Kayla Tornello
Kayla grew up in southeastern Ohio and met her Vermonter husband while in college. They now live in Essex Junction with their two children. Kayla is a stay-at-home mom to her son (born 2010) and her daughter (born 2011). She is also a church pianist/organist. Her hobbies include singing, reading, acting, and coming up with tasty ways to feed her family vegetables. She enjoys spending as much time outdoors as possible.
5 Tips to Prepare a Nervous Child for Summer Camp
Summer camp is awesome, but it can also be scary.
My daughter was both excited and terrified for her first week at sleepaway camp. Her first camp experience happened to occur in the period right...
Time-Saving Tricks to Make the Most of Holiday Cookie Swaps
While I love the holiday season, December is always the busiest month of the year. I really enjoy going to cookie swaps, but they require time and preparation, often when I don't have much...
3 Steps for a Festive and Manageable Thanksgiving Meal for Small Families
Thanksgiving dinner is a wonderful time for families to get together, but it's also a ton of work!
Growing up, my grandmother was in charge of cooking a grand Thanksgiving feast for our entire extended...
Books to Celebrate Pride Month
Pride Month may be over, but we love to celebrate Pride all year long! Summer is a perfect time to stock up on books to read. Regardless of your age or reading ability, we...
Lessons Learned from Middle School Theater
I recently acted as the musical director for a middle school theater production.
While I have a lot of theater experience, there were still plenty of lessons for me to learn. I enjoyed spending time...
Green Up Day! Get the Whole Family Involved in Greening Up Vermont
We all know how important it is to reduce, reuse, and recycle to keep our earth healthy. Vermont offers another opportunity for you to get together with your community and clean up! Green Up...
Concussions in Kids- Signs and Symptoms
Everyone has heard of concussions.
Concussions have gotten a lot of attention lately in professional sports, especially the NFL. They can be quite dangerous if players and coaches ignore the symptoms. However, concussions don't just...
7 Tips to Clean Your Child’s Messy Room without Losing Your Mind
I dreaded the end of summer this year. Once summer ended, I had to deal with my daughter’s messy room. My son’s room wasn’t in much better shape.
How on earth could such a small...
2022 Vermont Holiday Activities for the Whole Family
Welcome to the sometimes cold but always delightful Vermont holiday season!
Whether you stay close to home or decide to take a tour of the state, Vermont has so many terrific holiday activities in December,...
The Best Family Friendly Campgrounds in Vermont
For our adventurous, outdoor-loving families who camp with kids, we've put together a list of family-friendly campgrounds in Vermont.
Get your tents and s'mores supplies ready, it's time to go camping!
Check out these thirteen family-friendly...
Tips and Tricks to Make Sleepaway Camp the Most Fun
My daughter went to sleepaway camp for the first time this summer.
I had been to sleepaway camp myself as a kid, but the nineties were a long time ago! While some things have stayed...
Childhood Home- When It’s Time to Say Goodbye
My mom still lives in my childhood home.
She won't be there for long, though. By next year, she will be moving into a new place, in a new town, with my brother and sister-in-law....
No, I Don’t Want to Watch My Kids’ Sports Events
I am really happy that both of my kids are active in sports this year.
Sports are great for both physical and mental health. I think we all know that by now. My son is...
Maple Syrup- Where to Find a Taste of Vermont
Maple syrup and Vermont go together like a match made in heaven.
My family loves maple syrup. We visit at least one sugarhouse every spring. It's a Vermont tradition! However, you don't need to stop...