Do you want your kids to have a rich, expressive vocabulary? Sure you do! There’s really only one way to ensure your kids can easily pluck le mot juste from their magnificent brains at will: read Great Books to them! Take a good, hard look at your kids’ book lists from school: do you see […]
We’re Killing Cultural Literacy for Kids! The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde – Robert Louis Stevenson
Cultural Literacy is collective consciousness—the common body of knowledge shared within a culture. For me, that culture is the good old U.S. of A.! Cultural Literacy is our shared experience. If you grew up in America in the 80s like I did, you can reasonably assume that everyone around your age you meet today made a trail […]
Why You Should Read the Bible to Your Kids (Even if You’re Not a Christian)
Subscribe to my #Write31Days project to keep up with this month’s posts and get a free review copy of my Kindle book (Nov 2015), 31 Days of Great Books to Read to Your BIG Kids! Each post in this series has two parts: the Great Book, and tips on how to read that Great Book to your kids! These aren’t […]
Star Wars Emojis on Twitter for Episode VII: The Force Awakens!
New Star Wars emojis on Twitter: Show your Star Wars side! Note: Force Friday has come and gone, but you know we’ll be seeing a lot more Star Wars promotions for Episode VII: The Force Awakens as we head into the holiday season! Pin the Star Wars Twitter Emojis image below to show your Star […]
Disneyland Bengal Barbecue Recipe – Veggie Skewers – Plus a Free Printable Shopping List!
Bengal Barbecue in Adventureland at the Disneyland Resort is one of my picks for Restaurant Best Bet in my new book, Disneyland on a Budget! Bengal Barbecue is famous for its grilled beef and chicken, but most people don’t notice the menu beyond the meat—you can get a heaping helping of fresh veggies for under $4! These veggie skewers make an […]
The One Phrase 100% Guaranteed To Cure Boredom In Any Child Instantly And For All Time
Summer is here: You want a way to cure boredom. Maybe yours, but probably your kids’. I am here to tell you that you don’t need a summer bucket list, painted mason jars stuffed with slips of paper with fun activities printed on them, a change of venue, or a Wheel O’ Fun. You need […]
Summer Fun On A Budget: Have A Blast For Free!
Do you have a budget for your summer vacation? Not your vacation vacation, but those fun summer activities and treats that make summer summer? I don’t. OK, my summer fun budget is like $30. But I can make that in one hour posting crap out of my closet on a Facebook garage sale, so my YNAB does […]
The Summer Vacation Chore Plan: Get More Done and Have More Fun!
Set the tone for your kids’ summer vacation before it starts: Make a Summer Vacation Chore Plan! Your house should never be cleaner than when the kids aren’t in school. It may seem like a “nice mom” move to let them slouch around the house once the stress of the school year is over, but you’re […]
How To Limit Kids’ Screen Time During Summer Vacation Out Of The Gate
Limit kids’ screen time during summer vacation out of the gate with this easy to follow method! Summer vacation offers the amazing gift of down time! But that doesn’t mean your kids need to laze and glaze over a screen from Memorial Day through Labor Day! As the saying goes, to fail to plan is to […]
How To Teach Kids Compassion
How do you teach your kids to be compassionate? Is compassion something we need to purposefully explain to our children? Don’t humans come hardwired with a conscience and the capacity to connect to other humans with love, empathy, and sympathy? I do believe that we have a built-in drive to act with compassion, but […]
