*This is not a sponsored post – just good tips! As my daughter gets ready to wrap up her junior year of high school, I often worry about how she is going to do when she is required to “adult”. We just had a conversation this morning about how to replace the Social Security card she lost, and while it’s hard to not swoop in and rescue her, I am having her figure out what she needs to do to replace it. Financial literacy is also another topic that I think about a lot – am I equipping…
If there is anything that bloggers can attest to, working from home isn’t always easy. There are constant distractions and, while sitting in your pajamas all day sounds like a blast, it’s not so much fun if you are constantly distracted, or if you office is a huge mess. The truth is you spend a lot of time in your home office, so you want it to look nice. Don’t get lazy or too busy to make it a room you enjoy being in each day. Use your creativity to brainstorm new ideas and be open to…
*This is not a sponsored post – just good info. It’s springtime here in Western New York, and for us that would mean spring sports – for us horseback riding- would have begun, if we weren’t stuck in quarantine! While hopefully spring sports will get started soon, we wanted to reach out regarding something a bit serious for parents with children in sports – concussions. According to the CDC, 4 to 5 million concussions occur annually, and that number is rising among middle school athletes. Meg Furstoss, MS, NSCA-CSCS and Andrew Borsellino, MS, NSCA-CSCS, NASM-PES, the…
St. Patrick’s Day is the perfect time to celebrate any Irish heritage you may have, but honestly, scones are one of my favorite treats year round. I love this recipe for authentic Irish scones – they make a great perfect breakfast treat or afternoon snack with tea. I love these because they aren’t too sweet and are quite filling. Try them for St. Patrick’s Day, but don’t forget about them year-round…
*This is not a sponsored post. If I had to go back and do things again with my pregnancy, the number one thing I would change is that I would exercise more. I think it definitely did not help my labor and delivery or keeping my weight in check! Part of what was hard for me was knowing exactly much I could or should exercise. Coach Sarah Walls, personal trainer, has some tips for you, but as always please make sure to check with your doctor before starting on any exercise program – especially when you are pregnant! A…
I love holidays – I get to decorate and cook all kinds of goodies inspired by the day. St. Patrick’s Day is one of those holiday’s where you get to be super creative and come up with off the wall ideas. Incorporating green into nearly everything is fun, don’t ya think?! I’ve found a great selection of DIY Celebration Food & Decor for St. Patrick’s Day that I just have to share with you. Hopefully you’ll get as much inspiration as I have from these. St. Patrick’s Day DIY…
I have traveled a lot with my kids and there is a special place in hell for bad people where they are trapped on long flights with their screaming children. But lately I’ve been travelling alone for work quite a bit. Not having to wrangle kids has given me the opportunity to notice some of the other things going on in the travel world. In short, it has opened my eyes to some very annoying things going on at airports everywhere. 1) When I travel alone, I never check bags. I pack lightly and strategically so that when I…
Back to school time means that it will be time for fall sports season soon! But did you know that it’s possible for young kids to overtrain? This was not something that I knew, which is why I’m happy that Sarah Walls, personal trainer and owner of SAPT Strength & Performance Training, Inc, has the 411 for us parents! Kids around the country are playing organized sports more than ever today. In fact, The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) reports that youth in the country participating in sports went from around 18 million in 1987…
* I received a sample product to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own. If you’ve been paying attention at all, you know that STEM activities and toys are what’s hot these days – and it’s no wonder! STEM skills are a huge part of being successful in school and in the job market. So if you’re like me, as a parent, you’re looking for things that boost those skills but provide a fun time for your kids. We had a chance to review a new toy from SmartMax, makers of colorful magnetic construction toys for…
Christmas prep is in FULL SWING at my house, and one of my favorite tasks of Christmas is BAKING! I usually end up baking and freezing several dozen cookies before Christmas, if I can keep my family from eating them all first! When I am looking for a great Christmas cookie recipe, I’m looking for a cookie that is pretty, flavorful, fast, and easy enough so that the kids can get in the kitchen and help me! Baking is much more fun with the kids, and keeping a tradition of making Christmas cookies together is creating memories…