I’ve been philanthropic in some way since I was very young. When I was 8, I scraped together literal pennies to donate to the Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation. I collected them in a coffee can and handed...
It's the most wonderful time of year! I love the smell of fall leaves and pumpkin spice candles/lotions/coffee/everything. I love tall boots, warm sweaters, and mittens for sports games. I love that my kids are back in school and...
If you have children in grades K-12, you’ve probably had to call the front office a time or two to report an absence. The call goes something like this: “This is Anissa, Fiona’s mom. She is not coming to...
Did you ever do that as a kid? Run up to someone's house, ring the doorbell, and take off running and laughing? I grew up in the country, so this was not something I did. However, some kids in...
My daughter just celebrated her 7th birthday. When we started talking gifts, we revisited the idea of getting her ears pierced. She’d been talking about it for years, but always with apprehension. I knew she wanted to get them...
I took piano lessons from Kindergarten through my senior year of high school. The first few years were definitely a struggle—I hated practicing, I didn’t like my teacher, and I thought it was some kind of punishment that I...
In the past two months, our family has been seriously injury-prone.
My oldest son broke his collarbone riding a skateboard; my youngest son sprained his wrist playing soccer; and my daughter twisted her knee running cross country.
After six x-rays, five...
Seven years. That is how old my oldest will turn this month. How did that happen? When did she grow up? It has gone by WAY too fast. Now she is three years away from being ten. Eleven years away...
Do you have a picky eater? Does your kid refuse to touch anything green? Or does she only eat one or two things?
Google “How can I get my picky eater to eat more?” and you will be bombarded by...
As moms, we tend to worry about what dangers our kids might face each day. One of my biggest daily struggles as a mom is sending my kids--specifically my two boys--into public bathrooms by themselves.
My sons are 9 and 6...
In + Around Des Moines
Des Moines Spraygrounds and Wading Pools
Perfect for the kiddos who can't quite swim yet, or for anyone just needing to cool off, splash around at one of the Des...
