Preparing to Reconnect with Extended Family
As parents, we know it takes an entire community of caring adults to help us raise our children up to adulthood. The COVID restrictions placed on us during the pandemic...
Managing Screen Time with Help from Xfinity Xfi
by Val Newbold
Do you remember what screen time looked like when you were a child? Maybe it was playing on your Atari gaming system at home? Or possibly it was playing Pacman...
Hey!Joy – Not Your Typical Toy Store
I don’t know about you all, but I am really missing the in-person shopping experience after months of online browsing and buying. Too many gifts arrived last year that were...
Shop Local Gift Guide
Shop Local Gift Guide It’s the most wonderful time of the year! We asked YOU to recommend your favorite local businesses for our Shop Local Gift Guide and you delivered....
For The Non-Bakers Out There: A Thanksgiving Dessert
If you are anything like me, your definition of cooking includes turning on the oven to reheat a store bought side or pushing buttons on a microwave. Desserts are typically...
Why I Hope My Child will be Spiritual
by Madhura Gore
When and how do I introduce spirituality to my child? What kind of relationship do I want my child to have with the supreme power. These are all questions I...
Being Grateful: Becoming a Stepmom, Before I Became a Mom
by Val Newbold
As a young child, I loved to pretend that I was a mom. I loved dressing up my dolls in cute, little outfits and combing the long, precious hair. I...
How do you Teach Your Children to be Grateful?
Thanksgiving will be here before you know it! With that said, it is time to think about what you and your family are grateful for. Many feel thankful for their...
For this Month of Thankfulness, Include Self Gratitude
The approaching Thanksgiving holiday brings forward moments of togetherness in families, whether biological or chosen, where we often reflect on our year and express our gratitude for each other. In...
Autism and Airports = Possible at MSP
Guest contributor, Kristin Gifford, shares her personal experience with autism and airports and how it has become a reality at the Minneapolis Airport. We had splurged to purchase tickets for...
Outdoor Winter Farmer’s Market – White Bear Lake
It is happening, summer has come and gone, and the cold days of winter are fast approaching. But, instead of remaining wistful about the perks of summer, let’s focus on...
I am a Twin Cities Family: Brandi Lokkesmoe
Today’s I am a Twin Cities Family feature is all about Brandi Lokkesmoe! “I am full-time working mom of 3 amazing kids, wife of 14 years to my husband Kyle, middle...
On Preserving Gardens and Memories
In the quiet hours of a mid-October morning, I notice my children momentarily distracted by play. I slide my bare feet into the red galoshes sitting by the door and...
How to Keep Your Kids (and Yourself) Active in Cold Weather
Few mantras of parenthood have withstood the test of time better than this: get your children outside to play. We know it instinctively—running around is good for kids! And there...