Search Results for: blog unplug for the weekend

Have Fun this Summer

I never put together a summer bucket list.  I saw blogs filled with printables and ideas for a bucket list and just pushed the idea aside.  I quietly envied those with the freedom for a bucket list but figured I would never have the time.  It was summer and that meant it was my time to get some projects completed and work on building up my graphic design business again.  My business partner and I have a list a mile long of how we will run our business and what services we would offer.  Most of June has consisted of … Continue reading →

Helping Kids Balance Electronics and Life

With Christmas around the corner electronics are in high demand. But, how do we as parents teach our children to find a balance between technology and their other everyday activities? Our kids are living in a digital world. They instinctively know how to work just about every electronic device out there. I have been amazed at the things my 4 year old can do on Grandma’s Ipad. He knows how to work it better than I do. He can navigate and find his favorite shows in a matter of seconds. He knows right where his games are and can go … Continue reading →

Mother Nature’s Free Fun

Viewing this weekend’s Perseid meteor shower may have been one of the most thrilling moments of the summer. And the best part: I didn’t have to fork over a single penny for the opportunity. Rather, my family got to witness a sky set ablaze with so many shooting stars we lost count of them all. Free family fun. It doesn’t get better than that. According to AAA, the price of gas has increased 34 cents since July 1st. It’s no wonder why parents are counting their pennies and looking for affordable ways to entertain their kids. And by affordable, I … Continue reading →

Parents and Vacation Time

With Independence Day falling on a Wednesday this year, many parents with jobs outside the home, took off Thursday and Friday to extend the holiday weekend. Others simply exercised a week’s worth of vacation to spend uninterrupted holiday time with their families. Are you enjoying time away from the office right now? If so, consider yourself lucky. According to a new study, the United States is one of only a handful of developed countries in the world that doesn’t require companies to give their workers time off. In other cases, workers are given minimum vacation time that cannot be transferred … Continue reading →

Mastering the Lived-In Look

Mastering the lived-in look while you are on vacation can spare you from having your house ransacked. That’s the word from law enforcement officials, though they aren’t referring to your rental cottage or your outward appearance. Rather, police are encouraging folks preparing to hit the road this Labor Day weekend to follow steps in order to make it appear as though someone is occupying their home while they are away. Some ways to avoid home invasions while you are on vacation include: *Lock all doors. *Secure all windows. *Stop the mail and newspaper. *Rig exterior lights so they turn off … Continue reading →

Disconnecting From the Distractions That Pull

One thing I discovered this past weekend is that even teenagers need a little peace and quiet. While I had been looking forward to our annual trip to “Camp Tranquility,” it proved to be just as therapeutic for my teens. Camp Tranquility is the name of the property that my father and stepmom own. It’s about 3 hours from our home, deep in the heart of the woods and beside a river. It truly is tranquil. I had been especially looking forward to going since the kids had been on their first week of summer vacation and my husband had … Continue reading →

Parents and Teachers Need to Work Together to Stop Bullying

The Dr. Phil season has barely kicked off and already I am seeing him tackle a lot of teen issues. The biggest one on his plate is bullying. He has already done a couple of shows on teen bullying and is now starting an anti-bullying campaign. Like Dr. Phil, I too believe this is a serious issue. With technological advances in our society, bullying has been taken to a whole new degree. As I have said before, the bullying has to stop. One of the things that I feel would greatly help to stop bullying is if parents and teachers … Continue reading →

Things To Do Before Baby Arrives – Part I

When you have a baby, your whole world changes. You will have to sacrifice a lot of your independence, time and resources. In return, you will receive love, wisdom you can’t get anywhere else, and priceless memories. Children will reveal what you want to change and mold you into the person you want to be. They force you to become selfless, honest, full of integrity, creative, generous, adventurous, patient and tough as nails. There is a whole list of reasons that having children will change your life for the better. Some things will never be the same again, and are … Continue reading →

Filthy Fish

For an animal that lives in the water… fish sure are dirty! I might not have even realized this if not for my job at the cats only boarding facility. We have an aquarium and three fish for the kitties to watch during the day. It’s probably a fifteen or twenty gallon tank, I’d guess. Over the weekend, I decided to roll up my sleeves and clean the fish tank. That’s when I learned the dirty truth about our little fishy friends. Safety first! Always unplug all electrical equipment before doing anything to or in your aquarium. Ours has three … Continue reading →

A Do Nothing Day

For Sunday we have planned a do nothing day. The five of us are all burnt out with school, homework, snow (but no snow days off), work, and a pile of other obligations. So Sunday, we aren’t going to do anything. We are going to have a do absolutely nothing day. Like most things with children involved, it’s going to take some planning. All the weekend errands are going to need to be covered on Saturday. Since we are off from work and school on Monday, we don’t have to do our normal get ready for the week on Sunday … Continue reading →