Tag Archives: Kids

by | May 20, 2013 · 8:41 am

Declutter Your Life

In the last month or so I have made a lot of ChaNgeS in my life.  First off, I recently had another garage sale which proved to be just as successful as the one in the fall.  I finally have a clutter free home.  I made a point to go through EVERYTHING, and if I didn’t LOVE IT, I sold it.  There were things that were hard to get rid of, mainly due to habit and feeling like I “had” to keep it around the house “just in case”.  Let me tell ya, it was worth it because everything is organized and I can keep better tabs on what we need and what we don’t. declutter-wordle1

Once I was able to declutter my home, it was only natural to want to DecLutteR other areas of my life.  Several weeks ago, Robyn wrote a post called iPhone Mommy.  It struck a chord with me.  For months I had been feeling like the internet and social media were a huge distraction and temptation.  I wish I was like those of you that are disciplined when it comes to social media, but I am not.  I kept making excuses that I HAD to check my facebook several times a day to make sure I wasn’t missing personal messages or notifications from groups I am involved in.  Robyn’s post motivated me to make some cHaNgeS once and for all.  I tied up lose ends with my personal FB messages and notified leaders to any of my groups.  I told these people that I wouldn’t be checking facebook as often and to contact me via email or phone if they needed something right away.  Everyone has been very understanding and I guess I figured if someone needed me bad enough, they could find a way.  It was really that simple!  Now, I only check facebook once every couple of weeks, which allows me to catch up on information or messages I may have missed!

To take things one step further, I changed the settings on my phone so I no longer get an email “ring” for new emails AND I deleted the facebook icon so I’m not tempted to check it.  This has made a huge difference when I am around my kids.  My phone isn’t dinging all the time and we spend more quality time together in random places.  When we use to wait in the car I would sit there and read the internet while they were in the backseat.  Now we try to play games or talk about fun stuff!  In addition, if we are playing and the phone rings, I don’t answer when I feel like the kids are really engaged in what we are doing.  Several times they’ve asked, “Mom, aren’t you going to get the phone?” and I say, “No, I want to play with you right now.”  The look and smile on their faces when I say that….PRICELESS :)

Last but not least, I am writing to say that Robynn, Robyn (Jersey Girl) and I are going to take the summer off in regards to blog posting.  We don’t want to give it up for good because we really enjoy writing and sHaRinG things with you.  But, like we talk about so often, if it doesn’t bring you PEACE then you need to make some changes.  Now that the kids are going to be home all summer we feel that not being tied to anything (a.k.a the blog) will bring us the most peace.  We know you understand, and we thank you for that.  The plan is to pick up in September once kiddos are back in the grind of school.  I didn’t even put a dent in my “Home Makeover Series” so I hope to share more of that with you, along with the normal LIFE posts that I share.

I hope that this lengthy (sorry! *wink*) post has encouraged you to declutter areas in your own life.  I cannot tell you how much jOy and fReedoM it has brought to mine.

Have a wonderful and memorable summer and we look forward to writing in the fall!

Cheers,

Lara

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by | April 23, 2013 · 6:17 am

iPhone Mommy

I admit it…I spend WaY ToO MuCh time on my phone.  It is a habit I have been saying I am going to stop for a long time, but have yet to accomplish.  It would be bad enough if I was taking time away from my kids by just talking on the phone, but we all know that is not what I am doing.  I hop around from email, to Facebook, to Pinterest, to Twitter and sometimes throw in a game of skee-ball.  The problem is…NoNe of this is more important than my kids!  If you are hooked  on your phone and have been trying to stop, this letter written by Tonya Ferguson on her blog 4 Little Fergusons might just be what you need to finally put it down.

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Dear mom on the iPhone,

I see you over there on the bench, messing on your iPhone. It feels good to relax a little while your kids have fun in the sunshine, doesn’t it? You are doing a great job with your kids: You work hard, you teach them manners, have them do their chores.

But Momma, let me tell you what you don’t see right now …

Your little girl is spinning round and round, making her dress twirl. She is such a little beauty queen already, the sun shining behind her long hair. She keeps glancing your way to see if you are watching her.

You aren’t.

Your little boy keeps shouting, “Mom, MOM watch this!” I see you acknowledge him, barely glancing his way.

He sees that too. His shoulders slump, but only for a moment, as he finds the next cool thing to do.

Now you are pushing your baby in the swing. She loves it! Cooing and smiling with every push. You don’t see her though, do you? Your head is bent, your eyes on your phone as you absently push her swing.

Talk to her. Tell her about the clouds, Mommy. The Creator who made them. Tickle her tummy when she comes near you, and enjoy that baby belly laugh that leaves far too quickly.

Put your eyes back on your prize: your kids.

Show them that they are the priority. Wherever you are, be ALL there. I am not saying it’s not OK to check in on your phone, but it’s a time-sucker: User beware!

Play time at the park will be over before you know it.

The childhood of your children will be gone before you know it.

They won’t always want to come to the park with you, Mommy. They won’t always spin and twirl to make their new dress swish. They won’t always call out, “WATCH ME!”

There will come a point when they stop trying, stop calling your name, stop bothering to interrupt your phone time.

Because they know …

You’ve shown them, all these moments, that the phone is more important than they are. They see you looking at it at while waiting to pick up brother from school, during playtime, at the dinner table, at bedtime.

I know that’s not true, Mommy.

I know your heart says differently.

But your kids can’t hear your words, Mommy. Your actions are screaming way too loudly.

May our eyes rest upon those we love, first and foremost, and may everything else fall away in the wonderful, noisy, sticky-fingered glory of it all.

*********************************************

~Robyn (Jersey Girl)

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Filed under All-Or-Nothing, Family, Friends, Getting Real, Hard Reality, Kid Stuff, Life, Parenthood, RANDO•RAMA, Relationships

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by | February 9, 2013 · 8:46 am

Valentine’s Day Treats for Kids (With Printable Treat Cards!)

Each year I try and think of a cute way to send out my kid’s VaLenTiNe TrEaTs at school.  This year I found two cute ideas on Pinterest and then added my own touch!  Our school has a no candy policy so we used individual packs of Teddy Grahams and Goldfish.

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I printed the cards on light brown card-stock. Next, I glued the eyes on the bear and had my 3-year-old daughter draw a nose, a smile, and then sign her name!

2

I printed the cards on white card-stock. Next, I had my 5-year-old son draw the water in the fishbowl and then sign his name!

3

I attached the bear to a treat bag with Teddy Grahams and the fishbowl to a treat bag with Goldfish!

Click here to download the cards to attach to your treats!

Abby’s Valentine Teddy Bear

Nicholas’ Valentine Fish Bowl

Happy Valentine’s Day!

~Robyn (Jersey Girl)

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by | February 5, 2013 · 4:11 pm

What are you worried about?

If someone asked me that, there would be days that my response would be, “ EVERYTHING!”  Do you ever go through phases like that?  It seems like I can go through months without fretting over anything, and then other days where it consumes every part of me!

As a Mom there are SO MANY things that we can worry about; if they will be safe when you leave them with someone else, if their cough is turning in to pneumonia, if they are making the smart decisions with their friends, how they are doing in school, if we are doing the right thing as parents…I could write a novel on all the things Moms worry about!!

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With my daughter going to Kindergarten this year I have been challenged with this more than normal.  We want our kids to be safe, healthy and smart, yet we are reminded by all the negative things in the world as soon as we turn on the t.v.  So what is a Mom to do?

I’m still trying to figure this one out.  I’m not even confident I would be able to answer the question when I am 100 years old, but I’m determined to try.  I just have to keep reminding myself that in some ways, worrying is good because it means that I love my kids so much!  BUT I also have to remember that worrying is a result of the devil creeping into my life, and why let that take away precious time with the ones that I care about so much?!

If you are worrying a lot these days…no matter if it is kids, health, money, your job…try to TaLK BaCk to those negative thoughts as soon as they creep in your mind.  This is sooo hard, I know.  It is a full-time job on its own!  The other thing that helps is to KeEp BuSy.  If silence traps you in bad feelings, turn on the radio, listen to books on tape, or start singing.  If you have too much time on your hands, find a new hobby that requires a lot of concentration so you can give your worrying a break!  And of course, the obvious, pRaY about it.  Try your best to hand your worries over to the one that created you.  That is what He is there for ;)

Take comfort in knowing that you are among the rest of us mommies out there that are losing sleep and feeling like we are going crazy.  That in itself should ease your mind and give you motivation to shake those bad thoughts along with the rest of us!

For another one of my posts related to worrying, read: Become A Trainer

~Lara

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by | October 5, 2012 · 6:15 am

Saved By The Bell

Growing up with all sisters, I never knew what it was like to grow up around boys.  When we were bLesSeD with a baby boy over 2 years ago, our world changed forever.  I immediately learned how different (but good) life would be with a boy!

One of the main differences between Garrett and sister, Leanne, is that Garrett has little to no fear.  When that kid decides he wants something, he heads that diRecTion and never looks back.  Because we live in the country, with plenty of land to run around on, you can see how this poses a major problem.  The second we would turn around our little boy would be off eXploRinG, leaving us in a panic not knowing where to look.

Due to a few of these scares we took away his freedom when he went outside.  His FaVoRitE thing to do is to play outdoors, so you can only imagine the tantrums this created when he wanted to go and we didn’t have the time to take him.

My father-in-law happened to pick up a small cow bell at an auction.  We joked about how we should attach it to Garrett since he always runs off.  One morning, after another 2-year-old meltdown, I was desperate for him to have an atTitUde change.  I grabbed the bell, tied it to his pants, opened the windows and let him loose to play in the front yard.

Let me tell you….that bell changed EVERYTHING!

Garrett gets to play in the dirt as much as he wants, and I am always an earshot away.  I can get work done in the house and this gives him a break from me, in a way that I can know where he is at.  We’ve been doing this for several weeks now and Garrett’s temperament has changed drastically.  Now that he is able to release his eNerGy by playing outside, he is much happier and less likely to throw tantrums.  It is really cute too…every time he grabs his shoes, he always grabs his bell!  He knows he can’t go outside without it!

Who would have thought we’d be saved by a bell? If you are at at the end of your rope, I encourage you to talk to as many other people as you can AND exhaust all options. It may be as sImpLe as getting a cow bell…

Ring-a-ling! :)

Lara

 

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by | August 22, 2012 · 8:17 am

They Are Paying Attention!

Today I got an email forward from my mom that really made me think.  It was a beautiful poem about what goes on in the mind of a child when we ThInK they aren’t looking.  There are so many times I clean up the toys only to have them scattered around the house an hour later and think to myself….Why do I even bother?  This poem really touched me because it made me realize that as parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends we may not instantly see the influence we are having on the children in our lives, but they are always WaTcHiNg us and taking in the little things we do day in and day out.

When You Thought I Wasn’t Looking

Author: Unknown
When you thought I wasn’t looking,
I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator,
and I wanted to paint another one.When you thought I wasn’t looking,
I saw you feed a stray cat,
and I thought it was good to be kind to animals.When you thought I wasn’t looking,
I saw you make my favorite cake for me,
and I knew that little things are special things.

When you thought I wasn’t looking,
I heard you say a prayer,
and I believed that there was a God to talk to.

When you thought I wasn’t looking,
I felt you kiss me goodnight,
and I felt loved.

When you thought I wasn’t looking,
I saw tears come from your eyes,
and I learned that sometimes things hurt,
but it’s alright to cry.

When you thought I wasn’t looking,
I saw that you cared,
and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn’t looking,
I looked….
and I wanted to say thanks for all the things
I saw when you thought I wasn’t looking.

~Robyn (Jersey Girl)

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Filed under Good Life, Inspiration, Inspire, Kid Stuff, Life, Parenthood, RANDO•RAMA, Relationships

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by | June 20, 2012 · 5:58 am

Easy Patriotic Windsocks

Here is an easy craft to get your kids excited and involved in decorating for July 4th celebrations!

Save old cans (only use if your can opener leaves smooth edges that are safe for children) and purchase spray paint that can be used on metal.

Use acrylic paint to add designs!

Use a large nail to make holes in the top for a string to hang your windsock.

Attach patriotic ribbon (from dollar store) with a glue gun on the inside of the can.

ENJOY!

My kids loved painting the designs on the cans and Nicholas did all of the hammering to make the holes for the string on top!  For under $10.00 we made 6 tin can windsocks to decorate for the 4th and lots of MeMoRiEs!

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by | May 30, 2012 · 5:13 am

Teachable Moment

This past weekend I spent the unofficial beginning of summer at the Jersey Shore with my family at my parent’s beach house.  Each morning my son rode his bike while my daughter pushed her baby doll in a stroller next to him as I pushed our beach cart full of “NeCeSsItiEs” up the block and a half to the beach.  I couldn’t help thinking how much easier this seemed compared to the past few summers when I had to manage the beach cart and the kids in a wagon behind me.  The morning of Memorial Day as my son and I were making our way up to the beach I hit a bump with the beach cart and the cart and all of its contents landed on the street.  Four chairs, my beach bag, and enough sand toys for a small army scattered all over the street.  My first instinct was to get my son Nicholas to stop riding his bike so that he would be safe while I picked everything back up, and then I began to collect all of our beach gear.  As Nicholas and I started picking up the sand toys I noticed two young boys who were about high school age had watched the entire incident and just LooKeD at me and kept on walking.  I stopped what I was doing and pointed them out to my son.  I explained to him that someday he is going to be a “big boy” like they were and that he might see a Mommy who is having trouble like I was.  I told him that I hoped that when he grows up he would…  At that point Nicholas stopped me and finished the thought for me.  He looked at me and said, “Mommy, I would help the Mommy pick everything up.”

Nicholas Memorial Day 2012

There are so many times as parents we get caught up in the busyness of the day-to-day routine that we forget to look for the moments that may have an ImPaCt on our children’s futures.  I thought this teachable moment was going to show Nicholas what to do when he gets older, but what it also did was remind me that although I am SO hard on myself, I must be doing something right for my son to already know a lesson that those boys may have missed somewhere along the way.

~Robyn (Jersey Girl)

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by | May 23, 2012 · 6:17 am

Mommy Guilt

Ever feel like you are FaiLiNg as a parent? Chances are your kids would disagree with you.  There have been countless times when I have planned an activity that didn’t work out, attempted to bake brownies that came out burnt on the sides and gooey in the middle, or promised to devote uninterrupted time to my kids but got sidetracked by the phone, doorbell, email, or some other emergency that needed to be taken care of.  I truly believe we Mommies are much harder on ourselves than any jury of kids would ever be.


I was reminded of this just last week when I tried out a recipe for sidewalk paint made with food-coloring and cornstarch.  In my mind the paint was a total fail…it was too runny, made a giant mess, took me too long to make, and it stained the patio.  If you asked my kids what they thought I guarantee they would disagree with me.  They loved watching the red and blue paint turn into purple and had a BlAsT  painting each others feet with this new concoction of color that Mommy made for them.

The next time you are being hard on yourself as all of us Moms do…take a look at life through the eyes and mind of your child and you will find that you too are a SuPeR MoM!

~Robyn (Jersey Girl)

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by | March 21, 2012 · 6:19 am

Kid Stuff Clean Up

Are the piles of toys in your house getting too big for the bins that you bought to store them in?  If you’re thinking “YES THEY ARE!”…join the club!  I was so tired of my kids taking their puzzles and games out of their boxes and leaving the pieces all over the place that I decided to get rid of the bulky boxes all together.  Check out my space-saving system.

Puzzle boxes, card games, and memory.

Storage bags and a box to hold everything.

Cut out the picture of the puzzle from the box and store it in the bag with the puzzle pieces!

Much better!

EnJoY!

~Robyn (Jersey Girl)

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