5 Reasons Why Guinea Pigs Make a Great First Pet

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Kaytee, but all opinions are my own. I wouldn't telly ou about something I didn't love. Promise.
Getting a pet seems like a rite of passage for most kids, but sometimes a family doesn't want the responsibility of a cat or dog. Why not consider a guinea pig? Several years ago, my pre-teen son wanted a pet of his own and he did a lot of research on what would be best. He kept going back to guinea pigs and after having Norman and Cooper in our home for more than two years now, I'd have to agree that guinea pigs make a great first pet. Here are five reasons why your family should consider getting a guinea pig as a pet.

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How to Keep Travel Sports Siblings Entertained

As a travel sports parent, you already know how much your young athlete loves their sport, or else you probably wouldn’t spend the crazy amount of time and money it requires. Chances are that you love the sport, as well, or at least the bonds you have made with other travel families.

There is one group of people that may or may not be as thrilled about the whole travel sports thing - the siblings. Brothers and sisters are usually just along for the ride. Often, they make friends with the other siblings and keep each other occupied during long travel weekends and practices. But, what do you do when there are no other kids their age or when the whole group of siblings is bored?

Don’t panic! Just plan! You know it’s going to happen, so just be ready. Here are some ideas to keep your travel sports siblings happy.

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10 Epic Places to Visit with your Family in the United States

When my kids were younger it felt like they would always be in our home. But then we blinked and we realized that we had just a few years left before kids started launching. My husband and I think that travel is a really important gift to give to our children, so we started making a family travel bucket list. We had 5 locations and 5 years to complete them before our oldest left for college. Just after our son's graduation from high school, we completed the final destination that we had laid out. We still have two kids at home and haven't stopped traveling, so I thought I would share 10 epic places to visit with your family in the United States. You can take these as suggestions to add to your family travel bucket list or cross them off one at a time. Either way, I don't think you will be disappointed!

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Homemade Chipwich: Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches

Ice cream is my love language and summer is the perfect time to speak it. I also love chocolate, so what better way to combine all my loves and create these homemade Chipwich ice cream sandwich cookies I remember loving as a kid. Not only are these homemade Chipwich sandwiches easy to make, they are also pretty much everyone's favorite. Nothing beats a homemade chocolate chip cookie except maybe when it's sandwiched with some ice cream in the middle and then rolled in chocolate chips. Come check out this easy recipe.

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Easy DIY Unicorn Notebook Back to School Craft

It's back to school time! Kind of hard to believe because I think the summer just started, but alas, we are back to another school year. I remember sending back some of my kids but not all of them and the ones left behind were always looking for school-like things to do while their siblings did their homework at the table in the afternoon. This DIY unicorn notebook would be the perfect thing for that! Or, maybe your kiddo needs a little journal to help jot down their thoughts after school. There is a lot that happens during the day, maybe they want to write it down and process it. Whatever you are using this unicorn notebook for, it's not only fun to put it together, but it's fun to use. I'm not sure I have met a kid right now who doesn't love unicorns, so give this fun little craft a try. I've got everything you need and a step-by-step tutorial on how to do it.

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Back to School Kleenex Teacher Gift with Free Printable Gift Tag

This post is brought to you by Kleenex­® Facial Tissue. All opinions are 100% my own. 

It's hard to believe that the summer is coming to an end, but I've started seeing the aisles at the store fill with school supplies and back-to-school-themed everything, so I know it's coming. Maybe you've already started digging into your kids' school supply list or perhaps you are dragging your feet soaking up every last second of summer. Whatever camp you fall in, it's happening, so let's get you prepared. 

Several years ago, with college expenses looming and a school system in desperate need of emergency substitute teachers, I signed up to be in the classroom. I got a totally new outlook on how classrooms are run from a teacher's perspective and was shocked that many of the supplies kids brought in on the first day of school were depleted from the shelves by mid-year. I stopped complaining about the 26 glue sticks we were asked to send in and started sending in extra supplies. I'm not going to say I became the classroom hero but...ya know.

I will say, it sure made for some grateful teachers who were very thankful for my support. I'm sharing a simple way you can help this year as your kids head back to the classroom. You'll be a hero in the eyes of the teachers-I promise you that.

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Create the Perfect Summer Snack Cart

During the summer my teenagers eat like they did when they were newborns. You know, every two hours. It's a constant struggle to keep the refrigerator and the pantry stocked with enough food. But I don't want them grabbing just anything, and I don't want to hover and monitor what they are putting in their mouths every second either. The goal is to launch them into this world in just a few short years for goodness sake! It's my job as a mama to steer them in the right direction making good food choices, so I came up with a solution that works for all of us. I set up a summer snack cart. I kind of learned this little trick several years ago when my kids were much younger and coming home from elementary school starving. I would have a prepared fruit or veggie platter out for them when they walked in the door and it was like a magnet. The same is true of this summer snack cart. I've filled it with healthy snacks that will keep them energized and fueled up for their active summer lifestyles and the snacks are things I feel good about them grabbing throughout the whole day. Come check out how I put together the perfect summer snack cart.

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Edible Sour Gummy Worm Silly Putty

Have your kids jumped on the silly putty train? Mine have! It doesn't seem to be slowing down with kids these days, so why not jump on board with a new fun twist: edible sour gummy worm silly putty! How much fun will this be to make with your kids? It's easy and fun and will give kids a new way to make an old favorite.

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Beach Activities for Kids

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of PEOPLE®, InStyle®, and Sunset®. The opinions and text are all mine. 

 
I was standing in line at my local grocery store prepping for a beach picnic with my family, and I smiled. I heard a mama behind me with little ones anxious to get home and another getting restless in a cart. I remember those days well. It wasn't that long ago that I was loading groceries onto a conveyor belt with a kid screaming under my arm and another begging for candy in the check-out line. I smiled because those days are a distant memory and I can look back like a warrior that survived that phase and now I get to enjoy the sweet spot that our family is in. I picked up the PEOPLE magazine I was eyeing and decided to add it to my beach shopping. I used to look longingly at the moms in their beach chairs devouring a book or a magazine and wonder when it would be my turn to enjoy the giggles of the kids playing in the water as an observer, not as a necessary participant.
Don't get me wrong, the kids aren't at the age that they want to just sit and lounge in a chair and enjoy the sound of the waves. They still need activities that will keep them busy. So, I have a few activities that are kid-tested that will give you some time to sit back and enjoy flipping through a magazine.

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