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Holiday Season

 We're back. But more on that later! This year's holiday season is upon us and with everything going on in the world we have to get a little more creative to bring the sparkle for our little ones. This year is a great year to get back to making holiday chains out of recycled paper and a little scotch tape and spending more time snuggling and less time stressing. With holiday budgets having to be watched a little more closely every penny counts when making your holiday purchasing decisions. One of my favorite holiday traditions is the advent calendar . The only reason I am bringing this one up so early - it's not even Thanksgiving yet! - is it's important to start your Advent calendar on the first day of December. That means a little planning ahead. The advent calendar gives our family a chance to all come together and at least once a day talk about the real meaning of the season and at the same time getting a little surprise each and every day. One of our family's f

Summer Book Club for all ages

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It almost seems incredible but I have heard people say to me "I just don't have time to read". That is the precise reason a person must read! And for those of you who have caught yourself saying that then make your first book one on time management. YES! We do have time to read. When our kids are very little we must read to them. The more we read to them the more they will grow up loving books. Kids love books that they can grab ahold of and turn the pages and look at the silly pictures even before they have a sense that there are words on those pages. But the more we read to them the more they figure it out. And when you have little kids like this in your house it might seem like you don't have time to read but you don't always have to read baby books to them. There was a great scene in the movie Three Men and a Baby where Tom Selleck's character was reading Sports Illustrated or some other grownup magazine to the baby. It didn't matter what th

Intentionally planned Nothing to Do

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Summer vacation is near and as Moms we all dread the words "MOMMMM, I'm Borrrrred". But I say Let them Be Bored! Make sure you intentionally plan days during your summer break when there is nothing on the calendar and nothing to do. Our kids are growing up in a much different time than we did. There is constantly something going on or some show to watch or some game to play. As a Mom we want the best for our kids and we are always trying to provide them with constructive activities that will foster their sense of imagination and educational growth. But it is also important to show them that they can be fine on their own without a million other things going on. We don't need to provide them with art supplies so that they are constantly busy. We can have books lying around and other items for them to play with but let them figure it out on their own. TV (Screen) VACATION One thing we used to do when the kids were younger was to tell them that our TV / Computer Sc

Memorial Day Weekend and Great Moms

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Welcome Back! Life always does seem to come full circle. We take care of our kids and then they take care of us. But first we are those children who were raised by the people in our lives that we most look up to. In some cases they don't always deserve our admiration but they always get it. In those lucky cases (like mine) we are blessed with a Mom who not only gives us a safe environment where we can grow and develop our own talents before leaving the comforts of home to take on the great big world, but also they make it really really fun along the way. We have been on a little hiatus here taking care of one of the worlds most amazing Stay at Home Moms. She lived life every single day. Not just lived it but celebrated it. The short version of the story is that cancer sucks. The even shorter version of the story is that we were lucky to have a Mom in our lives who, up to her last breath, was looking forward to the next party. Memorial Day has become mostly just a three day w

5 Tips for Creating a Healthy Environment for Kids

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Guest Post by:  Jana Free Moms want the best for their kids. They want their children to feel good and to be  happy. They want them with smiles on their faces and joy in their heart. As a mom, do you often wonder if there is some kind of magic object that you  can pull out of a hat, or a magic spell you could cast, to create this perfect  scenario? I’m pretty sure there’s no object or spell, but I do know that a healthy  environment is like a magic wand that can keep kids’ eyes bright and their bodies  full of good energy. How do we moms create a healthy environment for our kids? We focus on  keeping physical spaces clean and we do more. We make sure that each aspect  of our kids’ lives is as free from toxins as we can get it. Which means we look at  the food we eat as well as the attitude we keep. The following are 5 tips for creating a healthy environment for kids. 1. Model Good Food Choices Children usually eat what they’re served and what they see others eating. As 

Great Summertime Ukulele Memories

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Some of my best memories from childhood were those sitting around a small campfire in our backyard with smores and my mom playing songs to sing along to on her ukulele. Learning the ukulele is really pretty simple not just for moms but also for kids. It is a great way to introduce musical instruments for kids since a ukulele is already kid sized. It is made even simpler to learn thanks to YouTube. So get started here and soon you will be playing like this: And of course the ultimate classic by Brother Iz: Happy Strummin' !!! In case the videos don't load properly here are the links Ukulele Lessons:  https://youtu.be/cZIV-1WJXYs Jake Shimabukuro https://youtu.be/qdei9UOSl5w Over the Rainbow:  https://youtu.be/y5JicO2bKec

What the Zika virus really means to a real mom and what it means to all of us

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Whether you are pregnant, or thinking about getting pregnant, the Zika virus is something that has been brought to our attention and something we are now all thinking about. There are so many other things that we have to think about when considering doing "everything" we can to ensure a healthy baby. This virus is scary because it seems like it just came out of nowhere and is now an epidemic. There is so much about it that we don't know. This article in the Washington Post puts a real face to the Zika virus and is a must read for every woman whether you are planning on having children or not.  READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE: What this amazing mom of two girls with microcephaly  has to say about Zika scare In another report out this week the CDC has recommended that any woman who is considering having children and is not on birth control should consume zero amounts of alcohol. None. They suggest that a woman may not realize she is pregnant at first and