Enjoy this list of engaging conversation starters for families! You can use these while sitting around the dinner table, on a long road trip, or anywhere you find yourself waiting or bored. Pull these out on a rainy day or bring them along on your next vacation!
I think after asking some of these questions you’ll be surprised at what you discover about your kids! Now let’s get talking!
If you’re stuck at home, you can still plan the perfect staycation with kids. These ingenious staycation ideas for families will make you feel like you’re on a luxury vacation at home!
These are screen-free activities, not because I have ANYTHING against screen time. I just wanted to provide some alternatives for when your kids need a break from Disney+. I will be writing another blog post with my favorite at-home activities involving technology or a screen, so stay tuned for that!
Most of these activities are free or fairly cheap. They don’t require much (if any) prep work on your part. And hopefully, you can get the kids started, then sneak away to do something for yourself. Feel free to add more suggestions in the comments!
Looking for something fun and outside-the-box to do in Orlando? You’ll definitely want to make your next stop Terralina Crafted Italian in Disney Springs.
The cozy sit-down restaurant located in The Landing section of Disney Springs offers more than just a view of Lake Buena Vista and deeply satisfying Italian food. Terralina now offers both kids cooking classes and kids birthday party packages that families will love!
I loved the family-friendly ambiance, and can’t wait to go back! Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Terralina with your kids, and how you can get involved in one of their kids cooking classes.
That’s right! I’m pregnant with our fourth child, and we couldn’t be happier!
I realized so many of my travel dreams revolved around the memories I would make and the subsequent photos I would take.
So I talked to my husband, and we decided to invest in a DSLR camera. I had NO idea what I was doing, so I purchased our camera through a small camera store where they offered 5 free photography classes where you could learn to use your DSLR when you purchased one from them. It was one of the best investments I’ve ever made.
Are you nervous to fly with your baby, toddler, or small children? I don’t blame you.
Being trapped in a metal tube hurtling through the air with a kid who just wants to move and explore is a challenge, to put it kindly. Then there’s the enjoyable process of navigating airport security with a baby on your hip and a bored TSA agent hustling you along without even making eye contact. No matter how prepared you are, there is bound to be some stress involved in air travel with kids.
So why do people do it? Why do we keep subjecting ourselves to the trials and tribulations of air travel and long road trips with our tiny dictators who leave destruction and lots of crumbs in their wake? Why do we open ourselves up to disrupting routines and sleep schedules?
It's because the reward is so great. The return on our investment is huge. Yes, travel with kids is tough, but the growth you will see in your children and in yourself makes every sleepless night and transportation nightmare totally worth it.
It would have been easy to feel very overwhelmed and let my kids watch unlimited TV and eat every snack they begged for while I regained my sanity. However, I knew that putting these 10 tips into action would make the transition much smoother in the end.
Re-entry into your everyday atmosphere doesn't have to be miserable. If you remember to implement a few key strategies, you'll be back in the groove in no time.
If packing lunch is a struggle for you, too, let's go through a few ways to make life easier. I'll provide some lists of ideas for each category, then show you some inspiration from Bento Box Expert Mamas. Don't worry, you don't have to cut your kid's food into cute shapes to be a good mom. Sometimes it's just fun to get ideas or admire other moms in their element, though!
I find deciding what to wear for a day at a theme park to be exceedingly difficult. On one hand, I want to be comfortable, as these are long days of walking in the hot sun. On the other hand, I want to make sure I look put together since I know we'll be taking a lot of pictures. Outfits need to be breathable and cute, and I need to be able to sit comfortably on all types of rides.
This past year, my oldest was in half-day preschool, which meant that we had to be out the door every day around 12:15. Yes. I had to get three kids ages 0, 2, and 4 out the door right at lunchtime and perilously close to nap time.
I'm done nursing my third baby, and I have successfully lost all the baby weight and then some. I'm also officially done with teaching so I can be home with my kids, which means I no longer need work clothes. I'm staring at a closet full of ill-fitting, too fancy, or out-of-style clothes that I never wear, and it needs to change.
There comes a point in almost every adult's life when they need some extra cash, and they need it quickly.
Maybe you're moving and have extra expenses like a security deposit, moving truck, and first and last month's rent.
Well hi there.
It's been a bit. A lot of life changes are going down right now, and I feel like I've been on an emotional roller coaster. Writing is how I process what I'm feeling, so I think it's time to share it with my online community.
Lewis William.
You are one today! How has it been a year already?
Your birth was so easy, laid back, fun. We were all so excited to meet you...that is, once Pippa got over her disappointment that you were a boy. From the moment we brought you home, your big brother and sister smothered you with affection, hugs, and kisses.
I am a three-time C-section mama and proud of it. Of course, it wasn't the type of birth I pictured when I got pregnant for the first time, but after going through the procedure 3 times, I've realized it's not so bad at all. In fact, I've even grown fond of my C-section memories, because it's how my babies made their way into the world safely. Now that I'm a Veteran C-section Mom, I've picked up a few tips and tricks for making recovery a little smoother.
By the time you have your third baby, you really don't need any new gear. We had already bought or received hand-me-downs for every swing, bouncer, and gadget a baby could want. We had a girl, then a boy, so regardless of gender our third baby would be clothed. The one thing I felt like I didn't have was a baby carrier that I absolutely loved and was comfortable enough to use for long periods of time. I had heard good things about the Lillebaby carriers and was curious about whether they would be a good fit for me.
Ah, parenthood. There's nothing more magical than watching your offspring grow into a kind, brave, and happy child. There's nothing less magical than getting on the floor and playing toys with them. As much as I love my children and acknowledge the importance of imaginative play for their development, I find it incredibly mind-numbing as an adult.
Being a mom is hard. I know this because I've hidden in my closet and cried hot tears of exhaustion and frustration. I know this because my body has sustained injuries, aches, and pains as a result of becoming a mother. I also know this because our culture reminds me at every turn how hard motherhood is, but how worth it!
It's all true. It's hard and also worth it.
But sometimes I fall into this trap of feeling at once self-satisfied AND indignant about everything I have suffered in the name of motherhood.
In the past, my options to whiten my teeth were to use white strips from the drugstore or get my teeth professionally whitened at the dentist. I always found the white strips to be a bit slimy, and I could never get them to stay on my teeth long enough to do what they were supposed to do. Getting my teeth professionally whitened would be extremely expensive and would mean bringing a 4-year-old, a 2-year-old, and a 9-month-old along. That does not sound fun or relaxing.
My word for 2018 is FUN! I want to find the playful side of whatever I'm doing, from my health and wellness business, to writing, to working out, to my marriage and hanging out with my kids. So often we get stuck focusing on what is mundane or what is lacking from our life that we forget to notice the little moments we could be enjoying.
My third baby in 4 years just turned 9 months. It feels like I've been pregnant or nursing for eternity! This stage of life can be depleting, both physically and mentally. All of your extra energy goes toward growing and raising these little human beings who can't fend for themselves.
Our baby is finally sleeping through the night, so it's time to start restoring balance to our home life. I'm back to setting an alarm to wake up before the kids, my husband and I are both working out first thing in the morning, and we're starting to prioritize our marriage again.
My Nana - my mom's mom- was from London. She used to tell us how when she came to the United States as a young bride, she was horrified at how people would dress in public, to run errands, and especially when traveling. She firmly believed that one should look put together when out and about because it would be respectful to others.
Packing granola bars, apple slices, bags of cereal, animal crackers, an entire rotisserie chicken, and 3 water bottles in your purse every time you leave the house just in case someone gets hungry. Even if it's just a trip to the library.
Drawing out a game plan for how you'll get everyone safely in and out of their car seats in a parking lot.
Feeling victorious when your FitBit registers getting the kids in and out of their car seats as a workout.
Yesterday as I was leaving my OB-Gyn appointment with all three of my young kids in tow, my doctor made the kindest comment to me. Before I share it with you, though, I need to set the scene:
The baby was screaming in his stroller with snot running down his nose. The two-year-old was trying to put his toy laptop in the basket of the stroller, effectively tripping me and getting his foot run over in the process. The four-year-old was asking questions about my "yearly exam" while standing directly in the path of my stroller in that narrow hallway. I tried to answer her as vaguely as possible over the din of my unhappy baby while smiling apologetically at the nurses.
The weather in Florida lately has been pleasantly chilly, and we've been reveling in the chance to wear pants and long sleeves. Ever since we moved here two years ago, it hasn't really gotten cold until at least February, and even then the chill only lasted for a few days.
Temperatures in the 60s and 70s are prime mom uniform weather, and these days my "momiform" starts with a base of black leggings or black skinnies. Almost any top looks good paired with them, and they can be dressed up or down.
Pre-kids, I thought going to the beach was the ultimate way to relax. I loved listening to the sound of the waves gently crashing in the background while I enjoyed the feeling of the sun on my face and the sand beneath my toes. Before kids, my biggest problem at the beach was forgetting to apply sunscreen.
Going to the beach with 3 kids ages 4 and under is a sharp contrast to those days. We live only a few miles away from the beach, so we go there quite often for free entertainment. No matter how prepared we are, though, it still feels like it takes hours to even get out the door with all the gear we need, and I consider hiring a sherpa to carry everything.