Tag Archives: parents

May11

Happy Mother’s Day!!!

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Happy Mother’s Day!!!

Hello everyone and happy Happy Mother’s Day to all of the wonderful moms, pet moms, moms to be, and every other kind of mom out there! I so hope that you can spend your day exactly the way you want to and feel celebrated and showered with love. There are so many amazing moms in my life that this day is special for and not a day goes by that I am not blown away by their hard work, dedication, and unconditional love that simply radiates. It is such a beautiful thing and should be appreciated constantly – not just one day of the year!

I am lucky enough to have the best mom in the world and she serves as inspiration in every aspect of my life. My mom is so fun, funny, caring, and loves fiercely. She is never without a kind word for any and everyone she encounters and can instantly turn a bad day around from just a phone call. I am my mom’s thirty year old baby lol and it is an absolute gift to be able to have that relationship with her. No matter what the situation is, my mom is always the person I want to talk to first for encouragement, advice, or a laugh. And, believe you me, we are always talking because we miss each other as soon as we part ways! It is the most pure love and I wish I could carry my mom around in my pocket all day every day!! ❤

To all of the moms out there: Thank you and Happy Mother’s Day!!!

Apr17

Pet Bunnies For Easter – DON’T!

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Pet Bunnies For Easter – DON’T!

Howdy!! Easter is right around the corner and, for some reason, animals seem to be an extremely popular gift to give to kids in their Easter baskets. From bunnies and ducks to chicks and cuddly puppies and kittens, Easter has become synonymous with welcoming a new pet. And, sadly, a majority of these pets will be a favorite plaything for a while until they end up abandoned in the wild or a shelter. Am I the only one who finds this absolutely ridiculous?! As a proud bunny mom of two sweet angels, I am here to talk about all of the reasons why a pet bunny might not be the experience that you think:

A long commitment:

Did you know that a well cared for bunny can live up to ten years? That’s essentially equivalent to a family cat or dog and their care requires multiple daily commitments to allow them to thrive. From constantly cleaning up messes to visits to the vet, regular snack times, and ample time outside of their hutch to roam and play – bunnies are more work than you might have thought. They are not just sedentary creatures that are up for constant cuddles. Bunnies want to be on the go and your schedule must accommodate a lot of free roaming time. Can’t commit? Don’t get them.

A financial investment:

One thing is for sure about pet bunnies – they are not cheap! In a previous post, I did some bunny math and the amount I spend for two rabbits per month is roughly one hundred and fifty dollars. Chewy orders and trips to the grocery store for fresh veggies and the occasional fruit treat are constant and it will be that way for up to a decade. These little sweeties have expensive taste just like their mom lol and they are definitely a financial investment. All of the items needed for their care are essential and cannot be bypassed. Can’t commit to spending over one hundred bucks per month? Don’t get them.

Unique temperaments:

If you are under the impression that your new bunny will want to be constantly held by your kids, prepare for your worldview to be shattered. All bunnies have unique temperaments. My Melvin, for example, loves being pet and doesn’t mind being held but is ready to roam after ten or so minutes. Penelope, however, is incredibly shy. It took a lot of time and patience to get her acclimated to my touch. She adores her pets now (usually) but isn’t interested in being held in the slightest.

This very well could be the case for the bunny you bring home and if you try to force this kind of contact, you are going to end up traumatizing the bunny and it will be miserable. Every bunny’s temperament should be respected. This is something that can be hard for a child to grasp because, at the end of the day, they are going to want to hold them anyways. That can truly impact their pet’s quality of life in a negative way if the bunny is uncomfortable being held and that is unacceptable. If you feel that you or your child can’t accept that, don’t get them.

Safety first:

Safety for your bunny isn’t just trips to the vet. It means bunny proofing their roaming area so they can’t hurt themselves. This means eliminating anything that is dangerous for them to ingest, covering wall sockets, and getting any and all wires out of there. Their roaming area should be totally and completely free from anything that can harm them as well as any items you are attached to. Trust and believe, your bunny will find a way to chew them. Their quality of life and safety is paramount and if you don’t have a space in your house where they can safely roam freely, they are not the pet for you.

A pet as a gift in theory might seem great to you. In practice, it is a totally different thing and I hope this post will make you think twice on your Easter basket selections. Stuffed animals are a much better way to go!

Are you a pet parent? What kind of pets do you have? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr6

Happy Birthday, Dad!!

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Happy Birthday, Dad!!

Hello everyone!! Today is a fantastic, wonderful day because it is my dad’s birthday!! As per my dad’s longstanding tradition, he does not care to celebrate his birthday. Because of this old standby, his birthday post will be short and sweet because I know that’s what he would prefer lol. So, I will say this:

My dad is truly one of the best men to ever walk the face of this earth. Of course, he is arguably one of the funniest people I know but he is also so kind and shows unparalleled strength in even the most difficult of situations. His ability to keep moving forward while still trying to make the absolute best of any and everything is nothing short of inspiring to me. I am exceptionally proud to be my father’s daughter and I value his opinion, advice, and sense of adventure so much. My dad never shies away from learning something new and taking that challenge head on. IE: Johnny has been giving my dad guitar lessons, he practices every day, and he just keeps getting better and better. I think we can all learn from that go getter spirit – I know I most certainly have! ❤

Happy Birthday, Dad!!! I love you!!! ❤

Mar20

Treat Day Birthdays

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Treat Day Birthdays

Howdy! Johnny and I are the proud Fun Aunt and Uncle to five amazing kiddos – four girls and one boy. We value our time with each of them so much and they bring us such an immeasurable amount of joy! Johnny and I coined the phrase Treat Day for our outings with the kids because that is exactly what it is: A day where we get to spoil them rotten. Our typical Treat Day MO is a lunch at whatever restaurant they would like and an outing somewhere fun like the zoo, an indoor amusement center, or trampoline park. We will give options or will go with whatever our little has in mind. This past weekend, we celebrated our niece’s sixth birthday with a Treat Day bonanza and she knew exactly what she wanted to do: Dinner at Chipotle, a Target shopping spree, and a slumber party. It was a blast!!

Treat Days are amazing, but Treat Day Birthdays just hit different. It creates not only a celebratory atmosphere but a day where it is literally all about your little and anything goes. This could be a great option if you have a kiddo, niece, or nephew with a birthday on the horizon so let’s discuss a few key components to make it the best day ever:

Gifts:

For our niece’s Treat Day, shopping was the move so we were able to gift her with whatever her little heart desired. I did, however, make a sentimental gift for her to be able to physically open up: A photo album filled with pictures of me and her, her and Johnny, and all of us together. It was a huge hit! Chances are high that the Treat Day location you end up at will have plenty of opportunity to make purchases there as extra presents on top of the gift of experience. This formula served us well this time around because our niece was able to make her own choices and select toys and crafts that she knew she would play with. It also eliminated the possibility of her parents taking on the task should anything we picked out need returned.

Follow The Leader:

Our eldest niece is such a little planner and she simply comes alive during Treat Days because of that. Johnny and I are literally making her plans happen and use the Follow The Leader approach to solidify that it is “her” day. Whether it is the order in which she wants to do things or changing plans on a dime like an impromptu craft break during a viewing of Moana 2, it’s all good! During the birthday extravaganza, I couldn’t help but utilize the “Yes, and?” model of improv back in my theater days. Kids change their minds, you might end up doing something completely different than what you had in mind, and? You just go with the flow!

Prepare Accordingly:

For our niece’s outing, weather wasn’t a concern because we were simply going in and out of different places. If you are having an outdoor based Treat Day, then I cannot emphasize this enough: Plan it well! This seems like a no brainer, but there really is nothing more disappointing than a plan falling through that you were looking forward to – especially for a kiddo. Schedule your outing on a day with no weather surprises and should the unexpected happen, explain an equally fun Plan B a few days before and the promise of Plan A happening when weather permits. Springing a Plan B after disappointment might make matters worse and we can’t have that.

And, of course, if you are having an outdoor adventure – pack accordingly too! Prep a bag with sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, snacks, drinks, and items of comfort if needed. Don’t forget to bring some cash too as you might need it to do a wagon rental, photo booth, or activities at the location itself like feeding animals at the zoo!

Johnny and I truly have Treat Days down to the T and we cannot wait for our next adventure with our favorite littles!

What is your ideal Treat Day? How are you celebrating your little’s birthday? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar19

Airbrush Plush Review

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Airbrush Plush Review

Hello! This past Friday, Johnny and I had the most amazing time celebrating our eldest niece for her sixth birthday. We wanted it to be the ultimate Treat Day for her and she gave us a grand plan of what she would like to do: Dinner at Chipotle, a shopping spree at Target, and a slumber party at our apartment. So that is exactly what we did!! After noshing at Chipotle, we shopped till we dropped at Target. Our niece picked out plenty of toys and a couple of crafts and it was so sweet that she wanted to play with everything and complete the crafts with us. On Saturday morning, we broke out the Airbrush Plush craft kit and it was seriously the cutest little project and the kiddo loved it. Check it out:

As soon as our niece locked eyes on the Airbrush Plush kit, she was all about it lol. Anything that comes with a unicorn plushie is an instant yes so into the cart it went! I was really excited to help her with this craft because it was so delightfully reminiscent of the DoodleBear. The DoodleBear was a toy that I had as a child and it was basically the OG version of the Airbrush Plush. It was a teddy bear that came with markers, you could color all over it, and then wash it and do it again. The Airbrush Plush had all the same sentiments and my niece couldn’t believe I played with something so similar when I was little too.

This kit cost twenty bucks and I consider it to be money well spent based on the fun factor alone. The ease of use and the fact that you can rinse and repeat the process only solidified that and it would be such a great gift or a craft to pick up for a rainy day. The Airbrush Plush kit came with an airbrush, four markers, and plenty of stencils in a wide variety of patterns. All Johnny and I had to do was put two AA batteries in the airbrush and our niece was able to handle the rest completely on her own. She had a solid idea of how she wanted her plushie to look and airbrushed away until she was satisfied, then added stencils to give the unicorn magic powers lol. Our hearts exploded when she said she was giving the plushie “rock n roll” hair!! We have taught her well. ❤

The Airbrush Plush fully dried in under twenty minutes, the cleanup was nonexistent, and I think we were all very happy with this purchase. If you were a 90s kid and unlocked a core memory with the DoodleBear mention, you will enjoy it just as much too. Highly recommend!

What was your favorite toy as a child? What is a really cool toy that your kiddo has? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan27

Fun Valentine’s Day Crafts For The Kiddos

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Fun Valentine’s Day Crafts For The Kiddos

Hello!! Is it just me or has January felt like an entire year? Lol, every time I look at the date, I assume it’s the fifteenth or something yet here we are nearing the end of the month! And, of course, this means that Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. I am so excited to celebrate with Johnny by seeing our all time favorite musical, Hadestown, in Akron. I also plan on having a Valentine’s Day craft party with my three niece girl squad, which is going to be a total blast! I’m arranging to do a few of the following with them and thought I would send some inspiration your way too:

Hand & Feet Hearts:

First and foremost, I am sure that my girls would love to make a special Valentine’s Day card for their parents. I am going to get some construction paper as well as pink, red, and white paint. They can make their cards however they would like, but I thought it would be really cute to make some hand and foot print hearts. If your kiddo isn’t opposed to messy hands or the sensation of cold paint on their feet, this is such a sweet and simple way to make a memorable keepsake. My big girls will probably want to do their own thing, but I just know they would be happy to help their new baby sister make some hand prints for her first craft!

Pipe Cleaner Bouquets:

When it comes to crafting with the girl squad, it is all about easy projects that are relatively quick to complete. Pipe cleaners are always a good option because even if they don’t make anything at all, they are still fun to play with! Whether you are making hearts, flowers, or even animals with the pipe cleaners, it is an opportunity to let creativity shine. If you are going the bouquet route, you might even want to pick up a a vase to paint or decorate with tissue paper and make your pipe cleaner flowers look like the real deal.

Picture Frames:

My best girls really enjoy looking through photo albums and seeing pictures displayed throughout the home. One of their options is going to be picking out their favorite picture of themselves and painting a wooden picture frame to house it in. This is a perfect gift for parents to display on their desk or on the mantle and gives the kiddos the chance to see their handiwork front and center.

Sweets & Treats:

It wouldn’t be Valentine’s Day without a sugar rush! My big girls are the best helpers for cookie and cupcake decorating and are always so proud of what they baked with their mom. If they would prefer to bake on our craft day, we will make a trip to the grocery store so they can pick out whatever sprinkles, frosting, and cut outs that they like. Then, they can have homemade Valentine’s Day treats that they designed for their parents and grandparents. Chocolate making is also a fabulous activity for littles and something different from the norm. Should they want to go this route, we will be making a trip to my in laws house instead of the grocery store! My mother-in-law is an amazing chocolateer and has molds and chocolate wafers for days to come in with the assist. ❤

Every holiday is infinitely more fun when I have three little minis to celebrate with. I can’t wait for our crafting jubilee!

What are your Valentine’s Day plans? What are some other ideas for V-Day crafts? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan4

Super Cute Craft

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Super Cute Craft

Hello!! Whenever Johnny and I watch our nieces, we always like to do some type of craft together. The girls are especially partial to painting. Whether it be on mugs, paper, or wooden or clay figurines – they are all about it and we have many of their masterpieces displayed throughout the apartment. This past weekend, we enjoyed using one of the painting gifts that I got for my eldest niece and it was a huge hit. If you have a little who loves art and unicorns, I cannot recommend this kit by SpringFlower enough. Check it out:

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^^^ Photo by SpringFlower

I purchased the unicorn painting kit by SpringFlower off of Amazon for twenty dollars and was pleasantly surprised by how nice it was. It came with eight felt figurines that were all different from each other (Awesome!), tubes of glitter, paint, and paint brushes. The figurines were sturdy, easy to paint on, and just so darn cute. They were serving MAJOR My Little Pony vibes and, as a total nineties kid, I was living for it! Even my niece appreciated this nod because My Little Pony was her mom’s (my sister’s) all time favorite and they have several of them throughout their house. ❤

As I prepared dinner over the weekend, Johnny and my niece broke out the unicorn figurines to paint together. Before I even had my back turned, they were already laughing and scheming on what colors to use. My heart was bursting, but it simply exploded when I checked back in on them ten or so minutes later. Our niece proudly told me “TT – Uncle Johnny and I are both making rock and roll unicorns!” They created a color palette to use and made matching, concert ready unicorns. Once they were dry, our niece decided Johnny’s unicorn needed to be put by his record player and I couldn’t think of a more perfect spot!

12/10 Highly recommend this painting kit. It is an ideal activity for a day in or even setting it up as a painting station at a birthday party for an adorable keepsake!

What was your favorite childhood toy? Where are all my other nineties kids at? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec12

Best Pizza Ever

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Best Pizza Ever

Hello!! My Mondays have turned into kind of a hectic day because I spend them as a personal assistant to Tim Misny at his estate called Misnyland. When we aren’t shooting content, joking with each other, making culinary delights, and laughing hysterically, I am bopping around here, there, and everywhere. Despite it being a long day, it’s a really fun day and by the time I make my hour drive home, I am famished. And that’s after having a delicious lunch that we always carefully prepare a menu for!

This last Monday, I had an especially long day for an evening content shoot and I told Johnny I would text him when I was about to leave. I was tired and, of course, hungry and he replied with the most beautiful message I have ever read: “I made an oven pizza for when you get back”. And, like a siren song, it guided me home. It might not seem like much but it truly was the best pizza ever:

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When I was little, my mom would typically get home later in the evening. She worked in Cleveland, primarily, and during traffic time the forty-five minute drive could turn into over an hour. Without fail, my dad would always have something ready for her to have for dinner when she got home. Whether it was oven pizza, spaghetti, or anything else easy, my mom would always say “I don’t know if this tastes so good because it’s good or because I’m hungry”. I know I’m using the word “always” a lot but I always thought it was the sweetest thing!

On Monday, it honestly felt like deja vu while I was chowing down on my oven pizza. It seriously tasted SO good and I found myself repeating the same sentiments that my mom used to say. I felt so lucky because my husband did the exact same thing that my dad would do which charmed me so much. And that’s not even mentioning the fact that he cleaned up the whole bottom floor of our apartment too. Johnny knew I had a way longer than usual day and did everything he could so that I could sink in a chair and relax as soon as I got home. It was so appreciated and he is just the best. ❤

I didn’t think it was humanly possible, but my schedule has turned even more crazy recently. I am so thankful to my main squeeze for holding down the fort until things slow down hopefully after the holidays!!

What is your favorite easy dinner? Has someone done something recently that you really appreciated? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov21

Caffeination Station

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Caffeination Station

Hello! When I moved into my own apartment, my parents got me a red Keurig for my housewarming gift. At the time, I wouldn’t have called myself a huge coffee drinker but I liked to have it in case I needed an extra boost or I had company over. Then, in 2022 we experienced the Great Kitchen Flood and it ruined several of my countertop appliances, Keurig included. I never bothered replacing it because it’s not like I used it every day so it felt like an unnecessary expense.

Fast forward to this past year when I began getting up at the buttcrack of dawn (Three AM) for work and your girl instantly turned into a coffee fanatic thanks to the Keurig Johnny gifted me with for Valentine’s Day. Literally every day since he gave me my prezzie, I have enjoyed back to back brews Monday through Friday and I don’t know how I survived before lol. And, major shout out to my parents for coming in with the assist:

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I spend A LOT of time at my mom and dad’s house in a care giving role and I am more than happy to do so. That’s not to say that I am not happy to have a little treat, though, too! Every week, Giant Eagle runs a great promotion on specific brands of K-Cups for five bucks a box. Every week, without fail, my parents will get me a Green Mountain (My favorite brand!) blend when they do their grocery shopping. Is this something they have to do? Absolutely not! But the fact that they want to and it has become a part of their grocery routine gives me ALL of the warm fuzzies.

I’m not going to lie, having to get up so early for work blows lol. There’s just no better way to say it and I fantasize every morning about going back to sleep as soon as my alarm goes off. No one said adulting was easy! However, after I take care of the buns and take a shower, I know that it is coffee time! It sounds like a little thing, but taking out my box of K-Cups that my parents got me and using the Keurig that Johnny gifted me with gives me a bright start to the day, no matter how early. Every morning, I get to use gifts given to me by people that I love and by the time that first sip hits, I can take on the world that is mostly still asleep!

Thanks to Johnny and my parents, I start my days off right – with a smile and caffeinated!! The best combination!

How do you take your coffee? What do you use to make your coffee? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul19

Why You Should Get Your Kids A Tutor

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Why You Should Get Your Kids A Tutor

The idea of hiring a tutor for your child may seem like a questionable expense when they go to school all day. However, if your child is struggling at school to keep up or they have asked you for extra help, then getting a tutor is a great idea. It may seem like a luxury to have, but in today’s fast pace of education, sometimes you need to slow down a little and give your child the extra support that they need. Today’s tutors and tutoring programs such as the TSI placement math preparation program, can make a big difference to your child’s education. If you’re still on the fence about it, take a look at this list of positive reasons that you should say yes to hiring a tutor:

Tutors will be one on one with your child:

Tutors have the ability to give that personal attention that your child needs. Rather than feel lost in the classroom trying to answer questions and understand the concept that’s moving too quickly, your tutor could keep your child focused on the task at hand and answer any questions directly.

They can support a specific area of weakness:

Some people choose to hire specifically math tutors or English tutors because they know that their child is struggling in a particular area. Bringing grades up to scratch is so much easier if they have a tutor to help them concentrate on those subjects that they are struggling with.

Your child can grow their confidence:

Oftentimes, pupils with a tutor do not feel as self-conscious about asking for help in their subject areas that need further explanation. There’s no need to feel self-conscious because they have somebody who can help them understand at the level they are at.

It’s easier to absorb skill based learning:

Every skill can be learned, and tutors will check for understanding as they go and use practical explanations and demonstrations to help. Repetition can help students to grasp concepts easier, and when it’s in a one to one model, there’s less classroom noise and more concentration.

You can boost their existing skills and talents:

Maybe your child is already doing really well at school. Tutors are still valuable in these cases because they’ll know the potential, and they’ll know that increasing your child’s potential can improve their level of learning. The same goes for talents. Children with exceptional talent in certain learning areas can have a tutor to encourage that specific area. For example having a tutor to help learn to play the piano or grasp mathematical concepts that are a little bit above their grade is going to help them to feel more excited about learning and doing more.

Back to school is almost here and it’s important to think about how your child can succeed academically this year. A tutor can be a huge help!

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