Author

Linsey De Ruysscher

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“What on earth are they saying?!?” It’s a question I ask myself quite regularly as a mom of two teenage boys. It mostly occurs when they’re on their headsets gaming with friends. I’ll hear laughing, yelling, squealing, and then there will be conversations that I swear are in a different language. It’s like a secret teenage code. A code…that I’m about to crack! As parents, I feel like we should at least have an idea of what our kids are talking about, right? So, with a little help from my kids and a few Google searches, I now know what they’re saying – and so do you! Let’s dive in, shall we? “Sty” You know how our parents always called us lazy? Well, it’s like this generation said “Here, hold my Root Beer”. If you overhear your child saying things like… “He’s got so much sty!” or “That’s so sty!”,…

What season are we in?? Well, I guess it’s technically winter, but around here – it’s soup season! In our house, 3 out of 4 of us are soup lovers. My youngest isn’t a soup fan, but I’ve mentioned before that he’d survive off buns, burgers, and mac & cheese if we let him, so his opinion doesn’t really count here. I think the only soup he’s ever really ‘approved’ of is this creamy dill pickle soup a local restaurant used to make before new owners took over. It was AMAZING! If I manage to find a recipe for something close to it and he gives it two thumbs up, I’ll definitely share it here. Now, our oldest is a huge soup fan. He always has been. When he was little, he was all about chicken soups. He loved chicken noodle, chicken and rice, chicken vegetable, he loved them all.…

As a kid, I spent most of my summers at day camp. I have fond memories of those days too. It’s where I learned how to play Capture the Flag. It’s where I fell in love with canoeing. It’s where I learned a ridiculous amount of camp songs and games that I still remember to this day. It’s also where I learned how important sunscreen is for a pale, freckled redhead. If you have plans to send your kids to camp this summer, you can be sure they’ll spend their days swimming, making new friends, playing sports, learning new games, exploring nature, singing songs, laughing, and making memories to last a lifetime. That’s why packing lunches for day camp that will fuel them for endless days of fun is so important. Need some tips on how to pack a lunch for day camp that they’ll love? We’ve got ‘em! Keep…

Courageous. Determined. Passionate. Aries is the first sign in the zodiac, and they have a lot of great qualities. If you’ve got a little Aries at home, you’re probably thinking you’ve got a stubborn little human on your hands since their symbol is the Ram. However, when researching this sign, stubbornness wasn’t mentioned in the list of Aries traits. Trust me, I looked. So maybe Rams aren’t as stubborn as we think? They might have quite the temper though. More on that later… Over the years, I’ve known quite a few Aries. I dated one back in college, my good friend was born at the end of March, and I know a handful of others as well. So, I had quite a few people to keep in mind when I was reading about the stereotypical characteristics Rams are traditionally known to have. Turns out – most of the Aries I…

If I had to choose one word to describe Pisces, it would be…healer. After researching this sign, I’ve learned that one of the greatest features of Pisceans is their ability to heal others. So, if you’re expecting a little Pisces soon, or you already have one at home, you’ll always have an excellent supporter by your side. Or on your lap. Or clinging to your leg. Or knocking on the bathroom door while you’re just trying to do your thing in peace. Okay, that last part is true for ALL children – not just Pisces children. Here is how to raise a Pisces. Whenever I’m researching zodiac signs, I always think of the people I know who fall under each sign so I can see if the stereotypes match up. For Pisces I noticed – I don’t know a lot of Pisces. I’m usually able to think of at least…

A highly intelligent, deep thinker with a passion for fighting for causes. That might just be in your future if you have a little Aquarius running around or you’re expecting one soon. Wondering how to raise an Aquarius? While researching information about Aquarians, I noticed they were repeatedly described as intelligent, independent, but also ‘unique’, or ‘different’, and even ‘eccentric’. Now, I’m no expert but Bob Marley, Guy Fieri, and Isla Fisher are just a few famous people born under this sign, so there might be some truth to that. Oh, and if you don’t think of Isla Fisher as that ‘different’, keep in mind she’s married to Sacha Baron Cohen, aka Borat. I mean, you need to be a little off to be married to Borat, right? (I still love Isla Fisher though!) So, what else can you expect if you’re raising a little Water-Bearer or expecting one to…

As the weather changes, our tastebuds change with it. We find ourselves starting to crave meals that give us comfort and keep us warm. Our kids are no different. Recently, my youngest asked if I could start packing hot foods in his lunch. I simply smiled, and I’ll tell you why. My youngest is picky on a good day. He doesn’t like sandwiches. He turns his nose up at wraps. He doesn’t like cold vegetables. He won’t eat cheese. He hates yogurt with the “chunks” in it. He’ll only eat plain vanilla. Watermelon is too squishy. Oranges are too juicy. He’s the kid that will tell me he likes something one week and then stop eating it the next. He’d live off buns, mac and cheese, muffins, and croutons if you let him. Yes, croutons. When it comes to packing lunches, he’s a challenge to put it mildly. So, when…

It’s the sign of practicality, ambition, and maturity. That’s what you can expect if you have a little Capricorn at home, or you’re impatiently waiting to raise a Capricorn! Now, it’s hard to imagine a practical, mature toddler, so those characteristics will likely come with age. I can’t help but picture a two-year old running around in a suit with a briefcase though. Capricorns are known for being somewhat serious and are said to be good leaders or managers. One of my best friends is a Capricorn and so is one of my nephews – they actually share the same birthday! So, when I was researching Capricorn traits, I kept them in mind to see if any of it sounded familiar. As expected, some traits match up and others…not quite as much. So, what else can you expect if you’re raising a little Goat or expecting one to arrive very…

Energetic. Extroverted. Enthusiastic. If you have a bundle of energy running around your house, they might just be a little Sagittarius. Now, full disclosure here, I am a Sagittarius. Growing up I always found astrology to be fun and interesting to read about, so I know a fair amount about this specific sign. Of course, I didn’t take it very seriously, but that being said… I’m pretty darn close to being your typical Sagittarius. Sagittarians are known as the travelers of the zodiac, and I laughed a little bit when I read that because our family went on FOUR vacations this past year. We were making up for lost time due to the pandemic and don’t typically take that many vacations in a year but trust me – I’d LOVE to! So, what else can you expect if you’re raising a little Archer or expecting one to arrive very soon?…