This post is brought to you by Abercrombie Kids. While this was a sponsored opportunity, all content and opinions expressed here are my own. Over the last few months, it feels like we’ve been running around like crazy. A new baby coming this Spring, selling our home, and a big move coming in a few weeks. To say the least, life has been insane. And the kids are definitely feeling it! We try and make sure we get quality time in with each of the boys all year long. But even more so now. Zach is gone from Sunday to after they go to sleep on Thursday, and it feels like time is going faster than ever. So how do we combat these huge life changes from wreaking havoc on us all? Hygge! You know I love the Danish idea of Hygge. Creating coziness and warmth. And I think it’s kind of a shame that it’s so geared towards adults. Because Hygge moments for kids can be so incredibly therapeutic. When life throws curveballs and everything around them is changing, I think it’s incredibly important to give them those slow and intentional moments of joy. How do we cultivate Hygge […]
I think one of the questions I get asked most always correlates with the fact that we keep screen time to a minimum around here. First off – I don’t think there’s anything wrong with screen time. In fact, during this first trimester, the boys have watched way more TV than normal. Some of their favorite shows, like Wild Kratts, and Planet Earth I think are great. Educational, interesting, and they don’t make me want to pull my hair out. But for the most part, we like to keep things old school around here. The boys do not have tablets, nor are they allowed to use mine. To each their own, and just do what works for you! The biggest reason we cut down and eliminated screen time for the most part? The boys’ behavior. The more TV they watch, the more insane they get. There are more meltdowns and more attitude. Basically, I can see an immediate change in them. But I digress. Here are a dozen of our favorite toys, etc that help facilitate screen free days: This post contains affiliate links Screen Free Gift Guide for Kids. National Geographic Dinosaur Play Sand H has had this set […]
This post is sponsored by Huffy; however, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Choosing the right gift for your kids: Tis the season to start thinking of wishlists, gifts, and family gatherings! I know I talk a lot about keeping the excess down in my Instagram Stories. So I thought I’d share an easy way we do that when it comes to the holidays. But first, let me preface with this: no matter what you decide, never let anyone make you feel guilty about what you do or do not gift during the holidays. Whether you feel 1 or 27 presents is perfect for your little ones – that choice is all yours. Here’s how I keep things simple with our almost 5 year old: All year long, H will stop us in stores. “Mom, take a picture for my list! I like this one!” He’s a kid. He loves stuff. He loves toys. He loves sound and bright colors and wants it all, now. I was worried about figuring out how to get him something he would actually love each year. Especially because his birthday is so close to Christmas, there’s just a lot happening at […]
This post is sponsored by Kroger. Regardless, all opinions are my own. 3 Toddler-Approved Superfood Smoothie Recipes, inspired by Bumble Bee. What were some of your favorite Saturday morning cartoons when you were a kid? I wanted to be just like my brother, so everything he liked, I liked too. We would head downstairs in the morning, grab a bowl of cereal and tip toe into the living room. He switched on the TV and I would stare at the screen, transfixed at the magic happening in front of me. That magic was The Transformers. Watching the Autobots not only save the world, but go from vehicle to robot was unlike anything I had ever imagined. We weren’t allowed much TV growing up, but being an 80s baby, we made sure to save up our TV time to watch the Autobots defeat the Decepticons every week. Flash forward, just a couple of years later, and now I have kids of my own. And my oldest, H, is obsessed with all things mechanical. When we found out there was going to be a new BumbleBee movie this holiday season, I genuinely don’t know who was more excited. Especially considering […]
This post contains affiliate links. You guys have been clamoring for a post on the boys’ bunk beds. And I finally have the time to sit down and write this out! I’ll probably come back and update pictures as we finish their room. But for now, these will have to do! A few things to note: This was ridiculously easy. We Googled all sorts of Ikea Hacks for the Kura bunk bed, and kept falling in love with every new idea we found. So, we left it up to the boys! I was really surprised, albeit a bit relieved when H said he wanted to keep it simple. That meant I didn’t have to be the one struggling with decals or wallpaper. And Zach wasn’t going to have to try and create anything crazy. Our style is kind of a jumble. I like to describe it as a Scandinavian / Boho mix, with a little eclectic mid-century thrown in for good measure. I LOVE color and jewel tones and everything lush and velvet. Meanwhile, my husband is very drawn to black and white and minimalism. The boys room, I think, is a great melding of all of the above. DIY Ikea […]
I’m sharing Febreze in my life as part of a sponsored series for Socialstars™ Is it just me or has this year flown by? Somehow, we’re already halfway through! Maybe it’s all the insanity and business that’s made it feel so fast. Or the whole trying to keep up with two kids thing? Either way, warm weather, sunshine, and those wonderful warm summer rainstorms are here. And this summer, I’ve decided to take advantage of the time I have with the boys. Being present, without screens, without worrying about other plans. THAT’S my biggest summer bucket list item. However, I sat down with H and we decided to come up with a giant list of awesome stuff for us to do this summer. Because I have 13 or less summers left with my oldest. And if these next 13 years fly by as fast as the last 4.5 have? I’m going to feel how much I missed out on. The Ultimate Summer Bucket List: (As Created By a 4 Year Old) Hunt for fossils in the backyard. (Doing a DIY ice or sand dig out) Library story time. Go camping at a local campsite. Have a camp out […]
This post is sponsored by Everywhere Agency on behalf of Carter’s; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. This is everything I’ve waited for. The moments I wished and dreamed and crossed everything for. H was obsessed with all things belly when I was pregnant. He was the center of my world for SO long. Three years – his whole life! He knew what life was like, just the two of us. He has memories of life before brother. He reminds me of them constantly. But this. The requesting to take brother on a walk. The asking to help with changing diapers and picking out clothes. The kindness and gentleness. I see his benevolence picking up on everything I’m trying to impart. I’ve always know that I wanted a bigger family. And yes, times right now are really hard. You’ll know, especially if you follow me on IG or watch my stories, you know how hard it is. There is a lot of screaming. A lot of juggling. A lot of struggling and bargaining and begging. However, something in the last week has changed. I can sense a shift in them -“the boys”. They are playing more independently. They are playing TOGETHER. There is […]
Boys are messy. Really, really messy. I had no idea just how dirty the human body could get in less than a three hour timeframe. Or during a meal. Babywipes are always on hand to wipe down faces and hands, but by the end of the day everyone knows what time it is: BATHTIME. Nightly bath time with Baby Dove Sensitive Sometimes I almost feel bad for the water. That poor, clean, innocent liquid. Unsuspectingly forced out, and into the tub. About to be overwhelmed with two little boys and a whole lot of dirt and grime. Because we take baths every single night, and our new build has hard water, we have to be careful with products. Both H, 4, and J, 16 months, have pretty sensitive skin. It’s taken a little trial and error to figure out what works best for us. We need a bath time wash that meets a few criteria. In fact, because both of them have had such issues with their skin sensitivities that for a while… we kind of tried to skip baths. Let’s just say things got extra stinky. I was left with messy kiddos that desperately needed a […]
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. This comes at no additional cost to you, but helps keep MMD up and running! In the spirit of trying to give you more of what you want this year, I thought I would throw together a post all about the reusable pouches I’ve been sharing on my Instagram. On my Insta-stories today I shared a video of H and his always obsession – a pouch. But a lot of you noticed that it didn’t look just like any ole regular run of the mill pouch that you grab at the grocery store. Well… that’s because it’s REUSABLE! Reusable pouches for kids My little crunchy “green” heart found out that there are such things as reusable pouches, and I started buying them in 2015. For the first two years of his life, H hated food. Literally. Hated it. Refused to eat, no matter what. So, rather than fight him on it, I just rolled with it and started coming up with tons of awesome ideas for toddler approved healthy smoothies. But, I was finding that his regular cups just didn’t quite work for us with all the traveling we did. So, I did […]
This post contains affiliate links. Dinosaurs are a main topic of conversation around these parts. My oldest, H, is almost 4 and his days are consumed with those Triassic reptiles. He also loves reading and learning and quizzing me on my dinosaur facts, so our library is never short on dinosaur books. Here are some of our favorite and the best dinosaur books that have been kid and adult tested and approved! (In no particular order) The best (toddler approved) dinosaur books for kids: Discovery Kids “Rumble with the Dinosaurs” sound book: 10 awesome sound buttons and full of vibrant pictures and cool facts, this is a fantastic dinosaur book for kids. I love that the sounds aren’t too loud, and they sound really crisp! “How Do Dinosaurs Play with Their Friends?”: A really cute book with not so secret teaching moments about friendship. The illustrations are fantastic, and I love the lessons its helping teach H about being a good friend and sharing. Gives you an easy “okay, bud, remember – how do dinosaurs play with their friends?” line that serves as a gentle reminder, too! How Do Dinosaurs Go to Sleep?: Another teachable book from Jane Yolen and […]