme and some character plates chosen by the kids and then order a few pizzas. I was prepared to do exactly that this summer when I was asked by my science-loving kiddo to throw a “science birthday party” with a very vague description of what that actually was. So, I got to searching “science birthday party” online. And, you know what I found? There are almost no science themed birthday plates or accessories that make sense for a young child. Luckily, my family loves a challenge, so they convinced me it would be a great idea to throw together a science themed party with absolutely no party store help. No “science” plates, no themed tablecloth, no activity kit to order. My goal was to throw such an amazing party that it would hopefully get me off the hook for throwing any of my kids a party for the next 5-10 years. I’ll let you know how that goes, but in the meantime I’m going to show you my take on a science party and share some printables I made up.

10+ tips for road trips with young kids

In the past 8 years, my children have visited 6 different countries, 3 continents, and countless towns and cities in the United States and abroad. We’ve traveled by train, plane, boat, and car, and at this point our kids can pretty objectively be referred to as seasoned travelers. Recently, we’ve been doing a lot of road tripping, and while it’s nice to not have to plan for airlines, train stations, and long waits before departures, trips in the car with young kids have their own set of challenges. Over the years I’ve learned that these challenges can be minimized by how I pack, prepare, and execute a road trip with baby, and we’ve gotten our system down to a science thanks to Huggies at Costco.

Adorable baby fashion from Carter’s

This post is sponsored by Carter’s; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I think we can all agree that shopping for baby clothes is really fun. Really, what's cuter than miniature clothing? If you are you looking to create a versatile and well-rounded baby wardrobe for your little one, you’re in the right place. Check out our list of baby fashion, essentials, and accessories that can take you all the way through baby’s first year…and beyond! Essential #1 The Original Bodysuit by Carter’s

I was really sad when baby grew out of her first matching sisters outfit or her dress she wore in her 3 month pictures was a bit too short, but I just wasn’t prepared to be sad over growing out of a bodysuit. But, when you think of it, these baby essentials get the most use of anything in their little wardrobes. My baby girl wore The Original Bodysuit under absolutely everything for her entire first year and we had multiple packs in every size from newborn to 12mo. Even to this very day she wears an 12mo sleeveless bodysuit under many of her dresses because it’s just so easy and convenient. I will fully admit I kept one of these bodysuits in the smallest sizes, and that I put two bodysuits on the kids’ dolls because I just couldn’t bear to part with them all, but I did pass along as many as I could part with of the dozens we had. Sharing the goodness of one of my favorite baby must-haves makes me really happy, which is why I always visit Carter's and pick up a pack of The Original Bodysuits for new babies.

DIY miniature pot rack from champagne muselet for Lundby dollhouses

A muselet (French: myz.le) is a wire cage that fits over the cork of a bottle of champagne, sparkling wine, or beer to prevent the cork from emerging under the pressure of the carbonated contents.

We ended up with a muselet from a local hard cider a few months back, and after it was removed from the bottle, I set it in my windowsill while I debated what I could make it into. I've seen cute little chairs for fairy gardens made out of muselet and I considered making my own. But, then one day I decided my Lundby dollhouse needed a pot rack and went looking for supplies and found the muselet just waiting to become a lighted pot rack for the house.

Want to make your own miniature pot rack for your dollhouse? It's super easy, doesn't require many supplies, and the end result is really adorable!

Meet our new robot baby, bObsweep

Have you ever looked around your house and thought "I wonder if a robot would be able to get around that"? No? Well, then you probably don't have a robot baby in the house like we do.

Meet Bob, AKA bObsweep PetHair, the newest member of the family.
We've been robot-proofing over the last few days and I can now say that a robot would easily be able to navigate around our living areas without any problem at all. Before becoming a mom I honestly never thought I would have a robotic vacuum – I mean, really, how hard is it to run a vacuum by yourself? I'm all for outsourcing whatever I can, but do you really need that chore automated?

I'm here to tell you, yes, I definitely need that automated. You see, vacuuming has slowly been slipping down the list of chores since baby arrived. Sometimes it would be 2 weeks before I would look around at our wool rug and realize how bad it looked. Our awesome thick wool rug is super soft and cozy, but the bad part is that the wool fibers lift up in between vacuuming sessions, making it look like we have a short-haired dog in the house that sheds like crazy.