Try something new this summer by learning to kayak with your kids — we’ve got tips & inspiration for how to get started!  This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Banana Boat® . All details & opinions are mine only. Every summer, we like to get out and try something new …

  The Olympics are fun for everyone to watch – kids included!  Wouldn’t your kids love to participate in their own Olympics?!

Thanks to Angie, a great mom & party planner, here’s a fun way to get kids more involved in celebrating during the Olympic Games this summer!

One of the most popular activities that I’ve seen on many summer bucket lists is a visit to the zoo!  We can’t wait to head out to spend some time with our local polar bears, giraffes and monkeys this year. 

For even more fun, we love to read a book before we head out to see our animal friends.  Or better yet, take a book with you on your next zoo visit! 

Here’s a few of our favorite zoo reads for animal fun this summer —

I’m a toss-the-kids-out-the-door kind of parent.  Children (along with teens and adults for that matter) just don’t get enough time outside these days. I can remember enjoying some wonderfully long days climbing trees, skating, creating, digging & exploring.

But I grew up with siblings and neighbors that were all close in age.  My daughter doesn’t have the luxury of playmates knocking at her door. 

So lately I’ve been looking for ways to entice her to spend more time outside.  Since she really enjoys crafts and also likes to be surprised, we decided to create an Outdoor Activity Jar.

I’m excited to be part of the affiliate team for the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle this year.

It’s a HUGE list of awesome books and resources for one very small price!  And with 78 books in the bundle, you are sure to find at least a dozen that will to simplify life as we approach summer.

If you’ve ever said to yourself — 

“I wish I could get laundry under control!”

“Show me a way to spend less time making meals”

“I need help with our homeschooling activities” or

“I just need to get organized and simplify our family’s life” —

BAM! There’s a book for that!

And a whole lot of others too.

A few months ago, I shared my secret to the Best Place to Begin Organizing Your Entire Home. I wrote the post because I wanted to inspire other busy moms like me to find their starting point when it comes to putting some organzational systems in place. Amazingly, it’s been one of our most read …

I know that so many of us live in the world of text messages and emails but let’s face it, young kids LOVE snail mail!

While we get bills, unwanted advertisements and the occasional good news, kids always receive fun things in the mail — letters from Grandma, birthday wishes from family, the toy catalog sent during the holidays 🙂

My kids have always looked forward to “getting the mail”.

We are kicking off a new series today and I am SUPER excited! 

For the next six weeks, Trisha from Inspiration Laboratories and I will be featuring a Summer Science Series. 

Each week, we’ll feature a new topic and share books, hands-on activities and share ideas for how to explore the topic at home or around your neighborhood.

Summer Science — yea!  The kids will love this stuff because they are born with the amazing ability to asking all those inquisitive questions —

Why do animals hibernate?

What are clouds made from?

How many stars are in the sky?

After a few years of planning and saving, we were able to take a trip to Hawaii this year — yes, it was amazing! 

We had accumulated enough Disney Reward dollars to stay at the Aulani Resort in Oahu on our first night on the island and it was one of the BEST decisions we made on the trip!  Being able to stay at an all-inclusive resort and not have to worry about grocery shopping or driving to any activities for the first day after that long plane trip meant a great start to our vacation.

Here’s what you need to know if you’re heading to Aulani especially if you’re only staying for a short time —

Get creative with these 20 fun things to do with a deck of cards! Have you ever needed an activity to keep the kids busy while you’re out to dinner or waiting at the doctor’s office?   You know, something you could keep in your purse or car and pull out at a moments notice …