My seven-year-old can tell you whose lightsaber is purple (Mace Windu) and what sound a Droideka makes ( em! em! ), but he's never been able to sit in a movie theater and see one of his beloved Star Wars movies on the big screen. Until n…
On Valentine's Day, not every kid wants to hand out cards with Barbies and Care Bears. For the rest of them, we love these too-cute pirate themed Valentines cards that you can make yourself (for almost free!) Mer Mag's free printable Pir…
No matter what the outcome of today's game ( go New England! ), I hope my kids see a game that reflects the best in sportsmanship ( beat the Giants! ) and a commitment to trying really hard ( whoo! Tom Brady! ). Oh, and I may care a litt…
When it comes to giving Valentines gifts, I'll refrain from saying that my kids are "sweet enough already." But, let's face it: they'll be bombarded with candy hearts, lollipops and other sweets on the 14th. My plan is to find some non-s…
As much as I love incredibly crafty Valentine's cards for kids , I know my limits in time and ability, especially when I need about twenty cards for each of three kids. And yet, I can't quite bring myself to snag those boxes prepackaged …
My husband and I do Valentine's Day Lite, meaning that we will not be forking out $200 for a fancy meal, or buying each other expensive jewelry or electronics as a sign of our devotion. But that doesn't mean I am totally comfortable with…
I want my kids to be book lovers , as in sneak a flashlight under the covers, beg for a nighttime story, know their way around the library kind of book lovers. So along with a sturdy bookshelf packed with favorite childhood titles and th…
It is a sad moment when I put a barely worn outfit on one of my kids and realize they've outgrown it before they've even had a chance to spill something on it. But now the smart people at online clothes-swapping site thredUP have come ou…
If my kids ask me to tell them about Martin Luther King Jr's accomplishments, I'm scared I'll ramble on for so long, my kids' eyes will glaze over. Hey, he did a lot. Thankfully, smart-website Brain Pop and its little sister Brain Pop Jr…
One of the biggest resolutions we're seeing this year is a commitment to spend more quality time with family. The reality is that even for a homeschooling mom like me, our lives are so busy and interests so varied, we have just as much d…
When you're a parent, a new year doesn't necessarily mean mimosas at brunch as much as it does finding a place to put all the new games, toys, dress-up clothes and various other things that the kids received over the holidays. Thankfully…
Every year I realize I've missed 99% of my favorite children's holiday shows (sorry Charlie Brown!) because I'm preoccupied with the 1000 other things I have to do before Christmas morning. Thankfully, one of my all time favorite Christm…
You could cover my house with all the leftover wrapping paper I have accumulated throughout the years. But, for some reason, my gift tags have a way of disappearing right when I need them most. Fortunately, I've uncovered a ton of cool p…
I totally am stumped on what to give our favorite sitter in addition to some cash. Any last minute ideas? She's really wonderful and we want her to know how much we value her but I don't want to spend a lot because we're already giving h…
If you're like us, Christmas Eve day is going to be spent in a big gift wrap frenzy. As much as I love those brown paper packages tied up with string, I really love when the gifts I'm giving look as festive as the holidays themselves. He…
If Santa's elves make everything, why do the boxes say "made in China?" my little sister asked me several decades ago. Her prescient question rings more true now than ever, where it seems unlikely that the handiwork of elves had much to …
Santa has three stockings to fill here, and I'm sure it's a tough job trying to find the perfect not-junky/not-too-expensive little trinkets. Especially when the mama of these children is also eco-minded and prefers open-ended creativity…
Last year, kindie music favorites The Jimmies came out with a five-song downloadable EP right before the holidays with the best holiday title ever: Mama Said Nog You Out. Well, like our favorite eggy concoction, The Jimmies are back for …
My kids are what you might call serious artists. No they aren't selling their paintings for thousands, they just can't leave the house without a bunch of arts and crafts stuff --just in case inspiration hits in the minivan, I suppose. Fo…
My twin 9-month-old daughters were just diagnosed with asthma (and) I'm having a really hard time finding hypoallergenic stuffed animals. Do you have any ideas or tips? Thanks! -Heidi As a fellow asthmatic, I totally understand the need …
M y toddler LOVES anything train! Do you all have any ideas for cool train tables that my toddler would love? I wish I had done this research for my son before we got his ugly train table many years ago. Though he loves it, it's a major …
We headed off to see The Muppets this past weekend, both for the nostalgia and to introduce my kids to the beloved characters of my younger years. And while I believe that much of this movie would be lost on kids younger than grade schoo…
If you're the type who likes to fill your holiday gifts with handmade love, we've got a whole bunch of beautiful ideas for you. My grandmother was a crocheter who made such hilariously bad gifts ( sorry, Grandma! ), they were the highlig…
Though my religious affiliation can best be summed up with a long puzzled silence, there are certain things from my youth that I carry with me to this day, like praying when the plane jets down the runway, and setting up the nativity sce…
