Okay, we’ve been MIA. We admit it. Shhh…our secret undertakings while being off grid were totally worth it! We going on the road and first stop is Midway Swiss Days! But seriously, our Tirli Wirli by No Fuss Fabulous booth is serious. It is too cute to spook.

Do your umm… “neighbor’s kids” struggle with packing food around “your neighbor’s house” where they are not supposed to? My neighbor’s kids do.

It hasn’t mattered how many times I tell my kids my neighbor tells her kids not to bring food into their playroom, they still manage to pack it up there. To put it bluntly, the word of mouth method was not working. So of course, my neighbor needed to take it to the next level. Visuals.

Yesterday morning, my best friend called with a grand announcement. “Lily Belle ate half a banana!” she screamed into the phone. We full on cheered. To some this may be a small feat, but for mommies worldwide you completely understand why we both screamed and then had to talk about it for exactly 23 full minutes. Getting your toddler to eat anything but Cheerios can be daunting. The subsequent guilt after you tuck them into bed and realize all they ate that day was a breadstick, half a fruit snack, and pretzels may be extreme. Some kids just eat fruits and vegetables like they were born to be a rabbit. Most do not. For the majority of mothers, creativity is key. Below are easy and oh-so-cute ideas that make eating veggies a lot less painful!

I have kifed my mom’s idea and made a few of my own Just Because Ice Cream Bucks to share! You can download and print them here. I’ve been pulling them out and leaving them on my children’s beds when they have done something sweet or just when they needed a little cheering up. It’s more than an easy thing that leaves an imprint on their day.

I bumped into this super-easy slow cooker recipe a few days ago at Disney.com. My kids loved it so much I thought I’d pass it on!

This is for all those Game-moms out there cheering from the sidelines!
I was walking through my local Wal-mart and found these adorable Football brownies by Little Debbie for $1.56 yesterday. I had to share. How cute are they?!?!

If you want to bedazzle your iPhone with the letters BFF then this post is for you! If you don’t consider your iphone your BFF, perhaps after reading this post, you will. For those mommies on the go, the iPhone can be a lifesaver.

I was just talking to my best friend on the phone about some of our favorite memories. It was interesting that food was the center of many of those memories. Whether it was baking cookies with mom or burning toast at college, food has a powerful connection to helping us remember. I thought about this and how food may be a powerful learning tool for young kiddos too. So I started researching on the Internet fun learning “foods” that could help my preschoolers. Anything that makes learning fun and yummy, I think is worth trying! I also love how edible learning involves both you and child. You are not sitting them in front of a television screen to watch an alphabet “learning” DVD. You are participating with them beyond flashcards. And let’s be honest, flashcards = quick boredom. Here are a few of my favorite edible learning items I found! Please share yours!

One shoe, Two shoe,
Right shoe, Left shoe!
Make learning which shoe goes on which foot as easy as 1, 2, 3!
Here is a little classic finger painting activity that makes learning right and left fun for your preschooler. We’ve attached three free downloads – two in color for hands and feet, plus one in black and white to practice with!

It doesn’t matter who you are, the first day back to school is always a toughie. As supermoms, you will want to make these days as memorable and stress-free as possible. Making the school days fun can be an up hill battle but as all moms know, little things can make a BIG difference. To help your little one get excited, try helping them adhere some of our friendly book plates to their new chapter books and texts.

After attaching them to their school books, help them stick one on to a new back-to-school book you bought just for the occasion. A few books, Annie and I recommend to help with back-to-school jitters are the following: