June 20, 2019

15 Swim Lesson Essentials for Parents

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Family

What’s in your swim bag? Don’t forget these 15 Swim Lesson Essentials for Parents – with tips to survive the summer sports season! This post is sponsored by Febreze. All swimmingly awesome opinions are my own.

15 Swim Lesson Essentials for Parents

This summer’s motto: Just keep swimming!

Summer sports season is here and even with the big move in a few weeks, I’m determined to keep up with our annual summer swim lessons. But I’ll admit, the extra level of crazy this swim season has me gathering “all hands on deck” to survive. Packing boxes while packing our daily swim bag? You can throw that life buoy now.

For those that have been following our family for awhile, you know that our summer swim adventures have been well…quite eventful over the years. Remember the year we “pooped in the pool?” Or the time we had to bolt for those “emergency stitches?” That’s why my swim bag may look a little different from yours. But take it from this 9-year swim lesson veteran, you’re going to want all 15 of these Swim Lesson Essentials for Parents. All of them.

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May 31, 2019

10 Ways to Encourage Pretend Play

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Family

How do you let kids be kids? Grab 10 Ways to Encourage Pretend Play, with lots of tips for parents. This post is sponsored by Disney Book Group. All imaginative play opinions are my own.

10 Ways to Encourage Pretend Play

May she never lose her love for play.

Childhood by very definition is all about playtime. And I have to admit, I really love this age for play. Wrapping up our kindergarten year, it’s been a whirlwind of growth for this little girl. From absorbing book after book to singing endless songs to exploring new adventures to playing all day every day – I absolutely LOVE this age. I wish I could freeze time, especially with the lazy days of summer ahead. But may our kids never lose their love for play, no matter what age they are. Today I’m slowing down time and encouraging all parents to find the time for playtime with our kids and 10 Ways to Encourage Pretend Play.

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May 20, 2019

2019 Florida 529 Savings Plan Promo | FREE $50

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Family

Looking for another way to save for college? Grab this 2019 Florida 529 Savings Plan Promo for up to $50 in college savings for FREE! This post is sponsored by the Florida Prepaid College Plans. All opinions are my own.

2019 Florida 529 Savings Plan Promo | FREE $50

Is it just me? Or as soon as the month of May hits, you’re also already checked out for summer? The kids aren’t the only ones counting down to the last day of school. I honestly can’t wait to be done with early wake up times, school lunches and trying to remember which day is early day. (C’mon, I can’t be the only mom who forgot…more than once…right?)

But before we jump into those summer vibes (beach day all day!), don’t forget to “Jump-Start” your summer college savings with Florida Prepaid and Florida 529 Savings Plans! Take advantage of this exclusive 2019 Florida 529 Savings Plan Promo and find out how you can get up to $50 for FREE towards your child’s college education. But HURRY – this offer ends soon!

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May 1, 2019

Hiding My Depression in Plain Sight

Written by christie 10 Comments
Family

Hiding My Depression in Plain Sight

Felt cute. May be hiding under my bed crying ugly tears later. IDK. Where’s the best place to hide when you have depression? In plain sight.

My husband says that I go through clothing phases. I had a black phase, a dots phase and my latest phase – loud bright prints. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that,” of course. At least, this is what he tells me.

But it was here in this moment with my hair curled, makeup perfected, loud jumpsuit on point, on a press trip full of cocktail parties and fancy dinners that I realized that I was hiding – all of the anxiety, stress and deep dark thoughts of hopelessness – but yet I could smile and carry on conversations and even laugh with ease. Little did I know that it was in this moment that I would break.

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April 26, 2019

Celebrate Earth Day Every Day | 21 Ways to Go Greener as a Family

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Family

Celebrate Earth Day Every Day with these 21 Easy Ways to Go Greener as a Family. This post is sponsored by Febreze. All fresh and clean opinions are my own.

Celebrate Earth Day Every Day | 21 Ways to Go Greener as a Family

Running into Earth week like…

While our family loves celebrating Earth Day, I would be amiss to not talk about the bigger picture. Going green for one day is great, but making it a part of our daily lives – that is much harder. And I admit as a busy mom, I often choose convenience over the road less traveled. But we only get one Earth – one shot to live our lives well. The bigger picture is to make greener choices for our family not just one day out of the year, but every single day. It’s the small choices that can lead to big changes. So if you’re looking to celebrate Earth Day just a little bit longer, here are 21 ways to go greener as a family. Let’s celebrate Earth Day every day.

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April 23, 2019

Florida Prepaid Open Enrollment Code | Last Chance to Save Big for 2019!

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Family

Are you a procrastinator too? It’s your last chance to redeem this 2019 Florida Prepaid Open Enrollment Code! This post is sponsored by Florida Prepaid College Plans. All “last-minute” opinions are my own.

Florida Prepaid Open Enrollment Code | Last Chance to Save Big for 2019!

Parents, are you still waiting for that “weight” to be lifted off of your shoulders?

I get this mentality, so much.

As a mom, we have so many worries and burdens that we carry on our shoulders all of the time. How will we pay the bills this month? How can I raise my child to be the best human possible? Am I saving enough for retirement? Will I ever be able to afford to pay for my child’s college education? One of the biggest burdens I ever “lifted up” was investing my kids’ college educations. Knowing that their futures are paid for – it gives me hope.

But I’ve also been where you are. Down to the wire. Pressure sky rocketing. Worried about making the right decision. Clicking the submit button. There are only 7 days left to save big in 2019 with this Florida Prepaid Open Enrollment Code. And if you’re a procrastinator like me, there’s still time to get that weight lifted off of your shoulders.
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April 19, 2019

Bonus Florida Prepaid Discount | Save 50% Off LEGOLAND Tickets!

Written by christie 1 Comment
Family

What does Florida Prepaid College Plans & LEGOLAND® Florida have in common? This Bonus Florida Prepaid Discount! Save 50% Off LEGOLAND® Tickets now! This post is sponsored by Florida Prepaid College Plans. All opinions are my own.

Bonus Florida Prepaid Discount | Save 50% Off LEGOLAND® Tickets!

What happens when you build savings on top of savings? You get F-U-N! The savings are really building up! The 2019 Florida Prepaid Open Enrollment period is stacking up to be the best time to save big for your family. If you’ve been on the fence about joining the Florida Prepaid family with us, how about we sweeten the deal?

Now through April 30th, you can save even more with a BONUS Florida Prepaid Discount Offer! Find out how to grab 50% LEGOLAND® Florida tickets AND save an extra $30 off a Florida Prepaid College Plan at the same time.

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April 10, 2019

Is a Florida Prepaid College Plan Worth It? FAQ + $30 Promo Code

Written by christie 1 Comment
Family

Answering all of your most asked questions like “Is a Florida Prepaid College Plan Worth It” & other FAQ + $30 Promo Code! This post is sponsored by Florida Prepaid College Plans. All opinions are my own.

Is a Florida Prepaid College Plan Worth It? FAQ+ $30 Promo Code

What it feels like making a HUGE financial decision for your family…

Overwhelmed. Info overloaded. And nervous about taking that next step, like your head is getting crushed by a dinosaur.

Ok, maybe not quite like that. But close. I remember these feelings all too well before signing up my son for a Florida Prepaid College Plan. It’s a lot of money, a lot of pressure and a lot of uncertainty about the future. But if you have any or all of these feelings – it’s because we LOVE our kids so much. We want the best possible future for our kids. We want our investment to be protected. We want their dreams to be bright.

You’ve got Florida Prepaid College Plan questions? I’ve got answers! I’m going over the most “googled” questions when it comes to investing in your child’s college education. Because I’ve been right where you are. “Is a Florida Prepaid College Plan worth it?” I’m answering all of those burning questions you have before taking the leap (like us!) and sharing an exclusive $30 Florida Prepaid promo code.

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April 9, 2019

Raising Kids to Be Leaders By Being Good Followers

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Family

Leader or follower, parents need to be Raising Kids to Be Leaders By Being Good Followers. This is a sponsored post, to encourage all parents to #TalkEarly with our kids. All opinions are my own.

Raising Kids to Be Leaders By Being Good Followers

If you Google the words “kid leader follower,” you get all sorts of parenting advice on raising our kids to be better leaders. Emphasis on leaders.

NOT followers.

Leaders are loud and bold and ready to move mountains. With the focus on strength, decision-making, role-modeling and confidence, parents quickly jump at the chance to raise kids to be BIG world changers. But how quickly do we brush aside those important follower traits? No one encourages parents to raise a follower – as if those traits are assimilated with weakness and failure.

But the truth is, they can be both.

Remember my Angry Parent Teacher Conference? We need to stop limiting our kids to be a leader or a follower. What if by raising kids to be good followers – they can become GREAT leaders? Let me explain…

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March 27, 2019

FREE Printable Music Notes Craft to Remember the ‘Because’ Moments

Written by christie 3 Comments
Crafts & Family

Remember those ‘because’ moments with this FREE Printable Music Notes Craft & a new book by Mo Willems! This post is sponsored by Disney Book Group. All opinions are my own.

FREE Printable Music Notes Craft to Remember the ‘Because’ Moments

Because I said so!

Because I’m the mom!

Because it’s not time yet!

Because you’ll understand when you’re older!

Because is a word that gets a bad rap in the parenting world. The final word, ‘because’ is usually how I end a draining conversation with my kids. Not begin a conversation. So when the “Because” book by best-selling author Mo Willems came into our laps – imagine how our conversation changed. Because is a powerful and beautiful word – and one that can inspire our kids to be anything they dream to be. Today, I’m trying to remember those GOOD ‘because’ moments with my daughter with this inspiring book and a FREE printable music notes craft idea.

Let’s change those ‘because’ conversations into better ones.

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