Before my husband and I had kids, we would sit on park benches that looked over the Portsmouth Harbor and watch the sailboats go by.  At night we would take long walks on the beach.  But now that we’re married, finding alone time is next to impossible.  Factor in soccer and the demands of school and it’s a wonder we even speak to each other during the week.  I have  [ Read More ]

Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year.  I love the fall weather and the costumes just let you be a kid again.  Unfortunately, so much has changed since the days I sang the “Trick or Treat, smell my feet” rhyme and having my own kids makes me a little paranoid of them knocking on strangers’ doors begging for candy.  So, here’s some safety tips before the moon  [ Read More ]

One of the best ways for preschool aged children to learn is through play. Lots of daycare centers and preschools set up learning centers for children to move through the room and experience different activities. So, why not do it at home? You don’t need a large playroom or basement to set up play centers. A play center could be set up in the kitchen, another in the child’s bedroom,  [ Read More ]

Earlier this week, a friend of my sons appeared at the house. I had never met his parents, I only knew my son and him were friends because I walk my kids to the bus stop every day. Apparently, his parents had forgotten it was early release day; a very common mistake. The young 8 year old had walked from the bus stop, three blocks to his house, then turned  [ Read More ]

Here’s a couple of other things I thought about when you take your kids to Tomorrowland at Disney World in Florida.  When we get into the Magic Kingdom, my kids love the Buzz Lightyear ride, so we go to Tomorrowland first.  When you first enter onto Main Street, Disney World is like a big lollipop, with Cinderella’s castle in the middle.  Go straight and at the end of the shops,  [ Read More ]

Disney World is such a wonderful, beautiful place and sharing it with my kids is always the highlight of their summer.  However, for parents who are juggling a map, the stroller, dealing with the rain, the heat, and the crowds, all of a sudden, it’s not the happiest place on Earth.  So here’s my advice to enjoy your magical days—and hopefully save you some money. Depending on the time of  [ Read More ]

Sign up for freebies and coupons.  Here’s the information on how to sign up with the manufacturer for some deals on baby formula.  Similac Strong Moms (800) 986-8800 Enfamil Family Beginnings (800) 222-9123 Gerber Generation (800) 284-9488 Here are the links to sign up online. Similac Strong Moms Enfamil Family Beginnings Gerber Generation Coupons.com (function() { var po = document.createElement(‘script’); po.type = ‘text/javascript’; po.async = true; po.src = ‘https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js’; var  [ Read More ]

Mmmmm.  Here come the fall days again.  Nothing like rushing around in the morning wondering when you’re going to find time to feed breakfast to the kids and they make it to school on time—.  And make it nutritional and tasty?  Move over Cheerios— Plan ahead.   The morning rush is no time to be deciding what the kids want for breakfast.  There are some easy eats that you can make ahead of  [ Read More ]

Ah, young youth.  The memories of coming home after school as latchkey kids and watching Scooby Doo before mom came home.  I wasn’t the one being called “four eyes” on the bus or “Janet the Planet” in the lunchroom.  Elementary school days were just lazy days that interrupted our free 4-H camps at the park when we were free to ride our bikes around the neighborhood without parents.  Fast forward  [ Read More ]

I got my first “cell phone” when I was 26 years old.  I remember still having to plug it into the cigarette lighter while I was driving.  I remember I had a boyfriend who thought he was so cool with a cell phone about the size of his fore arm.  He had to lug around a battery pack that weighed about 10 pounds.  Anyway, those days are gone, and my  [ Read More ]

The big cheese has come upon us again.  This time, though it was my kids’ turn to ride the bus.  I was a nervous wreck.  The school they were zoned for is out of the way for my husband to take them to school, so it was better to transfer schools and easier to let the kids ride the bus.  After I walked them to the bus stop the first day,  [ Read More ]

Saving Money on Kid’s Back to School Clothes Having kids doesn’t just mean the latest and greatest Legos has to offer.  Having kids also means seeing KidsBop redo the songs that you jammed to through your high school halls and arguing with your niece that 45′s did exist.  So, what does all this have to do with savings—besides bringin’ out the cassettes and proving that “Can’t Touch This” is not  [ Read More ]

Baby showers are not just for the women anymore!  More and more co-ed showers are being thrown, involving the guys too.  Here’s a couple of baby shower games to get you going. Prego What you need:      About 20 balloons (enough for everyone to participate)      About 20 XXXL T shirts (enough for everyone to participate) How to play: Each player blows up the balloon to whatever they think the  [ Read More ]

Toddlers love finger plays.  Children often learn through play and song…so, finger plays are a wonderfully fun  way to teach.   If you are hosting a story time event, finger plays are a great way to get the kids up and moving after a book is read.   Here’s some I’d like to share with you.  The Noble Duke of York  (from The Lap-Time Song and Play Book, edited by Jane Yolen)  [ Read More ]

  Preparing for my daughter’s 15th birthday My daughter just turned 15.  Yes, I have a 15 year old and a 1 year old.  They are complete opposites and I think that’s awesome.  My 15 year old is very independent, very social, and simply takes charge of everything.  Planning for her birthday has always been an over the top project.  This year was pretty easy going. First thing first- we  [ Read More ]

One of the things I find invaluable is baby wipes.  As a busy mom, baby wipes are essential in the car, around the kitchen, and just generally everywhere.  I also love those Clorox and Lysol wipes, but you can’t use those on little hands and faces.  When my sons grew out of diapers and we stopped carrying around the baby wipes there would inevitably be a time when I would long  [ Read More ]

I don’t know what happened to school lunch since I was a kid.  Granted that was a millenia ago, but a carton of milk was 40 cents and an ice cream sandwich was 25 cents.  I wanted my son to have a hot lunch so his first year we signed up for him to buy lunch at school.  When I went to eat lunch with him I couldn’t believe it.   [ Read More ]

When my oldest was 4, I decided to leave my corporate job and go back home.  Going back home (about 1 hour and 30 minutes away) was pretty awesome because my family was there to help support me.  The only hard part was that I needed another job.   Most everyone brings a resume to a interview but some folks forget to bring a letter of reference from a past employer, other co-workers,  [ Read More ]

So you decided you needed to go back to work.  After almost two months of livin’ it up with baby, the ritualistic grind is calling you back.  Those weeks of sleepless nights and spontaneous naps sure didn’t prepare you for 10 hour days at the office.  Probably two pots of coffee will help you zombie through the hours, but what about little Ana who smiles at you every time it’s  [ Read More ]

Cooking with your kids can be so much fun.  It’s teaches them to be creative and experiment with different tastes and textures.  If you couple that with a fun healthy snack-you have a win-win situation. Some Fun Snacks Include: Ants on a log- cut celery up into 2 inch pieces. Cover with peanut butter and add ants (raisins)  You can also add M&Ms as a fun treat. Peanut butter &  [ Read More ]