Moms Check In – Page 3

25 Kid Friendly Indoor Activities and Recipes to Kick Winter Boredom #MomsCheckIn

February 20, 2015 by Jenni 5 Comments

The weekend is finally here, but honestly….it’s felt like a week long weekend! We’ve got snow and below freezing temps with wind chill and school has been closed all week. We’ve watched the movie Frozen more times than I can count and we’ve ate entirely too much junk food. It’s like Christmas break, all over again!

Our Moms Check In team are talking about Indoor Activities for kids this week, because well, we’re all stuck inside with our kiddos, longing for warm days and sunshine!! I don’t see that in the near future though…just more snow and more cold temps for us. We’re sharing some of our fun indoor activities and kid-friendly recipes to cook up when you’re stuck indoors.

25 Kid-Friendly Indoor Activities and Recipes to fight boredom:

1. Despicable Me DIY Minion Tic Tac Toe

2. Despicable Me Chocolate Minion Pops

3. Tagalongs Peanut Butter S’Mores (+ Homemade Tagalongs Recipe link)

4. Dr. Seuss Cat in the Hat Cherry Tomatoes and Cheese Kabobs

5. Dr. Seuss Cat in the Hat Breakfast Waffles

6. Dr. Seuss Cat in the Hat Strawberry and Marshmallow Kabobs

7. 7 Ways to Keep Kids Active this Winter

8. Easy Solar System Craft

9. Peanut Butter No Bake Snack Balls

10. Disney’s Frozen Activity Sheets

11. Bacon Pull Apart French Toast Muffins

12. Party Bark Treat

13. Rainbow Pancakes

14. 12 Awesome Indoor Activities for Kids

15. 12 Kids Play Tents for Indoors or Outdoors

16. 14 Rainy Day Activities

17. 11 Circus Themed Games and Activities

18. 25 St. Patrick’s Day Activities and Crafts

19. 39 SLIME Recipes

20. Free Disney Printable Coloring Pages

21. How to Make Homemade Playdough

22. How to Make Homemade Lego Soap

23. 15 Handprint Crafts Boys Will Love

24. 9 Footprint Crafts Boys Will Think are Cool

25. 10 Milk Carton Crafts Boys Will Love

Here’s how our Moms Check In moms are helping their kiddos fight the boredom this week!

“I’m so ready for spring. When the cold weather shuts us in, you can find us making pillow forts and watching movies. During the school week, breakfast is usually something quick, but if we are snowed in we usually start off with Bacon Pull Apart French Toast Muffins or Rainbow Pancakes. A yummy breakfast, movies and a sweet treat later on (Josh loves Party Bark!) and we have awesome ‘stay-home’ days! “

– Amanda is the mom to Joshua and owns It’s a Fabulous Life. If you are looking for a one stop place for all things mom, It’s a Fabulous Life is it! Full of recipes, fashion, DIY projects, recipes and parenting articles it’s the place for all of Mom’s favorites to come together! Follow her on Twitter here!

“It’s been wayyyy too cold to go outside. It’s below zero here with the wind chill and school has been closed all week. Besides catching up on some TV and cuddling time, we find other things to do. Little man gets so bored, so I try to keep a few “hands on” activities and fun kiddie recipes ready for days that we’re stuck inside. “

– Jenni is the mom of one and the author of Sweet Pennies From Heaven. A hearth and home website, Sweet Pennies From Heaven focuses on recipes, crafts and creating a comfortable home. Follow her on Twitter here!

“I’m so over winter. This year has been brutal so far, way too cold to get the kids outside. While we’ve been trying to stay warm inside the kids have discovered Harry Potter movies (yay!) and I’ve been doing my best to keep both their brains and their bodies active. Fortunately we have a big basement and they can play down there, even ride their scooters. Reading, cooking and coloring are a few of our go-tos to fight cabin fever.“

– Lindsay is the mom of 2 and author of See Mom Click. She shares great deals, Disney happenings and recipes. You can follow her on Twitter here!

“It’s exceptionally cold here right now — below zero, actually and school has even been cancelled! I am keeping Sam indoors, which can be a bit of a challenge with lots of energy. Each day, we have time together reading and I also have us do a craft or activity together to keep him occupied. It definitely helps keep him happy and is a great way to fight boredom!“

– Stephanie is the mom to Sam and the author of Spaceships and Laser Beams. If you ever need party ideas her site is the place to visit! Specializing in all things boy, it’s full of inspiration! Follow her on Twitter here!

What is Moms Check In?

Before you leave, let us know…

What do your kids do when you’re stuck inside?

Lost Your Fashion Mommas? Let’s Get it Back! #SaveOnStyle #MomsCheckIn

February 13, 2015 by Jenni 348 Comments

I’m not even gonna lie. Working from home full time, I do get to enjoy staying in my pajamas longer than I probably should. Heck…there are some days I don’t even get OUT of my pajamas. But, I do love to sport cute clothes.

My style is very casual – but casual can be cute. A lot of moms that I know go through their frumpy stages and we need to get and STAY out of those ruts, right?! My Moms Check In group and I are sharing some cute mom fashions that are SUPER DUPER wallet friendly. Check them out below…you’ll be happy with the awesome styles and prices we’ve found through thredUP! It’s seriously insane!!

Click here to see Amanda’s style and the details!

“I’m a huge fan of 3 things when it comes to style. 1. It HAS to be comfortable! 2. I love classic pieces that I can use time and time again. 3. My style has to be affordable! I’m a huge fan of layering pieces together. I wasn’t so sure about skinny jeans when they came back in style. (I love my boot cut jeans!) But they have been quickly growing on me! And the colored jeans? I think they are so fun and a perfect pop of color! Moms can totally rock the colored jean trend!“

Click here to see my style and the details!

“My style is very casual. I love blue jeans and t-shirts. That’s what you’ll usually always find me in. However, I do love cute shoes and accessories. Those can make or break an outfit. I love namebrands but can’t always afford them, so I love to find ways to get what I want without giving away the bank!”

Click here to see Lindsay’s style and the details of her outfit.

“I’ll admit fashion is not my forte but I always feel better when I think I look a little more stylin’. I’m all about comfort and practicality with my wardrobe and think accessories can go a long way to jazz up any outfit. I’m a shoe lover and hoarder and love unique, colorful styles. Add a matching handbag to really look put together and your favorite jewelry, even something simple, completes the look. I usually go for a silver watch or bracelet (or a few!) and a pair of silver earrings. I’ve got short hair so something that dangles usually looks best.“

– Lindsay is the mom of 2 and author of See Mom Click. She shares great deals, Disney happenings and recipes. You can follow her on Twitter here!

Click here to see Stephanie’s style and outfit details!

“I’m all about easy styles that I can pull together quickly. I try to stick with items that I can mix and match so I have lots of outfit options. I’m excited for brighter colors this spring after a long winter!”

What is Moms Check In?

We’ve partnered with thredUP this week to talk about how fashionable moms can be. Click here to read more about thredUP and how you can get a FREE $10 credit. They offer name brand clothing, shoes and accessories for up to 90% off retail prices!

You’re INVITED!!!!!

We’d also love to invite you to the thredUP Twitter party we’re hosting! Please join us 2/19 from 1-2pm EST for a super fun Twitter party where we’ll be giving away lots of thredUP gift codes….even enough for the grand prize winner to buy a designer handbag. Click HERE to RSVP!

Before you leave, let us know…

What’s your fashion style?

Winter Cold Remedies – Tips For Beating Winter Colds #MomsCheckIn

February 6, 2015 by Jenni 1,057 Comments

Winter Cold Remedies

As I type, my ears are plugged up and my throat is a touch raw. I’ve got a cup of hot water with honey and lemon by my side. A yucky virus has made it’s way through our house and we’ve all had it but thankfully we’re on the tail end of it. Since moms are usually the ones to soothe our sweet kiddos when they’re sick, our “Moms Check In” crew and I along with our sponsor – Boogie Wipes – are sharing some things that we do to help soothe our kiddos when they’re sick.

“I’m really thankful that we don’t get sick very often. In fact, Josh had his first fever since I can remember last month. I tried to make sure that he got plenty of fluids and plenty of rest. For everyone else in our house, it meant extra hand washing!”

“This time of year it seems like Eli stays sick. We actually just got over a round of virus yuckiness through our house. When he’s sick, I keep a cool-mist humidifier running in his room through the night. During the day, I also keep a diffuser running with essential oils in it. I let him sleep with me because he wakes up often in the night when he’s sick so that makes him feel better. I make sure he drinks lots of liquids and that I have Jello stocked in the fridge. I keep lip moisturizers on hand too because his little lips get so chapped when he’s sick and can’t breathe though his nose. I hate it when they’re sick. Booo.“

“We’ve had a rough year with colds and sicknesses already. And it’s only early February! When the kids are sick I try to keep them hydrated and drinking plenty of fluids. The nighttime cough seems to be our biggest problem and the best tricks I have to help that are to elevate their heads (I give them an extra pillow or put one under the mattress when they were in cribs) and give them a spoonful of honey before bed. That seems to coat the throat and give some relief. Finally, we just pray for an early spring!“

– Lindsay is the mom of 2 and author of See Mom Click. She shares great deals, Disney happenings and recipes. You can follow her on Twitter here!

“This time of year is so difficult — I feel like there are germs everywhere! We use a humidifier, drink lots of water, and take Vitamin C. I also make sure that we all wash our hands or use sanitizer a lot so we don’t spread anything. I also make sure we get lots of snuggles in — I’m positive that helps Sam feel better quickly!”

What is Moms Check In?

Who are the moms of Moms Check In? We’re 4 moms who are also professional bloggers. We chat about a new topic each week. We talk about things from dirty diapers to date night, and everything in between. Moms love to talk to other moms and let’s face it…MOMS know everything!! If you happen to be a blogger also, and want to be a guest host one week, please fill out this form. We’d love to have you join us!

We’ve partnered with Boogie Wipes this week to talk about how we soothe our sick kiddos. They have some really fantastic products that help make our kids feel better when they’re sick including their Boogie Wipes which help keep their little noses from getting sore plus they’re perfect to help wipe up yucky “boogery” messes! They’ve also got a Boogie Mist to help thin out the yucky mucus. Both are available in fun scents that kids love!! Make sure to click on over to Boogie Wipes now for a coupon!! Oh, and stay tuned. We’ll be sharing an invitation to RSVP soon for a fun Boogie Wipes Twitter Party!!

Before you leave, let us know…

How do you soothe your sick kiddos?

9 Awesome Valentine’s Day Ideas for Classroom Exchanges #MomsCheckIn

February 2, 2015 by Jenni 5 Comments

9 Awesome Valentine’s Day Ideas

Valentine’s Day will soon be here and we’ve got some really awesome ideas to share. If your kids have classroom Valentine exchanges then you’ll love all of these ideas. Share the looveee!!! Our “Moms Check In” crew and I are sharing our ideas below…enjoy!

“Every year we make homemade Valentines to pass out at school. We try to do something more than just candy and something super fun. A few years ago I made these printable tags to attach to mini boxes of cereal. They were a HUGE hit! This year we are sending in lip balms for the girls and bags of chips for the boys.”

“Valentine’s Day is just the coolest. We love to make our own Valentine’s Day cards for little man’s classroom exchange. They’re just always a bit more unique and fun, I think. Here are some really great Valentine’s Day printables for cards, treat toppers and more. We also make up baggies of these strawberry muddy buddies to pass out in his classroom. That stuff is SERIOUSLY addictive – so beware!! xoxo“

“Valentine’s Day is so much fun for us. I mean…chocolate, right? And love. What could be better? One of our favorite homemade Valentine’s are these Rainbow Loom cards. Just print out the free template and attach the bracelets my daughter can make in her sleep. She gave them out last year and the kids loved them. On Valentine’s Day we have to have dessert too (of course)! This Valentine’s Day Pudding Parfait is so easy, pretty, and totally delicious! Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!“

– Lindsay is the mom of 2 and author of See Mom Click. She shares great deals, Disney happenings and recipes. You can follow her on Twitter here!

“I LOVE Valentine’s Day. It’s fun to create special memories with Sam including home made crafts and treats. We always have a great time together. I also try to do a special dinner date with Mike each year. Our favorite Valentine’s Day ideas are these Minecraft themed Valentine’s Day cards and these Lego Valentine’s Day cards and activities! “

What is Moms Check In?

Before you leave, let us know…

Do you have any favorite healthy recipe hacks?

7 Healthy Recipe Hacks #MomsCheckIn

January 24, 2015 by Jenni 5 Comments

7 Healthy Recipe Hacks

One of my favorite things to do is eat. I can’t help. I just love food. The older I get though, the more I realize how much the extra weight I’ve put on is affecting my overall health. One little trick I’ve learned to help combat extra fat and calories, but still being allowed to eat my favorite things – is to make healthy swaps with my ingredients.

Our “Moms Check In” crew and I are sharing some of our favorite healthy recipe hacks below. If your goal is to lose a few pounds while still eating some really delicious treats and food then you’ll love these!

“Sometimes you just need something rich, creamy, cheesy and delicious. Alfredo is one of my favorites and if I could, I would eat it a lot more than I do! But usually it’s full of heavy cream and lots of butter. When I first heard about using cream cheese instead, I wasn’t so sure. But this recipe is a winner! It’s delicious, better than any jar sauce and you would NEVER know this Alfredo sauce is a lighter version than the original!“

“ I’ve been making some healthy recipe swaps the last couple of years. I really love the idea of still being able to eat everything I love, but I also love the challenge of finding new ways to make a healthier version of those recipes. For instance, these 2-ingredient pumpkin muffins have no oil or eggs. Super moist and much healthier. Also, swapping out mayo or sour cream for non-fat greek yogurt. GENIUS! Here are 25 easy greek yogurt recipes on the blog including dips, cakes, cookies and more!“

“I love baked goods way more than I should so to shed some of the fat, calories, and guilt, I started replacing oil in some of my recipes with either applesauce or Greek yogurt. You lose none of the flavor and in fact, I’ve found that I prefer my muffins and breads made this way. Two of my favorite muffin recipes with these swaps are these Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins and my Mini Pumpkin Muffins with Cinnamon Chips. The one I make the most is this easy Banana Bread with Greek Yogurt. So moist and tasty!“

– Lindsay is the mom of 2 and author of See Mom Click. She shares great deals, Disney happenings and recipes. You can follow her on Twitter here!

“Party food is so much fun and even more so when you’ve snuck in some healthy foods! These Naturally Colored Red Velvet Cupcakes use beets instead of red food dye to bring them their vibrant color. Your kids will never know the difference!“

What is Moms Check In?

Before you leave, let us know…

Do you have any favorite healthy recipe hacks?

Our Best Money Saving Tips for 2015 #MomsCheckIn

January 9, 2015 by Jenni 330 Comments

Our Best Money Saving Tips for 2015

Saving money is always on my mind. Now that the New Year is here, it’s something I want to work harder at too! Even if that money saved is to go towards our vacation fund. Put towards groceries. Date nights. You get the drift…..it’s money that can be spent somewhere else or saved for a college fund even!

Our “Moms Check In” crew and I have some really awesome ideas and we’re sharing our best money saving tips that we use all the time. Hopefully it’ll help make your 2015 a little better!

“We try to keep our electric bill in check. We do lots of different things like using power strips, using energy efficient appliances, and using smarter lights. You can find lots of energy saving tips here! I also do the $5 method. Every time I get a $5 bill it goes into savings. When I am out at the store, I try to spend just $5 less. It makes it easy and at the end of the year, all of those $5 bills really adds up! “

“My biggest tip is to turn down the thermostat a few degrees in the winter and turn it up a few degrees in the summer. Our heating/cooling bill is the biggest chunk of money spent and just by turning it up or down a few degrees can REALLY make a big difference. I’m a big believer in wearing layers in the winter. If you’re cold, put on a sweater…haha! Actually though…keeping it a little cooler in the house during the winter is better for you too. Doctors will tell you to keep your home between 65-70 degrees. The cooler the better, because heat dries up your sinuses, making infections easier to breed. Yuck!“

“The thing we spend the most money on is food. If I slack in the menu planning department we are at the store a few times a week and it adds up fast. Really fast. This year I’m planning to be more strict with myself about planning a menu, doing one shopping trip a week, and shopping from the flyer so I can buy what’s on sale and plan my menu around that, stocking up while I can save. It makes a huge difference and just requires a little bit of planning each week!”

– Lindsay is the mom of 2 and author of See Mom Click. She shares great deals, Disney happenings and recipes. You can follow her on Twitter here!

“I’m not much of a couponer or a flyer watcher. But I do watch our spending tightly so that we can focus on the priorities for our family — like retiring early and giving Sam an excellent education. When I am going shopping, I take out the amount of cash I want to spend for the day and keep to that budget. That way, I’m not tempted to use my credit card or overspend because I see something that’s too good of a deal to refuse. It’s worked well for our family and helped us keep on budget — which I’m really proud of!”

What is Moms Check In?

Check out our Money Saving Tips board on Pinterest to get some more ideas!

Follow Sweet Pennies from Heaven’s board Money Saving Ideas on Pinterest.

Before you leave, let us know…

Do you have any helpful money saving tips?

4 Home Organization Tips #MomsCheckIn

January 2, 2015 by Jenni 436 Comments

4 Home Organization Tips

The holidays are over and January has arrived. For me, that means starting over new in many areas including home organization! Organizing my home is not my strong suit, but I am always and forever trying to keep it all under control and I plan to get it under my thumb this year! My “Moms Check In” friends and I have a few tips below that we’d like to share to help you out – including organizing a small closet on a budget, starting a command center, using a planner for work/home, labeling toy bins and more!

“Just call me the Queen of Paper Clutter. I can NOT do online planners/calendars. I like photo copies of my work stuff. I like binders. I like folders. But between my office ‘stuff’ and then all the mail and papers that come home from school it gets to be a bit much. We have a command center area with a big calendar and places to put the paper that comes in. It’s also where we have our keys/bags so no excuses to not know about an upcoming event!“

“For me the biggest organization challenge is space to store things. We live in an old farmhouse, and believe it or not….we have VERY little closet space and NO pantry in the kitchen. I’m constantly re-arranging and organizing in my kitchen to make space. I did finally tackle my closet though. Click HERE for a few tips I have for organizing a small closet on a budget if you’d like to tackle your own. Since we have a lack of storage space, I feel like I have a lot of things that don’t have a “home” so I tend to shove things in nooks and crannies. I’m really gonna work on that this year.“

“Organization is not my forte but I’m trying…still! Probably my biggest problem area is paper clutter so my top tip for staying on top of that is to deal with everything as it comes in. When the mail or school papers come in, go through them and immediately trash or recycle anything you don’t want or need. Don’t just put it on the counter. I also find I have to write everything down (this doesn’t mean I’m old, does it?!) so that I don’t forget the things on my to-do list. I tell myself I’ll remember but, nope. I never do. This momAgenda planner is one of my favorites for keeping everything in one place. Finally, I’m grabbing a few organizational items here and there as I find them to make it easier for me to have a designated place for everything. Here are some of the other solutions I’ve found and hope to use this year to organize my home.“

– Lindsay is the mom of 2 and author of See Mom Click. She shares great deals, Disney happenings and recipes. You can follow her on Twitter here!

“January is definitely a time of big purging in our home! When taking care of Christmas decorations, I also take the time to throw out old or broken items around our house. I also organize Sam’s toys into labeled bins plus go through our closets. I love starting off the year feeling fresh and organized! These free organizational printables are super helpful!”

What is Moms Check In?

Check out our Organizing board on Pinterest to get some more tips!

Follow Sweet Pennies from Heaven’s board Organizing on Pinterest.

Before you leave, let us know…

Do you have any helpful organizational tips?

How Do You Spend Your New Year’s Eve? #MomsCheckIn

December 28, 2014 by Jenni 1,263 Comments

How do you spend your New Year’s Eve?

Now that Christmas is over, it’s time to think about our plans for New Year’s Eve. Do you have any New Year’s Eve traditions? Do you normally spend it quietly at home with your family, or do you go all out and head out to the biggest New Year’s Eve bash? Our Moms Check In moms and myself have a few traditions of our own…..

“We are going bowling. My son’s friends all do the cosmic bowling and they have a DJ playing with pizza. Then everyone comes over to our house after. It’s fun for everyone – the kids have a blast playing and the parents get to celebrate together too!”

“New Year’s Eve is always spent with our family. We play games, eat tons of food and wait to watch the ball drop. Usually the kiddos end up falling asleep too soon and they miss out. Of course, I always get my New Year’s kiss. :)”

“We kind of wing it every year but generally do the same thing. We’ll get some special food, like smoked salmon and steamed clams, to eat at home with the kids. They can’t last until midnight (and won’t sleep in the next day!) so we get them to bed maybe around 9pm and then my husband and I stay up to watch TV and watch the ball drop. It’s just as much fun and excitement as we can handle! Happy New Year!”

– Lindsay is the mom of 2 and author of See Mom Click. She shares great deals, Disney happenings and recipes. You can follow her on Twitter here!

“This year we’re travelling to the home of some good friends about two hours from here. It’s a cliche but the men will probably have a few too many beers, forgetting that they aren’t 25 anymore. The women will eat too much chocolate and too many cupcakes. The kids will stay up way too late. But we’ll all have tons of fun. We always do when we’re with them. Since Sam is older, I’m going to try creating some countdown bags to make the night extra special.”

What is Moms Check In?

Before you leave, let us know…

What are your plans for New Year’s Eve?

Favorite Christmas Traditions for Families #MomsCheckIn

December 19, 2014 by Jenni 153 Comments

Favorite Christmas Traditions for Families

Do you have special Christmas traditions? Maybe new Christmas pj’s or shaking out some reindeer food on Christmas eve?! We have all kinds of traditions, new and old. We try to keep up with the ones that both my husband and I grew up with plus we’ve added more for our own little family. Those traditions are what makes Christmas so special. Our Moms Check In moms are sharing their family Christmas traditions and we want to hear yours too, so make sure to leave us a comment with your own. You can find out more about Moms Check In and who we are below!

“Our Christmas tradition is Josh will get to open a Christmas Eve package. It always has new PJ’s in it, reindeer food and a special flavor of hot cocoa. On Christmas he is allowed to open his stocking before he wakes anyone up, but he has to wait for the gifts! Through out the Christmas season you can find us writing letters to Santa, watching Christmas movies and driving around looking at the lights.“

“We have a few Christmas traditions. We always spend an entire day making candy and baking cookies. Our normal treats are peanut butter blossom cookies, peanut butter balls and then fudge. We also make new salt dough ornaments each year. Those are so much fun! My mom started this tradition when I was younger and we just kept it going. On Christmas Eve, we finish one family dinner on my husband’s side and then we end the night opening up new Christmas pajamas and reading ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. Of course, we lay cookies and milk out for Santa! On Christmas morning, we open stockings first, then presents. Lounge around for a few hours playing with our new things and then we get ready for my family’s side Christmas dinner. We always play the “Dirty Santa” gift exchange too. So much fun!!“

“We have so many favorite Christmas traditions. You can find my top 10 here. Probably my favorite is church on Christmas Eve. There’s no more time to shop or hustle and bustle. We can finally just take a deep breath and remember what we’re celebrating.”

– Lindsay is the mom of 2 and author of See Mom Click. She shares great deals, Disney happenings and recipes. You can follow her on Twitter here!

“My favorite Christmas traditions revolve around the rituals that go with Christmas Eve. We always get new pajamas, eat delicious Christmas cookies straight from the oven and we each open one gift. We also leave cookies and milk out for Santa. We finish the evening with some reading. It’s magical! As Sam gets older and is more aware of why we’re celebrating, we’re trying to make it more special for him.”

What is Moms Check In?

Before you leave, let us know…

What are your favorite family Christmas traditions?

4 Helpful Holiday Entertaining Tips to Save Your Time and Sanity #MomsCheckIn

December 13, 2014 by Jenni 220 Comments

4 Holiday Entertaining Tips
to Save Your Time & Sanity

Holiday entertaining can be so stressful. Honestly. Don’t we all already have enough to be stressed out about? Without the worries of cooking, cleaning, decorating, wrapping, shopping, and the list goes on and on! Our Moms Check In Moms have some useful tips – some that we hope will make your Christmas entertaining a little less stressful.

“One day I will host (maybe) but I love attending! I say always be prepared and never go empty handed. I always make sure to bring something whether it is a hostess gift, a dish or dessert or a bottle of wine. Just to say thanks. You rock. And you are braver than I am for hosting.”

“Our holiday dinners are always VERY casual. We have a fairly large family and the house is always full of people. My biggest entertaining tip is to worry less about making your home look perfect for guests and think about ways to make your time spent with family and friends more enjoyable, especially for yourself! Consider using holiday plastic dinnerware so you don’t have to deal with cleanup afterwards. Buy a new game to play with family after dinner. Games are always on our list of things to do after dinner. One more thing I’ve learned, less is more! I’m talking food! We always end up with wayyyyyy too many leftovers. Less cooking means less stress on you, and more time to enjoy with the family.“

“Getting together with friends and family is one of the best parts of the holiday season for me, but let’s be honest. It can stress me out. I’ve got two entertaining tips. Number 1: Don’t try to be Martha Stewart. The whole point is to spend time with your loved ones. Enjoy that and don’t stress about every little detail. Keep it simple. Number 2: Delegate. Get some help with the food and have every guest bring their favorite dish to share. People love to show off their yummy recipes so it’s a win for your guests and a win for you. You should enjoy your own celebrations so don’t try to overdo it, and don’t try to do it all yourself.”

– Lindsay is the mom of 2 and author of See Mom Click. She shares great deals, Disney happenings and recipes. You can follow her on Twitter here!

“Since time is an especially precious commodity during the holidays, I often serve “medley” meals for company. That means I prepare some dishes but buy some items from the Farmer’s Market or grocery store. For example, whenever I serve Yorkshire pudding, everyone raves…and it’s from the grocery store frozen section! Because I serve favorite homemade appetizers, salads and the main protein, the entire meal is perceived as homemade. It’s a great time saver!“

25 Kid-Friendly Indoor Activities and Recipes to fight boredom:

Here’s how our Moms Check In moms are helping their kiddos fight the boredom this week!

What is Moms Check In?

Before you leave, let us know…

What do your kids do when you’re stuck inside?

What is Moms Check In?

You’re INVITED!!!!!

Before you leave, let us know…

What’s your fashion style?

Winter Cold Remedies

What is Moms Check In?

Before you leave, let us know…

How do you soothe your sick kiddos?

9 Awesome Valentine’s Day Ideas

What is Moms Check In?

Before you leave, let us know…

Do you have any favorite healthy recipe hacks?

7 Healthy Recipe Hacks

What is Moms Check In?

Before you leave, let us know…

Do you have any favorite healthy recipe hacks?

Our Best Money Saving Tips for 2015

What is Moms Check In?

Before you leave, let us know…

Do you have any helpful money saving tips?

4 Home Organization Tips

What is Moms Check In?

Before you leave, let us know…

Do you have any helpful organizational tips?

How do you spend your New Year’s Eve?

What is Moms Check In?

Before you leave, let us know…

What are your plans for New Year’s Eve?

Favorite Christmas Traditions for Families

What is Moms Check In?

Before you leave, let us know…

What are your favorite family Christmas traditions?

4 Holiday Entertaining Tips to Save Your Time & Sanity

What is Moms Check In?

Before you leave, let us know…

What are your favorite holiday entertaining tips?

Quick Links

4 Holiday Entertaining Tips
to Save Your Time & Sanity