Toddler Easter Egg Hunt: Safety Obsession or Just Me? @averydoescrafts: Hey GINYOUS! Avery here, from Baltimore, where we’re already bracing for another crab feast season, but first, EASTER! My little crew – Theo (2), Chloe (4), Asher (5), Ruby (6), Stella (8), and of course, Rex the cavalier – are getting SO excited for our…
Leo stood in the middle of our Denver living room on April 12, 2025, wearing a pith helmet that was three sizes too big. He was turning nine. I had nine kids arriving in three hours. My mission was clear but difficult. I needed to create a safari birthday backdrop that looked like a professional…
Austin in April is a total gamble. One minute you are sipping an iced lavender latte on South Congress, and the next, you are sprinting for cover because a freak thunderstorm decided to crash your outdoor setup. My niece Maya turned twelve on April 5, 2025, and she had one very specific, non-negotiable request for…
My twins, Leo and Maya, hit the big eight last March 12, right when the Chicago slush was at its grayest. Living in a Logan Square three-flat means our living room is a tight squeeze even on a quiet Tuesday. I had exactly $58 to turn our “adult” space into a Mushroom Kingdom without the…
Austin in April is basically a fever dream of bluebonnets and humidity, but last year on April 12th, my backyard turned into a neon pink oasis for my niece Maya’s second birthday. I spent three weeks obsessing over how to set up a barbie party at home without mortgaging my house or losing my mind…
Standing in my cramped Logan Square kitchen on March 14, 2024, I stared at a single stack of paper plates and felt a cold sweat break out. My twins, Leo and Maya, were turning two, and seventeen toddlers were about to descend upon our home for a morning of muddy puddle jumping and snorting like…
Chicago winters mean indoor parties. There is no escaping it. On November 12, 2025, the wind chill off Lake Michigan hit ten degrees, and I had sixteen screaming six-year-olds scheduled to arrive at my two-bedroom apartment at noon. My twins, Leo and Maya, begged for a woodland creature theme. I had exactly fifty dollars to…
My tiny Chicago apartment looked like a galleon exploded. Gold foil coins were crushed deeply into my cheap living room rug. Red and black crepe streamers hung precariously from the ceiling fan, fluttering every time the radiator hissed. Ten sweaty twelve-year-olds were running through my hallway, swinging pool noodles painted brown to look like swords,…
My living room floor in Atlanta looked like a dusty stampede had just finished its final lap, and my son Leo was staring at a pile of discarded plastic bags that had disintegrated under the weight of three tiny plastic horses. It was June 12, 2024. I spent $45 on “premium” bags that turned out…
Maya turned eight on a rainy Saturday, June 14, 2025, and my Denver living room transformed into a literal jungle of floral streamers and Colombian-inspired cardboard casitas. Most parents dread the “goodie bag” phase of a party. I lean into it because I am a nerd about safety certifications and a stickler for value. My…
