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THE MOTHERLODE
Our growing resource library of tips, tricks, and tools to help you win at life and succeed on your quest to find joy in motherhood!

How to Teach Kids About Diversity | Color Me Culturally Confident
How to teach kids about diversity This intro paragraph is really difficult for me to write. Partially because it’s always hard to know where to

Won Ton Salad | Delicious Asian Inspired Salad
To be honest, I am probably straight-up plagiarizing someone else’s delicious creation because I know my family didn’t invent this Won Ton salad, but we’ve

Virtual Birthday Party Follow Up | How it went
Emi’s virtual birthday party was a few weeks ago and I finally have a minute to write this follow up post. If you haven’t yet,

DIY Sensory Table For Only $25!
If you’re looking for an alternative to those expensive designer sensory tables look no further! Here’s a simple, sturdy, inexpensive DIY sensory table for just

Our First Week of a Summer of Playing Skillfully
If you’ve been considering either of the playing skillfully curriculums but want to see it in action first, you’re in the right place! A detailed

What to do When You Hate Playing With Your Kids | From a Mom Who Hates Playing
Do you see other moms engaging in imaginary play with their kids and think “why can’t I do that?” Do you try only to end

Free Mandala Digital Coloring Page | Happy National Coloring Book Day!
Celebrate National Coloring Book Day with this free Mandala digital coloring page designed for the Procreate app. A printable option also available. This post contains

How To Celebrate The Journey To Motherhood… Especially When Pregnancy Sucks!
How to celebrate the journey to motherhood, especially when pregnancy sucks. This boho inspired maternity session celebrates Kelsea’s journey to motherhood.

How to plan a virtual birthday party
How to plan a virtual birthday party that feels like a traditional birthday party by bringing everyone together, cohesive decorations, and activities you can do together despite being far apart.

DIY Party Hats
Super easy, DIY party hats made from scrapbook paper to match any party theme!

Mother’s day gift ideas | 2020 Edition
Inspiration to help you find the perfect gift, here are Mother’s Day Gift Ideas the 2020 edition.

How To Give Good Gifts
How to give good gifts that communicate love by making them personal, thoughtful, and surprising, plus gift idea inspiration to help get you started.

10 chores your toddler can do
10 chores your toddler can do right now to start helping around the house. Chores help kids develop a strong work ethic, be less entitled, and learn life skills.

How to raise tidy & helpful kids
5 tips to raise tidy, helpful kids by modeling tidy & helpful behavior, teaching them to clean up after themselves, letting them help, and giving

The fast, easy, & modern way to get clean floors.
I’m sharing my #1 hack to keep floors clean and spend less time doing it! The BISSELL Crosswave Pet Pro All in One Wet Dry

How to turn your kids overstuffed closet into a capsule wardrobe.
A practical approach to simplifying your life and laundry situation by decluttering your kids overstuffed closet and turning it into a kids capsule wardrobe. Where

4 reasons your toddler needs a routine
Simplify mom life by establishing a routine for your toddler to help them feel safe & secure, stop arguments, develop healthy habits, introduce chores and

Say goodbye to mom guilt! The #1 way to get rid of debilitating mom guilt.
Get rid of debilitating mom guilt, #1 antidote revealed. Mom Guilt ends when comparison stops & friendship begins. Join our community & share your story.

Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies | Aka the Yummiest Cookies Ever
a fan favorite! When I was in high school we got out early every Monday. We’d usually fill our extra hours hanging out with friends


Hey There, I'm Maren!
Welcome to The Mom Nextdoor (TMN). I’m Maren, wife to Matt, mama to Emi and our scruffy puppy Rego. I’m a photographer, blogger, and I’m on a mission to find joy in the journey.
TMN was born out of a crossroads. I had been working hard to build my photography business until one day I realized it was taking over my life and motherhood had become an inconvenience and robbed of all joy. Ouch!
Something had to give and it wasn’t going to be motherhood.
TMN is the record of my quest to find joy in motherhood every day and I hope you will find inspiration to do the same.
Join the quest as we homemake, nurture, live, craft, and connect with each other to find joy in motherhood.
JOIN THE MOM NEXTDOOR COMMUNITY
You are invited to join a community of close knit mothers connecting through our shared experiences; lending strength and hope when we struggle and love and celebration when we triumph.
FEATURES & COLLABORATIONS
Here at TMN we’re passionate about community over comparison and believe mom-guilt ends where connection begins. And connection begins through sharing stories of motherhood.
We believe that every mom has a story to tell; that YOU have a story to tell. And we believe your story has the power to lift and empower other moms. We would be honored if you would share your story with our community.