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Trying to explain the last few years of my life to people who don’t know me well is always a bit of a challenge.

This week I decided to try my first cleanse because, well, frankly jeans season intimidates me more than swimsuit season.

Hear me out.

Last weekend, the husband and I spent our 10-year wedding anniversary doing something we frequently did before the little Plegges came along – enjoying a weekend music festival and making fun of that drunk girl.

Between making googly eyes at Brandon Flowers and mentally chastising the 20-somethings for some of their fashion choices (Honestly girls – you will never have a better butt than you do at age 21. To take it for granted with your ironic mom-jean shorts makes me weep.), I looked over at my husband and thought, man, I am lucky to have him. And also how ridiculous he would look in a hipster tank top and neon sunglasses.

In honor of our 10-year anniversary, I wanted to share with my own kids a few words of wisdom to follow when picking out a mate. I know, I know, I have no room to talk – 10 years is just a blip in the overall game of life, but by Hollywood standards, we’re celebrating our diamond anniversary, worthy of a surprise potluck and card shower in the church basement.

To my darling daughters:

The Foundry Art Centre kicks off its new Children's Book Club in October, offering kids a chance to mix reading and art. Kids ages 3-8 can join the club, which meets once each month, and explore the world of books through fairy tales, sharing opinons and themed art projects.

On September 28, grab your cleats and head to Hermann Stadium at Saint Louis University for the third annual Great America SCORES Soccer Dribble. Your goal?

When a new movie premieres at the Saint Louis Science Center's OMINIMAX Theater, it's a big deal - literally.

Alexis and Krystle. Kelly and Brenda. Zach and Slater. If there’s anything 80’s TV has taught us is that everyone has a frenemy at one point or another. Yet, as any parent knows, the frenemy battles can start early in a child’s life.

While preschoolers may not be stealing each other’s boyfriends or shoving their enemies in the mud by their shoulder pads, hitting, name-calling and hair-pulling can become the norm when they’re trying to find their spot in the social hierarchy.

According to Chesterfield play therapist and registered clinician James Carroll, the main reason children argue at this young age is because of their level of development, which affects their ability to control their emotions and aggressive feelings.

According to a report released earlier this year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), breastfeeding rates are on the rise.

It was a beautiful summer morning, unseasonably cool for August. We didn't have anything on the calendar so I decided to take my girls on a leisurely stroll to pick up a few items at the grocery store, then swing by the dry cleaner for my husband's dress shirts on our way home.

My one-year-old happily chattered in her stroller pointing out birds and squirrels, craning her head upward to smile at me when I pointed out the same to her. My two and four-year-olds merrily skipped along the sidewalk in front of us shouting “die creatures die” every time they stomped on an ant. It was the perfect morning – the kind of morning I dreamed about having when I dreamed about being a stay-at-home Mom.

But by the time we arrived back home I was more anxious than a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. That little voice inside my head, you know the one – the one who tells you to do things, like pour bleach on your neighbor's stupid perfect flowers? (No? Just me? Nobody?) Well by the time we walked in our garage that little voice was screaming inside my head, “That took you over two hours. TWO. HOURS. Do you know how much more you could have accomplished today if you would have just driven?” I hurried the kids inside and dusted something.

Camping is usually considered a summertime activity, but really there’s no better time to spend a few days living outdoors than now – when the summer heat transitions into autumn relief. No longer will you have to swelter on hikes, become a drinking fountain for mosquitos, or roast around the campfire – but instead soak up nature in cool comfort. To get your kids pumped up about the great outdoors, join them for a camping trial run at Camp In’ Under the Arch this weekend, a special event hosted by the National Park Service (NPS) in honor of Founders Day, its 97th birthday celebration.

Internet privacy has been a hot button topic recently. From controversies surrounding the National Security Agency’s surveillance of Internet usage and emails to the monitoring of our shopping habits by retailers (new merchandise return tracking enhancements has this chronic returner hanging her in head in shame), we often feel like we have eyes on us everywhere we go.

While we’re concerned about our own privacy as adults, the thought of someone snooping on our little ones online can bring out the mama bear.

According to eMarketer, 25 percent of kids ages 5 to 7, and 39 percent of kids 6 to 9 have a smart phone or tablet. While limited screen time can offer online learning opportunities for kids (and let’s face it, mind-numbing games when mom and dad need a 10-minute break), it also can expose kids’ information to third party companies.

Is your child's piggy bank a bit empty lately? Maybe those summer lemonade stands didn't quite turn the profit he or she had expected.

As kids head back to class and summer becomes a distant memory, time for fun and family is often harder and harder to come by. Between work, school, and extracurricular activities, fall is a busy season for St. Louis families – making it an excellent time to escape for a relaxing weekend getaway.

YMCA Trout Lodge and Camp Lakewood, collectively known as YMCA of the Ozarks, is the perfect place to do just that. Nestled on 5,000 acres of rolling, tree-covered hills in Potosi, and situated on a private 360-acre lake, the year-round, not-for-profit family resort, conference center, outdoor education center, and summer residential camp is a peaceful destination for families in need of some quality time together.     

Every little girl loves Disney princess movies – they want to be rescued by a handsome prince and live a perfect princess life in a castle surrounded by singing rodents. It’s enough to make a mom cringe every time she turns on the DVR.

But the 1940’s and 50’s patriarchal plots of Walt Disney’s fairy tales are a far cry from the girl power stories collected by the Brothers Grimm in the early 1800’s. In fact, their “heroine journeys” of Rapunzel, Cinderella and Snow White were used to guide teenage girls through the tricky transition from childhood to womanhood, and the lessons of these classic stories resonate in today’s modern world.

In fact, in his new book, Sleeping Beauties, Awakened Women: Guiding the Transformation of Adolescent Girls¸ St. Louis developmental and behavioral pediatrician Dr. Tim Jordan noted Cinderella toiled alone for seven years, becoming independent and self-reliant while Rapunzel traveled in the desert taking care of her children by herself.

With the new school year just a few days away, the lessons Dr. Jordan outlines in Sleeping Beauties, Awakening Women can help girls handle the mean girl drama and stress waiting for them in the hallways, find their inner strength, and guide them in finding the support needed to thrive during the most confusing times of their lives.

We're excited to announce that St. Louis Kids Magazine is now STL Parent. We have a new look and a new name, but we're still dedicated to bringing you the latest information you need to know as you raise kids in St. Louis.

When it comes to entertaining your kids on a rainy day in St. Louis, a trip to the Saint Louis Science Center can’t be beat. Even if you’ve explored this beloved local destination many times before, there’s always a new exhibit to see, or a favorite attraction (in our family, the giant hamster wheel) to enjoy once again. It was with this in mind that my children and I headed there a few weeks ago to check out the Lost Egypt exhibition currently on display.

In my worklife, I’m impeccably organized – in my homelife, not so much. The first week of school, I’m on top of things – the permission slips are signed, the backpack is packed each night, homework is done days before it’s due. By the second week, our dining room table becomes the burial site for school flyers and permission slips. So it’s no surprise MJ comes home once a week, sighing, “You forgot my snack again so I had to eat paste” and with notes from her teacher that remind me again field trip fees are due but subliminally scream, “Nicole – for all that is good and holy, why is it so freakin’ hard to put $5 in your kid’s Hello Kitty backpack?!?”

Whether the impending start of the school year has caught you off guard or you've been preparing for it all summer, the cost of all of those school supplies and new clothes can take anyone by surprise.

So we asked a St. Louis mom who has made it her business to save money – and help others save money – to tell us how she pinches pennies (and a lot more) on all kinds of school supplies for her own 3 kids.

I finally understand why my Mom shot off fireworks the night before the first day of school. I also understand why she talked to herself all of the time.