My kids always ask me what I’m scared of the most and I’m never really sure how to answer them because I don’t want to scare them by my real fear. I usually say I’m scared of something bad happening to them. I can’t tell them the real truth that what I’m really scared of is dying and leaving them to navigate growing up without me. It’s not that I don’t think my husband would do a good job, I know he would, but I saw how hard it was for my dad to be a widowed, grieving single parent and I know ... Continue Reading...
100 Things to do with Kids this Summer in the Twin Cities and at home
100 things to do this with kids this summer in and near the Twin Cities & at home: Happy Summer! I've made a list of fun family things to do with kids in the summer. Some activites in this list you will need pay for to do but some are free, because we all need some free options! I hope you find my list useful. Kids need some boredom buster ideas at times in the summer and sometimes the whole family is looking for something fun to do together for family time. This list includes activities ... Continue Reading...
How to Plan a Cheap, Fun, Mom’s Night Away Camping without a Tent
Mom’s need to get away even if for just one night. We need to relax and have some fun connecting with friends where we aren't constantly entertaining and watching over kids. One affordable way to do it is with camping, but not using a tent, but with renting a cabin at a local campground. This gives the atmosphere of camping but without the work of pitching a tent so there is less setup time, less clean up required, and more time for fun and actual sitting (a rare thing for mom’s!). Sounds ... Continue Reading...
Quick Hybrid Vegetarian/Meat Nachos Appetizer
When I'm craving nachos (which happens to me frequently) and I want to avoid tortilla chips to reduce carbs, I make a quick healthy version of nachos using Wasa crispbread. This light snack or appetizer satisfies my desire for a plate of nachos and it adds fiber to the diet. This works as a fast light lunch also. Break two or three pieces of multigrain Wasa crispbreads in half. Arrange pieces slightly overlapping on a microwaveable plate. Sprinkle with 1/4 cups medium salsa and 1/4 cup ... Continue Reading...
Kid Brains versus the Parent Brains
Parents: Kids' Brains are Wired Differently than Ours Kid brains versus parent brains show vast differences. Anyone who has spent time around kids can recognize this difference. Kids have their own agendas not always rooted in reality, but their viewpoint is beautiful in many ways.That viewpoint is what helps them live in the moment more than we do as adults. Adults are often forced into living in reality, but we can learn a lot from kids to live in the moment more. But with busy schedules, ... Continue Reading...
Crafts are for Boys too
This was originally published on Her View From Home . “Watch out Mom!” I hear my son say as a cut up foam bullet whizzes into the kitchen and lands near my cutting board. It’s my middle son and he’s created another invention. He smiles and shows me his new shooter. Crafts are for boys too. Yes, Gun Crafts Yes, my boys make gun crafts as much as I tried to keep guns out of the picture, the boys have their own ideas about that. The inventiveness of it is what allows me to accept it as they ... Continue Reading...
Quick Hybrid Vegetarian/Meat Meals for the Busy Mom
We are a hybrid family with a vegetarian and meat eaters, therefore making quick meals that are tasty is a challenge. Some evenings we are so busy with our three boys' activities that we have just minutes to prepare and eat a meal before we are out the door.Though there are a few frozen food companies who make vegetarian meals, most frozen food companies only make meals that contain meat. Fresh is always better tasting so over the years I have come up with a few fast meals that can be meatless ... Continue Reading...
My Most Brutal Wonderful Mother’s Day
My kids signed three Mother’s Day cards to mail to their Grandma’s, and one of them said, “But we have four Grandma’s” and bless his heart, I knew I was keeping my Mother’s memory alive for him even though she passed away years before he was born. My Mom is not forgotten even by him who never met her; this brought tears to my eyes. My worst Mother’s Day was the first one without my Mom. Watching others buy Mother’s Day cards and seeing ads selling silver heart necklaces and perfume cuts you ... Continue Reading...
My Thank You Letter to Prince
Tribute to Prince I want to thank you Prince for all you’ve done for me. I know everyone is writing about you, but I don’t feel like it makes my tribute any less important because you deserve all the tributes people write about you. You deserve to hear from each person you made cry or love with your lyrics, each person you made dance hearing your songs helping us delight in the beauty of life, each person honored to see you in concert. I wish we had all written to you a few days ago while you ... Continue Reading...
Broken Wrist and Surgery Fear
It’s the beginning scene, just picture it: tall bar stool, mini trampoline, air mattress, and a six-year old boy. Enter action sequence: boy crawls to top of tall bar stool, stands on bar stool ready to jump, and leans just a little bit too far to one side and loses his balance. Ending scene: first ominous silence, six-year-old boy on floor, a shattering cry rips through the air, and his crooked arm on the carpet. That was the movie we saw. We were supposed to be finishing “The Empire ... Continue Reading...
