How Do I Build an Indoor Swing?
I want to build an easy indoor swing to occupy my two boys while we’re all cooped up inside. Got any advice? GeneDear Gene, You’ve come to the right place! A dad after my own heart. I did this exact project back when my daughter was almost 3 and it worked like a charm. Below are all my instructions.This past Saturday I woke up and was suddenly seized with the notion of making a swing to hang in our apartment for Ursula. It’s January. It’s cold.
Feb 25, 2021
An Ingenious Idea for Socially-Distanced Play Dates
As a parent considered very high-risk, in this past year we could not take shortcuts when it came to safety. That meant, all social gatherings for my kids always included being outdoors, wearing masks, and keeping at least six feet apart (if not much farther). And I found myself wondering: How do I enforce the rules while still encouraging effortless fun?At first, it was a challenge.
Feb 24, 2021
This One Tiny Change Made My Daughter’s Pandemic Birthday Extra-Fun
Staring down a pandemic summer without a single playdate or vacation, our youngest started clinging to the one thing she could look forward to — her August birthday. She was so excited to turn 4, we had to start a countdown calendar a month and a half out, marking off each of the 48 days until the big day. So the pressure was on to think of a safe celebration that would live up to all that pent-up anticipation. Our parameters: no guests from outside the household, and no leaving home.
Feb 24, 2021
I Bought a Flock of Chickens During the Pandemic — and It’s Been Amazing for My Kids
Shortly after shelter-in-place began last year, so did the wild pandemic shopping. (Remember that phase?) Everything from used bicycles and basketball hoops were swooped up from second-hand neighborhood sites and new recreational equipment was back ordered for weeks and months. Meanwhile, people were adopting cats and dogs in record numbers. A video went viral of shelter volunteers in Florida celebrating the first time they’d adopted out every single pet.
Feb 24, 2021
This Family of Four Shares an Incredibly Organized 170-Square-Foot Pink Converted School Bus
“There are seven days in a week, and someday isn’t one of them” once read the letter board hanging in the kitchen of “Someday” the bus, which is home to Jennifer Bateman, her wife, Kaitlin Porter, and their two kids, Canyon (age 14) and Oakland (age 4).After downsizing from a 4,000-square-foot home, they now share a 170-square-foot school bus conversion (or “skoolie”).
Feb 24, 2021
This Simple Trick Keeps Apple Slices from Browning (It’s Magic)
One of the biggest challenges of packing my kids’ school lunches was seeing — and cleaning up — the food that came back home. Not only was it a major bummer to see food go to waste, but it also left me wondering if my kids spent the afternoon hungry. Sliced apples — beloved by my kids at home — used to always come back in their lunch boxes uneaten.
Feb 24, 2021
The Top 10 Places to Shop for Stylish, Kid-Friendly Rugs
When considering a rug for a kids’ room, style should not have to take second place to durability. Thankfully, many modern furniture stores carry lines of rugs and floor coverings that look great in a child’s room and are built to last.
Feb 23, 2021
10 Delicious Kids Books for Read Across America Week
As a mom of two, a book- and food-lover, finding dynamic and delicious books to read with my kids is one of my favorite tasks. It doesn’t hurt if those books also include new foods, deal with picky eating, or teach my kids about making room at the table for new friends. Along with classics like Eating the Alphabet and Pancake, Pancake, this year I’m looking for a broader palette of characters, stories, and cuisines to celebrate Read Across America Week, which kicks off March 1.
Feb 23, 2021
Chasing Paper’s Co-Founder Lives in a Gorgeous, Colorful, Patterned 1870s House in Milwaukee
Name: Elizabeth Rees, co-founder of Chasing Paper, husband Brian Leadley, Uma (19-month-old daughter), Marlow (5-month-old daughter), and Lucy (15-year-old Goldendoodle)Location: Walker’s Point — Milwaukee, Wisconsin Size: 1900 square feetType of home: House Years lived in: 3 years, owned Elizabeth Rees is the co-founder of Chasing Paper, a popular removable (and traditional) wallpaper you should absolutely know about if you rent and love pattern (or own and love pattern!).
Feb 17, 2021
What’s the Best Way to Set Up a (Very!) Small Nursery?
We’ve got a very small extra room that we’re turning into a nursery. What’s a good small space solution? JoeDear Joe,Good for you, and I know you’ll do well! You’re also in luck, because one of the greatest things about babies is how few things they need to be happy as opposed to how much friends and family may give you that you often feel like you have to find room for. You really don’t need much room at all.
Feb 17, 2021
We Finally Found a LEGO Storage Solution that Works
Ours is a LEGO-loving family. My wife and I both collected them as kids. I took fastidious care of my LEGO sets, and still have all of my models and their instructions, plus a small (very small!) list of pieces that have been lost over the years. As with many families, LEGOs make for easy gifts, especially with the advent of licensed sets like Star Wars and Marvel; they make regular appearances at Christmas and birthdays in our house.
Feb 17, 2021
20 Things Families Can’t Live Without in the Kitchen
When it comes to cooking with kids, there’s the vision (little hands rolling perfect little balls of cookie dough!) and the reality (flour on the counter, on the floor, in their hair — everywhere). “There are so many reasons to get kids into the kitchen, but I do think they can develop a real pride in their self-sufficiency,” says cookbook author Jenna Helwig.
Feb 17, 2021
Ooey Gooey Indoor S’mores
Nothing screams outdoor magic the way making s’mores does. For me, s’mores evoke memories of camping and beach bonfires, where we’d stick marshmallows onto unwound wire hangers and thrust them into the flames. I’m known to burn mine until it looks like a little lump of coal, then quickly add the chocolate and graham crackers to hold the ooey gooey mess together. The hardest part is waiting patiently for it to cool, so as not to blister your mouth with the molten mallow.
Feb 16, 2021
5 Family-Friendly Sheet Pan Dinners from Andrea Mathis of Beautiful Eats & Things
When it comes to feeding her family of four, Andrea Mathis, the voice behind the sites Beautiful Eats & Things and Little Eats & Things, has a secret weapon that makes dinnertime feel totally doable on the busiest of nights: Sheet pan dinners. The registered dietitian and mom of two regularly slots them into her meal plan, because they’re quick, easy, and everyone’s excited to dig in — who doesn’t love roasted shrimp tacos?
Feb 16, 2021
The Best $8 Hack for Easier Kid Laundry
When doing laundry, it’s all but guaranteed that at least one sock is going to go missing. You probably know the feeling of getting to the end of a folding session and finding a lone sock (if not more) without its partner, even though you’re certain you put complete pairs into the washing machine. You might even have a collection of singular socks drifting aimlessly at the bottom of a drawer somewhere, waiting for their other halves to return from the dryer in the great beyond.
Feb 11, 2021
The Best Way to Get Crayon off the Walls Is in Your Fridge
If you’re a parent, you’re surely more than used to your little ones making messes anywhere they can in your home. But cleaning up crayon stains on your walls is a different beast entirely—and we don’t blame you for wondering how the heck to safely remove your mini Picasso’s brand new work of art. One Oregon mom did a bit of Googling and found the answer right in her refrigerator.
Feb 11, 2021
The Best Way to Get Crayon Off the Walls Is in Your Fridge!
If you’re a parent, you’re surely more than used to your little ones making messes anywhere they can in your home. But cleaning up crayon stains on your walls is a different beast entirely—and we don’t blame you for wondering how the heck to safely remove your mini Picasso’s brand new work of art. One Oregon mom did a bit of Googling and found the answer right in her refrigerator.
Feb 11, 2021
The Easy Yet Luxurious Family Dinner I Make Every Year for Valentine’s Day
I used to think Valentine’s was a cheesy Hallmark holiday for saps. And then I had kids. Falling in love with my family gave me so much excitement to celebrate love in its many, nuanced, and complex forms. Where I once scoffed at Valentine’s Days cards, I’m now buying one for my husband from our new dog (truly) and planning out family Valentine’s Day activities.
Feb 11, 2021
I’m Teaching My Daughter About Her Heritage Through Our Modern Chinese New Year Celebration
Lunar New Year falls this year on Friday, February 12, and to celebrate it we are reprinting this piece from our sister site Kitchn. I (Faith) love this intimate (and pre-pandemic) story by Christine Gallary about her family’s past and present traditions and the ways in which she is making sure her daughter learns them too. My paternal grandmother was the lioness in our family.
Feb 11, 2021
How to Make a Heart-Shaped Pizza
A few years ago I ordered a heart-shaped pizza from a big pizza chain, and boy was I disappointed; I paid something like $14 for a pizza that was barely big enough to feed me and my two preschoolers at the time and was more oblong than heart-shaped. I vowed to never order a holiday pizza again and set out to find the best method for making heart-shaped pizza at home.
Feb 11, 2021
16 Little Ways Families Say “I Love You” Through Their Homes
If you’ve ever read The Five Love Languages book (or taken the ubiquitous online quizzes to suss out which love language is yours), you may recall that they are: words of affirmation, quality time, acts of service, physical touch, and receiving gifts. But I’d wager that there’s also a secret sixth love language: Home decor choices.
Feb 11, 2021
This $27 Toy Has Entertained My Kids for Hours of Indoor Play
Water is the ultimate sensory play experience for kids, but, when you’re in the midst of a pandemic in winter (and in my case, holed up in a New York City apartment), there’s no pool, sprinkler, or ocean on offer. However, you still have two options for water play: One is bath time, of course, and the other is what I like to call “Mix and Measure Time.
Feb 4, 2021
20 Parents of Preschoolers on the One Meal They Will Always Eat
Feeding a preschooler can be a wild ride. Starting at around age two, lots of kids start to get a bit um… discerning, about what they will and won’t put into their mouths. Testing boundaries and reticence to trying new things is “normal” at this age and can continue for a few years, but it’s hard to feel reassured when one day your your little one wants to eat grilled cheese at every single meal forever and ever and the next day they won’t touch the stuff.
Feb 4, 2021
What’s the Best Way to Set up a Kid’s Room for Remote School?
Lockdown has struck us again and my kid is back Zoomschooling all day long. His room is like a troll’s den and his energy is super low. How can I help him? NancyDear Nancy,I feel very lucky that my daughter’s school has so far—knock on wood—kept them in the classroom since September. Last spring, when she was home full-time, she turned into a slouch-monster and never left the old lounge chair with her ready Hydro Flask all day.
Feb 4, 2021