The holidays can be busy and exhausting, but what if they don't have to be that way? In Bounceback Parenting, A Field Guide for Creating Connection Not Perfection, I talk about ways to get out of a perfectionism rut, be more kind to ourselves and find more connection with our kids. The holidays [...]Continue Reading
Christmas
A Good Enough Holiday
Why I’m aiming for a good enough holiday… By Lorien Van NessI love the holidays: special foods, special friends, special projects. I love making the magic happen for my family, but I have a love-hate relationship with all the expectation. On the one hand the anticipation of the holidays is fun, [...]Continue Reading
7 Ridiculously Simple Ways to Keep Your Christmas Connected and Fun
It’s ok for it to be easy...Sometimes we get so bombarded with ideas about what will make the holidays special that we can begin to think that the only way to truly make the season bright is to complete a long list of tasks or to push ourselves to extremes to do just the “right” activities. You [...]Continue Reading
Picnic Under the Christmas Tree
(originally published Dec 2012)As we go through the holiday season, maybe you want to be holly jolly and all, but also you've got a lot to get done! Having a little Hot Cocoa Party under the tree is a quick and fun way to connect with your kids that will bring a little Christmas magic into your [...]Continue Reading
10 Great Christmas Movies for Kids of All Ages
One of our favorite holiday traditions is watching Christmas movies together with the kids. Make a bowl of popcorn, grab a cozy blanket and snuggle together on the couch. This is a low stress way to connect as you cuddle together. 10 Great Christmas Movies for Kids with Recommended [...]Continue Reading
10 Tips to Creating Holiday Traditions Your Family REALLY Loves
Today we're taking a look at the holiday traditions we're making with our families. We want to create holiday traditions our family really loves.Whether bad or good, the holidays traditions of our childhood usually hold a wealth of memories. We might draw on these to create our own family's [...]Continue Reading