Get

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

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

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

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

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

“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

It's that time of year when you're gathering all the best products you can find to ready your child for back to school. From fashion to supplies, the list seems like it is ever growing. But never fear! There are ways to get your children excited to get back in the school routine ...read more

Every child loves to celebrate his or her birthday. It's most likely a favorite day of the year! As parents, caregivers, friends, and family, we love seeing their little faces light up at the sheer joy and excitement of it all. Any way to foster their happiness ranks at the top ...read more

My kids are totally into science and nature. I wanted to find to bring science and nature to life in our home - literally. I stumbled upon Ladybug Land a few months ago for a birthday gift for one of my daughter's friends. My daughter was intrigued by the whole idea of ...read more

We have a new bedtime routine in our house... and it involves a game! That's right, we're playin' our way to snoozeville—and, yes, it means my son actually asks to go to go up to bed every night. (Hashtag Winning--in more ways than one!) Busy Town is part puzzle, part game, ...read more

My parents actually got my son his first car on his third birthday. Incidentally, they also got him his own [backyard play] house and a personal [baby] pool for "his" backyard. (Yeah, this kid livin' the American dream!) (And to think, they refused to get ME a pink Barbie Power ...read more

Have I drilled it home yet that I’m totally all about water play? (Did you read last week’s Toy Tuesday post about our family’s wet-and-wild obstacle-course adventure?) Yeah, we like our water fun around these parts. What can I say? It’s summer—we want to play outdoors and ...read more

During the summer, my kiddos and I always head back East to Georgia or North Carolina to visit family. Being on the road with children is a different kind of family bonding, that's for sure. Shoving everyone in a small space—whether it be a car, plane or train—for an extended ...read more

Essential oils... I know nothing about them. Except that they can apparently work miracles. Still, I don't trust myself with the recipes, formulas, and dilutions. I need someone to do the hard work for me. And that's why I'm so happy to have discovered Oilogic,  a new ...read more

As a mother I may not have much "me time". Usually I throw my hair up in a ponytail, slap on some makeup and I'm out the door to school and 50 million other "mom" errands. When I do take some time to pamper myself, I try to find products that 1. don't take much time and 2. make ...read more

I laugh when I think about my pre-parenting days. I was so naive. I thought had so much on my plate as a hotshot NYC editor. There were meetings to make, emails to draft, professional events to attend, red carpets to cover, features to write, business trips to be taken, and ...read more

This game is not—I repeat—not for kids. It’s for YOU, mama. So pour a glass of wine and get ready to laugh. (A grownup game night is good for the soul.) Yes, we’re devoting this morning’s Toy Tuesday post to a hilarious (and somewhat inappropriate) game for adults. It’s ...read more