June 22nd, 2016 | Posted in
Traveling With Kids
A few weeks back, Dave and I talked about about how working from home has trained us to think about work
all the time–even on the weekends when we’re supposed to be relaxing. It’s one of the drawbacks
to freelance work. While it’s great for flexibility, it can wreak havoc on your mental health. 
June 21st, 2016 | Posted in
Games & Creative Play, Play + Learn, Science Fun
Looking for something to keep the kids’ minds active this summer? While free-play is the best,
it’s also good to throw in a few more structured activities now and then. Here are a few of my
favorite activities to check out. They’re guided but allow for lots of room to put your own spin on
things.
April 22nd, 2016 | Posted in
Parties & Celebrations, Play + Learn, Science Fun
Hellooooo there people of Earth!
Man, it’s hard to believe I’m writing this while floating on a rock hurtling through space. So
weird, right? Weirder than that, you’re reading this on the exact same rock traveling through the
exact same space. And weirder than that are all the other people on this rock with us. Look around. There
are more than 7 billion of them. SEVEN BILLLLLLION!
Isn’t Earth lucky to have so many of us to take care of her?
Today is Earth Day, so let’s celebrate! Here are some projects to spark conversations, inspire
action, and celebrate our beautiful home.
Turn an old teeshirt into a reusable shopping/schlepping bag
Be inspired to hug a tree and blow a kiss to is after you learn some of the things they do
for us
Help a feathered friend out by building it a feeder
Observe those smaller than you that call Earth home too
Clean the air around you by bringing some Earth in
Now go out there and show Mother Earth some love!
April 11th, 2016 | Posted in
Features, marriage
We recently redecorated our bedroom after many, many, many years of needing it. We finished the
kids’ rooms but you know how it is when it comes to something for you—it’s usually something
that can wait.
During the redesign, I found a stack of old love notes Dave and I wrote to each other when we were in our
teens. The letters were filled with “I love you so so so much.” It was the analog version of a
row of heart-eyed emojis. Dave and I cringe-laughed as we read them. One of the letters was even written on
the back of a page of defensive driving notes from my driver’s ed class. Ha!
January 19th, 2016 | Posted in
Features, Play + Learn, The Reading Nook
The question isn’t when is a circle not a circle? It’s when is a circle more than a
circle? The second question goes beyond identification and requires a healthy imagination. And that is the
type of question author and illustrator, Joyce Hesselberth, wants to help our kids answer.
Joyce has a brand new book out called Shape Shift. If Joyce’s name sounds familiar it may be from her previous shape
study PrestoBingo Shapes, or her work on They Might Be Giants video, or her illustrations for the New York Times. She’s a woman whose work gets
around…because it’s awesome!
Her latest book, Shape Shift, helps kids identify circles, squares, crescents, diamonds, triangles,
rectangles, trapezoids, and ovals. But where it goes beyond the traditional shape book, is when
January 8th, 2016 | Posted in
Features, Movies Worth Watching
Filmmaker Pamela Tanner Boll believes three things. First, in order to live well you have to know yourself.
Second, once you know yourself you can create an authentic community. And finally, to build an authentic
community you have take care of the earth it’s built on.
If you’re a fan of documentaries, you may recognize Boll’s name. She was a producer on Born Into
Brothels and made her feature length directorial debut with Who Does She Think She Is? It’s clear she’s a filmmaker who doesn’t shy away
from big questions.
November 24th, 2015 | Posted in
Science Fun, Traveling With Kids
*This is a sponsored post about a mission I deeply believe in.
Poets have been saying for generations — if you want to feel good about your fate and the fate of man, get
off your duff and out into nature. Science supports the poets. Researchers have studied the effects of
nature on our brains and the evidence is conclusive: spending time in nature is good for our hearts and our minds.
In fact, it’s not just good, but really, really good. It improves our mood, lowers our blood pressure, and
significantly boosts our vitality. Did you know we’re even more caring and generous when exposed to nature? No doubt thanks to
all those lovely endorphins at work. So given all the lovely things Nature does for us, isn’t it time
we did something for it?
November 10th, 2015 | Posted in
Work It
This post is a departure from parenting and cute crafts, although considering how long I’ve been
straying from those types of posts, maybe it’s not a departure at all. Today, I wanted to talk about
how I pay the bills.
I often get asked how I’m making “it” work. “It” meaning
blogging/freelancing. Before I delve into how I’m making it work, I should probably share a few things
for context. Over the years, I’ve experienced every variation of employment…
