Archive for the ‘Entertaining’ Category

11 Shows to Watch With Your Tween

Monday, August 24th, 2020

Looking for the perfect show to watch with your tween? Check out some of our family favorites – here are 11 shows that are age appropriate and entertaining for both adults and kids!

From our marriage & parenting contributor, Mary Carver.

11 Shows to Watch With Your Tween

My daughters are 12 and 6 years old, and while I know that age gap won’t always seem so large, it feels insurmountable at times.

Times like my annual quest to find matching outfits for family photos.

Times like figuring out a vacation plan that will be fun for everyone.

And, for sure, times like deciding what TV series to watch next.

I get asked often about good shows for tweens because this stage encompasses such a wide range of ages.

So finding something to watch that’s not too baby-ish but also not too mature is tricky.

But because my girls are close to that age range (technically, tweens are aged 8 to 12), and we love watching TV as a family, I am constantly answering this question for my own family—and am happy to answer it for you, too!

Here are eleven TV shows that your tweens will love—and won’t drive you crazy to watch along with them.

The Baby-Sitters Club

Based on the beloved book series by Ann M. Martin, this show features middle school students who start a business and develop friendships.

This newest iteration is smart, modern, and sweet.

My girls and I all loved it and can’t wait for another season. (And my 12-year-old decided to give the books another chance.)

Watch on Netflix.

Diary of a Future President

A Cuban-American middle school girl journals about her life, growing up to eventually become the president of the U.S.

I’ve only watched the first episode of this show and have heard later episodes have some more mature themes better for older kids, but I did like what I’ve seen so far!

Watch on Disney Plus.

Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street

Gortimer and his friends are suburban middle school students who go on adventures with a smidge of magic and occasional melancholy, learning life lessons that are thankfully not heavy-handed.

This is my family’s number-one favorite show.

Watch on Amazon Prime.

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series

If you and/or your kids like the original High School Musical movies, you will likely love this new scripted series as well.

It’s about a group of high school students putting on the HSM musical, and they just happen to attend school in the building where the HSM movies were filmed.

It’s sweet and funny and as melodramatic as you’d expect a group of theater kids to be.

Watch on Disney Plus.

Holly Hobbie

Middle-schooler Holly lives in a small town but she has big dreams (and big feelings).

This is a super sweet but relatable coming-of-age show for tweens.

And I loved it so much I wouldn’t let my girls watch a single episode without me!

Watch on Hulu.

Just Add Magic

Three friends find a magical cookbook and work together to break curses and solve mysteries that plague their town and families.

This show is super cute, and I especially appreciated the focus on friendship and family (instead of romance, which sneaks into so many shows for kids!).

Watch on Amazon Prime.

Just Roll With It

A newly blended family learns to “roll with” the changes, both in their family and in the show, where the audience gets to rewrite the script and make the actors do crazy things in the middle of the episode.

Watch on Disney Plus.

Phineas and Ferb

I know some kids resist animated shows as they get a bit older (as do many adults!), but this one is just so funny.

Is it also formulaic and predictable?

Of course.

But it’s nonstop gags and jokes, many of them with references you’ll find even funnier than your kids do.

Watch on Disney Plus.

Sydney to the Max

A widowed dad raising his middle school daughter remembers his own middle school years.

If you are approximately my age (and therefore the age of the dad on this show), you’ll love the flashbacks to childhood in the early nineties.

Watch on Disney Plus.

When Calls the Heart

This drama about the Canadian West in the early 1900s is an original Hallmark show, based on a book series by Janette Oke.

We don’t watch it in my house but every single conversation I have about shows for tweens involves someone else saying their tweens love this show.

So, if you like this genre, give it a try!

Watch on Hallmark Channel (and catch up on earlier seasons on Netflix).

The Who Was? Show

Do your kids love reading the Who Was history books?

Do you love sketch comedy shows?

Then have we got a show for you!

This sketch comedy series features goofy but educational bits about historical figures, and it’s really a lot of fun.

Watch on Netflix.

Honorable mentions and sneak peeks:

If your kids (or you) prefer reality or competition shows more than scripted series, I recommend LEGO Masters (Hulu), Brain Games (Netflix), Floor is Lava (Netflix), The Big Family Cooking Showdown (Netflix), World of Dance (Hulu), American Pickers (Hulu), and Home Town (Hulu).

And stay tuned for my review of a couple shows I discovered while preparing to write this post. Both The Letter for the King (Netflix, for older kids) and The Healing Powers of Dude (also Netflix, probably good for any tweens) look incredible, and I can’t wait to watch them!

For more shows your family might enjoy, here’s The Ultimate List of TV Shows for Tweens and 24 Diverse TV Shows for Kids & Tweens.

What shows do your tweens like watching?

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Check out these other great ideas:

Middle School Series Books to Get Your Child Excited About Reading

90’s Movies to Watch with Your Kids

Historical Fiction Novels for Middle Grades

DIY Tween Confidence Kit

Gift Ideas for Tweens and Teens

Tags: Tween, Tween Television, Tween TV Shows
Posted in Early Childhood, Entertaining, Family, Teenagers | No Comments »

18 Hilarious TV Shows to Watch with Your Husband

Monday, July 13th, 2020

Looking for your next hilarious comedy show binge watch for date night? Here are some of our favorite comedy tv series to watch with your spouse. We give you 18 hilarious tv shows to watch with your husband.

From our marriage & parenting contributor, Mary Carver.

I don’t know how it works at your house, but here, it can sometimes feel impossible to find something good on tv to watch with my husband.

Occasionally, he’ll indulge me and watch something I like that he does not (this would include every Hallmark movie he’s ever watched), and sometimes I do the same for him (hello, American Pickers and Pawn Stars).

But we really do enjoy having something we can call, “our show,” something we enjoy together–so I am constantly on the lookout for TV series that I think might fit the bill.

Now, in addition to having very different tastes in what we find entertaining, we also tend to avoid shows with too much violence, sex, or other mature content.

For the most part, we stick to shows rated PG-13 or TV-14. (The exception is a show rated higher because of language.

That’s not something that particularly bothers us.

Obviously every couple has their own parameters and choices!) It’s a boundary we agree on and value, but it does make finding our next show even harder!

If you’re in a similar situation, you’re not alone.

And it’s not actually impossible! I’m here to share some of the shows my husband and I have most loved watching together.

So grab your remote, your snacks, and a blanket big enough to share, and get ready for your next couple binge!

Today I’m giving you recommendations for comedies because, let’s be honest, we all need a little lightness these days.

Not to mention, laughing with my husband strengthens our connection more than just about anything else. So, here goes!

18 Comedies Perfect to Watch with Your Husband

Comedies about friends

Community

A motley crew of adults end up in a community college study group.

If you love pop culture references and a heavy dose of sarcasm with your comedy, this often outrageous show is for you.

Watch this show on Netflix.

Happy Endings

A close-knit group of friends has to deal with one of the friends leaving her fiance (and another member of that group) at the altar.

Awkward!

The jokes in this one come fast and while the characters are sometimes kind of (okay, a lot) mean, they also love each other and you can tell.

Watch on Hulu.

New Girl

What started as a sitcom about a quirky single gal moving in with three guys quickly became an ensemble about a friends figuring out how to do life.

I love this show so much that I’ve watched the entire thing twice and am halfway through season two with my husband. In case you’re wondering, he loves it too.

Watch on Netflix.

The Unicorn

This was a new show last fall, and I did not expect to like it.

But I did!

And so did my husband.

It’s about a widowed dad and the two couples he and his late wife have been close friends with for years.

It’s sweet but also sharply funny, and even better?

It is about real, grown-up people (which I can’t really say about the other friend-centric shows on this list).

Watch on CBS.com.

Comedies about the afterlife (strangely, we have two options)

The Good Place

This show. It is so good!

After watching the first season, I made my husband watch it and from then on, we watched together.

Starring Kristen Bell and Ted Danson, this show is about what happens after we die.

And it’s about specific people who find themselves in “the good place” at the same time.

And it’s smart and thoughtful and sharp and hilarious and so very twisty and surprising.

I can’t say any more.

Just watch it!

Watch on Netflix.

Upload

This is a fairly new show (only one season so far) also about the afterlife.

This one is more sci-fi-ish, but it’s also laugh-out-loud funny and moving in a way that surprised me.

Upload is rated TV-MA for language and brief nudity.

Watch on Amazon Prime.

Comedies about families

Arrested Development

You thought your family is dysfunctional?

Wait ‘til you meet the Bluths.

This was another one I watched alone before deciding my husband would love it.

I forced him to watch, and he was glad.

A show about rich, messed up people dealing with the consequences of their insane behavior, this one is incredibly quirky and funny in that dry, sarcastic way that my husband and I both love.

Watch on Netflix.

Black-ish

This is a traditional family sitcom that happens to focus on a Black family and their unique experience.

The kids are goofy and mouthy, the in-laws are around to criticize and offer wisdom, and the parents are juggling a whole lot of important things like parenting, marriage, career, and culture.

Yep, just what you’d expect from a family sitcom–and so much more.

It’s sweet and funny, for sure, but for me (as a white person) I really love how this show gives me another perspective on our world, from politics and history to business and family life.

Watch on Hulu.

Bob’s Burgers

Like cartoons made for grown-ups?

A quirky family and dry humor?

May I offer you Bob’s Burgers?!

Sometimes I need a palate cleanser after watching something more serious, and for me (and my husband), that’s where the very funny Bob’s Burgers comes in.

Watch this animated series on Hulu.

Kim’s Convenience

This is currently my treadmill show, but I am planning to rewatch with my husband as soon as I finish it!

The Kims are a Korean-Canadian family who own and operate a neighborhood convenience store.

They have some issues, both individually and collectively, but they also love each other a lot.

I adore both the parents and the grown daughter and son, but the supporting characters are lot of fun, too.

Watch on Netflix.

One Day at a Time

No, not the old one! I’m talking about the reboot, truly inspired by the original but absolutely modern.

The show is about a Cuban-American family — single mom, son, daughter, and mother/grandmother played by the fabulous Rita Moreno — and it is so stinking good. It’s laugh-out-loud funny but don’t be fooled.

This show addresses so many real, hard issues in a sympathetic and authentic way that it’s impossible not to be moved.

Watch on Netflix.

Schitt’s Creek

It might seem a little tone deaf to our current times to recommend a show about a spoiled rich, white family who loses everything and finds themselves facing poverty.

Or, is it exactly right for these times? I don’t know. What I know is that Schitt’s Creek was my husband’s idea and though it took me a few episodes, I’m now the one suggesting we watch it!

Like so many of these shows, it’s deeply funny and moving all at the same time.

And Eugene Levy!

For what it’s worth, the show has given us the best collection of GIFs of anything in recent years.

Watch on Netflix.

The Goldbergs

Speaking of recent years, that’s not what this show is about.

The Goldbergs takes a look at a middle-class, suburban family growing up in the 80s.

It’s sweet, funny, and all the nostalgia a gal (and her husband) could want.

Watch on Hulu.

Comedies in the workplace

Better Off Ted

One of the first shows I rewatched by introducing it to my husband (and one of the shows I’ve watched, start to finish, most), this is a good one.

It’s a satirical look at a giant corporation, with the most sincere and loveable characters playing all the stereotypical roles you find in such a company.

Quirky, hilarious, and one of our favorites!

Watch on Hulu.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

In our current climate all TV shows about police are being reconsidered.

I think that’s a good thing, but I also hope that this one comes back whenever TV comes back.

It’s a goofy take on the police procedural, but it’s also a show with one of the diverse (and excellent) casts on TV right now.

Watch on Hulu.

Parks & Recreation

Ahhhh, my beloved Parks & Rec!

Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope!

This truly is one of my top favorite shows of all time, and I was beyond thrilled when my husband loved it, too.

The characters are co-workers (at a small Indiana town’s parks and recreation department) who become friends and, by the end, family.

It has some of the cringe humor we know from The Office, but it also has exponentially more heart.

I love you.

You should watch it.

Watch on Netflix.

Superstore

If you’ve ever worked retail or have a Jim-and-Pam-sized hole in your TV-loving heart, Superstore is the comedy series for you.

Set in a quasi-Walmart in Missouri, it somehow makes you fall in love with the most ridiculous characters ever.

Watch on Hulu.

Veep

If you can’t stomach real world actual politics right now, this outrageous satire might be more your speed.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus is the vice president, and hijinks ensue.

As so the expletives, so be prepared for incredibly creative (but possibly offensive) language.

Watch on Hulu.

What TV show have you loved watching with your husband?

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Looking for more TV and movie recommendations? Try these ideas:

Rules for Watching TV with Your Husband

5 Reasons I Let my Kids Watch TV

90’s Movies to Share with your Kids

DIY Outdoor Movie Night

11 Romantic Comedies for Date Night

How Podcasts Saved Our Marriage

Tags: Comedies, Date Night, Television
Posted in Early Childhood, Entertaining, Family, Marriage, New Parents & Babies, Teenagers | No Comments »

Love in the Time of Corona[virus]: 19 Ideas for At-Home Date Nights

Tuesday, April 14th, 2020

Stuck at home, but still looking for some fun ideas for quality time with your spouse? We have 19 creative and fun ideas for spending alone time together during these crazy days.

From our marriage & parenting contributor, Mary Carver.

Remember six months ago, when we thought making time to date our spouses seemed so hard?

Or we agreed that sometimes, it’s just not possible to go out?

That because of budgets or babysitter shortages or whatever other reason that wasn’t “the pandemic,” because we had no idea that could be a real situation we’d live through, we would just have to figure out how to make a date night happen at home?

Oh, Six-Months-Ago Mary, you had no idea.

We didn’t know what was coming, but now we’re here and though our whole world feels like it’s upside down, the basic needs of a marriage are still the same.

Married people need time together.

We need the chance to look at our person, right in the eyes, and connect.

We need to remember we’re on the same team. We need everything a “date night,” whatever that may look like in this season, offers–possibly more than ever before.

Now, obviously, I could just list off random activities and add “strip” to the beginning or “by candlelight” to the end.

But in case you need a little more than that, here’s a list of 19 creative ideas for connecting during the time of coronavirus.

Love in the Time of Corona[virus]: 19 Ideas for At-Home Date Nights

Learn a new board game

Of course, the first thing that popped into my mind was, “play a board game.”

But I can honestly say I haven’t played a board game with just my husband in years, if ever.

I’m not sure he’d be too excited if I asked him to play Scattergories with me this weekend.

But maybe…maybe he’d be up for us learning to play chess together.

Or, you know, something less mentally taxing. I’m going to give it a try!

Build something with cards or dominoes

Talk about working together as a team! Have you ever tried building a house of cards with a partner?

It takes some teamwork and patience — but can also lead to a lot of laughter (or pride in your accomplishment if you’re better at building than we are)!

Become a LEGO Master

I know, I know, you just got your kids to put away all those pesky blocks. But why not try to make something yourselves?

Fire up an episode of LEGO Masters on Hulu or Google some ideas for using the blocks you have on hand.

Then get creative! (You could even play a guessing game, where you each make something then the other person has to figure out what it is…)

Nothing wrong with a good ol’ movie night

Seriously.

I’m all about creative ideas, but the truth is, the go-to choice at my house is always going to be a movie night. (Here are a few movie recs, by the way!)

Make it the real deal with low lights, yummy snacks, snuggly blankets, and no phones.

Cook something new

Especially in a time where more people are in our houses more often, demanding more meals and snacks than usual, cooking can be a real chore.

But what if you start with a clean kitchen and make something TOGETHER that you’d never made before?

What if you try a copycat recipe for one of your favorite restaurant dishes?

What if you make something you and your husband will love but you KNOW the kids would never eat?

Take an online class

You can find an online class to learn how to do just about anything.

From building a birdhouse to giving each other massages, just search. It’s out there.

Slow dance in the living room

Pick up all the toys and papers and shoes and dishes that have made your living room their home. (Or, I don’t care, shove them in a basket and set it behind the couch! And obviously you don’t have to pick the living room…)

Turn down the lights, light a candle or two, and fire up a playlist of your favorite slow songs.

And just…dance.

It might feel silly at first, but what if you do it anyway?

Is it possible you could connect with your person in a way you both need? Maybe…!

Break a sweat with a good workout

If you all are the exercising types, why not work out together?

You could even make a plan to try a new fitness video once a week and vote on which ones you’ll add to your regular exercise routine.

Or simply take the opportunity to cheer each other on as you try to break your personal records running around the block.

Put together a puzzle

Did you know you can make a puzzle out of any picture?

I’ve made a couple out of photos I took in Kenya, but I’d imagine you could have some fun putting together a puzzle made from a photo of the two of you on your wedding day, during a favorite vacation, or simply making a funny face for the camera.

I made mine through Walmart Photos, but most photo printing companies do this.

Binge a show

It doesn’t to be Tiger King.

But if it’s Tiger King, I’m not here to judge. Haha!

Pick an old favorite you want to revisit, or something that’s all the rage right now, or something that’s been in your queue for a while but you just hadn’t gotten to it.

Walk around the neighborhood

Speaking of all the rage, neighborhood walks are really experiencing a renaissance right now, aren’t they?

And for good reason. Fresh air, a little cardio, seeing other humans (from a distance!), and reconnecting with the world for a few minutes–it’s all good for our minds, bodies, and hearts.

Go get groceries

But stay in the car!

Order your groceries online and drive to pick them up.

Wear your masks and use your hand sanitizer. (Or, if this isn’t safe or comfortable, don’t do this one!)

Support a local restaurant by getting takeout

Be fancy about it.

Set the table with dishes (and, obviously, the candles).

Play some music — bonus points if it’s the same style the restaurant plays!

Put away your phones and enjoy that meal together.

Tackle that home project you’ve been putting off

Stain the deck, re-arrange the guest room, finally create a gallery wall along the stairs, organize the garage.

Those are the things on our list, things we’ve wanted or needed to do, but haven’t had time.

Well, now we have time. Why not tackle these things together?

Dream about the future

We won’t be staying at home or sheltering in place forever.

Even for those of us whose finances are being destroyed by what’s happening, times won’t always be quite so difficult.

Together, dream about what you might do when days are different!

Will you go visit those friends or family member?

Take a family road trip?

Go on a romantic getaway?

Make a list if you’re a list person and keep it somewhere special.

On the days you’re feeling trapped or crowded, pull it out and remember that–even if you don’t get to those particular goals–you will get to go somewhere together again!

Write letters

Together, come up with a list of people you want to reach out to.

Maybe you decide if you simply want to send notes, or a gift card, or a photo, or even a picture you color or sketch.

Then divide up the tasks and get to work reaching out! (My husband isn’t much into writing letters and certainly not excited to get crafty or creative with paper products. But I know he’d help me make a list and stick stamps and return address stickers on the envelopes!)

Get drinks

At home, though. Open that bottle of wine (or whiskey or whatever your beverage of choice is), and take turns asking each other get-know-know you questions or conversation starters.

Pinterest is full of these kinds of lists, by the way!

Go on a (virtual) field trip

So many amazing things are FREE to watch and listen to online.

Visit a zoo, a museum, or a national park. Watch a stand-up comic or listen to an orchestra.

We might not be able to physically go out, but we can still experience new places together!

Work together to help others

Assemble care packages for those in need, bake cookies to deliver to neighbors, draw encouraging messages or an elaborate hopscotch board on your driveway, or even sew masks together.

As many needs as there are in our communities right now, there are just as many ways to help.

How have YOU connected with your spouse during this season?

Sign up for the MomAdvice newsletter!

Don’t miss these other great ideas from MomAdvice:

Rules for Watching TV with Your Husband

Romantic Comedies for Date Night

DIY Backyard Movie Night

DIY Swiffer Pads

DIY Orange Sugar Scrub

Weekly Chore Routines

Easy Recipes Using Pantry Ingredients

How are you being creative with date nights right now?

Tags: Corona, Date Ideas, Dating, Marriage
Posted in Entertaining, Family, Frugal, Marriage, New Parents & Babies, Saving | No Comments »

Easy Crafts for Kids to Keep Them Entertained

Wednesday, April 8th, 2020

Looking for new crafts to keep kids entertained in these upcoming weeks? Today I’m sharing super easy craft projects for kids of any age. If you are looking for super cute paper crafts, diy science projects, or homemade craft activities made from kitchen ingredients, MomAdvice has you covered!

This week happens to be our Spring Break and, I have to say, this is quite an unusual for most families.

I wanted to gather some fun ideas for keeping the kids entertained, if you happen to be looking for a few great ideas for boredom busters.

While many of these crafts rely upon common household items, I do want to share a list of my favorite resources for purchasing craft supplies right now.

Where Can I Get Supplies Right Now For My Projects?

First, be sure you are signed up (or signed in) with your Rakuten account to get money back on all your purchases.

If you haven’t signed up, this referral link should give you $10 to put towards your craft supplies.

Haven’t heard of it?

Here is a whole post on why this is a great app for receiving cash back rewards, especially as we all have switched (mostly) to online ordering.

Once you have that set up, here are some of my favorite resources to check out!

Bluprint– If you are looking for even more craft ideas, Bluprint is offering their classes for FREE through April 16th.

I have taken so many fun classes through this platform. In fact, that’s how I finally got the hang of food photography!

Oriental Trading Company- This is one of the most affordable sites for good deals on shopping for kids crafts.

They offer so much in bulk, which is perfect for bigger families or even splitting the cost on craft materials with a friend or neighbor.

Dollar Tree– Did you know that you can order your arts & crafts supplies online from this budget-friendly dollar store?

In fact, the store has even more offerings online than they care on their store shelves.

Etsy– Did you know that you can shop Etsy for your craft supplies? Crafting has been a huge part of my job and one of my favorite discoveries is how affordable it is to buy my supplies in bulk from Etsy sellers.

To make sure that I receive my orders in time, I try to filter by results that are within my own country, just to reduce those long days waiting to do our projects.

Michael’s– Of course, this has always been my go-to in town so this will continue to be my go-to online.

Be sure to download their app or subscribe to their email list to receive coupons to put towards your craft supplies.

JoAnn Fabrics– Order online or take advantage of their curbside pick-up to grab your craft supplies.

Also, don’t forget to download their app so you can take advantage of additional coupon savings!

Now let’s get crafting!

We have arranged these projects by age groups today.

Easy Crafts for Kids to Keep Them Entertained

Arts & Crafts Ideas for Early Childhood

How to Make Bubble Snakes from MomAdvice

You are going to be amazed at the difference in this solution versus what you buy at the store and the staying power of your bubble snake. Not only are making bubbles and bubble snakes fun, but they are also a lesson in science.

How to Make Recycled Crayons from Good Life Eats

These Easy Recycled Crayons are a fun project for to do. Plus, you’ll get the bonus of your art supplies getting dejunked and reorganized in the process.

3 Ingredient Cloud Dough from MomAdvice

Here is an easy 3-ingredient Cloud Dough recipe that you can make for your kids! This fluffy dough is a great sensory activity for kids and is so fun to play with that even adults want to get on the action.

Amazon Alexa Games for Kids from Living in a Happy Place

20+ fun and learning games kids can play with Alexa! Get a free printable list.

DIY Outdoor Chalkboard Door from MomAdvice

Here is an easy DIY Outdoor Chalkboard Door that I created to entertain the kids! Give your kids some chalk and the chance to create their own welcome sign for your guests outdoors! The best part is the hours of enjoyment they get and the lack of dirt showing on my outdoor door in the backyard.

Nerf Gun Games with Target Printable from Crafting with Kids

Learn how to create your own nerf wars with targets made from household items.

Easy Homemade Playdough Recipe from MomAdvice

Homemade playdough lasts forever and can be created in whatever vibrant shades your heart desires. This homemade playdough recipe is an easy one to create from items you already have in your pantry and homemade playdough with a big stack of cookie cutters? Well, that just equals hours of fun in our house.

Fizzy Dinosaur Egg Play from Simple Everyday Mom

These fizzy dinosaur eggs are a fun dinosaur STEM project that your kids will want to do over and over again.

Shower Curtain Art Canvas from MomAdvice

A day stuck inside is the perfect opportunity to break out one of my dollar store activities for our kids. I bought a shower liner ($1) and had the kids decorate the shower curtain with whatever their heart’s delight was. I don’t know about you, but my children like to go through a million pieces of paper a day so this was the perfect canvas for their artistic souls.

Soccer Fun Cootie Catcher from Rock Your Homeschool

Now, your soccer fans can enjoy awesome indoor fun with this free printable soccer cootie catcher!

DIY Pom Pom Bunnies Craft from MomAdvice

You can create the cutest craft to celebrate spring! We are making DIY pom pom bunnies from a few common items you probably have in your craft supplies and recycling drink containers.

Easy Salt Dough Recipe for Kids from Unsophisticook

This simple and easy salt dough recipe is the perfect rainy day activity… Kids will master valuable kitchen skills while learning how to make salt dough, and then spend hours playing with it!

3 Easy Rainbow Experiments from MomAdvice

These rainbow experiments are not only fun, but also educational. We know we are guaranteed spectacular rainbows with these 3 fun activities.

Lego Challenge: 30 Days of Play Calendar from That Brick Life

Keep the kids busy with this 30 day LEGO Challenge!

How to Make Chalk Paint from MomAdvice

This is my favorite homemade sidewalk chalk paint recipe. Making DIY sidewalk chalk paint couldn’t be easier and many of the supplies are likely lurking right in your cupboard.

Easy Arts & Craft Ideas for Tweens

How to Make Elephant Toothpaste from MomAdvice

Who doesn’t love a crazy chemical reaction? Since we have older kids, we have found it takes a lot to wow them so I wanted to create some science fun that they had never seen before. Grab your safety glasses and dive into a fun science experiment with us as we make Elephant Toothpaste and learn a heck of a lot of science in the process.

10 Patterns Perfect for Kids to Embroider from Swoodson Says

Help kids learn how to hand embroidery with one of these simple patterns for kids to stitch!

DIY String Art Tutorial with Heart Template from MomAdvice

With tiny nails, embroidery floss, and our free heart pattern, you have everything you need for your first string art project. Learn how to make your own heart shapes with this easy diy project for you or for your kids.

Watermelon Pirate Ship from MomAdvice

I have crafted up a watermelon boat that you can share with your kids for your family night together. This fun food craft can be created together, adding your own personal pirate touches, or you can create it to surprise the kids for your family night.

DIY Dream Catcher from MomAdvice

Here is a DIY dream catcher that is a fun way to capture dreams and wished. This was an easy one hour project that really gave me and the kids some time to bond and talk about our wishes for the upcoming year.

DIY Fluffy Slime Recipe from MomAdvice

Looking for a new DIY recipe for making Fluffy Slime? Making slime is a lot of fun and a great way to teach your children how to measure ingredients.

Lego Coding Activity from Brain Power Boy

Use LEGO bricks to learn to code! Easy to pull together activity to get them learning coding while being offline.

Mini Star Cakes from MomAdvice

Check out these mini star cakes that you can prepare out of just 3 items from your pantry. These cakes are easy enough that your kid can put these together and impressive enough to share with your friends.

Pom Pom Flower Bouquets from MomAdvice

What could be more fun than a bouquet of pom pom posies that you can enjoy all year long? You won’t believe how easy it is to make pom pom flowers for a special someone in your life. And it is a great way to use up scraps of yarn!

Book Series for Kids who Love Harry Potter from MomAdvice

I know I’m not alone in navigating the challenge of a tween who loves books and can read at a higher grade level than she’s in – or ready for. So just in case you have a kid who loves Harry Potter (but has already read them all or isn’t ready for the next book in the series) in your life, I’ve got a few other series that might keep your bookworm busy.

Harry Potter Brain Breaks for Fantastic Fun from Rock Your Homeschool

Your Harry Potter fans can enjoy magical fun with these special brain breaks. Includes prompts for hands-on activities & to get kids up & moving!

DIY Coffee Filter Posies from MomAdvice

I have been dying to make coffee filter flowers and wanted to share with you just how easy and inexpensive it is to make these for a fun table centerpiece or just a few posies on your nightstand to brighten up your room.

How to Make a Minecraft Steve Costume from MomAdvice

Got a Minecraft fan? Here is a fun Minecraft Costume you can create for your very own little Minecraft-addict. DIY Minecraft costumes are fun to make with your kids and give you a chance to spend time together.

Easy Arts & Craft Ideas for Teens

DIY Succulent Terrarium from MomAdvice

Succulents are my kind of plants because they are so low maintenance and they don’t require a lot of water. Here is an easy DIY showing you how to make a succulent terrarium as budget-friendly as possible.

DIY Book Page Flower Tutorial from MomAdvice

Learn how to make book page flowers out of old books to brighten someone’s day. These book flower bouquets are beautiful to display or to give as a treat to someone else!

How to Dye Canvas Shoes from MomAdvice

I am such a fan of fabric dying and we wanted to show you a way that you can customize your style. This is a fun way to customize your gym shoes or to refresh an old pair of sneakers.

DIY Watercolor and Digital Art from MomAdvice

Does your child love to watercolor? Have them create their own water color and teach them how to transform into their own digital print that they can share with someone they love. You can also snag this free DIY Watercolor Printable that we made for you for Spring!

DIY Slow Cooker Candles from MomAdvice

Learn how to make your own DIY candles in your crockpot or slow cooker. Did you know you can make pumpkin spice scented candles at home with just wax, a wick, and essential oils? This easy tutorial will have you make large batches of candles in no time. Just switch up your oils for a different scent!

How to Knit an Ear Warmer Headband from MomAdvice

Learn how to knit this chunky cable knit headband. This is the perfect beginner pattern to lean how to cable. The best part? No cable needles required! Use this free knitting pattern to make these this gorgeous knitted craft, perfect to stash away for people in need!

DIY Book Tote with Free Designs from MomAdvice

A good book bag is essential, isn’t it? Here are some awesome book totes for you to take along using a simple set of canvas tote bags and our free set of printables. Simply print and iron on your own canvas tote bags for a fun craft day! These also make for such a great gift for the book lovers in your life – there’s a grown-up quote, a floral heart and an adorable gal or guy fox to choose from.

DIY Vintage Book Page Art from MomAdvice

Make some beautiful Springtime art to hang in your home, use for cardmaking or crafts.

Easy Arts & Craft Ideas For Any Age

Create a Family Cookbook with your Kids from MomAdvice

Have you ever wanted to tackle making a family cookbook with your kids? I’m so excited to show you how we made a scrapbook of our favorite foods and food traditions together. Making a cookbook with your kids is a fun activity that any family can do together.

How to Find and Write Pen Pals from MomAdvice

Pen Pals are a beautiful thing in a digital age where pen, paper, the process of writing, and waiting are so hard in our fast moving culture. Here is our experience with finding and writing pen pals that I hope will inspire you to find a pen pal of your own for your child.

150 Educational Shows to Stream on Netflix from Homeschool Hideout

Create a separate profile on Netflix for these upcoming homeschool days. Name it “School” and add ONLY educational materials to this profile.

DIY Herb Garden & Markers from MomAdvice

Gardening is a hobby that is great to share with children. The herbs are small and easy for them to take care of. You can make extra and drop them off as gifts to neighbors!

How to Regrow Vegetable Scraps from Simple Bites

Check out this earth-friendly craft for turning kitchen compost scraps into pretty spring greens.

How to Make a Homeless Care Package from MomAdvice

Blessing bags for the homeless are such a beautiful act of kindness for those in need. This post will show you how to make homeless kits for those in need. These hygiene kits are handy to keep in your car, for those that live on the street, or can be given as gift bags for your local homeless shelter. Be sure to print out our free printable supplies list for your homeless care kit.

How to Make Car S’mores from MomAdvice

Have you ever ate a car s’more? No? Well, in my opinion, you haven’t lived until you have tried this fun food activity together. I guarantee that your kids will flip for this and I am betting that years from now my kids will be talking about that one time when their crazy mom let them make s’mores in the car.

Cardboard Tube Bird Feeders from Glitter on a Dime

Recycle those toilet paper and paper towel tubes into easy bird feeders.

DIY Outdoor Movie Night from MomAdvice

Have you ever wanted to create your own DIY Outdoor Home Theater? We have had this on our bucket list for years and this summer we decided to finally put together our very own DIY outdoor movie night together with our kids and are sharing it with you! There is something truly magical about watching a movie together under the stars and I love that you can do this right in the comfort of your very own backyard.

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Here are some other fun craft ideas from MomAdvice.com: Easy Burlap Wreath Tutorial

Chunky Knit Blanket with Free Pattern

DIY Yarn Pom Pom Wreath

Crafting with Vinyl Records

DIY Bicycle Makeover Ideas

Happy Crafting!

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Tags: Easy Kids Crafts, Keep Kids Entertained
Posted in DIY, Early Childhood, Education, Entertaining, Family, Frugal, Holidays, Kids Crafts, Marriage, New Parents & Babies, Printables, Saving, Teenagers | No Comments »

The 90s Family Movies To Stream Right Now

Thursday, March 26th, 2020

Looking for some 90s family films to share with your kids? From sci-fi to heartwarming classics, we’ve got you covered. Stream these nostalgic movies today.

From our marriage & parenting contributor, Mary Carver.

The 90s Family Movies To Stream Right Now

A couple years ago I realized my kids were entering a magical stage, one in which they could appreciate some of the movies from my own childhood.

Finally, we could watch non-animated movies together, and they were old enough to understand but not be scared.

And, if I was lucky and played it just cool enough, they were still young enough to be delighted and entertained by the movies I have loved for decades.

Of course, there is no accounting for taste when it comes to my kids (or any kids, I suspect).

The first time I showed them The Princess Bride, they were not impressed.

Inconceivable!

Little do they know I’m planning to give it another try over spring break…

So far, my kids have loved Hook, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, and Lindsay Lohan version of The Parent Trap.

And while I don’t think they’re quite ready for My Girl, I cannot wait to track down The Sandlot and show them that one.

Head’s up, though: While I don’t know the exact standards for movie ratings during our childhoods versus today, it seems that older movies rated PG include more language, violence, and adult references than today’s PG movies.

So while each one of these movies is rated PG, keep in mind that might mean something different than you remember or expect!

Think you might want to show your own kids a few movies from back in the day?

Start with this list of 90’s movies!

For the sports fans:

Space Jam (1996) – recommended for ages 7+

This 1996 live-action/animated sports comedy film starring basketball legend Michael Jordan and the Looney Tunes characters is a fun one for your weekend.

In the film, Jordan teams up with Bugs Bunny and other Looney Tunes characters to win a basketball game against a group of aliens who plan to capture them as attractions for their theme park. Be sure to bookmark the sequel for your weekend.

The Sandlot (1993) – recommended for ages 8+

Baseball, friendship, and 1960s nostalgia.

In this heartfelt coming-of-age comedy, a new kid is taken in by a group of baseball loving misfits. A reboot is rumored to be coming to Disney+ !

A League of Their Own – recommended for ages 10+

Women’s baseball, Tom Hanks, and Geena Davis.

There’s no crying in baseball! Based on the real-life Girls All American Professional Baseball League founded in 1942. A tv series based on the movie is in production for Amazon streaming.

The Mighty Ducks (1992) – recommended for ages 11+

Hockey, underdogs, and Emilio Estevez.

As a community service requirement, a selfish lawyer must coach a losing youth hockey team. A series based on the film is in development at Disney +.

For the animal lovers:

Free Willy (1993) – recommended for ages 6+

A boy, a whale, and some intense emotions.

An orphan boy befriends a captive killer whale and aims to release him back to the wild. There are three sequels: The Adventure Home, The Rescue and Escape from Pirate’s Cove.

Babe (1995) – recommended for ages 6+

A pig, a farm, and some harsh realities about where food comes from.

Can the other barn animals accept a nontraditional pig? Yes, when he’s as cute as Babe. Oscar winning piglet!

Dr. Dolittle (1998) – recommended for ages 8+

Animals, Eddie Murphy, and a whole lot of potty humor.

Once the animals in town find out Dr. Dolittle has the ability to talk to animals, they all come visit!

For anyone who loves fantasy and make-believe:

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989) – recommended for ages 6+

Inventions, adventures, and Rick Moranis.

Whoops! Four kids are shrunken to the size of ants by a shrimp ray and must fight their way through the backyard, while their scientist dad searches for them. A new film, Shrunk, is in production at Disney.

George of the Jungle (1997) – recommended for ages 6+

Abandoned baby, raised by apes, grows up and visits San Francisco.

Just try and get the theme song out of your head. Tarzan spoof action adventure based on a cartoon series. The cartoon is getting a reboot for CBS All Access.

Matilda (1996) – recommended for ages 9+

Clever girl has powers in fantasy based on Roald Dahl book. includes the world’s worst principal – Miss Trunchbull. Netflix is developing a musical reboot.

Hook (1991) – recommended for ages 10+

Grown-up Peter Pan, campy Captain Hook, and kidnapped kids.

Directed by Steven Spielberg grown up Peter (Robin Williams) and Tinkerbell (Julia Roberts) must face their old nemesis Hook (Dustin Hoffman).

All about friends and family:

The Parent Trap (1999) – recommended for ages 6+

Separated twins, reunited parents, and little Lindsay Lohan.

A remake of the classic 1961 Disney film.

My Girl (1991) – recommended for ages 11+

Friendship, death, and baby Macaulay Culkin.

Get ready for all the feelings watching Anna Chlumskey play an 11 year old being raised by single dad Dan Ackroyd.

A couple lesser-known (but fantastic) animated legends:

Anastasia (1997) – recommended for ages 6+

Long-lost princess, evil Rasputin, and more fun than facts.

Includes the vocal talents of Meg Ryan, Angela Lansbury, Kelsey Grammer, Christopher Lloyd and John Cusack.

Hercules (1997) – recommended for ages 7+

Gods and heroes, a gospel Greek chorus, and intense animated action.

Disney animates Greek mythology!

Treats for the holidays:

Hocus Pocus (1993) – recommended for ages 10+

Halloween, witches, and spooky stuff.

One of the best Halloween movies ever. Reboot announced for Disney +.

Home Alone (1990) – recommended for ages 10+

Mouthy kids, careless parents, and holiday hijinks.

More Macaulay Caulkin, but this time he is battling Joe Pesci. Also includes the fabulous Katherine O’Hara and John Candy. Yes, also on reboot list for Disney +.

Do your kids like movies from the 90’s? Which ones are their favorites?

Note: Age recommendations come from Common Sense Media.

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Don’t miss these other great stories from MomAdvice:

Reasons to Let Your Kids Watch TV

Screen Time Rules for the Middle School Years

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Rules for Watching TV with Your Spouse

11 Romantic Comedies for Date Night

We hope you love this list as much as we do!

Tags: 90s Movies to Stream, Television for Kids, TV for Kids
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11 Rom Coms for the Perfect Date Night

Wednesday, February 12th, 2020

Whether you are trying to avoid the crowds and freezing weather on Valentine’s Day, or just looking for the perfect low-key romance, here are some favorite romantic comedies for date night.

From our marriage & parenting contributor, Mary Carver.

When my husband and I were first married, every trip to the video store (remember those) would end in a fight.

He wanted action; I wanted romance. Movies, I mean (although I suppose you could interpret that another way, accurately).

I’m not sure why I was so dead set on forcing him to watch every single romance or romantic comedy in existence, but I was.

Eventually, I realized this was not the healthiest pattern.

And also, as it turns out, I quite enjoy action movies myself.

Long story short?

We didn’t watch a lot of rom coms together for quite a while.

But recently, we’ve started something new.

After almost two decades of marriage, we’ve learned to compromise.

I’ll pause while you gasp in astonishment.

Seriously, though, over the past few years we’ve fought hard to fight less — and it involves a whole lot of compromise.

Of meeting in the middle.

Of me watching baseball movies and baseball documentaries and baseball games, and him watching people find true love in romantic comedies.

It’s been beautiful. (Except for the baseball games. Even my deep, abiding love of my husband can’t make me actually like baseball games.)

Anyway. All this means we can have legit movie date nights at home! (Yes, yes, I realize we could, in theory, watch an action or a drama at home. But, I don’t know, we just usually don’t.)

I realize this might seem silly to you.

Especially if you’re a movie date night at home pro.

But whether you and your husband snuggle on the couch to watch a movie every weekend or you’re new to this like we are, I’ve got a list of rom coms perfect for your date night at home.

All of these love stories are currently streaming, and each one should be a hit with both of you (no matter what genre each of you likes best)!

Check out my list and let me know what kind of movies you like watching with your husband!

11 Rom Coms for the Perfect Date Night

Set It Up – (Netflix)

Who knew Netflix could make their own sweet, funny romantic comedy?

This was the first one that caught a lot of attention and for good reason.

Snappy dialogue, charming leads, fun premise (two overworked corporate assistants set up their bosses and then make their own connection).

This is a good one! Stars Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell. Rated TV-14.

Always Be My Maybe – (Netflix)

Seriously, I wish Netflix would quit doing all the other things and just make rom coms.

Because this one is great, too!

Childhood friends hook up once, then don’t see each other for years.

They reconnect later when she’s a celebrity chef and he’s still living at home and working with his dad.

Also, the best Keanu cameo we didn’t know we needed.

Stars Ali Wong and Randall Park. Rated PG-13.

Before We Go – (Amazon Prime)

Two pretty people (including Chris Evans) meet in NYC and spend a night together.

No, not like that!

On an adventure!

It’s sweet.

And bittersweet.

Gah! I’ve said too much.

Just watch it.

Stars Alice Eve and Chris Evans. Rated PG-13.

Man Up – (Netflix)

A woman takes the place of a man’s blind date.

Hijinks (and romance) ensue.

This one is so funny and surprisingly sweet.

I’m glad I took a chance on it (after assuming it would be bad, based on the poster and the actors).

Which is, coincidentally, similar to the journey these characters go on.

Stars Lake Bell and Simon Pegg. Rated R for language.

What If – (Amazon Prime)

I wasn’t sure I could see Daniel Radcliffe as anyone other than Harry Potter.

As it turns out, I sure can.

This movie asks the notorious question: Can men and women just be friends? (No. Not in the movies, duh.)

Stars Daniel Racliffe and Zoe Kazan. Rated PG-13.

Plus One – (Hulu)

Longtime friends decide to be each other’s dates to a bunch of weddings.

If you think you know how this ends, you’re probably right, but the getting there is interesting and funny and moving.

Stars Maya Erskine and Jack Quaid. Rated R for language and sex.

(Another movie with a strangely similar plot is The Wedding Year (Amazon Prime). Stars Sarah Hyland and Tyler James Williams. Rated R for language and drug use.)

Hitch – (Netflix)

Why not kick it old school with this classic from 2005?

A dating consultant falls for a reporter who doesn’t know who he really is.

Also, Kevin James dances. It’s all so adorable, really.

Stars Eva Mendes and Will Smith. Rated PG-13.

Date Night – (Amazon Prime)

If the grind of middle-age and suburban life is your stage of life, this one will probably resonate with you as much as it does with me.

They just wanted a date night, man!

Comedy, action, and sweet married romance.

Stars Tina Fey and Steve Carell. Rated PG-13.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society – (Netflix)

If you and your husband prefer something historical, this is a great one!

Is it as good as the book?

No, but I’m going to go out on a limb and guess your husband hasn’t read it.

So just sit back and enjoy it as a completely separate and completely sweet story about a writer who connects with the people of a small island following World War II.

Stars Lily James and Michiel Huisman. Rated TV-14.

Isn’t It Romantic? – (HBO through Hulu or Prime)

A single woman hits her head and wakes up in a romantic comedy, but it turns out that life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

This had the potential to be simply silly, but if you’ve ever questioned how love-able you are, this will be as meaningful to you as it was to me.

Also, you don’t want to miss the musical scenes in this comedy!

Stars Rebel Wilson and Adam Devine. Rated PG-13.

Second Act (SHOWTIME through Hulu or Prime)

A working class woman fakes her way into a high-level executive job and both finds herself and loses herself in the process.

This was surprisingly emotional, and the romance isn’t the main part of the story, but it’s all very sweet (and funny, too).

Plus it stars two of my very favorites: Jennifer Lopez and Milo Ventimiglia. Rated PG-13.

Those are my suggestions. I’d love to hear which movies you love watching on date nights! And for more romantic comedies you might not have seen yet, you can find a longer list on my blog.

What’s your favorite rom com for date night?

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Looking for some more fun Date Nights? Check out these ideas:

9 Simple Ideas for Frugal Date Nights

How to Create and Anniversary or Date Night Playlist

9 Spring Date Ideas for Any Budget

What I Learned from 5 Movie Dates in 10 Days

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Tags: Netflix Date Night, Rom Com Movies, Valentines Day Movies, Valentines Day Streaming
Posted in Entertaining, Family, Freebies, Frugal, Marriage, New Parents & Babies, Saving, Teenagers | No Comments »

11 Sitcoms to Help Get You Into the Holiday Spirit

Monday, December 9th, 2019

Here’s a guide for every episode you need to stream on television get into the holiday spirit! These 11 tv shows, with hilarious holiday episodes, prove that this season really is all about family – no matter how dysfunctional. Be sure to pin this post so you can remember this list of holiday episodes for a new family Christmas tradition.

From our marriage & parenting contributor, Mary Carver.

The holidays are the most wonderful time of the year, as we all know, but also the most hectic time of the year.

From shopping to baking to figuring out what to wear to the fancy party that sounded so fun when you agreed to go, most of our lives are nonstop chaos from about October through New Year’s.

With that in mind, it might seem silly that we’re bombarded with so much holiday programming on TV.

Who has time for that this holiday season when we have gifts to wrap and end-of-semester or end-of-quarter deadlines to meet and family dysfunction to navigate?!?

Well, nobody, I guess.

But while we may not have time to sit back and watch fictional characters and their holiday hijinks, I believe we might just need it.

Because sometimes we need a break.

Sometimes we need to laugh.

Sometimes…well, sometimes we need to watch a family way crazier than our own to regain our perspective on these people driving us nuts in real life!

Fortunately, in addition to the onslaught of holiday movies (of which I am a giant fan) and Christmas specials (of which I have made an exhaustive list), our favorite tv series are HERE FOR US with their very special holiday episodes.

Now, I won’t deny that some of our most beloved dramas have given us so much at holiday time.

From Chrismukkah (The O.C.) and winter festivals (Gilmore Girls) to the most romantic proposal in the snow (Downton Abbey) to even the most dark and twisty characters getting into the holiday spirit (Grey’s Anatomy), these shows can really do a number on our already seasonally fragile emotions.

There’s a time and place for all that, but right now, I’m leaning more toward the fun and funny type of holiday episodes.

That is what I think is going to help us not just get through the holidays, but actually enjoy them.

11 Sitcoms to Get You Into the Holiday Spirit

Black-ish

What other family sitcom addresses real family life and serious societal issues with so much humor and heart?

Making us think (and sometimes tear up) while laughing so hard is a Black-ish specialty, and that’s no different during the holiday.

Stream on Hulu .

Black Santa/White Christmas – season 1, episode 10
Stuff – season 2, episode 10
Just Christmas, Baby – season 3, episode 10
Christmas in Theater Eight – season 5, episode 8

Bob’s Burgers

I’m new to this show (thanks to Amy’s recommendation on my podcast!), but I can already tell I’m going to love this bizarrely lovable (or is it lovably bizarre?) family’s holiday shenanigans.

Stream on Hulu.

Bob Rest Ye Gentle-Mannequins – season 3, episode 9
Christmas in the Car – season 4, episode 8
Father of the Bob – season 5, episode 6
Nice-Capades – season 6, episode 5
The Last Gingerbread House on the Left – season 7, episode 7
The Bleakening – season 8, episodes 6-7
Better Off Sled – season 9, episode 10

Community

Though I always enjoyed the times the Community gang simply sat around their study table in the library, the themed episodes where the whole show goes off the rails are really the best.

Two of the Christmas episodes fit that bill to a T, one being filmed in stop-motion animation and one a musical send-up of the TV show, Glee.

If you like your holiday shows on the absurd side, Community has got you covered.

Stream on Hulu.

Comparative Religion – season 1, episode 12
Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas – season 2, episode 11
Regional Holiday Music – season 3, episode 10
Intro to Knots – season 4, episode 10

Happy Endings

This group of friends always makes me laugh so hard with their ridiculous antics focused on outsmarting each other in some competition or another, while also caring for one another with the most outrageous (and often back-firing) gestures imaginable.

Also, as a fellow December baby, I’m all for friends who go overboard trying to make their friend’s Christmas birthday special.

Stream on Hulu.

Grinches Be Crazy – season 2, episode 9
No-Ho-Ho – season 3, episode 7

How I Met Your Mother

How I Met Your Mother is better known for its Thanksgiving (or, Slaps-giving, if you will) episodes, but it had some great Christmas episodes, too.

And while this show is based on an outrageously unrealistic premise (“Kids, let me tell you every sordid detail of my exploits as a young single guy in the big city…”) and had that ending we all agree was major disappointment (*salutes* Major Disappointment), it also really did address issues many of us face as young (and not-so-young) adults.

Navigating friendships in the fallout of a breakup, dealing with homesickness, going through life changes like pregnancy and moves: somehow How I Met Your Mother makes “adulting” hilarious, especially in these holiday episodes.

Stream on Hulu.

How Lily Stole Christmas – season 2, episode 11
Little Minnesota – season 4, episode 11
False Positive – season 6, episode 12
Symphony of Illumination – season 7, episode 12

New Girl

Every character in this ensemble is intense — but in the super funny, strangely quirky sort of way.

And like in real life, the holidays just amplify what’s already there, turning everything about them, good and bad, individually and collectively, up to an 11.

But in the very best sort of way.

Stream on Netflix.

The 23rd – season 4, episode 9
Santa – season 2, episode 11
LAXmas – season 4, episode 11
Christmas Eve Eve – season 6, episode 10

Parks and Recreation

Does anyone even come close to possessing the enormous amount of genuine (and productive) holiday spirit as Leslie Knope?

Nope. (See what I did there?)

She outdoes us all, and darn it!

We love her all the more for it.

Despite serious political distractions in these holiday episodes, Leslie and friends give us even more feels than normal, even when we’re not invited to Jerry’s Christmas party!

Stream on Netflix.

Christmas Scandal – season 2, episode 12
Citizen Knope – season 4, episode 10
Ron and Diane – season 5, episode 9

The Goldbergs

Who can rock a hideous Christmas sweater while also turning Hanukkah into a competitive sport better than Beverly Goldberg?

Nobody, that’s who.

Stream on Hulu.

A Christmas Story – season 3, episode 10
Han Ukkah Solo – season 4, episode 10
We Didn’t Start the Fire – season 5, episode 10
Yippee Ki Yay Melon Farmer – season 6, episode 10

The Mindy Project

If a wine bra and a dancing Danny Castellano aren’t enough to convince you to watch the holiday episodes of The Mindy Project, then I just don’t know what to tell you.

The holidays might be for spending time with the ones you love, but in this show, they’re also for planning and scheming and so many silly twists and complications we can barely keep them straight. (But we totally can, because sitcom complications are rarely all that complicated, and we are smart people.)

Stream on Hulu.

Josh & Mindy’s Christmas Party – season 1, episode 9
Christmas Party Sex Trap – season 2, episode 11
Christmas – season 3, episode 11

The Office

The holiday party planning committee and all its many, many problems is one of my favorite parts of The Office.

Michael Scott going overboard in a ridiculous manner for a ridiculous reason?

Not so much my fave.

But somehow, these holiday episodes combine these two show ingredients into something stupid funny and great examples of what made The Office so popular.

Stream on Netflix.

Christmas Party – season 2, episode 10
A Benihana Christmas – season 3, episode 10
Moroccan Christmas – season 5, episode 10
Secret Santa – season 6, episode 13
Classy Christmas – season 7, episode 11
Christmas Wishes – season 8, episode 10
Dwight Christmas – season 9, episode 9

Will & Grace

If decking the halls includes donning our gay apparel, then obviously the foursome on Will & Grace are the right ones to help us do the holidays right.

I’m hoping we get one last holiday episode this year, but even if we don’t, we have plenty of classics to choose from.

Stream on Hulu .

Jingle Balls – season 4, episode 12
All About Christmas Eve – season 5, episode 11
Fanilow – season 6, episode 10
Christmas Break – season 7, episode 12
A Little Christmas Queer – season 8, episode 9
A Gay Olde Christmas – season 9, episode 7

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If you love tv as much as we do, you’ll love these posts too:

5 Reasons I Let My Kids Watch TV

6 Rules for Watching TV With Your Husband

The Best Halloween Episodes to Stream

6 Must-See Sitcoms That Make Us Give Thanks

What’s YOUR favorite holiday TV episode?

Tags: Best Holiday Shows on Television, Best Holiday Sitcom Episodes, Holiday Episodes in Sitcoms, The Best Holiday Television
Posted in Celebrations, Entertaining, Family, Holidays | No Comments »

6 Sitcoms That Make Us Give Thanks

Tuesday, November 12th, 2019

Here’s a list of everything you need to stream on television for Thanksgiving! These 6 tv shows, with hilarious and heartwarming Thanksgiving episodes, prove that this season really is all about family. Be sure to pin this post so you can remember this list of Thanksgiving episodes, for your family, every year.

From our marriage & parenting contributor, Mary Carver.

Apparently this is the year the internet decided we should get all up in arms about “skipping Thanksgiving.”

Because if I had a nickel for every meme, GIF, and comment I’ve seen about how we are just starting Christmas too soon and Hallmark and Hobby Lobby need to slow their roll and take time for Thanksgiving, I’d have a whole lot more money for Christmas shopping.

Okay, look.

Nobody is skipping Thanksgiving.

For one thing, Friends is such a big deal this year that in the last week of November, you can go to the theater and watch all 8 Friends Thanksgiving episodes.

Calm down, Karen! Fathom Events and Friends is going to make sure we don’t skip Thanksgiving! (All those details are here.)

But also, news flash!, we can be extra grateful even while preparing for Christmas.

We can eat turkey while watching Lifetime Christmas movies.

We can hang leaves on our gratitude trees and play touch football that turns into fighting football and go around the table and talk about what we’re most thankful for even if the lights are already on the house.

It’s going to be okay.

And, if we take a little time to enjoy Thanksgiving with our favorite TV episodes devoted to the supposedly overlooked but not really holiday, it will be way better than okay.

Because something about forcing people together for a meal on which we place sky-high expectations brings out the most outrageous, laughable situations — at least on TV!

While those ingredients might make for tension and drama in real life, something about watching fictional holiday dysfunction played for laughs alleviates our actual stress.

After all, Uncle Larry might be making the rounds again with awkward hugs and offensive jokes, but at least nobody is going to end up with a turkey on her head.

Perspective, people.

Several of our favorite shows will air brand-new Thanksgiving episodes this year.

But in case you want to start celebrating early (gasp! can you imagine?!), here’s a list of shows with rich and ridiculous Thanksgiving traditions.

6 Sitcoms That Make Us Give Thanks

Modern Family

One of the things I love most about this family is their insane competitive nature.

And for some reason, that comes out most brilliantly at Thanksgiving.

Tired of hearing humble brags about kids who play more sports and getter better grades than yours?

Join the Pritchetts as they try to prove who’s best. Stream on Hulu.

Punkin Chunkin – season 3, episode 9
Three Turkeys – season 6, episode 8
Thanksgiving Jamboree – season 8, episode 7
Winner Winner Turkey Dinner – season 9, episode 7

How I Met Your Mother

What do I love more than a bit that lasts multiple seasons?

NOTHING.

Not a thing.

So Slapsgiving is right up my alley, and my husband and I quote it to this day! Stream on Hulu.

Belly Full of Turkey – season 1, episode 9
Slapsgiving – season 3, episode 9
Slapsgiving 2: Revenge of the Slap – season 5, episode 2
Blitzgiving – season 6, episode 10
The Rebound Girl – season 7, episode 11

Will & Grace

The Thanksgiving episodes for Will & Grace are so epic, they require more than one episode per season!

Secrets (and so much more) come out, and it makes me laugh every time! Stream on Hulu.

Homo for the Holidays – season 2, episode 7
Lows in the Mid-Eighties – season 3, episodes 8-9
Moveable Feast – season 4, episodes 9-10
Queens for a Day – season 7, episodes 10-11

New Girl

Anyone who attempts to defrost a turkey in the dryer is clearly a Thanksgiving pro.

If by “Thanksgiving pro,” I mean someone who will make me laugh so hard I cry and also make me feel better about my own domestic abilities.

Thank you, New Girl. Stream on Netflix.

Thanksgiving – season 1, episode 6
Parents – season 2, episode 8
Thanksgiving III – season 3, episode 10
Thanksgiving IV – season 4, episode 9
Last Thanksgiving – season 6, episode 7

The Goldbergs

I have been slowly watching this show over the past year.

Slowly because I love it SO MUCH and I don’t ever want it to end.

And what do I consistently love most of all?

The Thanksgiving episodes.

Because who loses her mind more at the holidays than a smother mother?

Nobody, that’s who. Stream on Hulu.

Stop Arguing & Start Thanking – season 1, episode 9
A Goldberg Thanksgiving – season 2, episode 7
In Conclusion, Thanksgiving – season 3, episode 8
Ho-ly K.I.T.T. – season 4, episode 7
A Wall Street Thanksgiving – season 5, episode 7

Friends

Back in the early days of blogging, I wrote about Friends Thanksgiving episodes multiple times.

I’m not even the biggest Friends fan in the world, but could its holiday episodes BE any more iconic? Stream on Netflix.

The One Where the Underdog Gets Away – season 1, episode 9
The One with the List – season 2, episode 8
The One with the Football – season 3, episode 9
The One with All the Thanksgivings – season 5, episode 8
The One Where Ross Got High – season 6, episode 9
The One Where Chandler Doesn’t Like Dogs – season 7, episode 8
The One with Rachel’s Other Sister – season 9, episode 8
The One with the Late Thanksgiving – season 10, episode 8

Lots of other TV shows have fantastic Thanksgiving episodes (Fresh Off the Boat, Master of None, West Wing, This is Us, Parenthood, and Gilmore Girls to name just a few.) I’d love to hear about which ones are your favorites!

For a helpful guide for surviving Thanksgiving like the Gilmore Girls, click here.

Mary Carver is a writer, speaker, and recovering perfectionist. She lives for good books, spicy queso, and television marathons, but she lives because of God’s grace. Mary writes with humor and honesty about giving up on perfect and finding truth in unexpected places on her blog,MaryCarver.com. She is the author of Fast Talk & Faith: A 22-Day Devotional Inspired by Gilmore Girls and co-author of Choose Joy: Finding Hope & Purpose When Life Hurts. She is also a regular contributor to incourage.me and MothersofDaughters.com. Mary and her husband live in Kansas City with their two daughters.

What are your favorite Thanksgiving TV episodes?

This post contains affiliate links.

Love this post? Here are some other Thanksgiving posts you might enjoy!

planning a few rounds of board games for Thanksgiving? Check out this post on getting them all organized for family time

looking for an activity to do together? These homeless care packages would be a great family activity.

hitting the road for the holiday? print out these free travel games to keep the kids busy!

make and freeze this year’s thanksgiving meal, ahead of time, with this fun menu plan

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Tags: Thanksgiving Sitcom Episodes, Thanksgiving Television, Thanksgiving TV Schedule
Posted in Entertaining, Holidays | No Comments »

DIY Game Day Bar Cart

Tuesday, September 18th, 2018

Entertaining is my thing. There’s nothing I love more than getting friends and family together for a great time.

And with a certain important game day party coming up, I knew just what I wanted to assemble to show off for my guests — a game day bar cart!

My favorite bar cart in our home is actually a tool cart transformed into this super functional and fun bar cart, so you can make your own too!

For my cart design, I decided to keep parts of the original surface paired with a metallic shade, but you can personalize this to your own taste and color scheme.

Just follow along with step two on the inside of your bar cart and apply your choice of paint if you so choose.

DIY Bar Cart Made from a Tool Cart Tutorial

Supplies Needed

Metal Tool Cart (check here or here or here to pick your favorite)
2 cans Krylon Colormaster in Metallic Gold (indoor) Spray Paint
1 can Rust-Oleum Hammered Brown Spray Paint
1 Spray Paint Trigger (should be in the same aisle as the spray paint)
Sandpaper
Painter’s Tape (to tape off your wheels)
Gloves

Directions

1. Begin by removing all of the parts and lining them up on cardboard or a drop cloth for painting. You will want the trays on this piece to be upside down since we are only spray painting the exterior of the tray. This will not only save you time spray painting, but the cart already has a nice finish on it that is easy to wipe and clean.

2. Rough up the exterior with medium-grit sandpaper. This will help our gold paint adhere to this smooth surface better.

3. Apply the trigger handle to your spray paint can. If you haven’t used one of these before it is a life-changing spray painting tool that offers even coverage and saves your poor trigger finger for long projects.

Begin by shaking your can for 1-2 minutes and periodically during use. Hold the can 10” – 12” from your surface, and spray in sweeping motions from side to side with a slight overlap.

Apply multiple thin coats, wait one minute between each.

You can add a top coat, if you like, with a clear topcoat, but it does dull the metallic sheen from this paint.

I chose to leave it without the clear coat, because I like the roughness and loveliness of the sheen of this paint.

I did find that this does adhere a bit unevenly to the surface, but creates more of the hammered metal look that I was going for.

4. Remove the trigger handle and now place it on your hammered metal spray paint that we are using for the handles and wheels on our bar cart.

Using the same technique, hold the can 10” – 12” from your surface, and spray in sweeping motions from side to side with a slight overlap.

Allow these to dry fully and then flip to the other side to spray paint the flip-side of these.

5. Tape off your wheels as best as you can and spray paint these with the same spray paint.

Allow them to dry and then flip to the other side and spray paint the flip-side.

When you remove the tape, if any of the paint has gotten on the wheel, just use your sandpaper to rough up the wheel to remove the paint.

6. Assemble after your cart, and all of its parts, are fully dry.

Keep your spray paint handy for final touch-ups and use a piece of cardboard to block and protect the areas around where you need to touch-up.

Allow this to fully dry before loading it with your drinks.

Once everything is assembled and dried, you can add your beverages of choice!

I decided to add my favorite beers to the top shelf for easy access, along with garnishes and drink tools.

On the bottom shelf I have glasses and liquors that can be wheeled around as needed.

Feel free to add any additional decorations like small treats, a chalkboard sign to message for guests or paper creations sporting the colors of your favorite team. Most of all, have fun!

Need More Game Day Party Tips?

Keep decorations simple for your game day party

Faux grass can act as a tablecloth for your table and a simple pennant banner can be created with your team’s favorite colors.

Add some fun football trophies to decorate around the food to pull your table theme together.

Have guests make their own food

Make creating your own food fun for your guests by creating a sub or Panini sandwich station from an assortment breads, cheeses, cold cuts, and a variety of toppings for your guests.

Each person can customize their own sandwich with their favorite additions.

Don’t forget to add a few gourmet flavors like pesto, Gouda cheese, apple slices, smoked bacon or prosciutto, & brie to your toppings bar.

These gourmet toppings will take your ordinary sandwiches into extraordinary ones and each guest can create their own unique combination.

The same idea can be applied to a fun slider bar, soup topping bar, hot dog bar, or baked potato bar.

snag my slow cooker pumpkin chili recipe

Host a soup cookoff

Have guests bring a pot of their favorite soup to share for a soup cook-off.

Have guests place votes on their favorite and present the winner with one of your fun football trophies from your table display to take home as the champion.

Not only will this be a fun way to sample some new soup recipes, but it will also relieve you of having to create as many dishes for your big game day party.

Round out the meal

Round out your soup & sandwich menu with an easy cheese platter, dips, a vegetable tray, and a fruit tray. Make the easy dips to go with your favorite crackers, but save some time in the kitchen and visit the deli in your store to pick up a simple fruit or vegetable platter to add on the side to save time spent chopping in the kitchen.

Invest in some inexpensive plastic containers for game day leftovers and send goodie bags home with your guests so they can enjoy the leftovers all weekend long.

Don’t forget to give the guests that stick around to help clean up afterwards a Most Valuable Player award for their assistance with the kitchen clean-up.

Love this DIY project? Here are a few others I think you will enjoy!

rosé strawberry wine pops recipe

slow cooker pumpkin candles

diy thumbtack pumpkins

diy ottoman serving tray

fall burlap wreath

painting pumpkins with acrylic paints

How do you celebrate game days at your house? I’d love to hear your tips for entertaining!

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Tags: DIY Bar Cart, Game Day Bar Cart, Game Day Bar Cart Styling, How to Style A Bar Cart, Tool Cart Made Into Bar Cart
Posted in Celebrations, DIY, Entertaining, Family, Frugal, Holidays, Home, Marriage, Teenagers | No Comments »

7 Tips for Hosting a Successful Book Club

Tuesday, June 19th, 2018

Thanks to my sponsor St Martin’s Press, I’m sharing about Kristin Hannah’s newest page-turner!

I joined my first book club when my children were small and I remember both how rewarding it felt to use my brain again and the challenges of carving time out to read. The beauty in being a part of that group though was that it pushed me to read books that were outside of my typical genre.

Historical fiction, for example, had never been on my radar until I joined a club.

Ironically, it is now my favorite genre.

Have you thought about hosting a book club? I have had the pleasure of hosting a local group and an online group and today I wanted to share 7 tips and strategies I’ve found for hosting a successful book club.

7 Tips for Hosting a Successful Book Club

1. Create Your Book Club Circle

Book clubs can be an opportunity to cultivate existing friendships or an opportunity to widen your net. If you don’t have an existing set of close friends, this can be a great way to get to know people from other contexts of your life. Consider starting a group through your church, with your neighborhood friends, a mom’s group, with your coworkers, your gym buddies, or as a way to get to know other moms at your child’s school.

Keep in mind, this club does not need to be just women either because men can add another dynamic to your book club discussions. If you have couples that you love to spend time with, for example, consider asking if they might like to meet up monthly for dinner and a book chat. I know that some of my best book discussions have happened when enjoying an evening with friends.

2. Have an Organized Kickoff Meeting

The quickest way for a book club to fizzle out is to not have a plan and get your members involved. With everyone’s busy schedules, it can be difficult to get a committed group and keep them committed for an entire year (or more).

In the past, our mimosa kickoff usually starts in September, once the kids have headed back to school. With a little more time in our schedules (sort of), it gives us a chance to regroup and make book selections. I ask each member to come with a book in mind and a month that they would like to host our chat. Allowing each person to make a selection and host gives everyone a chance to feel a part of things and allows the group leader to just micromanage the logistics.

3. Pick Books That Can Sustain a Discussion

The best books that we have talked about have meat to them and naturally cultivate an incredible discussion. Books with shallow plots are probably better for your beach bag than your book club discussion.

Stumped for a book selection this year?

Can I make a great recommendation for you?

As I disclosed earlier, I am partnering with St. Martin’s Press to share about Kristin Hannah’s latest novel and I TRULY believe this is a perfect pick for your book club reading.

I , honestly, would read anything Kristin Hannah writes, but her last few books have been among my favorite. The Great Alone is a contemporary coming-of-age story that is set in the seventies in rural Alaska. In this story, a former POW father comes home from the Vietnam War completely mentally changed from his experiences there. His behavior and decision-making is wildly erratic and when a property becomes available in rural Alaska, he decides that they should seize the opportunity to live off the grid and make a different life for themselves.

Braving harrowing and life-threatening conditions is what it is all about and thirteen-year-old Leni is caught in the middle of it all as they attempt to carve a new life in the wild frontier.

Living off the grid is not all it is cracked up to be and neither is surviving the difficult Alaska winters. Hannah writes so eloquently about this impossible marriage and the honest struggle of a Vietnam veteran.

As you can see, from my description alone, this has so many elements for discussion. The plot brings on the challenges of PTSD in veterans, what it is like to live with a mentally ill family member, homesteading (and if YOU could survive it), and if you would stay with your partner if they were putting your family through a potentially life-threatening lifestyle.

When I say that books have to have meat for discussion, you can be assured that there would be MUCH to talk about with, The Great Alone.

Look for books like these where the description alone showcases what kinds of ideas you could discuss in your book chats.

4. Don’t Be Afraid of Controversial Plots

One thing I have worried about is picking books that have controversial plots that might make people feel uncomfortable. What has surprised me though is that these are usually our very best discussions and that it is, truly, okay to have different viewpoints.

The way I lead these discussions though is that I ask that things are said with kindness and love, even if you don’t necessarily agree with one another. In an online discussion, I can swiftly delete comments that aren’t said with kindness, but that is a bit more tricky in an in-person book club.

Even in these tricky moments though, leading by asking everyone to be kind has always been a successful way to start a thoughtful conversation and I have never had any issues after stressing this importance.

It can be scary leading a controversial discussion, but I was surprised how it changed people’s viewpoints or hearing about someone’s personal story and why it made them feel differently than me. A recent discussion of a story on immigration, for example, lead to people sharing how it completely changed their viewpoint on the deportation process.

It makes me wish we had more kind and honest talks and how they could bring compassion to our discussions.

5. Prepare For Your Discussion

Discussion questions are so helpful to have, especially when first beginning your chats. I have found that selecting books with discussion questions already in place can be extremely helpful and relieve a lot of stress on leading a talk. The Great Alone, for example, already has a great discussion outlined for you.

I try to not limit our discussions to just outlined questions though. If it is a historical fiction book, for example, it helps to look up the true stories and images from that time in history. Reading or finding author interviews that explain why the author decided to write a book can also add a lot to a discussion.

6. Have Each Host/Hostess Decide How They Want to Host

I am happiest when I am entertaining our friends and family. It brings me great joy to share my table with them and feed them my food. Since this book is set mostly outdoors, I set up our outdoor table for a discussion.

It doesn’t have to be complicated though. This meat and cheese board, for example, is a fun way to share food with your book club friends without even cooking.

Sharing book club in the morning? Change the charcuterie board to a bagel board and load it with bagels and toppings.

The truth is, most people don’t love entertaining. It may bring them great stress, they may hate cooking, or they may be juggling a huge plate of craziness and can’t possibly add one more thing to their plates.

I GET IT.

Let each host/hostess decide how, where, and when works for them.

Food is not required to have a gathering.

Cooking is not required to have a gathering.

Opening YOUR home up is not required to have a gathering.

Allow each person to choose their style of hosting however or wherever they want to do it.

Book club should be fun and not stressful!

7. It’s All Too Much? Try an Online Club!

Painfully introverted? Haven’t found your people? Working full-time? New to town? Homeschooling? Single mom? Full plate?

Adding one more thing to your agenda can be an impossible task when you already have so much going on. Online book clubs can be an incredible option for someone that desires a book club, but just can’t make that happen in their day-to-day life.

You can join the free MomAdvice Book Club and be a part of a monthly discussion all year long!

The Great Alone is available in stores now and is highly recommended for your next book club chat!

To learn more:

Visit Macmillan.com

Like Kristin Hannah on Facebook

Follow St. Martin’s Press on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram

Do you have a tip for hosting a successful book club? Let me know in the comments below!

Thanks to my sponsor St Martin’s Press. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Tags: Book Club Snacks, Entertaining Ideas for Book Club, Hosting a Successful Book Club, How to Host a Book Club, The Great Alone Review
Posted in Book Reviews, Celebrations, DIY, Entertaining, My Work, Time Management | No Comments »