How to Throw a Smarty Pants Party!

November 9, 2016November 11, 2016 - Mama Leave a comment

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #Healthy4School #CollectiveBias

Do you have a Smarty Pants in your family? Celebrate school success and the back to school season with this Smarty Pants Party! It's complete with plenty of brain food, and goodie bags that are fun AND practical for staying stocked up on essentials for the school year. #Healthy4School [ad]

Do you have a smarty pants in your house? Maybe more than one? I love to celebrate school success during the back to school season with a fun party! It’s a great way to say “You’re doing a great job, and keep up the good work!” When you celebrate back to school and the success of your learner, you’re showing them that you’re proud of them! So, gather some goods and invite your learner’s closest friends over for a celebration.

Updating your Coffee Bar for Fall Entertaining

October 7, 2016October 21, 2016 - Mama Leave a comment

This post has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. This post was sponsored by Starbucks as part of an Influencer Activation. I received compensation and complimentary products to facilitate my review. #StarbucksCaffeLatte #MyStarbucksatHome #CollectiveBias

It's time to start entertaining for the fall season, and that means making sure your coffee bar is well-stocked for guests. Make it look super cute with this sign DIY and a little seasonal update! #ad #StarbucksCaffeLatte #MyStarbucksatHome

Now that fall is in full swing, it’s time to recognize the fact that Thanksgiving is approaching pretty rapidly. I know, I can hardly believe it either, but now that Zack and I have our Halloween costumes squared away, it’s pretty easy to think that guests will be arriving soon for the various fall and winter holidays… That’s why I couldn’t put it off any longer– it was time to update my coffee bar to prepare for fall guests.

DIY No-Sew Cow Masks

September 14, 2016October 21, 2016 - Mama 2 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HorizonLunch #CollectiveBias

Having a play date? These fun cow masks made out of felt are perfect for play dates, imaginary play, or just a fun afternoon craft with your little one... plus, they're no-sew and super easy to make! #HorizonLunch [ad]

When it comes to imaginary play, you can never get enough of it. My son’s favorite forms of this kind of play are the times when he gets to be an animal…. So, I love to give him opportunities to make costumes for these fun personalities he’s developed when he acts out his animal characters’ ideas. This cow mask is super simple, no-sew, and a perfect craft to make at play dates and more.They also cost less than 50 cents to make, making them the perfect craft to do together!

FREE TO BE YOU Party for Kids!

September 7, 2016September 7, 2016 - Mama 1 Comment

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #FreeToBe #CollectiveBias

Kids don't always have the opportunity for a lot of freedoms lately... between lots of homework, more prevalent allergies, and even just a busier overall life, kids just don't always feel Free To Be who they want to be lately... here's how to throw a party to celebrate them being Free To Be what they want to be! #FreeToBe [ad]

Kids have a lot on their plate anymore… even the youngest of them have homework overload, a general lack of free time, and a whole lot of extra things to do, like sports and hobbies. It makes it a lot harder for them to celebrate what makes them free to be themselves, and it makes it harder to have that connection or bond that you truly want to. So, I’ve decided to be a lot more intentional, as a parent, to make sure my son and his friends are Free To Be themselves, and to celebrate that, I decided to throw a Free To Be Bash! Here’s how to throw one at YOUR house, too.

Backyard Obstacle Course– Using ONLY Chalk!

August 15, 2016October 21, 2016 - Mama Leave a comment

Getting kids to play outside is a must-- only 31% of kids play outside today, compared to the 70% of moms who played outside during their childhood. Get them moving with this outdoor obstacle course-- all you need is a piece of chalk! #CLIFKid [ad]

Hey, mom… remember playing outside as a kid? Hours spent enjoying the grass or the swingset or making crowns out of flowers or playing at the park… it’s crazy how many memories I have of outdoor play. That’s because as kids, most of us played outside– 70% of us did, actually. Compare that to today, when only 31% of kids are spending any kind of significant time outside at all. Busy schedules, cuts in recess time, and just all-around love for all things electronic could be to blame, but it could be that we just aren’t focused on outdoor play like we used to be. Today, I’ve got the absolute easiest way to get kids moving outside with an obstacle course– all you need is a piece of chalk!

DIY Hidden Cord Charging Station

August 11, 2016August 22, 2016 - Mama 6 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BTSwithHP #CollectiveBias

Back to school is such an exciting time... but it can mean an extra need to stay organized and powered up. Here's a simple way to make a DIY charging station for your desk that clears up those crazy cords, too! Plus, I share a few ways we use computers in our homeschool lessons! #BTSwithHP [ad]

I’m seriously having the hardest time handling the fact that summer is pretty much over… we’re in the last few days of the pool being open for the summer, back to school sales are in full swing, and the curriculum has arrived, which means it’s pretty much time to get back in the swing of homeschooling… and that means a major need for organization and staying powered up. Today, I’m showing you an impossibly easy DIY charging station for YOUR desk!

End Of Summer Road Trips from Kansas City

July 21, 2016 - Mama 1 Comment

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #RoadTripOil #CollectiveBias

Summer may be almost over, but there's still plenty of time to sneak in a little last-minute road trip. If you're from the Kansas City area, there are a ton of nearby options for places to travel, so you can sneak in that family bonding time before back to school hits. #RoadTripOil [ad]

I cannot even handle the fact that we’re over halfway through summer. I mean, I looked at the calendar, and we have like… 3 weeks left of the pool being open for the year. As much as I’m looking forward to my fall favorites returning in just a few short weeks, I also know that I want to squeeze out every last drop of summer I can. It’s about this time of year every year that I itch to take a little road trip, a short end-of-summer vacation, a last hurrah before the fall returns and we remember that school is just around the corner… and when you’re from the Kansas City area, you’re incredibly blessed with tons of nearby places that are really awesome to visit, without having to go too horribly far for a last-minute road trip. That means it’s not too late to visit them now… just hop in the car and enjoy!

Upside Down Mini Ice Cream Cakes

July 14, 2016December 26, 2016 - Mama 3 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SoHoppinGood #TopYourSummer #CollectiveBias

Ahh, summertime. There’s nothing like ice cream to beat the heat in the summer, is there? Growing up, I looked forward to summer solely for the ice cream… for us, it was just a part of tradition. My great grandmother wouldn’t let an evening go by without a bowl of ice cream, and that’s a standard that I love to live up to, especially in the heat of summer… with heat indexes reaching 104 around here, you have to cool off somehow! And with these mini ice cream cakes that are upside down, you’ll have the whole family ready to cool off in no time!

Backyard Splatter Painting

April 27, 2016April 27, 2016 - Mama 4 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #allEssentials #CollectiveBias

Kids bored this summer? Let them be kids with this awesome messy play activity! This splatter painting uses water balloons, medicine droppers, squirt guns, and more to create a unique piece of abstract art your kids will love creating. Don't worry-- kids and clothes are both washable! #allEssentials

“I’m bored.” Come on, it’s almost summer… you know you’re going to hear it at least once or twice or a million times. That’s why now is a great time to start arming yourself with ideas to keep the kids busy this summer! One of my favorite ways to keep kids active, busy, and having SO much fun they forget to be bored is through some good old fashioned messy play! That’s why this backyard splatter painting is tons of fun to create– and it’s super easy, too.

Eggheads Roll a Face Game for Easter!

March 23, 2016February 18, 2017 - Mama Leave a comment

This post has been sponsored by PAAS Easter Eggs. All opinions are my own.

Want to keep the kids entertained while you cook Easter dinner? Here's a great way to do it-- this eggheads roll a face game is a super fun Easter game that kids will love! Perfect Easter Boredom Buster or great Easter hostess gift for any hostess with kids. #PAASEaster [ad]

The best thing about Easter Dinner? Totally Easter Dinner– who can resist all of the amazing food on the table at Easter time? The worst part, though? Kids getting bored while you’re preparing it. It’s just a fact of life that kids are going to get bored while you’re preparing easter dinner, and when they’re not bored, well, they tend to get underfoot and make glazing ham and making scalloped potatoes a little bit more difficult.

But I have the perfect game that will keep everyone entertained, and to make it a little bit sweeter, I’m including a free printable for this fun Easter game to get you started. This roll-a-face dice game using the Eggheads kit from PAAS Easter egg is so easy to play that even young kids will have a blast, and this Easter game is sure to be a part of your Easter traditions for years to come.

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