Blog Recommendation

I have just discovered this site out of New Zealand and I'm checking it every day. They have a parenting section that isn't just advice from one parent to another, it's scientists looking at what the research says, it is explaining which news headlines about parenting are just sensational journalism, and it's basically everything I want in a parenting site.

Here is the article that got me hooked:
Science should empower us a parents

They have inspiring stories also:
A Reminder That People Are Good

The editor, Emily Writes "explains her vision for the section as a place for parents on the internet that won’t make you feel like a miserable failure."

We all need more of that in our life.

This post is not a paid endorsement. I have never been to NZ and don't know anyone involved. They have no idea I am recommending their site. I just love the idea and the content and wanted to share with my readers.

Blog Recommendation: More Kids Than Suitcases

I haven't told you about one of my favorite blogs in over a year. This time I'm featuring More Kids Than Suitcases.

Written by Steve, a father of three who lives in Canada, you will be laughing at every post. While they are often found at Disneyland, you can read the tales of their travels all over. Here are some of my favorite posts:

Five Signs You've Entered Disney Withdrawal  This post does make me wonder just how he gets his entire family to cooperate. I still haven't mastered getting my kids to look at the camera at the same time and he gets them to practice splash mountain poses.

For a more serious post, Why Travel Can't Wait holds lessons we all need to remember.

There are helpful posts Choosing a Vegas Magic Show For Kids, How Not to Look Stupid While Hotel Hopping,  funny posts (though almost every post makes me laugh) Our Worst Travel Plays of 2012, My Families Problem with Following Instructions, and posts that are both helpful and funny How to Pay Extra for Your BC Ferry Ride.

This is one of those blogs you find and then spend the next two days going back and reading. I've even been known to complain when he doesn't post regularly - sorry about that Steve! I love blogs where I can learn and laugh at the same time.

Ultimate Blog AFTER Party

What's better than the ultimate party? When you have so much fun, you just have to join the after party as well. This was my second ultimate blog party and I too exhausted to join the after party last year. This year I'm so excited I just want to continue the party.

Here are my top 8 blogs I discovered this year through the UBP.

Must Love Mommyhood - A mom of 4 who is getting ready to pack up the RV and move to Texas. 3 of her kids are on the Autism spectrum, she homeschools, and blogs about it all - including cooking, natural living, and saving money.

Switching Classrooms - A mom and a teacher. She shares ideas from both parenting and educational perspectives.

Start Dreaming - Another homeschooling mom, who happens to love gardening.

Discovery Days and Montessori Moments - A homeschooling mom to two girls, who uses a Montessori and project approach to her teaching.

A Daddy Blog - The title is fairly self explanatory. He started this blog after his daughter was born.

Days of a Domestic Dad - Another Texas family, this one with 5 kids. He started the blog when he was laid off from his corporate job.

Twelve Makes a Dozen - A family with 12 kids spread over a 23 year age span. They also happen to be Mormon.

Caution! Twins at play! - Also self explanatory. Many photos with activities for young kids.

In case you are wondering why I would do a top 8 instead of a top 10 - it's because I wanted to include a couple of blogs that participated in the party, but I had already discovered.

Bento Lunch - If you haven't heard of bento lunches, this is the place to start. They are cute lunches that kids want to eat. She even makes it look easy. There are a few recipes on here I have used and my kids have loved them all.

Tales from the Motherhood - A former child actress who writes about her 3 kids and believes in keeping it real. My favorite posts feature her daughter's clothing choices.

Blog Recommendation

There are only a few blogs that I stalk. You know, checking them regularly and noticing when they don't post for a few days, and the like. Today I want to recommend one of my favorites so you can enjoy it also.

Suitcases and Sippy cups

A family with 4 boys who travel the world and the best part is the mom who writes it, keeps it real. This isn't a fluffy, everything is always perfect blog. This is reality and it's awesome.

Some of my favorite posts and a quote from each so you will understand just how awesome they are:

Childhood Travel Memories
"Clearly, kids can and do remember things from a very early age, and travel especially enhances early memories.  Research shows that being in a new environment and eliminating regular daily interferences actually allows kids to make neural connections that stick."

Open Letter to Kid Haters 
"I have a little speech that I give to my kids whenever we gear up to go somewhere, be it a local outing or a trip around the world.  It goes something like this: “Please remember you are representing your family today.  Please act in a way that reflects positively on the choices we have made.”  Of course those lofty words are really just code for, “please fight your natural tendency to behave like punks, don’t embarrass me, and for the love of all things good, don’t act like one of “those people.” 

Travel Tips Tuesday 
NOT A QUOTE: Each week she co-sponsors Travel Tips Tuesday and people can link their travel tip blog posts, which is a great way to learn from many bloggers. This is one of my current favorites, because we are considering taking our kids on a cruise.

About Me 

"There’s not really anything out of the ordinary going on around here.  We’re just a typical family-a mom and a dad, four kids. All boys.  We are a middle class family living in Middle America right smack in the middle of the suburbs.  We’ve got a house with three bedrooms and 2 ½ baths and two cars.  You won’t be surprised to learn that one of them is a minivan.  In a word, we are average. Average."

"Let me give you a peek at my totally average list of things to do this week.

1. Take the kids to Little League practice (repeat three times)
2. Clean the cheetos out from under the couch cushions.
3. Stain treat and rewash the load of laundry that was washed with a ball of play-doh
4. Finalize the plans to move the entire family into a camper trailer to travel the country.

Just a typical suburban mom to-do list, right?  Except for that bit about leaving everything behind to follow our traveling dreams- at least that’s what people keep telling us.  They say it’s out of the box.  They say it’s the road less traveled.  Sometimes they say it’s just plain crazy.  They definitely don’t think it’s normal. "

I could go on and on and on. Did I mention how much I love this blog? Go check it out and if you are like me, you will get sucked in and end up reading every post and just wanting more!