Category: parenting

How to Make Packing School Lunches Painless

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How to Make Packing School Lunches Painless Ad

As I mentioned in my last post we are full speed ahead and blazing away with the school year. Between everyone’s busy school schedules, soccer, and homework there are always tasks that have to be done each day–the big one every night? Packing lunch for the next day! While it might seems like one extra task in an already busy life, packing lunch is important to me. I love having control of what choices the kids will eat, and preparing it ourselves lets me know they’ll be getting not only healthy choices, but healthy choices that they actually like and will eat!

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A Very Important Back-to-School Year

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A Very Important Back-to-School Year

So this Back-to-School Year is a red letter one for the Elliott family! To begin with Amber started 2nd grade last week. Although this might not seem like such a big deal compared to a “very first” day of school, or even starting at a new campus, it is a big deal to me and to her! That’s because 2nd grade is the year where you really turn the page from little kid to big (she’ll be a tween in the blink of an eye–ack!), and where you transition from playing for learning to really settling down and getting academic. After the first week she’s a little bummed to find this is the case, and thinks that the beginning of school year review is a bore (don’t we all??!!) but she loves her sweet teacher, has a few familiar faces in her class, and so all together we’re both optimistic for the school year!

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Celebrate Birthdays BIG Without Spending a Fortune by Having an Everyone Birthday Party

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Which month is it for your family? It seems like in many families there is that THE month of the year, you know, the one where everyone and their cousin and their dog has their birthday. For us it’s definitely the summertime, especially in July! In our own little family of four, three of us have birthdays within 2 weeks of each other, (poor Amber’s the February oddball out!) when you add in the extended family….oh buddy…things get crazy! Don’t believe me? Check this out!

See what I mean?! So with THAT many people to celebrate in just a few weeks of time, things can get crazy, not to mention pricey! Don’t panic though, I have a few GREAT ideas that will let you celebrate BIG without spending a fortune.

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Easily Upgrade Your Nursery From Baby to Toddler

This shop for an amazing nursery upgrade has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MagicBabyMoments #CollectiveBias

Few things are more exciting than planning out your nursery for your new baby! Whether you go all out with a Pinterest worthy ensemble, or if you keep things sweet and simple you’re sure to put at least a few special touches into the room for your new bundle of joy!

By the time a year or three has gone by, however, all the bright and shiny has worn off and things start to look a little tattered. By this age your child’s personality also has started to really come out, and it might turn out that your daughter actually loves red way more than pink, or that your boy is crazy about monsters but couldn’t care less about monkeys.

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Tired Of Morning Chaos with Your Kids? Try These Steps!

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Are you tired of Morning Chaos? Follow these great, simple steps to bring peace to your family in the morning, they work for even the youngest of children!

As your alarm goes off you hear the sounds of your children, ages 4 & 6, talking and laughing, and getting themselves breakfast. When you come out you see that they’re both dressed, their beds made, pjs put away, and they’re sitting down to a delicious bowl of cereal–all without your reminders or help. Sound like a dream? It’s a reality in my home every day, and I’m going to give you the secrets to making it happen in your home, too!

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Savor This Summer And Save Some Cash With These Simple Tips

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Life in 2015 seems to blur past with whirlwind force and speed, leaving everyone and everything weary in its wake! When did those long and lazy days of summer turn into an exhausting circus of events, camps, and vacations that are anything but relaxing?!

Don’t get me wrong, all of those things can be wonderful and have their place. However, trying to jam pack a summer full of them, after an equally jam packed school year can leave everyone in the family feeling depleted and exhausted. So today I want to help you get your focus back on savoring summer. Embracing these simple pleasures and getting back to the basics will not only you all feeling a lot more satisfied, it’ll also save you some cash, win/win!!

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Are You Missing Out on One of These Easily Overlooked Ways to Capture Memories With Your Phone?

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Walmart Family Mobile who offer the Lowest Priced Unlimited Plans. All opinions are mine alone. #MobileMemories #CollectiveBias

Last month I shared why being on my phone for a good part of the day makes me a better wife and mom. While I focused on the work aspects of being on my phone, mostly, I believe that my Walmart Family Mobile Service actually enhances my life in far more areas than just that!

I adore modern technology and all its benefits, and have found several ways out of the ordinary that using my phone helps me to create memories with my family–so I thought I’d share them with you today in case there might be one you’re missing out on!

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I’m Happy For You. Sort of….Not Really.

Although I’m still as much of an avid book lover and reader as ever, you’ve probably noticed my book reviews on here have become few and far between. That’s because in my quest for Wait this year I decided to step back from a few of the things that, while I loved, weren’t what I needed to be focused on doing right now.

When I saw the title of Kay Wills Wyma new book (available to purchase today!!), however, I knew it was one that I HAD to read, and figured it was one most of my readers would, too, so I said “yes, please!! send me one!”

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Why Being On the Internet All Day Makes Me a Better Wife & Mom

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Like the many viral phenomenon that take over our feeds, fill us with emotion, and then pass just as suddenly away, I’m sure you’ve forgotten, but will instantly remember, the Dear mom on the iPhone: Let me tell you what you don’t see article. When it first came out I read it, and honestly appreciated the heart behind it, while also feeling it wasn’t getting the whole story correct. I didn’t share it, but I also didn’t feel the need to jump in with defensive comments that start bombarding my feed. (At this point in my life I’m trying to embrace this quote as full as I can):

Maturing is realizing how many things don’t require your comment ~ Rachel Wolchin

Awhile later I ran across Don’t Let Them Remember You Like This on Pinterest–from a fellow work from home mom blogger perspective so she “gets it” and I loved all she had to share.

They both really did make me stop and think and self evaluate a little bit. But after a few months of soul searching I thought it was only fair to give a good, reasonable argument “for the other side” of why I might be peering around the screen of my new Samsung Galaxy S 4 for most of the day. I’m not trying to be a super hero mom, or be super defensive (notice the title is “better” not great–and I’m referring in comparison only to myself, not you) but I thought maybe by sharing my thoughts it could encourage those other mommies out there behind their phones right now!

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How to Throw An Epic Avengers Party When You’re Not Talented

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Hubby and I have always enjoyed the MARVEL movies and make sure to go and see them in theater, or as soon as they’re released to DVD, every time there’s a new one! Our favorites are Thor (<–my personal favorite….swoon), The Avengers, and Captain America, and just recently we decided the kids are old enough to start watching a few of them with us!

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