Even before the Coronavirus pandemic , the United States Postal Service (USPS) was getting hit pretty hard. And now, well, it's worse than ever, with no bailout in sight. As you might have seen on social media with the #SaveThePostOffice…
If you've lost track of days like we have, then you might not know that it's April Fool's Day tomorrow. Which used to mean all sorts of crazy Internet pranks (us included - like this one , and this one ... just to link a couple), and one…
My son turned 10 this month, and I have to admit, it was a bit of a bummer birthday. He had a great attitude and enjoyed some chocolate cake, but with the current quarantine and social distancing guidelines, his party was cancelled and h…
Huddle up, friends, because I'm about to give away a bunch of my secret gift ideas that I send to folks when I want to tell them how much I'm missing them. And when you're under a shelter-in-place order thanks to this Coronavirus crisis,…
I know a lot of parents have jumped right into homeschooling their kids (or, schooling-from-home might be more accurate) so that they won't get too far behind in their studies. But with news that Virginia has canceled school for the rest…
We've all been seeing our social feeds fill up with amazing "OMG THIS IS FREE RIGHT NOW!" posts from friends, and it's hard to keep track of it all! Between the online story time for kids, the Club Quarantine virtual dance parties , the …
Hi! Total homeschooling newbie here, and now here I am, trying to create a homeschool schedule -- or some semblance of one -- to help keep us sane. Um, it's not easy. For background, I am the parent who thought I could wing it with newbo…
As we all scramble to grapple with the new normal of our kids home from school, I'm thankful for the teachers in my life who have been doing this job for years. I can always count on them for great ideas, like these 10 writing exercises,…
With all the school closures right now, we know so many of you are looking for the best homeschooling resources. (Like, a lot of you!) We hear you! So first, I suggest you read my post on a homeschooling mom's tips for teaching your kids…
So, school's been cancelled for the indefinite future and you're about to become a homeschooling parent, maybe for the first time. Now that you're stuck at home with the kids for the next two, four... ten weeks, what in the world are you…
Let's be honest: We don't each need 600 rolls of toilet paper on hand right now. Not that that's stopping some people! But after a really stressful week of a COVID-19 scare involving a quarantined relative in D.C. , it did put the situat…
As COVID-19 / Coronavirus anxiety ramps up, the store shelves are picked fairly clean of hand sanitizer and so many of my friends are talking about making their own hand sanitizer. While we still caution against panic , hand sanitizer is…
Even though we're nearing the end of cold and flu season (hooray!), we parents, in particular, are surrounded by a whole lot of bugs on a regular basis, regardless of what season it is. And if you've been watching the news, then you've p…
Coronavirus (COVID-19), is on the minds of basically everyone worldwide right now, and that goes double for parents. Especially with spring break coming up, and lots of family travel plans in the works -- and brand new warnings to prepar…
We know that it can be a lot easier to just do the laundry yourself. No whining, no complaining. Everyone’s happy! Except, tough love, parents: everyone in your family (especially if you've got young adults heading off to college) needs …
Nothing gets me emotional quite like the Folger's coffee holiday commercial, with the sentimental mother-son reunion at 5:30 AM over a cup of coffee. (I'm not joking, I cry every time.) But that's not quite most people's reality when we …
Lately, I've seen a lot of well-meaning posts from people around my social networks, with comments like, "well I want to protect the environment....that's why we're getting a fake Christmas tree this year." Suddenly I was like crap, shou…
No matter how many kids you have in your house, it somehow always means lots of laundry, and over the years, we've figured tried lots of laundry tips to help make the process a whole lot easier. Of course, it doesn't matter what size you…
We write a lot about the importance of raising good digital citizens . The way we see it, the internet isn't going away, and the older your kids get, the harder it is to start teaching them good behavior. So we start young, so that as ki…
Recently, we received a question on Facebook that hit me in the gut: Q: What is a really thoughtful gift to give someone who's suffered a miscarriage? This is so tough. And since October is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness mo…
As a small-space apartment dweller, I'm always thinking about ways to declutter. Not that I always achieve it, but I try! A lot of the trick, as I've learned, is about getting stuff off the floor that we just assume goes...on the floor. …
My family recently returned from our fourth trip to Disney World (thanks to a very generous grandmother), and I've finally figured out those BTDT pro-tips for a successful Disney vacation. For me, it starts with packing the right items. …
As an adoptive parent, the recent ICE raids have left me more than a little uneasy. Across almost all the adoption boards I'm on, in any social media channel , I'm seeing parents ask what documents they need to ensure their child's adopt…
Teens can be picky, and I don’t have the easiest teenagers myself. So on a recent long weekend getaway in San Diego , I planned out our days carefully with them in mind and hooray, it worked! Planning is the key to a good family vacation…