Meghan Rose

Before becoming a parent, Meghan Rose worked at pioneering internet companies like AOL, eToys.com, and eBay. After having twins, she shifted her focus to literacy, co-authoring Home is Where the Books Are (Choice Literacy, 2013) and launching LitforKids.com. Now based in Los Angeles, Meghan is all about finding fun things to do with kids. Please send her ALL your ideas and suggestions for national parenting and travel articles, or drop a note just say hi: meghan@mommypoppins.com

Latest posts by Meghan

Slime Day, Llama Day, and More Holidays & Activities for December 2025

Submitted by Meghan Rose on Thu, 11/27/2025 - 6:08am

Get gooey for Slime Day! Make your own at home, or get that goop out of your house at a local slime museum. Photo by Kylie Williams

With Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year’s Eve, December is the holiday-est month of the year. But wait, there’s more! Here are celebratory, and sometimes surprising, things to do with kids each and every day in December!

In addition to the major holidays, you can also celebrate Slime Day, Walt Disney Day, Llama Day, and more — all this month. Plus, we’ve sprinkled in plenty of ways to celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah leading up to the actual day!

Check this list, and you’ll find the perfect thing to do with your kids each and every day. For more ideas for Christmas activities, check out our Christmas Activities Guide for Families.

10 Best Christmas Cookies to Bake with Kids (Easy, Fun, and Festive Recipes for Families)

Submitted by Meghan Rose on Sun, 11/02/2025 - 11:46am

We’ve tested out dozens of Christmas cookie recipes over the years, and these are the very best.

While my family will happily bake and eat cookies any day of the year, we really ramp it up for our Christmas cookie baking. We host an annual Christmas cookie party every year, and it’s a tradition they look forward to almost as much as presents. Because they love to be part of the cookie baking process, we have amassed a ton of Christmas cookie recipes. They range from super easy Christmas cookies the kids could help make and decorate when they were tiny, up to more sophisticated Christmas cookie recipes their teen tastebuds love.

We’ve tested out dozens of Christmas cookie recipes over the years, and these are our top ten: including our favorite never-fail, best ever Christmas sugar cookie recipe.

We’ve got more kid-friendly holiday treats, like these yummy Hot Chocolate Bombs, in our Guide to Easy Recipes for Kids, plus loads more Christmas fun for the whole family in our Ultimate Guide to Holiday and Christmas Activities.

Thanksgiving, Pumpkin Destruction Day, and More Holidays & Activities for November 2025

Submitted by Meghan Rose on Thu, 10/30/2025 - 12:09pm

Watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. Photo courtesy of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

November means Thanksgiving! But that’s just one day, there are 30 more days to fill with fall activities, indoor play, turkey-basting November fun.

In addition to Thanksgiving, you can also celebrate Pumpkin Destruction Day, Love Your Freckles Day, Evolution Day, Pickles Day, and more – all this month. Oh, and don’t worry, we’ve also rounded up all the Thanksgiving fun with days set aside for Thanksgiving movies, fall leaf crafts, and kid-friendly pumpkin recipes.

Check this list, and you’ll find the perfect thing to do with your kids each and every day. For more ideas for Thanksgiving activities, check out our Thanksgiving Activities Guide for Families.

Halloween, Fluffernutter Day, and More Holidays & Activities for October 2025

Submitted by Meghan Rose on Tue, 09/30/2025 - 8:26am

Get gaudy! Wear your craziest clothes for Wear Something Gaudy Day on October 17!

October means HALLOWEEN! But that’s just one day, there are 30 more days to fill with awesomely spooky, costume-filled, pumpkin-spiced October fun.

In addition to Halloween, you can also celebrate Fluffernutter Day, Yom Kippur, Wear Something Gaudy Day, International Sloth Day, and more — all in October. Oh, and don’t worry, we’ve also rounded up all the Halloween fun with days set aside for Halloween parties, Halloween movies, and pumpkin carving (we've got easy templates so your pumpkins will impress even if you have limited art skills, promise!).

Check this list, and you’ll find the perfect thing to do with your kids each and every day. For more ideas for Halloween activities, check out our Halloween Activities Guide for Families.

Town and Country Resort in San Diego: A Family-Friendly Stay Parents Will Love

Submitted by Meghan Rose on Mon, 09/29/2025 - 8:11am

Discover if Town and Country Resort San Diego is worth it for your next family vacation. (TL:DR: it is!) Photo by Meghan Rose

As a parent who has stayed in more San Diego hotels with kids than I can count. It feels like we’re always heading to San Diego for visits to Legoland California, the San Diego Zoo, La Jolla getaways, seeing shows at the Old Globe, and even to watch the Dodgers beat the Padres (sorry locals!).

I travel a lot with my family, and I know the difference between a resort that claims to be family-friendly and one that actually delivers. And I can say that now that I’ve stayed there, Town and Country Resort in San Diego has made it to my list of best San Diego hotels for families. After our recent stay, I can share the insider scoop—including the retro vibe, activities, pool, central location, everyone-approved dining options and more. If you’re planning a San Diego family vacation, here’s my honest parent-tested review of Town and Country Resort.

Talk Like a Pirate Day, Grandparents' Day, and More Holidays & Activities for September 2025

Submitted by Meghan Rose on Thu, 08/28/2025 - 8:50am

It's fall! Time to gather up some changing leaves for fabulous art projects. Photo by Sara Frazier

September means summer is in the rearview, and thoughts turn to school, apple picking, colorful leaves, and more fall fun.

One of my favorite ways to pick something new and fun to do on any given day is to celebrate a holiday! There are national days and holidays just about every day of the year, and it can be fun to take inspiration from them to plan an outing, craft, activity, treat, or game in honor of a silly holiday. September is home to National Playdough Day (below we've got an easy recipe to make your own) and Friday the 13th (read on for 13 ways to celebrate!), and so much more.

Check this list, and you’ll find the perfect thing to do with your kids each and every day. And if you're planning a fall getaway, check our travel guides to our favorite gorgeous fall family destinations in our travel guides to New England, the Poconos, and Maine.

Best Hotels in San Diego for Families

Submitted by Meghan Rose on Sun, 08/24/2025 - 8:04am

Stay in your own private cabin on the lake where you have a s'mores fire pit all to yourself, at the Lakehouse Resort. Photo courtesy of the resort

When searching for the best hotel in San Diego, your needs can vary widely. Maybe your family is visiting Legoland, the San Diego Zoo, Sesame Place, or SeaWorld. Perhaps you're exploring famous attractions like the Birch Aquarium or Balboa Park. You could bring your little baseball fans to catch the Padres at Petco Park or maybe soak up a little culture at the Old Globe Theatre.

Whatever the reason you're in San Diego with kids and in need of a hotel, we've got you covered. These are the best family-friendly hotels in San Diego for every family—including hotels near top attractions, hotels on the water, hotels that are pet-friendly, and hotels that are perfect for families on a budget.

Don't miss our reviews of the top attractions like Legoland, the San Diego Zoo, and Sesame Place by local parents that include insider tips, secrets to getting great deals, best times to visit, and more. We've also rounded up a guide to the 60 Best Things To Do in San Diego with Kids!

Best Cleaning Robots That Make Household Chores Easier, According to Our Editors

Submitted by Meghan Rose on Tue, 08/12/2025 - 7:59am

When Hazelnut the bunny met Sheralonda the cleaning Roomba cleaning robot, it wasn't love at first sight. Photo by Jody Mercier

We tested the top home robots, from the best robot vacuum cleaner to cat litter robots, and here's what we thought.

Home robots can help automate some pretty heinous household chores that make parenting so hard. Anything that makes parenting easier? Sign me up! From robot vacuum cleaners to cat litter sifting robots to automated lawn mowers, there are a lot of home robot helpers out there. But, they can run into big bucks. Are they worth it?

This topic came up in the Mommy Poppins group chat, and we all had some honest truths to share with each other about which household chore robots were worth their weight in gold, and which ones were expensive dust collectors. And what we named our little mechanical helpers. (Because, oddly, most of us have names for the ones we love! Say hello to Poolio Iglesias, for example!)

Discover which robot vacuum cleaners are the best and which surprising home robots will make parenting just a little easier. For more insider parenting tips, check out our Mommy Poppins Parenting Guide.

Meghan Rose

Latest posts by Meghan

Pages