Fun and Easy Ways to Celebrate Earth Day

Earth Day is the perfect chance to honor our beautiful planet! Here are some fun and easy ways to celebrate Earth Day with your family. Many thanks to all of the bloggers who contributed to this fabulous round-up! Earth Day is on April 22, 2025. 

Easter Basket Ideas: Gift Guide and Egg-Fillers

Easter is in March this year so that doesn't give the Easter Bunny much time to plan, does it? Every year I search for new and exciting ideas for gifts and baskets. I also have some simple ideas for filling Easter eggs (non-candy egg fillers, too).  All of my suggestions are displayed in easy-to-follow photos with labels and handy links. Read on to see for yourself!

How to Make Peeps Popcorn: More Fun with Peeps

Spring is here, so what to do with all of those Peeps? If you've read my last two posts about Peeps Jousting and Make Your Own Peeps Houses, then you know I love playing with Peeps! I mostly like decorating with them and using them for projects, but this recipe for Peeps Popcorn is actually pretty yummy. And if you need any Peeps supplies, you can check out my handy affiliate link at the bottom of this post.

Key of the Darkhouse - a New Novel by Deborah Zelasny

I am pleased to announce that my new YA fiction novel, Key of the Darkhouse is now available!  Key of the Darkhouse is a project near and dear to my heart. I've been working on it since my college years, and bringing it to life has been a dream come true. Read on for more details about the book.

A Minecraft Movie: A Mom's (Spoiler-Free) Honest Review

Are you ready for A Minecraft Movie? Enter a wonderland where creativity and teamwork is essential to survival, much like the game we all know and love. Four misfits find themselves struggling with ordinary problems in the real world, when they are suddenly pulled through a strange portal into the Overworld (a cubic landscape that thrives on imagination). To get home, they’ll have to master this world (and protect it from evil mobs like creepers and zombies, too) while embarking on a magical quest with an expert crafter named Steve (played by Jack Black). From director Jared Hess and starring Jason Momoa and Jack Black, A Minecraft Movie is the first-ever big screen adaptation of Minecraft, the single best-selling video game of all time. Read on for my (spoiler-free!) review of the film, and to see the latest trailer. 

Fun with Peeps: Peeps Jousting!

I love when Spring rolls around and all of those colorful Peeps start hitting the market. They're just so bright and cute- I'm always looking for fun things to do with them. I was so excited to hear about Peeps Jousting, and so was The Jersey Momma's Boy. This is a fun activity that doesn't require much time or mess. Give it a try, you're sure to wind up laughing!

LEGOLAND New York Guide to Visiting: Reviews, Tips, Advice and Suggestions

If you're headed to LEGOLAND New York, don't go without reading my review first! We just returned from our park visit and I have plenty of tips and suggestions for you. These are things I wish someone had told me before I visited, too, so be sure to read to the end for all of my advice.

*This post has been freshly updated for 2025! LEGOLAND New York is now open for the 2025 season

Make Your Own Peeps Houses: More Fun with Peeps

Wondering what to do with Peeps besides eat them? Peeps houses are one of our favorite Spring projects! Check out how we made them in these easy steps!

Why Music and Parties Go Hand-in-Hand

Go ahead and picture this for just a moment; the snacks are out, the drinks are poured, people are trickling in, and there’s...silence. Nothing kills the vibe faster than a quiet room and awkward small talk echoing off the walls. This is something everyone agrees with, right? Even when it comes to mellow dinner parties, you’ll still need music or it will feel a tad awkward. Now swap that silence for the opening notes of a crowd favorite, and suddenly shoulders relax, feet start tapping, and the whole energy shifts. Overall, that’s music doing its job. No decorations or fancy lighting can carry a party quite like the right playlist.

Chocolate Chip Pan Cookie Recipe : Spring Peeps Bunny Cookie

Peeps are so cute that I tend to enjoy them even after Easter.  I bought an adorable Peeps bunny cookie pan from Candyland Crafts in Raritan (if  you live in Jersey, you must go visit them!) but then I got sick right around Easter time and I never had the chance to use it.  Never one to let a good, adorable cookie pan go to waste, I made a Spring bunny cookie for myself The Jersey Momma's Boy after the holiday.

Audrey's Children - Now Playing

They said it can't be done. She said, 'We'll see about that.' 

The tagline from Audrey's Children immediately pulled me in, because this is a belief I've followed my entire life. When someone tells me it can't be done, I usually think, 'well, let me try.' Or if someone tells me, 'This is how we've always done it,' I think, 'Can we try a new way?' So I felt an immediate connection with Audrey when I read this tagline, even before seeing the movie. Read on to hear more about Audrey's Children and the amazing untold story of Dr. Evans, a renowned physician and visionary founder of Ronald McDonald House.

The Great Big List of Spring Break DayTrips (in New Jersey and Beyond!)

Looking for Spring Break travel ideas this year? Wondering where to visit in the wonderful state of New Jersey (and its surrounding areas)? Well, here's a list of over 50 of the best New Jersey day trips, as well as an interactive map to help you find them.

**This post has been updated for 2025! Please remember to visit websites or call ahead before visiting for exact operational dates and hours.

REPUBLIC RECORDS: KIDS & FAMILY PARTNERS WITH GRAMMY® AWARD- WINNING PRODUCER, SONGWRITER & ARTIST THERON THOMAS TO LAUNCH BRAND NEW KIDS’ MUSIC PROJECT SUMO’S WORLD

Do you want to hear upbeat, fun and educational music geared towards kids but with songs that you'll love as a parent, too? Check this out! Republic Records: Kids & Family just announced their partnership with GRAMMY® award-winning and world-class producer, songwriter, singer, and rapper Theron Thomas. They're excited to present Sumo’s World. Crafted with his 12-year-old son Sumo, Sumo’s World welcomes families to experience an entirely new vision of what kids’ music can be. The project infuses essential lessons about counting, handwashing, ABC’s, and more into musical bangers, powered up by elite production from a power-house hitmaker, known for his multi-platinum hits with the likes of musical superstars Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, Usher, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, Doja Cat, Lizzo, and many more. Read on for more info about the first single and an exciting intro to Sumo's World.

Valley Shepherd Creamery Tours: Spring Lambing Tour and More!

There are so many fun things to do in New Jersey. Today we had a chance to visit Valley Shepherd Creamery in Long Valley, New Jersey. Not only were we able to learn how cheese is made, but we were also able to meet the cheesemakers, and hold newborn lambs!!!  Need I say more? So come along and see what it's like to visit this fabulous local creamery, and then schedule a visit of your own.

**Valley Shepherd just updated their tour schedule for 2025. Scroll through for the ticket link!