As summer turns to fall here in the Northeast, our attention typically turns away from the garden. After months of watering, feeding, deadheading and staking, it can be tempting to focus on more seasonal activities. So beyond planting some mums and pansies, the garden tends to become less of a priority as the weather cools.

However, by tending to just a few basic tasks this fall, you will ensure your garden’s continued success next year.

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About Sheri:  Hello! I’m Sheri Silver – I’m a mom of 3 – ages 21, 16 and 3 (yes, you read correctly!). I own my own landscape design firm  and write the blog Donuts, Dresses and Dirt. While there is much gardening content on my blog, it is also the place where I give voice to my other passions – cooking and baking, parenting, and my adventures in and around NYC with my 3 amazing kids!

WHY I TAKE MY SICK KIDS OUTSIDE ::: Tales of a Mountain Family

About Amelia:  Amelia and her husband live at the gateway to Yellowstone National Park with their two young (and super active) sons. They love hiking, biking, skiing, laughing and exploring. She writes over at Tales of a Mountain Mama about their own lessons learned, tips and tricks from the trail, and about life as an outdoor family with young children. They also aim to share the best and most ingenious gear out there for families and have tons of giveaways also!

You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest.

SHADOW CHASERS ::: Cragmama

Between all of our summer adventures climbing, hiking, camping, and riding waves, it seems as though our family has hardly had time to enjoy the simple things – you know, those “everyday special occasions” that make up the majority of our time, but tend to get “overshadowed” (pun intended) by the bigger stuff.  But amidst the chaos, Cragbaby and I have still managed to remain faithful to our commitment to a daily Green Hour…

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About Erica:  Whether it’s dangling from a rope on a rock face or catching bugs in the backyard with her toddler, chances are you can find Erica outside somewhere. As a sponsored athlete for Trango Climbing Gear and Athleta, Erica seeks to not only promote rock climbing, but also become an inspiration for families wanting to get outside and recreate together. In addition to gear reviews, helpful tips and how-to’s for taking your family into the great outdoors, Erica documents her family’s adventures on her blog, Cragmama.com, an online resource for families and families-to-be.

Follow Erica on Facebook, Twitter,  and Pinterest .  

The post Backyard September 10 2012 first appeared on BonBon Break.

Over Labor Day weekend, I got to go to my Grandparents’ cabin at Fish Lake, Utah, and it was a BLAST! My Mom, who always plans fun activities for the family, brought the materials to make Duct Tape Purses. After I saw the creativity…I just HAD to show you all how to make them.

About Brooke: I am a Utah Mom who loves to decorate. My husband Dan and I are partners in crime when it comes to the projects you see on this site. We have four amazing kiddos that keep us on our toes. Over the past two years, we have enjoyed our first home where we have been busy embellishing it to our tastes. All Things Thrifty is the place where I document that journey. I hope you enjoy it!

Follow Brooke on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

CROCHET BABY TURBAN TUTORIAL ::: This Mama Makes Stuff

Who can resist a turban that makes a baby this happy? This quick and easy crochet hat makes a wonderful baby shower or bring home the baby gift. The little cinching detail on the edge and the faux ribbing will lure you in and once you finish your first, you will be starting your second soon after, they are so simple you won’t stop at one!

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About Carrie: Before I was a mountain biking, minivan driving, wardrobe refashioning, public school advocating, church going, marathon training, square-foot gardening, dog owning, kid’s journal creating, mother of four living in the OC, I designed children’s clothes in NYC for a little company that rhymes with Cold Gravy. While finding the time to be creative is harder than ever, I have never felt more creatively fulfilled.This is where I record my creative, active, and crazy family life as a reminder that my talents as a woman, wife and mother go beyond standing up diaper changes and one-handed dinner making. Follow Carrie on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

INSTAGRAM MINI SCRAPBOOK TUTORIAL & FREE PRINTABLE ::: Polka Dot Chair

Are you as addicted to Instagram as I am? I designed this simple project to motivate you to get those photos off of your phone and into an album. I’ve even included a free printable for the cover!

The book is very easy to make and only takes a few supplies that can be purchased at most craft stores.

 

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About Melissa: Melissa Mortenson writes the Polkadot Chair blog which features DIY projects, crafting and free sewing tutorials. When she’s not busy making stuff in her craft room you can find her attempting to leave town as much as possible to see the world. She has 3 kids and considers herself lucky to be living in Kentucky.

Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram for a fun daily dose of creative inspiration.

The post Mom Cave September 10 2012 first appeared on BonBon Break.

Children learn about writing based on the writing they see around them. For example, they may see parents writing letters, lists, notes and labels.

Before children have even learned to write the letters of the alphabet, they already have an idea about print and its purpose. They quickly learn that words are symbols that convey a message.

By strategically leaving some enticing post-it notes and writing tools on her activity table, I encouraged my daughter to experiment with her own writing. It didn’t take Cam long to begin role-play writing.

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About Jackie: Jackie Small is the editor of My Little Bookcase, a blog and resource that aims to model and provide parents with fun, warm, friendly and positive ways to engage their children in reading. Jackie is a qualified primary and secondary teacher. She is also the mother of one daughter (with her second child due in November).

My Little Bookcase is a wonderful community and you can connect through facebook, pinterest and twitter.

Follow Jackie on  Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.

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About Lisa: Lisa Fyfe is a mom, graphic designer, blogger and Etsy shop owner. When she was pregnant with their first child, life changed twenty-fold. After living in New York City for over 15 years, she left her job as Art Director of a book publishing company to move to a small town on the shoreline of Connecticut. Soon after, she had their baby and center of gravity, Rowan now 22 months old. Nothing about her life is recognizable. She is exhausted most of the time, and loving every minute of it.

You can find Lisa at her blog, Little Monster, and Etsy shop, Little Monster Shop. Also, find her on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

SCIENCE FOR KIDS: FOUNTAIN WATER BOTTLE ::: Learn with Play @ Home

Scientific processes and reactions can be difficult for children (and often adults) to understand. In order to properly grasp the concepts behind various experiments, it is important to involve and engage the participants. Here we share with you a fabulously fun, exciting and easy to set-up experiment that should delight your children and demonstrate that despite being unable to see it, air takes up space. Using simple materials you should already have and with easy to follow instructions, we hope you enjoy our water bottle fountain. We sure did!

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About Debs: Debs is a Primary School Teacher from Australia on family leave with her 2 young children. She is passionate about Early Childhood Education and believes firmly in the importance of learning through play. She is the author and creator of Learn with Play at home which is a resource full of activities and ideas with handy tips on how to further promote learning with play. Above all, she believes that learning should be fun!

You can see more of her work on memetales and follow the fun on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and G+.

SINK OR SWIM ::: Happy Whimsical Hearts

Sometimes seeing where a simple idea can lead us amazes me *smile*

Like taking some fun supplies… corks, toothpicks and paper…

Add some hot glue {perfect for impatient little ones}

To create some little boats!

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About Kelly: Kelly is an Australian mum to two kiddlywinks, Dino Boy (4) and Little Miss Q (15 months). She aims to fill their childhood with magic, through imaginative play, homemade toys and the great outdoors. Kelly shares their baking, crafting and play adventures on her blog Happy Whimsical Hearts.

Follow Kelly on her blog, Facebook and on her Pinterest boards.

The post Playroom September 10 2012 first appeared on BonBon Break.

Do you know those times when something problematic happens and you are SO proud of yourself for analyzing the situation in a mature way, and then deciding on a plan of action? Yes? I don’t. My mind does not work that way as you will soon find out on An Obvious Explanation.

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About Debbie: Debbie blogs at Wrinkled Mommy about life and parenting. She uses humor and illustrations frequently in order to explain the chaos that occurs from being a mom of six, including one set of triplets.

She left her corporate Senior Account Analyst career, to stay home and be a servant to her insubordinate offspring. In her spare time she enjoys…never mind, she has no spare time.

Follow Wrinkled Mommy’s delusional journey via Facebook, RSS Reader and Twitter. She is also on Pinterest which is not a good thing for a crafty challenged mom like herself. But, whatever.

TAKING OUR OWN PARENTING ADVICE ::: Kidlutions

“Settle down!” “Use your inside voice!” “No hitting.” “Be kind.” We bark orders at our kids at lightning speed, yet we often don’t take our own advice. Being the example we wish to see in our children is far more powerful than verbiage about behaviors that we can’t demonstrate ourselves.

Which of these do you need to work on?

About Wendy: 

Remembering ::: My Dishwasher’s Possessed

Photo Source

Growing up in the 70 and 80’s it was not uncommon to hear the adults in my life speak about where they were when President Kennedy was shot. I was always struck by how my parents or teachers would be transported right back to the day. They could recall what they were doing, who they saw, how they found out. The collective memory of that event brought people together.

Though I had experienced a few days where it seemed all eyes were on the news, it was not until that fateful day of September 11 did I really understand the significance of that shared memory.

Perhaps what stands out the most is that in New York, September 11, 2001 was a gorgeous, perfect sunny morning filled with promise…

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Kathy Radigan is the creator of the family life blog, My Dishwasher’s Possessed!  Her first love was acting and singing which she pursued until the desire to pay her rent became stronger. She left her job as an assistant in a Venture Capital firm when she and her husband had their first child in 1998 and has been enjoying and immersed in the raising of their three children ever since.

When Kathy and Joe’s youngest child started kindergarten in the fall of 2010 their children’s schools went paperless. Kathy begrudgingly got her first email address and became a full fledged mom blogger a few months later. Her site, My Dishwasher’s Possessed, posts a weekly essay that explores the funny, messy and hectic life of a family that includes two boys with learning issues, a daughter with significant special needs and a crazed appliance.

You can find Kathy on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

10 Ways to Teach Teens Independence ::: The Hope Coach

Teenagers crave freedom. They chaff under the restrictions imposed by parents, teachers, and society, and each generation seems to spend a few years struggling to find their way and place. Adolescence is that time of discovery, learning the skills necessary to become a successful independent adult. Some teenagers seem to struggle more than others. If you have a teen in the middle of that struggle, it may seem like their intention is to simply reject everything that you suggest, fighting back against your guidance and rebelling against your values.

Let’s step back for a moment and explore what it really means for teenagers to grow towards independence. When your teen rejects your suggestions, refuses to follow your lead, or defies your family values, is there a way to walk through the mine-field without being in constant conflict?

About Ronae: Ronae Jull is the HOPE Coach, working tirelessly to help transform families. As a mother of four adult children and three grandchildren, Ronae has walked first-hand through the challenges of parenting children of all ages and stages. With over 20 years’ experience as a family mentor and coach, Ronae remains passionate about helping families find hope and heal from past hurts.

The post Family Room September 10 2012 first appeared on BonBon Break.

Here’s what I know about sex now that I’m 47:

If you gain weight some of it will go to your breasts.

Hello, Ladies!

Don’t worry about your orgasms. People get very competitive about their orgasms as if they were climbing Mount Everest. Did you summit, or did you only make it to base camp? Did you need an oxygen tank, the ministrations of a sherpa? Did you use grappling hooks, Cyborg crampons? Or were you able to summit barefoot reading Holy Sanskrits in Nirvanic Bliss?

About Shannon: Shannon Bradley-Colleary is an Aging Vaintress, Mom Butler and Wife Dominatrix who blogs at The Woman Formerly Known As Beautiful. She can also be found on The Huffington Post, Babble and BlogHer.

DEAR DANCE STUDENT: WORDS OF WISDOM FROM AN OLDER DANCER ::: Mom’s New Stage

Photo of Amy Marshall by Lois Greenfield, with clothing courtesy of Norma Kamali.

In dance years I am approximately 107. It means that with all my responsibilities, I rarely get to take class. If I do, I need a careful warm-up beforehand to avoid injury. A strenuous combination might leave me longing for the paramedics. As painful both physically and emotionally as this may be, I have a new perspective on the art form that has defined my life. Finally, I think I have mastered the dance lessons I’ve been studying since I was a child; I have found balance. This little piece is for dancers everywhere, whether they dance on stage, in a studio, or with joy and abandon in the comfort of their own living room.

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About Keesha:  Keesha Beckford is a former professional dancer who is currently a master dance teacher in the Chicago area. She blogs to keep her creative juices flowing, and to explore the question “How does she do it?” for herself and other moms in the arts. Read more at Mom’s New Stage.

Follow Keesha on Facebook or Twitter.

MOTHERS JUDGING MOTHERS ::: Ideally Speaking

The online world of motherhood is one that is filled with caring, nurturing and support from your fellow mamas….most of the time. Occasionally, when a controversial topic arises, we all bare witness to a fury of comment attacks that moms tend to toss at one another. This post was my opinion regarding the mother-on-mother judgment wars that take place for the whole world to see.

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About Crystal: Crystal Wiltshire is a professional marketer by day and avid blogger by night. She first entered the world of personal blogging as a place to commemorate all the funny and sweet moments with her beautiful baby girl. Ideally speaking  has since quickly evolved to be a site where she can share posts on parenting, fashion, the environment, politics and life in general, all from her point of view. Mildly naïve & wildly idealistic!

Crystal has a very severe social media addiction (no intervention needed/wanted) and can be found on every major social network. You can follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest  & Google+.

The post Bedroom September 10 2012 first appeared on BonBon Break.

Always in search of new and interesting lunch options for the kiddos, when this came to me in a momentary flash of genius, I knew it would be a keeper!

The post Kitchen September 10 2012 first appeared on BonBon Break.