When I was expecting my second son, I spent some time preparing for my mother-in-law and mother to visit after the birth. They were mostly coming to help care for my older son who was two and a half years old at the time. However as they both lived abroad and rarely visited, they really had no idea… {read more}
How to Reduce Stress When Expecting a Baby
When you are expecting a baby, you are going through so many changes both emotionally and physically. There are a zillion things to think about and get ready for, plus the vast (and sometimes unexpected) changes in your body, the extra appointments that fill your schedule, and all the hormones in play as you prepare for the… {read more}
10 Easy Screen Free Activities
After several months of morning sickness, four weeks of international travel, and some pretty intense work load overwhelm, I was feeling very low on energy to prepare activities for my kids. We were watching DVDs more often than ever before and yet I still felt exhausted. Yes the kids naturally enjoyed lots of free play – as kids do… {read more}
DIY Letter Writing Kit
My kids recently started a pen pal relationship with two children who live across the ocean. A friend I met when I did volunteer work in Israel (who is actually originally from the Philippines and now lives in Ireland) has children of the same age and, after discussing the possibility of our kids becoming pen pals via Facebook, we just received our first… {read more}
Create Your Own Quiet Time Basket
When I was expecting my second child, I read somewhere that it would be useful to have a basket of toys near your nursing chair – so that the older child had some special things to play with while you were busy feeding the new baby. Since then, I have made various versions of a Quiet Time Basket… {read more}
Planning for Family Picnics
Ahh the beautiful image of a family sitting down for a picnic: talking, laughing, eating their food with joy… I don’t know about you, but our family picnics have not always gone this way. Maybe we’ve forgotten the drinks, or the kids don’t like the new dish I thought would be fun to make. Sometimes by the… {read more}
How to Make Your Own Boo Boo Basket
Bumps and bruises are just a part of life. To children, however, they can be a really, really big deal. In general my kids aren’t very fussy after falls or tiny scrapes. I have always had the rule that if it’s not bleeding, it does not need a bandaid. However that does not mean I… {read more}
Reflections on Making Choices
My Reflection Series offers five questions with corresponding articles/videos to inspire intentional and compassionate parenting. Sign up for posts by email if you would like the series delivered to your inbox. Do you ever get stuck when you are trying to make a change in your life? I loved this Marie Forleo interview with Todd Herman about the… {read more}
