Babies are expensive. And they don’t get any cheaper as they grow (though when I no longer have to pay for full-time daycare, it will certainly feel like we got a raise!). If you want to be a little shocked by the estimated cost of raising a child, check out this calculator. When I was […]
This post has been republished with permission from Ally’s Sweet and Savory If you are expecting, know someone who has a baby or someday will have a baby, then this is the post for you! Homemade baby food is easy, cheap and well worth the time. I have been making homemade baby food since our first […]
Despite what the title might seem to insinuate, Date Night over the 7 years of our marriage has come to signify so much more than romance. Maybe we’re just not great multi-taskers but it really does take some serious one on one time for these two crazies to connect. Without a regular date, our […]
Teaching our sons (all four of them) baby sign language has been a HUGE win for our family. As my husband says, “teaching them to communicate is so much easier than listening to them yell.” We taught our kids three signs we consider essential and then two more we think made our babies feel more […]
This post was republished with permission from Becca at Who Arted? With St. Patrick’s Day and Easter being so close together this year I didn’t have much time to plan Easter activities. (Insert the feeling of failure and a touch of mommy guilt.) This week I’ve been racking my brain for some quick and easy craftivities […]
Spending my career working on a college campus is pretty great. However, you don’t have to work at a college to take advantage of many of the resources available. How lucky are we to live in an area with so many opportunities! Did you know you can take your kids to see the first carnivorous […]
The internet is ablaze with lists that tell you what every successful leader/teacher/manager/person does on Sunday/Monday/Friday to have a successful week or weekend. I always click on them thinking I will find some magical tip to make my life less chaotic (and therefore more successful). Each time I click I am reminded of the many […]
I heard her screaming as I slowly opened the back door – our 1-year-old currently unimpressed with the idea of bedtime. It was 10 pm Thursday and clearly her dad was reinforcing the “cry it out method.” I went into mom-mode, quickly slipped off my Adidas sneakers, took off my blazer and hustled up the […]
Some of the best activities for kids in the Quad Cities take place at our local libraries and almost all of them are free! From giveaway book nights to story time to craft projects to library cards, our family has embraced all our area has to offer! One of my proudest mom moments took place […]
Spring!! It’s almost here!! The Quad Cities is coming out of hibernation and March is full of St. Patricks Day, Easter, and warmer weather events! Below, I’m sharing the Macaroni Kids Quad Cities Top Picks for March – and if you want to make sure you don’t miss a single awesome event, sign up for our […]
My sweet baby Simon isn’t perfect. His skin isn’t beautify unblemished baby skin, because he has a rare disease that marks his body with spots. They are mostly on his back and trunk, but some are on other parts of his body. Simon’s spots are caused by an excessive number of mast cells that produce […]
Dear Brady, It’s late. I hear your brother in his room, cooing just loud enough to make his presence known. You’ve long since gone to bed, quickly saying your “I love you’s” and offering your forehead, now at the height of my nose, for a kiss. Tomorrow morning, I’ll wake you for school, and you’ll […]
