We love being outdoors! Whether it is in the mountains or in our own backyard, I love finding something creative for my kids to do! Here are some fun summer activities that take little to no preparation and have kept my children busy for hours: Butcher Paper Painting —String out a long section of butcher paper (however long you think your children will use.) Lay it on the ground or tape it to the fence and let your children go wild with washable kid paint and brushes. To make

I became a mother relatively late in life. My first daughter was born when I was 28, and I continued to have children close together in...

My mother called me the other day, and I was in a whirlwind of frustration. Many things had gone badly that day, and I could not seem to...

I put on a light cotton dress the other day and beautified myself more than I usually do. My three-year-old son walked into the room and said, "Wow, Mom! You look beautiful. (Pronounced: be-U-tee-ful) I began to think about the perception that my kids have of me because I tend to prioritize cozy over fashionable. I am not saying there is ANYTHING wrong with that, but I did like the thought that my kids would remember me at times looking lovely. After all, I am my children's f

My mom and I love to walk and talk. We have been walking the same loop for over twenty years now, and it is awesome. It is my most...

It's been a struggle lately. I keep clashing with one of my children. No matter what I say, she does not listen until I am shouting. Not to mention that her sassy attitude mirrors that of a 13-year-old, and she is only six! I never wanted to be a shouting parent, and the dynamic between her and me only causes me to dislike myself... Time for another chat with my mom. On one of our frequent "walk and talk" outings, I brought this issue up to her. Pretty soon I was crying. I di

I always laugh when I think of my hospital bag because my food bag was always bigger than what I packed for myself and the baby. But hospital food sucks, and you will be hungry!

I was exhausted. Only two months along, I could not really attribute belly size to the fact that I was not sleeping because I was obviously not that big yet. However, night after night I would lie wide awake, and it would take several HOURS for me to fall asleep. And if any little thing woke me up, then I would be up for at least another hour. I was miserable. Could I even imagine another seven months of this? Nope. I could not. I had already given up coffee because it would

There are so many things that I did and bought while preparing for my first child. Five children later, I look back on all the wasted time, money, and energy, perhaps this is just the journey that every woman has to embark upon. All the large items I had come to mind: the little baby swings, vibrators, cribs, chairs and bouncers that I had for the baby's first year. I think in total I had almost 12 items, and it made my house feel rather small haha ... Years later, I kept six

I was really hoping that morning sickness would pass me by! I was about 6 weeks pregnant with my first child, and morning sickness hit full force. For about 2 weeks, I was not able to keep anything down except saltine crackers and vitamin water. Oh, and by the way, it was "all-day sickness" that I was blessed with. My mother was quite sympathetic. After all, she had had eight children and dealt with morning sickness. Here is what she said...