Hiring a babysitter can be a difficult task. These days finding someone you trust that can handle a child or group of children with varying needs can be a challenge. When you find yourself looking for a babysitter here are some basic tips to help you hire a good one. Continue reading »
STEM learning is focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. These four areas are some of the fasted growing areas in the world of careers and have become something that’s highly focused on educating kids. With the advancement of technology and the rise of jobs that require a background in STEM, it’s no wonder more and more STEM camps for kids have started to appear throughout the country. Today I’m going to share why STEM is so important for kids and share a fabulous camp for your kids to attend this year called iD Tech.
Advanced Intelligence
Having kids with a solid background in STEM education helps to provide kids with the opportunity to advance their intellect and iD Tech is here to help with that. We use STEM in our everyday life as well as in various ways that most people don’t even realize. We need math to bake, cook a homemade meal and budget our finances but beyond that, STEM is an area that will encourage kids to think deeper about the world around them providing them with a chance to advance their intelligence while enjoying fun activities. Spending time at iD Tech will help kids improve in all of these areas. Continue reading »
We were out food shopping recently and the little one spotted Froot Loops as we were walking down the cereal aisle. He had to have them and since I can’t say no to that kid, we walked out with a bowl of Froot Loops even though I knew he was only going to have a bowl or two and then he’s be all set with them. Sure enough, three bowls later and he was done with Froot Loops. So there I was with 2/3 of a box of Froot Loops that I needed to use up. I decided to make a Froot Loops Milkshake out of some of them and it ended up being a huge hit with the boys. And me. And my husband. Seriously, making Froot Loops Milkshakes was one of the smartest ideas I’ve ever had and since I made them this first time, I’ve ended up making them a bunch more times because everyone loved them so much.
Since we still have another month or two of the cold weather here in New England, I am not ready to put the crockpot away for the season yet. I don’t know what I’d do without my beloved crockpot! I use that thing several times a week and one of my family’s favorite meals is this Creamy and Delicious White Chicken Chili. It’s not easy to get everyone in the house to agree on a meal, but this is one that everyone likes – so needless to say I make it fairly often. It’s easy to make and tastes absolutely delicious.
Here’s what you need:
You probably already know this, but I am a complete and utter Disney fanatic. I am raising my kids to be the same way and hopefully they will carry on the love with their own children some day. In addition to yearly trips to Orlando to visit the parks, on occasion I like to surprise the family with fun treats like this Mickey Mouse Bark that I whipped up recently. Guys, it’s so easy to make and if you know a major Disney fan, make some for them – they will love it.
This Mickey Mouse bark is wicked easy to make and you only need a few ingredients to make it. And before you ask, you can find the Mickey Mouse sprinkles right on Amazon (that’s where I got mine).
Here’s what you need:
For years my oldest (who is not 14) struggled to find his “thing”. He tried all kinds of different sports over the years and he even took drum lesson for a few years. We thought we finally found something he loved in karate, but the horrible people that ran his dojo ended up making him hate something he really loved for a while there.
Anyways, last year (almost two full years after he quit karate), it happened. He’s FINALLY found “his thing” – basketball. He plays on a church league run by my town, which he absolutely loves! His team made the playoffs this season and the first playoff game is this weekend so I made these Oreo basketball pops to celebrate the accomplishment. They are wicked easy to make and seriously, who doesn’t love chocolate covered Oreos?
The New England Outdoor Living and Garden Show is coming to the WaterFire Arts Center in Providence, Rhode Island THIS WEEKEND, March 8 – 10, 2019!
Talented artists, designers, and gardeners have created mini-outdoor oases that will be displayed indoors for show guests to walk through, experiencing the vision, the smells, the touch and the feelings as if you are really outside on a beautiful day. In addition to the walk through experience, there will be a Marketplace with over 45 vendors offering chances to purchase items such as: Garden Accessories, Hand Made Garden Art, Outdoor Furniture, Culinary Food, Beverages and more. Learn from the best in design and entertaining, by attending our Master Classes. These are not just demonstrations; we are offering intimate opportunities to meet the experts in their craft.
Some special show highlights include: Continue reading »
Dr. Seuss’s birthday is a wonderful time to enjoy all things Seuss related! The book Green Eggs and Ham is no doubt a favorite amongst children, which is why this Dr. Seuss Green Eggs recipe is sure to be a hit in your house. You can make your own green eggs in just minutes, and this is one sweet treat you won’t have to beg kids to eat! Here is how you can get started making your own green eggs.
Here’s what you need:
We found everything we needed at our local Dollar Tree. The vanilla pudding cups make it easy to add the coloring and for kids to stir. Plus, each cup makes two eggs which is perfect per child. You can also find the smaller sized Nilla Wafers like we used here. Perfect! Continue reading »
St. Patrick’s Day will be here before you know it – it’s already less than a month away. When my boys were little, they always loved it when I pull out our craft bucket because it always meant something fun was about to happen! Making Leprechaun Rocks was one of those fun things we made every year and today I want to show you how to make them. They are super easy to make and the kids always love them (because who doesn’t love anything covered in glitter?). If you’re in need of a fun and easy St. Patrick’s Day craft idea, look no further than these Leprechaun Rocks.
Here’s what you need:
Here’s what you do: Continue reading »
My mom was one of the best cooks in the world. You have no idea how much I miss her home-cooked dinners sometimes. As most of you know, I lost her in 2017 and while most of her recipes live on, it’s just not the same. But as much as I loved her cooking, there were a few things she made that I just could not stand. She made this horrible apricot chicken dish that I nicknamed “yucken” when I was a kid -and the name just sort of stuck. Another thing I just didn’t like when I was a kid were pork chops. No matter how she made them, it took everything I had not to gag over every bite.
Now that I’m an adult, I understand that it’s a texture issue, but as a kid I just thought pork chops were gross. Speaking of being an adult, we all know that means you have to do things you don’t like sometimes and since I want my kids to at least TRY new foods, I made pork for dinner recently. I ended up finding this recipe for Salsa Verde Pork Chops, so I made it.
It’s that time of year again…time for the New England Boat Show that is. My husband is obsessed with boats so attending the boat show is an annual tradition for us. This year the New England Boat show is in Boston from February 9-17, 2019, so be sure to make some time to get to over there to visit while the event is going on. The New England Boat Show attracts over 50,000 marine enthusiasts of all ages and definitley has something for everyone.
Here’s are some of the things you can expect at the 2019 Progressive Insurance New England Boat Show this year: Continue reading »
Being a busy mom means that you end up putting everyone else before your own needs or wants. Well, that’s not any way to live life, but alas, it’s the life of busy moms everywhere. Even though you’re a busy mom, it’s still important to squeeze in some fitness during your busy days. Today I’m featuring some fitness hacks for busy moms so that you can get everything done while building that muscle tone too.
Brushing Teeth Wall Sit
You’re supposed to brush your teeth for 2 minutes twice a day, right?! Will utilize this time to sneak in a little fitness. While you’re brushing your teeth do wall sits. Simply place your back against the wall, lower yourself into a “sitting position”, without a chair, and hold that pose for the entire 2 minutes of teeth brushing. Depending on how fit you are, you may not be able to do the full 2 minutes at first, but you’ll work your way up in no time. Continue reading »
When it comes to making desserts, I don’t like to make things that are too complicated. I could sit here and tell you it’s because I’m such a busy mom and I don’t have time to make anything too involved, but the truth is I’m lazy. I definitely prefer to just throw a few things together and make something real quick. Or grab an ice cream sandwich from the freezer….
But you know that sometimes you want more than a boring old ice cream sandwich.
I actually discovered recently that I could use my crockpot to make things other than dinners, so I have been going a little crazy trying all sorts of desserts in my crockpot. Did you know that you could make desserts in your crockpot? It’s kind of the best thing ever! Anyhow, these Crockpot Turtle Brownies are so easy to make, and trust me, they are super delicious. They are perfect for us lazy dessert makers.
My son is in his junior year of high school; the time when teenagers are looking at colleges, taking SATs, and thinking about their future. Teachers, parents, and grandparent expect that their kids will go to college, but let’s be honest…. college isn’t for everyone. Somehow that gets forgotten. Don’t get me wrong…I value education. I am halfway through my Master of Science in Nursing program. I wish my son wanted to go to college, but he doesn’t….and that’s okay.
I have always stressed the value of an education to him, whether it be college or a trade school. We spent time talking about how you have to have a marketable skill. How a job making minimum wage is not enough to support himself on. Do I wish he had this overwhelming desire to be a doctor? Of course, but he doesn’t.
Unfortunately for him, his high school doesn’t seem ok with it. He has to research colleges and write papers on them. Some classes are spent going to school sponsored college fairs. It was stressing him out to the point that he was afraid to tell me that he didn’t want to go to college, and I am not okay with that. I never want him to be afraid to tell me something. Continue reading »
I was cleaning out my cabinets recently and came across a box of red velvet cake mix. I don’t even remember buying it to be honest, but it was getting close to the expiration date so I figured I better use it up before it went bad. I originally thought about making cupcakes out of it, but when I went grocery shopping a tub of cream cheese frosting caught my eye and all of the sudden a light bulb went off. I was going to use the cake mix to whip up some yummy Red Velvet Whoopie Pies.
Here’s what you need:
Valentine’s Day is coming up quick. Seriously, it will be here before we know it. This is my youngest’s last year in elementary school, which means that I only have one chance left to knock it out of the park with some killer valentines for him to hand out to his classmates at school. Lucky for him, I came up with these Printable Lucky Duck Valentine’s Day Cards to pass out to his friends in school. I am really happy with the way they came out and I know my son’s classmates are going to love them!
I was in a baking mood today and ended up whipping up some S’mores Layered Cupcakes. I love s’mores, but I don’t love the mess they make when I am eating them (sticky marshmallow all over my hands is so ew), so here is my twist on a classic. Plus, who doesn’t love a good cupcake?
It’s the winter season and you’re probably looking for some fun places to be and things to do out in New England. It’s hard to find some ideas for things to do in the winter time because of how harsh the New England winters can be, and all you want to do is hibernate indoors sometimes. But no matter how long you want to spend outside this season, here are some great winter destinations in New England in case you feel like exploring this snowy time.
Explore some art – New Haven Connecticut
Yale in New Haven Connecticut sounds boring to explore for a snowy day. But a tour of the location can be absolutely stunning and a great pastime! The Yale Center for British Art and Yale University Art Gallery have stunning art to see while you’re exploring. These are considered some of the finest art museums in all of New England, you wouldn’t want to miss an opportunity like that. Continue reading »
If you know my 14 year old in real life, you already know that he’s OBSESSED with The Celtics. My youngest is a basketball fan, too, but JD lives and breathes for The Celts. Just imagine how pumped they were to have been invited back to participate in a Jr. Celtics Gameday Clinic for a 2nd year in a row! You can read all about our experience last year here. We went this past Sunday and I want to tell you all about it.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Jr. Celtics program, it’s a series of clinics in Boston (at the Garden and the Auerbach Center) that teaches young kids the core values of Boston Celtics Basketball as part of its mission to improve healthy youth development in the Boston community through basketball programs. Programs include Basketball Clinics, Coaches Clinics, Leagues, Tournaments and Summer Camps. Kids learn things like how to improve their skills, how to become a better teammate and to perform like a champion. Jr. Celtics provides opportunities for all ages and skill levels. Continue reading »
I have been on a cereal-waffle kick lately and Reese’s Puffs Waffles are my latest creation. I made Froot Loops waffles and Cinnamon Toast Crunch Waffles recently and since we had a box of Reese’s Puffs in the house, I decided to make Reese’s Puffs Waffles out of them. I am all for getting creative with my waffles or pancakes, but since waffles seem to be a bit more popular in my house, I tend to lean towards making waffles over pancakes. My kids agree.
I honestly don’t know why I didn’t making cereal infused foods sooner. I love a good bowl of cereal with milk, but guess what? They are even better when they are mixed into a waffle or even a milkshake. Try it.
