6 ways to celebrate Memorial Day with your family

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Memorial Day is a day of remembrance, but it’s also a day often spent with close friends and family.  If you are looking for something to do with your family this Memorial Day, check out these suggestions below and pick one or two that work for you!

Memorial Day weekend

6. Visit a military cemetery, memorial, or flag garden – Almost every town has one, and it would be a wonderful way to teach your children that there is more to Memorial Day than just hanging out and having fun.  Be sure to look up a brief history of Memorial Day if you don’t know it already, because your kids are sure to ask questions about the holiday.  Perhaps bring small flags to put on graves of veterans, if you are able to find their spots. [Read more…]

Keep on saving!  :o)
--Barbara

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Summer Activities for Young Preschoolers

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activities for young preschoolers

As a preschool teacher, I’m frequently asked about ways to help facilitate learning and growth at home, particularly what activities for young preschoolers can parents work on at home.  During spring conferences with my two-year-old class’s parents, this question is second only to questions regarding potty training.   Trust me, I get how long these summer days can be, and being able to fill your child’s days with meaningful, age-appropriate activities can make or break your summer.  (or winter break.  Or spring break.  Or ….Tuesday!)  So what are some activities for your young preschooler, or any time of the year, to do at home? [Read more…]

Keep on saving!  :o)
--Barbara

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Car Games for Kids

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Morning car rides can be daunting if you’re not a morning person, and sometimes even if you ARE a morning person.  Although I believe it’s perfectly ok to let your kids be bored, I also believe it’s important to use moments together wisely.  So we tend to spend our morning car ride having conversations, and playing kids car games that help wake them up and keep them on their toes, AND it’s all done sans technology!  Here I delve beyond “Punch-Buggy Charlie” and the license plate game for some good no-tech car games for kids.

Car Games for Kids

20 Questions – We each take a turn coming up with a person, place, or thing.  Then the other participants take turns asking yes or no questions to figure out what it is.  If we figure it out before the 20th question, we win; if not, then the person answering the questions wins.  This is a good exercise in making deductions and also figuring out good “category” questions. [Read more…]

Keep on saving!  :o)
--Barbara

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Tips for making a summer bucket list for your family

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Tips for Making a Summer Bucket List for Your FamilyA few years ago, Tiffany of RealMomTalk.com created this post on creating a summer bucket list.  I am reviving it, in hopes that it may help inspire some of y’all this summer, as we zip through these last few days of school, and prepare for summer with our kiddos.  

We’ve all been seeing a lot of stuff on Facebook and Pinterest about Family Summer Bucket Lists, and many of you have said that you wish you could do something similar with your family.  Well today, I’m sharing tips on how to make your own summer bucket list!

First off, let me say that our summer bucket list is SUPER long, but yours doesn’t have to be.  We have eight people in our family, and I told the kids I would include everything they suggested, within reason of course.  Pretty much everything made the cut, except Nate’s desires for worldwide travel to places like China, that’s not quite possible with our budget right now!  Plus, there’s really no possible way we will do it all, but it’s still fun to dream!  So don’t feel like your list is no good just because it may only have 5 items on it.  That’s still 5 more super fun memories you will be making with your family this summer!  The point is to make a list of activities and then make a conscious effort to allot time to do those things with your family.  Here are some of my top tips and suggestions to help you get your list going! [Read more…]

Keep on saving!  :o)
--Barbara

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Advice for My 6-year-old Daughter, For the Teen Years and Beyond

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For some reason, today I felt just a little extra whimsical while watching my daughter.  Like many mothers, I’m sure, I catch glimpses of her older self throughout the course of the day, and today -for a fleeting split second- I saw my little girl all grown up.  I’ve already shared my wishlist for her, but here is my collective little nuggets of advice for my daughter.

Advice for My 6-year-old DaughterAdvice for My 6-year-old Daughter,
for the Teen Years and Beyond

 

Don’t be a mean girl.  Ever.  But don’t be mean back to the mean girls – how else will they learn kindness if it’s not extended to them?

Love yourself, on the inside and the outside.  Treat your body with respect now, and it will thank you in kind as you get older.  Learn now how to take care of your whole self.

Be kind but firm. [Read more…]

Keep on saving!  :o)
--Barbara

**Remember, y'all, this post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

My Wish List for My Daughter

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 I came across this post, from an old blog I created about and for my daughter.  Unlike my actual daughter, this blog’s been neglected for about three years, but I wanted to breathe new life in to this post, as I still feel it’s relevant to her -and to daughters and children everywhere.  What’s on YOUR wish list for your children?
 My Wish List for My Daughter

My Wish List for My Daughter

October 2, 2010

My Dear Carol,
As your mother, I wish for you many things in this life.  Above all, I pray daily that you live an exceptionally long, happy, healthy, meaningful, and purposeful life.  I wish this for you, and any siblings you may have.  I hope to help make those things attainable for you, with these things I wish for you:
[Read more…]
Keep on saving!  :o)
--Barbara

**Remember, y'all, this post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Saying Goodbye to Kindergarten

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Saying Goodbye to Kindergarten

It seems like it was just last week I walked my little girl in to Kindergarten.  And yet now, in a blink of an eye, she  was saying goodbye to Kindergarten.  While I knew she was more than ready to start Kindergarten, I still knew this year would be filled with many “new”s: she started a new school, venturing away from the preschool where she was already well-known; which also means she made new friends, whom she embraced with her big heart and they she; new teachers, all of whom she seems to like, her classroom teacher the most!

In the last nine months, she’s become an even stronger reader, mastering even more sight words, gained more confidence as a reader, began to experiment with spelling, finished writing her own book, began formerly learning Spanish, learned how to skip count by 2s, 5s, and 10s, learned how to add numbers in her head, almost mastered shoe tying (gonna keep that on our summer checklist!), and grew by leaps and bounds in ways I never imagined!

I’m not sure what it is about Kindergarten in our present culture that invokes such sentimentality, but I will gladly testify to its strength.  We weep when our babies start Kindergarten, whether they do so as the king of the hill in a preschool setting, or as the littlest guys in an elementary school setting.  We weep because Kindergarten signifies that our little babies are no longer our little babies, and that, with each step they take towards their school, they take a further step away from our safe and comfortable arms, away from our safe world where we can control and protect them.  They take a step further towards leaving the proverbial nest.

Saying Goodbye to Kindergarten

My little girl can now be considered what she calls a “grader”.  Wow.  How on earth do I have a first grader on my hands?!  That I’m not sure, but I do know that, as I watch my little girl grow up -a girl with a heart bigger than any ocean- I’ll mourn the loss of each previous stage, watching small slivers of her childhood slip away, while also celebrating the little person she is becoming.  And she is quite a cool little person.

So, here’s to a wonderful year in Kindergarten, to all the excitement this summer may hold, and to the wonders that await us next year in first grade.

Saying Goodbye to Kindergarten

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A Message from My Daughter

A-Message-From-My-Daughter_profile.jpg
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Kindergarten Readiness

Starting Kindergarten

Starting Kindergarten

Keep on saving!  :o)
--Barbara

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Stick Figures, Hair Clips, & a Message From My Daughter

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A-Message-From-My-Daughter_banner

The other day, I took my daughter to the gym with me.  Not for any super-compelling reason, other than convenience and lack of child care. My daughter is five, going on fifteen, and isn’t interested in playing with the “little guys” in the kids zone, where her 2-year-old brother goes.  So, got the green light from my instructor ahead of time to let her come with me to one particular class I take, Les Mills Body Combat.

What happened in the 48 hours during and then following that class, and the lessons *I* would learn continue to surprise me, even as I type this out.

I prepared her for the class, letting her know that it would be similar to the gym class she got to try out at UFC Perimeter Gym, but with grown ups.  I assured her she was welcome to join in with us, and that it was ok if she didn’t know all the moves.  None of us did, really.  But I also comforted her with the iPad (don’t judge me!), a pad of paper, and her markers.  On the drive over there, I tried pumping her up, getting her excited about doing “mommy’s class”, without trying to push her too far.  She seemed on board.

However, once we got in the room, and other people started coming in, her shyness kicked in, and she only wanted to set up camp and draw and play on the iPad.  Fine.  Mommy needed to workout, so I went about my ways, while keeping an eye on her.  She occasionally came over to me, to ask random questions, really just needing reassurance that I hadn’t forgotten she was there, and giving her attention.  I came over to her in between each track, grabbing a sip of water, planting a kiss on her sweet little noggin, and showing interest in whatever she was working on at the moment.  I continued to lightly encourage her to get up and try the moves, if she wanted.

Long story short, she hopped up a handful of times to try to participate.  The moves were complicated, and intimidating at any age.  But she tried.  She ran a lap with us, and the instructor gave her a high-five as she passed, just as she did for everyone else in the class.  She ran in place, holding my hand.  She attempted to do lunges and other complex leg moves.  My heart grew full watching her.

She was doing what her mommy was doing.  She was imitating me.  I was her role model.

During and then after class, she showed me two pictures she drew.  Both were stick figures of me kicking and punching, like I did in class.

A-Message-From-My-Daughter_Stick-Figures

She was watching me, her mother, work hard.  She was watching me, her mother, keep going, even if I wasn’t perfect.  She was watching me, her mother, do something to improve my health and fitness.  She was watching me, her mother, and taking notes.  She was watching me, her mother.  Period.

The following evening, which happened to be July 4th, I gave the kids a bath, put them in their PJs, and we whisked them out to see the local fireworks.  They’re kids, and they need to make memories.  After she got her PJs on, she insisted on taking out my hair clip and using it in hers.  I instead offered her a smaller one that would fit better in her hair.

A-Message-From-My-Daughter_Hair-Clip.jpg

She wanted her hair clipped up in the same manner I had been doing this summer.

She was watching me, her mother.  Again.

After securing her hair in a smaller clip, she held her head up, chest out proud and said “now we’re twins, mommy.  HAIR TWINS!”

That’s when the emotions began to overwhelm me.  I am my daughter’s role model.  I am my daughter’s example of what a mother is, what a woman is, what a girl is.

I.  Am.  Her.  Example.

I honestly just assumed, since she is such a daddy’s girl, and seemingly only has eyes for her sweet daddy, that she wasn’t really paying much attention to me.  That she was more apt to imitate him, not me.  Boy was I wrong – this couldn’t be further from the truth.  I’m getting a message from my daughter, loud and clear: daddy may be her prince and hero and ideal of a perfect man in her eyes, as he should be.  But, just as I viewed my own mother through childhood’s eyes, I am her image of beautiful.  I am her image of all-knowing.  (Yes, she’s told me she thought mommies are supposed to know everything about everything.)  I am her image of perfection, period.  She doesn’t see my flaws as flaws, but just part of my perfect-in-her-eyes package.

A-Message-From-My-Daughter_profile.jpg

It is up to me to show her what’s important.  Our mantra for several months now has been “pretty isn’t important“.  But those words mean nothing if my actions and my example don’t mesh with that mantra.  I have this amazing, bring-me-to-my-knees humbling privilege of teaching this smart little girl to love herself, to love herself enough to take care of herself.

It’s my job to BE the good example.  To live my life in an exemplary manner.  My words need to match my manners.  So while I serve my children milk and water, while I sip on (WAAAAY) too much soda or sweet tea, she is seeing my actions.  Although she’s not interested in drinking either, she’s taken a sip here and there, almost as if she wants to like them, because she sees her mother drinking them.  Or worse, when I serve my children a balanced dinner, yet sit down with nothing in front of me -or with some quick crap I grabbed from the freezer- she is watching me.

By the same token, she also sees me with a stack full of books at my bedside table.  She sees me reading frequently, and sees the spark in my eyes when I do so.  She sees me get up in the morning, and put on my workout clothes.  She sees me scrutinize and compare at the grocery store, coupons in hand.  She sees my husband and I discuss our meals if we go out, searching for good coupons or Scoutmob deals.  She sees her parents say prayers before meals, attend Mass every week, and putting our strength and trust in God.

My daughter needs to see me mess up, and watch how I keep trying, how I don’t just quit.  My daughter needs to see me defend myself, and not get pushed down and cower in times of adversity.  My daughter needs to see me handle adversity with strength and grace, with poise and self-assurance – even if I’m secretly cowering in my proverbial boots.

She has asked already if she can come to class with me again.  I will make certain she can do so at least a few more times before school starts back.  I will hold my head up high, knowing my example during class is shaping a little girls’ mind, a little girl’s schema for persistence, hard work, and self-confidence.  And perhaps I will even set us up with matching hair clips.

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Keep on saving!  :o)
--Barbara

**Remember, y'all, this post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Explaining Death to Young Children

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Explaining Death to Young Children

Explaining death to young children is never a particularly desirable subject, I find, as we wish to preserve their innocence and shield them from anything that may burst their fragile bubble, believing all is always well in their world.  However, death is inevitable.  Some folks lose loved ones later in life, while others experience death of a loved one at a tender, young age.  Following is my story, explaining death to my five-year-old daughter, Carol.

My grandmother was fortunate enough to raise her five children, not only to see all eight of her grandchildren grow up, but also see her eight great-grandchildren, AND meet three great-great-grandchildren.  She lived for almost 18 years after my grandaddy passed away, and was the last of her twelve siblings to survive.  She lived through the great depression, and lost her own mother at a very young age.  She was, in every sense of the word, a good Southern woman.  She had the greenest thumb I’ve ever seen, able to revive even the limpest plant, and made the world’s best cornbread, biscuits, green beans, and fried apple pies.  Fond memories of sitting on the front porch, eating watermelon after a big Sunday lunch sit firmly in my memory, holding a very special place in my heart.

She was four days shy of her 95th birthday when she went Home. [Read more…]

Keep on saving!  :o)
--Barbara

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What Should You Do If Your Dog Is Missing

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What SHOULD you do if your dog is missing?  We recently went through this terrible experience, and I don’t wish it on anyone.  While we were extremely lucky with our outcome, it could have easily not rather unfortunate.  SO, I’d like to share what I’ve learned from my experience, to perhaps save y’all the trouble and heartache, if you ever find yourself in my shoes.

What Should You Do If Your Dog Is Missing

Prevention – Things to Do Beforehand

  • Get the chip.  If it’s within your budget and your pet is young, get the chip implanted. It’s the easiest and fastest way to have your beloved pet return home to you.  Our dog is almost 15 years old, and the chip wasn’t available when my husband got him.  (Yes, he got the dog before he got me…)
  • Keep updated tags on him.  Our dog is prone to losing his tag, so it’s a good idea to keep an extra one handy, if yours is the same way.  Check frequently to ensure tags are still in place, and that the information hasn’t rubbed off.
  • Take pictures!  You’ve probably heard about taking pictures of your children before going to a big amusement park, so you’ve got an instant identification of her if you were to get separated.  The same principle applies to your pet.  Make sure you have updated pictures of you pooch, so people will know who to look for!

During the Search – the First Few Hours

  • Begin walking around your neighborhood, calling your dog’s name.  If you frequent a particular route when you walk, go that way.  
  • Perhaps bring a treat or favorite toy, especially if it makes noise.  
  • Also, bring a leash, so he’s easier to walk back home.
  • If a walk around the neighborhood doesn’t turn up results, hop in your car, and do the same thing, only cover a larger radius.  If there are enough adults to do so, have one person walking the route, while another drives around, to cover more ground and faster.
  • If your dog is at all like ours, once he’s spotted, don’t rush over to him — that may just make him run further, and if you’re in a high traffic area, that’s obviously a no-no.  Just continue to approach your dog at a normal pace, with an upbeat tone, perhaps offering that toy or treat.

During the Search – Getting the Word Out

  • Put up posters immediately.  Keep it simple.  Offer a brief description, and make a phone number easily visible.  I recommend running to the dollar store and grabbing some neon poster board. Use a BLACK sharpie to legibly write information, or just type the info (Arial font is best) and paste to poster board.  Posters should be visible all around the neighborhood, and in spots where folks are most likely to see them, like on busy streets.
  • Also, the posters our dog’s founder used were wrapped with plastic wrap, to prevent the rain from ruining them.  Or if you have easy access, laminate them.  (But bear in mind, this could get expensive if you go to an office supply store to do so.)  Clear contact paper may also work well, too; you can grab a roll at Big Lots for $2.
  • Remember the frequent pictures you’re supposed to be taking fo your pup?  Now’s the time to find the best ones to put on social media.  In this day and age, a dog could potentially be lost, found, and returned in an hour’s time, thanks to the overwhelming amount of technology on our hands.  Facebook has groups for neighborhoods, but you can also post on your feed, and ask locals to share. 

During the Search – Contact local establishments

  • Of course, contact your local animal shelters.  Since I live on the border of THREE counties, we contacted all three county’s animal shelters.  One had a way to upload his picture to their “missing” board online, but they all required you to come in person to ID and pick up your dog.  Each suggested we check their “up for adoption” list, which was updated at various intervals.
  • Contact local pet stores and veterinarian offices.  Lost pets can turn up there, and are frequently held there, at least temporarily.  One easy way to see how many pet stores are near you is to do a simple “Yelp” search by proximity and key word.

Our dog was found because my husband happened to spot a poster on his way home from work for a “found dog” about 3 miles from our home.  It turns out, he showed up in the neighborhood of a sweet, older couple the next morning, and was enjoying their company that day.  They’d taken him to the local vet (our vet!) to check for a chip.  They’d gone out and gotten a small supply of dog food, and bought supplies to create about 8 posters.  We came prepared to pay them, but they absolutely refused payment.  However, we did go around the neighborhood, and removed all of their signs for them.  That was the very least we could do!

My hope, of course, is that you’ll never need to take this advice.  But chances are great, if you’re reading this, you’re already looking for a missing pooch.  I certainly hope this proves helpful, and that you and your fur baby are reunited quickly!

Keep on saving!  :o)
--Barbara

**Remember, y'all, this post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

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