10 Incredibly Important Safety Precautions All Bloggers Should Take To Protect Their Kids Online

Blogging has come so far since I first started sharing my family nearly a decade ago! There's no doubt that blogs are a big business now. But as parenthood blogs continue to gain popularity, it's becoming even more important to take safety precautions to keep children safe in this sometimes scary online world!

10 Ways to Teach Kids Healthy Tooth Brushing Habits {Featuring WooBamboo!}

DISCLOSURE: I received the products featured in this post in partnership with WooBamboo!

If you have young kids, then you know it can sometimes be a struggle to get them to brush their teeth. It's just one of the many things that kids like to turn into a battle! Brushing teeth is a big part of every daily routine, so it's important to encourage healthy tooth brushing habits as early as possible!

My three older kids have great dental care habits, and they love to visit the dentist, but it's still a work in progress with Liam. I have to get very creative in order to make tooth brushing fun for him. After 3 years of battling him (he is STUBBORN), we finally (almost) won the war!

Over the past few years, I tried it all with Liam. Some methods failed miserably, while others worked like a charm! In an effort to help other parents dealing with the same struggle, I'm sharing ten of my favorite tried and true ways to teach kids healthy tooth brushing habits.

10 Fun Ways to Boost Learning During the School Year

DISCLOSURE: This post is sponsored by Netflix, but all opinions are 100% my own. I am a member of the Netflix StreamTeam.

Every parent wants their child to excel. Like many others, I encourage educational activities as much as possible to boost their learning. But during the school year, I have to tread lightly. I don't want to force something on my kids when they already have enough to juggle with school, sports and activities.

Learning can be fun, and there are plenty of ways to promote educational activities without overwhelming kids! The trick is to intersperse these activities with play. Play is EVERY bit as important as learning during childhood. Kids have a lot more pressure on them these days, so there must be time for them to let loose and do what they want to do!

Dylan, Lexie, Lily and Liam are plenty busy between school, basketball, soccer, band, chorus, dance, acro and therapies (PT, OT and ST for Liam). We don't have much time these days for extra activities, but we try to fit them in whenever we possibly can. These ten fun activities are a great way to boost learning during the busy school year!

10 Adorable Hairstyles for Little Girls

One of the fun things about having little girls is being able to style their hair! Although both of my girls love to wear their long hair down, it isn't always practical for soccer, dance, or a long day at school. Wearing a ponytail each day gets boring, so we have a few favorite hairstyles that we alternate through each month! 

Sharing 30+ styles at once can be overwhelming for both me and the reader, so I'm going to break it down into ten at a time! A few of our favorites involve french braiding, so if you haven't mastered that skill yet, I highly recommend learning. My sister taught me how to french braid, but I have several friends who learned by watching YouTube videos. Once you get the hang of it, it's really easy!

Before I begin, I'm going to share a few things that we have in our arsenal of styling supplies that we use frequently. (I'm not going to mention exactly HOW many bows and headbands we own. Let me just say that with two girls, it quickly got out of hand!)

• Wet Brush (Throw all your brushes away and buy this one. BEST BRUSH EVER.)
• Hair Detangler Spray (Also works to smooth flyaway strands. This one smells amazing!)
• Hairspray
• Clear rubber bands
• Rubber bands that match hair color
• Hair ties
• Sets of bows
• Headbands 
• Bobby Pins
• Fine tooth comb for parting hair

Now that I've shared a few of our favorites, I'm going to show you the ten hairstyles Lily requests the most! With a little bit of practice, even the braided styles can be done in just a few minutes. We don't have time for anything too complicated before we run out the door!

10 ADORABLE HAIRSTYLES FOR LITTLE GIRLS

Double Top Knots

This style is super easy to do! 

1. Part hair in the middle, create two pigtails, and secure with non-slip hair elastics.
2. Loosely wind each pigtail into a messy bun and secure each bun with another hair elastic.
3. Accessorize with bows or a cute headband!

{headband - H&M}

French-Braided Side Ponytail

Here's where french braiding skills come in handy, but you could also just make a regular braid with the strand of hair behind one ear and secure it into a side ponytail. When I french braid, I prefer to do an inside out french braid, which just means I weave the strands of hair UNDER instead of over while braiding. It makes the braid stand out more!

1. Brush hair so it's smooth.
2. Grab one chunk of hair behind one ear, and begin french braiding along the hairline until you reach just below the other ear. 
3. Join the rest of the hair with the braid and secure hair in a side ponytail below the opposite ear of where your started braiding.
4. Accessorize the braid with a big bow!

{Hair Bow - The Hair Bow Company}

Pinned Back Bangs

Technically, my girls don't have bangs, but you get the picture. Pull back the front of the hair where the bangs would be!

1. Grab the thin piece of hair that would be bangs, and brush it straight back. 
2. Pin with bobby pins or secure loosely with a rubber band.
3. Put in a bow to cover up the pins or hair tie.

Bubble Braid

This is a hairstyle I used to do myself when I was a teenager, so I think it's funny that it's back in style again!

1. Brush back the front section of the hair, and secure with a hair elastic.
2. Grab a small piece of hair on either side of that ponytail and join those strands with the ponytail. Secure it 1-2 inches down from the first ponytail.
3. Repeat that step until you reach the bottom of the head and secure with an elastic.
4. Gently pull apart each section a little bit to make the hair "bubble" out!

Bow-Adorned Pigtails

This classic hairstyle is still one of Lily's favorites! She loves to accessorize it her pigtails with big bows that match her outfit!

Khaleesi Braids

Anybody who watches Game of Thrones knows exactly what I'm talking about! This hairstyle is a simplified version, but it's super cute!

1. Part hair in the middle.
2. Begin french braiding (I chose the inside out french braid) the right section from the front, only weaving in very thin sections of hair along the way. Stop the braid at the middle of the head and secure with an elastic. 
3. Repeat on the left side.
4. Join the braids together, secure with an elastic, then remove the additional elastics from the original braids.
5. Accessorize with a metallic headband. 

Side-swept Bangs

This is a quick hairstyle for rushed mornings! It literally can be done in seconds!

1. Brush the front section of the hair to one side.
2. Pin with bobby pins or secure loosely with a hair tie.
3. Add a big bow!

Heidi Braids

This hairstyle got a bit messy while Lily was at school, but it's really cute! Moral of the story? Take a picture BEFORE she leaves for the day!  This style is very much like Khaleesi Braids, but you braid to the bottom of the head, and then coil the two braids together into a low bun.

1. Part hair in the middle.
2. Beginning on one side, make a french braid (or inside out french braid) to the bottom of the head, and secure with an elastic.
3. Repeat on the other side. 
4. Join the braids together in the middle, and secure with another elastic.
5. Coil the braided ponytail into a low bun, secure, and clip a bow into the middle of the bun!

Messy Top Knot

This is another cute hairstyle that can be done quickly! I love it because Lily plays hard, and the style just gets cuter the messier it gets!

1. Brush hair into a high ponytail, allowing wisps to fall out along the way, and secure with a non-slip hair elastic.
2. Loosely coil the ponytail around the base and secure with another non-slip hair elastic.
3. Tug on the bun a bit to loosen.
4. Accessorize with a bow!

{Bow - The Hair Bow Company}

Inside Out French Braid

I'm going to be honest. I rarely french braid the traditional way! I prefer the inside out version because it stands out so much more!

1. Start at the very top of the hair to begin the french braid. 
2. Instead of weaving the strands of hair OVER the braid, weave them UNDER. This makes the braid stand out instead of lying flat against the head.
3. Continue to the bottom and add a bow for good measure!

Those are the ten most requested hairstyles in my home! Some may look complicated, but if you know how to french braid, they are so easy to do. Stay tuned for 10 MORE adorable hairstyles for little girls!

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5 Ways To Get Organized For School

Hello, I’m Keri and I am so excited to be sharing some ways to get organized for school with you today! As many have already started school and the rest of us are preparing to, all the moms are thinking about all things related to back to school. 

In the middle of school shopping and figuring out new schedules, this is the best time to think about how to get organized for school. Starting the school year off with these five organization methods in place, will help your school year be much smoother! 

Landing Zone

I am all about creating landing zones in our house. A landing zone is a home for a specific item. When you create landing zones and follow through with using them, there is less clutter and less wondering where your keys are. 

Create a landing zone for your kids bookbags. This will help relieve so much stress, because no mama likes tripping over bookbags. I love to use what I have to create landing zones, so look around your house. What can you use?  

Put the landing zone in a practical area. Our bookbags get hung up on the hooks by the front door. It makes sense because that is right where they walk in. 

After School Snacks

Kids come home from school  hungry! What are some snacks you can have on hand for them? What are some snacks you can easily send with them to take the after school care? While you are out buying pencils and book bags, also pick up some good after school snack options. 

You can even take time on the weekend, to prepare some after school snacks. Cut up some vegetables and have them ready in the fridge with hummus, make some cookies ahead of time, stock up on granola bars for the cabinet. 

Homework Station

No one is a fan of homework, but having a homework station can help lessen the stress. Put together a caddy of all the supplies your kids may need for homework. Basic essentials: sharpened pencils, colored pencils, ruler, paper, markers, and crayons are generally needed. Set the caddy in an easily accessible location. 

School Papers Plan

You are about to enter into the time when there is a constant flow of papers piling onto your counters. Decide now what system you will use. Will you file the papers? Keep them in a binder? Come up with a plan and explain it to your kids as well. From day one, use your plan and soon it will become second nature. 

I love to use clipboards that hang in our command center. It is so simple. Each child has a clipboard and it holds all of the current important papers. The papers that I will not referance as often get placed in a file folder in a little caddy. 

Meals

As school and sports kick into gear, mealtimes can become hectic. This is a great time to consider preparing some freezer meals for your family. Put together a basket of granola bars that can be grabbed last minute. Stock up on some paper plates for rushed meals. 

Are you ready to get organized for school? If you feel overwhelmed by these five things, pick one to tackle and then add in the others one at a time. 

Thanks for letting me share today! If you want more practical tips and encouragement for moms, I would love for you to head on over and say hi! You can also sign up to receive my FREE Say Hello To Thriving Motherhood Guide. 

Connect with Keri

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Bio: 

Keri lives in Charleston, SC with her husband and three kids. She loves to use her day-to-day life to encourage other moms to thrive in whatever season of life they are in. 

It's My Thing: Tips to Handle the Busyness of Kids Activities

With four kids in eight different activities, life is extremely busy! It may sound like my kids are doing too much, but in reality, it's ME who is overbooked. 

I am a firm believer that every child should focus on their passion, but not overextend themselves. Education and just being a kid is every bit as important as focusing on an activity that they love. Although we encourage our children to get involved, we have an important rule: one school activity plus one sport/extracurricular activity per child at a time! Anything more is just too much.

I feel like many parents these days push their children to do EVERYTHING in the hopes that they will become a star. Their kids have activities, lessons, practices and games every single day of the week. They are pushed to excel at everything they do. 

That lifestyle can be detrimental in so many ways. Education gets pushed aside, and childhood quickly loses its innocence and fun. Kids are not allowed to just be kids anymore. Instead, they have to work hard every day so they can be the best. But kids are NOT going to excel at anything if they are pushed to do everything!  It's vital that kids have time to just be kids and nothing more, or else they will burn out very quickly. 

We are NOT those parents and we seem to be in the minority. We always encourage our children to try the activities that interest them. If it's not a good fit, they must complete the activity then move on to something else. Through trial and error, our three older kids were able to find what they love. They don't have something scheduled every single day of the week, so there is enough time for homework, play and a social life.  Because they get time to relax and have fun, they each have an activity or two that they are passionate about and excel at!

Each of my children have their own "thing." My family spends a lot of time on the court, at the dance studio and onstage. 

Dylan, Lexie, Lily and Liam proudly shared their "thing" and showed how Fruit Shoot is perfect for every adventure!

Dylan traded in years of playing baseball for time spent on the court. We were bummed when he decided he was done playing baseball, but we quickly found out that we were a basketball-loving family!

When Dylan isn't on the court, he can be found onstage playing trumpet in band, playing violin in orchestra and singing with the entire sixth grade chorus (mandatory). I can't guarantee he will stick with it much longer, but we loved watching his concerts, and we're proud that he tried! He's also a big fan of skateboarding, riding his hoverboard and playing football. Basketball, however, is definitely his "thing!"

Lexie chose hip hop as her activity this year, and she loves it! She has no urge to dance competitively. She just enjoys it as a recreation, and it will definitely help when she follows in her parent's footsteps, and takes the plunge into musical theater!

Lexie is our musical child. She loves to sing so she joined the extracurricular 4th grade choir this year, and can't wait to continue next year. She also plans to start playing flute in band next year, just like I did. I am really looking forward to all the concerts and musicals ahead of us!

Lily is our performer! I always say that if any of our children are destined to be a star, it's her. She has a BIG personality and loves to make people laugh! She just started dance this year and she's hooked. I'm not quite sure how I feel about it, but I have a feeling competitive dance might be in her future.

When she isn't dancing, Lily's other favorite activity is going to Storytime each week. Reading and crafts are two of her favorite things! She also insists that she's going to become a cheerleader, sing on stage, and become a YouTuber. None of those things surprise me one bit!

Liam is our light and our joy! He's still young, so I'm not quite sure which activities he will choose as his favorites. Based on the fact that he never stops moving and is incredibly adventurous, I would vote for parkour! All I know is that Down syndrome doesn't slow him down one bit!

As for now, he definitely knows how to work the camera, and he rocks his brand rep gig!

The collective activities from four children adds a lot to my schedule! This on the go lifestyle takes quite a bit of juggling, but it's just a short phase in our lives. The trick is to always be prepared! Here are my favorite tips for keeping up with the busyness of kids activities while supporting their passions:

Pack a bag.

We have a designated on-the-go bag that we keep stashed with the essentials. Some of our necessities include extra snacks, a first aid kit, tissues, wipes, a charger, a book for mom, travel toys and activities, extra pullups, hand sanitizer, lotion, chapstick, and notebook and pen, gum and mints.

Stay hydrated.

Staying hydrated is KEY. We keep the fridge in our garage stocked with on the go drinks so we can grab one on the way out the door. Fruit Shoot is my kids' favorite!

Fruit Shoot is a very popular juice drink for kids in the U.K. for so many good reasons! Fruit Shoot is perfect for an on-the go lifestyle with its convenient, mess free, resealable bottle. It's made with real fruit juice, and doesn't contain artificial flavors or high fructose corn syrup. They offer varieties made with real sugar as well as varieties made with no sugar added. My kids have tried every flavor and love them all. Fruit Punch is their newest flavor and is also a hit!

Prior to trying Fruit Shoot, juice pouches were my go to. But they were so messy and not so good for drinking in the car. They were constantly tipping over and spilling. Fruit Shoot's resealable cap and durable bottle make this brand superior to the pouch!

Set up childcare.

Sometimes it's so much easier to find a babysitter for siblings during classes and practices. Taking along three extra kids can be really tough. If my husband isn't home from work, we ask one of our parents to step in. My parents bring over dinner every Thursday, then stay until my husband gets home from work while I take Lily to dance. It's the busiest night of the week at the dance studio, so it's much easier on all of us!

Have activity bags.

Have a designated bag for each activity, and always have it packed and ready to go! Dylan has a basketball bag, each girl has a dance bag, Dylan has band and orchestra bags, Lexie has a choir bag and Lily has a library bag for Storytime.

Have everything ready to go the night before.

The night before the activity, gather up everything that's needed. Place the items in the activity bag and place necessary clothing on top. It will really limit the stress of trying to make it out the door on time without forgetting anything!

Stock up on easy snacks.

Fill a kitchen drawer with packaged snacks that are perfect for on the go! Always keep the drawer fully stocked and load up before running out the door.

Give them your attention.

Although watching every single moment of every practice or class is impossible, it's important to let them catch you watching from time to time. It makes them feel important and special! Their faces always light up and they work just a bit harder when I put down my phone or laptop and just watch what they love to do!

Make it a family thing.

The importance of family is our main focus. My entire family attends the majority of games, recitals and concerts. It's so important to show each of our children how much our entire family cares about them!  

We love watching our kids do what they enjoy most! Supporting their passions is so important. Our kids are happy, thriving and doing what they love!

I would love to hear your thoughts on kids activities! How much is too much? How do you juggle the on the go lifestyle? What is your kid's "thing?"

Want to find out why Fruit Shoot is superior to the pouch? Use the store locator HERE!