Kids

Here you’ll find articles regarding kids. This is primarily a collection of articles based around fun kids activities, whether they be solo play activities, learning based, or fun things to do as a family. You’ll also find a few parenting tidbits here as well as ideas for gifts, birthdays and fun traditions!

How to Keep Kids Safe Around Dogs

A Better Life Lived Posted on by

Choosing to have dogs in a home with children is a decision many parents make. And it is a great one! I cannot imagine my childhood without our lovable German Shepherds or our Siberian Husky mix who lived to be nearly 18 years old. They were my protectors, my playmates, and a source of constant entertainment in our home. Naturally, I want to provide my son with those same memories. But, if there is one thing I learned throughout all of those years with our dogs, it’s that they are animals. Animals who can and will act on instinct, usually to protect themselves. Even though we love and trust them, and they do us, it is critical to always be … More…

How to throw a Jurassic Park Birthday Party

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My four-year-old son has never seen Jurassic Park. Sure, he’s seen a few scenes, in bits and pieces, but never the whole thing. Not even half. And he doesn’t have a dinosaur obsession like some kids do. He doesn’t even have a big interest in them, really. So when his answer to “What kind of birthday party do you want?” was a Jurassic Park birthday party, I was more than a little surprised. This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I make a small commission, at no additional charge to you! Thanks for your support! I even took him to the party store to show him all of the various themes and … More…

7 Ways to Make a Birthday Extra Special!

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It’s no secret that I love celebrating and everything that goes along with it. Planning and organizing an awesome birthday party? Yep. Making holidays extra special with holiday traditions? You bet. One thing I want to do is find little ways to show my son how important he is to us on his birthday. I’ve been thinking about this a lot as his birthday gets closer (three weeks!). I’ve been thinking about all the ways to make a birthday special, but without going crazy on cost or spending a ton of time I just don’t have. He’s getting older and hitting the point where he’ll begin to remember his birthdays and how we spend them. I want nothing more than … More…

18 Indoor Family Activities for Winter

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Winter in the Midwest isn’t fun. Having grown up and lived in Wisconsin my entire life, I get that winter really, really suck. Sure, some days it’s actually nice to play outside in the brisk air and snow. I can admit that. And there is something to be said for making snowmen or sledding. But then there are those other days where it’s just TOO cold, TOO snowy….or you just don’t feel like dealing with the hassle of bundling everyone up in preparation to go outside. Aside from all of the cold and snow it comes with all sorts of other lovely things that can make it a terrible, anxiety producing season that makes you want to hole up at … More…

An easy, healthy sweet treat kids will absolutely love!

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Summertime treats are a big hit in our house. To be honest, it doesn’t even have to be summer. Ice cream, popsicles, lemonade. You name it, we love it. What I don’t love is how sugary and unhealthy all of those treats are. Even the “healthy” versions are loaded with junk, and I don’t feel good giving them to my son on a regular basis. When my son recently discovered popsicles and began to constantly ask for them, I knew I had to find a simple, healthy alternative to the ones we bought at the store. So I decided to start making smoothie popsicles. They are the healthy sweet treat I had been looking for. He loves them and I … More…

How to make time with family a top priority

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Family is important. It’s one of the most important things in life. Yet we constantly find ourselves wishing we had more time because we don’t spend enough time with our families. Why is that? It sometimes seems like everything urgent in life rushes in and crowds out the important stuff. We struggle to make time with family a top priority. That’s why we have to schedule family time in order to protect it as one of our core priorities. I’ve always been very family focused. Even as a little girl, I could never imagine moving too far away from my close-knit community of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Anything less than twice weekly visits just seemed wrong. But as I … More…

25 Sweet, Simple Vegan Treats Kids will Love

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I try to feed my kid healthy foods. Really, I do. I try to limit junk food as much as possible. Candy, cookies, cakes, and chips are not often consumed in our house. At least, not by Zach, and not when he’s awake. I mean who among us hasn’t raided the ice cream the second the kids are in bed? I cannot be alone in this. The main reason we eat healthy at home is that I want Zach to learn good habits. I don’t want him addicted to sugar like I am. I don’t want him struggling with food addiction, weight problems, or the diseases linked to a poor diet. That’s why we try to stick to sweet healthy … More…