• When to Step Back, When to Step In ::: Mommy Coddle
• FREE Mother’s Day Story ::: Sparkle Stories
• The road to simplicity is marked by complexity.  But it is still worth it.  ::: Simple Mom
• 9 Essential Skills Kids Should Learn ::: Zen Habits (hat tip to Let’s Explore)
• Kids Sharing a Bedroom: Pros and Cons ::: Play.Fight.Repeat.
• Where is the Mommy War for the Motherless Child? ::: Rage Against the Minivan

You guys are so funny and sweet!  I was a bit nervous about my post on Monday, I think because it is perhaps the most open I’ve let myself get in this space, postpartum in pajamas even, and you received me in all my imperfection so kindly.  Thank you!

Thanks to my husband, I was able to add another photo to the collection when he took this picture of the kids and I.  It isn’t perfect, but it is us – exactly as we are in the moment.  That, my friends, is something to treasure.

I hope you found some moments this weekend to treasure, too.

CURRENT SPONSORS:

• UPrinting - Spread your message.
• Sparkle Stories - Audio stories for children and families.
• A.Vogel - Help your immune system fight colds and flu.
• GNOWFGLINS - Enjoying God's natural, organic, whole foods, grown locally in season.

© 2009-2012 Simple Living Media, LLC | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Simple Kids subscribers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this content elsewhere, please contact hello@simplelivingmedia.com to let us know. Thanks.

• Sorting and Storing Kids’ Clothes ::: Life As Mom
• Colored Sand Art ::: Let’s Explore
• Telling Teachers Thanks ::: Not Just Cute
• Preparing for Summer: a Fun, Flexible Daily Routine ::: Inspired to Action
• Regularly Turn Off Your TV ::: Simple Mom
• Having a HEART for Your Kids ::: Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers

I was especially touched by this post from The Not-Ever-Still Life this week: And the Bad Dreams that You Dare Really Do Come True.  Perhaps Robin’s words seemed so compelling to me because parenting has brought some of those moments to me, the ones where you know you are supposed to be the one who makes it all better, but you just have no idea how you will?  We get through them, but, as Robin writes, they do linger, don’t they?

There are also a few freebies that I wanted to tell you about:

• Little Acorn Learning has a page of free samples of their childcare guides, menus, and more
• Roost Books has a page of free projects, many of them from some of my favorite books for families

Sparkle Stories winners

The winners of yesterday’s Sparkle Stories giveaway were:

1. Keri, who said, “Always looking for ways to introduce my kids to imaginative things. This sounds great!”

2. Alisa, “Would love to try this!”

Congratulations!  Be watching your email for information on how to collect your prize!

A few words of thanks

I want to thank contributor Jaimie Franchi and guest poster Suzita Cochran for their posts this past week.  5 Lessons from a TV Free Household, and the discussion that took place in the comments, gave me much to ponder during my family’s TV Free week.  And, How Too Much Choice Affects Our Kids might be one of my favorite guest posts to run on Simple Kids ever because it so eloquently expresses a belief that I hold dear:  less is more.  (Plus, now I’ve got some more reading for my 40×40 list.)  Ladies, thank you both for lending your words to Simple Kids this week!

Coming up this week

Coming up this week I’ll be sharing our a bit about the stories our walls tell, contributor Catherine Way has a post on kids and respecting other cultures, and I’ll share with you some of the recent kitchen adventures my little ones and I have had.

I know I had said that I would share our TV Free experience with you tomorrow, but I think I’m going to let those thoughts percolate a bit more and I’ll share them with you later in the week instead.

It is going to be a terrific week on Simple Kids.  I hope you’ll join us!

I’m feeling thoughtful, friends.  (And, evidently, a little on the wordy side this morning) I think it is time for me to grab a journal and my coffee and find a quiet corner of the house. Have a fantastic Sunday, everyone!

CURRENT SPONSORS:

• UPrinting - Spread your message.
• Sparkle Stories - Audio stories for children and families.
• A.Vogel - Help your immune system fight colds and flu.
• GNOWFGLINS - Enjoying God's natural, organic, whole foods, grown locally in season.

© 2009-2012 Simple Living Media, LLC | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Simple Kids subscribers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this content elsewhere, please contact hello@simplelivingmedia.com to let us know. Thanks.

And now, for the moment you’ve all been waiting for ….. the Queen for a Day 2012 gift basket winner for Simple Kids:

The winner is ….. Kelly at Love Well,  who described motherhood in six words as, “Why I need coffee and God. “

Congratulations, Kelly!  Check your email soon for details from me on claiming your gift basket prizes.

Queen for a Day 2012 sponsors and coupon codes

I know that I am a bit biased, but I think the readers of Simple Living Media are some of the best folks out there and it makes me so happy when we are able to put together giveaways like this for you guys!

The reason we can do so is, in no small part, due to the generosity and kindness of our vendors.  We owe a HUGE thank you to all the Queen for a Day sponsors! These are all shops with heart behind them, and we’re proud to support them.

As a special treat for our readers, and just in time for your Mother’s Day shopping, many of them have provided our readers with coupon codes and discounts. Why not pick up a few sweet somethings for the moms in your life or to treat yourself?

Accessories, Bags, & Clothing

• Arteesta—Use the code QUEEN4ADAY for 10% off through May 31
• Epiphanie Bags
• Gussy Sews—Use the code GUSSYSEWS15 for 15% off through May 8
• Namaste Inc.—Use the code MOM25 for 25% off through May 5
• Shabby Apple

Art

• EvaJuliet—Use the code FORMOM for 10% off.
• Life Manifestos—Use the code SIMPLEHOMESCHOOL for 10% off through May 4 (orders purchased by the 4th are guaranteed to arrive before Mother’s Day)
• Mary Kate McDevitt—Use the code MOMSDAY for 10% off
• Rebekka Seale—Use the code SIMPLEMOM to get free shipping through April 14 (and her set of 3 flower prints are also on sale for Mother’s Day, all three for $35)
• River Luna—Use the code MAMALOVE for 30% off

Bath & Body

• Graham Gardens—Use the code Queen25 for 25% off through May 31, 2012 (and they always have flat rate $5 shipping)
• Live Beautifully—Use the code MOTHERSDAY20 for 20% off entire purchase until May 14
• LuSa Organics—Use the code SIMPLE GIVEAWAY (enter it in the comments field during checkout) for a free bar of naked soap with orders over $35, through May 15
• MadeOn Hard Lotion—Use the code SLM2012 for 10% off through May 5
• MarieNatie
• Saville’s Row—Use the code SAVILLE33 for 15% off

Books

• Naturally Fun Parties for Kids, Ice Pop Joy, and The Organic Family Cookbook by Anni Daulter
• The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food From My Frontier by Ree Drummond
• For My Children: A Mother’s Journal of Memories, Wishes and Wisdom by Dionna Ford
• Mother Letters, curated by Sean and Amber Haines—Use the code SIMPLE5 for the price of $5 each through May 4
• Whole Grain Baking from King Arthur Flour
• The Rhythm of Family: Discovering a Sense of Wonder Through the Seasons by Amanda Blake Soule from Roost Books – use code SIMPLEQUEEN for 30% off plus free shipping during the month of May
• Joy the Baker Cookbook: 100 Simple and Comforting Recipes by Joy Wilson

Home Goods

• EvoLuxe—Use the code 2012MAMA for 15% off through May 8
• House & Hold—Use the code SIMPLEDESIGN for 10% off through May 8
• Le Creuset
• Peugeot Spice Mills
• Soy Delites Candles—Use the code SIMPLEMOM15 for 15 % off
• Teach Your Tot

Jewelry

• Allora Handmade—Use the code MOTHERSDAY for 15% off through May 13
• Chocolate and Steel—Check the site for the current monthly special
• Funky Vintage Lovely—Use the code SIMPLE for 10% off through May 13
• Lisa Leonard—Use the code SIMPLEMOM20 for 20% off through May 2nd
• Mercy House—Every purchase directly supports the Mercy House maternity home in Kenya!
• Native Shop—Use the code QUEEN25 for 25% off through May 8
• Peggy Li Jewelry—Use the code “SHSMOM” for 20% off through May 4
• Savage Heart—Use the code SIMPLELOVE for 15% off through May 8

Paper Goods

• Paper Coterie—Use the code RECOGNIZEMOM for 60% off through May 4
• Primele—Use the code MOMSDAY2012 for free shipping through May 14

Congratulations again, Kelly, and THANK YOU to everyone who entered the 2012 Queen for a Day giveaway.

CURRENT SPONSORS:

• UPrinting - Spread your message.
• Sparkle Stories - Audio stories for children and families.
• A.Vogel - Help your immune system fight colds and flu.
• GNOWFGLINS - Enjoying God's natural, organic, whole foods, grown locally in season.

© 2009-2012 Simple Living Media, LLC | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Simple Kids subscribers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this content elsewhere, please contact hello@simplelivingmedia.com to let us know. Thanks.

• The Spring 2012 Bamboo magazine is up
• Fairy Garden Contest  ::: The Magic Onions
• Lessons for Our Boys ::: Not Just Cute
• Making and Using Tot Trays with Your Little One ::: Motherhood Your Way
• Room to build ::: Simple Mom
• Understanding the Power of Our Words ::: Life As Mom

Queen for a Day extended!

Thank you to all of you who let us know that there were some issues in entering the Simple Mom giveaway.  We have the problem fixed now and have extended the giveaways on all six sites, so if you have not yet entered the Queen for a Day giveaways, you have until midnight EST tonight (Sunday).

Be sure to check out the coupon codes and vendors if you’re starting your Mother’s Day shopping this weekend, too.

Good luck!

Coming up this week: TV Free Week

We’ll be turning off our TV and limiting time on other screens this week, as part of TV Free Week, or Screen Free Week as it is known for the past few years, from Commercial Free Childhood.  Check back for ideas, tips, giveaways, and more as we explore a childhood without the television.

We aren’t a TV-free family, but this week is one we observe annually and it is always a good experience for us.

I hope you’ll consider joining in!

Will you and your kids be turning off the TV this week? Will you be limiting other screen time? Going totally screen free?

CURRENT SPONSORS:

• UPrinting - Spread your message.
• Sparkle Stories - Audio stories for children and families.
• A.Vogel - Help your immune system fight colds and flu.
• GNOWFGLINS - Enjoying God's natural, organic, whole foods, grown locally in season.

© 2009-2012 Simple Living Media, LLC | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Simple Kids subscribers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this content elsewhere, please contact hello@simplelivingmedia.com to let us know. Thanks.

Oh, friends, I am no good at keeping secrets and I have had a wonderful one that I have been keeping mum about for some time now.  Today I finally get to spill the beans: Simple Kids has a new sister!

Today we welcome into the Simple Living Media family Simple Design!

The new site will be edited by the lovely Ari, who I cannot wait to get to know better, and hosting a plethora of talented contributors (I bet you’ll recognize some familiar names if you go take a peek at the lineup).

Simple Design’s tagline is “Simple is beautiful” – a truth I firmly believe in myself, though it isn’t always easy to convince people that simple doesn’t automatically equal “boring” or “drab.”  However, I think sending them straight to Simple Design is going to shake that notion right off of their computer screens.

With a focus on fashion, beauty, home decor, art, film, music, photography and style for kids, too there is something for everyone to get excited about.  Simple is beautiful, as many of you already know.  I’m excited for a blog that is going to celebrate that and share it with the world.

So, go friends, scoot on over to Simple Design, meet Ari, learn about the contributors and the vision for the site, and then, like me, subscribe and prepare to eagerly follow along and see what comes next.

I can’t wait!

You can visit Simple Design and get to know Ari by going to http://www.simpledesign.net I encourage you to subscribe to the site while you’re over there, too so you won’t miss a thing!

CURRENT SPONSORS:

• UPrinting - Spread your message.
• Sparkle Stories - Audio stories for children and families.
• A.Vogel - Help your immune system fight colds and flu.
• GNOWFGLINS - Enjoying God's natural, organic, whole foods, grown locally in season.

© 2009-2012 Simple Living Media, LLC | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Simple Kids subscribers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this content elsewhere, please contact hello@simplelivingmedia.com to let us know. Thanks.

• Make Morning and Bedtime Routines Easier with a Chart (printable)  ::: AlphaMom
• 6 Tips to Help Simplify Birthday Parties ::: Steady Mom
• The Hunger Games: Five Tips for Feeding Your Tweens ::: Simple Bites
• The Compassionate Response – What I Learned from a Boy and his Giraffe ::: Simplicity Parenting
• DIY Fairy Mobile :::: Sarah’s Silks
• How we remember and repurpose children’s artwork ::: Simple Homemade
• How to Be a Good Mom on a Bad Day ::: Inspired to Action

Have a wonderful Sunday, friends!

CURRENT SPONSORS:

• UPrinting - Spread your message.
• Sparkle Stories - Audio stories for children and families.
• A.Vogel - Help your immune system fight colds and flu.
• GNOWFGLINS - Enjoying God's natural, organic, whole foods, grown locally in season.

© 2009-2012 Simple Living Media, LLC | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Simple Kids subscribers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this content elsewhere, please contact hello@simplelivingmedia.com to let us know. Thanks.

• Seven Make Mini Hobby Horses ::: Se7en
• You don’t need a vacation.  You need a new life.  ::: The Minimalist Mom
• A Baby Bunny ::: The Magic Onions
• Get Thee a Daily Uniform, Woman! ::: Betty Beguiles
• Natural Parenting Begins With a Natural Pregnancy ::: Simple Homemade
• How to Make it Easier to Clean Kids’ Rooms ::: Small Notebook
• Have you checked out Action Pack’s Mad Scientist issue yet?

Sparkle Stories

The winners of the Sparkle Stories giveaway are Jamie (JamieGuest) and Violet.  Congratulations!  We’ll get in touch with you soon about the details.

A Terrific Deal!

The lovely folks at Sparkle Stories are offering a wonderful discount to all Simple Kids readers — Try Sparkle Stories for $1! We’re offering a $1-for-the-first-month of subscription. Go to http://www.sparklestories.com/trysparkle/ and choose one of our Sparkle Stories Packages. Use the magic code SIMPLYSPARKLE to receive your discount!

Please note that there is an affiliate link in this post.  Thank you for your support!

CURRENT SPONSORS:

• UPrinting - Spread your message.
• Sparkle Stories - Audio stories for children and families.
• A.Vogel - Help your immune system fight colds and flu.
• GNOWFGLINS - Enjoying God's natural, organic, whole foods, grown locally in season.

© 2009-2012 Simple Living Media, LLC | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Simple Kids subscribers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this content elsewhere, please contact hello@simplelivingmedia.com to let us know. Thanks.

• Our Sparkle Story (A Good Deal for You) ::: FIMBY (great deal on one of our favorites!)
• What is Book Jumping? ::: Jump Into a Book
• Honoring the Spirit of Generosity in Our Children ::: Simple Mom
• Why the Ritalin Debate is Asking the Wrong Question: Healing Our Kids’ Soul Fever With Simplicity ::: Huffington Post
• Nature Journaling with Kids ::: Simple Organic
• My Frugal Decision to INCREASE My Family’s Grocery Budget ::: Modern Mrs. Darcey for Money Saving Mom
• Two Picky Eaters, One Dinner Strategy ::: Simple Bites

Have you heard the joyous news?  The Simple Living Media family grew a little bit bigger this week.  Congratulations Aimee, Danny, and family!  Welcome sweet baby Clara!

I also want to mention two worthwhile things.  The first is a book that I will be reviewing here on Simple Kids in a few weeks, but I don’t want you to wait if you have a Spring birthday or party coming up.  The book is Naturally Fun Parties for Kids; Creating Handmade, Earth-friendly Celebrations for All Seasons and Occasions by Anni Daulter with Heather Fontenot.  It has everything from recipes to crafts to decorating ideas and themes and it is kid-pleaser as well as a simple parenting guide for those of us wanting to offer our children a more natural festivity.

Second, I want to let Simple Kids readers know about contributor Amanda Morgan of Not Just Cute’s new e-course coming out, Parenting With Positive Guidance.  You can check out the details and get registered here.

Have a terrific weekend, everyone!

CURRENT SPONSORS:

• UPrinting - Spread your message.
• Sparkle Stories - Audio stories for children and families.
• A.Vogel - Help your immune system fight colds and flu.
• GNOWFGLINS - Enjoying God's natural, organic, whole foods, grown locally in season.

© 2009-2012 Simple Living Media, LLC | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Simple Kids subscribers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this content elsewhere, please contact hello@simplelivingmedia.com to let us know. Thanks.

• Tidy Up Gnomes tutorial ::: Beneath the Rowan Tree
• I Wish I Had Known ::: Shivaya Naturals
• How to Turn Mini-Playsilks into Magical Bunnies ::: Sarah’s Silks
• What Kids Can Really Do in a Real Food Kitchen at Every Age ::: Kitchen Stewardship

CURRENT SPONSORS:

• UPrinting - Spread your message.
• Sparkle Stories - Audio stories for children and families.
• A.Vogel - Help your immune system fight colds and flu.
• GNOWFGLINS - Enjoying God's natural, organic, whole foods, grown locally in season.

© 2009-2012 Simple Living Media, LLC | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Simple Kids subscribers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this content elsewhere, please contact hello@simplelivingmedia.com to let us know. Thanks.

• The Nursing Basket: a Breastfeeding Mother’s Help ::: Keeper of the Home
• 75 Books That Build Character ::: No Time for Flash Cards
• How to Teach Children to Share ::: Raising Playful Tots podcast interview with Amanda Morgan of Not Just Cute
• This is a Home Where Children Live ::: A Magical Childhood
• Teaching Young Kids to Clean ::: Simple Homeschool

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend, my friends!

CURRENT SPONSORS:

• UPrinting - Spread your message.
• Sparkle Stories - Audio stories for children and families.
• A.Vogel - Help your immune system fight colds and flu.
• GNOWFGLINS - Enjoying God's natural, organic, whole foods, grown locally in season.

© 2009-2012 Simple Living Media, LLC | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Simple Kids subscribers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this content elsewhere, please contact hello@simplelivingmedia.com to let us know. Thanks.