Search Results for: blog the art of crafts family time well spent

Featured Homeschool Blog: 2 Teaching Mommies

2 Teaching Mommies is a collaborative blog written by Madonna and Amber. Their goal is to inspire creativity and a love of homeschooling in moms just like you. With big imaginations and an even bigger hearts these ladies guide you through well thought out lessons at no cost to you. If you are seeking a place to start your journey homeschooling your preschool through Kindergarten child, 2 Teaching Mommies, should be your first stop. The effort used in putting lessons and unit studies together is unmatched. Each themed lesson will contain a letter, number, basic science, social studies, color, and … Continue reading →

Home for the Holidays

I was on the phone with a friend the other day telling her that most of our holiday obligations are pretty much done. Well, this is true and not true. We still haven’t done as much decorating as I would like, and there is the stray present or two to purchase, but all of the running around is completed. We visited with family and had family visit with us from the weeks before Thanksgiving up through this past weekend. We probably saw more of our family in those few weeks than we have all year. For some reason, all of … Continue reading →

Ringing in the New Year in Chicago

I may have never experienced New Year’s Eve in Times Square, but I have spent many wonderful December 31st’s in the Windy City. Whether you are visiting Chicago with your children or are enjoying a romantic holiday with your sweetie, my favorite Midwest metropolis has multiple New Year’s Eve events just ripe for the picking. Take a look: Family Fun at Navy Pier. If you have young children this is the place to be on New Year’s Eve. During the day Navy Pier hosts a variety of family-friendly activities including arts-and-crafts, live music and dancing contests. What I love about … Continue reading →

Understanding Your Deployed Soldier

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While my husband was in Iraq, I discovered a brand new side to his personality. My husband is generally pretty laid back and it takes a great deal for him to really get upset in the everyday world. To say the very least, this was not the case while he was deployed. I was lucky enough that my husband had internet access in his tent so we were able to talk everyday online and without a doubt this was a blessing; it could also be a huge stress factor as well. I arranged my life around the computer as my … Continue reading →

Fun with Grandparents

My children are always excited to see their grandparents. And I know all their grandparents want to see them. But after the first few minutes, they often don’t know what to do with each other. After a day of traveling the grandparents are often tired and just want a rest. Instead they are watching three boys running through the house shouting how many days are left until Christmas. The challenge is to keep the visiting grandparents busy and happy without wearing them out.I want them to have a memorable Christmas, too. But I also want my loud and busy boys … Continue reading →

Five Ways To Create Family Traditions This Holiday Season

In a recent blog I wrote about the brawl that broke out at our local Wal-Mart as hundreds of shoppers fought for the chance to shell out $600 for a new PlayStation 3 game console. Two men were sent to the hospital while others sustained minor injuries. Not exactly a great way to start off the holiday season… In many cases those expensive PlayStations will be scooped up by parents who don’t want their offspring to be disappointed come Christmas morning. It may seem trite, but the truth is families can have a far more meaningful and satisfying holiday without … Continue reading →

Finding Books for Family Storytime

The benefits of reading to and with your child cannot be understated. I literally started reading to Tyler while he was still in the womb. His first words weren’t the usual mama and daddy, it was library and Books a Million. Okay maybe I’m exaggerating a little, but the point is, reading has been an integral part of Tyler’s life from the beginning and it has paid off in big ways. I’m continuously amazed at how well he reads at the tender age of five. If he misbehaves and I tell him he can’t watch TV, no big deal. But … Continue reading →

Ten Reasons Why I Love Doing Projects With My Daughter

I am one of the least crafty people I know. For years, I would watch my mother see items or objects in magazines and create them without even trying. She could sew, she could paint, and she could build bookshelves and more. I never seemed to be able to enjoy similar activities much less perform them. But being a parent is about more than just providing shelter and food for your child, but about inspiring their own creative impulses. I’m a writer, but my daughter seems to have the same artistic leanings as my mother. So being her mother and … Continue reading →

The Art of Crafts – Family Time Well Spent

Yesterday, my daughter told me she was bored and wanted something to do. Now, most of you with four and five year olds probably recognize that I’m bored actually translates to play with me or spend time with me, I miss you. So with that in mind, I told her to go find her shoes and to change her clothes. We headed off to Michael’s on a quest for a project to do together. We wandered around the store for more than an hour, exploring our options and discussing what would interest her. We came around the corner to a … Continue reading →

Preventing Child Predators From Targeting Your Young Camper

As summer winds down so marks the return of thousands of children who spent time at various types of camps. Remember how concerned you were prior to sending your “baby” off to the land of crafts and smores? Well, now a new warning is being issued to parents of young campers: Be careful how your children share their camp experiences—especially online. Representatives from the American Camp Association say they are concerned with youngsters posting pictures from their camp experience online at MySpace.com and other teen oriented sites. Camp organizers say by doing so it makes young campers easy targets for … Continue reading →