Dads are lazy. I just finished reading an article from a well known parent magazine talking about how "science" has proven that dads use their time at home hanging out and relaxing, while moms work. The title was absolute clickbait and it smelled strongly of a safe place to let unhappy wives vent about their husbands. Oh, and it also served as an incubator for accumulating easy website clicks. The article itself picked and chose what it wanted from the actual study done by a university, in order to make the editorial as inflammatory as possible. The beauty of the internet is that we don't need to let facts get in the way of our opinions. The article, and the comment section of the Facebook post, was pretty much a breeding ground for negativity. It once again reminded me how much more us as parents need positivity and encouragement, rather than criticism and name-calling.

This is one of my favorite new sites to find encouraging stories instead of negative ones.

The Strangest Netflix Giveaway Ever!

You guys I am so excited for the Stranger Things Season 2 to come out on Netflix! I regularly scour the news for updates, I have my T-shirt, and I have been basically waiting on pins and needles for October 27th, 2017 to arrive. The only thing that's just as fun is that Netflix gave me two three month subscriptions to give away to a few fans in order to celebrate the new release! But more on that below. To prove to you how big of a fan I am, here is a fun little food art project I made after watching season one of Stranger Things.

The Nightmare Before Christmas Zero Lunch

So I figured, "It's Halloween, why not make another The Nightmare Before Christmas Lunch?" I know I made one last week but it is just far and away the best Halloween/Christmas movie out there. My kids love it. I love it. Why not? So I thought I would take a bit of a different angle and feature Zero the dog in this one. After all, he might be the unsung hero of the movie.

We actually still haven't watched the film yet this season but it will definitely happen. In the meantime, there are always more lunches to be made! I created this lunch in an Easy Lunch Boxes container. I also used Pumpernickel bread but you can use any dark wheat. I also had a silicone mold that containers a number of expressions for Jack Skellington. I have had it for almost a year but haven't used it. I figured it was about time. This is how I made Jack's face using white and black edible modeling dough. The rest of the directions are below!

3 Tips For a Small Town Trip With Your Kids

This is a sponsored post in partnership with Merrell shoes. All opinions are my own.

Maybe you need a change of scenery or maybe you just need to prevent your kids from destroying the house again. Every parent gets the feeling once in awhile that you need to get out of town. You want to get away, but there is no way you can take that extra long trip. It's too much time and too much money. But you still have the motivation to gather up your kids, pack up the car, and go on a day trip. One of the easiest, and most cost effective, adventures you can take with your family is a day trip to a small town near you. This might sound cheesy, boring, or cliche, but believe me when I say that your kids will love it! When you promote it to them as a time to explore mysterious places, discover fun food, and climb over new obstacles, you can usually get them excited to go.

The thing about day trips is that you need to be a little bit prepared. You don't have to spend hours doing homework about the town you are traveling to, but it does help to spend a few minutes looking up local eatery ratings, getting some good shoes on your kids' feet, and making sure you have an extra hoodie in the trunk. Here are three more tips that will make your time together a huge success!

The Nightmare Before Christmas Bean Burrito Lunch

It's October which means that it's time for... no not candy! It also doesn't mean it's time for costumes. October means that it is time to once again hold screenings for the incredible family cinematic adventure The Nightmare Before Christmas! Ok, maybe it's only our family that calls it that but I can say that there is no other Halloween/Christmas mashup movie that comes close to beating it. We are already singing the soundtrack together as a family. So in honor of October, I had to make my kids this Jack Skellington lunch to celebrate!

If you have been around my blog at all, you know this isn't the first time I've gone with this theme. I have a few other Nightmare lunches that you can find HERE. This particular lunch was made in an Easy Lunch Boxes container and is complete with a Jack Skellington bean burrito and Oogie Boogie yogurt! See the instructions below.

Lego Ninjago Movie Lunch

If you have kids, you probably have Lego. It's entirely possible that you have stepped on a few in the dark and seriously thought you might need to go to the emergency room. Regardless, Lego are some of my kids favorite toys, and if I'm honest, I have a ton of fun building with them alongside my kids as well. This is why we are so excited for the new Lego Ninjago movie. It is one of my son's favorite series as he can barely contain himself now that the movie is out. This is why I had to make him a Ninjago movie school lunch complete with Lego bread. Of course Lloyd was the star of the lunch. Read on to find out how to make it!

How to Never Take Your Kids Grocery Shopping Again + A Fun Fall Lunch Recipe

This is a sponsored post in partnership with Walmart. All opinions are my own.

You know it's that time when you break out in a cold sweat, your blood pressure goes up, and the fight or flight syndrome kicks in. Yep, you've run out of excuses and the cupboards are bare. It's time to go grocery shopping with your kids. I mean, your family can't just keep living on those packets of instant oatmeal right? Or can they. Nope, it really is time to psych yourself up, take some headache medicine, get mentally prepared, and hit that grocery store. But what if you didn't have to?