There is a healthy balance between independence and emotional dependency. As moms, we want to be sure we’re raising independent children without sacrificing the love and bonding we crave. My aunt and uncle have 3 daughters. He always said he raised them so he could drop them off in North Carolina with $5 and they could find their way back to Florida. They are all three unique, independent, self-sufficient and have close relationships with their parents even in adulthood. Instead of escaping their home to go elsewhere, they were the type of girls who invited friends to their house. It struck m ..read more

Learning valuable life skills is a part of growing up. These important skills are taught at home through proper training, modeling, and experiences. Check out these six types of skills your kids need to learn: Being a mom ain’t for the lazy or faint of heart. We spend the first months in a newborn haze, then are baby focused, and then keeping toddlers and preschoolers from climbing bookcases or running in the road. And then… when they’re finally old enough to take care of themselves a bit, you realize there’s so much more for them to learn. However, let’s remember a few rules of thumb before I ..read more

April is Earth Month in honor of Earth Day and here’s how we have celebrated it in our home. We live in the sticks.  We are in a rural area 10 minutes from Alabama and 40 minutes from the Emerald Coast. We have few neighbors, lots of crawling wildlife, and a lot of space to roam free. One of the priorities I have had over the years is to let the kids roam free and wild outside. It’s a great way to help them get the wiggles out, it is a healthier option than a screen, and fresh air and Vitamin D are good for the soul. Sample Summer Routines (Toddler To Elementary!) Here are 3 sample dail ..read more

We are big on vacations around here. Our kids have traveled across oceans, time zones, and been through more airports than I can even remember. In fact, I’ve blocked some of them out. :) If you are new to traveling with kids you’ll find tons of stuff here, but if you’re a pro and I leave anything out, be sure to add it! Sample Summer Routines (Toddler To Elementary!) Here are 3 sample daily summer routines (by age!) to help you get some peace, fun, and relaxation! Packing tips for Kids Pack kids’ outfits in ziploc bags. This helps them pack flat and gives you somewhere to put dirty or da ..read more

Summer days are long and, let’s face it, when there’s no structure at all things get chaotic. Aimless. So while it’s good for kids to do random things of little Adult Import, it’s also good to have a few tricks up your sleeve. A tad bit of structure will mean there’s less fighting and complaining. Fill in the main activities first You can get an entire summer schedule for kids right here, and I encourage you to check it out. But while you’re here, let’s talk about adding in first things first. Just because it’s summer doesn’t mean you don’t want your kids doing some useful things. In your sum ..read more

Woohoo! Summer! Outdoors and ice cream and sun tans and all the stuff we remember about childhood. The stuff that makes us feel nostalgic and childlike inside. With 5 kids, summer is our favorite season and we make the best of it. But also, with 5 kids, you better believe we have a summer routine we like to follow to keep things from slipping into chaos too early in the summer. Later? Yes, sure, but we at least want to hold it together for 6 weeks, right? >> A Summer Schedule That’ll Keep Kids Occupied (And Moms Sane) Sample Summer Routines (Toddler To Elementary!) Here are 3 sample da ..read more

Don’t fall into the summertime trap of boredom and video games. Use these quick tips to make summer fun at home. Summertime is here and moms everywhere are dreading those whiney complaints. You know the ones. “Mom, I’m bored. There’s nothing to do. Can I play all-day-every-day on my Nintendo? And then I’ll complain some more.” Ahhhhhhhh… This summer, break the cycle and make summer fun at home. Psst… for a more detailed summer schedule at home you can click here. Sample Summer Routines (Toddler To Elementary!) Here are 3 sample daily summer routines (by age!) to help you get some peace, fu ..read more

Inside: Kids love helping to create or find gifts for their mother. Also, they love seeing mom’s face as she opens her gift. Here are some Mother’s Day gifts from kids that mom will love! Sometimes its the sentimental things from the heart that count way more than expensive stuff. Of course, kids can join up forces with dad or MIL or FIL or the Mother’s Helper and buy anything the mother’s heart desires. And here are some lovely Faith Based Mother’s Day Gifts. 50+ Connection Questions Pull out these fun connecting questions to share some laughs with your precious ones! Use them at: meal tim ..read more

Inside: Here are some encouraging words mothers need to hear on mother’s day. If you feel sad or down on this down, take heart with these words. Mother’s Day is coming up soon again. The day where moms all over the country get breakfast in bed, pretty flowers, mani/pedi certificates and maybe a nice scarf. And those things are nice, of course, mainly because it’s just plain nice to be thought of. It’s the day that pastors ask mothers in the congregation to stand and be honored. And then also asks women who might be mothers or who’d like to be mothers or who know a mother to also stand jus ..read more

What an exciting time! You’re a new mom and you get to finally celebrate that holiday every mother looks forward to- Mother’s Day. How will it go for you and what will you do? I hope you have a wonderful time and enjoy every moment! I’ll never forget my first mother’s day… My daughter was only a few months old and I was so proud. She was perfect, I wasn’t crying myself to sleep every night, and I could fit into most of my clothes. What mother could a first time mother ask for? I wish, looking back, I’d have done a bit more for myself, but since I didn’t… I’m encouraging you to. As a mother of ..read more