It’s overwhelming to realize all the grownup things you are now responsible for; especially when you don’t now how to accomplish them. These seven skills are ones need to know when they move out of the house. Take time to teach them to be self starters while they are still at home. Essential life skills every young adult needs to know Do you ever wonder WHERE to look for answers? Teaching your kids HOW to find solutions may be the biggest help you can give them to be ready to leave the house! Whether you search google, read instruction manuals, or call an expert, knowing how to find answers is ..read more

I just pulled out our emergency 72-hour kits. I can’t remember the last time we put these together and updated them. But based on the expired food and clothes that were way too small, I think it’s been about 6 years! YIKES!  It’s definitely time to revamp and update our very expired emergency 72-hour kits. I had the kids help me unload all the old food and clothes and restock their backpacks with fresh items. It was fun hearing all their expressions opening up these old kits and remembering favorite shirts they had added in that no longer fit! What is a 72-hour Kit? Essentially it’s a ki ..read more

How old are your kids? Are they cooking already? I know we’ve talked about having your kids cook more often, but now the deadline for your child to move out of the house is coming up fast! So let’s get these kids ready to cook for themselves! During their high school years, I encourage my kids to find easy recipes they want to cook for their meals on their cooking day. (Each person in the family is assigned a day of the week where they are in charge of the meals. Dinner is usually where we focus more effort and I spend more time in the kitchen helping them learn new skills and try new recipes ..read more

Experiments are so fun! We love to kick off the school year with some projects to really get the kids excited for school! I have found some fantastic projects that you can do at home. Here are 10 simple and cheap science experiments to do at home. When school starts the science kits come out and the kids start making fun science experiments it’s so much fun! Your kids will love these simple science experiments too. Another fun family activity we like to do is field trips. While the weather is still warm plan somewhere fun to take your explorers! Simple Science Experiments for Young Kids 1. Rai ..read more

Before school starts each new year we take some time to sit down with our kids and help them create their own goals for the year. First, discuss your child’s interests in extracurricular activities, and the talents they want to develop. This discussion works best when your child shares their dreams and interests. Let them drive the conversation with their goals instead of choosing for them—next help your child make goals for the school year based on their interests from your discussion. Goal setting for the school year First, we like to have a BIG discussion as a family of fun things that int ..read more

My second oldest has been applying to colleges and I still can’t believe I will soon have two college students. When it all began years ago, it snuck up on me pretty fast. We didn’t even think Klai wanted to go to college. Now that we have a second child (Rykel) preparing for college, I’m getting into the swing of things. I feel a little more confident helping Rykel and my other teens prepare for college. Here are a few steps I do with each teen preparing for college that really helps! Pro Tip: 10th grade is in my opinion the best time to really sit down with your child and start discussing/m ..read more

It is Back to School time and I am so pumped to get our home ready for it. I like to take time to prepare our home so it’s ready for school time. Some years when we have started in a rush it just feels like I’m trying to constantly get organized. So this year I will start early. The TIME to organize is NOW. Use your summer to get everything organized so you can FEEL ready for the school season when it starts. First, decide where you want to do school. Whether you homeschool or just have an area for homework, knowing you have space is important. Your space for school work can be on the counter ..read more

Summer went by fast and Back to School is right around the corner. I’m not sure when your school starts, but our kids return to school in just a few short weeks. I have lots of great back-to-school blogs coming up. To start here are some of my favorite must-have posts that will help you prepare for this school year! Everything you need to prepare for back to school or homeschool A successful homeschool year starts with early preparation to get the resources you need in time, set up your learning space, and get back into a good school year routine with your kids. These articles will get you sta ..read more

Now that I have almost TWO adult children, I’ve been dying to share how we have helped them through high school and have prepared them to leave the house. Moving out and transitioning into adulthood can be a huge step for teens. And as a teen or parent, you might not know where to begin, or how to take that big step confidently. I am going to share some of the very important and useful skills, hacks, and tips that will make the transition into adulthood easier. Some things you can prepare for and others you cannot and will just learn from experience. So take a deep breath and tell yoursel ..read more

At the beginning of the summer, I set a goal to take each of my kids on dates more frequently. We have been so busy that I haven’t spent as much individual time with them as I would have liked. So over the last few months, I have put more effort into one on one dates with my kids as well as regular dates with Jase. It’s been so much fun! We have done dates with our kids for years and they love it. But I had to get back into doing them more frequently. Before school starts and schedules get super busy take some time to date your spouse and kids! Here are a few of my favorite things to do with t ..read more