Subscribe between Oct 18 and Oct 31, 2008 and you’ll receive a free TOS Homespun Holidays E-Book! The TOS staff has put together this wonderful E-Book containing loads of great ideas for your Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season! You don’t want to miss out on this one for sure!

     

A fun family trip to your local pumpkin patch can fill an entire day with activities and pumpkin picking as well. Some areas in your state may even have an old-fashioned hayride, which takes you directly to the pumpkin patch.

In addition, several farms include a traditional barn in which the kids will have a great time especially if they have a petting zoo. In addition, some also have hay tunnels in which your kids can crawl around in and have a jolly time. Of course, lunch time is filled with a variety of snacks which your particular farm offers.

In some states, farms have the old hill from storybook fame in which your kids can roll down to their hearts delight. In New York, for example, one farm has a Storybook Land in which trees come alive and where kids can even milk a cow.

What kids love most, however, is being able to choose which pumpkins they will take home to decorate. Perhaps your tradition is to make a pumpkin pie every year. Perhaps you’d like to pick out several small pumpkins to decorate your home or to use as decorations on the Thanksgiving table.

The history of pumpkins is quite fascinating. While considered a fruit, they originated over 5000 years ago. The pumpkin family includes cucumbers and melons. In fact, it was Jacques Cartier, a French explorer, who first located these melons and duly named them pumpkins.

Perhaps after your traditional Thanksgiving meal, you’d like to read to your children about the origin of the pumpkin as well as the story of the first Thanksgiving. Then you can reminisce about your trip to the pumpkin patch and have a family discussion about what the kids learned while there.

Of course, the hayride is going to be high on the list of stories told for years to come. Did everyone sing as they rode to the pumpkin patch? It may sound old-fashioned, but simple things such as hayrides are a lost art and exposing your children to these kinds of activities is important.

In addition, teaching them early on to participate and be as creative as they can be in making decorations for Thanksgiving is still another experience they will enjoy as children and adults. Can you just hear them on Thanksgiving Day saying proudly, “I helped make this,” as you pass around a piece of pumpkin pie with whipped cream.

     

Every year, families all across the country have their Thanksgiving traditions, one of which is taking a nap after a huge meal. So, instead of doing nothing all afternoon, Here are a few actives to keep your bodies moving and burn off some of those extra calories.

1. Take a walk - while it may seem simple, just the act of taking a walk will wake you up after the feast, as well as being very healthy for you. Go enjoy the fall leaves, see who can collect the prettiest ones along the way.

2. Touch football - instead of watching the bowl games, organize your own backyard bowl game. Call it the Potatoes and Gravy Bowl if you want.

3. Volunteer - take some time out of your Thanksgiving to give back to those who don’t have as much. There is probably a shelter or soup kitchen that is looking for people to help serve meals to the homeless. Consider making it a regular family activity, even year round.

4. Put on a play - have the children reenact the first Thanksgiving. A few simple costumes made out of paper bags, and they can put on a delightful show for the family. Don’t leave the grownups out of the action; have them improvise some scenes with the children as well.

5. Winter sports - if it’s cold enough to have recently snowed, have a sled riding party. If you don’t have a large enough hill, try a nearby park instead. Have a snowball fight or build a snowman. Ice-skating is another fun activity, and there may even be an indoor rink (but they might not be open due to the holiday, so it’s a good idea to call first.)

6. Turkey Hunt - take a stuffed turkey, or paper turkey, and hide it in the house or yard, weather permitting. The first person to find the turkey gets to hide it the next time. Keep playing till everyone’s had a turn to hide the turkey.

7. Turkey Bowling - make turkey bowling pins out of two-liter bottles. Fill them with a little sand to weight them down and spray paint them brown. Let the kids decorate them with paint or feathers. Set them up and then try to roll a turkey (three strikes in a row). If you have a lot of people, you can make more than one set to keep the action going.

It’s easy to just curl up and let the turkey take over after a large meal, but it is a good idea to get up and get moving and make memories that last a lifetime. The fact that it also happens to be good for you is an added bonus.

     

Do you get so busy preparing for Thanksgiving that you forget to be thankful? Many of us do. We get so wrapped up in all the preparations, the cooking and all the family coming that we forgot to stop and remember all our blessings. Just like during the year, we get caught up in the day-to-day worries and forget to be thankful.

There are so many basic things we should be thankful for that we take for granted. If we have a home, be it a house, apartment or trailer, we should be thankful we have shelter. Too many people have no homes or have unsafe living conditions.

We all have the occasional round of the flu or colds go through our families. But overall, most people are fairly healthy. We should be thankful that we are able to get around, work, play and have a normal life. Too many times serious illness can strike without warning. We need to take advantage of good health while we still have it, instead of taking it for granted.

How many times to do we look in the closet and complain that we “have nothing to wear” when in reality we have more clothes than we know what to do with? We have multiple pairs of shoes and boots, sweaters and coats. We are able to stay dry and warm without any worries.

Why should we wait until Thanksgiving to be thankful? We should be grateful for our blessings all year round. Maybe the best way to show how thankful we are for our blessings is to share them. What better time to share than Thanksgiving, when those without feel even more left out, especially those without family. There are many ways to share your blessings.

One way to spread the blessings is to donate some gently used things to a reputable charity. There are many good organizations out there that take clothing and other household items. Even though you could donate all year round, Thanksgiving is a good time to think about giving back.

Another wonderful way to share your blessings is to donate your time to a homeless shelter. Most have a special meal at Thanksgiving for those without homes or families. Even if you put off your own family dinner until Friday or Saturday, imagine the joy you would bring to others by giving up your time to make one day a little brighter for them. And you don’t have to stop after one day. There are many opportunities to volunteer year round.

Before you sit down at your Thanksgiving meal this year, take the time for each member of your family to share what they are most thankful for in the past year. You might be surprised at the things your family is thankful for this year.

     

Learning never ceases during the course of our lifetime.  So too, kids need to be motivated to learn as much as they can, even during summer recess.  Summer fun and learning can co-exist.  Here are some examples of how this can be achieved.

Word games, such as Scrabble, come in small sizes, which are suitable for beach and road trips.  Kids love it!  It stimulates their vocabulary and engages them in friendly competition.  It also enhances their math skills, as they have to add the points every round.  Boggle is another portable word game that kids love.  They can manipulate the letters, make words, and add up points.  This is a great game to take on a camping trip or to the beach.

There are board games that allow the kids to work on words and sentences.  There are computer games, which involve critical thinking.  These games can be competitive, and reinforce group work, and cooperative learning, as well.  Using these types of games keeps the stimulation of the kid’s minds at work.  It’s critical to keep the thought processes flowing, so they are prepared for the following school year.  In playing these games, they can also be taught to accept defeat gracefully.

Another board game, which involves critical thinking, is checkers.  The entire family can challenge each other.  This promotes social stimulation.  Suduko is a game involving math and numbers.  They have a kid’s version, which can be utilized on a rainy day or when there is some down time.

The advantage of utilizing and playing these games is learning, even though the kids do not realize it.  In this way, while they are having fun over the summer, they are actually preparing for the fall term.  Learning not only stimulates their minds, but also reinforces the skills they are taught throughout the school year.  In addition, there are some great sites for computer savvy kids you might want to look at.  They are funbrain.com, math.com, and abcteach.com.

Summer fun and learning can co-exist by utilizing these games and word play.  Without realizing it, your kids will be ready for the next phase in their school career, because time was taken to teach and have fun at the same time.

     

If you are looking for an easy way to achieve a healthy life for you and your family, one of the most effective ways is to eat in. Here are some useful tricks.

With our busy lifestyles, preparing your own meals is often exchanged with quick meals at fast food or casual dining dining establishments. Not only are these choices usually more cost prohibited than eating in, but also less healthy. You can dramatically improve the health benefits by staying in to eat.

Eating at Home Puts You in Control
Eating at home has many health benefits, but more importantly it gives you the options of what ingredients you decide to include or not include in your meals. Have you ever glanced at what a hamburger at a casual dining restaurant is made from - there can be tons of ingredients, some with names you haven’t heard of or are unable to pronounce. When you prepare home-cooked meals, you can keep your foods natural and basic.

Do You Have Special Dietary Needs?
Another health benefit of eating in is that if you have special dietary restrictions such as limitations on fat in your foods, you can conveniently fix dishes that accommodate your guidelines. No need to fret if the restaurant has a low salt dish or if there is any extra sugar added to a dish.

Portion Control
One of the reasons that many people have gained weight is due to the portions that many fast food restaurants give you. They are much larger than recommended. If you eat at home, you can choose the appropriate portions for you and your family members, eliminating unnecessary food intake.

Food Allergens
When you eat at home, you can be more mindful in preparing foods, especially if you or a family member has a food allergy. Food allergies many times can be serious and possibly even deadly. Preparing food at home can eliminate the risk of an allergic reaction to allergic food reaction.

Quality Time
Another benefit to preparing meals at home is the quality of time spent with each other. Everyone likes to be pampered at times so it’s okay to eat out once in a while. However, eating at home allows you to spend quality time with loved ones. Each person can take part in meal preparation so it’s a shared event. By allowing children to participate in meal planning and cooking you are teaching them valuable self-sufficiency skills. The atmosphere is more conducive to sharing stories.

Make a pledge to prepare more home-cooked meals. The benefits of eating in exceed the time it takes to prepare a home-cooked meal. Your family will thank you in the end.

Dine Without Whine is a great menu planning service for active families. Go to http://www.dinewithoutwhine.com to discover even more rewards to menu planning.

     

Pre-Made Tuna Hoagie

Ingredients:

1 16-ounce loaf sourdough French bread
1 12 1/4-ounce can water-packed low-salt tuna, drained and flaked
2 tablespoons balsamic or red wine vinegar
1/4 cup fat-free, cholesterol-free mayonnaise or salad dressing
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1 large ripe tomato, thinly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh chopped parsley leaves

Instructions:

Cut the bread in half lengthwise and hollow out each half, leaving a 1/2-inch shell. Set aside bread removed. Combine tuna and vinegar; set aside.  In another bowl, stir mayonnaise and anchovy paste. Spread the inside of each bread half with mayonnaise mixture. Spoon tuna mixture into the bottom half of bread.  Arrange tomato slices over tuna and season with pepper. Top with onions and sprinkle with parsley. Add top remaining bread halves.

Wrap loaf in foil and store in the refrigerator for 2 to 24 hours.

Tip: To store the leftover bread from this recipe, place it in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Cover and process until ground into fine crumbs. Freeze and use with a recipe that calls for soft bread crumbs, such as meatloaf or casseroles.

     

Irish Creme Yummies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup Irish cream liqueur
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1/2 cup whipping (heavy) cream
Chocolate sprinkles, if desired

Instructions:

Pre-heat oven to 350ºF.  Mix 3/4 cup flour, butter, powdered sugar and cocoa until soft dough consistency is reached. Press in ungreased square 8X 8 pan. Bake 10 minutes.     In medium bowl, beat remaining ingredients minus the whipping cream and chocolate sprinkles with wire whisk until blended. Pour over baked layer. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until filling is set. Cool slightly; refrigerate at least 2 hours before cutting.   In chilled small bowl, beat whipping cream with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Spoon whipped cream onto each bar. Top with chocolate sprinkles. Store covered in refrigerator up to 2 days.

     

Helping your Teen Develop Self Pride and a Good Body Image

It’s often hard for a teen to feel good about themselves.  Everywhere they look, they’re surrounded by images of perfect, beautiful men and women.  What they may not realize is that those people spend all day with a trainer, or have had surgery, or the pictures are simply altered.  Often times your teens feelings of inadequacy tend to spread past their looks to other areas of their life.  As a parent, you serve a vital role in shaping how your child sees themselves. You should take steps to help foster a positive body image for your child.

Watch what you say.  Whether they show it or not, your child listens to your opinion.  You may think an offhand comment about your child’s weight, intelligence, or other abilities means nothing, but it sticks with them.  If your child is overweight, you should avoid pointing it out.  It’s fairly unlikely that your teen doesn’t know they have a weight problem.  Instead of suggesting they lose weight, suggest taking daily runs together or going to the gym.

Watch what you do.  Children learn behaviors by watching other people; their parents included.  If you obsess over your weight, your child is likely to do the same.  Practice healthy eating and exercise habits and try to include your kids.

Many parents think that problems with self esteem and body image and are isolated to girls; this is not true.  While it may not be as prevalent, boys can develop poor body images and eating disorders as well.  Boys may also be pushed to develop muscle mass causing them to work out excessively or take steroids.  Be sure to encourage a healthy self-image for your sons as well as daughters.

The best thing you can do to improve how your child feels about themselves is to compliment their good attributes.  Emphasize the positive things about your child on a regular basis.  If you tell them something enough, they’ll soon start to believe in themselves too.

It’s hard to get teens to believe good things about themselves, but if you watch what you say and do, you can help them develop a more positive image of themselves.

     

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Do you know what baby boomers and spring break have in common?

The Baby Boomer Girlfriend Spring Break Getaway in Daytona Beach, Florida on April 18th-20th, 2008!

It is going to be the place to connect & celebrate with other boomer women who are on the move and making a difference!

This weekend is packed full of great events to get connected, educated and empowered.

I thought I would just let you know about a few wonderful sensational and terrific things that will be occurring during the weekend of the 18th of April 2008.

One reason to attend and join in the celebration:

Bern Nadette Stanis – Thelma from GoodTimes TV Show is the keynote speaker on Saturday, April 19th during the Baby Boomer Spring Break Getaway Weekend luncheon.

You can register for the other great seminars at this site at http://www.enjoyyourmenopause.com/seminars.htm

And hey, there is a chance for you to win $100 Visa Card…don’t know too many others places you can get that!

Some of the other seminars to be presented:

1. Jo Kelly is an author and also the widow of the late actor Jack Kelly, who starred with James Garner in the TV series “Maverick”. She will tell you some things about Hollywood you may not have known and share a nine-year-old secret too personal to share before.
2. Sharon Winslow will tell you the joys and setbacks of managing her husband’s very successful acting career.
3. Dr. Ann Ashley Gilbert is a pioneer in women’s health in Central Florida. She will answer your questions about menopause, taking care of your body and middle age intimacy.

And then let’s not forget about these special events:

• An aerobic session with Pam Archer, a fitness expert
• Minister and author Ora Stearns-Smith, who will explain what it means to be “Divinely Framed.”
• Mini Spa “Pamper Me” treatments

Also….the Diva Pajama Party that will include a dance and karaoke contest!

The weekend of Baby Boomer Women to connect, educate and have fun!

Yesterday, this blog tour was at Lisa’s Fredette’s blog http://www.lisafredette.com/blog

Tomorrow, the blog tour will continue at Corrie Peterson’s blog http://www.virtualfreedom4you.blogspot.com

     

“Babies are always more trouble than you thought - and more wonderful.” - Charles Osgood

Anyone who has kids knows that any life with kids is going to be complicated, at least to some degree. From extra laundry to bathing and cooking and shopping and driving and school and chores and crises and sports and dance and toys and tantrums, there is no shortage of complications.

You won’t get to ultra-simple if your life includes children … but you can find ways to simplify, no matter how many kids you have.

Take my life, for example: I have a house full of kids, and yet I’ve found ways to streamline my life, to find peace and happiness among the chaos. How is this magic trick accomplished? Nothing magical, actually, but just little things that have simplified my life over the years.

The main magic trick, however: making my family my top priority, and choosing only a small number of priorities in my life. If you have too many things you want to do, or need to do, your life will become complicated. But if you choose just a few things that are important to you, you can eliminate the rest, and simplify your life greatly.

What follows is a list that might seem complicated to some — 25 items! Trust me, I could easily double this list, but I don’t want to overwhelm you. Instead of trying to tackle everything on this list at once, choose a few things that appeal to you, and give them a try. Bookmark this page and come back to it from time to time to try out other ideas. Best yet, they might inspire new ideas of your own!

1. Self-sufficiency. This one tip could simplify your life greatly, over time. However, it will make things more complicated in the short term. The idea is to teach your kids to do things for themselves as they get older and more capable. Teaching them to do something themselves instead of just doing it yourself takes time and can be a little frustrating at first, but it will pay off for years to come. My kids, for example, can make themselves breakfast, shower and dress themselves, brush their teeth, and generally get themselves ready in the morning with only minimal prompting from us. They can clean their rooms, wash dishes, sweep, mop, dust, wash the car. The older ones can cook basic dishes and babysit the younger ones. This type of self-sufficiency has saved my wife and me tons of time and trouble over the years.
2. One calendar. If you have more than one kid, you might have a lot of activities going on that you need to track, from school events such as Christmas performances and parent-teacher conferences to extracurricular activities such as soccer practice, dance classes, or Spring concerts. Organize your life with a simple calendar (I use Google Calendar) and enter all activities and appointments on this one calendar, from kids’ stuff to your own goings on. When they hand you papers from school, or soccer schedules, immediately enter everything onto the calendar. Then a quick glance at the calendar each day will help you plan your day.
3. Toy bins. It’s an inevitable fact of life that kids have lots of toys, and that they will be everywhere. You will drive yourself crazy if you try to manage them with dictator-like ruthlessness. Instead, let kids play, but have lots of bins where they can toss the toys inside when they’re done. Then cleaning up is a cinch — they just toss everything on the floor into the bins, and move on to making their next mess. You can have designated bins for certain toys (this one’s for Legos, this one’s for stuffed animals, this one’s for cars), and also have some general-purpose bins for things that don’t fit anywhere else. Don’t be too strict about them — the whole purpose is to make things simpler.
4. Regular cleanups. If you’re like me, you don’t like a huge mess. Teach your kids to clean up after themselves — let them make a mess, but every now and then, tell them it’s time to clean up. Be sure to tell them to clean up before moving on to something else, such as lunchtime or bedtime. It’s good to have regular times during the day when they do cleanups, such as before bed or before they leave for school, so that the house is always clean at night and during the day.
5. Quiet bedtime routines. Kids thrive on routine, and no routine is better than the one before they go to sleep. Have a regular routine before bed — it might consist of cleaning up, showering, brushing their teeth, getting into their pajamas, and reading a book. Reading aloud to them just before bedtime is a great idea, because it quiets them down after a day of activity, it gives you quality bonding time together, and it gets them into the habit of reading. Plus, it’s just something that everyone can enjoy.
6. Prep the night before. Mornings can be a hectic time for parents and kids alike, but they don’t have to be. Instead, prep as much as possible the night before, and have your mornings be a little more relaxed. I like to prep lunches, get their clothes ready (and mine as well), and have them shower, get their homework and school bags ready. Then the morning is simply eating breakfast, a little grooming, getting dressed, and gathering everything together before you head out the door. It’s a great way to start your day.
7. Don’t schedule too much. Sometimes we schedule things back-to-back-to-back, so that every minute of every day is planned out. That leads to stress and problems. Instead, schedule as little as possible each day, and leave space between events, appointments or activities, so that your day moves along at a more leisurely pace. Start getting ready earlier than necessary, so there’s no rush, and leave yourself time to transition from one thing to another. A more spaced-out schedule is much more relaxing than a cramped one.
8. Have dedicated family times. Try to find regular times in your schedule when you do nothing else but spend time together as a family. For some people, dinner time works well — everyone sits down to dinner together as a family, and no other activities are planned at that time. For others, weekends, or maybe just one day of the weekend, work better. We reserve Sundays as our Family Day, and try our best not to schedule anything else on that day. It’s something we look forward to. Weekends in general are for our family, as are evenings — all work gets done on weekdays, before 5 p.m.
9. Simple clothing. It’s best to buy clothes for your kids that will match easily — choose a similar color scheme, so that you’re not always digging through their clothes to find stuff that matches. Go through their clothes every few months to get rid of stuff that doesn’t fit (kids grow so fast!) and donate the old clothes to relatives or charity (or pass them on to a younger sibling). Keep their wardrobe simple — if it doesn’t fit neatly in their drawers, you have to get rid of it or get rid of something else. Don’t stuff drawers, or you’ll make it hard to find stuff. Also, socks are usually a challenge — use mesh bags, one for clean socks and another for dirty ones. Then throw the dirty mesh bag in the laundry, and socks won’t get lost (or at least, not as often).
10. Always prep early. I try to make it a point to look at the schedule in advance (usually the day before) to see what’s coming up. That allows me to prepare for those events or activities early, so that we aren’t in a rush when we’re getting ready. For example, on soccer days, we make sure that all the soccer gear, plus folding chairs and water bottles and snacks and whatnot, are all ready to go beforehand. Prepping early makes things a lot easier later on.
11. Always bring snacks. Kids always get hungry. So be ready — if you’re going on the road, pack some snacks in baggies. Crackers, cheese, fruit, carrot sticks, PB&J sandwiches, graham crackers, peanuts, raisins all make good portable snacks. An insulated lunch container with re-usable ice packs help keep things fresh. Also always bring plenty of water, as kids are always thirsty. Can’t help you with the urgent bathroom breaks, though.
12. Baby wipes and emergency kit. There will always be messes. Be ready. Baby wipes, even after they are past using diapers, are indispensable for all kinds of messes. Pack them in a little “emergency kit” that might include medical supplies, reading material, activities, a towel, and extra clothes — anything you can think of that might prepare you for anything that regularly arises.
13. Pack spare clothes. We have a little carry-on luggage that’s always packed with a couple of changes of clothes for each kid — good clothes (for a party or something), regular clothes, underwear, socks. This way we’re always ready, if there’s an accident, or should they want to spend the night with grandparents or a cousin while we’re out at a party or something. It’s indispensable.
14. Create weekly routines. Aside from regular family times (mentioned above), it’s good to have a weekly routine that’s written out and posted somewhere everyone can see it. A weekly routine might include regular practice times, house cleaning day, washing the car, yard work day, errands day, recurring appointments, etc. This makes the schedule more predictable for everyone, and eliminates a lot of surprises.
15. Communicate as a family. Regular communication between family members solves a lot of problems. Have regular times when the family can talk about family issues. Dinnertime is a good time for that. We also have a weekly “Family Meeting” where we all sit down and talk about household issues, we compliment and thank each other, we plan our Family Day, and we play a fun game at the end.
16. Go on dates. If you have trouble finding alone time with each child (whether you have one child or more than one), setting up “dates” can be a good way to ensure that you do things together. Make a date with your child for a specific day and time, and together you should decide what you want to do on that date. It can be something simple, like taking a walk in your neighborhood or in a park, reading together, playing board games, sports or video games, or it can be something like going to a restaurant or movie or amusement park. If you have lots of kids, you might have to rotate dates with them.
17. Create alone time for your spouse. It’s easy to become so busy with your kids that you forget about your significant other. Don’t let this happen — it’s a sure way to drift apart and lose that bond that led you to having a family together. Keep the relationship alive by getting a babysitter (maybe once a week) and doing something together, just the two of you.
18. Let things go sometimes. I’m not always good at this, but it’s something I work on constantly: don’t always be so strict. Let things go. They’re kids — let them live. I have a tendency to be very strict about things, but I remind myself constantly that it’s not worth all the hassle to get on their cases about things. Instead, let things go, and just relax. They’ll turn out just fine in the end, as long as you love and support them.
19. Make decluttering a family event. I like to set aside one day every few months when we go through all the stuff in our rooms and declutter. We do it together, and it can be a bonding time. We end up with trash bags full of junk, boxes full of stuff to donate or give to family, and in the end, much simpler rooms. It’s very satisfying.
20. Spend quiet time at home. Often we get so busy that we’re on the road all the time, going to one thing or another. And when we have family time, that’s often spent on road too — going to movies or restaurants or other fun events. But that can be exhausting, and expensive. Instead, try to spend time at home as often as you can. You can watch a DVD instead of going to the movies, and pop some popcorn. You can play board games or go outside and play a sport. You can read to each other, or by yourselves, or tell stories. There are dozens of things you can do at home that cost nothing, and that are relaxing and fun.
21. Create traditions. Kids love traditions, from holiday traditions to family traditions. My mom likes all our kids to come over before Christmas to make Christmas cookies, or come over before Easter to color eggs. The kids love those traditions. You might also create some traditions at your house, whether that’s a family dinner time, Family Meetings or Family Day, or anything that brings you together. If you make it a regular thing, and give it special importance, it will be a tradition, and it will be something your kids remember into adulthood.
22. Make cooking and cleaning a family thing. Cooking and cleaning can be complicated things, and they can take your time away from your kids. Doing these activities as a family solves both problems — having everyone pitch in can really simplify cooking and cleaning, and it gives you quality time together while teaching your children valuable life skills. Make it fun — let them choose recipes, go shopping for ingredients with you. See how quickly you can clean the whole house — if my whole family pitches in, we can do it in about 30-40 minutes. Make everything a game or a challenge.
23. Reduce commitments. This tip applies to both your commitments and your kids’ commitments. If you have too many, your life will be complicated. If you reduce your commitments, your life will be simplified. It’s that simple. Make a list of all your family’s commitments and see which ones align with your priorities, and which ones are the most important. Which ones give you the most joy and benefit? And which ones just drain your time and energy without giving you much back in return? Keep the essential commitments — yours and your kids — and eliminate as many of the rest as possible.
24. Get active. These days, kids can become very inactive (and unhealthy) with all the TV, Internet and video games they consume. Get them active by going outside with them and taking walks, going for swims, playing sports. My family likes to play soccer or kickball. Play freeze tag. If you run, let your kids run with you, at least part of the way. Get them bikes and go to the park. Do challenges, like races or pushup or pullup challenges. Make it fun, but get them active. How does this simplify your life? It means they consume less media, which in my opinion is a complicating factor. And even better, it gets them healthy in an inexpensive way, reducing your healthcare costs down the road.
25. Focus on doing, not on spending. Too often we send messages to our kids about how to live life, based on what we do: we like to go shopping, and eat out, and go to the movies, and so our kids learn that having fun means spending money. We focus on material things, and therefore so do they. Instead, teach them (by talking but also by your actions) that what’s important is doing stuff, not buying stuff. Go for walks in the park, play outdoors, play board games, read, tell stories, play charades, cook and clean, go to the beach or lake, build stuff, wash the car. Spend quality time together, doing stuff that doesn’t cost money.

“You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance.” - Franklin P. Jones

Thank you to ZenHabits.net for use of this article.

     

With spring soon approaching, you will be planning to tackle a number of chores in the backyard.  Perhaps you are even thinking of cleaning out the garage.  If so; here are some tips for getting your kids involved in outdoor chores.

With the very harsh weather our country has been experiencing, you may want to begin to clear out your flower beds; prepare a compost pile; and generally prepare your backyard for additional planting such as an herb garden. As soon as the weather gets a bit warmer, there are plenty of chores your entire family can participate in.  Make a list of all of the tasks you have to accomplish, and make a list assigning each member of your family to handle one chore.
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Ah, dating. It’s a part of every teen’s life. It’s also a source of stress for most parents when their child reaches this pivotal point. It doesn’t have to be stressful. Here are a few tips to help you keep the fear at bay when your teenager starts dating.

Age: More than a Number
Just because it seems like everyone other parent on the planet is letting their teen date, doesn’t mean you have to. Especially if your teen isn’t ready. Keep an eye out for signs that your teen is really ready to date. Dating shouldn’t be based on age alone. Take into consideration maturity and not just physical maturity. Emotional and mental maturities are more important when your teen starts dating.

Open Communication
Keep the lines of communication open. Talk to your teen and be honest about your feelings. Listen to their feelings as well. You might be surprised to find that they are just as scared as you are. Also, don’t immediately go off the deep end the first time you hear the phrase “Check her out!” or “He’s hot!” Be there for your teen when they experience the good and the bad of their dating experiences.

Groups Dates
If you are uncomfortable letting your teen go on a one on one date, try letting them go with a group the first few of times. Even if the group is split up in pairs, it still allows your teen to feel like he/she fits in, but you’ll have the safety of knowing that it’s not just your teen against one other if something were to go wrong. Public places, such as bowling alleys or miniature golf courses are a great option for group dates.

Respect all Around
Teach your teen to respect the opposite sex long before they begin dating. Remember, they can’t respect someone else before they respect themselves. Make sure your teen truly respects him/her before allowing them to date.

Rules
Set rules before your teen begins dating and stick with them. The days of courting and getting permission may be gone, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to know who your teen is with, where they are going, how they are getting there, and when they’ll be home. Set a curfew that you feel comfortable with and keep in mind any laws in your area when doing so. Just because your town’s curfew may be midnight, doesn’t mean your teen should stay out that late if you aren’t comfortable with it. However, an 8 o’clock curfew won’t go over well at all and will likely lead to rebellion from your teen at some point. Find a happy medium that you are both comfortable with.

Article by:

Aurelia Williams is a certified Parenting Coach and author of Enter the Real Life Guidance Report Title here.