This post is sponsored by Welch’s® Fruit Snacks. I am being compensated for this post. All comments and opinions are my own. Ever since my kids were little, I’ve always organized their snacks in an...
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Happy fall!I can’t wait to share this delicious recipe for pumpkin spice cinnamon chip cookies with you! As I’m sitting here now, the wind is gently blowing outside and crisp leaves are blowing around in the...
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*We are so happy to partner with Kinder Joy™—a treat that our families have truly fallen in love with!
A few days before school starts every year, my kids start to get the jitters. What will their new teacher be like? Who will be in their class? What kind of bathroom pass will the teacher have?
Back-to-school time can be both exciting and a little nerve-wracking for many kids. Some are starting a brand new school, meeting new teachers, or just have a few jitters to work out. Some kids even experience anxiety, especially when they think too much about the unknown factors of starting a new school year. My daughter is definitely one of those.
It’s okay to be nervous, and I tell my daughter that. But I also remind her of all the fun things about school that she loves. I think validating her feelings helps, along with a fun tradition to take her mind off her nerves.
That’s why we started a back-to-school tradition of family game night the night before school starts. It helps take their minds off their nervousness and focus on the fun.
Back-to-school game night is our kids’ favorite tradition. We break out the games (which we rarely have time to sit down and play, so it’s a special occasion) and share a fun treat together. This year I picked up some of these cool Kinder Joy treats and the kids were thrilled!
Have you tried Kinder Joy yet? They are amazing!
Kinder Joy™ is a treat like no other with two separately sealed halves – a treat side made of two creamy layers and a second half containing an exciting mystery toy!
It’s the perfect treat for back-to-school—I like to surprise my kiddos when they come home with this special treat. Kinder Joy is here to help you kick off the new school year with lasting memories that your family will cherish forever because not only do they get to enjoy the treat, but there’s also the toy that inspires us to play together and share a little bonding moment.
A lot of little moments add up to mean something big.
Back-to-school game night and Kinder Joy can go hand-in-hand to help you create memorable moments as everyone heads back to school this fall!
We started this back-to-school tradition of game night when our daughter was headed to Kindergarten. She’s a worrier and just couldn’t calm down the night before school started. So to take her mind off her jitters, we pulled out the games and it worked! We played all her favorites until it was bed time and she was so happy.
We had fun as a family and she never forgot that. In fact, she’s the reason game night became a tradition. Every single year she is the first one to dust off the games. Traditions help bind families together.
And no game night would be complete without a treat. Kinder Joy is the perfect game night treat! If you haven’t tried it yet, do! My kids adore the treat plus the toy and I think I love the treat just as much (if not more) than they do.
And here’s a fun hack: you can even use the toys that come in each Kinder Joy treat as game pieces! We discovered this while playing Clue and finding that half the pieces were missing. Smart and fun!
This back-to-school season, share the joy of Kinder Joy with your family. Replace nervousness with fun and family by creating special bonding moments like back-to-school game night.
Try Kinder Joy for yourself. You’re going to love them!
Photos by Kara Jo Eaton
Thanks to Kinder Joy for sponsoring this post. Our opinions are totally our own and these fun and delicious treats are seriously the bomb!
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We just purchased our tickets to Mickey’s Halloween Party in California. It’s about 30 minutes away so we’re taking our kids on a day when they have “early-out” from school so we should get there...
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When I was a kid, our neighbors had a Pit Bull—a mean, snarling, barking dog that was known to bite anything in its path. We gave that house an extra wide berth and since then, I’ve always pigeonholed Pit Bulls as a vicious breed.
My concern was rekindled when new neighbors moved into the house next door and brought their pet Pit Bull. The day they moved in, I eyed him disdainfully, telling my husband, “Mark my words…that dog is going to be trouble.” I had four small children to think about. I’ve heard the horror stories of Pit Bull attacks. I’ve seen the bite marks they leave. I was not okay with living next to a Pit Bull. Then something happened to change my mind and since then, I’ve thought a lot about how raising Pit Bulls and kids is more alike than you’d think.
I was shocked to discover that the neighbor’s dog was very sweet and friendly, often nuzzling up to my kids, begging to play. How can some dogs of the same breed be so benevolent when some others so dangerous?
The American Pit Bull Terrier is like the chameleon of canines. They are born with stubborn and tenacious tendencies that can lead to aggression if they aren’t trained and socialized when they are young. This dog breed can be nearly two feet high and can weigh up to 85 pounds. The Pit Bull is a big, strong dog. It can also be one of the most loving and gentle dogs out there, especially toward children. The type of Pit Bull you get all depends on how he or she is raised.
Children come to us in different “breeds” and with different built-in tendencies. If you are a parent, you know this is true: they come to us how they are. My first three children, though different in interests and talents, were all very docile and shy. Bystanders often commented on how well-behaved they were. I gave my husband and myself a big pat on the back and attributed this admirable behavior to the symbiotic mixing of our genes. We did good.
Then along came number four and the whirlwind struck.
Ezra is loud, intense, and physical. From the day of his birth, this kid was angry, his virile cry resounding through the hospital corridor, causing nurses to poke their heads in. Getting to know him and learning to understand him over the last three and a half years has been a roller coaster. He hits, he bites, he pushes, and he screams. He’s bigger than any of my other kids and was nearly as large as his five-year-old brother when he was five months old.
It’s one of my favorite photos.
My son has changed the dynamic of our family and that’s okay. We’ve had to adjust, practice patience, and most importantly, teach him every day with love. He loves to fight, antagonize, and can even leave my nine-year-old in tears. Even as a three-year-old, he has surprising strength and a built-in volatility that I can’t explain. Nothing in his environment is any of those things. The fact is, he came to us that way and it’s our family’s job to train him the best we can.
I’ve often wondered, during the times that I’m sitting with him in a quiet spot after he’s just gone on a rampage, if he was meant to come to our family. I think so, I really do. At times when I’m about to pull my hair out or scream aloud, “WHY?” I think of what would have happened if my little Pit Bull had been born to a different circumstance. One that wasn’t so stable or patient or loving. What would happen to him? Who would he become?
My Pit Bull TheoryI have this theory, and maybe it’s crazy, but maybe not. I think that we are all born with intensely unique personalities, tendencies, and talents that we possessed long before birth. Some children, through reasons unknown, are just born with more volatile impulses. Like the American Pit Bull Terrier, they are strong-willed, physically dominant, forcefully inclined, and have a built-in growl. (Read When You’re the Mom of a Bully.)
Pit Bulls who are trained and socialized in a caring home when they are young overcome their tendencies and become some of the most loving and devoted pets around.
I’m hoping that children are the same.
I often wonder about the children with difficult personalities who are raised with violence and aggression. It may explain why chains of child abuse occur, or why some children turn to gangs or drugs. Maybe kids are like Pit Bulls in that they could go either way, depending on how they are raised.
It’s just a personal theory, but I believe that if you have a chid with a difficult personality, there’s a reason why. Maybe you were chosen to parent this special person because you possess the very attributes that your child needs to learn or needs to be surrounded by. Patience, love, compassion, understanding, fair discipline, etc. Ask yourself what is is you have that he or she might need.
He’s only three years old, so I can’t foresee what Ezra’s future will be like, but I see glimpses into it. I see a strong little dude who is intensely devoted to a just cause, a protector, a comic relief, and a leader. Here’s to all the Pit Bulls out there and the families who raise them.
Figuring out this thing called “parenting” can be rough. That’s why it takes a village! Here are a few more ideas that may help you navigate parenthood – from our village, to yours!
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This post is sponsored by GoGo squeeZ and She Knows Media Summer is the time when memories are made! With back-to-school school approaching, we’ve wanted to focus just on the fun of this short-lived season....
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It’s summer and that means it’s way too hot to heat up the oven for dinner! Enter: the grill. Yes, we love our BBQ and while regular BBQ grilling is always a win, why not try a twist on the traditional and make this amazing (and SIMPLE) sweet and spicy grilled chicken!
It has all the good stuff – sweetness, some spice, and that lovely char that comes from grilling. Pair this with some grilled veggies, rice, or ramen and you’ll have a meal fit for a king! And a queen. And the entire royal family. YUM!!!
This chicken is fantastic over rice, over ramen noodles, or served with steamed veggies. Yum!
Wanting more fabulous and unique recipes for the grill? Check out a few more of our favorites!
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From huge bangs to tight jeans…it’s crazy how some fashion trends die and then come back reincarnated decades later to be like, the hottest thing since doing the Shiggy. (Seriously, look it up on Instagram.) Here are six sizzling trends right now that you probably swore you’d never wear again, but, well…never say never.
They were gone for minute now they’re back. Scrunchies hit the scene hard in the 1980s and adorned the hair and wrists of Molly Ringwald and teen girls everywhere. We swore they were gone. We swore we were so over these poofy little accessories, but we lied. Scrunchies are back in velvet, pastels, and all kinds of updated patterns. It’s a fun new twist on the same old scrunchy.
2. High waistsHigh waisted pants first came on the scene in the 1940s when Levi Strauss first started to manufacture denim for women working in factories for the war effort. Little did they know, that gesture of functionality would fuel a torrid fashion trend. You most likely remember the high waisted jeans of the 80s, synonymous with those frozen bangs and permed hair.
Today, high waists are appearing in more than just jeans. You can find high waisted swimsuits, cullottes, and skirts and they’re fresh and fun.
It’s not over ’til the fat lady sings for this accessory and many of us swore fanny packs would never don our waists again. Well, wrong again. Fanny packs are making a tidal wave comeback and they’re actually kind of fun. Wear them on vacation or just as a hip fashion statement. Even designer brands like Kate Spade and Michael Kors have some dang adorable fanny packs.
Who knew your grandma was onto something with all that velvet. It’s crazy but true—velvet is one of today’s hottest “new” fashion trends. If you dare to wear it, grab a cute velvet fashion top and pair it with your favorite pair of skinny jeans.
If you remember your middle school friends going gaga over flexible chokers, you wouldn’t be the only one. These babies were the bee’s knees back then and although we’d never want to revisit middle school, it’s tempting to re-try the choker. If you can’t bring yourself to commit to the vintage version, try out one of these cute new choker styles.
Shag carpet was one of those trends we prayed would never, ever come back. And while it has stayed thankfully absent from home decor, it has started popping up in the craziest places. You’d never believe it, but shag backpacks are the hot ticket item right now along with furry clutches. Shag-a-delic baby!
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Even though it’s been hot outside lately, the kids and I were in the mood to bake something sweet. We made these cheesecake pudding cookies that hit the spot along with some homemade vanilla ice...
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A summer or fall BBQ isn’t complete without these delicious Cornbread Cupcakes. These sweet and fluffy cornbread cupcakes are made with both cake batter and cornbread mix then topped with cinnamon butter. There’s a fun trick...
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UTV plowing deep snow How much snow can a UTV push? Let's see if it can plow 8" of heavy wet snow on long runs over a gravel drive...
