• 3 Halloween Alternatives to Trick-or-Treating
    Parenting

    3 Halloween Alternatives to Trick-or-Treating

    This year Halloween will look a little different thanks to COVID. We won’t be trick-or-treating, and the Switch Witch won’t be visiting. But that doesn’t mean we won’t be celebrating. Even though we won’t have an abundance of candy to get rid of, we’ve decided we’re still holding true to Halloween. That means candy. To keep your fun, candy-filled evening with your family this year, try these three Halloween alternatives to trick-or-treating that we’ll be doing. 3 Ways to Celebrate Halloween without Trick-or-Treating 1. Candy Hunt It’s not Halloween if your kids aren’t collecting candy in their pails. So have them collect, just change the location. Instead of going house…

  • Take a Deep Breath to Survive the School Year
    Self-care,  Homeschooling,  Parenting

    Take a Deep Breath to Survive the School Year

    “Take a deep breath.” I was told this a few times when the realities of this school year hit me. Admittedly, I needed to hear it—I was freaking out a bit. (I’m homeschooling my seventh grader even though that wasn't our plan, and I was feeling very overwhelmed.) After taking the advice and a few deep breaths, I got to work figuring out my curriculum and then how I’m going to survive the school year. I realized it boils down to six things anyone can do and I’m already doing.

  • Summer Word Search Fun
    Reviews,  Parenting

    Summer Word Search Fun

    My oldest has been making a notebook filled with math worksheets and other things in preparation for the summer trips we’ve been planning. She'll be able to keep herself busy while also practicing everything she learned this past year. (Essentially, she's created a notebook of things to avoid the “summer slide.”)

  • It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health
    Parenting,  Books,  Reviews

    Book Review—It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health

    How to Talk with Your Child about Sex Do you have an older child or teen? Have you talked with them about puberty and sex yet? I didn’t think the puberty talk was that bad. Really, it was a series of smaller talks as I’ve always been very open with my girls, from a young age, about menstruation and the changes that happen during puberty. (You kind of have to be when they follow you into the bathroom as a toddler.) I also signed my oldest daughter up for a class through her school with some of her peers that helped make sure all the bases were covered as far…

  • Parenting,  Self-care

    Mother’s Day Guilt

    For years, Mother’s Day brought on a sense of guilt for me. I knew the inevitable question of “What do you want to do today?” would be asked. What did I want to do? If I was completely honest, some years I just wanted to say, “To not have to do anything. To not have to be a mom for the day.” But that wasn’t right, was it? Mother’s Day was a day to celebrate being a mom and spending time with the family—the whole reason for being a mom. A good mom wouldn’t want time for herself, would she? A good mom wouldn’t feel the need to not be…