Something happened a few days ago that completely rocked my world and it all hinged on that one human act of kindness we are all capable of—a smile. First, we are working with Crest an… Read More

*Sponsored by The Star In Theaters November 17. The Christmas season is drawing closer and every year I look for thoughtful activities to help teach my four children the true meaning… Read More

I have been wanting to take my kids to Universal Orlando Resort ever since my oldest son (now 16) read the first Harry Potter book in 2nd grade and developed a love for reading…and Ha… Read More

It’s a happy day on HowDoesShe! Do you love to travel? Do you wish you could travel more? Are you looking for tips and tricks that will make your next travel experience incredible?&nb&hell…Read More

How to Make Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes It took a few months to get brave and get my Instant Pot out of the box, but now I’m loving it! I thought I’d show how easy and simple i… Read More

*This post is sponsored by Scentsy whose incredible fragrances and beautiful home decor we truly love! Their Holiday Collection makes your home merry and bright.This morning I woke up t… Read More

It seems like almost every female I know is seeking to achieve the “perfect” curl. I’ve been trying for years to get them, and my thick and unruly hair just never would coo… Read More

Buxom Lip Gloss – I actually had a girlfriend tell me about this gloss and finally got around to trying it. I am in love. It has a slightly tingling affect and  is supposed to p… Read More

We’ve all been there: You volunteered to host Thanksgiving dinner this year, but then you realize your home isn’t exactly presentable for guests. When that happens, you need a wa… Read More

 We have been waiting for this day for what seems like forever. You can now have joanna and chip gaines as your personal decorator r… Read More

Unicorns, confetti, and everything magical that can fit on a rainbow—unicorns are a hot commodity right now and we’ve pulled together the coolest unicorn ideas for your little d… Read More

We have worked around the clock to produce a SOLID set of gift guides just for you! We’ve polled our readers, vetted them out ourselves and found what the most popular gifts this yea… Read More

Know all those gorgeous family pictures you had taken? The ones you spent hours picking out the perfect combination of outfits for? Yes, the ones still on your hard drive….. It’… Read More

If you’re like me, you love the Christmas treats but don’t have a ton of time to make the fancy types… well worry no longer! I’ve found 12 of the best four ingredie… Read More

This adorable banner  2. An activity paper table cloth for the kids table 3. THIS. THIS. THIS It makes my life so much easier  4. If you have limited bathrooms, this might be ess… Read More

It is the time! CAN YOU BELIEVE ITS THAT TIME?!       the time to get MUST-HAVE toys of the season. With Black Friday deals coming out a month early now.. it is more crucia… Read More

One of the things on the top of our gift guides this year is the Echo Dot! If you’re not familiar with the Echo, it is a hands-free, voice activated personal device that does, well, ju… Read More

It can be difficult to teach children to be grateful when we’re living in such an entitled world. We’re always working on ways to teach these concepts to our children, of course… Read More

I must say that one of my favorite things about the holidays is the food.  Favorite family recipes, homemade pies, chocolate caramel bits, sugar cookies, buttered rolls…and it g… Read More

This morning marked our very first snowfall and no matter how young or how old you are, there’s something magical about it.  Snowflakes are one of the wonders of nature…ho… Read More

Today as I wedged myself into our cataclysmic playroom and got down on my hands and knees to sort through the rubble, I decided I was over toys. Most of them have come from generous grandpa… Read More

What is the ONE tip that saved me while picking finishes for our house?… Visualizing. Maybe that is a no brainer – but how?!? I can’t go into a showroom and look at 2700… Read More

The weather is cooling down and the leaves are falling. This is no reason for all the fun to go out the door. Let’s just bring the fun in with these fun Thanksgiving activities for kid… Read More

The holidays are sneaking up on us and its time to prepare for family time… and lots of it!      In our family we love to play games! (board games, card games, pick-u… Read More

30 Ways to make a Turkey for Kids Thanksgiving is a fun time to spend time with the kids making fun memories, and what better way than in the kitchen or craft room? Here are 30 of the cutes… Read More

A few months ago I got treat of experiencing my first Black Tap Crazy Shake in New York City. Since then, no other shake has measured up. The moment they brought out the frosted glass with… Read More

Every single day within our own homes, we experience some of life’s most precious moments without even realizing it. These little blips are short, fleeting and may even seem common or… Read More

Florida is a vacation hotspot for a lot of good reasons. Its nickname is the Sunshine State so you are guaranteed beautiful warm, sunny weather almost year round. Florida also boasts some of… Read More

You know the saying "Kill two birds, with one stone" ? That is how I feel about couples costumes. Not only are they clever and fun, but i… Read More

*Welcome potty training parents! Thanks to Pull-Ups Training Pants for sponsoring this post and inviting us to share our potty training struggles and some great tips to help overcome them!… Read More

Want to transform your winter blues into feelings of warmth and contentment? Take a page out of the book of the happiest country on earth. Get cozy this winter with the Danish art of hygge… Read More

My boys are all a little shy. Especially, when it’s their time to shine. There is nothing more embarrassing to my oldest son than hearing his parents yell from the side lines. And I g… Read More

I’m a mom of 5. Yes, FIVE children (and yes, we did do this intentionally. ha!) The question I get asked most by most people is “HOW DO YOU NOT GO CRAZY?” I giggle at this… Read More

I actually LOVE hosting my kids’ birthday parties in my home. We have put together some super fun ones like here and here. But even with only allowing 1 friend birthday party every oth… Read More

*We’re teaming up with Albertsons to tell you all about the amazing Stock Up Sale going on at your local store. You can even win groceries for a year! Back in the day, couponing was… Read More

Whether shopping finishes for your new home or thinking about remodeling a kitchen or bathroom, faucets are a big deal. They come in hundreds of shapes and sizes and choosing the perfect fa… Read More

Introducing Our All Things Holiday Bundle Wahoo!! The holidays are right around the corner aaaand… We’ve put the very BEST Holiday ideas & FUN all in one place! AND of cour… Read More

Every year, I realize the focus becomes less and less on Thanksgiving and more and more on consumerism of the holidays. I know it’s not just me seeing and struggling with this! Do you… Read More

I never really considered getting my kids a tablet. I just didn’t want them to be “sucked into the screen”; however, as my son got a little bit older, I did want him to hav… Read More

Perfect Pie Crust Let me start off by saying I am a bit of a pie snob.  I didn’t realize this until I left my parent’s home and realized all pie crusts were not created equ… Read More

Quick and Easy Pull Apart Pizza Recipe Everything tastes better when you can pull it apart, am I right? We made this the other night and it was such a hit with the kids. Each kid had a smal… Read More

I love it when libraries and book stores put out Halloween picture books. So many parents and grandparents relish the Halloween season. The weather has changed and we’ve all come indoo… Read More

When cool weather arrives, there’s nothing we love better than to snuggle up with blanket and a bowl of popcorn to a good movie. Here are some of the greatest movies of ever made, so… Read More

My grandpa had this saying that goes: “When you’ve got kids, that’s what you’ve got.” Meaning that when you’ve got kids, you’ve always got some sur… Read More

Secretary Hutch Make-Over First things first…. if you live anywhere near Boise Idaho, be marking your calendars for October 13th -14th  for the bi-annual Fancy Farmgirl… Read More

     13. Easy Mummy Juice Boxes 14. Mummy Cookie Suckers  15. Royal Icing Googly Eyes  16.  Bloody Fingers in a Bun  17. Candy Corn Caramel Apples… Read More

All women are a little crazy and can you blame us? We’re dealing with kids that don’t listen, husbands that don’t hear, equality in the workplace, and bodies that are horm… Read More

A few months ago I wrote a post on my Maui musts and you guys loved it. What’s not to love about Maui? So I opted to share some more of my Hawai’i wisdom by highlighting my secon… Read More

Thermal Cooking – The Sports Season Dinner Hour Solution With all of my kids in school, I have plenty of time to make dinner during the day, but no time to make it at actual dinner ti… Read More

Every year I have great visions of epic Halloween costumes for myself and my kids. But as goes the art of procrastination, we usually end up digging through last year’s costume bin. T… Read More

Food, glorious food! We’ve got hundreds of mouth-watering recipes on this site (like the one above), and yet I often find myself wishing someone could make them for me. For days when… Read More

We’re partnering with AT&T on the It Can Wait campaign that is so very important to us. Join the 20 million that have taken the pledge to never drive distracted. No matter wha… Read More

In conversation after conversation, I hear the same things from women. “I want to eat healthy, but I don’t have time.” “I’d love to sit down and eat with my fam… Read More

Before you peeked your head out into the big world, you probably had a best friend like my friend Corny. Corny was a small stuffed elf and my most trusted confidant. He had two pointy ears… Read More

He’s my retirement. Her training is an investment. There’s no need to save for college, my kids are going to get scholarships. These seem to be the sentiments of many starry-eyed… Read More

If you’ve thought you’ve heard it all when it comes to beauty, think again. There are a lot of weird things out there you can put on your face in the name of beauty and some act… Read More

Have you ever had all the ingredients out to make tacos and looked in your pantry only to find you’re out of taco seasoning?  Arrg!  Or want to make your favorite pumpkin ch… Read More

Don’t we all wish we could save money on our phone bill? This post is brought to you by CJ Affiliate’s VIP Content Service and sponsored by Republic Wireless. As always, al… Read More

How many times have you had a situation where you wondered how gross something really is?  Ironically some of the things you might think would be extremely gross turn out to be not as… Read More

Potty training parents unite! Thanks to Pull-Ups Training Pants for sponsoring this post and helping us get some fun potty training incentive ideas. Like all good confessions, this one mus… Read More

Let’s start with healthy dinner ideas.  It’s that busy time of year with sports and music lessons after school. I hate to say it, but sometimes our dinner suffers, how abou… Read More

Thank you Kmart for sponsoring this post. While this was a sponsored opportunity from Kmart, all content and opinions expressed here are my own. Back to school shopping is pure magic for ki… Read More

As a born-and-raised Idaho girl, I often find myself persuading others that Idaho has so much more to offer than potatoes and Napoleon Dynamite—incredible nooks and breathtaking crann… Read More

When you look at my family what do you see? You probably note a mom, a dad, and three little boys. Along with the genders and relative ages I’m sure you note the different skin tones… Read More

If you have teens who have the entrepreneurial spirit, we have some of the best crafts to make and sell.  Your teens can use these tutorials to grow their own little business! We&rsquo&hell…Read More

Our Live Interview with Missy Franklin and her Parents For the past few years we’ve been working with Minute Maid, a company I’ve grown to love, to help share their #doingood ca… Read More

For months now the world has been anticipating a monumental natural phenomenon—a total solar eclipse, also deemed the “Great American Eclipse” is just days away! Experts a… Read More

Life Lessons Learned From Disneyland I write about “inspiration” on this website and I love it. Researching for my posts means finding joy and inspiration everywhere I go and wh… Read More

Oh Tallahassee, how you surprised me with your amazing placing to visit and amazing dining experiences. Home to Florida State University and the capital city of Florida, there’s a lot… Read More

We all have moments of self-doubt and days where burying our head in the sand or at least under a pillow seems appealing. You aren’t solitary in your reluctance to try new things. You… Read More

We are so excited to introduce a fabulous guest writer, Lindsay Walter. Lindsay is all about empowering, loving and educating others–especially women! You are going to love her and her… Read More

I think we can all agree that beautiful, welcoming spaces are what we desire for our homes. But how do we accomplish that?  My one rule of thumb when shopping for decor is: if it doesn… Read More

Stupid arguments—we’ve all been there, done that. Some are more silly than others and some spouse arguments last a few minutes while others can grow into Hulkish proportions. My… Read More

*I’m proud to be working with CVS Pharmacy to help spread the word about #BetterHealthMadeEasy and how to #FindYourHealthy. All opinions expressed are my own, and all product claims or… Read More

Every family has its quirks. For example, growing up, whenever my frugal father got a hole in his sock, he’d simply rotate it 45 degrees to the right. Voila! he’d say. … Read More

Summer is sizzling and so are the grills. It’s the perfect time of year for an outdoor party and we’re teaming up with our friends at Edwards® Desserts to bring you some fun… Read More

I am getting ready to hike to Havasupai Falls Arizona with my family this fall and I need your help! I am not a backpacker, and this Havasupai Falls hike will be my maiden voyage! It i… Read More

Summer is probably the hardest time to potty train, in fact it’s the time when I see a lot of parents fall off the proverbial potty training wagon. Summertime is touch-and-go—yo… Read More

When is the best time for a trip to the Disneyland Resort? During Halloween Time of course! What better way to celebrate fall than with your family at the Happiest Place on Earth? This year… Read More

As parents we often feel the need to shelter our kids from things that are hard. Our helicopters hover over them, ready to swoop down at the first sign of our child’s discomfort. I go… Read More

It’s that time of year where we start thinking about preparing for back-to-school.  Printable binder covers are something that you might want to consider adding to your list! Las… Read More

Continuation of Nice Things to Do for Your Man 26. Cook him dinner in just your apron, chances are that he will find this one of the best things to do for your… Read More

I’ll admit, I’ve been on the homemade products with essential oils train for a long time however I’ve never made my own hand soap. I put it in the “that’s prob… Read More

*We’ve partnered with Simple Truth Low Cow ice cream to bring you a yummy dessert that’s perfect for summer! Every summer I’m taken back to my childhood home where we had… Read More

You don’t need an excuse to do nice things for your man.  Let him know how amazing he is with w of these thoughtful gestures, generated with help from our fabulous Facebook follo… Read More

As August nears and store bins bulge with school supplies, we sometimes forget the parents who sent us off to school on our first days. They were there to wipe our tears, give us pep talks… Read More

Privacy, when you have young kids, is like a unicorn from Neverland, carrying a mermaid on its back with a leprechaun in her palm. It just ‘aint gonna happen. I swear kid… Read More

The carefree days of summer are just what we needed back in June. A chance to catch a breath, unwind, and have a few adventures is exactly what summer break is about. But come August, there… Read More

Salted mocha lattes are one of my all time favorite drinks (especially around the holidays) and that’s why I am totally crushing on this amazing salted peppermint mocha lip scrub reci… Read More

*We’re teaming up with iHerb to tell you about their amazing natural products online shopping experience. Going natural makes a big difference and we know you’ll love iHerb… Read More

By now you’ve probably heard about a little something called the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. (We’re just a tad bit excited about it around here!!) Cardholders have had early acce… Read More

Do you remember in Lord of the Rings when the large and powerful tree creatures, the Ents, laid waste to everything? That scene came to life at my house when my kids started school. Trees&h&helli…Read More

We’re 5 days into early access of the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale and finding more amazing deals every day. We rounded up our overall top picks last week and now we’re drilling do… Read More

Photographed by Justin Hackworth FINALLY, OUR PRAYERS HAD BEEN ANSWERED When I got the call from the infertility clinic that we were pregnant, I sobbed on my bed with tears of joy and immedi… Read More

We all know just how powerful words are. That’s why we protect children from profanity, verbal bullies, & content above his or her understanding. But have you… Read More

Have you ever seen those moms who just seem to have it together? Their kids are concert pianists and say please and thank-you when you offer them brussel sprouts. These moms run their famil… Read More

Dry shampoo has became a thing over the last 5 years or so and I’m ohhhh so glad it has (where was this stuff when I was in college?!). I’ve had the store bought version for the… Read More

It’s here, y’all. The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (aka–Christmas in July) is finally HERE! And you’re in luck because we woke up at an ungodly hour this morning to rou… Read More

Treehouse on the GO, Camping in the AIR, Hammock Tent – no matter what you call it  – it is just. plain. awesome. The minute my boys and I saw this tent mentioned by Jeff Li… Read More

Prime Day is coming on STRONG!! With thousands and thousands of deals, the die hards are following us HERE to pick out the BEST of the BEST; however, we know some of you want a more concise… Read More