Blessing Bags are a simple way to help others all year long–and involve your kids in a service project from home. This has been a tough year for so many. More people than ever are needing assistance. Food pantries have mile-long lines. And as I’m driving around, I’ve noticed more and more folks asking for...

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Farmers want you to have the facts! Here’s what three Ohio beef farm families want you to know. Thank you to the Ohio Beef Council for sponsoring this post. I’m partnering with them to bring you this information because I believe it’s important that we know where our food comes from and rely on fact,...

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This 30-minute, creamy pasta dish is cozy and comforting. Makes a perfect weeknight family dinner. Every mom needs a good 30-minute pasta recipe in her back pocket. (And not just “dump jarred sauce over cooked pasta”–though believe me, that particular dish makes an appearance on our menu sometimes too.) This Cozy Weeknight Sausage & Spinach...

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Homemade rolls without hours of hands-on fuss? Yes! Impress everyone at your table with these Bread Machine Oatmeal Rolls. Want to place an impressive basket of homemade rolls on your table–without hours of hand-on work? Me too. That’s why I love the time-saving trick of this recipe: letting my bread machine do most of the...

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Need gift ideas for the big and little people in your life (and maybe a present for you too?). Here are some ideas–in all price ranges. First things first: This is not just a random list of gift ideas. I actually have and love all of the items on this list–and in the case of...

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Need a new book? Here’s a round-up of what I read and loved in 2020. If ever there was a year to lose yourself in a good book, it was 2020. I’ve never looked forward to escaping into a story as much as I did every night before bed this year. So if you’re looking...

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As a kid, I was a very picky eater. Here’s how I overcame it–and what I want you to know about picky eating. When parents tell me they’re practically breaking with frustration over their picky eaters, I can relate. When my kids were younger, I spent some miserable family dinners feeling like a failure.  But...

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Wondering whether cereal is good for kids? Here are the facts about cereal and sugar, pesticides, and more! If you routinely dug into bowls of cereal as a child but have been wondering lately if it’s a good choice for your OWN kids, this post is for you. Because while cereal remains the most-eaten breakfast...

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If you’d like to stop dieting and start enjoy all foods without guilt, Intuitive Eating is a non-diet approach that can help you. I wrote a shorter version of this post for WebMD. Find me over there on the Food & Fitness Blog, where I post regularly. Diets always sound doable on paper. But then...

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Eating dinner together helps you feel more connected as a family. Here are some dinner conversation starters to make those meals memorable. Thank you to FMI Foundation for sponsoring this post! It seems like ages ago, but there was a time when “family dinner” wasn’t a given for every family, thanks to sports practices, school...

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Want your kids to pack (or make) their own lunches? Here’s how to create lunch stations in your pantry, fridge, and freezer. This post was created in partnership with Produce For Kids. Whether “back to school” means in-person, online, or some of both for your kids, one thing remains the same change: They still eat...

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Stumped about lunch? Here are 40 lunch ideas for kids at home, including lunches they can make themselves or you can make ahead. Lunch. Ugh, lunch. You already spend too much brain power drafting a dinner plan every week. It doesn’t seem fair that lunch is also a thing. Are your kids buying lunch at...

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Replace paper towels, plastic wrap, and more with these reusable products for the kitchen that are better for the environment (and save you money!).   I’m always looking for ways to be less wasteful around the house, whether it’s recycling and composting or stocking the kids’ drawers with hand-me-downs. Here are my favorite reusable products...

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Really wish your kids ate salad? Here are some doable strategies (and recipes) that worked for us and might work for you too! When I first started dating my husband, he didn’t eat anything green, except Granny Smith apples. (When he reads this, he will indignantly declare, “Also parsley!” but the rest of us know...

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Stir together a batch of homemade lemonade using fresh lemons and bottled lemon juice to save time. It’s a sweet and refreshing treat! If you want a treat, make it yourself. It’s a rule of thumb that makes sense to me, especially with sweet drinks. Because at the risk of being the fun police, even...

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This Easy Crispy Broccoli bakes in just 10 minutes and is kid-tested and approved! Makes a quick, vitamin-packed side dish. In our house, this roasted broccoli is officially known as “The good kind, with the lemon and cheese”.  Granted, I like broccoli any which way, but this broccoli recipe is the current kid-favorite around here....

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This family-friendly pressure cooker pasta has a rich, meaty sauce and a whopping 18 grams of protein per serving. Takes only minutes to cook! This post has been sponsored by Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. on behalf of the Beef Checkoff. “Mom, that pasta was really good.” My sixth grader told me this after I’d...

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Thank you to Del Monte Foods for sponsoring this post! Food is a nagging worry for a lot of people right now. You may be worrying about how and where to get your food–and worrying that your meals and snacks are looking different than they used to. You may be eating more comfort foods and...

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Is it okay for kids to drink sparkling water? Is it bad for teeth? Is it hydrating? Get the facts about fizzy water here. For kids who don’t love plain water and parents who aren’t fans of soda, sparkling water can feel like a good compromise.  But if you’ve wondered whether it’s okay for them...

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From getting a CSA to ordering take-out, here are 7 delicious ways you can support local farmers (and your local economy!). Thank you to Paige’s Produce for sponsoring this post! If any of us took food for granted before, we don’t anymore.  These days, we’re all spending a lot more time figuring out how to...

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Are you looking for a good book that will really get your kid reading? Here’s a mega-list of 90 books for tweens and teens. What’s better than getting lost in a book, escaping into another world, and getting absorbed in a can’t-pull-yourself-away page turner? Answer: Seeing your kid feel that way about a book. I have...

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These Graham Cracker Cookies are a simple, yummy, and quick dessert: Just spread rich chocolate buttercream between store-bought graham crackers. I figured these graham cracker cookies were the brainchild of my mom, whenever she happened to have leftovers from frosting a cake. Then she told me her mom made them too–and when she packed them...

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Having a food plan can help you be smarter about grocery shopping and feel more prepared. Here are five free printables to help! There’s a lot of uncertainty around food right now: what’s available, where to get it, and how much to buy. There are also worries around money, with a lot of people tightening...

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Wish your kids did more around the house? Simplify your system. These chore sticks get your kids pitching in–and make it a lot easier on you. Does getting your kids to do chores feel like, well, a chore? That was my problem. I was intent on having kids who understood what it took to keep a...

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The challenges of being homebound are many: bickering kids, feelings of isolation, and alternating bouts of stress and boredom. If you need a much-needed mental escape or a project to pass the time, I hope you’ll find some things here to help: Ideas for Books Books For Kids: Books My Kids Couldn’t Put Down Part...

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These crispy breaded tofu nuggets are crunchy, dunkable, and kid-friendly. They cook in the air fryer in just 15 minutes. If you’d like to serve more plant-based proteins to your family, but tofu seems like a weird, squishy bridge too far, I’ve got the recipe for you! Because yes, tofu is squishy–and, let’s face it,...

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This basic guacamole recipe couldn’t be easier with just four simple ingredients. Make this easy guacamole and wait for the compliments to roll in! You know when someone gushes over your new skirt and you feel obligated to confess that you got it for $3.99 on the clearance rack at Target like you got away...

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Got a teenager who is constantly hungry? Check out this mega list of healthy snacks for teens (and tweens) for ideas they’ll love. “I’m basically always hungry.” That’s what my 15 year old said to me the other night as he stood in front of the open refrigerator searching for something to eat–approximately 10 minutes after...

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Kid athletes need good fuel between meals! Here are 21 ideas for easy sports snacks they’ll love. Thank you to CLIF Kid for sponsoring this post! Sports snacks can be maddening for parents–when it’s donuts, cookies, chips, and punch that often crop up on the sidelines of pee-wee sports. Those snacks feel more like a...

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These easy and healthy Make Ahead Green Smoothie Packs will simplify your morning–and they’re packaged in reusable bags for less waste. I’d seen these make ahead smoothie packs all over Pinterest. When I finally made them, I realized they solved two of my pressing smoothie problems: Pre-washed spinach that goes bad before I can use...

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