How to Enjoy a Staycation

April 1, 2014 by Leave a Comment

yardWhen the summer heat or the winter chill takes its toll, sometimes it is just nice to stay in and be with yourself or the family. Vacations are the perfect time to get that much-needed rest and relaxation, and while many people are choosing to travel, there are a lot of perks to staying home and having a ‘staycation’. All you need is good heating and air conditioning, good company, and fun activities. Here are some of our recommendations to maximize your staycation:

See a movie

Stocking up on good movies is the perfect way to enjoy your staycation. Prepare a list of movies you haven’t seen because of your busy schedule and spend your staycation catching up. A lot of people talk about movies and seeing the latest Hollywood blockbusters will not make you feel left out the next time you see your friends.

Host a small gathering

Invite a few friends for a meal. Have a barbecue if the sun is feeling strong, or whip up a batch of hot chocolate if it is cold. Inviting friends over is a good idea if you have not seen each other in a while because of work commitments. Catch up on what you missed or talk about your mutual interests. You can follow this with a movie marathon or a sleep over.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: family, parenting Tagged With:

Battle of the Baby Diapers: Cloth Versus Disposable

March 29, 2014 by 2 Comments

diapers

Baby products make up a huge industry that caters to millions of parents, infants, and young children around the world. Of these products, diapers are among the most important of all due to them being essential items for all newborns up until the little ones have been successfully toilet trained. Babies go  through thousands of diaper changes until they turn two or three, which means they rely on good-quality baby diapers to stay clean and comfortable day in and day out.

The biggest discussion on baby diapers concerns whether the cloth or disposable variety is better. Each type of diaper has its own set of staunch supporters, who swear by the type of diaper they have used for their babies.

Traditional cloth diapers consist of a piece of soft cotton cloth wrapped around a baby’s waist and secured on both sides with safety pins. While some people still use this type of diaper, modern cloth diapers have changed a lot. Not only are they more stylish now, but they also feature an outer layer made of waterproof material, which prevents leaks from getting on to furnishings or clothes. The closure is often made of Velcro, which is reminiscent of disposable diapers.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: baby, parenting Tagged With: ,

5 Fun Summer Backyard Activities for Kids

February 26, 2014 by 2 Comments

07 22 13 025

Every time that the summer season rolls around, we as parents find ourselves in a bit of dilemma. Although there are always things like swimming and going to the park that our children can do, we all know that kids tend want to break out of their play routine on a pretty frequent basis; this means that they’re always looking for something new and interesting to do.

So, as you’re gearing up for a few months of fun in the heat, we wanted to provide you with a list of five summer backyard activities that your kids can do; ones that will be sure to keep them happy all summer long.

Help them to make their own tent. Whether you want to “camp out” as a family or let a few of your kids’ friends over for an outdoor slumber party, rather than going to a store to purchase a tent, how about letting them make one of their own? In fact, there are websites that will show you how to make tints, teepees and even playhouses. One of our favorites is Spoonful. Just go to the site and put “DIY hideouts” in the search field.

Create a clothesline theater. There are some of us who remember growing up and putting on a puppet or even our own theater show. You can pass this tradition onto your own children by creating a clothesline theater where they can do the same thing. All you need is a couple of clotheslines, three white sheets (that can be painted or drawn on), some clothespins and a few metal binders. BunchofFamily.ca is one website that can walk you through the instructions. When you go to the site, put “cool clothesline theater” in the search field.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: parenting Tagged With: , ,

MOM, I’m Bored (Ideas to Squash the Whineys)

February 18, 2014 by 1 Comment

Disclosure: The below was provided for me in order to facilitate my review. All opinions are my own and honest. I am disclosing this in accordance to FTC Guidelines. Please see “Disclose” tab for more information.

Snowed in? Stuck home with endless “snow days” and “no school days” this winter? It’s been a brutal and snow-covered season for much of the country this year.  What to do to break up the boredom?  A new toy will get the kiddos off your back (for at least a little while- take what quiet you can get!)

Some fun new finds include;

pic9

The Power Rangers Mega Force Giant 31″ Red Ranger Action Figure by Jakks Pacific Inc.  Available online, at WalMart, or Toy R Us, this Power Ranger is huge and features seven points of articulation that lets you put it into a number of poses.  He is more then half the size of my 6 year old, but is not very heavy, making it easy to play with.  It’s giant size let’s it do things that the smaller action figures can’t, such as cook with kids in the play kitchens, sit next to them to watch TV, and jump out behind doors to scare their mothers.  This (as you might have guessed) is my son’s new favorite activity.  While I am no longer startled (although I need to pretend to be each time, of course) it’s hysterical to him every time.  He also likes to tuck it in under a blanket on the couch, or leave it in the bathtub (so he is clean for his next mission?) from time to time.   It makes an excellent play-in-the-snow toy because it is too large to lose.  He stands on his own, and is large enough to be a “Godzilla” type destroyer of block cities and action figures- another of my son’s favorite activities.  $30
[Read more…]

Filed Under: parenting, toys Tagged With: ,

5 Fun Places to Host a Child’s Birthday Party

December 30, 2013 by 3 Comments

When throwing a birthday bash for your child, yet another party in your dining room with cake and balloons may be getting played out and tired. Change things up a bit with a fresh, new idea. Instead of doing the same thing each year to celebrate, try something unique and out of the box this year! Here are 5 fun and unique places to host a child’s birthday party.

7 15 13 001

A pottery studio is a unique location for you to celebrate your child’s birthday. This kind of party is super fun since each child can create their own pottery masterpiece. They can choose from a selection of pottery styles within your price range and paint them as they wish! Each piece typically costs around $15. Also, you won’t have to plan any party favors since the pottery pieces will be beautiful things each guest can take home with them! You can find information about a location near your by visiting PaintYourOwnPottery.com.

Ice Skating Rinks are fun-filled birthday locations that provide your guests with hours of entertainment. Usually you can rent out a rink for the day or evening specifically for your child’s party. Kids will have plenty of time to be active and use up all of their energy skating around the rink! Afterwards they can warm up, watch the Zamboni clean the ice, and enjoy pizza and cake in a back party room.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: family, kids, parenting Tagged With: , , ,

Help Manage Your Child’s Dental Anxiety

December 17, 2013 by 3 Comments

If you ask any child, they can probably tell you that going to the dentist is the last thing they want to do. Most children are afraid of going to the dentist – the only problem with this is that it is vital for children to go to the dentist once or twice a year. Children must go to the dentist for a variety of reasons – they have new teeth coming in and they can be more susceptible to cavities, mainly because they eat a lot of candy and they have a high sugar content in their food. When it comes down to it, there are many ways to alleviate a child’s dental anxiety. Here are five tips to help parents manage their child’s dental anxiety.

09-17-10 006

The earlier the better. Alleviating a child’s fear of dentists earlier in their life is important, because they will be more accustomed to going to the dentist when they get older. You can imagine going to the dentist the first time – with all their shiny metals tools – it would scare any child. So, it is crucial that you build up a child’s comfort factor when it comes to going to the dentist. You usually want to start when your child’s first teeth come in.

Make it easy. Most parents assume that they have to explain to their child about all the procedures that a dentist will perform, but if you want to alleviate a child’s anxiety, you want to keep it vague. The reason for this is simple: the more you explain to them, the more questions your child will have. The more questions there are, the more nervous they will get. This is especially the case when they are in the chair and asking about the tools on the dentist’s table.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: health, parenting Tagged With: , , ,

Fun Ways for Moms to Fuel Their Creative Fire

December 16, 2013 by 1 Comment

Although there are certainly elements of creativity involved in the process of raising children (like trying to figure out how to get them to eat their veggies, brush their teeth, and get out of bed and into clothing in a timely manner each morning), the truth is that many women get so wrapped up in the demands of motherhood that they can lose the creative spark that makes them feel good. Hey, when you spend all day cooking, cleaning, working, and entertaining children, you’re lucky if you can squeeze in time for a shower and forty winks, much less creative fulfillment. But being a mom doesn’t mean you have to stop being yourself, and you should take time to pursue creative interests. As women who want to do it all, we often short-change ourselves. If you don’t see to your own needs, however, you’ll soon get burned out and you won’t be any good to anyone. So here are just a few fun ideas that can help you to get back in your groove as a person, not just a mother, and fuel your creative fire.

pic10Think up seasonal projects. You spend a lot of time with your kids, and if you’re an involved parent you probably come up with all kinds of projects to keep them entertained. This provides an excellent opportunity for you to put on your creative hat, as well. And seasonal projects are a great way to have some fun and get creative on your own level even as you instill in your children knowledge and skills that will benefit them throughout their lives.

Write stories. Nearly everyone can write, how well depends- but you can always write for yourself or journal. You might not be the next J.K. Rowling, Robert Frost, or Alan Ginsberg, but you could create simple stories and picture books for your kids, join a writing group to pen short stories, or even get started on the next great American novel. Or you could write in a journal each day to get started and get yourself in the habit. With writing prompts readily available online you should never be short of ideas to get your creative juices flowing.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: parenting Tagged With: , , ,

Affordable Breaks to… Anywhere

December 16, 2013 by 1 Comment

When it comes to going away, sometimes it can feel like your holiday fund just won’t stretch any further. So how do you enjoy a sun-drenched escape without bankrupting yourself in the process?

vacation anywhere

Thankfully there are plenty of little tips and tricks out there to help you enjoy a cheap holiday. Look out for late deals on package holidays departing within the next six weeks or so, when prices are often slashed to sell off those last few places. Or you can book super-early in order to take advantage of early bird offers and incentives, such as free child places on family holidays.

Package holidays often reflect high value for money as most of your travel essentials are already included in the upfront price.   For instance, check out the range of package holidays with The Co-Operative Travel. You’ll find that your break includes return flights, nightly accommodation, local resort transfers to and from the hotel, and the services of a locally based travel rep.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: parenting Tagged With: , , , ,