My son loves scary stories. At age eight, we hesitantly introduced him to my favorite childhood scary books – Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. He was hooked! The two sequels were quickly added to the rotation…then we tapped out the library. Around this time, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark was turned into a movie. And there he is. Harold. Right there on the cover. If you know, you know. But, if you don’t, let me tell you – Harold is hands-down the scariest story in all three books. It hits all the creep and is definitely the one to skip ifRead More →

pinata cake

Move over hot cocoa bombs, piñata cakes are here! Or, you can have your cake and drink your bombs too! Plus, they are here just in time for Valentine’s Day. What are Piñata Cakes? Sadly, there is no actual cake in a piñata cake – but, there is so much more fun! Piñata cakes are a hard decorated shell of chocolate filled with treats. Nearly always they are delivered with a mallet for cracking! What is especially fun is the fillings can be customized to suit. Generally you see an assortment of candy and toys but if you work with your baker you can haveRead More →

advent

Advent is the beginning of a season of anticipation and delight! The celebration of the coming of Christ’s birth. Beginning December 1st Christians across the world will begin to countdown to the day of Jesus’ birth. There are a lot of options for your countdown from chocolate to stickers. We love those but sometimes we want to delve a little deeper. This year, we have updated our 2014 Advent activities to be more streamlined, easier to use, and budget-friendly. You can enhance it with the suggested gifts or simply focus on the season. The suggested gifts are all things that will be easy to findRead More →

The different types of food on a thanksgiving day table spread in an article about holiday heartburn

Even if you’re not a “foodie” most people look forward to indulging in the culinary delights of holiday time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve. This  means that even people who are typically disciplined eat too much in one evening, eat rapidly, imbibe amounts of alcohol they are unaccustomed to, and consume foods that may not be part of their regular diet because “tis the season.”  While nobody likes a medical grinch, there are ways to have gastronomic fun without paying the price with holiday heartburn. Dr. Niket Sonpal, an internist and gastroenterologist at Touro College of Medicine, shares his tips for having your holiday cake andRead More →

Halloween-themed science experiments

Need something ‘fall-y’ to do with the kids? Try these easy and fun Halloween-themed science experiments from IDEA Lab Kids. They are sure to keep your little monsters engaged.  Between the start of the school year and the holidays, it seems like time flies. Juggling work, your kids’ schedules and all of their activities leaves very little time to plan fun projects, let alone projects that will teach your kids a thing or two about science.   Luckily, there are many fun and fuss-free Halloween-themed science experiments you can bring to the (kitchen) table to tickle your kids’ fancy and their brains. The best part? YourRead More →

Gifts for homeschoolers can be a lot of fun to buy. They tend to skirt the norm and delve into odd-specifics. museums, experiences, subscriptions, trips, and classes are always a great bet – those can really stack up if you are a homeschool parent! Homeschooling is very tailored to the child(ren) and they often have very specific wants that may not be obvious because they may be learning about a certain topic and be all-in. It is really best to chat with the parents to find out what the kids are into. If you don’t already have a list a mile long of things toRead More →

Gifts for tweens or pre-teens, the 9-12 set, can be hard to figure out. They are too old for this, too young for that! We have found the Goldilocks of gifts – just right for these kiddos. 1: Escape Room Experience  |  2: Wreck This Journal  |  3: Ask Me About My Trex T Shirt |  4: National Geographic Mega Slime & Putty Lab  |  5: Xtronaut: The Game of Solar System Exploration  |  6: K’NEX Thrill Rides Bionic Blast Roller Coaster Building Set with Ride It! App  |  7: LEGO Boost Creative Toolbox 17101 Fun Robot Building Set and Educational Coding Kit  |  8:Read More →

Gifts for elementary or school-aged kids is almost too easy! There are so many options! And, if they have seen a commercial?! Whoa. We’ve curated a more manageable list. 1: littleBits Marvel Avengers Hero Inventor Kit – Build Super Hero Gear & Code Your Own Super Powers  |  2: 6ft Kids Cotton Canvas Indian Teepee  |  3: Gobblet Gobblers  |  4: The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors  |  5: Anki Cozmo  |  6: Boys Cotton Clothing Set  |  7: KidKraft Disney Princess Cinderella Royal Dreams Dollhouse  |  8: K’NEX K-Force – Flash Fire Motorized Blaster Building Set  |  9: Retevis Kids Walkie Talkies  |  10:Read More →