Family Time Archives - Page 7 of 12

My #1 Brand of Choice for Long-Lasting Toys for Toddlers

November 28, 2016 | Leave a Comment

What do toddlers love? Getting into EVERYTHING. That’s why I want my money to go toward products that will inspire my curious kids, entertain them, and last longer than three days. Therefore, here is my all-time favorite brand of long-lasting toys for toddlers.

My #1 Brand of Choice for Long-Lasting Toys for Toddlers

When my kids receive an invite to a birthday party (especially if they’re toddlers), I head straight toward one particular section in the toy department first:

Melissa & Doug.

Why I Recommend Melissa & Doug Toys Above the Competition

I can’t help it; their products win me over time and time again. Here is a breakdown of my top reasons why:

They’re well made. The durable craftsmanship of each toy and the use of wood and metal instead of plastic ensures that these are long-lasting toys for toddlers and older.
They teach a skill. Each toy or activity I’ve come across in the Melissa & Doug line inspire the child to use her imagination, explore her problem-solving skills, or improve hand-eye coordination.
They’re better for the environment. With the longer lifespan of each toy and the use of natural products instead of plastic, the carbon signature is greatly reduced.
They help kids focus. My go-to toys for road trips, waiting rooms, or long lines at the grocery store are Melissa & Doug. With their colorful and creative designs, they hold children’s attention spans. That drew me since I know how important it is to teach children to focus at a young age.
They help kids have fun without using a screen. No technology. No flashing lights. No batteries. I love that my kids can enjoy toys like these for hours each day without seeing any of the side effects of too much screen time.

If you’ve never shopped for Melissa & Doug toys before, here a few great toys to try first. I’ve seen positive results with each of my children, and even their friends when they come over to play. Whether they’re in the car, playing right beside me, or alone in quiet time, these toys are a continual source of fun in our home.

Long-Lasting Toys for Toddlers – Ages 1 to 2 Years

Chunky Puzzles. The great thing about these early learning puzzles is that little fingers can grasp the pieces easily and figure out where they go. Both of my children learned the art of puzzling first from a Melissa & Doug 8-piece Chunky Puzzle (and they still play with it).
Activity Boards. Like puzzles, these sturdy and colorful activity boards offer toddlers a chance to buckle, bolt, snap, lock, and latch as fast as their tiny hands can manage it. This is an exceptional activity to promote hand-eye coordination and, if you’re like me, you’ll find yourself tempted to put the activity board together, too, when no one’s watching. ::cough:: So that’s just me, then?…

Long-Lasting Toys for Toddlers – Ages 2 to 3 Years

No-Mess Painting Craft. Did I mention how much I love taking Melissa & Doug products on road trips? The kids love painting with these Melissa & Doug On the Go Water Activity Books. They simply use a brush with water inside and the colors appear on the pages. After a few minutes, the colors fade and the children can paint on them again. This has been great for my 3-year-old who can write her alphabet and numbers, largely in thanks to the ABC and 123 Water Activity Books we own.
“Make-Believe Play” Toys. My niece recently received a Melissa & Doug Christmas Cookie set. I watched throughout the rest of the night as she walked around the room offering each family member a wooden Christmas cookie with a huge grin on her face. It’s so fun to make believe and to do so with such adorable toys. For example, if you’re a coffee drinker, your child might like to become a little barista with this Melissa & Doug Wooden Brew & Serve Coffee Set.

These are only a few options of things your children might enjoy. I shared them because they are the ones my own children have enjoyed. Now, I encourage you to browse around and try one out for your own toddler. I bet he or she will have a lot of fun with it for a long time.

What long-lasting toys for toddlers have you found? Share them in the comments below!

Image Credit: Tiffany Terry (Creative Commons)

This post contains affiliate links.

If I Let My Baby Run the Budget

November 21, 2016 | Leave a Comment

If I let my baby run the budget, things would work a little differently. Have you ever given such a funny thing a thought?

Let’s see…

If I Let My Baby Run the Budget

We’d buy the grocery store’s entire milk supply, I’m quite sure, skipping all the other aisles.

Sleepwear would replace our normal attire. We’d quadruple our sock supply.

If I let my baby run the budget, diapers would line the walls (in infant and adult sizes…). Enough for five to seven changes a day, right?

Pillows and blankets would also see an uptick. There would most likely be a fresh set in every room (and vehicle). After all, she’d be budgeting for all of us to take one to three naps every day (not bad at all).

What Wouldn’t Show Up On the Budget

As I thought about all the things my baby would buy if it were up to her, I realized something. The list was far shorter and simpler than mine.

If I let my baby run the budget, there wouldn’t be a column for snacks, caffeine, or Hostess cupcakes. It’s sad, but true. There would eventually be an interest in fresh produce, namely bananas, avocados, and sweet potatoes. I’m thinking a juicer would show up on the scene with some pretty rad smoothie cups for each of us.

No cable bill or RedBox late fees would pop up on our statement. Collectors wouldn’t rag us about our debts because we wouldn’t have credit cards. There wouldn’t be stacks of fast food receipts or empty Starbucks cups because we’d eat every meal at home.

In fact, very little would be spent on organized recreation at all. A baby’s favorite place to be is in the arms of the one she loves, after all.

We’d save a fortune on toys and gizmos, too, if I had to guess. Her favorite pastimes are chewing on table legs, plastic spoons, wooden blocks, and mommy’s fingers, so there wouldn’t be much need for anything else.

What gas we did buy for the car would be used for those milk runs I was telling you about and trips to her happiest home away from home: Grandma and Grandpa’s house. Lucky for her, grandparents love traveling to see their grandkids, so a barter agreement worked very well in her favor to save on gas.

If I let my baby run the budget, I bet I’d learn a thing or two about life through the eyes of my child. I bet I’d realize how expensive my expectations are for the type of life I think she should have. Contentment would stop eluding me. We would shut off our devices and look at each other, again.

If I let my baby run the budget, it could be the best thing that ever happened to us.

The only problem would come if we ever decided to have another baby…I’m guessing she wouldn’t be too keen on changing her spending habits to move over for baby brother…

If you let your child run the budget, how different do you think your finances would look?

7 Screen-Free Activities for Preschoolers

November 14, 2016 | Leave a Comment

The last thing you’ll ever hear me say is that I’ll never let my kids use technology. Part of their world will always be tied to it. However, I don’t want them to become overstimulated and addicted. To put up healthy boundaries, here are several screen-free activities for preschoolers – since both of my children are that age.

These activities have worked in my family. Now it’s my turn to hand them over to you.

I notice subtle changes in my children’s behavior when they’re in front of a screen for too long. After doing some research, I now understand better what those changes are.

Or more importantly, what they could become.

What does the research say?

Preschoolers don’t reflect the more serious side effects of too much technology, but the average child eight years and older is spending 8 to 11 hours per day looking at a screen, according to the NY Times. What suffers as a result?

Emotional connect. Reasoning skills. Coping mechanisms. The ability to process thoughts, anxieties, and problems.

All those developmental skills are under attack when screens dominate a child’s day, according to this report from NPR.

The earlier we create boundaries for our children’s time with technology, the better their transition into adulthood will be.

7 Screen-Free Activities for Preschoolers

Read books.

The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go. ― Dr. Seuss, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!

Establishing a daily reading habit with your child is a great way to advance his development away from screens. To change things up, try attending a reading time at your local library or purchase some nonfiction books (i.e. a picture dictionary or a book all about what your child loves most).

We keep a basket in between the children’s car seats so they can pick out a book to read on their own while I drive.

Listen to audio books.

One my kids’ favorite activities is listening to audio books. We pull up “reading chairs” so they know it’s time to sit and listen (you could also cut out cardboard circles with their names on them or set out folded blankets).

The library offers lots of variety when it comes to audio stories for kids. Turn the pages for the children until they get the hang of it and can follow along by themselves.

This activity promotes sitting still, listening, learning by spoken word, and early reading along.

Make believe a favorite character.

During an episode of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, my children watched the characters try on several different costumes and parade around the play room. Once we shut the TV off, my kids instantly wanted to be like those characters, so we grabbed some play clothes and made it happen.

This activity helps kids develop their imagination, and helps them understand that not all fun happens on the other side of a screen.

Bring mess-free travel crafts.

Screen-free activities for toddlers especially come in handy in the car. Have a basket of mess-free crafts, book or toys can help them learn to occupy themselves without DVDs or iPads.

One of my go-to examples is the Melissa and Doug Paint with Water book. These last a long time, help your children learn hand-eye coordination, and never leave a mess behind.

They also make great birthday presents for other children. Find them here.

Build something.

Whether it’s a fort made from couch cushions or a castle made from LEGOs, building something is immensely beneficial to your preschooler. It’s like you can see the smoke rising from the wheels turning in their brain as they problem solve each piece of the puzzle or tower.

My favorite toy that helps my children develop these skills is the Mega Bloks Big Building Bag.
It’s an 80-piece set of easy-to-use building blocks that can be added to over time and at any age.

Getting outside.

Staying active is next to impossible while a child is hooked up to a screen. Just like you can create a reading time every day, try to take the kids outside each day. You can take them to the park, for a walk, to the zoo, the pool, on a field trip, or just out to the driveway with some sidewalk chalk.

Study the world together.

Last Christmas, my husband and I gave our children a globe. Over the last year, we’ve looked at it together and studied the numerous intricacies of our world. Yes, you can download Google Earth for free, but studying a 3D globe in a group is different. The children can feel the earth. They feel the mountain ranges, spin the planet on its axis, and wrap their arms around its round shape.

Being able to study that together creates a discussion format that wouldn’t likely happen through an app.

For more ways to keep your kids busy without putting them in front of a screen check out these articles.

8 Simple Rainy Day Activities For Kids
Three Inexpensive Spring Break Ideas
How to Save Money On Kids Toys

What screen-free activities for preschoolers does your family enjoy?

Image Credit: Frank McKenna (UnSplash)

This post may contain affiliate links.

How to Pay for Vacations and Holidays Without Debt

November 7, 2016 | Leave a Comment

The average summer vacation costs $1,200, according to CNN Money. A recent Gallop poll discovered that the average spent on Christmas is $830 with 30% of shoppers intending on spending over $1,000. How on earth are people supposed to pay for these pricey transactions like vacations and holidays without debt?

One way to help prevent such a setback is to run the numbers like I’ve done in the estimates above. Could you imagine going at least $2,000 into debt each year just for holidays and travel?

What if, instead, you made a pact with yourself and your family only to use money that you’ve saved for the occasion?

It would take a plan. Let’s unpack that one now.

How to Pay for Vacations and Holidays Without Debt

The primary tool that will be your strongest ally in all this is your mind. If you can change your mindset to do the following, you’re well on your way to living a life with less debt:

Don’t keep up with the Joneses. They’re probably up to their eyeballs in debt.

My husband and I drive around with our children looking at Christmas lights every year. One year, I took him to a wealthy neighborhood filled with massive homes on manicured lawns. Each house was adorned with elegant crystal-like decorations with a massive tree in their grand living room.

You get the picture.

When I was young, I used to think of that neighborhood as the richest part of town. I used to think, “These are the people who figured it out. They have it made.” Now that I’ve tasted debt and scratched my way back out, I look differently at shiny cars and grand houses. Perhaps these people did save up for every penny and are doing great. But, debt is so accommodating that they really could owe money on every item they own, right down to their shoes.

Don’t assume people driving shiny cars “have it made.” You may be craving a lifestyle they can’t afford, either.

Automate a year-long savings plan.

Holidays and vacations are not surprises. If you can open a Christmas Club account at your bank or open a savings and drop $50 in it every payday, you’ll be so far ahead of the game when it’s time to travel or shop. We don’t even put that much away and it forces us to be more frugal with our holiday shopping. Which brings me to my next suggestion to save up for vacations and holidays without debt.

Bonus Reading: “5 Ways to Spend Less On Christmas Gifts for Kids”

Be intentional about fewer presents.

When I first heard the 4-gift idea for Christmas, I wasn’t sure I wanted to do that for our kids. Then I realized my alternative was to “buy them whatever” which is a terrific recipe for not being intentional and for breaking the budget. The 4-gift idea is to buy them only four presents in the following categories:

Something they want
Something they need
Something they wear
Something they read

I’ve never been more intentional with my gift giving than I was that year. Turns out, the item my daughter “wanted” was the least expensive gift I bought. But, it’s something she still uses every week.

So, the lesson this taught me was that my kids don’t need gobs of presents. They don’t need expensive presents. What makes them feel loved is the intention behind the giving.

You don’t have to spend $830 on Christmas this year, or any other holidays.

If, however, you do want to spend more on a big trip or nice presents (and that’s certainly your prerogative), then save early and do what you can to avoid debt. I’ve tried this both ways and can assure you that the memories are sweeter when debt doesn’t linger behind them.

For further study into this topic of debt free living, I suggest you pick up a copy of “Debt-Proof Your Christmas: Celebrating the Holidays without Breaking the Bank” by Mary Hunt. It’s filled with lots of ideas for saving money during the holidays and not paying for them later.

Do you agree with the idea of having vacations and holidays without debt? Share your thoughts below!

Image Credit: Leo Rivas-Micoud (UnSplash)

This post may contain affiliate links.

My Experience With Co-Sleeping

June 15, 2016 | Leave a Comment

Before having our daughter, I never would have thought that we would co-sleep. We knew we wanted her close, in our room, for the first few weeks but could never have foreseen bed-sharing, for what ended up being almost 10 months.

The first few nights at home, our daughter slept in a bassinet close to the couch I was forced to sleep on since getting in and out of our bed was too challenging post c-section. After a few nights I was able to get into bed and we moved her to the bedroom where I would climb in and out of bed for nighttime nursing sessions.

The issue we were running into was that she was waking up too much when she nursed and would take me almost an hour to get her back to sleep, multiple times per night. After a few weeks of this, in a totally exhausted and desperate state, I brought her in bed with me where we both were able to sleep for the first time in almost a month. She was still waking every two to three hours to feed but because I wasn’t rousing her too much, she’d nurse then we’d both fall right back to sleep. It was glorious and so a new routine was formed.

It took my husband a little while to get comfortable with bed sharing as he was nervous about something happening to her while we slept, but I assured him that even though I was ‘’asleep’’ it was a very different hyper-aware sleep. In almost 10 months, we didn’t have any issues and it worked very well for our family.

Though my husband was initially nervous about it, he ended up really enjoying the experience as well. The three of us developed a nice closeness that we all enjoyed and looked forward to. Obviously if you have a spouse who isn’t in favor of bedsharing, or any form of co-sleeping, it likely won’t work out. Had my husband been dead-set against it I would not have continued but I’m so glad it did work.

People were warning us that with bedsharing we would end up with a college student still in our bed but that wasn’t the case. When we were all ready, and as I was preparing to go back to work, we transitioned her out of our bed and into her own crib. There was a two to three night transition but we haven’t looked back since and she’s four now.

Co-sleeping has many options that work well for various families. We did also try moving her pack-and-play crib beside our bed, but as soon as I would pick her up, position her, and lay her back down, she’d be awake for upwards of an hour. Nothing else seemed to work for us as well as bedsharing. Again, I never thought I’d be the type of parent who would even consider co-sleeping but it just worked for us. Having experienced it once I would likely do it again with future children.

Did you try co-sleeping? How did it work for you?

Catherine

Catherine is a first time momma to a rambunctious toddler. When she isn’t soaking up all that motherhood has to offer, you can find her blogging over at Plunged in Debt where she chronicles her and her husbands journey out of debt. You can also follow her on Twitter.

plungedindebt.com

How to Survive Camping With Young Children

June 1, 2016 | Leave a Comment

We love to camp. Four years ago our daughter was born in June and by August we were camping. Some people thought we were crazy but it’s something we genuinely enjoy and wanted to introduce our kids young. Even though we’re avid campers, camping with young children (under the age of five) isn’t exactly easy. There is definitely more planning required than before.

Infants

Camping with an infant is both super easy and super hard. On one hand they’re pretty easy because they’re small and portable, on the other hand they usually need stuff that we don’t normally bring on a camping trip. At two months old it’s not like we could sit her down on the picnic table or camping chair if we needed a second with free hands.

We didn’t want to lug around a whole pack-and-play or baby chair so instead we opted to hold her or place her on the ground on a blanket when needed. When we were walking around, a stroller wasn’t exactly conducive to the rough terrain of a campground so we carried her in a baby carrier and it worked really well.

Though we don’t always set up a screen tent, when camping with an infant it was a necessity. We needed both shade and bug protection. Since little ones can’t have sunscreen or bug spray on them, the screen tent was a huge help as somewhere to sit without needing to worry about much.

Toddlers and Young Children

The required needs of toddlers and young kids goes down a bit, making it a little easier to camp with them but as the list of needs goes down, the list of safety concerns goes up. They’re now very mobile and curious and there can be a number of safety concerns on a campsite if proper precautions aren’t taken. You now have to be much more careful!

For us, camping in a tent, if a little one has to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, there’s a good chance we’re not going to want to walk to the bathroom which is why bringing a portable potty is ideal. Even for well potty trained children, a portable potty (lined with coffee filters for easy cleanup) makes those potential overnight bathroom runs much easier to handle.

You can never bring too many clothes either since they get super dirty. Extra socks and sweaters for sure. Make sure you bring pants and long sleeves for them to wear in the evening, even if it’s hot, to prevent bug bites. I don’t like putting bug spray on their skin so I usually spray the exterior of a sweater and socks instead.

We got stuck somewhere once with a kid having an allergic reaction and no meds to give her. The bottle we thought we had was forgotten and there were no open pharmacies. Especially with little ones, come prepared with a well-stocked first aid kit which includes child-safe meds.

Kids love camping. It’s quite a little adventure for them. Unlike us adults, they don’t care if they have an air mattress or a comfy place to sleep. They’ll curl up on the ground in their little sleeping bag and be happy with the day’s adventures (best part about camping is all the fresh air- bedtime is always a breeze!).

Have you taken young children camping? Any tips?

Catherine

plungedindebt.com

What To Do When You Find Our You’re Pregnant

April 13, 2016 | Leave a Comment

Taking a pregnancy test is, without a doubt, one of the most intense moments of any woman’s life. When you do finally see the result as being positive, your mind races, like a million miles per minute in many different directions. Your brain definitely goes into a bit of shock when it does see those two little lines, so if you do find yourself holding a big fat positive in your hand, here’s what to do next:

Tell your loved ones

Obviously if you haven’t already, tell your significant other! Some people have fun ways to tell all pre-planned for when the day comes but I wasn’t that thoughtful with my daughter, I just showed him the test, assuming he’d know what it was or how to read it. I’d also consider telling the ones closest to you (mom, best friend), people who you’d want to know both good and bad news. I’d hold off on telling the rest of the world until you get the clear from your doc (around 12 weeks).

Call your doctor

Your family doctor will likely be the one to order the initial bloodwork. Your first appointment will likely be basic stuff like vitals, possible urine sample and a few questions (like when was your last menstrual period). Some family docs may even follow you through the whole pregnancy and delivery, or choose to set referrals up to have you established with an obstetrician. They will also figure out your due date.

Look into your insurance

You may want to have a peek at your insurance coverage so you know what kind of coverage you have. Some plans cover specialists who you may need to start researching now (like a midwife). It’s also good to know as pregnancy goes on as other professions may come into play like potential physiotherapy, massage therapy or acupuncture.

Start thinking about telling work

I know you just found out but in some jobs it may be advantageous that they know early especially if you have a lot of appointments. Depending on what you do for a job, you may literally need close to nine months to start getting someone else ready to take over for your maternity leave as well. Some employers would appreciate as much notice as possible to fill your vacancy.

BREATH

It’s emotionally overwhelming to see that positive, whether it’s your first or 5^th so do your best to relax and not get too overwhelmed. Nine months is a long gestational period and everything will find a way to work out.

Pregnancy is an exciting and interesting journey. Enjoy it and don’t be afraid to ask for help when needed! I was too stubborn at times and more than once overdid it. It’s amazing how hard easy tasks like grocery shopping can become. Try to not wish the next nine months away and enjoy the whole experience.

What was the first thing you did when you found out you were pregnant?

Catherine

plungedindebt.com

Beating the Winter Blues (without booking a trip away!)

February 3, 2016 | Leave a Comment

If you live in a cold climate, winter likely has you dreaming of somewhere not so wintery. Don’t get me wrong, I actually enjoy living in a climate with four seasons, including winter, but there are days that will leaving you feel like you can only handle so much. Managing winter is one thing, managing it with a young kid at home can make it seem twice as long and you need to come up with ideas to break the season up.

Taking the family on a nice vacation somewhere for a week might be feasible for some, but others need to come up with easier, and cheaper ideas to break the cabin fever.

Visit the Dollar Store

If you’ve read any of my other blog posts you know I’m a huge lover of my local dollar stores. It satisfies many of my needs and cold winter blues is one of them. On bad winter days we usually head to the local dollar store to buy a new supplies to play with for the day. Today was a day off for me and we had no reason to leave the house except we started going a little stir crazy.

Off to the dollar store we went. For $5.00 we bought some paint brushes (we couldn’t find a single one at home…), a paint tray and 2 canvases to use. Kiddo had received some paint for Christmas and we finally broke them out. While my daughter was painting in the kitchen, I decided to re-organize my spice cupboard with new containers I bought, again from the dollar store. Painting and organizing may not be for everyone but it was a great use of our day.

Get Outside

When the weather is nice (by winters standards), we try and get outside. I enjoy winter activities when we can get out and kiddo loves it. Though we don’t do much beyond the building snowman and sledding at this age, soon we will be able to go skiing and other longer activities. Don’t let the weather scare you inside for months!

Hit Up Groupon

Groupon can become your best friend. It is a great resource to find inexpensive days and nights out for yourself or the whole family. I have found a few great deals on events for myself and things for us to do as a family for cheap. A local indoor play park recently had a BOGO Groupon. This is not only one afternoon planned but two for cheap! It can also be a great spot to find gift certificates to eat out (which can get expensive with multiple mouths to feed).

While I’m perfectly content staying in my own backyard in the summer watching kiddo run around, come wintertime I feel the need to get away from home and do stuff. If I’m not careful I could find myself wondering the halls of the mall, filling carts out of sheer boredom. With a little research and planning though I think we’ll get through the winter just fine without killing our budget.

How do you keep the kids sane in the winter? What are your go-to activities?

Catherine

plungedindebt.com

5 Pinterest Inspired Christmas Crafts That Anyone Can Do!

December 9, 2015 | Leave a Comment

Though I have a love/hate relationship with Pinterest, I mostly love it. I am a very visual person so appreciate the ability to see the final product of whatever it is I’m looking for. My favorite uses of Pinterest would be recipes and crafts for kids. In my mind, Christmas is much more of a season than a single day, and for this reason we tend to do more related crafts for Christmas than any other holiday.

I’m a reformed neurotic tree-trimmer. Gone are the days of spending hours placing the lights and ribbon alone; standing back and squinting from every angle to make sure there is an even distribution of twinkling lights and perfectly placed ribbon. Now, I have a three year old who is ripping open the ornament boxes before half the tree even has lights on it.

To me a Christmas tree is about representing the family who decorates it. Our tree is a perfect mix between beautiful ornaments we’ve purchased, super special ornaments from our travels and highlights in our life such as marriage and even more important, homemade ones from our daughter. I finally get why my mom wouldn’t allow me to get rid of the ugly ones my sister and I made in school. I’m currently staring at a red Solo cup turned decorated Christmas bell and love it. Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a tree loaded with ornaments made by your child.

Here are my favorite Pinterest inspired Christmas crafts that I’ve either done with my child or made myself when I was a kid.

Mason/Baby Food Jar Snow Globes

I plan on making some of these for the first year with my daughter. I remember making one for the first time when I was in elementary school and loved it so much I made my mom dump all the glass jar sauces we had in the house into plastic containers so I could have the jars and make more. With dollar stores they’re incredibly easy and cheap to make, kids will have a ton of fun with it.

Handprint Art

I love handprint/footprint/thumbprint art mostly because it’s a fun and creative way to document growth. I have done a few different things with my daughter but one of my favorites is the reindeer thumbprint ornament her daycare teacher made with her.

Pipe cleaner Candy canes

My daughter’s current favorite craft is anything with beads so this will be fun this year. My sister and I made these every year for our tree and only requires two cheap and readily available supplies.

Popsicle Stick crafts

Like the handprint crafts, there are a ton of cute and super easy craft ideas involving popsicle sticks. I’ve seen huge bags of over 500 sticks at our local dollar store, super cheap and easy.

Paper Snowflakes

Pretty self-explanatory but I love paper snowflakes. Folding paper, random cuts and opening to see what you’re left with is always fun. There are sites out there that have templates if you’re neurotic and want the perfect snowflake too. Have fun with fancy craft paper too.

Hopefully you have a little extra time away from work this holiday season to enjoy some of these fun family crafts with your kids!

Do you have any favorite crafts?

Catherine

plungedindebt.com

Planning a Road Trip with a Toddler

July 22, 2015 | Leave a Comment

This week we will be embarking on our first family road trip with our toddler!

We travelled a bit when she was a baby but now that she’s an active three ear old I suspect things will be a little different. Things like potty breaks and dealing with the ‘’I’m bored’s’’ and ‘’are we there yet’s?’’. Maybe I’m wrong but I’m certainly expecting our trip to take slightly longer with her in tow.

Potty Break Planning

Dealing with the potty breaks shouldn’t been too bad if I make sure she goes before we leave and limit her drinking in the car. I have a pretty good idea of what she can consume before she really has to go. We’re heading to an island that you can get to via bridge or ferry and we’re opting to take the ferry to break the trip up a bit. Take the ferry is also a guaranteed way to break the trip up. We’ll be able to get out of our vehicle and walk around a bit.

Taking a ferry isn’t possible for most road trips, I understand that. I have a friend who, when travelling with her (very active) son breaks up their trips by stopping at WalMart. She jokes that they’re easy to find off any major highway and a guarantee to be able to use the washroom and walk around for a few minutes. It also works with (sometimes necessary) bribes by enticing them with something small if they behave (for her son it’s usually a pack of superman stickers or bandaids). Whatever you need to do to break up your trip, planning your route ahead of time and plotting out all potential stops for emergency bathroom breaks may save your sanity!

Boredom Busters

Dealing with the boredom isn’t such an issue in 2015 with the technology that is available. It’s not unheard of for vehicles to have televisions built right in them! Since we don’t have that luxury, my husband is preloading the family tablet with child appropriate games and videos. Since she doesn’t play on the tablet often it’s usually well received when she does get time with it.

Before we break out the tablet (which is guaranteed to suck her attention) I packed a ‘’car bag’’ full of activities for her to play with. This includes a few books, a notebook for her to color in (along with markers), stickers and a coloring book that’s in a car case for her to be able to color on her lap easily. I suspect this will keep her busy off and on for a while, or until the stickers run out.

Snack Solutions

We also have snacks for the car which I’m sure will be a hit. Snack choice will vary depending on age, for us my biggest thought is mess control. At three, we’ll stick to easy finger food like blueberries, popcorn, cheese strings and crackers. Things like granola bars and yogurt are too messy in the car (at least for my kid) and I’m not interested in dealing with it quite honestly!

With a little extra planning a family road trip with a toddler can be a lot of fun but if you forget to plan for things like potty breaks it can quickly turn into a nightmare!

Any tips for planning a stress free road trip with a toddler?

Catherine

plungedindebt.com

Gardening As a Family

May 20, 2015 | Leave a Comment

Growing up I remember my mom spending hours at our local gardening center picking out her annuals for our bazillion planter boxes. Being a kid I would get dragged along and initially hated every second of it. ‘’Why does she have to look at every single flower? They’re all the same, just pick one!’’. As the years went on I slowly became more interested in it. I began to learn her favorites by name and why she was choosing certain flowers over others. On top of my mom’s love for annual planter boxes we also had many perennial flowers on our property which required some maintenance but were, for the most part, pretty self-sufficient.

It took a few years but by the time I was about 12 I had a genuine interest in gardening. This late spring tradition is something I’ve already started with my daughter, just three years old. When I asked if she wanted to help Mommy pick out some flowers she immediately lit up and demanded I get ‘’all the pink ones’’. While she hasn’t quite grasped color variation she will learn I’m sure.

Gardening is something that families can do together and it is something that fits every budget. If my budget was unlimited I could spend thousands every year on gardening stuff from lawn care to my own annual planters but I don’t. I usually set a budget of about $50 per year to buy annual requirements and it seems to satisfy what me and my family require.

I limit my annuals to four planter boxes. Two in front and two in the back. I mix them up with a few larger established plants, inexpensive fillers like tall grasses and smaller less mature plants and allow them to establish themselves through the summer. For new soil and flowers I spend about $30. The rest of the money is usually spent on new herbs and a few veggies. I buy them in the summer, keep them outside then move them inside for as long as they live through the fall and winter.

Growing herbs and vegetables is a great way for families to all be involved. Kids have fun planting and helping to ‘’take care’’ of the plants which they can then eat. If you’re fortunate enough to have an in-ground garden to grow these types of things it’s great. If you don’t, you can build one for cheap (check our Pinterest for ideas). The only reason I don’t have an established garden is because the only ‘’perfect spot’’ for such a garden is smack in the middle of our back yard which would drive us crazy mowing and this isn’t our forever home, I don’t want to rip apart the yard for a garden someone else may hate.

We grow in containers and it usually does well, our deck gets great sun exposer. Our daughter has a little watering can she can use to help water the plants. She will also be able to help pick the herbs and veggies as they mature and she can learn about the whole plant to food process.

Gardening is something I love doing. It’s something that can really help a family too- learning to grow your own food- as well something that can be truly enjoyable and an activity entire families can do together.

Do you garden with your family?

Catherine

plungedindebt.com

Preserving Family Memories

May 13, 2015 | Leave a Comment

My friends make fun of me for printing pictures in 2015. Not just one cute picture of my daughter but hundreds a year, or at least 100 per year I should say. I feel like I am of a dying breed in this digital world but I know I’m not alone!

Growing up I would spend hours on the weekends going through my mom’s collection of family photos. I never got tired of them. I never got sick of the stories either. I feel like this is a dying art though. People now have Facebook and Instagram to share their pictures. Gone are the days when people didn’t know what was going on in your life until you showed them the photos but it’s something I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon, especially since I can tell my daughter, at only three, is already as into photographs as I was as a child.

What kills me though is how expensive this hobby can be! Though you can still have photos printed for cheap- if you wait for sales- everything else is very expensive. I recently capitalized on Costco’s $0.10 print sale and needed a new album to hold everything. Though I haven’t yet given up, the cheapest album I could find for the size I wanted, was over $25.

Preserving family memories is a delicate art for me. I want to keep everything but I hate clutter. I like printing pictures and holding them more than relying on digital only, though a 100% digital life, including memory preservation, is always an option (I also love my digital photo frame).

In terms of kid’s crafts, I have to choose. For any special occasion she will bring home two to five crafts and we just don’t have the space to keep it all. Instead I sometimes will take a picture of the ones we’re not keeping- or ones that are super large and won’t fit in storage and place the photos with the box of items we have opted to keep. I have also heard of parents not keep anything and instead taking a picture of it instead.

For our wedding photos, I had photobooks made which were really nice but had their limitations. For one, they were much more expensive than printing and as well we had to be choosier in what photos we wanted in there due to their sizing limitations. I like printing pictures and not fussing about the page layout and every other detail that goes into making the photobooks though I do still really like them, especially if you score a great promo price!

Some people would argue that these sorts of ‘memory preservation’ are a waste of money, to each their own I guess. For me having a cupboard full off overflowing photo albums is happiness and more memories as I look forward to the day she crawls into my lap and asks all about that day we did ‘’x’’ before she was born.

How do you preserve your memories?

Catherine

plungedindebt.com

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