• kids doing laundry
    gift and learning

    The Age Our Kids Start Doing Their Own Laundry Plus a Laundry Hamper Makeover

    Our kids start doing their own laundry when they start middle school. Why? Why not? 11 and 12-year-olds are perfectly capable of starting the washing machine. It’s true! Psst! They can run the dishwasher and vacuum too!  Plus, learning how to do laundry is a great way to teach kids responsibility and time management skills. If you want a clean shirt for school, then you need to plan ahead and wash and dry a load of clothes. It’s that simple. I did not do my own laundry until I went to college. COLLEGE! I can’t believe my mom didn’t even show me how to do laundry until then. Of course…

  • online game budget form for kids
    gift and learning

    Online Game Budget Form For Kids

    We recently set up an online game budget form for our kids and it has helped reduce the amount of family drama around here so much. One of my kids always wanted to spend their money on in game purchases for online games like Fortnite, RoBlox, and Minecraft. To be fair, this child didn’t ask to spend mom and dad’s money. This child had money. However, this child was always asking to spend money. “Mom? Can I buy Robux?” “Mom? Can I buy V-bucks? Please, please, please?” “Mom? Can I buy them now? Now? How about now?” AGH!  As a parent you know they would blow through their life savings (or yours) in a month on in…

  • playground fun humor break
    Family

    April Fool’s Day Humor Break

    Does humor get you through tough times? It certainly helps me! Today I’m digging four years (!) into the archives to bring you an April Fool’s Day humor break. These stories, taken straight from the mouths of my little babes, still make me laugh. HUMOR BREAK #1: ACRONYMS ARE TOUGH (originally posted here) My daughter and son were playing some sort of game. I don’t know what it was. I just know they weren’t fighting and they had created costumes. These costumes involved using eyeliner to draw whiskers on their faces. The point is THEY WEREN’T FIGHTING. My son’s character (I’m fairly certain he was a cat) suffered a tragic…

  • education,  Family,  gift and learning

    Books My Kids Are Reading Part 9

    It’s been awhile since I updated you on what my kids and I have been reading together. How have you survived without this list?! My dad is out there right now saying, “I survived just fine!” Hahahaha! Before I get to the book list, I want to share my library receipt with you. I promise this is interesting. Our library recently started indicating on the receipt how much you saved by checking books out instead of buying them. On this trip we saved $262! Isn’t that a clever marketing idea? Alright, onto the good stuff. Our summer schedule has been pretty loosey-goosey and I felt like we haven’t been reading…

  • Family

    Skating: It’s Harder Than It Looks

    Right across the street from the Hubby’s office is an ice rink. Not only that, but they have a roller skating rink too. I know, cool, right? So, of course, we had to check it out! We picked Jeff up early from work one Friday afternoon (shhhh!) and headed on over. This was the second time Annika has been ice skating and she LOVES it. Don’t you just love the rosy cheeks and the teeth that still have not come in yet? It was FREEZING in the ice rink. Yes, I suppose freezing temps are to be expected. Seriously though, her eyes just light up when she’s out there. We…