With the tragic California wildfires all over the news right now, once again as parents, we're faced with prospect of having difficult conversations with our kids about natural disasters. We want to say the right things. We don't want to…
As a food professional, I often get asked about the best dish to cook for new parents. And I usually let them in on a little secret: Don’t cook them anything. Instead, if you want an amazing gift idea for new parents, do what a good frie…
Parents. We're not like other people who can just drop everything and fly out to a swing state to canvas, or host raucous fundraising cocktail nights, or even attend a GOTV concert on a whim. But there's a lot we can do -- with our famil…
Each year, so many parents looking out for kids with allergies want to know whether it's true that Halloween fun-size or mini candies may contain nuts, even if the full-size candies are known for being nut-free. Bad news: It's true. Even…
With winter breaks coming up, I know lots of our readers will be planning Orlando vacations. Because, family! And...Orlando! Let me just say, our family is good at vacation. We trained on our first trip to Disney back when I was pregnant…
I can rattle off about ten recipes where the first step calls for browning ground beef, from chilis to casseroles , sauces , pasta dishes ( taco spaghetti !) and more. But for years, I've always found this simple step really hard to exec…
Next up in our Back to School Lunch Guide we're talking about lunch help for your picky eaters. We know how hard it is to stay inspired when it comes to packing school lunches (what with 200 or so of them to do in a year) let alone when …
It can be hard to remember when we're so busy with the minutiae of each day, but the ultimate goal of parenting is to raise responsible, independent adults. And, well, that starts before they actually hit the age of 18. The dance of educ…
We've all got trips we've wanted to take ourselves, or gift to someone else, whether it's that 50th anniversary celebration for our parents, the last-ditch babymoon, or the "who needs a 25th high school reunion?" girls weekend. Now thank…
Yesterday, the AAP offered revised car seat recommendations for children , and they're a pretty big change from what we're all used to considering. In their updated Child Passenger Safety statement , they offer 5 evidence based recommend…
As much as we would love to tell you how wonderful the morning routines are in our homes, complete with kids eating a healthy breakfast, packing their own lunches, and finishing up their morning chores before heading out the door (and of…
The quick answer is that yes you may need a permit for your kid's lemonade stand or bake sale. Sigh. Remember when we could just set up our own lemonade stands with a makeshift table, a tub of Country Time mix and some plastic cups, for …
Who else has a kid who's dying to have a slime party? Hey, we get it! Our own kids' obsession with slime seems to be here to stay. Forever. And surely we're not the only ones with tubs of various types of goo piled high on our countertop…
Lately I've been thinking about the kinds of comfort items I can pack to help relieve some of my son's back-to-school anxiety. He's starting preschool for the first time (wow!) which means I'm expecting knots in the stomach, sweaty hands…
I'll be honest, I don't have a whole lot of time for planning creative' first day of school photos for my kids. Between making sure everyone remembers to put on shoes after a no-shoe summer and packing up 47 pounds of school supplies, ou…
When a local yoga studio owned by a couple of friends of mine mentioned they were doing a yoga retreat with discounted rates at Aulani Disney Resort and Spa in Oahu, I jumped at the opportunity to join. Hawaii is one of my favorite place…
If you have a deep and abiding love for your wooden cutting boards like I do, or just want them to last a little longer, I've got three couldn't-be-easier tips to help you treat those wooden cutting boards right. In return, know that you…
I turned 40 a little over two years ago, and since then, I have packed on about 25 pounds. Call it stress, hormones, or just eating more than I should, but it happened. I finally got to the point where I wanted to do something about it, …
Last year, our friend Anna Fader of Mommy Poppins fame posted about her positive experience with Tentrr on Facebook. The service functions like Airbnb, except for campsites, and if that sounds like a brilliant idea, you're right. Particu…
I've always refrigerated my butter. It's what my parents did. It's what my friends did. Which is why I was (pleasantly) surprised to hear recently that storing butter in the fridge might not be necessary. Could it be true? Are my dreams …
Is it time for a fridge cleanout? Probably! Obviously want to get rid of anything expired, slimy or shriveled, but wouldn’t you like to be able to see into your fridge so you know what’s there? Here's some help. These are the things in t…
I've worn glasses my whole entire life, and up until now, have been the only one in my family who needed them. Then, in the middle of the school year, we learned my youngest daughter needed glasses -- reading glasses, specifically. It's …
Nashville is of course the home of country music, but when you're traveling here and looking for the best things to do in Nashville with the kids, visiting the honkey-tonks downtown probably isn't your best bet. So as a native Nashvillia…
I love nothing more than a backyard party in summer. Like, invite me over to your place and I'm there. Even if I don't know you, invite me -- I'll probably show up. (Don't worry, I'm a polite guest and I'll bring you a good rosé.) Becaus…