Fun and Free Friday: Go to a New Park!

You guys, kids' activities are expensive. I love a good trip to the museum or zoo or Lego Land but you can't do it every day. On Fridays, I am going to highlight fun and free activities to do with your kids.

My hope is for this day to be taken over by you all, my friends. I want you to showcase what you know about fun and free things to do in your cities. So, if you have a hot tip to share with us or just want to show off how awesome your city is for kids for when we come visit, just let me know! I'd love to share this space with you.

For now, I'm going to give you ideas that you can find in almost any city.

Let's go to a free park. If you live in our neighborhood, you know that I'm at local park every stinking day pushing kids on the swing. I'm close to hiring myself out. I can handle pushing swings after a long work day, but on the weekend I can't handle pushing one more swing. You know what makes Bo not even realize there is a swing- going to new a brand new park (or at least one that you haven't been to in a while). It might not even be a cool park. It might even look the exact same as your normal park. It could even be worse than your park, Whatever the case, since it's new, your kids are going to play for a long long time and have tons of fun. What else could be better! Look, I know that this is not a groundbreaking idea but I feel like  I often forget the old standbys.


How do you find these new playgrounds? A good old Google of "Best  Playgrounds in _______". Here is a list of the best playgrounds in Chicago!

Hope you enjoy a fun and free Friday! (or any day!)

Back to School Teacher Gifts

I've had a lot of people ask me and worry about Back to School Gifts. But before I even start this post, I need to share a disclaimer and I'm writing it in caps so that my message is heard loud and clear. TEACHER GIFTS ARE UNNECESSARY. Additionally, I'm going to give you some insight into the Teacher Secret World.

1. Teachers DO NOT keep track of who got them gifts and who did not.

2. Teachers DO NOT love or give your kids more attention because you gave them a present.

Now that we've gotten that settled, if you are inclined to get your kiddos' new teacher a gift, but don't know where to start, here are some ideas. I've also created cute tags for you to include with them. Excuse the puns, but teachers love them.

 Idea #1: Teachers are always running out of dry erase markers. They are putting them in their pockets and accidentally taking them home or drying out because the lid wasn't put on them correctly. This gift will not go unused. Also, this is a great middle of the year present. Buy an extra pack now while they are on sale!






Idea #2: Pencils. Teachers love pencils. You can never have enough pencils. I'm convinced kids eat them. No joke, I bought 3,000 pencils the year I taught 5th grade. And who can resist these cute ones from the Target Dollar Spot?

Idea #3: Pens. These are gold to teachers. They are perfect for filling out all of the millions of forms at the beginning of the school year. There are so many bright colors that make teachers ridiculously happy. It's crazy that 5 pens can do so much. Maybe you should get some for yourself while you are at it.

 Idea #4: Stickers. I think you know by now that kids love stickers. Teachers also love stickers because of that. I've gotten great deals of exceptionally cute stickers lately at the Target Dollar Spot and the checkout line of JoAnn Fabrics.

Idea #5: Chocolate. I don't think that there is a lot that I need to say  about this or why teachers could like it. Here are a couple of Pro-Tips: Resealable bag or individually wrapped snacks are a must.

Idea #6: A little self-care. Who doesn't love a face mask or a bath balm after a long day of work? While you're at it, buy one for yourself!

Idea #7: Who doesn't love a pack of fresh markers? Here's the best news. I spent under $2 on these at Target yesterday. Teachers love markers, especially some that they can hide away for when their pack is dried up and worn down.









So to recap, teacher gifts are not mandatory and teachers do not expect them at all. When I started thinking about ideas for teacher gifts, I almost took a group picture of all these ideas. But then, I didn't want there to be an idea that you should get all of these gifts. Remember, your kiddo is one of 15, 20, or maybe even 30 kids. You don't need to spend a ton of money to let your new teacher know that you care. Also, here is the ultimate Back to School teacher gift: a Thank You Note. Teachers love thoughtful notes more than anything.

To help you out even more, I'm going to send these 7 ideas to the first 7 Mommas that share their favorite School Supply below. The more specific the better. Mine- Black Flair Pens. 

Here are Gift Tags if you want them (I also gave you a gift tag for Hand Sanitizer. Also, an excellent gift!). You could also search the internet and find a million others. 

What other good ideas do you have for B2S Teacher Gifts?

You've Got This. 

Welcome!

Well, here we go! Hi! I'm Kate. More commonly known as Bo and Elliott's mom these days. Bo is almost 4 and Elliott just turned 1 in June.  Last year, I left my teaching position of ten years to work from home on what feels like a MILLION different projects, but to also take a moment to take care of myself and my family.

While being at home, I've realized a lot of things that I think I've already known. First, being a mom is ROUGH STUFF (already knew). Second, there are lots of supports that you can put in place to make your life less hectic (kind of knew, but didn't do). Third, I want to share all of the tips and tricks that I've learned with the greater mom community to make everyone's life a little less hectic (here's my new realization). 

My goal, hope, passion, desire, whatever you want to call it ,is to create a community for moms to feel like they have ended each day with a winning spirit. That throughout the day, there was time for you- Mom, us- you and your partner, and them- those kiddos. When I started staying at home, it was only them. And let me tell you, it didn't go well. During the last year, I've read a lot, I've reflected a lot, I've leaned on a lot of people and learned a lot. I'm definitely not perfect, but through this community I hope to learn more from all of you and share some of the things that I have learned as being a teacher and a mom to make your life a little easier. Also, since I've only learned my most successful tips and tricks from the best moms out there, they'll be sharing their ideas with us too. 

As a thank you, here is a Morning and Bedtime Checklist. I've included our routine as well as a blank copy. Those two times of the day are our MOST difficult! I need all the help I can get. Here is what is working today. Tomorrow, who knows? All you need to do is print, fill out your routine, laminate or put in a page protector, and use! I am more than happy to edit our routine so it matches your morning and bedtime checklist- just leave your routine in the comments below. Actually, PLEASE leave your morning and bedtime routine tips below! We're here to share and learn from each other.

Thanks for joining me on this journey. You've got this.