July 20th, 2010
I booked our summer vacation a few months ago, meaning airplane tickets and hotel reservations. So today I am tackling car reservations. We have two families going on this adventure and I think with the massive amounts of luggage we will have with four adults and four kids (ages 3-5) we will need two cars. Leaves more flexibility for excursions as well. I’ve priced it all out today so just need to book it!
So now onto activities. So far our family has one major outing scheduled, a college football game. But I plan to scout out a few local restaurants, shaved ice shops, and other hang outs for us to make some visits to. As much as the kids love the beach and pool we will need to have a few other fun things to do on the schedule, including some indoor options.
Then there’s packing which I don’t even want to think about yet!
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July 16th, 2010
Summertime brings family vacations, so let’s make them fun! My favorite recent quote comes from Claire on Modern Family “I’m a mom traveling with my kids. For me, this is not a vacation. It’s a business trip.” Having the right mindset can make all the difference. First, this is not a vacation for you, it’s a FAMILY vacation. This means the goal is for everyone to have a good time, not for the parents to get a break.
SET EXPECTATIONS: What is the purpose of the vacation? Relax? Sight Seeing? Make sure everyone knows the plan. Choose activities that are fun for everyone.
PACKING: Everyone gets their own bag – don’t pack the kids in your bag. Keep your suitcase for your clothes and travel items. Pick the size luggage that you can handle hauling around and fit all of your stuff into that. Don’t pick your luggage based on how much stuff you want to bring. Have your child identify a few items that they cannot live without (like that special blanket or stuffed animal). Then pack a few other things like books and small toys to keep them occupied during down time. Be careful about bringing anything that can’t be replace as things do get lost/left behing.
AIRPLANE BAGS: Each of my children has their own backpack to bring on the plane. Inside those backpacks you will find coloring books, crayons, leapster, snacks, a drink, books, action figures, hot wheels, princesses, and ponies. In my backpack you will find a dvd player, treats, and changes of clothes in addition to my Ipod, book, and DS. For our trip this year I splurged and bought each of the kids new headphones, Toy Story and Disney Princess.
DURING THE TRIP: Decide up front if you are going to try to keep the kids on schedule for things like meal times, naps, and bed times. We go with the flow on vacation, but try to maintain a decent bed time. Overtired, cranky kids are no fun for anyone so be realistic about how much you are squeezing into a day. Always have tons of snacks with you and a change of clothes for everyone, not just the kids (you never know when your child’s food or drink will end up spilled all over you!)
RELAX: It is vacation!
We are doing a beach style vacation this year so our challenge will be keeping the kids entertained without many activities planned. Luckily they both love the water so I see a lot of pool and sand time happening. But we will need more than two beach chairs!
Tags: family vacation, travel, vacation
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July 16th, 2010
Blog hopping on this sunny Friday!
Tags: follow friday
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July 13th, 2010
How do the kids’ toys start taking over the house? We have bins, organizers, bookcases, trunks, but we have gotten to an overflow point (this does seem to happen after each kids birthday party!). So for my first Tackle it Tuesday I decided to clean out the kids toys. When I say clean out the kids toys, I mean go through every room and pull them all out. I had two young assistants on this project.
Pull Out All The Toys. Yes, we pulled out all the toys into the living room.
Sort The Toys. We put all the toys in piles: older child, younger child, giveaway, toy pieces. We then tried to match up all the loose pieces with their toy or game. Then we grouped the items in each child’s pile (ie board games, action figures, dolls, etc).
Giving Away Toys. I promptly e-mailed several friends who have babies with a list of toys that are ready for new homes. One has already picked up some and the other two are scheduled to come over this week. Funny how the kids start playing with toys that have gone unused for 6 months once they are in the giveaway pile!
Organizing and Putting the Toys Away. We put certain toys in the kids rooms and chose others to stay in the play room.
The Aftermath. Then there are the toys that are no longer usable. Broken hot wheels tracks, games with missing pieces. Some of these went into the recycling bin.
I finally feel like we have some space again! Getting the baby toys out was a huge part of that. We unearthed some hidden treasures from the bottom of the toy bin and the back of some shelves – it’s almost like having a few new toys!
Tags: cleaning, organizing, projects, tackle it tuesday
Posted in Family/Parenting | 2 Comments »
July 9th, 2010
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July 9th, 2010
One of the best parts of summer is the nice weather which makes it possible to have outside parties. I love entertaining and have found since having kids we do it a lot more informally. But that doesn’t mean there still isn’t a lot of work involved! Backyard parties are fun for adults and kids. Being prepared is crucial, you don’t want to be running around looking for the wine opener after the guests arrive!
BEFORE THE PARTY
- Wipe or hose down all patio and outdoor furniture including any toys the kids will be using.
- Buy paper or plastic plates, utensils, and cups.
- Buy plenty of ice. Make sure you have drink ice and cooler ice. Ice down sodas, beers, and juice.
- Use plastic tablecloths for the food area. Have tape or weights to keep it from blowing away.
- Have blankets or towels available for extra seating.
- Have bottle openers and wine openers available.
- Tidy up! Make sure all important toys are safely tucked away. Get that pile of mail out of the way.
- Stock the guest bathroom with lots of toilet paper.
- Have receptacles for trash AND recycling outside.
- Have lots of paper towels on hand to clean up spills or dirty children.
- Make sure there is a shady area for guests who are too hot or don’t want to sit in the sun.
- Do not stage all the food and drink in one area, spread it around.
- Block off all areas of the house or yard where you do not want people to be.
- Contingency plan – you never know when the weather will turn on you!
THE MENU
- Plan a menu that includes plenty of appetizers and snack foods.
- Keep the main course simple with as much prepared ahead of time as possible.
- If using the BBQ, make sure it is out of the way of the kids play area.
- Have a dessert that does not require an additional plate (think cookies, brownies, rice krispy treats)
- Lots of drinks including juice boxes, sodas, water, lemonade, beer, and wine. Make a fun punch or some sangria.
DURING THE PARTY
- When guests enter, point them in the direction they should go or everyone will end up in the kitchen!
- Offer drinks to the guests and point out the areas with kids drinks and adult drinks.
- Be on the lookout for empty serving dishes and refill. Find a friend to help with this.
- Relax and talk to your guests, you don’t want to be busy the whole time and not enjoy the party!
And then there is the clean up. Having the trash and recycling cans outside can help make this easier!
Tags: Entertaining, Parties, summer
Posted in Entertaining | 2 Comments »
July 2nd, 2010
Many of us will be going to parties this holiday weekend and most likely bringing a dish along. I personally have been looking for some fun themed treats for our family potluck. I have found that most are desserts or involve strawberries and blueberries! Here are a few red, white, and blue recipes. I am going to try making the pretzel sparklers this year!
Rice Krispy 4th of July Cut Outs – cute star shaped desserts
Summer Berry Trifle – with strawberries, blueberries, pudding, and ladyfingers
Red, White, and Blue Ice Cream Pie – ice cream and sorbet in a graham cracker crust
Wave Your Flag Cake – jello, cool whip and fruit (personal favorite!)
Red, White, and Blue Potato Salad – red, white, and blue skinned potatoes
Red, White, and Blueberry Skewers – strawberries, blueberries, and marshmallows
Pretzel Sparklers – pretzels dipped in chocolate and rolled in red, white, and blue sprinklers
Fruited Cheesecake Flag – individual squares combine to make a flag
Red, White, and Blue Strawberry Appetizer Recipe - with blueberries and yogurt or cream
Chocolate Covered Strawberries – use white chocolate and add blue and red food coloring
Have a happy holiday!
Tags: 4th of july, Holidays, Recipes
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June 3rd, 2010
School’s out for summer! How long until you hear the dreaded “I’m bored”. Planning ahead can help keep the days running smoothly. Here are some activities you can do with your family this summer that wont break the bank.
- Library – many libraries have summer reading programs or story times. You can also just visit the library to check out books. Check out local bookstores for summer programs as well.
- Zoo – Avoid the heat of the day and go in the early morning to get the most out of the zoo. Look into memberships or discount days.
- Children’s Museum – These can be less crowded during the summer months since there are fewer school field trips. Call ahead to find a day where there are no camp or school visits.
- Outdoor Fun – Make time to play in the front or back yard. Bubbles, sidewalk chalk, scavenger hunt, kites, frisbee, and scooters all make for great outdoor fun. If you have an area with dirt invest in a small shovel and pail.
- Garden – Plant a garden in your back yard or find a community garden.
- Painting – Invest in a set of paints and a roll of butcher paper. Find an area where you can tape of the pieces of butcher paper to be painted on. I prefer to do this outside of the house!
- Park – Explore your local parks. Pick a new park every week, even drive one town over. Bring balls and sand toys or even scooters or trikes if there is a cement area.
- Bowling – Check out the Kids Bowl Free program to see if there is a participating bowling center near you.
- Play Dates – Reach out to your friends or your kids friend’s parents to arrange play dates.
- Camp Out – In your own backyard!
- Indoor Playtime – Make a fort, play a board game, do a puzzle, play with those toys in the back of the cupboard you haven’t seen in months.
- Craft Projects – There are free printables and craft ideas all over the internet! You don’t have to be a crafty person to help your kids through a project.
- Cook – Start teaching the kids how to help you cook. There are lots of cooking project specifically designed for kids if you don’t want to start out with the family meals.
- Volunteer – Check out Waystohelp.org to find volunteer opportunities for your children.
Make sure you have something planned every day. You don’t want to every minute of the summer scheduled out, but having something ready for the kids really helps avoid summer boredom.
Tags: kids activities, summer activities
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May 20th, 2010
From Kindergarten to high school, every graduation is special! And having the right outfit is important for both parent and child (and enough Kleenex!). I find boys outfits to be a little easier to put together. You can choose fromeither separates or a boys suit. There are a lot more color options available for boys, particularly in the boys shirts so be creative!
With girls the trick is to find something age appropriate in the correct size – not too short, low cut, or revealing, but still cute and stylish. Our Victoria dress with multicolor polka dots has been a favorite with both kids and parents. And it is available through size 16 so it is an option for both elementary school and middle school graduations. The Nina dress is another style which has a nice length and a trendy tier style.
And as I always suggest, it is much easier to have your child wear an outfit if they had a party in picking it out! So give them a few choices that you have already picked out and let them choose. Always best to avoid an argument on a bid day.
Tags: children's clothing, graduation
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May 7th, 2010
May always seems to be a busy month. Mother’s Day weekend already started for me yesterday when I attended the mother’s day breakfast at my son’s school. He made a fabulously decorated bulletin board for me (it was very bedazzled) which already had a picture of him pinned to it. Very sweet. Now it’s time to turn to the two moms in my life! My favorite first mother’s day gift after my daughter was born was a bracelet set for mom and daughter. I hope to find more matching sets in bigger sizes since we both like to wear jewelry!
I have spent some time thinking and researching gifts for the moms. They do love photo gifts, but let’s face it, you have to plan ahead for those! So I have come up with a few last minute gift ideas for us busy moms who didn’t quite get to ordering anything ahead of time.
- Digital Photo Frame – And if you are confident she will like it, upload a bunch of pictures to it so it is ready to go.
- Netflix Subscription – If she loves movies or tv, this is an awesome gift.
- Bath & Beauty Products – My personal favorite is Bath & Body Works. Tons of fun lotions, bath salts, candles, body wash. They even had pre-made baskets.
- Flip Video Camera – You don’t need to be high tech for these easy to use small flip video cameras . I bought one at Best Buy for my husband last year for Father’s Day.
- CDs – yes, they still sell these! Or better yet, make your own mix and burn a CD for mom of her favorite songs.
- Magazine Subscription – Find a topic she likes and get her a magazine subscription. Amazon.com makes it really easy to sign up and they usually have good prices. Pick up the current issue so you have something to hand her and tell her she will be getting them for a full year!
- Book – If mom reads, consider strolling over to a bookstore and picking out something new from her favorite author or topic. Or if she likes to cook, get her a cookbook.
- Plants – For the greenthumb mom, get a plant for the garden. Get creative and try a fruit plant!
- Purse or Jewelry – This can get spendy and hard to pick out so be careful here!
- Gift Certificates – Tricky business. Some moms like this, some actually want something to open. My recommendation would be for a spa treatment, favorite restaurant, or anything mom would consider a treat and not too practical.
- Candy – Sees candy is always a big hit with the grandma’s.
If you have kids, add a homemade card to the gift for a special touch!
Tags: gifts, Holidays, mother's day
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