parenting tips

Crossing Off Your Bucket List with Just Ask

by Marie November 4, 2011

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks to all who entered. Congrats to #85 Carrie. You are going to be crossing of something fun on your bucket list! Jordan and I, along with our kids, have started to talk more about our “bucket list” and what things we want to do during our life. We’ve been [...]

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The ‘Teaching Children Table Manners’ Game

by Mariel April 28, 2011

Table manners?? What are those? The man-of-the-house is all for America adopting the burping is a “compliment to the chef” cultural tradition. The kids would like to add wrestling, fork stabbing, and feet-in-the-face to that. Now, there’s something to be said for having fun and goofing around as a family, I’m all about a good [...]

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Kids and Teeth Brushing, Why It’s So Important

by Marie October 8, 2010

Are you like me and need to get into a better routine for brushing your children’s teeth or their teeth are going to fall out? I admit, I’m a horrible parent, I have a hard time remembering to brush my kid’s pearly whites. So to help me see the bigger picture on the survival of [...]

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When Your Child Needs a Little Time Out

by Marie July 29, 2010

We’re a family who has a “time out” stool in our home. It’s a place where we send our kids when they need a little time out. It might be time out from their siblings, friends, or an activity, most often times when they’ve done something bad. It helps them, and me, calm down. Here’s [...]

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Parenting Advice from 2 Rookie Moms

by Marie May 27, 2010

I love all the tips, tricks, and helpful advice given from these Rookie Moms. There are activities for kids and for mom, helping you figure this whole parenting thing out! They’ve even come out with a Rookie Mom’s Handbook. Thanks for sharing what you’ve learned with us!

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Scholastic Parent and Child Blogger Awards

by Marie May 24, 2010

I’m thrilled and honored to have found out that Make and Takes is a finalist in the Scholastic Parent and Child Blogger Awards! Voting has just opened and I’d love if you took a minute to head over and vote. You don’t have to sign up, just click “vote”, super easy! You have until June [...]

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Embrace Your Inner Trailerpark

by Marie October 22, 2009

Michelle Lamar, a dear friend and fabulously funny blogger, sent me her book to review, The White Trash Mom Handbook: Embrace Your Inner Trailerpark, Forget Perfection, Resist Assimilation into the PTA, Stay Sane, and Keep Your Sense of Humor. I mean, it says it all in that title. Michelle is not really “trashy”. In fact, [...]

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Talking to Your Kids About Abuse

by Marie October 1, 2009

I was recently sent a children’s book to review entitled, My Body Belongs to Me by Jill Starishevsky. It’s a heavy topic, but I think this book helps give parents a platform to start a discussion about the important issue of abuse. The author is Jill Starishevsky, a New York City child abuse and sex [...]

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Giving Your Kids Choices

by Marie August 13, 2009

As parents, we want to know that we’re in control. But our kids tend to beg, plead, and whine about the choices we make for them. So I try to give my kids choices without letting them choose. This is a great way to let kids have a choice without giving up all the parental [...]

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