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gastro-nomique · 6 years

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236 Holiday Recipes You Won’t Believe are Allergy-Friendly

For the first time this Halloween, our family decided to offer a candy alternative to kids with allergies. It was something I’d heard about before but hadn’t thought a lot about until we actually did it. I learned there are A TON of families out there dealing with food allergies!

Which is why I am so excited to tell you about this incredible resource for families dealing with allergies – available for the next 2 DAYS ONLY.

psst – the best part? YOU get to name your price!

So here’s the deal. This morning, my friends at Ultimate Bundles released the Food Allergy Freedom Collection, a mouthwatering library of 280 allergy-friendly holiday recipes… and you read that right- you get to pick your price.

Why? Because this, more than any other bundle, is one that we all feel it’s super important to get into the hands of as many families as possible.

Whether you need to avoid:

Gluten

Dairy

Eggs

Nuts

Grains

Refined sugars

OR you eat paleo, GAPS, vegan or even AIP…

…you’ll find something to chow down on with these delicious, deprivation-free recipes.

Plus, these recourses will help keep your prep time down AND help you to keep off those almost inevitable holiday pounds ;).

Get the Food Allergy Freedom Collection before it expires tonight.

Here are just 4 of the 9 eBooks included in this collection that I’m super excited about:

#1 – Allergy-free Meal Plan

This eBook makes getting a healthy meal on the table so much easier — without turning to packaged foods or takeout. You get 4 whole weeks of meals (including desserts and snacks) all of which is free of egg, dairy, wheat, fish, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish. Weekly shopping lists and prepare-ahead tips are included too!

#2 – Vegan Holiday Treats

Vegan Holiday Treats contains 29 festive and delightful holiday dessert recipes. These tried and true recipes are simple to make, free of dairy and eggs, and easy enough for a beginning baker. Enjoy your favorite treats this season – from shortbread to molasses cookies to chocolate thumbprints.

#3 – Nourishing Holiday

Focusing on GAPS diet, primal, and paleo foods, this eBook features classic recipes like pumpkin pie, turkey gravy, and even dinner rolls. Plus, a well-rounded dessert section lets you indulge without guilt. You’ll find delicious recipes for cakes, pies, and cookies that feature easily-digestible sweeteners like fruit and honey.

#4 – Thanksgiving in the Slow Cooker

With 32 gluten-free recipes, a “Thanksgiving Timeline Cheatsheet,” and a 30-Minute Company’s Coming Cleaning Guide, this eBook will make your holidays a smashing success. Stop spending time stirring things on the stove — put your slow cooker to work, get out of the kitchen, and make lasting memories with the people you love.

All this talk about food is making me hungry!

Click here for a full breakdown of the eBooks and recipes in this bundle.

…And here are the deadlines and details:

Right now, you can get this collection on a pay-what-you-want basis.

You can pay as little as $3 and if you choose to pay $20 or more, you’ll get a bonus eCourse full of tips and tricks for easy allergy-friendly cooking and baking (a $40 value by itself!).

The bundle is backed by with a 30-Day Happiness Guarantee, so there’s no risk on your end.

And most importantly, this special offer only lasts until Tomorrow at Midnight Eastern Time. After that, you would have to spend over $110 to get the 280 delicious recipes in this collection.

So why wait?

Get the Food Allergy Freedom Collection before it’s gone.

*Post contains affiliate links.

P.S. Remember, you only have until Tomorrow at Midnight Eastern Time to save BIG on these yummy recipes. I’d hate for you to miss this chance to make the holidays more fun and delicious!

Get your Food Allergy Freedom Collection now.

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gastro-nomique · 6 years

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How to Have Healthier Kids This Cold & Flu Season

Image Credit: © Taylor Mackenzie | Lifeless | CC by 2.0

The snow that we got last week confirmed it- fall is here and winter is on the way. And while there’s a lot to love about that (warm fires, cozy drinks and brown paper packages tied up in strings)… there’s also the cold and flu season.

It hits us every year and every year I vow that I’m gonna take some real steps to boost my kids’ immunity.

So let’s get out ahead of it together this year, shall we? My favorite nutritionists from my favorite detox program, Prescribe 20, are here today to share their tried and true tricks.

Here’s Katie with the goods…

“Tis the season, folks.” Yes, it’s cold and flu season and for you parents out there, you can count on one thing – someone’s going to get sick, if not the whole damn fam.

We’d love to say we have the magic bullet so you never get sick, but as cold and flu season repeats year after year, that’s simply setting expectations a ‘lil too high.

What’s our plan? To help you get sick less and less sick. We repeat, sick less (less frequent colds and cases of flu) and less sick (lessen the symptoms and duration). That feels a bit more realistic, doesn’t it?

The “Sick Less” Plan: Daily Immune Boosting

Step 1: Tea Time

Kids always want what we’re drinking, so here’s a great evening teatime routine you can share.

Have them pick out their favorite tea cup or mug, warm up your tea elixir (recipe below), and grab a book or talk about the day’s events. This process makes them feel like a grown up all while getting some magical immune boosting ingredients.

Our favorite “tea” is this concoction…it’s literally like magic. For the kiddos we follow the same recipe (boiling down the lemon and ginger) but skip the cayenne unless your small people dig a little kick.

Fight the Cold Tonic

1 whole lemon, sliced into rounds

1-2″ knob of ginger, sliced

1 tablespoon ground turmeric

1 cinnamon stick (or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne (less if you’re sensitive to heat)

Pinch of fresh ground black pepper

1-2 tablespoons honey

Directions:

Place all items except for honey in a pot with 4-6 cups of water (whatever size pot you have is fine).

Bring to a boil and simmer for ~ 10 minutes.

Let cool slightly, mix in your honey according to taste. Sip….sip on this stuff all winter.

Step #2: Mineral Baths for Kids

Baths are a great way to pass time in the winter, so let’s go the distance here and help their bodies ward off the bugs too.

Below is a recipe for mineral dense “bath bombs” that, once you have the simple ingredients, can be made in under 5 minutes. No joke.

Image credit: Jamie Stoia

Bath Bomb Ingredients

8 ounces Baking Soda (about 1 cup)

4 ounces Citric Acid (1/2 cup)

1/2 cup (4 ounces) Epsom Salt

4 ounces Cornstarch (about 3/4 cup)

2 tablespoons oil of choice – we like coconut oil (softened)

2 teaspoons witch hazel (or water) plus a little more if needed

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

30-40 drops of Essential oils or powdered dried herbs (ginger is great)

Directions:

Combine dry ingredients (baking soda, salt, citric acid, and cornstarch) in a large bowl and mix well until combined.

In a small bowl, combine the oil, witch hazel (or water) and vanilla extract and stir well. Add essential oils if using.

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients a few drops at a time. Mix well with hands (wear gloves if you have sensitive skin). Add powdered dried herbs if using.

Mixture should hold together when squeezed without crumbling. You may need to add slightly more witch hazel if it hasn’t achieved this consistency yet.

Quickly push mixture into molds, greased muffin tins or any other greased container. Press in firmly and leave at least 24 hours (48 is ideal) until hardened. It will expand some and this is normal. You can push it down into the mold several times while it is drying to keep it from expanding to much. Using the metal molds will create a stronger and more effective final bath bomb.

When dry, remove and store in airtight container or bag. Use within 2 weeks.

Here’s the deal, minerals are essential to our function but are increasingly more difficult to get with our compromised food sources. Minerals are part of a healthy immune system and can be absorbed through the skin. Hence, the magic mineral bath.

Step #3: Drops of Sunshine

Gosh, don’t you wish you could take little drops of sunshine for real? But, back to earth. Vitamin D is crucial to our existence.

For the kiddos adding 1-2 drops (1,000 – 2,000 IU’s) in their tea or smoothies is a fantastic way to keep D level supporting their bodies, specifically their immune system.

The “Less Sick” Plan: This Sniffles & Aches are Here, Now What?

Step 1: Elderberry Syrup

When the first sign of a cold or flu sets in, reach for the elderberry syrup. Black elderberries have been shown to help mitigate a full-blown cold and speed up recovery.

Elderberries naturally contain vitamins A, B and C – all of which stimulate the immune system.

Step 2: REAL chicken noodle soup (aka bone broth)

This ain’t your Campbell’s soup (sorry Campbell’s). We need the powers of true bone broth. Bone broths are nutrient-dense, easy to digest, rich in flavor and they promote healing.

Its relatively easy to make but the amazing news is that you can buy or order real bone broth and freeze that liquid gold for when you need it. Beyond that, simply add all your favorites: carrots, celery, chicken, noodles or rice, season to your liking and you have the world’s oldest cold remedy.

Step 3: De-Stress

You’re not the only one stressed around here! We now know the power of our mind-body connection and what it’s capable of. The sooner we can teach our kids to use their own amazing gifts, the earlier they can begin practicing.

We are in love with the Healing Buddies Comfort Kit app.

Its guided imagery, breathing exercises, acupressure, and aromatherapy will help your littles to wind down, calm down and feel better. It also helps with anxiety, insomnia, pain and worries…which can all accompany not feeling well.

We love simple and easy practices to implement because there’s nothing worse than having to run to the store or attempting a project when you have a child that needs you. And at the end of the day that is what they need, YOU.

So we’ve got you, while you’ve got them. Here’s to boosting immune systems, nourishing those sweet bodies, teaching life skills, and starting some new traditions!

Thanks so much for the tips Katie!

And here’s something really great… If you guys want to get to know the team at Prescribe Nutrition and their best tips, tricks and resources to feeling healthy and energized, Prescribe 20 is 20 days just for that – feeling your best.

They are running an exceptional great sale and special holiday program (between Thanksgiving and New Year) to help you stay you and your immune system stay sane and happy for the holidays.

Use code: MPMK for 30% off right here.

*Post contains affiliate links.

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gastro-nomique · 6 years

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Parenting Styles: When Kids Call Your Bluff

Sometimes, in my weaker moments, when my three year old (the one going on, like, sixteen) decides now is the time to assert her three feet of independence, I bluff.

The trouble is, it’s starting to backfire. Here’s a recent example.

“Okay, ready to go? We have to go pick up your bothers and sister at school!”

This is an exciting event ninety percent of the time, and she usually hustles to grab shoes and whatever miscellaneous items must accompany her – and there are a lot – but lately, she gets downright mullish.

“No,” she’ll say, turning on an enormous frown and aiming it my way.

My reaction varies on any number of things – how late we are, whether I’m frantically trying to meet deadlines or relatively on top of things, if I’m hoping to grab a quick coffee on the way over.

On my better days, I can take a deep breath and remind myself that three year olds are tiny, irrational creatures put here purely to test you. On my bad days, when an iced latte is really my main goal, I’ll bribe her with a chocolate muffin at the coffee house. And on my worst days, I go straight to my standard bluff.

“I’m going to school with or without you, E,” I’ll say, keys in hand. “Are you staying here?”

This usually works, and after some stomping around, we’re out the door.

This time, she looked me dead in the eye, this three year old with no socks and no shirt, clutching a zippered pouch she calls her suitcase and a soft doll swaddled in a huge baby blanket.

And she called my bluff.

“Put Pecka Pig on first.”

Then she dismissed me, shifting her attention to her baby and shuffling her armload of stuff.

So, I left. I walked into the garage, climbed in the Jeep, backed into the driveway and sat there dithering.

I mean, obviously I couldn’t leave her, even if my internal five year old argued that’s how we’d show her! And the longer I sat in the car and stared at the door, waiting for it to open and a wailing kid to come running out, the more incredulous I became. I mean, I was half pissed, half impressed, really. She’s pretty ballsy for a three year old.

After a good minute or two, I stomped back inside, where she was calmly playing with her baby. I told her I was sorry, but she actually had to come with me.

It was a fight, I’ll say that. Nothing like trying to wrestle a highly resistant three year old into a five-point harness.

Luckily, she’s nuts over the swing set on the school playground, so I dangled that carrot in the coffeehouse parking lot and we made up.

Mental note – forget the bluff, and go for the swings next time.

More from MPMK

How Becoming Spartans Made Us a Closer Family

Hands-On Holidays: Simple Ideas for Making Memories October to December

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gastro-nomique · 6 years

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30 Budget Finds for Your Fanciest Thanksgiving Table Ever

If you’re hosting Thanksgiving this year, you might be stressing over all the planning that goes into such a feat. So how about we put all the family drama on hold and just concentrate on the fun stuff.

Putting together a pretty table can be super satisfying, especially when done on a budget.

Here are my favorite finds for doing just that, a few of which are on amazing sales. Get ’em while you can!

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*Post contains affiliate links.

More from MPMK

The Ultimate Minimalist Mom Capsule Wardrobe

Free Printable: Thanksgiving Gratitude Conversation Starters

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gastro-nomique · 6 years

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The 2017 Top Toy Awards are Here!!

How great would it be to get all of your Christmas shopping done ahead of time this year AND feel confident your kids are going to love their gifts and keep returning to play with them again and again?

I’ve got some HUGE news today friends! Drum roll please…

The 2017 Top Toy Awards are Here!

The Toy Awards Parents In-the-Know Have Already Viewed Over 7,000,000 Times!

I am such a fan of your website and emails! Thanks for working so hard, especially at Christmas shopping time! Grandparents have scored major points after I forwarded them your lists.

-MPMK Reader, Lauren

These are awesome! I’ve waited to make Christmas lists until they came out- and now I”ve shared with all my friends. The past two years I’ve used them and the gifts are ALWAYS a hit!

-MPMK Reader, Ellen

In case you’re unfamiliar with our famous toy gift guide collection, this is not your average roundup of a few of our favorite things – Oh no. This is an incredibly extensive library of the most engaging, brain-growing, and yet still super-fun toys available.

4o0+ selections viewed by tens of thousands of parents each year!

And here’s the best part, all of those awesome toys are arranged into specially themed guides with detailed descriptions of each and every toy and categorized by our recommended age ranges for the utmost enjoyment.

This is the only resource you’re going to need this year to nab the perfect gift for every child on your list.

Pin the Gift Guides page to your favorite gift board here or bookmark this page now and save and share it with your mom friends on facebook – they’ll thank you!

Over the next couple of months, I’ll be highlighting all 16 of our gift guides but you don’t have to wait. You can see them all right now!

Toy Recommendations by Age:

Top Toys for Babies and Young Toddlers

Top Toys for 2-Year-Olds

Top Toys for Preschoolers

Top Toys for Kindergartners

Top Toys for Elementary Age Kids

The Hottest Toys of 2017:

The 20 Hottest Toys of 2017!

Our Most Popular Toy Awards:

Best Toys for Building S.T.E.M. Skills

Best Toys for Keeping Kids Active Indoors & Outdoors

Best Games for Family Game Night and More!

Best Learning Toys for Quiet Time

You may be wondering- where do I research? Everywhere.

I’ve spent hours upon hours talking to friends, school teachers, and even toy store owners as well as reading reviews, polling our readers, and scouring toy award lists to come up with these finds.

In addition, I’ve got a few goals of my own when it comes to toy shopping – getting in some solid independent play during quiet time, burning off steam when stuck indoors, and feeding their little brains in a fun way to name a few.

We’ve got a couple of different ways for you to shop:

Check out our gift guides by age above

Check out our list of the 20 hottest new toys of the year plus our roundup of over 50 winning toys under $20!

Scroll through each of our gift guides categorized by interest and find the perfect thing for your art/building/outdoor/S.T.E.M./game/doll/etc. loving kid!

Go Here for All 16 Top Toy Gift Guides!

Psst… You can also:

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gastro-nomique · 7 years

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Free Printable: Thanksgiving Gratitude Conversation Starters

Gratitude isn’t a new concept for us.

We’ve talked before about regularly expressing gratitude toward our kids and putting our gratitude into writing.

Do a simple search for gratitude on the blog and you’ll see many ideas for crafts and thoughts about giving thanks.

The benefits of being a grateful person range from being more optimistic, less materialistic and self-centered, to increasing our self-esteem and actually making us healthier. This is something we should be working on literally every day.

Our contributor MJ created a free printable as a super simple way for your family to get into the thankful spirit this Thanksgiving- and to get you all talking!

It has 27 conversation starters all about being thankful.

Get the FREE Thanksgiving Printable Now!

Simply print off the free three page PDF (on colored paper if you want to be festive) and cut them into strips. Keep the strips in a specified area. The dining table is a perfect place to start.

Whether you’re starting the day by giving thanks or ending the day going around the table with thanksgiving, doing it as a family fosters togetherness and keeps the idea of gratitude at the forefront.

If you’re a family that has a hard time grabbing meals together, you can make this idea work on the go. Put the strips in a cup holder in your car.

You can even stash a mini-stapler close by and have the kids help make the Thanksgiving chain as you’re driving to and from school and practices.

At home, the paper chain can be displayed with a pile of multi-colored pumpkins or simply hung in the window.

I love how each chain link that is added is a way of physically showing the growth of character in our children.

Teaching them to be thankful people truly can be done in big ways and small.

We hope this craft is one you can adapt to your lifestyle and use as you parent your little ones. Don’t forget to grab your free download:

Get the FREE Thanksgiving Printable Now!

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gastro-nomique · 7 years

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How Becoming Spartans Made Us a Closer Family

I know we’re about a week out from the end of October and our thoughts are flooded with all things Halloween right now, but I need to take a time-out from all of that today and tell you about another super fun activity our family has been LOVING lately.

First, the backstory… about 2 years ago my husband started training with a group of people from work for a Spartan Races.

If you’re not familiar, these are extreme obstacle course races outside in the elements. Think crawling in the mud, sliding under barbed wire, scaling walls, lugging around ridiculously heavy weights and running. So. Much. Running.

Not gonna lie- at first, I thought he was crazy and that this new hobby of his would never last. But last month he completed his 9th race in two years!!

In that time we’ve talked a lot with our kids about what Daddy has been up to and it’s had such a positive impact on not only my hubby, but our entire family, that we just couldn’t resist getting the kiddos in on the action too.

Yep, they have this insanity for kids too – and it’s pretty much the greatest thing they could ever imagine.

Six months ago our then 6-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son entered their first race. As expected, they had a blast and started begging to do it again pretty much as soon as it ended… Fast forward to last month and even our 3-year-old got in on the action.

If you’re wondering, no, the kids’ version of the Spartan is not meant to be nearly as brutal as it’s adult counterpart.

Kids can choose between 1/2-mile, 1-mile, and 2-mile courses, depending on their age and interest, and everything is scaled appropriately to their level.

One of the coolest things? It’s all going on at the same time as adults are running their races… It pumps the kids up so much to see the adult racers and to feel like they’re truly part of the experience in a really authentic way.

Is it fun? YES. Do the kids love it? YES Is that all there is to it? NO!

My kids get so many positive takeaways from their Spartan experience. And they learn them through real-life experiences instead of just through my words- which is so much more impactful.

Spartan Kid Lesson #1 – We Can Do Hard Things

This is something I talk about a lot on the blog and we talk about a lot at home. We all know by now that one of the best things we can do for our kids is to instill within them a growth mindset in which they understand that failure is not only ok… it’s an essential part of the learning process.

When I watch my kiddos fall off an obstacle, or slip in the mud, only to get back up and try again- I know that they’re learning this lesson in the most tangible way possible.

And the pride that comes beaming out of their little faces when they overcome an obstacle? Just about the best thing ever.

Spartan Kid Lesson #2 – We Work Together

Before the kids entered their first race, we talked with them a lot about how Daddy’s Spartan team never leaves a member behind. If somebody can’t climb a rope or get over a wall, the other members of the team will literally lift them onto their shoulders to get them up and over.

I can’t tell you the amount of pride I felt about this lesson truly sticking when I saw my son helping his little sister to drag her weight during their first race, or when he helped his little brother over the wall during their second.

One of my biggest goals as a mom is to teach my kids to have each other’s backs… Does that mean they always get along or even always like each other? Nope.

But I want them to know that when they really need it, they’ll be there for each other.

Spartan Kid Lesson #3 – Being Active is Awesome!

It’s no secret our kids are growing up surrounded by screens like no generation before. So it’s a priority for us to make sure we’re modeling for our kids the importance of being active, getting outside, and seeing just what their bodies can do.

There’s something especially wonderful about watching my daughter complete an obstacle she didn’t think she could. I can literally see her self-confidence growing right before my eyes.

Spartan Kid Lesson #4 – It’s Fun to Spend Time With My Family

With a nearly 6 year age spread between my oldest and youngest children, finding a family activity that everyone gets super excited about isn’t always easy. We’ve found that the kids take such pride in earning their race medals, and have such a good time in the process, that all three of them absolutely love it.

Afterall, from 2 to 20, what kid doesn’t love playing in the mud?!

We all really love counting down the days to the race together, driving up to the course full of anticipation, and cheering everybody on as they run. And, of course, there’s always a medal and a celebratory treat afterward too.

If you think the Spartan Race experience is something your family will enjoy, I highly encourage you to check it out. And who knows, we might just see you there!

*Spartan Races kindly provided free race entrance to my husband and kids for their latest race in return for this honest review. All opinions are 100% my own.

More from MPMK

MPMK Gift Guide: Go-To Gifts for Elementary Aged Kids

Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions for Families

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gastro-nomique · 7 years

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11 Brilliantly Simple DIY Halloween Costumes for Moms

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I’m going to my first adult Halloween party in years and I’m super excited about my DIY costume.

That got me to thinking that there may be a lot of moms out there who could use some quick and easy ideas on how to throw together an easy costume for neighborhood parties, classroom parties, or just trick-or-treating with the kids. So I asked our contributor, Kristin, to throw together a list of costumes mom could throw together and she didn’t disappoint!

Here she is…

In an ideal world, we’d plan ahead and always be on our game- with work, with family and with school.

Need a dozen cookies for the bake sale tomorrow? Got it. Need a contract written for tomorrow’s meeting? No problem. Need to drop off three kids to three after-school practices? Easy. Need a costume for the Halloween party tomorrow? Panic!

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. We’ve rounded up 11 of our favorite easy costumes you could pull together the night before Halloween. Some of them involve items you already have. Some involve a quick trip to the store and a glue gun.

11 Favorite Easy DIY Halloween Costumes for Moms

Mary Poppins is a fan favorite. You can easily make her costume via Brit and Co. It even has an option for a husband to join in.

All you need is a printer to create the Instagram puppy filter. TBO gives us this cute example.

We also love this very clever idea of a school photo by Cup of Jo.

Embrace Fall and look super cute in this scarecrow costume by The Joy of Fashion.

Live out your little girl’s dream wearing a tutu and dressing as the Tooth Fairy. And this is another idea by Julie Ann Art that a partner could join in on.

Julie Ann Art also says if you have a roll of tin foil, then you could be a Hershey Kiss.

I think we can all agree pineapples are having a moment. Cosmopolitan shows us how to dress up like a pineapple!

One of our favorite costume ideas comes from Brit and Co. This wind up doll is so cute.

If your little is a Disney fan, consider dressing as Mickey Mouse. Say Yes gives us this example of matching with your ‘mini’ Minnie Mouse.

Do you have a striped shirt? Take the easy route and create the girl version of Where’s Waldo. I love how Say Yes created this costume for mom but you can also rope in the whole family.

Another idea for a striped shirt comes from Dress Corrilyn. Be a very chic French mime with the black and white striped shirt most of us own.

More from MPMK

Fall Books All Your Kids Will Love!

Free Printable: No More “Mom, I’m Bored!”

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gastro-nomique · 7 years

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Flash Sale! Hands-On Holidays: Simple Ideas for Making Memories October to December

Big news my friends – our holiday eBook, Hands-On Holidays, is on flash sale for the next 3 days only!!

With exactly 2 weeks out from Halloween I know many of you may be scrambling to get on the holiday merry-making with the kids – this is everything you need to easily make Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas memories with their kids!

We put a lot of time and love into creating this book because we wanted to give busy parents a way to make tons of holiday memories in a very low-stress and manageable way.

Commit to Less Stressing & More Connecting this Holiday Season

The holiday season is such a wonderful time to share with your kids. From Trick-or-Treating to opening the presents under the tree, there are so many memories to be made and, as parents, we don’t want to miss a single opportunity.

But planning special outings, pulling-together seasonal crafts, and baking up a slew of holiday recipes can be exhausting (the prep work alone is almost a part-time job).

If you’d like to spend the holidays less frazzled about planning and more in-the-moment, enjoying time with the kids – we’ve got just the thing.

$9.99

For 3 Days Only: $7.99

$9.99

For 3 Days Only: $7.99

Our new eBook, Hands-On Holidays, is 100 pages full of everything you and the kids will need to have a great time creating, cooking, reading, and adventuring together from October through December.

And the best part is, nearly all the activities are very simple both in their preparation and execution. It’s all about spending quality time together and being creative in an open-ended way, not running all over town finding obscure craft materials to make a picture perfect project.

Here’s What’s Included…

The book is divided into three sections (Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas), each of which begins with a list of ways for families to get into the holiday spirit:

Ideas for Starting a Halloween Tradition

10 Ways to Practice Thankfulness as a Family

Advent Activities List: 24 Ways to Count Down to Christmas

In addition to these ideas, we’ve also provided our favorite children’s books for each holiday – because there’s no better way to get kids in the spirit of the season than by reading about it with them each night!

Of course, no holiday activity book would be complete without a bevy of crafts and DIY decor projects.

We’ve filled our pages with simple ways for the kids to help decorate for each holiday, as well as lots of stimulating playtime ideas.

Each section also contains our favorite sweet treats. These are tried-and-true recipes my family adores making and eating and yours will too!

$9.99

For 3 only: $7.99

And don’t miss out on our special bonus sections. Filled with tips and tools to help make this your best holiday season yet, they include:

Use Those Halloween Costumes to Build Brainpower

What to do with all that Candy

Creating a DIY Dress Up Kit on the Cheap

Thanksgiving Kids’ Table Printables

A “Berry Merry” Teacher Christmas Gift Idea

Our Favorite Christmas Movie Marathon Selections

A New Tradition: How to Make Room for New Toys & Give Back

Still Not Sure this is the eBook for You?

Check out what some of our favorite bloggers have to say about it and get a look at the Table of Contents:

The holiday season is so filled with chaos and pressure it can be easy to forget what truly matters–quality time with your kids. Hands-on Holidays is filled with fantastic yet utterly do-able ideas for simple crafts, memory-making activities, and tempting recipes that help put the holiday focus back where it should be and keep the kids involved. Best of all, none of the suggestions are expensive or require odd supplies!

– Tiffany Dahle of Peanut Blossom

Family celebrations and traditions are a big part of building memories, positive relationships, and a healthy family culture. Hands On Holidays is full of brilliant, fun, and simple ways to create these powerful traditions in your home starting today. I can’t wait to get to work on some of these outstanding activities with my own brood of boys

– Amanda Morgan of Not Just Cute

The holidays seem to catch me off-guard every year I often scramble to find meaningful ways to create new experiences for my young children. If you’re like me, you’ll browse Pinterest, catch up with favorite blogs, and conduct endless web searches for the right recipe, activity, or book. The magic behind Hands-on Holidays is that Stephanie has organized over 50 engaging activities and treats into one easy-to-read place, saving you tons of time….and leaving you with more time to enjoy the holidays themselves.

– Rachelle Doorley of Tinkerlab

$9.99

For 3 Days Only: $7.99

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gastro-nomique · 7 years

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Parenting Styles: We Suck at Bedtime

Close to a million hits in less than half a second can’t be wrong – bedtimes are important for kids. And that’s a bit of problem around here, because we suck at bedtime.

But we can’t be the only ones, right?

I mean, with the exception of my one friend who, every single night, spends a good twenty minutes listening and chatting and reading and, you know, just killing the parenting game with one child while her husband does the same with the other – and then they switch – how many parents are really rocking the whole bedtime thing?

Whoever you are, tell me your secrets.

Because by about seven thirty, I’m usually still tidying up and/or folding laundry. I’m mentally tallying how many hours of work I have ahead of me. I’m thinking through tomorrow’s to-do list. I’m debating whether it’s worth setting the alarm forty minutes early so I can ride my stationary bike before the kids get up. And while all of that is happening, the very last thing I want to deal with is bedtime.

But, obviously, I want them all to be sleeping so that I have some freaking peace and quiet.

So we try.

“Bedtime, guys! Clothes in the dirty hamper and everyone up to bed!” And even though this happens five nights a week, they still seem mystified about this 8 pm bedtime thing.

“But we’re not tired!”

“Can I read?”

��Mom, will you do my hair in two French braids tomorrow? Or! I saw this hairstyle on TV, these braids that, like, wrap around your head like a crown. Can we find a tutorial and do that tomorrow, please?

“I’m hungry.”

And the logistics are a literal nightmare. If I spend ten minutes snuggling with each kiddo, that’s a good forty minutes. Forty minutes of snuggle time in a dim, quiet room is a problem, because then my brain think it’s time to wind things down for the night. And then my options are a) caffeine or b) pushing deadlines.

Oh, wait – are you about to suggest that my husband and I alternate who snuggles with which kids to chop that forty down to twenty? No good, we’ve been there, done that, had the feuding kids to prove it’s a bad call.

And then we have the wild card, the three year old, who is neither patient nor understanding about “turns.” She doesn’t care that it’s her brother’s turn, and she’ll either lay sobbing in her own room for the full five or ten or fifteen minutes I’m tucked up in his bed – ooh, relaxing – or she’ll come marching in and throw some elbows as she squeezes in.

This never goes over well with her brother.

Meanwhile, I’m mentally composing catchy blog post titles and trying not to make it obvious when I skip pages in Little Blue Truck (those board books are huge, this is nearly impossible). Our older daughter is sighing meaningfully from across the hall, where she’s sitting up in bed just waiting her turn. Our geriatric pug is barking blindly at the bottom of the

Our geriatric pug is barking blindly at the bottom of the stairs, because he’s ready for bed too, and he can no longer manage our steep staircase, and oh, the six-year-old forgot his “bedtime drink of water” and should probably swing by the bathroom again, too.

And by the time everyone’s actually in bed and no longer on the stairs or in the bathroom or detouring past the fridge, by the time we’re dropping kisses on foreheads and turning off lights and finally, finally heading downstairs, we’re both frustrated and feeling guilty about it.

Because our bedtime ritual doesn’t include fifteen minutes of one-on-one time, with three books, two hugs and a special song (damn it, Boss Baby, what kind of bar is that to set?!). More often than not, it involves some kind of threat if they don’t go to sleep right this minute, and we mean it this time!

It’s just a lot of work, after a lot of work all day long. And by the end of it all, I’m just over it all.

Now I just need to know that my friend is the weird one, and the rest of you all suck at bedtimes too.

More from MPMK

Parenting Styles: The Kid Who Doesn’t Eat

Parenting Styles: The Santa Question

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gastro-nomique · 7 years

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Most Impressive/Easy/Comfy Halloween Costume Ever – Janine from The Handmaid’s Tale

My husband and I are attending our first adult Halloween party since before we had kids this year and I’m so excited!

It’s been at least a decade since I’ve thought about a costume for myself, though, and that’s kind of a lot of pressure! Especially since Halloween costumes for grown women are notoriously ridiculous; i.e. “sexy _______” is basically our only option.

Not only do I refuse to set that kind of example for my kids, I’m also all about being comfortable!

Which is why I got super excited about the idea of dressing up as a character from the uber-popular book, and now show, The Handmaid’s Tale. A quick Amazon search revealed all sorts of comfy red dresses and capes and even the perfect Handmaid’s bonnet.

The only problem? I wasn’t the first – or even the fifth – person to think of this brilliant costume.

I do like to be original but I was just too excited about this costume idea to give up on it… so I put on my thinking hat and came up with the idea of being Janine, the character who’s unfortunate fate led to the loss of her eye.

At first, I contemplated actually using an eye bandage like this one over my eye but – let’s be real – this mama doesn’t get that many opportunities to let loose at actual adult parties and I will be having some drinks. This means a lack of depth perception from having one eye covered is NOT a good idea.

So, next best thing, I decided to teach myself how to make a mean looking scar around my eye.

And guess what – it was actually ridiculously easy!! All you need to pull this off are two secret ingredients: the YouTube tutorial above and this stuff. Just apply a few coats to your face and boom – insta-scar!

I’m telling you, everyone who saw the dress rehearsal of this costume was SUPER IMPRESSED.

I can’t wait to wow everyone at the party… all while chilling in an ultra comfy dress with pockets (my absolute favorite).

To recap, here’s what you need to pull off a Janine costume of your own:

Super comfy modest red dress or cape (or both if you’re really going all out)

Handmaid’s Tale style white bonnet

Rigid Collodion

That’s it! If you really want to finish off the look you could add brown boots and one of these mesh bags like they carry in the show.

Happy Halloween!

*post contains affiliate links

More from MPMK

Does Your Family Have a Halloween Ritual?

Halloween Craft: DIY Stand-Alone Ghosts

Halloween Dinner the Kids Will Love: Jack-O-Lantern Stuffed Peppers

The post Most Impressive/Easy/Comfy Halloween Costume Ever – Janine from The Handmaid’s Tale appeared first on Modern Parents Messy Kids.

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gastro-nomique · 7 years

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A Day in the Life: What it REALLY Takes to Start a Thriving Diaper Drive

As a parent, you have probably heard of (or hopefully even participated in) a diaper drive in your area. But have you ever thought about what goes into getting an operation like this off the ground and running? Or how the need for diapers can truly be the difference between security and tough times for a family?

Did you know, for example, that diapers aren’t covered by federal subsidies? When I learned this while visiting the HomeAid Orange County, an emergency shelter for families and member of the National Diaper Bank Network, I was taken aback. And to think that according to the recently announced study, Diaper Need and Its Impact on U.S. Families, from the National Diaper Bank Network and founding partner, 1 in 3 U.S. families suffer from diaper need.

Maybe you’re thinking that these families can save money by using reusable diapers. But most childcare facilities don’t accept children using reusable diapers. In fact, the same study, Diaper Need and Its Impact on U.S. Families, uncovered 57% of families in diaper need miss work or school due to a lack of sufficient diapers required by childcare, daycare or early education programs to care for a baby or toddler. (It makes sense when you think about the logistics of dealing with that for a room full of babies or toddlers.)

Unpack the issue a little more and you see the unrelenting cycle families in need can be stuck in:

Can’t get diapers from government subsidies -> In diaper need -> Not able to obtain childcare without diapers -> Not able to keep a job without childcare -> No money for diapers/housing/food without a job

This is why since becoming the founding sponsor of the National Diaper Bank Network in 2011, Huggies No Baby Unhugged has donated over 200 million diapers and wipes to support the growth of the network and families in need.

And it is why Gina Scott has been working with HomeAid for over 20 years. Their mission is to assist in keeping families off the street during tough times and to provide them with help obtaining affordable housing.

She knew the HomeAid Orange County needed diapers (specifically size 4 and 5), and she knew the deep impact those diapers could have. So she took action and started a diaper drive.

After a lot of hard work and dedication by countless volunteers, Gina’s diaper drive has grown to truly amazing proportions. There’s now even an annual event at the Angels’ Stadium where eight home builders and many other participating agencies collect over one million boxes of diapers each year.

As you can imagine, this is no small feat. The process starts with a committee of 20 volunteers who work with the Children and Families Commission of Orange County to plan the event.

Approximately 400 more volunteers from local builders put together houses made from diaper boxes for the event. These aren’t just any houses…the builders show off their skills by decking the houses out with lighting and furnishings. The houses are then auctioned to bring funds back to the community.

Still hundreds of more volunteers pitch in to accept and sort donations and the LA Times even donated their old, vacant building to be used to collect and store all those diapers.

Volunteers from a local lumber wholesaler donate palettes and wrap, then UPS volunteers to transfer them to the Orange County Food Bank, which is responsible for distributing them to local shelters.

As you can see, hundreds upon hundreds of people volunteer their time to make sure this amazing diaper drive is successful. As a result, shelters like HomeAid Orange County are provided with diapers to give to the families staying in this temporary situation.

Thank you so much to Gina and all of the volunteers at HomeAid Orange County for the incredible work they are doing and for taking the time to show us around.

How can you help?

Learn more about how you can help fight diaper need, and donate your Huggies Rewards points to help babies in need at http://ift.tt/2xNgjcK.

Huggies – the fastest growing diaper brand in U.S. hospitals – believes deeply in the Power of Hugs, which is why every diaper and wipe is inspired by a parent’s embrace. The Huggies No Baby Unhugged program helps ensure all babies get the hugs they need to thrive by supporting hugging programs in hospitals and donating diapers across the country. Learn how you can help at http://ift.tt/2xNgjcK).#HuggiesCouncil #ad

The post A Day in the Life: What it REALLY Takes to Start a Thriving Diaper Drive appeared first on Modern Parents Messy Kids.

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MPMK Preview Gift Guides: The Hottest Toys of the Year!

It’s that last day of September, which means I am furiously working on this year’s gift guides (I’ve actually left my family and stashed myself away for the entire weekend to do so!)

There’s still plenty of work to do, but I couldn’t help but give you this sneak peek in the meantime. Enjoy…

Fingerlings – Interactive Baby Monkeys

(Ages 4 – 12) Starting at $14.99

These adorable finger-sized animatronic monkeys are the “It Toy” of the year. In fact, it’s the end of September as I’m releasing my gift guides and they’re already completely selling out everywhere.

If you get the chance to buy one- do it!! (Even if you end up getting something else for your kids, you will be able to make bank on eBay come December.)

So what’s all the hype about?

These pets react to sound, to motion, and to touch. They love to hang onto your kids’ fingers, backpacks, other toys and pretty much everything else.

With over 40 animations, kids can rock them to sleep, blow them kisses (and have them blown back), make them sing, and much more.

Like a lot of the hot toys out this year, they’re also incredibly life-like. They blink their eyes, turn their heads, swing by their tails, fart, and more. Plus, if you can get them at retail price – they’re cheap!!

And if the Toy Gods are really smiling down on you and you can find them, I also suggest both the Fingerlings Playset…

And the Fingerlings Jungle Gym for even more extended play time fun (as well as a handy place to store the little guys so they don’t get lost).

Another way to go are these 40 Piece Money Stix sets that seem to have been quickly produced by an industrious 3rd party company.

I am really digging that with this playset version kids get to engineer their own set ups for their fingerlings, plus it’s not another bulky toy to have to store somewhere.

LEGO Boost Creative Toolbox Building and Coding Kit

(Ages 7 – 12) $159.99

This is the toy that we’ve all been waiting for LEGO to make! Robotics and coding have become so incredibly huge in toys, in fact, that I’m really surprised it took this long.

I can (and will) tell you a lot more about this astounding kit but I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you watch thr short video below on this 837 piece set – you will be sold!

It demonstrates a lot of what your kids can build and do, including a super cool robot, a working LEGO 3D printer, a very cool working electric guitar and more!

Until now, if you wanted to parlay your kids’ love of all things LEGO into an interest in programming, your only real option was the very expensive LEGO Mindstorm kits, which are also geared more towards older LEGO builders.

At a cost of $200 less than the Mindstorm kits, the new LEGO Boost kit still has everything you need to get your kids building, programming and coding and – frankly – I think the builds are more fun and approachable, especially to kids who aren’t hardcore coders.

Like all building and programming toys, this one works with a free app that you download on your tablet or phone and what I really love is that the kit builds not one, but five different models. The above video showed the robot.

Here is the working 3D printer.

And here is the guitar… This toy does SO MUCH, I predict hours and hours of educational play with this one!

KIDS IMAGINE MERMAID PILLOWS

(ages 2 – 14) $47.99

If you’re a parent, you are likely familiar with the mermaid fabric trend. Kids absolutely cannot get enough of playing with and “drawing” on this magic fabric. (To be honest, either can I – each night when I lay with my 3-year-old, I just can’t stop myself from petting this pillow. It’s so, so relaxing.)

As such, these pillows from Mermaid Pillow Co. have become my new #1 suggestion for gifts from grandparents.

Why? Because grandparents like to buy things that have a big “Wow!” effect, they often don’t mind spending a little extra on their precious grandchildren for something that’s high quality, and if left unchecked grandparents can often misguidedly gift monsterous plastic toys that you would never normally allow into your home!

Mermaid Pillow Co. sent one of these pillows for each of my kiddos to review (I chose the “Sharks Think” for my 8-year-old son, the “Fairies Fly” for my 7-year-old daughter, and the “Dinosuars Discover” for my 3-year-old son.)

There are a couple of things I love about these particular pillows. First, the affirming messages are really cool – just the kind of encouraging note we try to hit in our parenting – and it was nice that there were so many to chose from! I was able to find one that perfectly suited each of my kids’ personalities and interests.

(I also love the message of this one.)

Second, I was very pleasantly suprised with how soft the front of the pillows were. You can never really tell when ordering from a website, but these are extremly well made and super soft. They came beautifully packaged and seemed like something I would have bought from a boutique.

Last, but not least, is the mermaid fabric! Every bit as addictive as you might think, this stuff can be played with for hours. It’s fun to draw designs in, to write on with your finger, and also acts as a really nice tool for relaxing at bedtime or calming down from a tantrum. I highly recommend!

Cozmo by Anki

(ages 3 – adult) $179.99

There are all the other robots on the market… and then there is Cozmo.

I have never seen anything like him and, trust me, you haven’t either. He’s basically a real-life Wall-E that you can bring home to the kids.

He has the things you want in this kind of toy; i.e. a very cool and continually growing programming platform and a free app that’s iOS and Android device compatible so kids can learn to code. But he also has SO MUCH more.

Thanks to artificial intelligence, Cozmo can express hundreds of emotions (his face is just like Eva’s from the movie Wall-E). From curious to clever, persistent to playful, he has personality x 10.

He also has facial recognition that allows him to get to know your name, face, and quirks. And best of all, he continues to evolve the more you hang out with him.

He’s not just a novelty toy though (I already mentioned he can help your kids learn to code and program) he’ll also play games with you.

In fact, Cozmo is a game-playing machine. Literally. Whether lifting his Power Cubes or challenging you to games like Quick Tap and Keepaway, he’s always up for action. And in Explorer Mode, Cozmo lets you guide him through his environment to see what he sees — day or night. Cozmo’s skills and games are constantly updating, so the fun never runs out.

If you’re even thinking about a robot for the kids this Christmas, this is the one to get- you won’t be sorry!

L.O.L Suprise Dolls

(Ages 5 – 12) Starting at $15.99

If there is one thing that elementary aged kids just can’t get enough of, it’s collectibles. From Shopkins and Funko to Pokeman cards, small things that they can hoard like crazy are like catnip to kids this age.

And since toy manufacturers aren’t dopes, there are a few brand new collectibles that are sure to fly off the shelves this year (seriously- buy one or two for each of the special kids in your life now while you can still get them and they’re not stupid expensive).

All the rage this year are the already uber-popular L.O.L. dolls. Let me just start by saying that every year when I start researching for the gift guides I tell myself I cannot start buying for my own kids until at least October… and every year I fail because I see something that I know they will love and I know will be hard to get later.

This year, this was the thing I couldn’t resist buying in September for my daughter.

Note: Because these things are so popular this year, there are a lot of imitations. When you buy, be sure the company is “L.O.L. Suprise” and that it is shipped and fulfilled by Amazon.

These little balls of joy have all the miniature cuteness that’s required in a collectible for girls this age, plus a couple of really cool features.

The wrapping is part of the toy itself. It’s got 7 layers that need to be peeled off and each layer contains a new surprise. (I’m seriously considering stocking up on these just to keep around for future plane rides – talk about a glorious time killer!) The 7 layers of surprises include: (1) Secret Message Sticker, (2) Collectible Sticker Sheet, (3) Water Bottle Charm, (4) Shoes, (5) Outfit, (6) Accessory, (7) L.O.L. Surprise tots doll

The ball itself acts as a playhouse and storage case for the doll (Yay! for having somewhere to store the tiny pieces!!)

The doll itself is also a surprise in how it reacts to water. The many change color, drink, spit, tinkle, or cry.

Peppa Pig Lights and Sounds Family Home Playset

(ages 2 – 6) $59.99

Ah, Peppa Pig- how I love thee. So bright and cheerful and inviting, so gender neutral and appealing to all kids, so fun and happy! And this new lights and sounds family home playset is no exception.

First and foremost, your kids are gonna be impressed by the size- it’s big!

Which means your older kids will love it because it will be large enough to play with their friends during play dates (always a must) and your toddlers will be able to get their hands easily into all of the play spaces.

That makes this a really great toy for multiple siblings to share, which is something I’m always on the lookout for. It’s so much easier on my budget to buy one big toy for everyone and also less clutter in my house!

Plus it encourages coooperative play, a skill we’re always working on around here.

The last thing I really, really like about this stellar doll house is that it has some fun effects like lights and sounds, but they’re not overwhelming. It’s just one button to turn them all on or off and, while engaging, they don’t seem to be the main event of this toy (that would be imaginative play all the way).

With it’s vivid colors and bigger proportions, this house looks like it came straight from the pages of a gorgeous picture book. Plus the 7 rooms each have plenty of fun accessories to keep your kids engaged in tons of dramatic play.

Crayola Rock Painting Set

(ages 3 – 14) $19.99

At first glance this rock painting kit may not look like much, but don’t let the unassuming presentation fool you. This toy is gonna be a BIG WINNER in your house. Here’s why…

First, with clubs like “Seattle Rocks” or “Richmond Rocks” (insert your town’s name) popping up all over the country, rock painting is all the rage with the kindergarten and elementary school set these days. (And, of course, preschoolers will love it too with a little help from mom or dad.)

These fun clubs encourage families to decorate their own rocks at home, hide them somewhere in town and then join a facebook group to leave hints about where you left your rock and also to get hints on where to find other rocks around town.

This is a family activity that has so many beneficial elements for your kids. They get to flex their investigative skills in your community while being creative, social, giving and adventurous. Plus, they spend time with the family (and maybe even learn a little about using the internet safely with you).

Ok, so clearly I’m into the rock clubs- but even if you’re not, your kids will still love painting rocks for their own homes or just for sharing with friends. And if they’re gonna do it, THIS is the kit to get.

The biggest thing about this kit is that it comes with a tub to keep everything in!!! This is major! The one thing I do not dig about rock painting is the potential for half-painted rocks, paint and brushes scattered all over the house. This will keep it all contained!

It also comes with a lot of things other kits don’t, like 8 very cool shimmering metallic markers, a paint mixing tray, and finishing glaze. Of course, it also comes with acrylic paints in white, black, brown and the primary colors.

At first, I thought that didn’t seem like enough colors but then I watched the video above and realized the idea is to use the primary colors to mix your own secondary colors. Another learning element great for preschoolers and kindergartners!

Fort Boards

(ages 4 – 10) starting at $61.99

Kids LOVE making forts and, I gotta say, I’m a big fan of anything that will buy me a solid hour or two of busy time.

What I’m not the biggest fan of? The beating my couch cushions take when my kids get into fort-building mode.

That’s reason enough alone to love the Fortboard kits but there are quite a few other reasons too.

First is all the super cool kinds of forts you can build. After Fortboard sent us two boxes to review, my kids started with the instructions for making a house on their website company’s website. Next up was the submarine.

After a little trial and error, they pretty quickly got the hang of it and, let me tell you, they were pleased as punch about their new fort- which they insisted stay up for a week. That was fine by me as it resulted in TONS of cooperative dramatic play.

Next up was the submarine and the castle, both of which were equally successful. By then, even my 3-year-old was able to build stuff with these on his own. His current favorite is to make cubes, which he calls “bombs” and use them to knock down stacks of even more cubes Angry Birds style.

Fast forward a few months and they’re now building their own master creations like that 6-wheeler semi-truck pictured up top. It’s become a thrilling game to challenge each other to see what they can build next.

The second thing to really love is the ingenious ways these boards can connect in different ways to create all sorts of angles, and even curves.

The secret is the connector arm that can be moved to join the boards in different ways (and teach your kids about angles in the process).

It’s so innovative, in fact, that it’s won multiple awards and even a Microsoft Small Business Contest.

The final thing I love about Fortboards is how compact they are when it’s time to put them away. Unlike with their competitors’ sets, there are no awkward polls to store (and no polls for kids to hit their siblings with). Everything tucks into a box and neatly stores under a bed or in a closet when playtime is done.

Like other fort sets, this one is spendy but if your kid is a builder it’s worth the investment, especially if you’re looking for something great for play dates or for siblings to play with together.

Teddy Ruxpin – Storytime and Magical Bear

(Ages 3 – 6) $94.00

He’s back! That’s right guys, the evil toy geniuses totally have our number and know that we will pony up the cash for anything that brings back nostalgic memories of our own childhood. And in the case of Teddy, I’m 100% here for it.

I mean how can you pass up a chance to share that with your kid?! And, of course, they made him way cooler than the first time around.

Most notable are his crazy-emotive LCD eyes with over 40 animations- SO MUCH better than the creepy blinking of the original version. The cassette player in his back is gone too because Teddy now reads books on the free app- but don’t worry, you don’t have to have the app to use him. He can also tell his stories and sing without it.

He truly is a nice toy for encouraging reading in pre-readers and emerging-readers. By being able to pause the reading just by tapping his paw, they can ensure that Teddy goes at their pace and he is sure to have them asking him to read to them again and again.

Hatchimals Suprise

(Ages 5-9) $69.99

Hatchimals CollEGGtibles

$9.39

Hatchimals Glittering Garden

$54.88

These interactive, magical creatures that come (and eventually hatch out of) their own egg were the hottest toy of the year last year. Every elementary-aged girl I knew, including my kindergartener daughter, had one at the very top of her list and they quickly sold out everywhere.

Naturally, they’re back this year with the originals being as popular as ever and, count them, three new iterations for your kids to covet. First, though, a refresher on what we’re dealing with here…

The magic in this toy is how kids are encouraged to nurture it both to come out of it’s egg and once it’s in the world.

To get the egg to hatch, kids have to pay attention to the color of the eyes inside the egg as well as the sound the hatchimal is making and respond to it appropriately. My biggest question was how long the hatching would take and it turned out to be about an hour. Check out the whole process in the video above.

Once it hatches, it’s time to give your Hatchimal a name and raise it through 3 stages: from baby, to toddler, to kid.

And here’ where I eat my words- Last year I wrote that ,”My suspicion is that this toy isn’t quite as cool once it hatches, but it does do a lot (walk, talk, dance, play games, and more) and though you can’t put it back in the egg, you can start it over as a baby whenever you want.”

Turns out my daughter’s enthusiasm didn’t lessen any once the thing hatched and a year out it’s still one of her top toys… So what’s new this year?

First up are CollEGGtibles.

Seizing on that love of all things mini that I wrote about above, the Hatchimal people made a whole variety of mini eggs.

Open these guys by rubbing the hearts until they change color and they crack. Works a little differently but the excitement is the same and the lower price point sure is nice! These will make great stocking stuffers and kids will love this nursery playset once they collect several collEGGtibles.

Next Hatchimal Surprise.

Along with going smaller is also the option of going bigger… and that’s all I can tell you right now because what’s inside is a mystery until October 6th. This one is pretty much guaranteed to sell out way before Christmas.

Lastly is the Hatchimals Glitter Garden.

This guy works exactly the same as last year’s hatchimal but with a little more sparkle!

So those are my top picks for the hottest new toys but there will be a lot more to come in the next couple of months leading up as I finish up the 2018 MPMK Toy Gift Guides so stay tuned!

In the meantime, don’t forget to check out all of our picks from last year’s…

MPMK Toy Gift Guides: The Complete Collection

*Post contains affiliate links

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Back by Popular Demand!! Re-Boot Your Parenting in 1 Hour

I don’t know if it’s just me, but I find that the beginning of a new school year bis a great time for a parenting re-boot.

Summer over and we’re doing our best to return to our normal routines (and to work on any behavior issues that may have crept up as we’ve all indulged in lax routines over the past few months).

It just seems like the perfect moment to step back and take stock of our parenting techniques (what’s working and what’s not) as we embark on another year.

Which is why I’m so happy to announce that it’s once again time for us to partner with my friend and personal parenting guru, Amy McCready of Positive Parenting Solutions, Tuesday, October 3rd at 1pm EST (10 am PST) to present MPMK readers with:

A FREE Positive Parenting Webinar: Get Kids to Listen Without Nagging, Reminding, or Yelling

Tuesday, October 3rd at 1 pm EST (10 am PST)

Amy and I get together to present this free webinar live only 2 times a year so if you want to learn her tricks and use them to enjoy a more peaceful year with your family, now is the time to sign up!

But hurry and grab your spot now as we have been known to sell out!

Psst – Can’t make that time? No worries – those who sign up will get a link to the replay of the webinar or an opportunity to sign up for another time if they can’t make it to this one.

Double Psst – Everyone who signs up will also get a copy of the Free Report: Top 5 Tips for Battling Backtalk Every Parent Needs.

Triple Psst – As a thank you for coming (and because I want to make sure as many of you as possible hear this amazing talk and that we keep getting to book Amy to come back), I’m also going to send a brand new “After-School jobs” printable to everyone who signs up a full week before anyone else can get it on the blog!

If you’re not familiar with Amy and her Positive Parenting Solutions program, she’s a self-described “recovering yeller” and champion of positive parenting techniques for happier families and well-behaved kids.

She’s also a frequent expert on the TODAY Show and has also appeared on Rachael Ray, CNN, Fox & Friends, MSNBC, and elsewhere.

During the webinar she’ll be sharing a few of her most effective positive parenting techniques and talking all about her positive parenting toolbox (something our family loves).

Here’s a little more info. on the course in case, you’ve missed it when we’ve done this in the past…

A FREE Positive Parenting Webinar: Get Kids to Listen Without Nagging, Reminding, or Yelling

Tuesday, October 3rd at 1 pm EST (10 am PST)

If you’re a regular around here, you know I’m a big proponent of positive parenting. In fact, I often recommend posts and books on the topic.

I have to admit, though, despite how much I believe in these writings – I barely have time to read them myself. Life is usually just too busy to allow for a few hours of reading to brush up on my parenting skills.

Which is why I’m always so excited to partner with Amy McCready, founder of Positive Parenting Solutions and TODAY Show contributor, to offer these free webinars.

You’ll learn easy to implement strategies to correct misbehavior and reclaim the calm voice you had before kids (remember that?!).

You’ll also discover proven tools for your most frustrating discipline dilemmas including the 5 R’s of Fair & Effective Consequences.

Plus, you’ll also get a FREE GIFT for attending:

Free Report: Top 5 Tips for Battling Backtalk Every Parent Needs

If you go to bed night after night, vowing that you’ll keep your cool the next day only to once again find yourself yelling at the kids – I WANT YOU TO JOIN US!

Don’t give up on yourself! I know that Amy’s tools will help you become the parent you want to be because that’s exactly what they’ve done for me.

All you need is your computer (no webcam required). You’ll see and hear Amy on your screen and you can even ask questions and she’ll make them part of the presentation. Parents RAVE about this session and here’s another fun bonus – I’ll be there too so you’ll get a chance to interact with the woman behind the curtain.

Webinar seating will be limited so RSVP today – then kick back and learn from the comfort of your home. I’m really looking forward to chatting and refreshing my skills with all of you.

About Amy McCready Parenting expert Amy McCready is the Founder of Positive Parenting Solutions and a “recovering yeller.” She is a champion of positive parenting techniques for happier families and well-behaved kids. Amy reaches a worldwide audience with her Positive Parenting Solutions Online course and is a frequent guest on the TODAY Show and has also appeared on Rachael Ray, CNN, Fox & Friends, MSNBC, and elsewhere. In her most important role, she is mom to two teenage boys.

*disclosure: Please note that I am both an affiliate for, and a user of, Amy’s Positive Parenting Solutions courses. I love them, which is why I’m sharing about them here with you.

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gastro-nomique · 7 years

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Parenting Styles: Kids Are Gross

Last spring, I was soaping up our two littlest in the tub when I felt a bumpy patch on the inside of our then five-year-old’s upper thigh. I took a closer look when I was toweling him off, and saw a group of little red bumps.

They didn’t seem to bother him, so I made a mental note and we moved on.

But the next time he was in the tub, I felt them again and this time, they were bigger – less like little bumps now, and more like raised, red, pimply-looking warts.

Uh, gross.

“What are these things, buddy?” I asked my obviously-clueless-because-he’s-five-son. “Are they itchy or sore or anything?”

He nodded, wrinkling his nose and telling me his “bumps” were bothering him.

Fifteen seconds later, I had consulted Dr. Google and come up with a diagnosis – a skin virus that sounds like something straight out of Harry Potter’s wizarding world. You know, the really gross kind of spell that would have you breaking out in oozing warts.

Actually, that’s pretty close.

Molluscum contagiosm is a nasty little virus that causes little wart-like bumps that are raised and red and just all-around unpleasant. Oh, and here’s the best part – it’s highly contagious, a dreadful thing to tell someone who had just used the same towel on two kids sharing a bathtub.

I couldn’t find a satisfactory treatment for this virus, and I was hoping that the collective internet was just flat wrong when it told me that the virus would run in its course in about a year – actually, that’s the best part – so to the real doctor we went.

By the time we actually got there, more bumps were popping up. He had that cluster on his inner thigh, one on his genitals, and an outlier on the back of his knee. He was scratching them at night, so we had this bandage/hand washing/everyone-gets-their-own-towel thing going as I pictured this virus spreading like wildfire, and me waking up one morning to find warts on my face.

When the doctor came in and asked what was up, I explained the bumps and told him I had already looked online.

He laughed and asked for my diagnosis, nodding his head when I shared the fruits of my research.

One look confirmed both the virus and the jail sentence. I mean, the timeframe.

The silver lining, according to our doc, was that kids under about seven were the ones who seemed susceptible. I sent up a quick word of thanks that I wasn’t in the line of fire, and looked over at our then two-year-old, our son’s bath time buddy.

“Yeah, she may be next,” said the doc.

Awesome.

He told me that individual bumps can be burned or frozen off, but it can take a few visits, and by the time you get those ones sorted out, more are sprouting somewhere else. In his experience, it was better to just let the virus run its course, though the academy seems to be debating that rationale.

Still, I tend to take the less aggressive approach for this kind of stuff, so we just soldiered on as we had been.

Now, less than six months after that first bump showed its blistery little head, he’s in the clear, his little sister managed to completely dodge that bullet, and all I have to say is…

Kids are gross.

More from MPMK

Parenting Styles: When Kindergarten Nerves Become Kindergarten Anxiety

Free Printable: First and Last Day of School Questionnaire

Fall Books All Your Kids Will Love!

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gastro-nomique · 7 years

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Fall Books All Your Kids Will Love!

It’s rapidly approaching: that season so many of us call our favorite.

The one where pumpkin spice lattes, candles, and gourds prevail. I often feel like this time of year is more of a ‘fresh start’ time than the New Year.

The older kids are back to school and I find myself making lists, attempting new habits, and setting goals as if it were January 1st. Even with all those things to look forward to in the fall, the season’s best picture books are still my favorite thing to anticipate. Our family’s favorite, by far, is Fletcher and the Falling Leaves, but there are a handful of others that make my ‘best of’ list.

Fletcher and the Falling Leaves

by Julia Rawlinson

This is the first Fletcher book I read to my kids and remains my favorite. It’s about a sweet little squirrel (or maybe fox? Who can tell?) who frantically tries to keep all the leaves from falling as he worries it means the tree is unwell. I love all the woodland characters and the beautiful illustrations.

The Little Yellow Leaf

by Carin Berger

I could look at the images in this book all day. The text is written in interesting patterns and each page has a collage-type illustration with so many details. The story is sweet as well and a fun way to talk about all the colorful and falling leaves around us.

The Scarecrow’s Hat

by Ken Brown

This one is new to me this year and I love the loose pattern on each page and the idea of each animal having something to offer to another friend.

Yellow Time

by Lauren Sringer

Lauren Sringer’s illustrations in Yellow Time are so vivid and her descriptions are rich. I would highly recommend this for kids in the 4-6 age range as there is so much language to explore and discuss.

Because of an Acorn

by Lola M. Schaefer and Adam Schaefer

This is one of the more graphically pleasing books you’ll ever find. It’s a simple story about how all things in nature are connected, but the illustrations will just capture you.

Why Do Leaves Change Color

by Betsy Maestro

While all of the above books are fiction picture books, ‘Why Do Leaves Change Color by Betsy Maestro is non-fiction and such a well-written book about the science behind our beautiful fall colors.

It’s written with language and helpful illustrations I would consider appropriate for a wide age range of children from about age 4 to 10.

Time To Sleep

by Denise Fleming

A nice change from all the leaf books in that it focuses on preparing for hibernation. A series of animal friends remind one another about winter coming. The text and animals it introduces are wonderful.

Leaves

by David Ezra Stein

This is such a precious book about a bear who is concerned about the falling leaves. It follows him into hibernation and as he wakes up in the spring to the new buds the trees have formed. This is a simple book for younger kids, but a very sweet story.

This is a simple book for younger kids, but a very sweet story.

Run, Turkey, Run

by Diane Mayr

Lastly, this is our favorite Thanksgiving-related book about a turkey who manages to escape the farmer the day before Thanksgiving. It’s hilarious and fun and your kids will love it!

*Post contains affiliate links

Teresa Ward is stay-at-home mom and former elementary teacher who is currently ignoring her singing baby in his crib because she isn’t ready for him to be awake!

More from MPMK

Cleaning House: A Mom’s 12 Month Experiment to Rid Her Home of Youth Entitlement

Free Printable: First and Last Day of School Questionnaire

Boo! Halloween Books for Kids

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The 8 Best Parenting Books for Willful and Spirited Kids

Is there anything better than those moments where you snuggle your baby in a rocking chair before softly putting them to bed? Or cuddling with a chatty toddler on the couch on a snowy afternoon?

But some parenting moments are much less pleasant and can have you tearing out your hair, wondering when the real parent is going to show up and deal with these difficult scenarios.

One reason I love books to help me in my parenting is that the book isn’t biased toward my child (either positively or negatively) – if you ask a friend or family member or teacher for advice, they may be inclined to give you advice that’s skewed based on their relationship with your child.

Whether you’re just starting to see early signs of having a spirited child or you’re worn down by the daily frustrations of strong-willed offspring, these eight books are wonderful for helping you make the most of your relationship with your child and guide them in growing into functional, fantastic teenagers and adults.

Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids: How to Stop Yelling and Start Connecting by Dr. Laura Markham. If you feel like all you do is yell at your child (and haven’t we all had those days or weeks or months?), this book can help you bring a new normal to your family. She focuses more on the parent, helping you understand your own emotions and how to control them so you can parent better. And once you forge a better connection with your child, you won’t have to pull out the threats, bribes, or punishments. This book focuses specifically on toddler through elementary school-aged children.

Raising Your Spirited Child: A Guide for Parents Whose Child Is More Intense, Sensitive, Perceptive, Persistent, and Energetic by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka. Voted one of the top twenty parenting books on Amazon, this title is great for helping you see your spirited child in a more positive light and recognize that their spirited tendencies usually lead to very successful, able adults – if you can survive their childhood. I really appreciate that this book focuses on specific areas that tend to be high-conflict, like bedtime, mealtime, and homework. And if you love this one, check out her book Kids, Parents, and Power Struggles: Winning for a Lifetime too.

Setting Limits with Your Strong-Willed Child: Eliminating Conflict by Establishing CLEAR, Firm, and Respectful Boundaries by Robert J. Mackenzie. Think of this book as your parenting toolbox. Sometimes it feels like your only two options as a parent are punishment or permissiveness, but Mackenzie gives you dozens of ways to handle the problems that come along with having a strong-willed child so that you can motivate your child properly and help them behave at home, school, and play.

Parenting the Strong-Willed Child: The Clinically Proven Five-Week Program for Parents of Two- to Six-Year-Olds by Rex Forehand and Nicholas Long. If you’re at your wits end, start here. This book will walk you through hands-on ways to deal with your strong-willed child and improve your home life. I particularly love that this book discusses specific factors that lead to disruptive behavior and then given strategies for managing very specific behavior issues. This edition also has a really helpful section about how to work with your child’s teachers to make sure you’re giving a united discipline front.

Kids Are Worth It!: Giving Your Child The Gift Of Inner Discipline by Barbara Coloroso. We all want a quick solution to behavior problems, but parenting is definitely a long game. This book focuses on self-discipline and how to help your child develop it (although, you’ll probably pick up a few tips for yourself too). There’s almost nothing you could teach your child that would better serve her than how to be self-disciplined.

Parenting a Child Who Has Intense Emotions: Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills to Help Your Child Regulate Emotional Outbursts and Aggressive Behavior by Pat Harvey and Jeanine Penzo. If you see other children handling disappointments or issues that would make your child collapses in a sobbing (or screaming!) heap in the grocery store aisle, this book will help you and your child deal with those intense emotions. Using strategies from behavior therapy, you’ll be able to practice them in both cool and hot situations. No promises that you’ll never have another public meltdown on your hands, but you’ll at least have the tools to deal with it better than threatening to leave them alone in the grocery store.

Unconditional Parenting: Moving from Rewards and Punishments to Love and Reason by Alfie Kohn. Your child desperately wants to be loved, no matter how they’re behaving, and this book turns much of conventional parenting on its head because it teaches children that their parents only really love them when they please those parents. Kohn helps parents step away from discipline that indicates to children they need to earn love and instead teaches parents to work with their children, offering unconditional support, to help raise emotionally healthy and responsible adults. and unconditional support that children need to grow into healthy, caring, responsible people.

The Explosive Child: A New Approach for Understanding and Parenting Easily Frustrated, Chronically Inflexible Children by Ross W. Greene. If you are worn out by constantly dealing with a child that can’t deal with any variation in routine or unexpected surprises, this book can help your whole family. Greene starts with the factors that lead to these episodes (and shows you when those episodes are most likely to occur), and then gives you the tools to reduce those outbursts proactively with your child by solving the problems that are causing them in the first place. Not only will your child be more flexible and able to handle their frustrations, but it can also significantly reduce the friction between you and your child. And who wouldn’t want that? And if your child’s frustration is causing problems at school, you may want to take a peek at Lost at School: Why Our Kids with Behavioral Challenges are Falling Through the Cracks and How We Can Help Them.

If you have recommendations for books that have helped you parent your child, I’d love to hear them in the comments!

*Post contains affiliate links.

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