avatar by on July 19, 2010   •   140 Comments Inspiration

I’m back, in more ways than one.

Hi. I’m back from my maternity leave.

I hope you enjoyed those 23 guest posts while I was away from this little place (twenty-three!). I loved everyone’s perspective shared on all kinds of topics, from potty training infants, to why dirt is good for you, to why adopting is such a beautiful thing.

I was reminded how much I love this space, what Simple Living Media has become, and how community-oriented we are. Thank you, both to the writers and the readers, for making this a place I love. I hope you do, too.

I’ve been pretty busy, mostly because of this little guy:

On June 11, our family gladly welcomed baby number three, Finn. He was joined by his big sister Tate and big brother Reed, and our life has been a three-ring circus ever since. How did the back seat of the car get so loud?

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avatar by on July 18, 2010   •   8 Comments Links

Weekend Links

Breastfeeding often eliminates the use of one hand while sitting down for a few minutes (or longer…), so that means I’ve been consuming more than producing out in the blog world the past month. Kinda exhausting to type one-handed after awhile. So it’s been fun to get back into actually reading blogs, something I haven’t done in a long while.

Here are some of my favorite posts I’ve read lately…

Thanks to the many, many of you who’ve contributed such fabulous stuff during my maternity leave! It’s been so good to have a short break with my three littles and hubby — a good breather to evaluate what I do and why I do it. I love it, by the way… I look forward to getting back to writing.

I’ll be back this Monday! Enjoy your weekend.

avatar by on July 16, 2010   •   17 Comments Travel Your Family

Creating Post-Vacation Peace for Your Children

I’m on maternity leave from June 11 to July 16: The following is a guest post from Simple Kids contributor Megan Tietz of Sorta Crunchy, and it was originally published on July 8, 2009.

The summer months offer families a time to get away, enjoy a change in scenery, and breathe some fresh air. Whether the days away are filled with sightseeing, hiking, sailing, amusement parks, or lazy days at the beach, the relaxed and refreshed spirit that has been nurtured by a vacation can quickly be quenched by chaos once your key turns in the lock of your front door.

Vacation recovery can be particularly hard for kids. Physically, they may not have gotten enough sleep while they were away, and they may have engaged in more physical activity than is normal for them. Emotionally, they are coming down from that “vacation high” and may experience feelings of sadness and disappointment that The Big Trip has come to an end.

As a parent, you will set the tone for the transition from vacation to routine. Your children will mirror the way you approach the first few days after you arrive home. Here are three suggestions for creating peace and harmony as you and your children navigate the re-entry into the rhythms of real life.

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avatar by on July 15, 2010   •   26 Comments Family Bonding Your Family

6 military mom tips for flying solo

The following is written by Eren Hays San Pedro of Vintage Chica.

A few months ago a fellow Navy wife and her children were over for a playdate.  While we sat on the patio and watched the kids play in the backyard, she and I started talking about one of the main issues military moms face…parenting solo while our husbands are away.

We military mothers find ourselves in an interesting position at times being the sole parent while still having a partner. Not quite a single parent.  But not having a fully present parenting partner either.

Later that evening, it occurred to me that military wives are not the only mothers who find themselves flying solo from time to time.  We will all find ourselves being the sole parent at one time or another.

It could be that your spouse is away for a week long conference for work.  Or perhaps one person needs to fly home to help an aging parent.  Or just maybe you are a mom, like me who finds herself flying solo for longer periods of time while my husband serves in the U.S. military.

No matter the reason, or the length of time apart, parenting can be tough when flying solo.

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avatar by on July 14, 2010   •   37 Comments Going Outside Your Family

Creating a Kid-Friendly Yard to Promote Outdoor Play

Written by organizing columnist Mandi Ehman of Organizing Your Way.

One of my favorite parts about spring and summer is how much more time my kids are able to spend outside. They argue less, use their imaginations more and sleep better after a long day of playing hard outside.

When it comes to our yard, our goal is to create simple landscaping that invites our children to explore and enjoy being outside. For this reason, we try not to include plants or features that will leave us constantly saying, “No,” “Don’t touch that,” “Be careful,” et cetera.

Here are a few tips of my tips for creating a kid friendly yard.
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