Author Archives: Christie Walker
As a resident of the beautiful – but often soggy – Pacific NW; I am quite familiar with trying to come up with fun and creative ways to keep my kids busy on rainy days. I am incredibly happy to say that I have found some really wonderful – low cost or no cost – activities that you can do with your kids, when wet weather strikes. Here are eight rainy day activities for kids that are sure to cure the dreary-day doldrums.
1. Channel your inner chef – There is nothing better than comfort food on a blustery day, so why not whip up something delicious with your kids? Cooking is not only fun but very educational as well (shhhh…don’t worry, I won’t tell). Kids love to help out and no matter what age they are, there is always something they can do. For example, little kids can dump pre-measured ingredients into the bowl, stir things around, frost cupcakes, & lick beaters. Just watch your child’s face light up as you pull out their finished masterpiece. I promise that the look you will see makes all the spilled flour and broken eggs so worth it! Check out www.kids-cooking-activities.com to find recipes, cooking videos, and food facts, as well as fun craft and science recipes.
2. Can you build it? Yes you can! – Fort building is a family favorite in our house. We strip off the couch cushions, gather all the pillows and blankets we can carry, and then we start creating. If you use your imagination; you can make a fort out of just about any space in your home. Our boys have bunk beds; so I just put blankets up to enclose the bottom bunk and poof instant fort in no time flat! Forts are a great place for your kids to embark on all kinds of amazing adventures.
3. Lights, Camera, Action – Reading is a fantastic rainy day activity for kids but you can kick it up a notch by reading then acting out your children’s favorite stories. You can make it as simple or elaborate as you would like. It’s fun getting dressed up and using props but even just acting out the story can be quite entertaining as well. This is a great activity and you can really make some fantastic (and many times silly) memories in the process.
4. Let’s play dress-up – Playing dress up is a genuine two thumbs up, kid approved rainy day activity — guaranteed! Not only will your kids have hours of fun becoming princesses, superheroes, pirates, doctors, nurses, ballerinas, and moms, and dads; you’ll be happy that you didn’t have to spend a fortune for them to do it. All you have to do is raid your closets and after that — check out the second hand stores, where you can buy costumes and some really fancy duds at super low prices. Parents should get in on the act too, in fact I encourage it.
5. Take a walk down memory lane – Rainy days are the perfect time to pop some popcorn, snuggle up on the couch and look at old photos and watch old home movies. Kids love seeing old photos of themselves and hearing stories about when they were younger. This can even stir up some memories that you may have forgotten about. This is not only a great rainy day activity; it is also fantastic bonding time for you and your kids.
6. Get Crafty- That’s right parents, get out the glue, markers, paints, pens, and glitter; then let your kids make something craftastic! There are so many wonderful things that your kids can create. Just put some things out for them and let ‘em go. Fall is also a great time to get started on homemade gifts for Christmas. Some of my favorite web sites to glean ideas from are www.amazingmoms.com, www.familyfun.com, and www.freekidcrafts.com. Once you have enough art pieces assembled; you can invite grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends over for dinner and have an art exhibit. Your kids will love it!
7. Get the heck out of dodge – Before you all go stir crazy; pack everyone up and head over to your local library. There is almost always something fun (and free) going on there and if not, you can still find lots of great books to read. Many libraries have story times, craft times, and other fun activities for kids. Trust me when I say, this is a sanity saver on rainy days. If you are looking for something else to do, call some of your friends with kids and take turns hosting play dates. This will get you some nice adult conversation and the kids will enjoy playing with their friends.
8. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em – Go puddle jumping! Slap on your galoshes and rain coat, grab an umbrella and get outside. This is probably – by far – my kids’ favorite rainy day activity! They have a fabulous time getting wet and muddy and when all the fun has been had; you all can head inside, get everyone in warm dry clothes and have some hot chocolate.
Whatever you decide to do when bad weather stikes – have fun and enjoy your kids.
Christie
Photo by ruycesar on Flickr
I love buying clothes. Doesn’t it make you feel fantastic to be wearing something you truly love and feel amazing in? For me the answer is yes! Since becoming a work-at-home-mom, I haven’t really invested in clothes that make me feel awesome. Instead, I usually choose items that are more practical, this way when I get paint, glitter or glue all over them I don’t freak out. It’s not that I wear sweats or yoga pants all the time — I’m actually more of a jeans girl. Now that the boys are getting older and we are way past the spit up stage, I think it’s semi-safe for me to wear things that are comfortable but perhaps a bit more fashionable than what I have been wearing over the past 4 years. This means that I want to invest a little more money into my wardrobe but of course I don’t want to spend a fortune doing it either.
In the past (before kids of course) I would have headed to the mall and shopped my little heart out without considering what I was buying, how much I was spending or considering that I might be able to find the same item – or something similar - for less. But alas, those days are over. Actually, even if I wanted to be that frivolous, we can’t afford it — plus, I have learned so much about saving money since having the boys that even if money wasn’t an issue, I couldn’t do it without thinking about how silly I was being just throwing money away. So I have come up with some simple and painless ways to expand my wardrobe without busting our budget or adding credit card debt.
Shop Secondhand
I have learned a few things about shopping secondhand over the past few years. It’s easy and it can save you so much money!!! My secondhand stores of choice are consignment shops. I have taken the boys’ gently used clothing and toys to one of my favorite children’s consignment store in our area and have gotten some amazing deals! Depending on how much money I have earned from the sale of the boys’ previously worn items, I can get a bag full of “new” clothes for next to nothing. Even if I don’t have any credits I can still get great name brand clothing that looks new for an amazing price. There are women’s and men’s consignment shops too. At these stores you can purchase designer clothes for exceptional prices. Many times the items in these shops are not consigned because they aren’t stylish, often it’s because someone has either lost or gained weight — or they just like to clear their closets so they can buy more clothes. Go ahead, give secondhand shopping a try.
Visit Discount Stores
There are many stores such as Ross Dress for Less, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Nordstrom Rack, and others who benefit from overstocks or store clearance. I have purchased some beautiful items for amazing deals. These stores are also great for purchasing fashion accessories, shoes, handbags and even home decor at super low prices.
Surf the Web
You can get some great deals by shopping online. Amazon, Ebay, Esty, etc. are ideal for finding good deals on clothing and accessories. Even shopping from some of your favorite department stores online can save you money. Many stores offer better deals online than they do in store because they don’t have the overhead of a brick and mortar store. Many stores offer free shipping if you pick the item up at a store near you. Be sure to check for coupon codes before you checkout; this will also help to save you money. Make sure you know the return/exchange policies before you buy. Most stores make returns and exchanges easy as long as you have the receipt. Shopping online also gives to the ability to quickly price check to find the best deals.
Shop Clearance
End of season clearance is the BEST time to buy new clothing. You can save 50%, 60% or even 80% when stores are clearing out thir inventory to make room for the new season’s fashion. I just picked up a Simply Vera (Vera Wang) purse for $25 it was regularly $125. I almost bought it when it was 1/2 off but decided not to since Christmas was just around the corner. Boy am I glad I waited. It certainly paid off! Often times you will still get a lot of wear out of an item before the season actually ends. It’s January and I’ve already seen bikinis and other summer fashions proudly displayed (at regular price) in stores. I bought a swimming suit last year for 75% off because it was September. I don’t have to worry about getting one now, I just have to worry about getting in shape so I’ll look good in it.
Make the Old New Again
Take inventory of what is already in your closet and find new and exciting ways to wear them. Mix different pieces, patterns and colors together. Just take some time out to play around with the clothes you already have. Put things together you may not have thought of before; you might be very surprised how how good certain things look together. You can also buy new (or new to you) clothing pieces like sweaters, jackets, scarves, hats, etc. to jazz up these well-loved ensembles and make them feel fresh and updated.
Host a Clothing Swap
Get some of your favorite girls together and even some of their friends and host a clothing swap. These ladies can bring in things that they are tired of, don’t fit in or wonder “Now why did I buy this? This is so not my color.” Make a fun girl’s night event out of it. If you want to bring along kids clothes to swap to, that can be double the fun. Get creative and enjoy!!!
I hope I have been able to give you some great ideas. Do you have any other tips on how to save money on your clothing budget? I’d love to hear them!
Thanks for Reading and Happy Shopping!!!
Christie
Do you want to throw a rockin’ New Years Eve Party but don’t have a lot to spend? No worries! You don’t have to sit on the couch in your PJs and fuzzy slippers and count down to New Year with Ryan Seacrest — unless of course you want to! If you want to have people over are ready to celebrate, then I have some good news for you. I have searched the web to find some fabulous and frugal ideas that can help you throw a memorable New Years Eve Party!
Frugal Invitations
You can get much more frugal than free, am I right? I have found a few free invitation options that you can use to let your guests know that they are invited to the party of the year — or at least in for a fun night with friends.
(photo via Evite)
One of my favorite invitation websites in Evite. There several attractive choices for New Years Eve invitations and the best part is they are free! No need to buy invitations, pay postage or hunt down your guests for RSVPs. It can all be done on the Evite website. Easy peasy!!!
I also found several free printable cards at the Holiday Crafts and Creations website. These can be printed on fancy or festive paper for a fraction of the price it might cost to buy invites.
But here is my FAVORITE…
I wasn’t able to put the photo up – probably because of copyright restrictions – but you simply MUST trust me when I say these invitations are fabulous!!! Head on over to the Perpetual Party Planner Blog and check out the post on DIY New Year’s Eve Invites.
DIY New Years Eve Favors
You can put those empty wrapping paper tubes from Christmas to good use with this craft I found on Holiday Crafts and Creations.
Just click on the photo above to visit their site and see the simple step-by-step instructions. Use your imagination and creativity to really have fun with these poppers.
Need Confetti? Have left over wrapping paper from Christmas? PERFECT! Just stick the paper into your shredder for instant streamers or confetti (depending on the type of shredder you have). Or, if you want to keep the kids busy during their Christmas break, have them cut it all by hand. It up to you 
Frugal Food
You can always ask guest to bring their favorite finger food, dessert and/or their own drinks. If you have been couponing then you have probably built up quite a stockpile of goodies. If so, now is the time to tap into that treasure and put on a grand spread for your guests — all for a fraction of the price. Even if you don’t have a well stocked pantry you can still find a lot of great deals and use coupons to save money. Frugal and fabulous!!!
(via Allrecipes.com)
One of my very favorite recipe websites is Allrecipes.com. You are sure to find a lot of delicious recipes. They have all kinds of recipes for appetizers, dinners, desserts, and even drinks. Check it out and get creative!!!
Whatever you decide to do, be sure to have fun, be fabulous, stay safe and please do NOT drink and drive!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!
Thanks for Reading!
Christie
I titled my post Christmas bliss because one of the definitions of bliss is – great joy! That is what we all should feel on Christmas. For those of us who honor the true meaning of Christmas, we are celebrating God’s greatest gift to us — the birth of his son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Because of this, there is so much to celebrate and be thankful for on Christmas Day.
Unfortunately, for many people it can also be a really stressful time and why wouldn’t it be? We are bombarded with commercials of people giving cars with big red bows on them, a zillion different toy commercials that have our children repeating over and over, I want I want I want and if he didn’t go to Jared well, then maybe he’s just not that into you. Others of us measure our Christmas success by how many different kinds of Christmas cookies, candies or other goodies we can mass produce in a month. What it boils down to, is many of us simply try to do too much and want everything to be as perfect as possible. Then, when we fall short — well, we feel like we have failed.
Please believe me when I say that there have been many Christmases where I mailed presents late, got caught up in the stress or wished I had just done more — but you know what? Christmas still came and I still felt great joy when the day finally arrived.
One of my favorite Christmas stories – How the Grinch Stole Christmas – illustrates this point beautifully. It has such a great message and one of my very favorite parts of the story is when the Grinch is listening for the Who’s to be sobbing and sad because all of their Chirstmas decorations and presents have been stolen by him but when they wake up they aren’t sad. They feel great joy and instead of crying, the Grinch hears singing and you know what…
“Christmas came just the same…It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags.” Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! “Maybe Christmas he thought doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas …perhaps…means a little bit more.” ~ How the Grinch Stole Christmas • by Dr. Seuss
So how can we enjoy all that this blessed season has to offer and still keep things in perspective. I touched on this a bit in the post I wrote last year The Magic and Meaning of Christmas and I’ll provide a few simple tips on how you can feel the true joy of Christmas through and through.
1. Scale it Down a Bit – Don’t overdue by trying to be perfect. Don’t overspend, don’t over plan just don’t over extend yourself to the point where you and your family are stressed and miserable. See those gingerbread cookies pictured above. I made them. They aren’t perfect (gingerbread heads were rolling) and even though I had wanted to make about 3 different kinds of cookies, I got so stressed out making those that I decided not too. This year St. Nick is going to have to be happy with the cut and bake cookies from the store. Whew! What a weight off my shoulders.
2. Give Generously–This can be of your time, talent, heart and/or your treasure. Whenever you give, give with love and not out of a sense of obligation. I just read a wonderful story about an anonymous person who paid off a bunch of layaways for some people at Kmart. It honestly brought a tear to my eye. While the season can sometimes bring out the worst in people, it also certainly brings out the BEST in people too. You don’t have to spend money to be generous, you can volunteer to help with a toy drive, ring the bell for the Salvation Army, work in a soup kitchen or winter shelter, there are so many things you can do and it will really help you to feel the true spirit of the season.
3. Simplify Gift Giving — If you have a big family you can draw names or choose just to buy for kids. There are lots of fantastic DIY Christmas present ideas and photo gifts are fun, special and usually economical.
4. Stay Home– Traveling to see family is something that many people do but sometimes it just can’t happen. Traveling (especially with children) is stressful on a normal day but during the holidays you multiply that by about a thousand! I’m not just talking about traveling out of state either. I know many families have several places they need to be. Consider hosting your own celebration, trading off every other year or visiting one family on Christmas Eve and one Christmas Day. If you have a lot of invites it is a huge blessing to know so many people love you and want to spend the holidays with you, but it can be tough too.
5. Celebrate the True Meaning of Christmas — If you are feeling stressed or getting caught up in the holiday craziness instead of appreciating all the beauty, wonder and magic think back to that first Christmas. When a young mother gave birth to her sweet baby boy in a barn. She and her husband didn’t have much but they wrapped him in some blankets and laid him on soft clean hay in a manger. Simple yet miraculous.
John 1:14 — The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas!!!
Christie
Children love to create gifts that they can give to loved ones. This is their heartfelt way of showing those who love them most that they love them back. We must keep in mind that not all crafts our kids create will look perfect but that is what makes them so beautiful!
Here are some fun and creative crafts that will be simple to make and your friends and family will be delighted to receive. I also believe that these crafts are so simple that even an uncrafty mom such as myself, can happily join in the fun.
1) Handprint Wreath
This is a craft that each of the boys made as at preschool last year and I absolutely cherish it! It can be a little messy but if you are organized about it this (like their fabulous teachers are) it shouldn’t be too difficult to do with preschool age children or older. Of course, you can do this with toddlers if they will cooperate but my experience in getting the boys to make hand prints when they were that age was not great.
What you need:
* Fabric – A light colored one like the one pictured above will work best.
* Thin dowel
* Green and red paint
* Sponge paint brush and disposable container
* Large bow Stamp
* Ribbon
1. You can make these as small or as large as you would like. It’s totally up to you. So cut the fabric if you need to then either sew – or my favorite is to use fabric tape – to make an opening that the small dowel can slide through.
2. Put some green paint into a container then take the sponge brush and paint your child’s hand with it.
3. Instruct your child to spread out their fingers then push their hand gently onto the cloth. Have them lift their hand straight up. You may have to help them with one hand while holding the cloth with the other.
4. Paint their cute little hand again and repeat Step #3 several times. You’ll want to turn the cloth so you can make a circle of green hand prints. You can overlap a little and remember — it doesn’t have to be perfect!
5. Let that dry. Then either you or your child can dip your finger in red paint and make round red berries.
6. Take the bow stamp and dip it into the paint and stamp the top of the wreath with the bow.
7. After it dries slide the cloth onto the dowel.
8. Cut a long piece of ribbon and tie it to each end ot the dowel, so this beautiful piece of art can be display each year!
3. Painted Ornaments
This is a SUPER simple craft. The only thing you’ll have to do it clean up a little. The kiddos do all the hard work and they love every minute of it!
What you’ll need:
* Paintable ornaments that can be found at any craft store. (They are very reasonably priced especially if you catch them on sale and don’t forget to check your Sunday paper for good coupons!)
* Paint and paint brush– watercolors wouldn’t be great to use but the thicker paints work.
* Newspaper
1. Spread out newspaper all over your child’s work space.
2. Open the paints, get a small cup of water, a paper towel and let the kids have at it. You may of offer instruction if you wish or you can have a sample painted so they have an idea of that colors they can use.
3. Not crazy about letting your kids have paint? Markers will work really well too and are less messy. I chose paints though because my boys just get so excited when they can use them.
3. Bead Wreath
Do you remember making these as a kid? You might even have some of your old ones on your tree or at your parent’s house. This is very simple and not messy at all — unless of course someone spills beads all over the floor
What you’ll need:
* Beads (or buttons if you prefer)– any color you like will work just fine.
* floral wire 16-20mm
* Ribbon
* Wire cutters
1. Bend the end of the wire.
2. String the beads onto the floral wire.
3. After the wreath is the desired size bend the end of the wire into the other end — cut if needed.
4. Tie a bow on top of wreath to cover wire and attach string or yarn to the top so it can hang on a tree.
The boys and I also shaped these to look like candy canes and hung them on the tree. So cute!!!
For more Christmas crafts check out my post from last year Super Simple Christmas Crafts for Kids
Thanks for Reading!
Christie
(Photo via Amazon.com)
For the past year or so I have been trying to figure out how to teach my boys about stranger safety. In preschool last year they learned all about fire safety and how to call 911. Their teacher explained that if something happened to me - like I fell and hit my head in the shower – they would need to call 911 to get help. I was really glad they talked about it because I hadn’t really thought about teaching them any of that. For the next few weeks following their safety lesson, the boys would ask if I was going to fall and hit my head everytime I got into the shower. So, even though I knew they need to learn how to stay safe, I didn’t want to scare them. However, I also realized that if something happened to them because I didn’t properly educate them on how to be safe — well, I would never be able to forgive myself.
I now realize that it is imparitive that they learn about stranger safety – whether it scares them or not – so I decided to bite the bullet and just do it. But how? How do I explain the difference between strangers, people they know and the handful of adults who Chris and I would entrust them with? This is a tough concept for little ones, so I went in search of something that might help me to at least start the conversation.
(photo via Amazon.com)
The first item I had was a Winnie the Pooh book called Safe at Home with Pooh. I actually didn’t buy this book with the intention of teaching the boys stranger safety. I just bought a stack of with books from the consignment store and it wasn’t until they asked me to read it that I realized what the book was about. It teaches kids not to talk to strangers and never to open the door to strangers (something I have mentioned that I don’t even do). The book was easy for them to understand and it helped get the conversation started about strangers and being safe.
As I was researching materials that might help me teach the boys about stranger safety I happened upon the website The Safe Side. I was delighted to see two familiar faces smiling back at me. The first was John Walsh, the host of America’s Most Wanted and one of the founders and key supporters of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The other face I recognized was Julie Clark — the creator of Baby Einstein. These are two people who I believe to have the best interest of children in mind and the experience to create a program that would give children the tools they need to stay safe and to do it in an entertaining way.
Of course, I decided to watch the program before the boys did just to make sure I thought it was age appropriate for them. I was relieved to see that it was highly entertaining and really great at teaching kids about “Don’t Knows” folks who are strangers and “Kind-of Knows” pretty much everyone else your child might interact with such as coaches, teachers, neighbors, family friends, doctors, librarians, etc.
N was actually very reluctant to watch the video, which made me hesitate a bit but I knew we really just needed to watch it and start discussing how to stay safe. I told him that if he thought it was too scary I would turn it off. Since I watched it before they did, I knew that they would think that “Safe Side Superchick” was really funny. She provides really important information and does so in a fun and completely goofy way. The boys both loved it and they actually asked to watch it again today. We had fun not only discussing what they should do when certain situations happen but acting it out as well.
Another thing the video recommends is that you pick three adults who you completely trust with the well being of your child and put them on a list. This way if something happens and you cannot get to your child, they will know it is okay to go with one of these people but no one else! Then there is a clear distinction of who it is okay to go with unless you (their Safe Side Adult) tell them it’s okay or they ask permission first.
(photo via Amazon.com)
They even have a Safe Side video all about internet safety. This isn’t really an issue for us right now because the boys don’t use the computer but I will probably have them watch this once they are a little older. The only thing is it might be outdated because it’s from 2006 but I’m sure the basic tips are still relevant.
So my plan is to keep talking about how to stay safe, letting them know that they can come to their Dad or I if something doesn’t seem right or makes them uncomfortable and that it is okay to yell fight, hit, kick and whatever else they need to do if someone ever grabbed them. By teaching them about safety I hope that this will help the boys to be prepared if God forbid something did happen!
So what have you done to teach your kids about stranger safety? What books, programs or websites have you used? I’d love to hear what others have done or recommend!
Thanks for Reading!
