Next weekend we’re headed to our fourth family photoshoot with our favorite family photographer. (Family and friends–if you’re in the Twin Cities, we can’t recommend Lauren Kirkbride Photography enough!) After a few years of wrangling littles for a family photo (or ten), Eric and I have some tips about how best to prepare… and how to adjust our expectations versus taking photos with just us.… Read More »
Our Screen Time Routine (+ What I’m Holding Off On)
People often assume that because I’m a crunchy parent, my kids have never seen a TV show or held a smartphone before. But, this isn’t the case at all. I believe in holding off on screen time as long as it works for you–but I also understand that there are situations when you might need a bit of quiet time, or perhaps your kids need a bit of down time. Screen time can be a great solution in moderation.… Read More »
Why Weekly Family Rituals Are Important (for Parents & Kids)
An area that my parents excelled at during my childhood was weekly rituals. Those bits and pieces of our weekly schedules that happened every week, no matter what–whether it was certain meals, activities, or even lack of plans/free time.
In elementary school, I always loved getting out of school on Fridays because I knew it was Pizza Night (well, breadstick night for my picky self) at our house. And, my sister and I would get to play uninterrupted for a couple of hours after dinner whilst our parents chatted over wine. There would be jazz music playing, the smell of pizza dough rising in the bread machine when I got home, the house would be tidy and ready for us to enjoy the weekend.… Read More »
Thoughts on Cultivating Resilience
I just finished a charming little book called The Finnish Way by Katja Pantzar. The cover makes it look like any other Scandinavian lifestyle book at my local library–I’ve read almost all of them at this point!–but its contents re-sparked my interest in a topic I used to be very interested in: resilience.
Let’s back up a moment and talk about that, because it’s one of those core interests of mine at the heart of many more niche interests.… Read More »
Social Media Burnout in Motherhood
I am burned out, friends–burned out on social media.
I’ve written so much before about social media on the blog. A lot of that came from the vague feeling, pre-kids, that in my romanticized traditional world, we wouldn’t have to meet our social needs online; we’d have vibrant real lives, busy lives full of family and friends and support.… Read More »