Birthday Challenge: 35 Acts of Kindness. One Day.

Last week, I turned 35 years young. And like all birthdays, I used the time as an excuse to reflect on the year before and make plans for the year ahead. But this year was unlike any other birthday. I did 35 acts of kindness. In one day. With 90 minutes to spare! Throughout the […]

Around the Web: Inspiring Play Dough Ideas

 Did you know that today is National Play Doh Day? Here are nine inspiring links to help you celebrate from around the web! Open a Play Dough Bakery via Inner Child Fun Sculpt Your Own Play Dough Snowmen via Childhood Beckons Make Your Own Pumpkin Pie Play Dough via Childhood Beckons Build Your Own Play Dough Cars via […]

Let’s Make Play Dough Critters!

It’s National Play Doh Day!! As if I needed another excuse to play with Play Doh! This little play idea is quick and easy, and reuses those twist tops from apple sauce or baby food pouches as did our last post on Play Dough Cars. This time around, we added some pipe cleaners and a […]

Recycle Craft: Play Dough Cars

You know those colorful caps that twist off of apple sauce or baby food pouches?? It seems a certain someone was guilty of holding onto them for a wee bit too long in the hopes that they would one day be used for some recycling crafty goodness. Ahem. Anyhoo, when the kids declared that they […]

Planking in the Park

Are the kids bored? Are you looking for something fun to do? Need a little excitement?? Try planking! Planking, in case you didn’t already know, is the act of finding a ridiculous place to lay completely flat on your face while someone else takes a photo. It’s totally addicting! We planked on the tennis court. […]

5 Ways to Celebrate National Teddy Bear Day

Did you know that Sunday (9/9) is National Teddy Bear Day? Are your teddy bears in need of some extra love and affection? Need some inspiring ways to celebrate the day?? Here are 5 Playful Ways to Celebrate National Teddy Bear Day: 1. Plan (and then Host) a Teddy Bear Birthday Party — Clara thought […]

20 Must-Do Favorite Activities for Fall

Are you looking forward to Fall? Need some kid-friendly activities to help celebrate the season?? Here are 20 of our family’s favorite Fall activities that have become special traditions.  1. Go Apple Picking — This is one of my favorite family traditions for Fall! Afterwards, we bake apple pies and make homemade apple sauce with […]

Our Favorite Summer Moments

Like every Summer, we started off the season by making a “bucket list”, but some things just could not have been planned. Here are some of our favorite Summer moments! 1. Making a Bucket List — It was so nice to have a list of things to do with the kids before the end of […]

DIY Doll Lunch Box from a Mint Tin

Is your doll ready for back-to-school? Does she get hungry at lunch time? Do the other dolls make fun of her lunch box because it’s old or out-dated??? Then this project is for YOU!! To make your own doll lunch box, you will need an empty mint tin and some colored duct tape. Am I […]

One Last Trip to the Beach

We’re back from a lovely beach vacation with the family to Ocracoke, NC. It was a lazy week spent soaking up every last precious moment of Summer with trips to the beach, a few spontaneous photo shoots, and lots of resting!! How beautiful it is to do nothing, and then rest afterwards.” – Spanish Proverb […]

DIY School Supplies: Modern Notebooks

It’s almost time for back-to-school, and the kids have been hard at work making many of their own school supplies for the upcoming year! This was one of Emily’s favorite projects because (just like her mother) she seems to have inherited a love of decorative tape. Oh, how I LOVE beautiful tape!!  Did you know […]

DIY School Supplies: Apple Printed Lunch Bags

Doing art on lunch bags is a festive way to dress up an ordinary bagged lunch, and it’s also a great way to keep the kids busy! I love how something so simple can let the kids have an active role in preparing their own school supplies while proudly showing their teachers & friends some […]

DIY Pretend Spy Kit!

Wondering what to do with the kids? Wish you could go on an exciting adventure? Do you yearn to be a secret agent?? Then this activity is for you! The best part is that most of the components for this Pretend Spy Kit can be found at your local dollar store or you may already […]

10 Virtually Instant Ways to Improve Play

Are you stuck in a playtime rut? Looking for some ways to foster creativity and imagination through play? Are you short on time?? If so, here are ten of our favorite ways to improve play time with your kids instantly and without spending money! 1. Go outside! — Playing indoors is always fun, but taking […]

Tweet, tweet! Twitter Party!!

It’s time for another awesome Twitter party sponsored by my friends at Stonyfield! You can help raise money for a great cause, and you could win prizes just by joining us on Twitter!! Who: You and Your Lovely Friends (US residents only, please.) What: Be a Food Superhero Twitter Party sponsored by Stonyfield Hosted by: […]

DIY Cardboard Construction Play Set

Do your kids love to play with large cardboard boxes? Do you wish you had more room to store them? Want to create a play set that allows them to build and rebuild imaginative play structures?? Then this project is for you! To make your own cardboard construction play set, you will need a large […]

Simple Activities for Little Engineers

Do your kids enjoy learning about how things work? Do they love to solve problems? Did they grow up reading classics such as HTML for Babies?? If so, you may be raising an engineer in-the-making! Here are some of our favorite play ideas and activities to foster the next generation of innovators. Newspaper Play Structures — […]

Sunday Snapshot: Dollar Store Boredom Buster

We found the cutest cardboard dollhouses at our local dollar store. I added some paper clips to make stands for the dolls, and the girls loved putting these together to make their own little town! The cardboard itself is not very sturdy (it’s about as thick as cereal box cardboard), but it has managed to […]