Guest Blogger
11 Online Writing Tools For Kids
As a parent, you want to make sure that your kids get the best start in their education. They'll learn a lot in school, but you can support their learning at home, too. Check...
Hunger, Abuse, and Neglect: Hard Truths from my Mother’s Past
The stories of my mother's childhood are ones I know well, but they aren't mine. They're hers, and they aren't just stories. They are truths, her truths. Her truths, like so many other children...
Where’s the Fun In Life?
I've noticed that in life there is a pressure to always be seen as busy with things we have to do. There is a pressure to only talk about how much we have on...
A Parent’s Guide to the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library, Museum, and National Historic Site
For my family and me, moving to Iowa in 2012 was, in many respects, like moving to a new country. Shoveling snow, combating gnats, and acquiring snow pants were all new to us. Over...
How My Daughter Taught Me How To Be Brave
“C’mon, Mommy! Don’t be a scaredy cat,” pleaded my almost seven-year-old daughter as we stood at the bottom of the steps to an indoor water slide.
“Olivia,” I replied slowly in my most rational voice,...
Making and Breaking My Mom Rules
Ever since I was a little girl, I knew I wanted to be a mom. In 6th grade, I took a babysitting class at my hometown’s local fire station, babysat through middle school and...
Creativity in the Corridor: Art Opportunities With Kids
Get this: many of our kids will most likely have careers and jobs that don’t even exist yet. Yikes! Sure, some will be teachers, doctors, service men and women (all of which require creativity),...
The Reality of Living With Maternal OCD
After a grueling 17 hours of labor, my first daughter was born on a cold April morning at around two in the morning. It was long. It was painful. And then I held her....
My First Glimpse of My Child’s Sadness
As I re-watch so many of the Disney movies from my childhood with my daughter, I smile or chuckle to myself at jokes I had never noticed before. Those one-liners or references are strategically...
DIY Picture Frame Jewelry Organizer
Do you have a few items that you bought with a “someday project” in mind and then never completed the project? Do you enjoy doing things that are easy and give you a great...