Make The First Week of School a Success

The first week of school is a stressful time for kids of all ages. Wondering if your going to fit in, who is going to be in your classes, what classes you are going to have, and new routines all make this week a hard time to go through. There are things that we as parents can do though, to help ease our kids into this transition once again. Here are 8 great ways to help get your kids back into the school routine and make the first week a huge success.

FREE First Day of School Printouts (2014-15)

With Labor Day quickly approaching, the first day of school is about here. I love the idea of taking a picture of the kids on the fist day of school with the grade and year posted on a paper...... Man, I wish I would have thought of this idea back when my kids started Kindergarten! I have made up some free printables for  you to use for this special occasion. And, if you are one of those schools that starts before Labor Day - well, just pretend that it's the first day of school.

Take A Photo Walk

Today's technology is amazing. Everyone has a camera with them almost all of the time. Take advantage of the modern era of digital photography by taking the kids on a photo walk. Let them have complete control over the camera and take pictures of whatever catches their attention. It's very interesting looking at the world through the eyes of a three year old.

I Don't Clean Out My Toaster

I think I keep a pretty good house. Laundry is done every week, dishes are mostly in the dishwasher, and the floors are picked up and vacuumed. Then, as I was talking with someone about cleaning habits the other day, I started to feel more and more dirty with every comment. Behind my dryer? The crumbs in my toaster? Under the fridge!? *sigh*.... Just like my kids, I pick my battles with my house as well.

Make Leftover Night A Fancy Night

I always hated leftover night. I just knew that if I was asked what was for dinner, and the answer was "well, there are a lot of leftovers in the fridge..." before I could get another word out there was a collective groan coming from living room and everyone got on their food pouts. I hate it when people are food grumpy! So, early on in my child rearing years, I came up with this amazing little idea and it worked like a charm. Make leftover night a fancy night with the simple addition of a nice table setting, a couple of candles, a menu and mom acting like a waitress. All of a sudden everyone is going out to dinner instead of eating dumb ol' left overs.

Dark Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

Zucchini is running rampant in my garden right now and I have been looking for something yummy, healthy and different to do with it. I was playing around in the kitchen today and came up with this amazing cupcake. It is light, fluffy, amazingly delicious and yes, it's even good for you. So enjoy! You can have your cake and eat it too.

FREE Printable Movie Night Tickets

I know my last post has gotten you all excited about having a movie night! Whether you decide to set up a little theater in your backyard, or just go the easy route and have it inside, these movie tickets will make the event even more like a party. I have put together a few printable movie tickets that you can give your guests ahead of time to get them excited about the cinematic evening. Pop some popcorn, gather up all the fluffy pillows and blankets and have a cozy night in.

Take It Outside

With today's technology it's easier than ever to be portable. We can work at out computers at the same time we are tanning on the deck outside and play video games from 30,000 feet in the air while flying over the Pacific. Why not take full advantage of this technology and move your weekend movie to the back yard?

OMG!! Do Something About Your Child!!

I'm sure we have all had the experience. You are in the check-out of the grocery store, standing in Starbucks waiting for your grande latte or passing by the toy section in Wal-Mart and the incident takes place: the snotty little brat next you starts to throw a tantrum. All I want to do is look that mother in the face and say "OMG! Do something about your child!". Then I do look into her face, see the desperation plastered there, and remember an incident with my own kids when they were young, and my heart softens just a little. Here's my story.

5 Fun Bowling Games

I am not a bowler. I like to bowl, but you will not see me twirling three times, skittering up to the lane on my tip toes, and throwing my ball for a strike Fred Flintstone style. Usually if I am in a bowling alley it's for something fun to do with the kids, hubby and/or friends. Over the years we have acquired a few fun "bowling games" to make the experience of gutter balls less humiliating and more entertaining. Here are our top 5 fun bowling games.

August's Wacky and Unusual Holidays

If you have been following this blog for any length of time, or have spent any time browsing around, you know that I get geeky when it comes to my holidays. Any excuse to throw a mini-party and I'm in. We are in full swing in the Dog Days of Summer, and here in the Seattle area we are having a summer that only comes around every handful of years: hot, sunny, dry.... did I mention hot? Here are all the fun holidays in August this year that will help you take your mind off the heat and give you a chance to Par-Tay!

Enjoy the rest of your summer!!

Clean Toys!

This may seem like a no-brainer to all of you big brained peeps out there, but to me - at the time years ago when I heard this tip - it was a revelation. Clean toys in the dishwasher........ I know, right?! You don't have to worry about the nicks and crannys, it comes out sanitized, and you would be amazed at how well it handles getting all of the caked on dirt off. Save yourself a ton of time, toss those suckers in the dishwasher, and in an hour you'll have a sparkling new toy.

Strawberry Fruitsicle

I am always amazed at the mechanics of a child's eardrum.  You can stand no more than two feet in front of them and ask them to do something, and they somehow cannot hear you - but at the sound of an ice cream truck (two blocks away!) and they are screaming through the house trying to beg for any change they can dig up. Go figure. These amazing little delights however will save you the change and give you piece of mind, because they are healthy and packed full of fruit. Let them have two.