Welcome parents of high schoolers to the club! Strap in because you are in for quite the exciting ride! Having just graduated out of the club with my son’s graduation in May, I am back in the club with my daughter starting her freshmen year today. Yes, for my out-of-state readers, silly Arizona starts them back […]
My Surprise College Care Package For Mom!
July 20, 2016 By
With my firstborn counting down to his big dorm move-in day that happens just three short weeks from now, my mind has been filled with visions of fun care packages to send to him and to his roommate. Fun stuff, yummies, helpful items and simple things to make him smile and think of us as […]
Teens, Text Neck & Movement Restoration to the Rescue!
June 26, 2016 By
Manic: My daughter, her pals (AND myself included) and the amount of time we all spend texting! Because this full time texting is a relatively new phenomenon, I believe that we are all guinea pigs with this addictive trend when it comes to the physical toll it may be placing on our bodies. I also believe […]
A DeClutter Buster Family Plan!
June 8, 2016 By
Manic: The amount of clutter we accumulate as a family during the busy school year! Managed: Taking some time during the summer break to declutter! It is amazing how much more relaxed we feel after doing so! Here are our declutter buster tips for a cleaner, organized and more relaxed home. Three box rule – […]
New Age New Stage: Parenting A Young Adult
June 5, 2016 By
Yesterday I saw this on Facebook and I agree that no one told me this…. I hadn’t heard this one before. I am a rookie at this parenting an adult thing. And so far it isn’t so bad, but it is starting to feel like the hardest part. Time and time again, during this parenting […]
My Graduation Video Gift To My Boy
May 23, 2016 By
Manic: Scrambling to put 18 years of pictures to a video slideshow format and not wanting to hire it out to save money…and to have the sentimental experience of doing it myself. Managed: My gal pal, Gina told me about a terrific site called Animoto that made this feat quite easy! I was able to […]
A Letter To My Soon To Be High School Graduate
April 19, 2016 By
Dear son, Forgive me for my strangeness during your senior year, especially during this last action packed, emotionally charged phase. 30 days from today, you, my 6’1 baby boy, will take the nicely pressed gown off the hanger and grab the matching blue cap and head to high school for one last time. I teared […]
Got College Bound Teens? Our Best SAT & ACT Prep Tips
February 2, 2016 By
Many of you have asked me what my son did to prepare for both the ACT and the SAT. And when I asked my now 18-year-old son how he studied, I was surprised by his answer! First let me tell you about his test results, which makes this Mama pretty happy and relieved as I […]
Third Year Running With Our Family’s Memory Jar!
January 2, 2016 By
Since I received some cool comments, questions and messages on my Facebook pages about our family’s recent tradition of having a memory jar, here is what it is all about. We simply set out an empty jar on the first day of the year. Through the year, each of us slips in little papers listing […]
Holiday Shopping & Kids: Toys, Technology & Trade-offs
December 3, 2015 By
Manic: The holiday gift wish list from kids with requests for all kinds of electronic items from conversing dolls to elaborate gaming devices and more. To further complicate things, age appropriateness must also be considered. Toys are not simple play things like they were when I was a child back in the late 60s and […]
18: A Milestone Birthday & 9 Months To Go
November 15, 2015 By
My first born turned 18 today. And in a quick 9 months (kind of ironic), he will leave us to go to college. Back in 1997, I anxiously waited 9 months for my first born, my little baby boy to come into the world. Now 18 years later, he is anxiously waiting 9 months to […]
We Are Giving Away A FREE Pogo Pass!
September 27, 2015 By
Have you heard of the awesome Pogo Pass? Pogo Pass is a membership that provides 12 months of FREE access to the best entertainment venues in Phoenix. Fun places like Pump It Up, Golfland Sunsplash, 2 Dbacks games and more! A great idea for families looking for entertaining things to do with the kids. ****And this […]
AZ Local: Parents & Grandparents Check This Out For Your Child’s Safety
August 27, 2015 By
When local mom Lisa Cardinale wrote to me about covering an upcoming event on my blog, I immediately agreed when she told me what it was. During the month of September, families can receive free car seat checks ensuring that the car seats that their kids ride in are properly and safely installed. This can […]
UT Austin: Our Son’s Favorite College Tour So Far!
August 8, 2015 By
When my son commented that The University of Texas at Austin is his favorite college tour to date, my husband did a little Longhorn cheer. You see if our son chooses UT, then he will be the 4th generation Longhorn in our family. In fact, his Great Granddad, Grandfather and Daddy also did their graduate […]
Back To School Lunch Box Ideas & Foods For All Ages
August 7, 2015 By
Manic: Back to school season. The lazy carefree days of summer have come to a halt for the kids and they need good solid fuel at lunchtime to help them get refocused and back into it now and all year long. Managed: Did some brainstorming and reflected back on the years, since I now have […]
