10 easy-to-make DIY Valentine’s Day classroom treats for crafty kids

by Stacie Billis | DIY

If there’s one time of year you’ll find me getting crafty with the kids, it’s around Valentine’s Day. But only under two conditions: 1) I get to sip wine while we craft and 2) the craft involves treats. These printables, crafts, and recipes make for perfect...

12 awesome toys you can actually make from cardboard boxes. (Because we all know the best part of the gift is often what it comes in.)

by Liz Gumbinner | DIY

With all the empty cardboard boxes that may still be around your house post-holiday, don’t throw them out! Take a lesson from my kids, who have never seen an empty box they didn’t turn into a playhouse, a race car, or a doll cradle. Since we all know the...

Link Roundup: Last minute holiday help. We’re here for you!

by Liz Gumbinner | Uncategorized

We’re winding down around here for the holidays because hey, we’ve been so busy putting together helpful posts for all of you, we have our own families to start tending to! If you’re like us, and still scrambling a bit, we hope these links can help...

Last minute gift ideas: Lots of ideas when you have little or no time to spare

by Liz Gumbinner | Uncategorized

Last minute gift ideas are always the toughest. You have all these last minute people you forgot about (with no offense to them–we get busy!) and suddenly you’re stuck with whatever you can find in the drugstore aisles. Fortunately the drugstore chains...

Last minute holiday gifts, ideas and help on Pinterest. We’re here for you you. (Strokes head lovingly.)

by Liz Gumbinner | Uncategorized

Each week we feature our favorite pins on Pinterest, but today we’d be remiss if we didn’t point you towards just a few of our our own Cool Mom Picks Pinterest boards, which we’ve been packing with last minute holiday gifts and ideas for you from...

Great experience gifts for kids, because memories make for awesome presents.

by Liz Gumbinner | Family Travel

When we’re asked for ideas for a great gift for the kid who has everything–or even those who don’t–the first thing that comes to mind for me are experience gifts . They don’t have to be expensive at all, or they can be super splurgey. An...

How to make Game of Thrones snowflakes. Because winter is coming.

by Delilah S. Dawson | DIY

We do not snow? Think again. Those Star Wars snowflakes from last year were out of this world, but now that we’ve discovered Game of Thrones snowflakes., we realize that we knew nothing, Jon Snow. Thanks to these free patterns, anyone can create beautiful...

A DIY Christmas tree dollhouse, also known as “how to put those Amazon boxes to good use”

by Delilah S. Dawson | DIY

If your house is anything like mine, you’ve got two energetic kids trapped inside by nasty weather and a huge stack of shipping boxes waiting for the recycling truck. Put them all to good use with this DIY project that creates an adorable Christmas tree...

Make your own family trivia game for Thanksgiving. Beats fighting about politics.

by Liz Gumbinner | DIY

There’s something about Thanksgiving that brings out the sentimental side of our ordinarily feisty family. In part it’s the memory of family who’s no longer with us, in part it’s seeing the next generation start to fill their seats–if...

How to cook your first Thanksgiving turkey: the no-panic step-by-step tutorial

by Stacie Billis | Food + Recipes

Whether it’s your first time making a Thanksgiving turkey or your fifth, I’ve found that there’s always room for a little (or a lot!) of help. So, this year, I’ve put together a step-by-step Thankgiving turkey tutorial. Hope it helps. Pick a...