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We still have nearly two weeks before we head back to school, but the excitement of gathering the gear, school supplies and latest trends has hit us full force. My soon-to-be third grader is all about coordination and personalization. When she discovered that Stuck On You, not ...read more

You know those unboxing toys our kids are so obsessed with? I kind of get the appeal. I get the same rush from beauty subscription boxes. There is something about not knowing which little beauty goodies are going to pop up in those boxes each month that gives me a rush. I'm like ...read more

Trying to spice up your nightly dinner menu? I've been getting spices and recipes delivered monthly to me through an awesome subscription box company called Raw Spice Bar. It's so easy to get in the habit of making the same go-to recipes over and over. I'll be honest, my menu ...read more

Working out is not my strong suit. I've never been an avid exerciser, and though I try to get a little cardio for the sake of my health, body, mind and mental sanity, I prefer to do it solo--on a treadmill or the elliptical--safe from the silent judgment of fellow overzealous ...read more

A lot of people ask when the right time to talk to your children about their feelings is. Denise Daniels, founder and CEO of Moodsters believes it's never too early. As a leader in child development, Denise has collaborated with a Yale University psychologist to create a ...read more

Holiday pajamas are my jam... Obviously. But there's another piece of comfy-cozy Christmas clothing that I'm slightly obsessed with—and that's the ugly sweater. In the past few years, this hideously festive holiday tradition has become downright trendy. The sillier, the wackier, ...read more

Five days till Christmas! Five days till Hanukkah! Five days left to browse, buy, and wrap all those games and gadgets and stocking stuffers and trinkets and knick-knacks and toys for your favorite good boys, nice girls, and itty-bitty babes. I thought I was way ahead of the ...read more

The holidays are upon us and we know many of you are gearing up to travel. Whether your travels take you near or far, we have some fave new products that will have you traveling in comfort and style, all while making it less painful for you, Mama. We are all about making holiday ...read more

It's the most wonderful time of the year: holiday-pajamas season! You better believe that my little ones have been rocking festively coordinated bedtime ensembles since Thanksgiving night, and we're just getting started around here! I have more matching family sets than I'd care ...read more

My son hasn’t quite reached the understanding that his beloved “lemonade stand” is both a seasonal side-business and a more summer-appropriate activity. He insists on setting it up indoors year-round—which means, I’m pretty much 99% of his income October through May. “Another ...read more

Can we talk about my favorite way to customize Christmas presents, stocking-stuffers, home décor, holiday tablescapes, and seasonal treats? It’s easy. It’s affordable. And it totally makes my craft-weary self feel like a DIY diva! Avery Design & Print Online program boasts ...read more

The holidays are hectic for everyone. There are presents to be purchased, cookies to be baked, and extended family and friends to entertain. And while it’s all very merry, joyful, and jolly, the bulk of the hard work and headache tends to fall on moms—what else is new? Mom, TV ...read more

Yesterday was the first of December, and so, of course, we broke out the advent calendar and put on one of many pairs of festive jammies. And while holiday time has now officially kicked off, it actually started much earlier for me. You see, my seasonal celebrations begin with ...read more

We have officially kicked off the holiday season with the launch of our annual gift guide. It is packed with gorgeous gift ideas for everyone on your list. Not only will it make your holidays shopping much easier, but we know you'll find unique gifts that are sure to "wow" the ...read more

My kids love free-style coloring with crayons, but my four-year-old son was especially excited when I told him he could finally use markers. (Of course, they have to be washable!) He was over-the-moon pumped when I showed him these amazing fuzzy posters from Rose Art. The ...read more

With Thanksgiving on the horizon, we are feeling extra thankful. Thankful for our friends and family (all over the world), the roof over our heads, and the many blessings with which we find ourselves. Thanksgiving is always a time when families gather together, eat good food, ...read more

My little guy is all about kicking off the holiday season. But as his leaf-loving, pumpkin-spice sipping, autumn adoring mama, I refuse to skip straight to trimming the tree and rocking our ugly sweaters. We're savoring our bedtime rituals and I want to share our favorite ...read more

Imma just come right out with it... My kids think farting is hilarious. We call it "tooting," around these parts, so it definitely ups the kiddie-cuteness factor, but, let's be honest, there's nothing all that adorable about beeping the horn, booty belching, butt sneezing, ...read more

I attended back-to-school night last week at my son’s preschool, and I was totally blown away when the teacher showed me his “This is Me” book. The last page said, “When I grow up I want to be a: BUILDER!” Underneath, the fill-in-the-blank question was a complex drawing of a ...read more

I don't know about you, but for me, making a family dinner doesn't consist of multiple meals for each person. I'm no short-order cook and everyone has to eat whatever it is I make. There are those days, of course, when I want to make something healthy but am too exhausted to ...read more

When my nephew was born, my brother’s world was rocked, but so was mine! Looking into his tiny face I could see all the possibilities his life could hold. He was born into a family who adored him from the very beginning. Given so much love, I know his future will be filled with ...read more

Shoving a thermometer in a squirming toddler's ear is no fun. For anyone. But it's especially (and also literally) painful when your little one has an ear infection. Poor little muffins. But taking a babe's temperature just got a little simpler (and a whole lot cuter) with the ...read more

If I had an extra hour in the morning, I would …. Sleep! Exercise! Mediate! Sleep some more! Start the crockpot! Blow-dry my hair! Watch Netflix! Try to sleep! Clean the house! Get a head start on work! WHO AM I KIDDING?!?! I WOULD DEFINITELY SLEEP! But that’s just me. This ...read more

(5:45 AM means "breakfast" bars, preferably educational TV, and blurry everything...) My kids wake up early… Like, before-the-sun early. It’s rough, and I can’t always say I’m at my brightest and most bushy-tailed. Yeah, no mommy awards for me before the crack of dawn, but I ...read more

We've been reading to both our little ones since before they were even born. We read to them in the womb and we still read to them: board books, picture books, and, now, chapter books. We make the silly voices, we read them the same book a thousand times, and we read to them ...read more

I'm always on the hunt for snacks that are healthy, taste good, and that everyone in the family will enjoy. On a recent shopping trip, I discovered Annie Chun's Seaweed Crisps. These were intriguing! As I stood in the aisle of my local grocery store with my toddler in the cart ...read more

“Hey, Baby Sister… You see that camera over there? That’s how Mommy and Daddy spy on us at night.” Yes, my four-year-old son actually said this to my one-year-old daughter a few weeks ago. It was hilarious—and my husband and I just looked at each like, “Uh-oh. He’s on to us! “ ...read more

We're going "classic" with today's Toy Tuesday post... Not that we don't love screens and techie toys and all sorts of fancy gadgets and gizmos here at The Shopping Mama. But, sometimes, it's the good old-fashioned fun finds that keep us coming back for more and more, again ...read more

Getting my four year old to voluntarily brush his teeth twice a day is almost as difficult as convincing him that bed time is not open for negotiation. Suffice to say, he is a stubborn kid—and when he doesn’t want to do something… well, sometimes, he wins. Okay, a lot of times ...read more

I generally try to wait until the official first day of fall to kick off our family's annual autumnal activities. But my husband just started a new job and will be working nonstop for the next few weeks (womp-womp). Alas, it looks like he'll miss out on a lot of the yearly fall ...read more

In case you've been living under a rock these last few weeks, allow me to inform you: it's still National Ice Cream Month. We've been celebrating since the first of July with peachy-keen homemade ice-cream recipes and adorably easy DIY projects. (We also have a ridiculously ...read more

I've always loved Nordstrom. It's my favorite store, and also my first place of employment. The summer between my sophomore and junior years of college, I worked in the BP section—and spent my entire earnings on trendy clothes and shoes. (Because, employee discount!) It was back ...read more

Summer is flying by. Wasn't it just June? Didn't we celebrate July Fourth, like, a minute ago?... How have we already hit the middle of the month? In the blink of an eye, it will be September and we'll be sending our littles off to school instead of camp, jumping in carpools ...read more

As a photographer, my kids see me take a lot of photos - for work and fun. I like to capture the little moments, especially when we're doing fun things together as a family. Summer brings lots of awesome things: vacations, day trips and activities. I got my little photographer ...read more