gift and learning
Teenager-Approved Unique Chess Sets and Merch
Need gift ideas? I can help with these teenager-approved unique chess sets. Chess is very popular with my kids and their friends. I thought it was a passing fad during the pandemic, but it still seems very popular with the middle school crowd in particular. In fact, during carpool recently, one of the kids told me they were collecting chess sets and wanted another one for Christmas. Alrighty, then. Here are seven teenager-approved unique chess sets plus some bonus chess merch. (That’s how all the cool kids say merchandise these days. It should be noted that you can’t be a mom and a cool kid. That’s “cringe” as my kids…
DIY Embroidered Vote T-Shirt
Let’s get to a DIY today that involves two important things: embroidery and civic responsibility. Okay, one of those might be more important than the other. I’ll let you decide which is which. Now, let’s make a DIY embroidered vote t-shirt! Even if you’ve never picked up a needle and a thread, you can embroider a t-shirt. Here are the supplies you’ll need to make a DIY Embroidered Vote T-Shirt: t-shirt (if you aren’t sure how this will go, pick an old one you can practice on) needle (I used a regular sewing needle with a large eye) embroidery floss (you might hear it called embroidery thread) embroidery hoop (if you…
In Praise of Funny Reusable Shopping Bags
Is there a plastic bag ban where you live? New Jersey’s plastic bag ban kicked in a few weeks ago and it’s broader than most because it includes paper bags and foam polystyrene. There are some exceptions for some stores, but the rules are still fuzzy to me. All in all, I’m in support of this change. It makes me feel like we’re all working together in this small way to help the planet. I was already in the habit of bringing my own reusable shopping bags to the grocery store. I do have to remember now to bring a bag when I’m going to a place like Target or…
2021 Holiday Gift Guide for Tweens and Teens
Shopping for tweens and teens this holiday season? They can be tough to shop for any time of the year and especially without breaking the bank! I’ve heard this is not the year to procrastinate on shopping, so here’s my Holiday Gift Guide For Tweens and Teens that are tween and teen-approved. Yep, I informally polled my kids and their friends, and here is the consensus of what tweens and teens want this holiday season. Kidding. There wasn’t consensus. Everyone mainly wants something different. Then there is REALITY because this mom knows what her kids can actually handle and what she’s willing to spend. For reference: I have a boy in…
The Star Ring Story
I shared this star ring story on my Instagram stories a few weeks ago. It had such an outsized response that I decided it needed to be written down somewhere permanently. Here’s that story. On a rainy Tuesday morning, I found myself doing something I hadn’t done in probably 20 years. I warily stepped foot back into a high school gym. It was pretty much as I remembered it: that elusive smell with undertones of body odor, the squeak of shoes on the floor, the marks on the walls from errant balls, and so many backpacks everywhere. Never mind that I did not attend this particular high school. It’s just…
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…
5 Ways to Help Transition Kids to a New School
Need ideas on how to help transition kids to a new school? You’ve come to the right place. The start of a new school year is always full of promise. There’s always a chance that we’ll never be late for school. That no lunches will be forgotten. That no parent will lose their ever loving mind no one will get frustrated during homework time because that’s not how we did math. That all permission slips and forms will be turned in on time. That a pandemic won’t disrupt the school year over and over again. See? So. much. promise. I give us a week before one of those balls gets dropped. *sigh*…
Books My Kids Are Reading Part 13
It has been a good long while since I published a Books My Kids Are Reading post. My kids are 11 and 14, so they don’t want to sit on my lap reading stories like they did when they were younger. Also, they are a little too big to sit on my lap now. *sniff, sniff* I’m not crying. I just have a speck of dust in my eye. Because of our current life stage and the fact that I had a speck of dust in my eye, I almost clicked delete on an email from a book publicist before I fully read it. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed,…
What is the Best Sound in the World?
What is the best sound in the world to you? I have been thinking about this question lately. I’m curious to know what you think is the best sound in the world. If you had to pick only one sound, what would it be? Is it the sound of the waves crashing against the shore? Is it the sound of a cat purring? Is it the sound of your baby’s first cry after being brought into this world? Is it the sound of “I love you” coming from your partner’s lips? Is it the sound of rain coming down on your roof? Is it the sound of your name being called as you walk across the stage to…
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…
