Bunchland

Meri Perra blogs about the challenges she and her partner face in trying to raise their girls with feminist values

The timeline of my life recently struck 3-5. I’m still waiting for the party. In the meantime, I’ve had the opportunity to grow as a person. Or feel less sorry for myself, so that’s something.

You what it’s like: First one family member gets sick. Your kids are almost always the germy culprits, the patient zeros of the household. Moms brave through the multi-coloured leaky snots, the pukes, the fevers and, worse, the infinite grumpiness. Oh the infinite grumpiness is the worst of all.

But once in a while too much snot and puke and grump is like kryptonite for even the super-est of super moms. This time, I got sick.  Read more...

Our latest Bunch likes to party at Today’s Parent

Awesome party outfit? Check! Dancing shoes all shined up and ready to go? You bet. Thoughtful gift? Yes! Sweet and heartfelt message on the birthday card? Done. All that’s left is to wrap the darn thing, but you’re out of wrapping paper. No sweat, here are five ways to wrap that present up all pretty-like by reusing materials you find around the house.

1. Potato print paper

Cut potato in half and cut out shapes in relief (this part is for the grown-ups). We suggest hearts, stars, lightning bolts, circles, squares, et cetera. Paint stamps with a brush, or dip into a tempera paint-filled plate.

Pro tip: Make a “stamp pad” by soaking a piece of felt in the paint plate — this gives a crisper potato print. Stamp potato all over paper. The key to good potato prints is pattern. Go nuts.  Read more...

This post originally appeared on Today’s Parent, who seems to like the way we party. We like that they like the way we party. Our Today’s Parent blog is called Bunch Likes to Party.

You’ve carefully found a theme and some great activities for your kid’s birthday party. You and the birthday boy or girl have negotiated a menu that’s fun without being all sugar. Invites are out and now all that’s left to decide is the loot bags. Arrrrgh loot bags. Like you really want to buy character-branded plastic bags and fill them with random dollar store items, right? Like other parents really want more of that stuff lying around. Like the kids will play with that stuff for more than five minutes before it gets lost in the crack of the couch. Not to worry, we’ve thought of a few alternatives :

1. A pretty potted plant  Read more...

This post originally appeared on Today’s Parent, who seems to like the way we party. We like that they like the way we party. Our Today’s Parent blog is called Bunch Likes to Party.

There’s something special about hosting your kid’s birthday party in his or her own backyard but what the heck are you going to do to entertain the hordes until their parents come pick them up? Look no further, friends. We’ve got your back.

1. Designer T-shirt Lab  Read more...

Meet me outside, meet me outside

The wisdom of the day states that kids need at least an hour of physical activity every day. When the weather’s cold, or worse, when the weather keeps shifting from warm and melty to freezing and slippery, it can be hard to find great outdoor activities.

So what do you do when your bouncing-off-the-wall kid has a winter birthday? If you’d like an alternative to renting out an indoor play gym and you’re all skated out, why not stage a Nerf battle?

That’s exactly what our pal Melissa in Ohio did for her son’s birthday.

Using Melissa’s party for inspiration, here’s how to have a great Nerf Battle birthday:  Read more...

• When you send the invitations, make sure you inform the parents that the kids will be running around outside and therefore need to be dressed appropriately. (Something they can run around in, waterproof boots, nothing too fancy, hats and mitts)