Search Results for: blog surviving snow days

Frugal Tips for Surviving Snowstorms

Fortunately (or unfortunately)for me, I no longer live in blizzard central where I grew up and spent the first decade of my adult life. Still, the news of blizzards in the northeast has me feeling a bit nostalgic. It also has me thinking of all of the frugal things that my parents did during snow storms and blizzards to keep us kids warm, happy, and fed. Hang blankets for extra warmth: Growing up, our homes were fueled with oil. During snowstorms, the temperatures would drop causing us to run out of oil quicker. To slow down the consumption of heating … Continue reading →

SNOW DAY FUN!

Is there anything better than a snow day? An unexpected day off from work spent with my family is tops in my book. We had a feeling that today would turn into a day at home when we pulled into our driveway yesterday only to be greeted by several inches of fresh powder. After a night of freezing rain we found that daycare had been closed so we promptly called out of work and crawled back into bed for another hour. I served waffles and sausage with syrup for my two beautiful girls and put out a plate of fresh … Continue reading →

Snowy reads for snowy days

Snow today! It makes me want to break out the snow books: Snowflake Bentley, by Jacqueline Briggs Martin, and illustrated by Mary Azarian, is the story of Vermont native Wilson Bentley, who lived in the late 19th and early 20th century. Bentley developed a new technique for photographing snowflakes, and he spent an amazing amount of time doing it. He became passionately devoted to it, and produced a staggering collection of snowflake photographs. This picture book is suitable for young children, but my older girls and I love it, too. For more photographs, rather than illustrations, see Bentley’s Snowflakes in … Continue reading →

Surviving Snow Days

Who doesn’t love snow days? (Actually I do know some people, but they don’t live at my house!) We actually don’t get a lot of snow days here in Colorado. It’s not that we don’t get snow, but that people here have chains and snow tires and four-wheel drive. We don’t let the snow slow us down too much. I love when we do have a snow day, when I don’t have to drive, when we can stay all day in our sweats and pajamas. I like to sprinkle a tiny bit of powdered sugar over the kids’ waffles or … Continue reading →

Winter Safety Tips

Winter weather can be very serious. Several parts of the United States regularly experience freezing temperatures and large amounts of snow every winter. This kind of weather may look pretty in photos, but it can be dangerous to have to live in and deal with. Here are some winter safety tips that can help keep you, and your family, safe this winter. Snow Removal Safety The National Safety Council (NSC) has some safety tips regarding snow removal. They advise that people who are over the age of 40, and who are relatively inactive, should be especially careful when shoveling snow. … Continue reading →

Fun in the Dark

Surviving in a home without electricity or heat for days on end is no laughing matter. Unfortunately, that’s the scenario hundreds of thousands of residents battered by Superstorm Sandy are experiencing right now. Their misery is far from fun, still that’s not stopping relief workers from trying to make life a bit better for the youngest victims. Last night, I saw a piece on CNN that showed volunteers providing kids affected by the storm with games, toys and crafts that they could play with despite their homes being without power. The effort was designed to create a momentary distraction for … Continue reading →

Things That Stink About Being a Single Mom

I love being a mother, I really do and most days I even love being a single mother. There are things that make it difficult but most of the time, it’s so worthwhile I wouldn’t trade being a single mother for anything. Today I’m feeling a little silly so here is my list of things that really stink about being a single parent. Being the only driver. No matter where you go as a single mother of a small child you have to drive, even twelve hours to California, it’s just you. Putting your kids to bed and realizing you … Continue reading →

Fuzzy Socks Are My Favorite

I really love thick fuzzy socks. Every day when I come home from work the first thing I do is take off my dress shoes and put on the fuzzy socks. I tend to buy a lot of socks, because I like them but I have also found that in my house, socks have more than one use. Fuzzy socks are great for dusting. Just put them on your hands and you can do two handed dusting in half the time. This works great for dusting any little figurines you have too, you don’t have to worry about them getting … Continue reading →

Be Flexible during the Busy Holiday Season

If there was ever a time in which busyness could become a good excuse for not exercising, it is certainly during the holidays. Most of us are working, taking care of families and trying to find time to make holiday preparations. I feel that stress of trying to get everything done. It is the middle of December and I don’t have all of my gift shopping done. I have yet to bake cookies and there are upcoming parties to attend, let alone planning out Christmas day in which I am hosting. But instead of using busyness during the holiday season … Continue reading →

Germs, Germs, Everywhere Germs

Winter is officially upon us. I have always dreaded the snow and the ice. The freezing winds aren’t my favorite either. But since Maggie’s diagnosis of cystic fibrosis, my distaste for winter has grown into a fear – of all the germs and illness it usually brings. Maggie has had her flu and pneumonia shots, but there is still that darn cold virus that no one seems to be able to cure. In a few days, we will be seeing Maggie’s four cousins for Thanksgiving. Three of them are in school and so obviously, they get the occasional cold. I’m … Continue reading →