What could possibly grind your gears more than chaperoning picky eaters while running errands on a tight schedule?

If you’re a busy parent, a babysitter, or a family member that periodically chips in when called upon, then you’ve experienced this recipe for disaster firsthand.

That’s why we’re here to make a stand against the tyranny of the on-the-go picky eater by providing you with a pantry’s worth of edible ammunition.

Here are 8 snack-strategies that will prove irresistible even to the most particular of palates.

Bon Appetite! Read More

Like most kids, my boys absolutely love Halloween, as well as sensory play. For some Halloween fun this year, I decided to bring the two together and make an awesome Witches Brew!  Read More

We recently spent the day at the zoo, where they had a puppet theater set up for the kids to play with. Now, my boys have lots of puppets but for some reason, I never got around to getting them a theater. They had so much fun putting on shows for us at the zoo, that I decided it was time for us to get a theater of our own. Rather than spending a ton of money on a theater that would take up a huge amount of space, I decided to make my own DYI Doorway Puppet Theater. In this post, I’ll show you how you can make one too!  Read More

This Summer, my family visited The Dinosaur Place for the very first time. The Dinosaur Place is located in Montville, CT, just minutes from Mystic Aquarium. Now, we’ve been to Mystic Aquarium numerous time, but I had never heard of The Dinosaur Place until last year. If you haven’t been yet, I highly recommend it! What an amazing day trip that’s fun for the whole family!  Read More

Growing up, Slater Memorial Park in Pawtucket, RI was one of my favorite parks to go to. Now, years later, I thoroughly enjoy taking my own children there. Slater Memorial Park is so much more than just an awesome playground for kids. From visiting the farm animals, to searching for frogs, there’s just so much to do!  Read More

From parades to fireworks, the Fourth of July is such a fun time of year! My boys and I also had lots of fun creating some awesome red, white, and blue crafts to hang around our house. I’ve pulled together a list of 5 Simple Fourth of July Crafts for Kids that you can make with your little ones! Read More

As much as I love Easter, I really dislike all the random trinkets and obscene amount of candy that most Easter baskets contain. Instead, I choose to fill my boys’ Easter baskets with some really cool things that I know they will enjoy for more than a day. Read on for 10 Non-Candy Easter Basket Ideas that the Easter Bunny will be delivering this year!

10 Non-Candy Easter Basket Ideas

1. Puzzles

My boys have always been huge into puzzles so this year the Easter Bunny will be bringing each of them a new puzzle. Trolls for my little guy and Moana for my oldest. Both such amazing movies, by the way!

2. Pet Tornado

During a recent trip to the Boston Museum of Science, my boys discovered tornadoes and were absolutely amazed by them. When I spotted this small Pet Tornadoes on Amazon, I knew I had to get them!

3. Baseball Glove

Now that Spring is here, a couple of new baseball gloves were in order! I love the colors of these Franklin gloves!

4. Books

One can never have enough books in the house so going with the theme of their puzzles, I’ve also added a Trolls book and a Moana book to their baskets.

5. Slime Kit

What kid doesn’t love Slime? These glow in the dark kits are sure to be a hit!

6. Mini Basketball Game

While searching for Easter Basket ideas on Amazon, I came across some mini arcade games. There was basketball, speedball, bowling, and more! I went with basketball but saved the links to the others, as I think they would make great stocking stuffers!

7. Basketball

We recently moved into a new home and during the move I tossed all of the boys’ old, cracked balls so some new basketballs were definitely needed!

8. Character Tees

My boys certainly don’t need anymore clothing, but I just thought these shirts were adorable and Easter seemed like a good excuse to buy them!

9. Bubble Gun

Everyone loves bubbles but does anyone actually like blowing through those little wands? I know I sure don’t! Bubble guns are definitely a must in our house! They honestly never seem to last more than a season but I think they’re so worth the $10! I bought ours at Target but here’s a link to a similar one on Amazon.

10. Spring Pick-Ease

We obviously already have our Spring Pick-Ease set but this adorable Bunny and Chick are too cute not to share! Make mealtimes fun with Pick-Ease! This set is available on my website in both Blue and Yellow or Pink and Yellow.

For even more Non-Candy Easter Basket Ideas check out my other Easter posts from previous years – 10 Easter Basket Ideas That Don’t Include Candy and 10 Non-Candy Easter Basket Fillers.

We’ve been stuck indoors a lot this winter and I’ve had to get a little creative to keep my boys entertained. I’ve pulled together 6 super easy Indoor Activities For Kids to help you get through all of these snow days! 

SEE ALSO: 13 Fun Snow Day Activities For Kids

6 Indoor Activities For Kids

1. Snow Paint

To make “Snow Paint”, mix equal parts of shaving cream and school glue. Adding glitter to your mix will make your child’s picture sparkle. The paint will dry puffy, which my boys thought was pretty cool.

2. Homemade Foam

Pour 1/2 Cup of water in a large bowl. Add 4 Tbsp of dish soap and mix on high for 2 minutes. We also added color bath tabs to turn our foam blue, but white foam is just as much fun! This was one of my boys’ favorite activities! They really enjoyed making their “guys” swim around in the foam.

3. Bubble Towers

This is such a simple activity but it really held my boys’ attention for a long time. Just add a small amount of water to a plastic cup and then pour in a little dish soap. Have your child blow into a straw to create bubbles. My boys loved trying to see who could make the biggest bubble tower! I did place the cups inside a cake pan to catch any spills.

4. Fake Snow

We have plenty of snow outside but we decided to make some that wouldn’t melt while we played indoors with it. To make this fake snow, add 1/2 Cup of white hair conditioner to 3 Cups of baking soda. I actually used 9 Cups of baking soda and 1.5 Cups of conditioner to get the amount of snow that’s shown in the pics. My boys played with their beach toys in it for awhile and then decided to bury their guys in it. This snow is so soft and molds well.

5. Painting Snow

Once my boys were done playing in the fake snow we made, I decided to let them paint it. I filled three squirt bottles with water and added color bath tabs. I then let my boys create their masterpieces. They really had a blast with this. I actually ended up filling the bottles 3 times! Tomorrow we will head outside and paint the real snow!

6. Ice Towers

Of all the activities I listed, the ice tower was by far my boys’ favorite! Simply fill a large cup with water and add an assortment of items. Some that float and some that don’t. Place the cup in the freezer. Once the water is completely frozen, run the cup under warm water to loosen the ice. Place your ice tower in a baking pan. Give your child tools for them to try to melt and break apart the ice to dig out the items that are frozen inside. My boys used warm water and paint brushes, spoons, toy hammers and screw drivers, and salt. They must have worked on these towers for at least an hour, and when they were finally finished, they asked to make new ones for the next day!

I’m sure your kids will enjoy each of these Fun Indoor Activities! I’d love to hear what you do to keep your little ones busy. Please share your ideas with me on Facebook or Twitter!

Home\Owl Pack

Hoot-Hoot Hooray! Look Whooo’s Here! Introducing our all new Owl Pick-Ease Pack which includes both a boy and girl owl. This is such a fun every day theme but would also be perfect for Valentine’s Day!

Out of stock

• Product Description
• Additional Details
• Testimonials

Pick-Ease is a utensil for children who are picky eaters. It is made from BPA free Polypropylene Plastic and is dishwasher safe. It is a safe and fun way for children to enjoy eating food. All kinds of foods work with Pick-Ease including: sandwiches, vegetables, meats, cheese, and fruit.!

“What a sanity saver! When my daughter went through a picky phase, this was the one utensil that could still get her to clear her plate. She thought of it as a toy, whereas I thought of it as a way to still get healthy, nutritious food into her. Even though she’s a better eater now, pick-ease is still her favorite utensil in the house!”

– Janine Rubano

“Pick-ease is so fun and easy to use! My daughter uses it for almost every meal. We have been using it for over a month now and I am very surprised to see that she still asks for it. It’s very easy for her little hand to grip and it picks up EVERYTHING! We use it for bagel pieces, bananas, strawberries, you name it, we’ve tried it! And the best part – CLEAN HANDS!! I’m so happy with this, and so is my daughter. I couldn’t have asked for a better product out there! Thank you pick-ease!!!”

– Melissa Groff

Picnic Pack

$8.99

One of my absolute favorite ways to spend the evenings is at the beach with my family. We love to go around 4:30ish when the crowds die down and the sun isn’t quite so hot. I’ll pack us up a dinner picnic, usually consisting of sandwiches, veggies and fruit. Of course, we always bring the first child safe toothpick along with us since they help keep the kids’ sandy hands off of their food! 

Although my boys can totally entertain themselves, my husband, Luke, and I love to jump right in and play with them. Splashing in the ocean, skipping rocks, collecting seashells… We want them to remember us being part of their fun and not just sitting on the sidelines. During our most recent evening beach trip, we decided to build a sand shark. The boys worked really hard collecting buckets of water so we could make the sand stick together and the whitest seashells for our shark’s teeth. They were so excited to watch the shark come together and just as excited to be able to squish it down when we were done. Building that sand shark is a memory that I will cherish always…That’s really what life is all about, right? Making memories…

Here are some of our favorite items to bring to the beach:

• Sand-Off Powder Infused Mitt:
  This mitt is amazing at getting the sand off of the kids before getting them back into the car. Rubbing the sand off a child with a regular beach towel just doesn’t work. A regular towel just makes the sand scratch their delicate skin, but with the powdered mitt, the sand just falls right off.
• Pacific Play Tents One Touch Tent :
  Although we usually go to the beach in the evening, we sometimes go in the morning. When we do, we always bring this tent with us. It’s super easy to set up and take down and is the perfect shaded spot for kids when they need to get out of the sun for a bit. We got this one on Amazon.
• Polar Bottle Dino Might Insulated Water Bottle :
  These are our favorite water bottles. They are the perfect size for boys, easy for them to open and close by themselves,  and they keep their drinks cold. We bring these water bottles with us everywhere! They have many different types on their website.
• Heavy Duty Mesh Bag :
  We use a large mesh laundry bag to hold all of our sand toys. It’s super easy to throw everything into, and the drawstring keeps the bag closed nicely. Another huge plus is that you can shake the whole bag once you get back to your car and all the sand easily falls through the holes in the mesh bag, keeping it out of your car! You can find them on Amazon or their website.

If your kids love sharks make sure to check out this fun shark sandwich recipe! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this and I hope it encourages you to play with your littles!  They grow up entirely way too fast…

Home\Pick-Ease\Jungle Pack

Make mealtime fun for your little adventurer with our jungle themed Pick-Ease pair! Race through the jungle with your tiger and monkey friends. Together you and your child can explore new foods! Pick-Ease is great way to encourage those not so favorite foods, or simply for fun!

Out of stock

• Product Description
• Additional Details
• Testimonials

Pick-Ease is a utensil for children who are picky eaters. It is made from BPA free Polypropylene Plastic and is dishwasher safe. It is a safe and fun way for children to enjoy eating food. All kinds of foods work with Pick-Ease including: sandwiches, vegetables, meats, cheese, and fruit.

“What a sanity saver! When my daughter went through a picky phase, this was the one utensil that could still get her to clear her plate. She thought of it as a toy, whereas I thought of it as a way to still get healthy, nutritious food into her. Even though she’s a better eater now, pick-ease is still her favorite utensil in the house!”

– Janine Rubano

“Pick-ease is so fun and easy to use! My daughter uses it for almost every meal. We have been using it for over a month now and I am very surprised to see that she still asks for it. It’s very easy for her little hand to grip and it picks up EVERYTHING! We use it for bagel pieces, bananas, strawberries, you name it, we’ve tried it! And the best part – CLEAN HANDS!! I’m so happy with this, and so is my daughter. I couldn’t have asked for a better product out there! Thank you pick-ease!!!”

– Melissa Groff

Safari Pack

$8.99

If you have little ones, then you’re well aware of the fact that the big movie these days is the new Disney movie, Zootopia. Both of my boys have been obsessed with it since we saw it in the movie theater! The Easter bunny even brought baskets filled with all of the Zootopia “guys”, which was very fitting seeings how the main character is a bunny – Judy Hopps. Last weekend we celebrated my sweet baby boy’s 6th birthday and of course, he requested a Zootopia Birthday Party. If you follow my blog, you know I’m a huge party planner. Well, unfortunately, since this is such a new movie, there weren’t very many Zootopia Birthday Party ideas online. This just meant that I had to get creative. Read on to see how I pulled together the perfect Zootopia Birthday Party! Read More

The big Summer movie this year was Disney Inside Out. Our whole family loved the movie and I was pretty excited when my son told me that Inside Out was the theme he wanted for his fourth birthday party. As always, I jumped on Pinterest to start searching for Disney Inside Out Birthday Party Ideas but unfortunately I was unable to find many that I loved. I’m assuming it’s because the movie is still very new. This just meant that I had to get creative. I hope you like the ideas that I came up with!  Read More

Last year my oldest son was obsessed with Frozen. This year, at age 5, it’s Superheroes. The Avengers and Power Rangers, to be specific. To my surprise, when I started researching “Superhero Birthday Party Ideas”, I couldn’t find many that I liked. This meant that I had to get creative. Personally, I love party planning so this was lots of fun for me. In this blog post, I’ll show you how you can pull together an amazing birthday party for your little Superhero.  Read More

When my son, Caleb, was turning 3, he was obsessed with rescue vehicles. Firetrucks were definitely his favorite but he really loved them all. For his third birthday, I thought it would be fun to have a rescue vehicles birthday party, complete with a gourmet hot dog stand – true fire station style! Read More

For Joshua’s 3rd birthday party, he requested a Monsters Inc theme. Right away, I jumped online to find some cake ideas. All of the Monsters Inc birthday cakes were absolutely adorable. I showed Joshua his options and he immediately chose Mike Wazowski sitting on top of a Sulley cake. He pointed at the picture on the computer and then looked over at me and in his cute little voice said “Mommy, I love that cake but can you please make Boo for me too?” A Monsters Inc Birthday Cake just isn’t complete without Boo, so of course I said yes. Read More

I come from a pretty big family and we all love spending time together. Last year I decided that we should add an annual Halloween Party to our list of get-togethers. My boys were 2 and 3 at the time, and old enough to participate in games with their little cousins so I started the party planning process. I’ve compiled a list of all my Halloween Party Ideas to help you throw a successful Halloween Party of your own!  Read More

Home\Ocean Pack

Let your little one dive into their meal with this fun Ocean themed Pick-Ease Pack! Our Ocean set includes both the Octopus and Sea Turtle Pick-Ease! Sit back and enjoy watching your child enjoy a healthy meal or snack with Pick-Ease!

Out of stock

• Product Description
• Additional Details
• Testimonials

Pick-Ease is a utensil for children who are picky eaters. It is made from BPA free Polypropylene Plastic and is dishwasher safe. It is a safe and fun way for children to enjoy eating food. All kinds of foods work with Pick-Ease including: sandwiches, vegetables, meats, cheese, and fruit.!

“What a sanity saver! When my daughter went through a picky phase, this was the one utensil that could still get her to clear her plate. She thought of it as a toy, whereas I thought of it as a way to still get healthy, nutritious food into her. Even though she’s a better eater now, pick-ease is still her favorite utensil in the house!”

– Janine Rubano

“Pick-ease is so fun and easy to use! My daughter uses it for almost every meal. We have been using it for over a month now and I am very surprised to see that she still asks for it. It’s very easy for her little hand to grip and it picks up EVERYTHING! We use it for bagel pieces, bananas, strawberries, you name it, we’ve tried it! And the best part – CLEAN HANDS!! I’m so happy with this, and so is my daughter. I couldn’t have asked for a better product out there! Thank you pick-ease!!!”

– Melissa Groff

Bring in the New Year with these Easy New Years Crafts For Kids! These crafts are sure to be a hit at any kids’ party! They’re also a great way to pass the time as you and your little ones wait for the clock to strike 12! 

Noisemaker Cups

You’ll need two cups, tape, and buttons or rice to make these fun noisemakers. Have your child pour buttons or rice in one of the cups. We used both for a mixed sound. Tape the two cups together. Your child can then decorate the cups however they wish. We used shiny star stickers. I also wrote Happy New Year 2015 in red Sharpie.

2015 Pom Pom Craft

This is a super easy craft that kids will love making. Simply draw the year on a piece of construction paper. Fill in the numbers with glue and have your child add pom poms. This is a great way to build fine motor skills!

New Years Hat

To make this cute hat, cut out a crown shape from construction paper. Have your child color or decorate the hat. I also added “Happy New Year! 2015”. Tape the hat to a band that is sized to your child’s head.

New Years Glasses

My boys loved making these fun glasses. I cut the glasses and numbers out of red card stock. My boys then glue the numbers to the top of the glasses and decorated them with stickers and jewels. I added red pipe cleaners to tie the glasses around their heads.

Paper Plate Noisemakers

To make these noisemakers, you’ll need paper plates, craft sticks, markers, and rice. Have your child decorate two paper plates. My boys colored on theirs, and added star stickers, and jewels. Once they are finished decorating, glue a craft stick to the bottom of one plate. Secure it in place with a bit of tape. Next, glue the two plates together. I also stapled the plates to make sure no rice would come out.

May the New Year bring joy, peace, and happiness to you and your family! Happy New Year!

Recently we celebrated my husband’s birthday. In addition I wanted to do a fun craft with the kids to show our love for their father. We took two pieces of paper and cut out the words “We Love Daddy”. Then I took the kids outside and they held the paper to the sky. The shadows from the paper made the words fall on the ground.

Then I photographed them with the shadows from the sign. Luke really loved the idea and thought it was really fun. This was very simple and a blast to make. I would recommend this craft idea any dad’s birthday or fathers day!