Rage Against The Minivan

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Questions of eternal significance: Do you have a black-and-white chevron pillow from IKEA?

July 1, 2014

This may be the most random question I’ve ever asked in a blog post, but I need to know . . . Do you have these chevron black-and-white pillows in your home? I just feel like they’ve become a Thing. Maybe it’s because I have them. Maybe it’s just the old “when you’re shopping for a Volvo, all you see is Volvos” phenomenon. But I swear, I see this pillows all over instagram. Admittedly. I’m a fan. I have them in our living room, and also in Jafta’s room. And then when we re-did our own . . .

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On why I make my kids do things they don’t want to do

June 30, 2014

I don’t love the idea of forcing kids to partake in an activity they aren’t thrilled about just because the parent thinks they should. I’ve watched in horror as parents forced their children onto little league fields, or as parents stood by while their toddler screamed through a ballet class, vowing that I would never be the kind of parent who would make her kid do something they clearly don’t enjoy. And yet . . . in some ways, I am that mom. This year I signed all three of my elementary-aged . . .

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That’s what SHE said: The Exodus Road

June 28, 2014

I’ve been sharing stories from my trip to SE Asia, but my friends who went have also been sharing. Their posts echo my own experience and illuminate more of the work of the Exodus Road in their fight against trafficking . . . I hope you will check them out. Meet The Exodus Road | Dooce It is this organization’s attitude toward building alliances that I think will ultimately make it successful. They haven’t come into this part of the world with a Superman complex. The easy, ineffective fix . . .

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Friday Finds

June 27, 2014

1.  Kimono-sleeve swim cover-up | Old Navy  2.  Family circle necklace | Simplistamped 3.  Mojave Sandal | Sseko 4. Geometric Candle Holders | Tom's 5. 4040 Locust Modern Pendant | Urban Outfitters 6. Pulsaderm buddy | Pulsaderm 7. Surf-graphic tee | Old Navy  8. Summer chickpea salad with honey garlic lime vinaigrette | Howsweeteats.com 9. Paisley rashguard & bottoms | Zulily  1.  Color blocked striped scarf | Cents Of Style 2. . . .

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What I learned about sex trafficking from an evening with two prostitutes

June 26, 2014

I mentioned in a previous post that I had a lot of apprehension about going on a trip to S.E. Asia to learn about sex trafficking. When I saw our schedule, one thing stood out to me: we were scheduled to hire a prostitute and pay her for an interview so that we could hear her story. This seemed daunting to me. I mean, it was one thing to see these girls lined up like an auction block at the “go-go bars” (brothels), but sitting face-to-face felt so raw and so personal and so vulnerable. I was . . .

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Wednesday’s Child: Russell

June 25, 2014

Every Wednesday I feature a child recently highlighted by a local Wednesday's Child newscast to share the stories of children from around the country who are waiting for a family. My hope is that this can broaden exposure for the children highlighted, but also serve as a reminder that these children represent thousands of children currently in the foster-care system. Perhaps their stories will inspire you to consider opening your home to a child needing a family. For more information and to . . .

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How and why to care about immigration reform (a guest post by Bethany Anderson)

June 25, 2014

When I was a wide-eyed 19 year old who thought I could save the world, I started volunteering in a little neighborhood less than 2 miles from my college campus. This neighborhood has all the markings of an urban community: graffiti, gangs, drugs, alcohol. In my naïve mind, this was definitely a community that needed to be “saved,” and who better to save it than me…a white middle class Christian girl from the suburbs. After a few months of getting to know the community, while tirelessly trying . . .

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Playing summer catch-up

June 25, 2014

This post was sponsored by the makers of Invisalign® clear aligners. My nephew and mom are receiving complimentary Invisalign treatment as they share their Invisalign journey. Summer means a lot of things: no school, vacations, late nights and sleepovers. Summer means playing outside and going swimming. For me, summer also means playing catch-up. Is it like that for you? Most moms I know use summer as the time to get all the things done they've put off during the school year. It's just . . .

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The difference between sex trafficking and sex tourism

June 22, 2014

  Today is our last day in S.E. Asia. We've had a full trip . . . I'm still processing what we've seen and learned, and have so much that I want to share. We hit the ground running and had little down-time so I wasn’t able to write as much as I’d hoped from the road, but have so much I still want to share and I hope you’ll still follow along. I thought I would start with explaining exactly what sex trafficking is, and how it is different than sex tourism.   One of the first things we . . .

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Explaining that drunk guy to my kids

June 20, 2014

This post was sponsored by FAAR in collaboration with the Talk Early campaign, an initiative to empower parents to talk with their kids about alcohol. We live near the beach, and a popular boardwalk takes us right down to a beautiful spot on the Pacific. Riding boardwalk path on a summer evening or weekend is one of our favorite things to do as a family. Unfortunately, it also takes us past a variety of beachside bars, which means my kids have encountered their share of drunk and . . .

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.AmazonBARNES AND NOBLE TARGET POWELLS PEGUIN RANDOM HOUSE
Traveling Fams is a lifestyle blog dedicated to accessible travel for all kinds of families. Join us as we explore the world!

 

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Hi, I’m Kristen. I’m a mom of four kids via birth and adoption and a writer living in Southern California. Read More.

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Rage Against the Minivan sometimes earns revenue through sponsored posts, which are clearly labeled, and occasional affiliate links to recommended products. I only feature products that I truly like, and my opinions are always my own.

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