simple

hot games, cool planet :: blue orange games :: review

Emily — Fri, 24 May 2013 18:00:00 +0000

My kids are wild, wild, wild little packages of energy just waiting to burst. I honestly don’t know how many times a day I have to tell them either to run around the house a few times, or do 50 jumping jacks before coming into the house. Because the enegry level is OFF.THE.CHARTS! There are only a few ways I can make them slow down and pause, and it’s by offering them screen time (TV, video games or computer), {Read More}

get outside and bring stearns puddle jumpers with you :: review and giveaway

Shannon :: owner — Fri, 24 May 2013 14:00:30 +0000

The combination of open water and kids gives me the hives. Not really, but kind of. I did not grow up a strong swimmer. Water has always kind of freaked me out a little bit. Here is the kicker though, our family LOVES the beach, we love the pool…we love everything water! So staying away from water, even though it terrifies me, is a non-negotiable. Taking all that in to account, I have done as many preventative measures as possible {Read More}

the letter project :: review and giveaway

stacey — Fri, 24 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

When was the last time you received a letter? Not just a card or a “here’s our year round-up” letter at Christmas-time. An actual hand written letter addressed just to you? My grandma, now in her late 80s, is fabulous at this. She includes a handwritten letter in every card that she sends to us throughout the year. Birthday cards, Easter, Christmas, Thank-you’s…I know that when I open that envelope that I will find a lovely little letter telling me {Read More}

check out the new release from recess monkey, “deep sea diver” :: music review and giveaway

Jessica — Fri, 24 May 2013 04:30:20 +0000

Last year, I was introduced to Recess Monkey‘s album In Tents. It is still one of our favorite family albums that I’ve brought home! Their new album, Deep Sea Diver, is poised to swim its way to the high tide end of our music list (I can’t help the puns, they just keep leaking out like ink from an octopus… see what I mean?). Recess Monkey are clearly talented musicians who know how to craft a song that will catch {Read More}

enter to win a svan signet complete high chair :: giveaway announcement

Shannon :: owner — Fri, 24 May 2013 03:00:36 +0000

We know you all love giveaways. Especially BIG giveaways from GREAT companies!! Next week, we are featuring a product from Svan, but today I have a giveaway opportunity I couldn’t keep to myself. You can enter though May 29, 2013. So hop on over…..well, click the image above, and you will be directed! Good luck!!

a simple real food recipe :: zucchini coleslaw :: dairy free option

Renee — Thu, 23 May 2013 22:00:52 +0000

Confession: I have been cooped up for the last 5 months in the cold and snow…the last thing I want to do once the weather is as gorgeous as it has been, is sit in front of the stove! I’m a bit like a sun deprived, vitamin D depleted, caged animal. I love cool coleslaw as a side dish on a warm evening – fast, nourishing, and NO cooking (HERE is my original coleslaw recipe I posted last year! It {Read More}

update on Nee :: #PrayforNee

Shannon :: owner — Thu, 23 May 2013 18:51:21 +0000

Praise God! Best possible report…her brother just updated everyone!! I’m sure she will post as soon as she is able in the coming weeks, but even when you think about her, I’m sure she would still love the prayers and kind thoughts throughout her recovery! “Renee’s surgery is complete and the surgeon just informed us that everything went well. They were able to place the new lead without extracting the old one, which would have introduced much more risk. This {Read More}

thankful heart thursday :: the first step #tht :: giveaway

Née — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:00:16 +0000

Can you name the author of this quote? ”Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” I can!! Martin Luther King Jr. was the originator, but I have long since been a proclaimer!! I’ve come to believe that an abundance of faith can move mountains, but the absence can tear them down. I’m gonna take this post to a personal place, though. Why?? Well, because I can By the time you read this today, {Read More}

#PrayforNee TODAY!

Shannon :: owner — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:01:55 +0000

Dear friends. Today is the day that our dear Nee is heading in to have surgery! Do you remember the post from a last week? You can see it HERE. I am also posting most of it below. But what I would really love, is for those of you that Tweet and Instagram, add a hashtag today and the coming days for her. #PrayforNee will get people wondering and searching and the more eyes and prayers we have for her, {Read More}

juniorbeads :: stay chic, stay safe :: review

Emily — Wed, 22 May 2013 18:00:13 +0000

I have two daughters that have just started to get into fashion and paying attention to accessories. Suddenly they want to pick out their own outfits (when not in school uniforms), wanting to accessorize their hair with headbands and bows, and of course adorn themselves with beautiful jewelry. The way they put together their ensembles often crack me up, but if I’ve learned one thing, it’s that you can’t argue with 8 and 5 year old fashion choices. And just {Read More}

a simple real food tip :: batch cooking chicken meat for lunches :: avoiding expensive and toxic deli meat

Renee — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:00:48 +0000

I mentioned in Monday’s post about travel yogurt cups that I can pretty much guarantee that my husband would go all day on an apple at work if I didn’t make sure there were easy lunch options available to pack Our budget just plain doesn’t afford organic, quality lunch meat, as delicious as it is! He really doesn’t mind a peanut butter and jelly sandwich – and he does take those on occasion – but it is so easy and {Read More}

endless alphabet, the app that keeps on giving :: review

Carinn — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:00:55 +0000

There’s nothing quite like finding yourself in the car, at 6:30 PM with a child who is about to take a nap. I’ve learned that naps cannot happen at 6:30 PM for ANY length of time. Even a 5 minute snooze will result in my craziest of children running around until 11 PM with an excess of energy. When this starts to happen I’ve learned to turn on my girls’ favorite app and am guaranteed awake kids for whatever remainder {Read More}

cool new music from miss nina :: sha doo be doop cd :: review and giveaway

Jessica — Wed, 22 May 2013 04:30:22 +0000

Music is something that is really important in my life. I want my kiddo to have an appreciation and connection to music as well. Luckily, I’ve been exposed to some really awesome Kindie groups as a product reviewer, so I’ve got an arsenal of family-friendly music to share with her. Miss Nina has a very fun style that varies from song to song and is very interactive. Her new album Sha Doo Be Doop opens with “My Hula Hoop” which {Read More}

just for kids from netflix, great solution :: review

Shannon :: owner — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:00:12 +0000

*This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of NETFLIX. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am thrilled to have this opportunity to share my experience with you!* Are you ever in need of a television show or movie, yet the perfect movie is no where on live TV? Or maybe you want to watch a movie with your kids, yet you don’t want to run to the store or your local movie rental location? {Read More}

a simple craft :: handprint and footprint art

stacey — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:00:30 +0000

I absolutely love doing handprint and footprint art with my kids. Not only do they think it’s super fun to dip their hands and feet in paint and see those prints on paper but I get a small keepsake that, in 15 or 20 years, we can pull out and reminisce at how little those their fingers and toes were! They are fun, time-passing art projects now but priceless memories later! Last Summer I did these cute footprint canvases with {Read More}