Picnics have become our family’s new go-to, and our latest mission is to invite others along.

I have this idyllic notion in my head of camping with my family. We are all sitting around a crackling campfire, cozy in our matching flannels. I cook a Pinterest-worthy meal over the open flame while the girls dance around the campsite catching fireflies.

The reality is that devices have become a problem for all of us. I have witnessed this often first-hand, as a middle school teacher in a school where each student has an iPad.

With these simple camping safety hacks, you will be back and running through the sprinkler in no time.

Summer is here, and we are ready to hit the beach, or pool, or puddles, whatever warm, splashy body of water we can get into.

Yet, the majority of women grow up with self-consciousness and even outright anxiety about being out in public in a bathing suit.

In honor of the aforementioned holiday, I channeled my inner-Grandma Evie and whipped together a delicious crumb-topped strawberry rhubarb pie.

I was lucky as a child to grow up near Lake Michigan. My brother and I spent many a Summer day building sand castles and swimming in the usually chilly (but fun) water. Now, as an adult, I realize how amazing it is to live in an area that has so much beachfrontage, and it makes me appreciate our state that much more!

Set your expectations low. They are toddlers, and their goal in life is to test their limits. Remember – Kids need almost nothing to be happy.  Leave the electronics at home, let them play in the dirt, let them dig worms and count trees, and help them foster those imaginations!

If you are like me, then you genuinely like spending summertime with your kids. Most of the time. Just not all of the time. But there’s still a lot of daylight between now and that first school bell, moms. So here are some tips to keep your cool during the stresses of summer: