Karissa Tunis

Teaching Kids Empathy Will Make Them a Better Friend

I often get frustrated when taking to other parents or teachers about children’s education, as so much of the discourse revolves around ‘academic’ and ‘school’ learning. It’s great that our kids can learn about science with STEM toys before they’re potty trained. However, no one ever seems to talk about helping children to develop truthfulness, a sense of justice, or empathy. By teaching kids empathy you can make them a better friend, better brother, better sister, and help them connect to others in a more authentic way; which is what the world needs. …

50 Free Daily Planner Printables

January 21, 2020

It’s never easy to stay organized as a parent, but luckily there are tools that can help! We’ve compiled 50 free daily planner printables for you to use to help with time management and productivity one day at a time. These free printables include simple, minimalist, floral, black and white, and other options so that you can find a vertical daily calendar option that works for your binder or desk!

Picking Days – Time Management for Parents

Being a mom is very rewarding, and yet it is also the hardest job in life! Weather you are a stay at home mom, a work from home mom, a work out of the house mom, a single mom, a married mom, a caregiver, or any other combo; trying to juggle life and raise a little one has its challenges! But don’t get me wrong, I would not change it for the world! But I got to a point where I needed to find a better solution for how to organize my focus, which is why I began implementing this strategy that helps with time management for parents.

A few years ago, I tried to come up with a system that would allow it all to feel a bit more manageable. Through lots of trial and error, we have found a system that works for us in this current phase of life. We still don’t get it right 100% of the time. But I can honestly say that I feel better in control of my time now than I did a few years ago.

Continue reading here…

Organize Your Way to Calmer Days

We all have a lot going on in our busy lives. But have you ever wondered if it would be possible to organize your life and enjoy the benefits of calmer days? The good news is that there is a way! And if you can relate to any of these comments below, then this article is for you!

The kids are in bed and you sit down on the couch. Looking around, you are surrounded by piles of toys. You are too tired to do anything about it, but you can’t fully relax because you feel a little guilty for not cleaning up.

You sit down at your desk, ready to work, but you keep getting distracted by stray notes left on your desk. Your computer desktop isn’t any better, and you can’t find the files that you need when you need them.

You are on a tight schedule, but you can’t ever seem to get anywhere on time. You feel like you should be better at this. And you wonder how other people manage to get places on time?

Continue reading here…

How to Keep Your House Clean by Making Piles

With a house full of children and pets, it is not always easy to keep the house clean! But there is one strategy that I go back to time and time again… piles. Making piles allows me to feel more organized and helps me keep the house clean (as crazy as that might sound). In this article, I’ll be covering how to keep your house clean by using this pile strategy within your own home. Find out why piles are actually okay, and how you can manage them effectively!

Continue reading here…

For more tips and resources, head to our Get Organized collection!

Teaching Kids About Friendship

Growing up there was a lot that my parents did that I hope to improve upon, or even do differently. But the one thing that I appreciate them putting such an emphasis on was people skills. They taught my sisters and I how to get along with anyone, even if they were very different from us. And now that I am a mama myself, it’s important for me to pass on the lessons of teaching my kids about friendship. …

Be My Valentine – Family Conversation Starters

We hear all the time how important it is to open up the lines of communication. Communication improves relationships with partners, friends, and coworkers; but we can’t forget that it also improves our relationships with our children.

Taking the time to have a genuine conversation with your child can be so much fun and so insightful! It also helps to build up a great family bond, which is why we are offering a few family conversation starters to go a long with each curated collection of content….

DIY – Candy Bar Card

My kids get so much candy for Valentine’s Day that it often looks like a repeat of trick-or-treating. Here is a fun activity to do with your kids. All ages can enjoy it, even those pesky to please preteens. It is a unique way to thank a teacher or just make a friend smile. Plus added bonus – USE SOME OF THAT EXTRA VALENTINE’S CANDY!!! Below are the steps to making your own DIY Candy Card, enjoy 🙂…

Ten Fun Activities To Do With and For Your Kids On Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be about romantic love; it can also be about special relationships, friendships, and more! Show your kids how much you love them this year by trying some of these fun Valentine’s Day activities for kids.

This article is written by Tiffany Doerr Guerzon
For more on this topic, check out the full Be My Valentine collection

10 Valentine’s Day Activities for Kids

Give Them a Card

Slip a Valentine card under each kid’s pillow and tell them to check underneath for a fun surprise when they wake up.

{Check out this fun DIY Candy Card}

Valentine’s Themed Breakfast

For breakfast, cut out toast with a heart-shaped cookie cutter. Spread the heart shape with cream cheese and top with strawberry or raspberry jam. Place the piece of toast with the heart cut out on a plate and fill the center with red berries. Wet the rims of wine glasses or plastic cups then dip into pink or red sugar. Fill the cups with sparkling apple juice.

{Check out these yummy and easy recipes}

Decorate the Mirrors

Draw a large, open heart on the bathroom mirror at kid-height with a dry erase marker. Write “I love” with an arrow pointing to the heart shape. When your child looks in the mirror to brush their teeth, his or her face will be in the heart!

Pack Their Lunch

Glam up lunch boxes by using your heart cookie cutter to shape sandwiches. Include a treat of Valentine candy, and of course, a love note.

Add in Some Hearts

Draw a trail of hearts on the driveway or sidewalk in red and pink chalk. Kids can follow the path by hopping from one to the next on the way to the car or bus stop.

Hand Out Valentine’s Cards & Gifts

Visit a local nursing home or hospital and hand out flowers or Valentine cards.

{Check out these free printable Valentine’s Day cards for kids}

Valentine’s Themed Dinner

Cook up a valentine-themed dinner. Serve heart-shaped individual pizzas, or top pizza with heart-shaped pepperoni. (Cut pepperoni pieces into hearts with a mini cookie cutter.) Many pizza companies offer heart-shaped pizza for take out or delivery on V-Day as well. Serve with pink milk or sparkling juice.

{Check out these yummy and easy recipes}

Valentine’s Themed Conversation

During dinner, have each family member say why they love the person sitting next to them. Go around the table one way, then do it again in the opposite direction.

{Check out these Valentine themed family conversation starters}

Valentine Themed Movie Night

After dinner, cuddle up in PJs to watch a Valentine’s Day show such as a Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown, Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That: Hurray! It’s Valentine’s Day, Winnie the Pooh, A Valentine for You, WordWorld: My Fuzzy Valentine, or Madly Madagascar.

{Check out these tips for planning fun family nights in}

Valentine Themed Story Time

Last but not least, don’t forget story time! Try one of these love-themed books: Queen of Hearts by Mary Englebreit, Love, Splat by Rob Scotten, Snowy Valentine by David Peterson, I Love You, Stinky Face by Lisa McCourt, or Pete the Cat: Valentine’s Day is Cool by James Dean.

Spread the love by trying one or more of these ideas this February 14th. By replacing candy and gifts with time spent together, you will surely brighten your kids day and make fun family memories along the way.

For more on this topic, check out the full Be My Valentine collection

Featured Contributor: Tiffany Doerr Guerzon

Tiffany Doerr Guerzon is a freelance writer and mom of three children.

Website: tdguerzon.com
Facebook: @TDGuerzon
Twitter: @TDGuerzon

I Love My Husband, But…

My husband and I got married in 2007, which by now is long enough ago that I have to think for a minute before remembering what our anniversary date actually is. I love my husband dearly and feel privileged to get to go through so many stages of life with him! From the very beginning of our relationship, there was a level of comfort, strength, and security that I had never experienced before. And now I feel truly lucky to be able to say that the foundation in our relationship is just as solid as it has ever been.

As anyone who has been in a long-term relationship knows, there are stages to your relationship. Focuses shift, responsibilities change, and people grow. I love my husband, but our relationship continues to take different shapes depending on which stage of life we happen to be in!…

Free Printable Valentine’s Day Cards for Kids

Grab some card stock from the store and enjoy these free printable Valentine’s Day Cards for kids. Perfect for children to pass out to their friends!

Set your print settings to print multiple cards per page, and then cut them out easily.

{Check out Teaching Kids About Friendship and What Makes a Good Friend? for fun kid-friendly lessons on friendship}

Free printable Valentine’s Day cards for kids created by Karissa Tunis
For more on this topic, check out the full Be My Valentine collection

Co-Owner: Karissa Tunis

Karissa Tunis is the co-owner of both the parenting website Adore Them and the family event company Milestone Family Expos. Through these ventures she is able to share inspiring, heartfelt insight with large audiences within local communities and across the country! Her knack for all-things-organization allows her to balance content creation, brand partnerships, and event planning without losing sight of what she wants for her own family. Despite her busy schedule, Karissa also makes it a priority to spend quality time with her husband and three children. You will often find her volunteering at her children’s schools, cheering them on from the soccer sidelines, or enjoying the great sites of Charleston, SC with her family.

Contact: Karissa@AdoreThem.com

For more on this topic, check out the full Be My Valentine collection

Date Your Spouse – The Easiest DIY I Didn’t Do

When I came across the saying below after scrolling through Instagram, I thought – this is so true! After 13 years of marriage I had the greatest gift of being able to spend my life with my best friend, but we weren’t spending as much time together as we had hoped. Reality was a little less exciting that what he had imagined marriage to look like. He would often be playing with the kids as I was making dinner. I’d be helping with homework as he would be fixing a leaky faucet. At the end of the day we’d get ready for bed and realize that we hadn’t really spent any quality time together. This was totally different than when we were dating! But then I thought, why can’t you date your spouse?

This article is written by Pamela Rineer
For more on this topic, check out the full Be My Valentine collection

The quote I had found

Date Your Spouse – The Easiest DIY

This past year my husband gave me the greatest gift. It’s the easiest DIY that I didn’t even think to do. In that little glass bowl are names of different restaurants in the area. Nothing fancy, he just printed names of restaurants we had never tried in the area from the computer. At the beginning of each month I get to reach in and pull one out. He sets the day, makes a reservation if needed, and gets the sitter lined up for our date. Because, after 13 years of marriage we realized that we in fact needed to date each other again.

The restaurants range from burger joints to fancy sit down meals. Sometimes life gets busy and we decide to date night with friends, or skip going out and opt for a movie night at home. We especially love to put the kids to bed and watch our movies on the deck.

Date nights can be almost anywhere or anything. Game nights, movie nights, fancy dinners, or a walk in the park during your lunch break. You can’t give your marriage a greater gift than the quality time spent together reconnecting with your spouse.

For more on this topic, check out the full Be My Valentine collection

Featured Contributor: Pamela Rineer

Pamela Rineer lives in Lititz, PA with her husband, two boys, and very large goldendoodle. With a love of real estate, design, and money management she began renovating their homes on a budget. Now, settling into their fifth house, she shares simple DIY’s for all things home.

- Instagram: @pamelarineerinteriors
- Facebook: @pamelarineerinteriors
- Pinterest: @pamelarineerinteriors
- Website: pamelarineerinteriors.weebly.com

Alternative Ways to Spend Valentine’s Day

February 14th, or as we all know it – Valentine’s Day, is just around the corner! So how will you spend this special day? With a loved one, or a friend? With your family, or at home giving yourself some much needed R&R time? Will you do something traditional, or are you searching for something different than the norm? Whatever you end up choosing, I have compiled a few ideas below to hopefully inspire you to plan something fun! Below are some alternative ways to spend your Valentine’s Day….