How to Use A Public Restroom with a Toddler in 45 Easy Steps

If you have a toddler you'll inevitably endure the joy that is potty training, and better yet for advanced  level mommies - potty training in public restrooms. But never fear fellow moms - here is my guide to how to use a public restroom with a toddler in just 45 easy steps! Image from: http://autism.lovetoknow.com/potty-training-autistic-children Upon arrival at restroom begin your 15 second interval reminder "don't touch anything!"  Begin...

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How Much to Spend? Teacher & Daycare Gift Giving Survey

It's holiday time and I'm in my gift buying frenzy. Each year I tangle with the question of how much to spend on the AMAZING and wonderful teachers and daycare providers that care for our children.  These people are priceless in our lives. If I was growing a money tree in the back yard I wouldn't hesitate to spend bushels of cash on them. Unfortunately, until I get the money tree genes spliced properly (now that's a GMO I would actually...

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Re-purposing Kids Toys

If your house is like mine we have summer and not summer toys. Here is an idea to re-purpose your room devouring water table for cold weather. Just add some rubber mulch for a clean and fun way to create a digging, hauling and dumping site for little ones. They'll spend hours moving rubber from one side to the other, and no dirt means no messy clothes. Score!...

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Ballantyne Hotel's Gingerbread Lane

For 2015: Open for public viewing daily, at no fee December 10-27, 2015, open during hotel hours. Inquire at 704 248 4055. https://www.theballantynehotel.com/upcoming-events/ Our gingerbread house kits at home don't hold a candle to the gingerbread inspired works of art that line Ballantyne Hotel's Gingerbread Lane. Each year both professional and amateur confectionery artists compete for prizes by submitting their awe inspiring interpretation...

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Holiday Lights at the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens

I'm a Northern girl, and as such, I'm giddy that living in Charlotte means I'm able to walk around and look at holiday lights with a light jacket on. I feel like I'm getting away with something! Luckily the South, and particularly The Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens know how to do the holidays up right! We visited for the Holidays at the Garden event and it was - enchanting.  The beautiful night, whimsical lights and mesmerized kids with...

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McAdenville, NC - Christmas Town USA

We just completed our second annual trip to McAdenville - Christmas Town USA. This year we packed the car full of kids and grandparents and headed West to experience the lights. We arrived a little later (6:40) than the year before (5:30) and were met with about 40 minutes of stand still traffic. Christmas Fail! Luckily everyone had extra Christmas cheer (especially E) and we were able to wait out the traffic. This year we went on a Friday, whereas...

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Penland Christmas Tree Farm

  I've never been a big Christmas fan until I had kids -  now it's something that I've come to enjoy each year. This is our second Christmas where we ventured into a tree forest to pick out and cut down our own Christmas tree. We went to Penland Christmas Tree Farm this year located in York, SC about a 25-30 minute drive from Fort Mill. We went on a weekend and they had free coffee, hot chocolate, hay rides and a mulch play...

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{Giveaway - American Girls Doll Samantha} American Girls Store Opens in Charlotte, NC

My daughter, 6, and I had little idea what American Girl dolls were until Friday when were invited to a preview of the Charlotte American Girl store at the South Park Mall. I had done some preliminary searching and saw the pricing online, and I can't lie - I was skeptical. But, after our hour visit we both left swooning over the pink and purple girly-ness of it all. The American Girl store is more than a store, it's an experience. Walking...

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Dads About Charlotte: Charlotte Brews Cruise

Dads and Charlotte breweries, some things just go hand in hand. The Dads of Mom About Charlotte ventured out on a beautiful fall day with Charlotte Brews Cruise tours to weigh in on all things pilsner, ale and lager. Top notch Charlotte based microbreweries have been popping up around the NoDa (North Davidson) area for the past several years. My IPA loving hubby Jim, and ale aficionado brother-in-law Gary boarded the Charlotte Brews Cruise van...

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{Ticket Giveaway for CFG Style Week} Attention Mommy Fashonistas!

Style. Fashion. Runway. Once you become a mommy these terms may feel like long lost lovers amidst the daily grind of carpool and diaper changes. Break away with me for a moment if you will, and let's rekindle that sexy old flame by stepping out of the norm and into Charlotte Fashion Guild's Style Week September 24th-27th 2014. Join top designers from Project Runway, Trinidad, Sweden, New York and beyond, at Label House at the NC Music Factory in...

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Awaken Your Inner Picasso at Pinot's Pallete

I've always thought of myself as tragically left-brained. I've never excelled at arts or music. Sure I'm copy cat crafty and can draw a mean stick figure, but those abilities are the most I can conjure from the wall flower that is the right side of my brain. When I was contacted by Pinot's Pallete in Southend to check out their upscale 'Paint. Drink. Have Fun.' painting class I was initially concerned about sharing my 'artwork' on my blog and...

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Dive in with the Octonauts at Sea Life Charlotte

Sound the Octo-Alert!! The Octonauts are diving in to Sea Life Charlotte at Concord Mills September 6th-28th. Your family can get up close and personal with Captain Barnacles and Peso during scheduled meet and greets. Then take your little guppies to explore Sea Life's 5,000+ aquatic creatures, including their hands on touch pool. A big thanks to our guest blogger Stacie Taylor for reporting back on the nautical fun at Sea Life. Octonauts, let's...

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An Evening of Believing℠ Prom 2014: Locking Arms to Support Children with Cancer

The Sandbox's 4th annual  An Evening of Believing℠ Prom will take place on Friday, September 19th 2014 at Founder's Hall in Uptown Charlotte. The attendees at the An Evening of Believing℠ Prom are young adults who are battling cancer and other life threatening illnesses. It's a night for them to celebrate the exciting adolescent milestone of prom, and make memories together that no sickness can take away. To create an amazing...

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NoseFrida Snotsucker {Giveaway}: For When the Snot Hits The Fan

Snot. Boogers. Phlegm. Congestion. Stuffiness. Yuck. Whatever you call it - if you're a mom you've dealt with absurd quantities of it. Removing the seemingly endless flow from your kid's nose is always a less than desirable experience. With my daughter I had been struggling with the conventional methods of snot removal, the bulb and even the electronic aspirator - until I found the NoseFrida Snotsucker. I kid you not - it changed my life. The first...

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Controlling Playroom Chaos with the Rule of Five

My kids are spoiled well loved when it comes to the quantity of material things they have. We have a large family who are very involved in their lives and also tend to pick them up a little something here and a little something there when they stop by, plus birthday parties, plus Christmas = Total Freakin Playroom Chaos. I needed to control the ever amassing beast the seemed to multiply like bunnies - and I decided to do it with the rule of...

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Jurassic Camp (STEM) with Club Scientific South Charlotte

Update 1/23/15 - the new name of this business is Terrific Scientific and can be found here. http://terrificscientificnc.orgVolcanos and Pteranodons and Fossils - Oh My! Our 5 year old got prehistoric this past week at Jurassic Camp with Club Scientific of South Charlotte. I was nervous about her being gone at an all day camp but to my relief, she BEAMED at the end of each day.  She came home bubbling with excitement about the fun...

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Stress-free, Mess-free Birthday Fun at Gymboree Play and Music

{FREE class offer at the end of the blog} I've always had birthday parties at home for my kids. Now that I'm five years deep into that experience I decided that I was due a break from another year of stressful "ice cream and frosting covered chaos." We are blessed to have many wonderful friends, so our guest list was for 16 cake-loving kids and their parents. Kids at parties want to run, and play and scatter every toy you own on the floor. That's...

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