6 Crafty Ways To Keep Your Kids Busy!

Parents, our jobs are never truly done. Finances, family, career, and home takes a big share of our time....a lot of the time. So I wanted to share a list of ways to keep your kids busy.

 These are all things I do for my children, especially when I need to buy time to study, make dinner,or do some work from home.

 All tips are simple and easy, so you and can get your kids busy today!

Paint or Draw a Picture

Gather paint, markets, crayons, anything that you can use to create a art station for your children. Splash and spill guards are great for protecting your home from messes, while your children enjoy their new art station. 

Build A Box House

Kids love making secret hiding places! Help your child make the best boxed house ever, go all out! Give them plenty of different kinds of boxes, shapes and sizes, glue, paint, glitter, the works!

Play Games

Playing games is a great way to keep your children occupied, but It's very important to monitor what they're doing if they're playing a game online. I was a little hesitant of letting my kids play games online, or even over the phone, but shockingly I came across quite a few games that eliminated all my concerns. There are games and apps that are made to lock so your child cannot access anything but the game being played, and can provide a fun environment while educating them.

Be willing to try all types of games when playing: board games, computer games & apps, and handhelds, whatever! You will be amazed at how much fun they have , the things they'll learn, and you might find yourself pulled into playing with them.

Make A Vision Board

Having a goal is key to becoming successful, and creating vision boards with your children at an early age is a great way to get them in a goal setting mindset early on.

Creating a vision board with your child gives them the opportunity to meditate on, and set goals they can achieve. 

It also can be a very fun experience, and can literally take up as much time as you need. All you need is cardboard boxes, old newspaper, magazines, and glue. 

Play an Active Video

Kids love to move! Playing videos to encourage that activity is a very quick way to tire them out quickly. What they learn from this is entirely up to the parent, considering the variety of videos you could play: yoga, dance, music, or and educational mix. They'll love it all!

Bake Something

Children love sweets, and if you get them in the kitchen while they're younger, they wont mind doing it so much when they get older. Baking with children can create wonderful memories, while you teach and connect with them. 

Other benefits of baking with kids include: learning real world math, precision development, reading and vocabulary building, and organization.

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8 Easy & Helpful Tips To Teach Your Child To Read

 I recently had to prepare my daughter for kindergarten, and wanted to share a valuable list of tips that I learned along the way to help teach children how to read.

Make sure your child has a strong knowledge of the alphabets 
This is the foundation of having a successful reader, and can determine how quickly your child begins reading. Review the alphabet daily, practice saying their sounds, and let them spend time writing their letters.

Read to your child 
Getting your child to read is a process, but reading to your child will instill a love for books, and you can also enjoy bonding and spending time with your little one. Be sure to ask questions as you read, this is a great way to encourage your child to interact with the story and assure they comprehend what you're reading.

Make reading apart of their environment
Hang up posters of site words, or place review words on your fridge, and always encourage them,even when they are able to read more independently.

Load up on books 
Keep a variety of books in your home that you and your family can enjoy. There are so many genres and types of books to rotate or read aloud with one another. This is especially great to do when they are able to read more independently.

Always make learning and reading fun
Be creative with the character's voices, get props for your story, just have fun. It's practically impossible to get kids interested in doing something if they're not having fun! Children are more willing to listen and try new things when having fun, this is always a opportunity for learning.

Give your child note cards 
Note cards provide a simple and effective way to review new words, and learn to read short sentences. This can help younger children with word recognition, and they are also easy to use to quiz your child, and play learning games with.

Read to your child daily 
Daily reading helps improve listening skills and literacy skills. Taking 20- 30 mins out of your day to read to your child helps prepare your child for kindergarten.

Pick up a book 
Be the example you wish to see in your children. Showing your child the importance in reading is as simple as reading! Children may read at an early age, but their fascination for reading can quickly fade if not modeled in the home. Make a conscious effort for your children to see you reading a few minutes each day.

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My Take On Freebies.... Plus Free Samples

I love freebies, coupons, deals , and discounts. It's just so satisfying in knowing that you snagged a good deal, saved some cash, or can even get something for absolutely nothing. 
When I found out that I was having my daughter, I spent hours on the web searching for free items and resources that could help me, and that's when I first learned about free samples. 
I also learned that there is a lot of junk on the web! Sign your kid up for this photo contest and share, win free diapers for a year, or fill out this long boring survey and get free samples (the fine print says purchase necessary).

You could assume, when I first began signing up for free samples, I was a little hesitant,  but it turned out to be quite beneficial. Although I didn't fully commit at that time in my life, samples begin rolling in! Every few months I found formula coupons, similar samples, and diaper samples! It was like Christmas. 
Fast forward, I recently got curious about online freebies again, and was amazed at all the available free stuff!

Online freebies have evolved in the last few years, there are many companies that offer free samples, and their is stuff for the whole family, even your pets.

So how does it work?
To simply put it... Companies will give away a free sample so people can try it and hopefully like the item enough to purchase the product. You don't have to pay for anything not even the shipping.

When will I receive my free stuff?
Don't worry you're going to receive your free samples, but I don't recommend holding your breath. A lot of the times products are distributed on a first come first served basis, so they send them when they are available. It's just honestly not always a timely manner.

95% of the samples I apply for I receive, so just remember to be patient.

When I started back ordering online freebies I didn't see anything for about three months, but after that it seemed like there was something in the mail box everyday.

What kinds of freebies and samples are available?
Makeup Samples
Baby Samples
Shampoo Samples
Free Books
Free Posters
Food Samples
Free Movies
Free ebooks
Free Antivirus Programs
Free Product Samples
......the list goes on

Are you ready to fill your mailbox?
Yes, I'm making it official, I'm going to be announcing and sharing freebie alerts and developing a huge list of freebies as I go. So make sure you subscribe today to get our latest updates on free samples, coupons, and more!

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Random Snapshot

There is no such thing as a perfect parent! So just be a real one. 

- Sue Atkins

9 Tips for Single Parents

Raising a child can be difficult at times, as parents we are expected to nurture, care, and provide for our children, but what do you do when things seem like it's too much or just difficult. 

 So, I created a list of tips that can be beneficial in challenging situations.


Always Make Time for " Me" Time 

Your career, family, kids, and friends, but where exactly does that leave time for you?

Always put time aside to do something for you; this gives you the opportunity to be well rested and more responsive and fun when you're spending time with your family.

 Stop Worrying About Everything

Looking back, it is almost comical how scared I was when I first began raising my children. Since time has passed, I've learned that with parenting there will always be something to worry about. It's always best to focus on the solution than to worry about your problems. You're only magnifying your stress , and blocking your chances of a clear and confident decision.

Get Organized 

Getting organized simply makes it easier to get things done. A lot of the times we run late, or lose items, and cant even make room for new things. Getting organized eliminates the headache of malfunction and messes.

Multitask 

I've noticed as a single parent there will always be something to do, an errand to run, and a bill to pay....but when you multitask you get things done a lot quicker!

Multitasking has recently become big in my household. I love cooking but I hate to clean up the mess, so instead of avoiding the dishes, I clean while I cook. When dinner is done my kitchen is clean!

Develop a Routine

Shockingly, kids like routine. I wasn't really dominant for developing a routine when I first had my children, I honestly didn't think they needed a schedule since either of them was old enough for school (Young Mom & Dumb Thinking). Recently, I've learned children respond better to a routine, it give them a sense of security and helps them to develop discipline. Also, this is great time to make room for some "me" time. Do you know how me sessions I missed out on?

Be Consistent in Making a Connection 

Find ways to spend time with your kids, listen to them, and pursue their passions with them. This will open up the doors to make plenty of connections and build long term and strong healthy bonds with them. 

Link Up With Other Parents

There are plenty of great online communities that offer places for parents to get free advice online, get access to articles about raising healthy children, and getting involved in your local parenting community. Linking up with other parents makes it easier to find other resources and people that can assist you with your parenting concerns, and can also open the door for a long-term friendship with both parents and children.

Avoid Getting Burnout 

This was a common issue I faced as a young parent and new mother. I constantly found myself trying to be Supermom. After the will power wore off I was just so tired, cranky, and falling more behind. 

When you get tired, rest, it's always best to take time to meet your body needs and go back to things well rested with a clear head.

Be A Role Model
Parenting didn't get easier until I understood the best foundation for a parent is to be a role model. Setting an example for your child is key!



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5 Things I Want To Do This New Year

It's officially here, are you ready for the new year? Did you enjoy the countdown, develop your list of resolutions, or irritate your neighbors with cheap firework? Well if you didn't... I know I did! It was exciting but now the party is over and another year has started. What's next?

I've meditated on quite a few things for the New Year that I would like to see manifest in my life. Unlike randomly thinking of a list of resolutions, for the last four years, I've made my own personal goals and task list to reflect on for the year. I keep it handy as a friendly reminder of what I want to achieve for the year, and since I keep multiple copies around my house, there is no way I'm letting my goals slip by me.

Goal List 2015

Get Back In School
Continuing my education has always been a goal and passion of mines. Life has been a little rocky, raising my kids, recovering from second degree burns, moving into our house. Things are finally calming down in my life this seems like the perfect time to place my focus on school. Why school you ask? I learned early on as a parent it's all about the examples we set, and as a mom it's my job to set the example....to do that I need a degree.

To Become More Social 
Friends, social events, and family outings....I want to be involved, now it's time to make friends.

Get Active 
I swear that the holidays are created to slow you down, and fatten you up. Winter vacation hindered any recent fitness goals I've had, and led to me getting lazy. It's time to go running!

Join or Start A Parent Community
I'm sure this is not your average goal you would see on anyone's list, but a parent community just simply makes parenting easier. I can talk to other parents about my concerns with raising my children, get my kids involved in group activities, and continue to develop as a mommy

Get My Kids Active 
My kids need something to do and are overdue for some type of extracurricular program. I want to find and feed there passions. Whatever they enjoy or are talented in, I just want to be their to help them excel.