Posts by Jess A

Here's what we did with out basement. Painting everything white helped to brighten things up the most for us. http://www.flickr.com/photos/47063747@N00/ The only real money we spent was on some paint, a rug, and the foam squares...

DS was allowed to go to parties and playdates without us as soon as he started Kindergarten. We know all of the parents . . . we're not best friends with them all, but we know them through church and school and other situations and trust...

We have an unfinished basement which doubles as our main play area. We do have some toys in the kids' rooms and in the living room, but most of the toys are kept downstairs. I've done a lot of work on the basement, and I'm proud of it....

My son just came out of a Finding Nemo phase. Now it's Toy Story (2, specifically). He's also liked Wall-E and Surf's Up. I don't stress about him watching TV. We do lots of other things, and I attempt to find balance. And I had to...

First of all, your party sounds awesome! My son is 9 and wouldn't want to leave! I try to avoid traditional goody bags. My son loves to get them in the moment, but they are forgotten as soon as he gets home. With your theme, I'd...

I've been letting DS pick out his clothes lately, and that has made the process MUCH easier. Part of my cringes at some of his selections, but I'm so proud he's taken ownership of this--and he is very excited at picking out his own...

As a parent, I try to pick my battles wisely. Brushing teeth is a battle we choose to fight--and it sometimes seems as if that's what it always is. Thankfully, DS has two older siblings that brush their teeth routinely twice a day. He...

DS is 26 months old. He nurses about 6-8 times a day. He usually sleeps through the night, but sometimes will wake 1 or 2 times, but that is rare. We co-sleep, so he nurses for a minute or two and goes right back to sleep.

When my oldest (now 9), was a toddler, he lived on what the pediatrician called the "great white diet" . . . plain pasta, vanilla yogurt, cheese, and grapes. At his three year check up, the doctor told us to even give him hot...

I leave it up to my son. He loves to build the kits and then play with them, take them apart, and build them again. I've asked him if he wants to mix them, but he prefers to keep them separate--each set of instructions and extra pieces...