Dad’s Self Care Stuff

Chelsea talks a lot about family health and well-being from both an individual and a group perspective. Self care is a top priority, as well as being mindful of our kids growing older. She tries to grasp onto every second of these precious days as they slip by, while also carving out time for herself. Multitasking to the max. I think those are traditionally thought of as “motherly” characteristics: being cognizant of personal needs while simultaneously bemoaning the passage of time.

Around the USA in a Recycled Stroller

When I heard that our sponsor Safety 1st was coming out with the first (and only!) recycled stroller made in the USA with American and imported parts, I had to be a part of their campaign to get the word out. This thing is made up of potato bags, diaper tabs and recycled car seats. Safety 1st works out of their Zero Waste manufacturing facility in Columbus to recycle 20,000 car seats a year, saving 130,000 lbs of plastic from the landfill! As US-based family travelers, we love to give back to our country and protect this great earth any way we can. But would this “green” stroller prove to be road-worthy? Come along with us and see!

Losing the World and a Sister

What do you do when your wife is hurting? When she wants to say something but cannot find the words and doesn’t want to make a spectacle of how she truly feels and what emotionally eviscerates her? When she feels alone and cut off but desperately wants to reach out at the same time?

You do your best to do it for her.

Finding Confidence in the Light

There are a great many opportunities throughout life for a person to learn valuable lessons in which to build their character. Adversity and circumstance shed light on the truth of who we are. The worst mistake someone could make is to not gain any knowledge or advancement from the trials in our lives. It is how we grow. It is how we go from darkness to light.

The Happy Home Stockpile

I know what you’re thinking right now. “Woah, Chelsea, that is like a metric ton of toilet paper.” Indeed. People often ask how we juggle travel and home life with a big family. We’ve shared a ton of tips and tricks, but this is BY FAR the most important. The home stockpile.

Thank your Mom Tribe with Chocolate and Jokes

I was the first of my friends to have kids. I’ve been blessed to develop an incredibly large and supportive group of fellow moms since then, but I’ll never forget those isolating initial weeks. It was me, a baby, and absolutely NO CLUE what I was doing. I ended up leaning on two women in particular during those early days of motherhood when I needed a gut check, a hand, or just an ear to listen when the little guy refused to sleep at 3am. Nate’s mom and grandma (Oma and Nana) were the original members of my mom tribe, and I try to find ways to thank them every year around Mother’s Day.

Family Pajamas are the Adorable Gift that Keeps on Giving

When I was a kid, my grandma would give the whole family a new set of matching pajamas every holiday. We’d all get decked out in our footies or silk top-and-bottoms (it changed every year depending on her mood) and take the obligatory photo. I LOVED THIS TRADITION. I loved it so much, in fact, that I’ve continued it with my own family, getting new matching pajamas every single season and insisting that we all wear them on vacation.

How to Teach Kids the Value of Money

The boys have hit that point in school where they start learning about money. Instead of adding ones and tens, they’ve started calculating pennies and dimes. Naturally, this prompted ALL sorts of questions. The day our 1st grader asked if he could purchase a house with a handful of change, Nate and I realized it was time to show them that coins are more than just numbers and placeholders. How to teach kids the value of money? For us, a piggy bank was the obvious first step!

Restaurant Celebrations with a Totally Picky, Super-Active Family

We’ve talked about a few different kids party ideas, and received an email or two from readers wanting to know how we plan parties when so much of our time is spent traveling. Our festivities are quick and nimble. We try our best to grab a few decorations and on-the-go activities even if we’re headed to a hotel. That being said, there are times when we have something to celebrate and ZERO time beyond a quick sit-down meal. Oh yes, people, restaurant celebrations are a serious party tactic around here!

How to Start a Kids Book Club Anywhere, Anytime

With all our independent study lately, the big kid has been looking for ways to dig through a book as a group when he doesn’t have access to the reading circles that are often found in a classroom. We read one-on-one, but a ton of learning and connection comes from reading with your peers. A kids book club was needed to help him solidify what he was reading and and really get engaged!