Spring arrived just in time to coincide with the beginning of intersession at my kids’ school. They currently attend year-round, which gives us most of the month of May to enjoy the mild weather, uncrowded playgrounds and other perks that come with having unconventional school breaks. Having the older kids home is also a great [...]

Just the thought of venturing into one of the Walker Art Center’s pristine galleries accompanied by my four young children can bring on heart palpitations. I’m on pins and needles the whole time. One kid’s on my hip, another I’ve got by the hand, and the older two I’m constantly muttering at to use EYES [...]

To celebrate birthdays in Emily’s kindergarten class, the birthday child simulates a walk around the sun. One orbit is tread for each year of the child’s life, while the teacher reads aloud personal milestones supplied by parents. It was a fun coincidence that the night before Emily’s birthday walk we attended one of Como Planetarium’s [...]

I’m not the crafty mom who’s got Pinterest bookmarked and a space in the house devoted to creative, messy fun. That’s why I love places like Heartfelt. They supply the great ideas and provide the perfect environment for carrying them out. I brought my 3-year-old daughter into the Linden Hills shop today for one of [...]

Who needs a gym membership when you’re home with four kids? I swear there are days doing chores when I run as many flights of steps as I would on an elliptical machine. My version of toning muscles is shopping, packing and preparing for a family camping trip. But there are definitely times when I [...]

What a deal for a family of six to visit a great museum like The Bakken for no charge! We enjoyed this perk today, the second Saturday of the month, as you can also do each second Saturday throughout 2013. March’s theme was all about Gadgets & Gizmos – dissecting toys to better understand their [...]

A family tradition that dates back years before the word “blog” entered our collective lexicon. Not quite as far as the original Highland Games of Scotland, of course, but encompassing many aspects of them: the skirl of bagpipes, swishing of kilts and family members distantly connected to those ancient Scottish clans. The highlight of A [...]

Seven years had passed since I’d last found myself at Lookout Ridge indoor playground in Woodbury. The big occasion? I had finally decided to join a chapter of my local MOMS Club. I’m not sure why I’ve waited so long to sign up, but every couple of years I find my parent peers sending their [...]

As we continue to plow through winter, the question this Saturday is about snow: ditch it or embrace it? I could go either way, so I’ll leave it up to the kids to choose. On second thought, the outcome of that is not hard to predict: my artsy girls would insist upon Free First Saturday [...]

I had a very mediocre time at the Midtown Global Market today. And it’s really too bad I feel that way because I very much like the purpose of the place. I’ve had some pretty good meals there, too, and enjoyed some seasonal events (their Easter Party, in particular). This morning we finally got the [...]