Big Kids

  "Back to School" is here again and it's time to think about UNIFORMS! No, I am not talking about heading to Target or Kohl’s to purchase mass amounts of khaki shorts and skirts with coordinating polo shirts in navy and white;...

Perform To Learn Academy has been an award winning program in Arizona for over 6 years. P2L has now ventured into elementary school education with our play-based, performing arts program. The P2L philosophy allows learning through exploration, supporting independence and...

Arizona Language Preparatory is Arizona’s only tri-lingual full immersion school. Arizona Language Preparatory is FREE public charter school with grades k-6th. The goal is for their students to become fluent in three languages simultaneously. These langues include English, Mandarin, and...

The calendar tells me that fall is in full swing, and yet, as a Phoenix newbie, it's rather hard to believe. There are no changing leaves, no riding boots, no apple orchards. A Pumpkin Spice Latte, in these temps?? Pleh. Sure, things...

Editor's Note: Happy Friday! All week long we're talking about screens - from TV shows to tablets for kids and grownups of all ages. Love 'em or hate 'em, screens and screen time are a hot topic in parenting...

I never understood why parents got so emotional about their child starting school until about a week before watching my oldest walk through the door of her Kindergarten classroom. While exciting, it also made me sad and I had trouble...

I don't feel like I have a big family. I find myself answering the question, 'how many children do you have?' with "just 5." I suppose I am surrounded by lots of much larger families so I feel average....

We all want to raise children who grow into adults that are compassionate and understand the needs of others. For years, I have wanted to expose the kids to the reality that is found in food banks, orphanages and homeless shelters. But, let's...

Not sure if you guys have noticed, but we live in something of a digital age. I, more than most, retain an affinity for the old fashioned... I make pen-to-paper to-do lists and include items already completed just to give them a...

   Target  I’m dangerous alone in this store. Add two pint-sized beings that seem to gain control of the cart and steer to either sparkly tank tops or lego aisles and it spells even more trouble. Make no mistake,  this...

It’s Archives Week here at SMB, and this morning I’m featuring my favorite post of Cate's. You can read all her posts here. I actually have a few favorite posts of Cate's. Although I'm not a homeschooler, one of my all-time favorites...

Can you believe that summer is over and the kids are back in school already? You may have had this "conversation" a dozen times by now: How was school? Good/fine/whatever. We’re all happy to hear that school was “good.”...

September is Suicide Awareness Month, and earlier this year there was a report put out by the CDC in regards to youth mental health that was – to put it mildly - alarming. One of the statistics included in...

Praise action over natural gifts to optimize performance!  By all means, continue to compliment your child’s talents and intellect to help them form a strong foundation, but in addition, over-emphasize praise of their efforts and actions. They’ll be far...

Thank You Thursday is a new feature from Scottsdale Moms Blog. The team at SMB is so LUCKY to receive products, try new local venues, and hear about new things to do all the time. It is so much fun! But we want to share all of these fun new finds with all of you, plus give a huge THANK YOU to companies that reach out to us.

With summer just around the corner, I know that many of us are on the hunt for Scottsdale sports and activities for our kids. While some people are searching for all day summer camps, some of us fall into the category...

I spend most of my days navigating the waters of "tweendom". Life with a ten-year-old is anything but dull. Yesterday I got three, THREE emails from the princess asking begging for an Instagram account. Upon my third NO, we decided...

Expect More Arizona is an organization that is dedicated to seeing that every child in Arizona has access to world class education, starting in the early years and all the way through college. They started out as a public...

My first born headed to Kindergarten last week and I am not okay. I know that I will learn to deal with it and eventually I’ll be okay, but for now I am not. I also know that he...

Last January, I was startled to hear screaming coming from my girls bedroom. It was that scream that every mother dreads, the “something really is wrong, I am not faking, I need my Mommy” animalistic noise. Bolting up the...

Teacher appreciation week is upon us. It is not too late to make a teacher’s week special! We know that our readers at Scottsdale Moms love and appreciate the educators in our children’s lives. But what is the best way...

Truth: If you serve more than two meals a day in a vehicle, you are a road warrior. If you have, at any given time, ice packs in coolers filled with snacks & dinner, you are a road warrior....

For months I was anticipating Disney+. We were counting down the days and planned a movie marathon in our jammies on the day it premiered. We don’t do much screen time aside from some TV, so it was like...

  We at SMB are excited to announce a new little feature we're adding to the blog!  In addition to our regular lineup of awesome Scottsdale mom contributors, we will be adding a monthly post by a LOCAL expert! We'll...

Father's day is coming up and Dads love homemade and thoughtful gifts too. Here's 5 Father's Days crafts that are fun for children to make and Dad is sure to cherish. 1. Paper Tie: There are patterns online and even...

It's never easy to be the new kid. Unfamiliar faces, an unexplored campus, and seemingly strange dynamics all await your child on day one, and they know it. Imagine your child skipping happily into a new classroom, making ten...

Previously, in Packing Healthy School Lunches {Part 1}: Ideas & Time Saving Tips, we talked about what to pack in a school lunch as well as some time saving tricks to make your life a little easier. Since we're...

As spring break season approaches, high school and college students in Arizona usually have just one thing on their minds – time to hit the beach!  Whether the destination is San Diego, where many high schoolers head, or Mexico,...

When the summer heat has you stuck indoors, but your own house is getting a bit too small (and messy!) pack up the kids and try out these great indoor spaces for big and small. The kids get all...

It's Pregnancy Week here on Scottsdale Moms Blog! If you are just tuning in, be sure to read the rest of the week's posts here. Our little bundle of joy on the way will be baby #5! We will have 3...