I'm not sure what it is about February -- one day it's sunny and springlike and the next we're knee deep in snow! 

Like so many others, we are having a 'snow day' this week (to the delight of my kids, we're actually having 2 snow days).

 

Have you ever had a kid who asked "Can I help?" when you were preparing a meal?  There's all kinds of ways that kids can get involved in the kitchen!

 

Cooking is a great life skill and everyone should know some of the basics behind preparing a well-balanced meal. 

Young children can learn how to choose nutritious foods, prepare snacks, and mix & measure ingredients.  Older kids will enjoy mastering the skills of whisking, creating fun desserts and learning to crack an egg (warning: buy more than you think you'll need).

 

As kids grow up, it's important for them to have their own spaces, learn some reponsibility with regards to taking care of their things, be able to become independent and feel that they are contributing to the family. 

Here are a few ideas for easy ways to change your home environment so that kids can do more for themselves, enjoy their space and help out around the house:

Every year we look forward to summertime at our house!  The excitement of the 'we can do what we'd like' days that we all love to enjoy.  But, of course, the kids do want to do some activities that require us to keep track of what day it is :)  So, here's a quick and easy way to pull together all those papers, camp schedules and items needed for on-the-go summer fun!

Anyone who’s met me, or my kids, will tell you that I’m a fairly protective parent.  Or as my kids lovingly refer to me, 'The Fun Police'.  I didn’t plan to be this type of parent – one who monitors what they eat, where they are and how much sleep they get.  But plan or no plan, it's happened.

 

You catch up with friends on Facebook, check in on Foursquare and tweet on Twitter.  But, do you have an online library account?