Practical Positive Parenting Advice and Resources
Should you be using Pinterest for party planning?
We’ve all seen the posts on social media of our friends’ birthday parties for their children. There are those moms who go all out, and there are those who keep it simple. But as long as you do something to acknowledge your child’s special day, you have succeeded!…
If you are like me – then you LOVE a good party! Whether it is for a birthday, to celebrate an anniversary, around the holidays, ringing in the New Year, on the 4th of July, at the pool, or just hanging out with friends in your backyard. No matter the occasion (or how fancy), everyone loves a fun event! And the great news is that you do not need to be an expert party planner, or a professional event coordinator, to host a successful bash. With these free resources from Adore Them Parenting, you too will be able to plan your next festivity like a pro! Keep reading below for your free Party Planning Checklist.
This article is written by Karissa Tunis
For more on this topic, check out the full Party Planning collection
Below is a free party planning checklist printable calendar to help you stay organized. Print it out and hang it on the fridge. Or, keep it in the front of a folder or binder, and file behind it everything that you need to keep track of in order to plan your next extravaganza!
And scroll down for even more free party planning resources from a professional event planner. Enjoy, and happy planning 🙂
Enjoy these additional Free Party Planning resources from Adore Them Parenting:
Take advantage of our food and beverage estimator to plan how much to serve at your next party. Ensure that you have enough refreshments for all of your guests at your next event!
Creating a party that is fun for adults AND kids is not the easiest thing. But here are tips that will help make your next party a huge success!
Take the stress out of planning your next event by following these party planning tips and reminders that every hostess should know directly from a professional event planner! And find out what her secret is to ending every party with a special thanks!
For more on this topic, check out the full Party Planning 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
I don’t know about you, but keeping my family fed feels like one of the most daunting tasks. And it’s something that I have to do day after day, week after week. There are so many steps to keeping everyone fed that as soon as I get off track it is hard to catch back up! Keeping up with a weekly meal plan is so helpful. It only takes me a few minutes to fill in the blanks, and then I don’t have to think about it for the rest of the week! Download this free printable for yourself below…
This free meal planning printable is only a start… now you need to add some recipes!
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.
Summer is such a special time when you have kids! You get to explore new places, spend extra time together as a family, and enjoy the sunshine. But the summer months can fly by so quickly, and before we know it, we’re back into the school year routine. Get inspiration from these summer activity ideas for kids and make the most of your time together!
This quick list of 30 fun things makes for a great summer bucket list for you and your family! It can be inspiration for a fun-filled staycation or simply a tool to refer back to when you hear, “Mom… I’m bored.”
For more on this topic, check out the full Summer Safety & Activities collection
Having a more relaxed schedule is one of the things that we look forward to the most about summer. This more relaxed approach is usually a wonderful break for all of us after a school year of busy-ness, but there are definitely downsides to it too…
This more laidback schedule can sometimes mean that nothing gets accomplished over the course of a day. We start to adopt an attitude of, “I’ll do it tomorrow,” but in the meantime we are falling into bad habits and way too much screen time.
So if you are looking for a good middle ground solution between no schedules and too much rigidity, you can download a free Daily Summer Checklist for Kids here.
Be sure to let us know what your favorite summer activities include! And we hope you have a safe and sunny few months!
And for more on this topic, check out the full Summer Safety & Activities collection
Mothers rarely get the true credit that they deserve. We do so much for our kids, communities, homes, friends, family, and jobs. Sometimes we forget that there are resources available to help us try to juggle it all. Keep reading for ideas and resources for moms to help make your life just a little bit easier.
For more on this topic, check out the full Tough Times collection
As we try to juggle working from home, teaching from home, being isolated at home, and trying to manage all of this without our normal luxuries to distract us; it can feel as though our world is about to implode. You might just be ready to give up…
However, we promise that you are not alone! In fact, you are actually surrounded by helpful resources and entire support systems even if you did not realize it.
If you’re a single mom, in particular, it can feel even harder because you don’t have the presence of a partner to help you. But after reading the suggestions below, we hope that any struggling mom will find the support that they need and deserve through these and other resources for moms!
This is something that might not be as easy to do last minute. However, there are still people out there who are offering their babysitting and nannying services. And if you can find someone to help you part-time, we know that it will make all the difference! Even for just a few hours a week to do your own thing, to work, or to get your house in order; it will make a huge difference.
If you really are at your wit’s end, then hiring help (even just temporary) is definitely something you should consider. It might even give you the freedom to take on more hours at work and earn more money. GTM.com is a website you should visit to make sure that you’re handling all of the payments correctly, since your new help will technically be employed by you.
Also, check out our Childcare Options collection for additional information on babysitters, nannies, and Au Pairs. Learn where to search for childcare help. How to check references. How to conduct interviews. And get tips for keeping everyone safe. Also, take advantage of our free printable childcare notes to help everyone stay organized with the children and their needs.
Social media support is definitely something you need to explore if you are feeling lonely. And the best part is that finding local mom groups to communicate with is pretty easy with just a few simple searches!
We all know that our social life changed as soon as we had children, and this virus has made it even harder to maintain those friendships. However, there are so many mom groups out there on Facebook, or other social sites, where you can find new people to meet. It’s just nice to have someone to talk to who can relate to what you’re going through. And who knows, maybe you will even come out of this with a new circle of friends?!
Either way, use technology to your advantage. Use this time to connect with people that you might not have spoken to in awhile, and seek out some new connections as well. Call your Grandparents. Reach out to your cousins. FaceTime with your family members. Plan a Zoom call with a few old friends. And try to join some new mom groups online as well.
Finally, maybe you just need to pull some new tricks out of the bag, and find some new activities to keep your kids entertained. You might feel like you have tried every trick in the book. But luckily, children don’t get bored too easily, and there are plenty of things that you can still suggest. From fort building, to adventure walks, you don’t have to be bored in the house all of the time. Check out Staying Home guide for free activities, free project inspirations, new recipes to try, at home self-care, and so many other resources for moms!
If nothing else, please remember that this is just a phase. It might be a long one, but it will eventually pass. Life will return to normal, and you will be a much better, stronger, better balanced mama for making it through this!
This homemade BBQ Sloppy Joes recipe is easy to make for a crowd! And it’s the perfect option for your next party since you can make it in advance.
This article is written by Lindsey Cover
For more on this topic, check out the full Party Planning and Recipes collections
Serves 6-8
For more on this topic, check out the full Party Planning and Recipes collections
Featured Contributor: Lindsey Cover
Lindsey Cover is a work-at-home wife and mom of two young boys, Jadon and Owen. She blogs about affordable healthy living, money-saving methods, simple recipes, and more at SimpleSaverWife.com
Oral hygiene is something that every family needs to make a priority for not only themselves, but also their their children. It is a space where you can lead by example. When your children see you flossing, brushing, and using mouthwash daily, they will want to take part in that routine. Which is the start of them learning how important oral hygiene is. However, sometimes children don’t want to join in. It becomes a little bit more tricky, but you can make oral hygiene fun. Keep reading below on tips for how to take a gentle approach to oral hygiene.
For more on this topic, check out the full Staying Healthy collection
The earlier you start your child’s oral hygiene routine, the more comfortable they will be with it. This includes taking regular trips to the dentists, and making sure that they see you getting a check-up from time to time too. Let them see you brushing your teeth twice a day, and they will want to copy you.
They love to mimic what they see, so make it fun. Play a song for two minutes and really get into it.
Find out what you need to know about children’s dental health
Babies love to chew on things, and you can give them a toothbrush to practice with nice and early. They will get used to the sensation of having a toothbrush in their mouth before they even have teeth. Try to find a silicone toothbrush that is suitable for small children and the dishwasher too.
As they get bigger, you can switch to fun toothbrushes with lights, timers, and so much more.
The first time children visit the dentist can be filled with upset and the unknown. Because unless they have seen you visiting the dentist, they don’t always know what is going on and can decide they aren’t going to let the dentist do their job. When looking for a dentist, look for one that has a number of services that you can benefit from. From ones where you can find a low-cost option to remove your wisdom teeth, to ones that specialize in children’s oral hygiene. A family-friendly dentist will take a gentle approach to oral hygiene, and will help you find the right method of oral care for your children.
Take your children with you on your check-ups, if possible. Many dentists don’t mind having children in the office and appointment rooms as it helps them get to understand the environment. When it is their turn to get in the chair, they are happier to do so.
Brushing your teeth for two minutes isn’t something that everyone can get into. However, if you have a song ready to play on your phone or iPad, it can make the whole thing much more manageable. There is a range of great songs on YouTube to help you tackle the two minutes in the most fun way possible. Over time they won’t need the song. However, they will be used to how long 2 minutes are, and have a nice and complete tooth brushing habit.
Although you might like a fresh and minty toothpaste, your little ones might not. There are many different brands of toothpaste on the market that have a range of flavors for kids. Stock up on a variety of exciting flavors and your children can pick a different toothpaste everyday. This keeps it fun and interesting for them. If your child is sensitive to flavors (like my son is), there are flavorless options available as well! We were able to find a child’s toothpaste that still had flouride without any flavor at all, which really helped the nightly toothbrushing battle!
Although you should encourage your child to brush their teeth, you are going to need to take control of some of the brushing. Work this into the routine from the start. Your child can brush for half of the song, and you can brush for the rest of it. This will make sure that any spaces they may have missed will be covered, and they will have a really thorough clean.
There is a temptation to be bullish over the brushing of teeth. The problem is, the more it becomes a point of contention, the less likely it is that the oral care routine you get will be the one that you want. Remember, a gentle approach to oral hygiene will be the most effective here!
If your child refuses to brush their teeth, have them wait in the bathroom while you finish doing yours. They’ll eventually become intrigued and want to take part in the process. Try to keep it cool, calm, and collected even if you feel irritated. In the early days, arguments about teeth and oral hygiene can have a negative impact on how they feel about their dental health and dentists later on in life.
Taking a slow and gentle approach to dental hygiene can give your child a lifelong appreciation for their teeth and gums. Leading to much fewer difficulties later on. Positive experiences when it comes to health and hygiene can last a lifetime, and so can negative ones.
For more on this topic, check out the full Staying Healthy collection
Quarantine Baking Recipes Your Kids Will Love
Quarantine is hard. Even the most introverted home bodies amongst us can agree that this time in lockdown is becoming a little boring. It can be hard to come up with new and exciting ways to fill our days, especially when we have kids to keep busy. But there are family resources for staying home and entertained during the COVID-19 Quarantine.
So, if you are feeling a little slump in your mood during this lockdown period, there is something you can do right now to help pass the time: baking. Making some fun baking recipes will not only pass the time in lockdown, but it will also be a good way for you to get some much needed sugar!
For more on this topic, check out the full Staying Home and Recipes collections
Here are some great recipes you should try during this time that will wow the whole family. They are not complicated to make, but they will provide some much needed and appreciated comfort food that everyone will love!
Using berries in cakes is a great thing, from a berry chantilly cake to a sweet strawberry Swiss roll. For this recipe we are taking a classic gateau and taking those flavors to a cheesecake!
Chocolate cupcakes are the most amazing sweet treat! Here you can vamp them up even more by making them triple chocolate! Enjoy 🙂
Millionaire shortbread is an amazing treat! This version is super simple to make, and will satisfy your sweet tooth!
For more on this topic, check out the full Staying Home and Recipes collections
Becoming a mother is one of the most amazing journeys any one of us can embark on. Of course, from the moment you get that positive pregnancy test, you become overjoyed by the fact that your parenting journey has literally just begun right there. You nurture your growing bump, you take care of yourself better than you ever have done before, and before you know it your life changes once more when your little one arrives into the world. Let’s be honest though, it isn’t always a plain sailing journey, and being a mom to a newborn has its fair share of ups and downs. The sleepless nights, the constant worry, it can be all-consuming. Not to mention all of the people that want a piece of you and your little one the moment you arrive home from the hospital. But the days settle, and you get into the swing of things of being a mom to a newborn baby. And eventually, routines finally begin to develop. Then, before you know it, you are transitioning from newborn into the toddler phase!
But being a mom to a toddler is a whole different ball game! If you thought the list of things you needed for your newborn was lengthy, then be prepared to rethink those decisions now that your little one may start crawling, walking, talking and causing mayhem. There are always an abundance of articles talking about newborn essentials and what you might need for yourself and your baby, but not much covering the next stage. With that in mind, here are some of the things you need to be considering now your little bundle of joy is finally entering the toddler years. Below are tips for helping your toddler navigate their exciting milestones ahead!
For more on this topic, check out the full All About Toddlers collection
First, it’s important to remember that all babies and toddlers, even children as they enter school, develop at their own pace. There is no right or wrong way for your child to develop and progress. So if you are wondering what to do if your baby doesn’t start crawling, or if they don’t seem to be saying as many words as their friends, you need to relax and understand that each child is different. Go with your gut and mother’s instinct. You will know what to do and how to react.
You may have only just gotten used to your baby having their own room and spending their nights in the crib. Perhaps it has taken you almost a year to develop a sound sleeping routine and actually get them to stay asleep throughout the whole night. A lot of moms will be able to sympathize with you there. But as your little one grows, it’s time to start thinking about how to transition them from their crib to a bed.
Some cribs can convert into a bed. This means that you can lower the base, take off the sides, and voila – you have a new bed. This is a great cost saving idea! However, you will still need to think about adding some sort of side protection to avoid your child rolling straight out of it and onto the floor. Thankfully, many children’s stores offer an array of products to solve this issue. The best piece of advice during this transition is to keep any bedtime routine you have developed the same. This will help to avoid it feeling completely new and different for your child.
Children grow fast, don’t they? You kind of expect it with a baby because they are constantly growing into different sizes. But many moms hope that the rate of having to buy clothes will slow down a little as their child enters toddlerhood. The good news is that yes, the growth may slow down. However, you are now faced with a new battle. Toddlers are constantly getting messy. Between painting, crafts they may do at home, or simply playing outside in the garden and the mud; if there is a mess to get their clothes dirty, they will find it.
So you can imagine that the clothing will need to replaced as and when you have exhausted all matter of stain removal procedures. So a good tip is to buy ahead of time. Use sales, coupons and discount codes to reduce the total of a bulk order. You may want to buy a size ahead, or even just stock up for the different seasons. It’s a great way to reduce the overall cost, as well as be prepared for when you child is running low on outfits to wear.
Here are 4 Simple Steps to Organize Your Kid’s Closet
As your baby starts to grow, so will their need for stimulation. So you may find that even as a stay at home mom, you might want to look into preschool or nursery environments, even for just a few hours a week. This may seem counter productive if you are at home all the time, but it can be a great way to recuperate some time for yourself, or catch up with jobs around the home. During this time your child will be socializing with other children, learning in a classroom environment, and even getting much-needed preparation ready for the school years ahead.
It’s only a matter of time before your now toddler will start to get a little bored with their current surroundings and their toys. Even if they have all the toys they need, they often want some one-on-one attention. Look at websites like Pinterest to gain some needed inspiration for different activities. If you are really stuck, set some time aside to plan your week or month ahead. Add in trips to the local park, museum visits, and active sessions like swimming or walking. Mix those in with time to make things and craft. You could use the seasons as inspiration, certain calendar events, or even explore different occasions happening in different countries. The options are endless once you start to think about it and could make home life more pleasant for you and your child as you are both satisfied with how you are spending your time.
The chances are that you may have a walking toddler that has an immense passion to walk absolutely everywhere on their own. You most likely still have a stroller, but find that they no longer want to be seen in it. And yet, their little legs can’t always take them all the way. So it’s important to have some flexibility, and an option to save you from carrying a very tired toddler when out and about.
A stroller is still a great option as it can be folded up to fit in the car with ease. And some strollers are light enough that they can even be carried places. This is especially beneficial for day trips, or for vacations. Or for when you are out at night and have a toddler that just wants to sleep. The best of both worlds by encouraging their enthusiasm, but still offering a safe place to relax when they get a little tired.
Some people are incredibly lucky when it comes to the toddler phase and potty training! Some kids just seem to get it right away, while others struggle. But the truth is that it just takes time. You need to prepare in advance for this. Do some research and purchase a toilet for toddlers, or a new potty seat to set on top of your toilet. Buy some new underwear and perhaps a book about using the potty. Introduce these items as soon as you think toilet training is on the horizon. You will know when your little one is ready. The diaper will be drier for longer, and they will start to feel uncomfortable being wet. Look out for the signs, but don’t rush it! Every child will be ready in their own time.
Go Here for Free Potty Training Resources and Printables
Finally, enjoy this next stage of your little one’s life. The toddler phase is so fun to experience as they are full of curiosity and wonder at this age! And it can be such an incredible time to be around them and watch them growing before your eyes. It can also be testing for both parent and child as at this stage boundaries are bound to be pushed. But it is all a learning curve and another phase of parenthood to love and enjoy for various different reasons. Next up is school-age and things will change all over again.
Who doesn’t love hosting and throwing a fabulous party?! Whether it is for someone’s birthday, to celebrate a special moment, or a causal fun evening with friends and cocktails; simply spending time with the ones we love is always an enjoyable event! But before you can actually blow out the candles, or pop that bottle of champagne, you need to send out your party invites. But how do you write a party invitation that guests will appreciate?
Not only am I a mother and a writer, but I happen to also be a professional event coordinator. I have learned over the years, through both personal and professional experiences, that invites are actually extremely important!…
