The Surly Housewife

Reading aloud to your children is one way of building strong family bonds. Check out this post for 4 reasons why you should make time for read alouds!

Why Read Aloud?

4 Reasons why you should make time to read out loud to your kids! I don't remember the first book I ever read, but I do remember Saturday afternoons spent with a stack of The Babysitter's Club books, Nancy Drew mysteries, and whatever book I ...

The Ultimate List of Children’s Books About Maryland

20 Books About, Set in, and Featuring Maryland Natives One of my favorite stories about the state of Maryland is how it came upon it's nickname: the Old Line State. The nickname was bestowed by General George Washington because the Maryland Line ...

Cooking with kids can be stressful. But it doesn't need to be!! With these 5 simple tips, you will love having the kids in the kitchen with you!

The Impatient Mom’s Guide to Cooking with Kids

5 tips for working with kids in the kitchen I love to cook! I love cooking for my family, for my friends, with my husband, but mostly, I like to cook by myself. #IntrovertProblems. However, one group I don't love to cook with is my kids. I ...

Recognizing my Depression

How I came to understand I was depressed. The onset of my depression didn't come where you would expect it. It didn't come after my father-in-law died. It didn't come after the dissolution of a 15 year-long friendship. It didn't come after ...

Activities and Books for the Letter I

Ideas for letter i activities and books for preschool! True confessions time. I'm a homeschool mom who sometimes doesn't remember the difference between a long vowel and a short vowel. And by sometimes, I mean often. Meaning I usually have to ...

The BEST Oobleck Recipe

Oobleck behaves like a solid OR a liquid, which equals messy play fun for all! My kids LOVE messy play! During our Letter of the Week Curriculum, it was the thing my girls always looked forward to the most! While studying the letter G, we ...

The Ultimate List of Massachusetts Unit Study Books for Homeschoolers

20 unit study books about Massachusetts Massachusetts is a state rich in history. The American Revolution started in Massachusetts. The Plymouth colony began in what would become Massachusetts. And Massachusetts was the birthplace of four ...

How to enjoy HBO programming without a cable subscription

How to Watch HBO without Cable

You CAN watch HBO without cable. Keep reading to find out how! Did you know that HBO premiered in 1972 to only 365 households? And it wasn't until 1981 that it offered 24 hour programming. HBO, or Home Box Office, originally provided uncut ...