February is Black History Month! If your child’s library isn’t already brimming with adorable picture books that feature diverse characters, this is a great month to start! Here are a handful of picture books we know and love!

We picnic in The Woodlands as often as possible, but in the past, our picnics have almost always looked the same. But not anymore! I found this gem of a book - A Year of Picnics - at one of our libraries, and the author has planned 20 different themed picnics for us to sink our teeth into. It's really getting my creative juices flowing! I can't wait to implement some of these ideas along with many of my own. Each picnic idea includes a menu, packing listing, and suggested activities. While a "Breakfast Picnic" might include playing games like hide and seek, walking along a creek, or eating homemade biscuits and jam, a Bird-Watching picnic might implore you to pack binoculars and a birding field guide plus a lunch that includes pickled eggs and birdseed cookies.

When I was growing up, there were very few people on the big screen who looked like me – not that I necessarily noticed; but looking back, I can ascertain that it was a reality. I’m grateful that times have changed, and my daughters get to enjoy interesting movies with all sorts of remarkable characters including some who share their same ethnic background. I thought it would be meaningful to make an acknowledgement post during Black History Month, and, although the month is celebrated in various ways by different people, let’s have fun with it and discuss some good movies starring black actors! Here are 14 of our faves that you can (probably) watch with your entire family:

Maaaannn... Scammers are out here scamming, and I would be heartbroken to learn that any of my WoodlandsMommy .com readers have gotten taken for a ride! I'm sure you've heard the stories. There's a whole culture of scamming that has been breeding for many years and has grown even worse with the use of payment apps and social media.

Get ready to pack your overnight bag! 2024 is the year to get REAL about self-care time! Whether you're a first-time mom with a newborn babe at home or you have a house teeming with kiddos, a getaway is likely to do you a whole lot of good! Don't worry - we won't take you on a road trip far away from home. You can stay right here at a hotel in The Woodlands (your choice of lavish, quaint, or something in between), so you won't feel completely out of your element.

Ready, set… GO!

Or actually, don’t go. Wait. Stop. Breathe, even if it’s for just a few minutes.

Waking up and getting ready for the day shouldn’t be stressful and anxiety-inducing. Consider these tips to ease into your morning with purpose and delight.

Ever made monkey bread? It's delicious! This fun recipe is something the kids will enjoy making alongside you, and you can add an extra couple steps to turn it into a "King Cake" for Mardi Gras or any other time of year. We adapted this recipe from the Abu's Monkey Bread recipe in the Disney Princess Cookbook [ad]. (All the recipes in the book are really delicious and easy to pull off.) 

Surely you've enjoyed your share of summer picnics, but have you ever had one in the winter time? No? Oh, you're in for such a treat! It's very possible to spend a lovely, luxurious time outdoors in The Woodlands with blankets, warm foods, hot drinks, and games during the cold weather months. Here's how to pull it off.