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Cubby Archive
2021

Cubby Archive: 2021

Cubby Archive - 2021
Page 13
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.
Arielle Tschinkel
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.
Meghan Splawn
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.
Christine Gallary
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.
Meghan Splawn
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.
Kathryn O'Shea Evans
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.
Renu Blankinship
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.
Suzy Scherr
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.
Maxwell Ryan
Feb 4, 2021
This Michigan Photographer’s Family Home Has Charm, Character—and an Instagram-Famous Bathroom
Name: Emily Berger-Crawford, husband Chris Crawford, daughter Edie, dog Lilly, and cats Chester and CharlieLocation: East English Village in Detroit, MichiganSize: 1,650 square feetEmily Berger-Crawford says that an old house was an all-but inevitable conclusion for her family. Growing up, Emily lived in a 1890s Victorian that her parents lovingly filled with antiques. Then when she and her husband Chris Crawford moved back home to Detroit, old houses were what was available to buy.
Laura Fenton
Jan 28, 2021
The Best ’90s Board Games to Play with the Family
Trends may come and go, but one thing that’s not going away anytime soon is nostalgia for the ’90s. This year alone saw reboots of classics like “Saved By The Bell,” “Party of Five,” and “Animaniacs,” as well as the confirmation of a “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” reimagining and that long-awaited “Friends” reunion special. So, to say that many of us are sentimental for the decade may be the understatement of the millennium.
Sarah M. Vazquez
Jan 28, 2021
Do Tile Trackers Actually Help You Find Lost Toys? I Tried Them to Find Out
Before I actually had kids, I envisioned their toy collection to be quaint and timeless—mostly wooden, and definitely not derived from the Nickelodeon franchise. But here we are, with an entire stable of miniature Paw Patrol stuffed animals.My boys aren’t the type of kids who drag a stuffed animal with them everywhere, but I frequently find myself turning my house upside down to find these Paw Patrol pups, who are often the main characters in their imaginary games.
Ashley Abramson
Jan 28, 2021
What Are Good Movies To Share with my Children?
During this pandemic we’ve caved in more than usual to letting our kids watch movies, and I would love them to be really good for them. Any guidance? MollyDear Molly,As a teacher of young children I saw firsthand the effects of too much screen-time on young brains, but I also believe in doing what I can as a parent to educate and turn a potential problem into an opportunity.
Maxwell Ryan
Jan 28, 2021
How to Get Your Kids Excited About Old Toys
In my house, we’ve been hearing a lot of complaints from our son lately that his toys are “boring” (and this is after the influx of new Christmas gifts!). Despite the fact that he hasn’t played inside at a friends house in going on ten months, he seems to have a photographic memory of his friends’ supposedly superior toy collections.
Laura Fenton
Jan 21, 2021
This $35 Target Buy Dramatically Improved My Family Bathroom
Most of the time my house is, shall we say, messier than one would strictly like. With a five-year-old and a three-year-old, c’est la vie. But up until recently there was one room that stood out as weirdly miserable: my family bathroom. This bathroom was the victim of a bad, sad patch job before we bought our home eight years ago. It has drippy plumbing (I have a spot on the living room ceiling to prove this), awkward corners, and a curious lack of storage.
Faith Durand
Jan 21, 2021
Ask Maxwell: How Do I Store Children’s Art (and Decide What to Keep!)?
I’ve got two daughters, one in first grade and the other in third, and they are prolific artists. It’s all over the kitchen walls and filling up corners of every room. I love it all, don’t want to throw anything away but I don’t know how to keep up with it all. What should I keep? What’s the best place to store it all? NadiaDear Nadia,I have very firm opinions on this and kids’ clutter in general, which is far less special than their original art. Here we go.
Maxwell Ryan
Jan 21, 2021
How To Make the Absolute Easiest Banana Muffins
When your tidy bunch of bright-yellow bananas morphs into aggressively speckled and aromatic fruit, there’s only one course of action: Bake them into breakfast. You could bake a loaf of banana bread, of course, but we’re partial to these muffins, which come together quickly and are perfect for grabbing on the go. Plus, you (probably) already have everything you need to make them, and they’re sure to be a hit with the entire family.
Patty Catalano
Jan 20, 2021
5 Humans and 3 Dogs Share an Incredibly Cute 800-Square-Foot Barn House
Kristin Pardy knows a thing or two about squeezing a large family into a small space. She shares her 800-square-foot home with her husband Preston (a resource enforcement officer for their provincial government), 13-year-old son Coby, 7-year-old daughter Isla, and 3-month-old son Jack. The family also includes three huskies, Bear, Blue, and Beau. Kristin, along with being an emergency medical responder for a local ambulance company, is also a blogger and YouTuber.
Adrienne Breaux
Jan 19, 2021
The “Power 10” Method Gets Everyone in the House Inspired to Help Clean Up
You know how in that post-holiday, pre-New Year’s limbo zone your house becomes kind of a mess because everyone is home, all day long, for days? It’s been like that around our house for two and a half months and it’s probably similar in yours. With school, pre-school, and every single out-of-the-house activity on hold, each and every mess made by my curious and vivacious kids and always-home husband happens right under the roof of our perpetually full house.
Shifrah Combiths
Jan 19, 2021
My Kid Doesn’t Like Meat. Here’s How She Gets Her Protein.
In some ways, my 3-year-old is actually a pretty open-minded eater. To my surprise, she’s always loved vegetables. She’ll chow down on roasted broccoli or squash, and will pop cherry tomatoes and peas like they’re candy.One thing she doesn’t always love, though? Meat. We have a few reliable options (chicken is always the common denominator), but with almost anything else — like beef, pulled pork, or any sort of fish — she’s not interested.
Melissa Harrison Jameson
Jan 19, 2021
Air Fryer Apple Pie Chips Are a Fun Treat Any Time
Let’s be honest: If you’re craving super-crispy, crunchy apple chips, baking them in the oven just isn’t going to cut it. The air fryer, on the other hand, will never fail to deliver. This recipe couldn’t be easier. You’ll start by thinly slicing an apple (any variety will work, though a red apple produces extra-pretty chips), and if you have a mandoline, use it: the thinner the slice, the crispier the chip.
Laura Arnold
Jan 19, 2021
This Family of Five’s Tidy 750-Square-Foot Rental Is Packed with Organizing Ideas
Tyler Moore blogs under the name “Tidy Dad,” and tidy is just what you have to be when you’re sharing a small NYC third floor walk-up, railroad-style rental apartment with a family. In Tyler’s case that’s wife Emily, 5-year-old Mabel, 3-year-old Matilda, and 7-month-old Margaret, and they’ve had to do some adjusting to their home’s layout a few times in the seven years they’ve been renting.
Adrienne Breaux
Jan 19, 2021
The Little $9 Amazon Find That Lowered My End-of-Day Stress
My current life does not cater to my natural HSP (Highly Sensitive Person) tendencies. I’m a mother of five, three of whom are active little boys, and our house is … boisterous. (Of course, I wouldn’t have it any other way.) I’m learning to listen to the sound of sibling scuffles and middle children clamoring to be heard, and doors slamming as kids go outside to rollerblade and then back inside for an urgently needed snack as the soundtrack of the “good old days.
Shifrah Combiths
Jan 19, 2021
This Family of Four Lives Full-Time in a 200-Square-Foot Off-Grid Airstream
Big Mountain Skier-turned-startup founder Kina Pickett shares a 200-square-foot 1971 Airstream International with his wife Nellie, their 6-year-old son Ashur, 4-year-old daughter Story, and their dog Scout. This family of four (plus dog!) purchased an Airstream just before the pandemic broke in February, and have been traveling, remote working, and homeschooling since.
Adrienne Breaux
Jan 19, 2021
The 30 All-Time Best Grocery Store Snacks for Kids
Across the board, 2020 has been a year when parents and children have spent more time together than pretty much ever before. Stay-at-home orders, lapses in safe childcare options, and transitions to online school have forced new routines that have taken family time to unprecedented levels (in both good and bad ways). A clear side effect: Parents having to field way more “I’m hungrys!” than usual.
Lauren Masur
Jan 19, 2021
6 Lessons a Mom of 6 Can Teach You About Saving Money on Food and Groceries
I’m a mom of six kids, ranging in age from 10 to 21. My college sons live at home, so that means I’m cooking for a small army every night — and shopping for enough groceries to accomplish that. Being a mom doesn’t necessarily mean you know everything, and being a mom of six doesn’t mean that I have cosmic levels of knowledge (or patience, for that matter). Rather, parenting a large family has given me plenty of opportunities to grow and learn.
Jessica Fisher
Jan 19, 2021
50+ Family-Friendly Recipes to Solve the “What’s for Dinner?” Dilemma
If there’s one thing harder than deciding what to make yourself for dinner, it’s coming up with easy dinner ideas for your kids. You want to get something on the table that’s fairly quick to make and doesn’t require a lot of effort. And you also want a meal that the kids (and ideally the whole table!) will devour, while contending with food preferences that can ping-pong from week to week. And it can feel even trickier when you have a picky eater on your hands.
Kelli Foster
Jan 14, 2021
The Buttery Soft Confetti Cookie Recipe I’ve Baked 20+ Times
At our sister site, Kitchn, our editors develop and debut brand-new recipes on the site every single week. But at home, we also have our own tried-and-true dishes that we make over and over again—because quite simply? We love them. And we decided to start sharing some of our absolute favorites with you. Here’s a peek into what we’re cooking and eating in our own kitchens. Homemade cookies are a regular occurrence at my house.
Meghan Splawn
Jan 14, 2021
Isn’t It the Right Time for an Official IKEA Blanket Fort?
If you’ve ever made a blanket fort at home, you probably didn’t have an instruction manual. Forts are usually created ad hoc, with whatever you happen to have on hand. But designers like to get in on the blanket fort tradition, and none other than IKEA itself released patterns for blanket forts, made in the style of its furniture assembly pamphlets, and they look like they’d be fun to try.
Mia Nakaji Monnier
Jan 14, 2021
How My New Dishwashing Routine Changed My Relationship with My Son
I turned 30 a couple of years ago and, despite being solidly married with two children, I suddenly felt this need to adult harder than ever. Things were pretty chaotic (see: two kids) and I was grasping desperately for small things I could tweak to streamline, or simplify — whatever I could do to help me gain more control over the day-to-day. I did not read Marie Kondo and thank my old prom dress before donating it. I didn’t start intensive Sunday meal prepping.
Meleyna Nomura
Jan 14, 2021
6 Tricks Home Stagers Use to Make Your Kids’ Rooms Look Way Cleaner
So your child’s room is a bit of a disaster zone. Hey, no judgement here. Messiness is a part of life, but unfortunately, it’s not part of the process for successfully selling a home. That’s where home stagers come in—they unleash a few simple tricks to make a house seem appealing to buyers of all kinds.
Wendy Helfenbaum
Jan 14, 2021
What’s a Great Baby Shower Gift That Will Last?
I have a number of colleagues at work who are all having babies in the next few months and taking leave. I’d really like to send them off with a present and want it to be something long lasting and memorable. Help!LauraDear Laura, Coming off the holidays, I’m primed with gift advice and I really like this question, particularly because we’re talking about NEW parents.
Maxwell Ryan
Jan 14, 2021
I’m Obsessed with These Fun, Affordable Indoor Exercise Kits (My Kids Are Too!)
While 2021 has quite a bit of hope on the horizon (vaccines! reopenings!) the present reality for my family is still the cautious lockdown and quarantine we observed for most of 2020. That plus the extra-gray Ohio weather is tough for my kids’ exercise and energy. They get outside as much as possible, but I also entered 2021 determined to create more active play opportunities for them indoors.
Faith Durand
Jan 8, 2021
Ideas For a Beautiful Birthday Present?
As my son gets older I’d like to give him a birthday present that’s also a keepsake and marks this special time that’s moving so fast. Any good ideas? YasminDear Yasmin,I remember when my daughter was smaller, I’d bump into other dads and they’d all say the same thing, “They grow up so quick, don’t they? I just don’t know where the time has gone.
Maxwell Ryan
Jan 7, 2021